Chapter 79: Chapter 76: Swordless Restriction

The bet was set, and the higher-ups of the Daoist sects began to spread their Divine Sense to check the situation on the Hidden Spirit Mountain.

“Huh, he’s already reached the mid-mountain area,” Li Chunsong said.

“What’s up with these swords?” Nangong Yue, being an Artifact Refining Grandmaster, naturally was most concerned with Spiritual Artifacts.

Chu Huaixu had now reached the 4,000th stone step.

To his left was a stone platform with a sword placed on it.

Curiously enough, this was a Stone Sword.

Swords of this material and design were quite rare.

However, no matter what kind of sword, it was trembling at this moment.

“In the mid-mountain area, there are no Lower Grade Spiritual Artifacts anymore; the worst is something like the Cangsong Sword, a Middle Grade Spiritual Artifact.”

Hearing the sounds from all around him, Chu Huaixu realized: “After reaching the mid-mountain, the range that the black Little Sword could influence seems to have decreased.”

“But it still presses these swords hard!”

He continued to ascend the steps, not touching the swords, nor using Information Detection.

The reason he slowed his pace now was purely because the Spiritual Artifacts here were diverse, and he wanted to feast his eyes.

Although Chu Huaixu’s ambitions lay elsewhere, curiosity wouldn’t allow him to ignore these artifacts completely.

“I have to say, the Daoist sects have quite the variety of Spiritual Artifacts, including many strange things.”

“Why is there a teacup here?”

“What’s this funnel used for?”

“This bamboo hat looks pretty stylish.”

Chu Huaixu walked on without stopping.

“I wonder how far Big Ice Cube has gotten?” he thought.

In the grand hall of Wenda Peak, the higher-ups of the Daoist sects looked at each other.

“He doesn’t seem to be affected by the spiritual pressure at all,” Zhao Shuqi marveled.

“When I climbed the mountain that year, I already felt a bit uncomfortable in the mid-mountain area,” Great Elder Lu Pan remarked.

Sect Leader Xiang Yan exclaimed in amazement, “Is he finding it too easy, or is it because of that sword in his Sea of Consciousness?”

“It’s possible. Also, these Spirit Swords are trembling, probably related to this,” Artifact Refining Grandmaster Nangong Yue shared her opinion.

She increasingly wanted to take Chu Huaixu back to her courtyard and study him for a few days.

That Stone Sword was personally crafted by her.

Yet, her creation felt fear and submission before him?

This scene was incredibly bizarre.

Li Chunsong was still standing at the center of the hall, and he didn’t forget to check on Han Shuangjiang’s situation.

“Shuangjiang is clearly affected by the spiritual pressure, but for her, it’s not a big burden,” he said.

Chu Yinyin, instead, had her focus completely askew, and she smugly said, “I told you, betting on how many steps he’d reach is too boring!”

“Look at him; if he wants, he could easily reach the summit!”

Li Chunsong glanced at her, too lazy to argue.

Finally, he couldn’t help but reveal, “I remember someone reaching the summit and vomiting all the way, gagging as they walked.”

As soon as he said this, everyone in the Daoist sect looked at the little junior sister, bursting into laughter.

Chu Yinyin glared with her eyes wide, jumping up to hit Li Chunsong’s head.

“Forget it, I won’t argue with you!” She pouted, “So what if I puked? I brought back a Reunion Joy, and that’s a Super Grade Spirit Sword!”

Super Grade Spiritual Artifacts are rare in the world, even among the Daoist sects.

As for the sword at the summit… it probably can’t be classified as a Spiritual Artifact.

In the end, Sect Leader Xiang Yan continued to preside over the situation.

“Alright, alright, settle down. Chu Huaixu has entered the summit region.”

…

…

On Hidden Spirit Mountain, Chu Huaixu stepped onto the 6,667th stone step.

He looked up; the fog was thicker, visibility decreasing.

Here, the spiritual pressure was undoubtedly the strongest on the entire mountain.

Yet, he only felt that the black Little Sword in his Sea of Consciousness seemed in a better state, less dispirited.

“Now it’s all Upper Grade Spiritual Artifacts here, with a few Super Grade ones,” Chu Huaixu thought with excitement.

It’s known that after Borrowed Sword’s public test, any Upper Grade Spiritual Artifact could sell for astronomical prices!

But in the area Chu Huaixu’s eyes could see, there wasn’t a single Spiritual Artifact.

Clearly, there weren’t many, so they weren’t arranged densely.

He walked up dozens of steps before he saw his first Upper Grade Spiritual Artifact.

It was a black thin shirt.

“Looks like a Defensive Magical Treasure,” he thought.

But he didn’t look at it much, as he’d already decided to become a Sword Cultivator.

His goal this time was to obtain an Upper Grade Spirit Sword, or even a Super Grade Spirit Sword!

“If it’s compatible, Upper Grade would suffice; I can enhance it myself later.”

Given his current Realm, even a Middle Grade Spiritual Artifact wouldn’t reach full potential in his hands.

To be exact, if it were an Upper Grade Spiritual Artifact, before the Fifth Realm, it would be like a pearl cast before swine in a Low Tier Cultivator’s hands, somewhat a waste.

However, despite his determination to find a sword, Chu Huaixu’s worries were still present.

“I need to find a sword to try out first,” he thought.

With this thought, Chu Huaixu hastened his steps once more.

As he passed a Jade Pendant, he felt a faint pull towards it!

He instantly understood: “This Jade Pendant Magical Treasure is highly compatible with me!”

Chu Huaixu used Information Detection, but due to low permissions, he didn’t gain much information; still, he quickly grasped the key points.

“What the hell, a Body Refining Divine Artifact!”

“Just wearing it can continually nourish the body?”

