Chapter Thirty-Six: The Seven-Colored Celestial Sword

That evening, Liu Junhuai entered the Myriad Phenomena Pavilion from his guest room.

The steward led him to the formation chamber. As arranged the previous day, Liu Junhuai was to advance to the rank of third-level formation master. Cultivating to the third level proved far more difficult than before; even with the aid of the time formation, it took almost the entire night. Once his true essence had recovered, the old steward produced several second and third-level concealment formation jade tokens. With the steward’s help, Liu Junhuai began inscribing concealment formations onto the long blade he had forged himself.

Nearly two hours passed before the intricate concealment formations were all complete. After refining them with a drop of his blood, the blade’s dusky-black sheen dulled significantly. Dense formation runes shimmered faintly along its length. Liu Junhuai swung the blade forcefully; it traced a strange arc through the air, slicing open space itself with almost no disturbance of airflow. When he injected true essence, a blade light shot silently from the edge, followed closely by the blade itself, cleaving a watermelon-sized Shouyang Stone in two as if it were tofu, leaving both surfaces smooth as a mirror.

The old steward was thoroughly satisfied. “This blade suits your Five Elements Chaos Blade Technique perfectly: the blade is invisible, its path traceless, it stirs no air, the blade light spills nothing, and it slices as easily as cutting melon. I’d suggest naming it the Five Elements Chaos Blade, as it will only become more refined with your growing skill in forging. What do you think, Master?”

Liu Junhuai replied, “Your suggestion is excellent. The shape is not yet final, so the name matters little. I do wonder, though—if I were to infuse chaos energy into the blade during forging, what would happen?”

Zhiqiu considered for a moment and responded, “Regardless of how chaos energy is obtained, only by adding it would the blade truly match the Five Elements Chaos Blade Technique. As its name implies, the art was created in the era of primordial chaos and is rooted in the cycle of the five elements’ mutual generation and restraint. Chaos energy would be the perfect complement. However, this blade’s materials are acquired rather than primordial, unlike the original Godslayer Spear, so its power will never compare. You shouldn’t expect too much.”

Liu Junhuai nodded, letting the matter rest. He and the steward discussed refining techniques through the night, which passed quietly.

The next day, Liu Junhuai left his guest room to find Shen Duoduo already waiting in the parlor, clinging tightly to his arm and refusing to let go.

With two more days of cleansing ahead, Liu Junhuai was in no hurry to leave and let Shen Duoduo lead him on a leisurely stroll through Yunluo City.

Yunluo City was even more prosperous than Chuyun Valley, sprawling over a vast area. In the two hours since they’d left, the streets had been lined with thriving shops, bustling carriages, and a ceaseless tide of people. The cries of merchants rang out with penetrating clarity, and the occasional long whinny of a horse echoed in the distance.

Many humble tradesmen and laborers lived here, and martial artists flowed through the city like fish in a river. Most interacted with the common folk without oppression or arrogance. Even the few sinister-looking warriors, exuding a wicked aura, abided strictly by Yunluo City’s rules and dared not cause trouble.

The city boasted vibrant commercial districts and specialized trading centers. Morning and night markets ran back to back, while restaurants, teahouses, and shops were laid out in an orderly fashion. From time to time, squads of black-clad, stern-looking martial artists patrolled by—these were the city’s law enforcement teams, maintaining order and ensuring smooth commerce.

After sampling Yunluo City’s famed snacks with Shen Duoduo, the two found themselves at a crafting workshop.

Upon entering, Liu Junhuai was immediately drawn to a short sword. Half-unsheathed, the blade shone a deep blue, like a pool of azure spring water, sending a chill through those who beheld it. The hilt was wrapped in hide from an earth rhinoceros, lending it a wild yet harmonious feel.

This was a high-grade Xuan-level short sword. What caught Liu Junhuai’s attention was not its sharpness or beauty, but the half-transparent Sumeru Stone set into the gem-studded hilt. Sumeru Stones could contain a universe in a mustard seed and were the main ingredient for crafting spatial storage items, long believed extinct in the cultivation world. Yet here one was, hidden among the other jewels—how had it ended up on this sword?

A Sumeru Mustard Seed contained its own internal space; anything placed inside weighed nothing, and even the tiniest sliver of Sumeru Stone could yield a space the size of a room. Storage rings worn by cultivators were primarily made from this rare material.

The placement of the Sumeru Stone in the hilt likely served a special purpose. Most likely, the sword’s original owner lost it, and no one recognized the precious material among the other gems, so it ended up in the workshop.

“This sword is called Rainbow Cloud Sky, found in an ancient ruin. When used in combat, it inflicts a frost effect that slows enemies and its blade emits a multicolored glow, which can confuse opponents. High-grade Xuan-level, priced at eight hundred middle-tier spirit stones,” the shop attendant explained.