“Although its effects aren’t very astonishing, the key lies in gradual accumulation over time.”

“Moreover, this jade pendant is a defensive-type spiritual artifact.”

Do they really think that body refiners don’t layer their defenses?

Chu Huaixu couldn’t help but sigh, once again realizing the extensive wealth and profound background of the Daoist Sect.

There are very few upper grade spiritual artifacts in the world that suit body refining cultivators, truly rare worldwide.

He gave it a deep look, able to sense the artifact spirit calling out to him.

Clearly, this should be a relic from a senior predecessor.

This kind of intense call was something he had never felt before on the mountain.

But he could only grit his teeth and continue climbing further up.

“This is the most tormenting part of Hidden Spirit Mountain, where you have to make choices again and again, not knowing if they’re right or wrong.”

“Luckily, I have my remedy for regret.” Chu Huaixu felt reassured, after all, he had two passage wooden tokens.

He raised his hand toward the jade pendant, saying: “Stay calm, stay calm.”

He acted like a heartless man, treating it as a fallback option, and continued upwards.

Finally, he at last encountered a sword.

“At the summit area, the number of swords has decreased.”

Chu Huaixu was delighted to find that this upper grade spirit sword was still trembling slightly, still suppressed by the Heart Sword!

However, its vibration amplitude was much smaller compared to other swords down the mountain.

Chu Huaixu took a deep breath, beginning to validate some of his speculations.

He moved a step aside, then extended his right hand, trying to touch this dark green longsword.

As a result, just as his fingertip touched it, it was sent flying!

He knew very well that this rejection came from the Heart Sword within his Sea of Consciousness.

Chu Huaixu shared a spiritual connection with it, able to feel its emotions and spiritual nature.

It still appeared lifeless, yet it exuded a sense of rejection and—disdain!

In its eyes, what others might view as a supreme treasure, the upper grade spirit sword seemed like…

—”What are you even?”

This caused a slight sinking of Chu Huaixu’s heart, then he looked at the mountain with a tinge of bewilderment in his eyes.

“Actually, haven’t you already guessed it in your heart?” he muttered to himself.

If not for this, he wouldn’t have gone through the trouble to get two passage wooden tokens.

This bizarre occurrence drew frowns from the Daoist Sect high-ups inside the great hall.

“What’s happening?” Zhao Shuqi was a bit baffled, even those squinting eyes of his widened slightly.

“How can such a thing occur?” Nangong Yue clicked his tongue in wonder.

Now she wanted even more to take him home for research.

After a moment of pondering, Sect Leader Xiang Yan said, “The issue is likely with that Little Sword within his Sea of Consciousness, is it rejection between sword spirits?”

“What do you mean, are you suggesting that Chu Huaixu himself is his own lifebound sword?” Nangong Yue said with a somewhat tongue-twisting sentence.

“Don’t you feel there’s a sense of that?” Xiang Yan asked.

Great Elder Lu Pan nodded in agreement: “I think the Sect Leader has a point.”

Chu Yinyin’s thoughts jumped around, not bothering to ponder the reasoning and logic behind this.

She simply remarked: “Although this upper grade spirit sword isn’t in the hand of a Sword Cultivator, he can still easily send it flying?”

“So does this mean if he faces a Sword Cultivator of comparable strength in the future, they might not even be able to hold their sword?” Chu Yinyin speculated.

Talking herself into it, she grew more excited, puffing out her flat chest, and declared loudly: “Then when he grows, he might not be able to hold a sword, but no one else could use one in front of him?”

“Centered around him, as long as he wills, could form a… Swordless Restriction?” Chu Yinyin’s imagination ran wild.

“Wouldn’t the Sword Sect folks be afraid to death of him?”

“Oh no no no! It can’t be considered completely swordless, because he has refined himself into a sword, haha! He actually still has a sword, hahaha!” She even laughed out loud, thinking herself quite humorous.

Halfway through her laughter, she noticed everyone staring at her, and gradually stopped laughing.

“Don’t you think this is really amusing?” Chu Yinyin was quite speechless, feeling this group was really dull.

Only Li Chunsong listened to her words, but that deadbeat gambler was thinking: “Seems like my odds are getting better?”

Finally, Xiang Yan made the final decision: “Everyone, let’s not be hasty, let’s continue watching, keep watching!”

After all, their greatest concern was still that peerless sword at the pinnacle of the mountain.

Could the thing within Chu Huaixu, similar to a Sword Spirit, repel these upper-grade spirit swords, but could it repel it as well?

Everyone calmed themselves, continuing to observe him with their divine senses.

Chu Huaixu stood there dumbfounded on the stone steps for a long while.

The spirit sword he sent flying was drawn back to its original position by the array, essentially being reset.

It continued to tremble, faintly emitting a sword cry.

Under the circumstance of having been sent flying once, because of that small touch before, it seemed even more excited, craving to become the other’s lifebound spirit sword!

Yet this desire was mixed with fear.

It still feared the Heart Sword, though the fear wasn’t as intense as that of the middle and lower grade spirit swords.

Chu Huaixu felt: “So… does it both fear and want to ’outshine’ it?”

His eyes reflected deeper confusion.

With a deep breath, Chu Huaixu continued climbing the mountain.

This time, however, his steps seemed somewhat heavy.

But soon, he started walking more briskly, moving more lightly, as if having adjusted himself.

After ascending several hundred more stone steps, Chu Huaixu once again halted.

Because this time, in front of him was a Super Grade Spirit Sword.

He recognized it.

Named after a ci poem title, it was called [Zhegu Heaven].

In “Borrowed Sword,” it was Han Shuangjiang’s sword.

…

(ps: Second update, requesting monthly votes!)

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