With the attendant’s permission, Liu Junhuai hefted the sword and swung it in the air. Frosty mist billowed around it, shimmering with rainbow hues.

“Duoduo, do you like it? If you do, I’ll buy it—it’ll be the first gift from your big brother,” Liu Junhuai offered.

Shen Duoduo was clearly tempted, though the high price made her hesitant.

Sensing her thoughts, Liu Junhuai said nothing more, simply produced the spirit stones, paid the attendant, and handed both sword and scabbard to Shen Duoduo.

She frowned but said nothing in front of the shopkeeper.

Once outside, as Shen Duoduo began to scold Liu Junhuai for his extravagance, he laughed and replied, “Duoduo, this sword is a real treasure, with hidden mysteries. Let’s find a quiet place and I’ll show you.”

They found a secluded corner. Liu Junhuai asked her to take out the Rainbow Cloud Sky sword and refine it, taking her hand as he explained, “You’re only a third-tier martial artist and don’t have spiritual sense yet. I’ll lend you some of mine. Just infuse your spiritual essence into the hilt and check with your mind.” As he spoke, he sent a wisp of his heavenly sense into her.

With Liu Junhuai’s help, Shen Duoduo injected her spiritual essence. She saw, through his spiritual sense, a space within the hilt the size of several rooms, filled with assorted items.

Her mouth dropped open in astonishment, staring at the space in a daze, prompting Liu Junhuai to chuckle.

Only now did she realize that her brother Junhuai had bought her a far more valuable treasure than its price suggested, and that it was so beautifully adorned. Her heart brimmed with delight.

“Thank you, Brother Junhuai.” Shen Duoduo stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek, then blushed and ran off with the Rainbow Cloud Sky sword.

Liu Junhuai’s heart was full of happiness as he stood there, hand on his cheek, lost in thought.

By afternoon, they had purchased a good deal of medicinal herbs and materials, even acquiring a piece of secret silver the size of a fingernail. Shen Duoduo had also bought a heap of clothes.

When they returned to the Mei estate, Shen Qianqian and her husband were anxiously awaiting them and heaved a sigh of relief at their return.

The bone-cleansing and marrow-washing the previous day had yielded remarkable results. Upon waking, they both felt a tremendous transformation: a sense of clarity and warmth, as if bathed in sunlight and soaked in warm water. Their meridians and dantian had clearly been strengthened, and their bodies felt lighter.

Ignoring her sister’s plaintive gaze, Shen Duoduo busied herself showing off the Rainbow Cloud Sky sword her brother Junhuai had given her. Naturally, the couple were astonished yet again—who would have thought that their future brother-in-law’s arrival would bring so many surprises, utterly transforming their lives?

Three wooden tubs were filled with the cleansing elixir, and each person retreated to their room. Now at leisure, Liu Junhuai was filled with a tumult of feelings.

Despite the day’s busy errands, his heart was full of passion and a gentle happiness lingered within him.

Since his mother’s death, he had spent his days in peril and hardship, rarely able to enjoy the peace and warmth of family. The weight of vengeance had pressed on his young shoulders like a mountain; who would believe that a child not yet fourteen had blood on his hands and had narrowly escaped death several times?

Liu Junhuai was grateful for the presence of Duoduo and her family, who had allowed him to feel familial warmth once more.

A shriek rang out from Shen Duoduo’s room. Setting aside his thoughts, Liu Junhuai hurried to her door.

“Brother Junhuai, Duoduo is going to take her bath—wait for me, okay?” Shen Duoduo’s childish teasing made Liu Junhuai feel as though he were in a dream.

After dinner, the two sisters put on a show of Duoduo’s new clothes, while Mei Bingyi drew Liu Junhuai into conversation in the living room.

Mei Bingyi asked, “Brother Junhuai, when will you teach me the technique to cultivate a spiritual root?”

“We’ll talk about that once you reach Chuyun Valley. The journey is long and there won’t be time to cultivate along the way. Once you’re in a safe place, you can all go into secluded cultivation together. In the heart of Chuyun Valley, there’s an exchange pavilion called Shangbao Hall, run by Manager Wu Yaohan, who is an elder of mine. We’ll all go to him in the future. Here’s the address.” As he spoke, Liu Junhuai handed over a jade tablet, which contained a detailed map of Chuyun Valley.

“You haven’t joined a sect?” Mei Bingyi was surprised; in his mind, lone cultivators were usually of inferior rank. “Having a powerful backer would help you take revenge on the Shen family.”

Liu Junhuai shook his head. “No. Unless someone I trust is in a high position within the sect, those below the Foundation Establishment stage won’t be valued, and it’s hard to even become an outer disciple. Besides, my cultivation techniques are a little unusual and not suited to the sect system.”