After settling the unconscious Nan Shuangxue, Bai Muchun sat alone under the peach tree, lost in thought.
“A Life-bound Immortal Sword…” His eyes flickered with images from the distant past.
In this world, sword wielders were divided into two types.
Sword Immortals and Sword Cultivators.
Those who nurtured an Immortal Sword within their bodies were Sword Immortals, while those without a Life-bound Immortal Sword were Sword Cultivators.
In all of Zhongtu Immortal State, there were only ten Sword Immortals.
These ten Sword Immortals were all renowned figures on the Zhongtu Sword Dao Ranking.
However, there was once a scholar who, as a mere Sword Cultivator, single-handedly challenged all ten Sword Immortals, overpowering them and attaining the title of Supreme Sword Sovereign.
“Unprecedented,” Bai Muchun gazed at the sky.
“Unparalleled.
It seems that the road ahead for Shuangxue in the path of the sword will not be easy.”
He glanced at the sky and saw that it was already late, so he decided to meditate on the spot.
At the break of dawn, clouds surged across the sky.
Bai Muchun slowly opened his eyes, and in his field of vision appeared the delicate face of a young girl.
Nan Shuangxue sat obediently in front of him, lifting her gaze to study him.
“Master, I woke up last night,” Nan Shuangxue said, her eyes locked onto him.
“I originally wanted to ask about the ancient sword within my body, but when I saw you meditating, I decided to wait.”
Hearing this, Bai Muchun thought, You could have just woken me up…
Why does this disciple seem so slow-witted?
What if someone deceives her in the future?
“Kneeling in the snow for a teacher… this must be the modern version of it,” Bai Muchun thought to himself with a hint of embarrassment.
As if remembering something, he quickly reached to his right and pulled out a piece of pastry from his spatial storage.
“Here, you just broke through, you must be hungry.”
Nan Shuangxue didn’t hesitate.
She was truly starving.
Her stomach had been protesting all night.
The reason she woke up so quickly was, in fact, because of hunger.
After getting up, she searched everywhere for food but couldn’t find a single edible thing.
She had wanted to call her master, but upon seeing him sitting beneath the peach tree, she decided against it.
Although spending the whole night hungry was quite torturous, it wasn’t all bad
She had taken the opportunity to observe her master closely the entire time, taking in his every refined feature.
Qingming Peak was heavily protected by layers of restrictions, making it almost impossible for any danger to intrude.
Because of this, Bai Muchun usually let his guard down.
After all, his senior brother was known for being “lawless.
If anything actually managed to sneak into Qingming Peak, Bai Muchun wouldn’t even need to act his senior brother, Ye Ming, would squash the intruder with a single finger.
After finishing her meal, Nan Shuangxue asked,
“Master, what is the sword inside me?”
“A Life-bound Immortal Sword.”
“Life-bound Immortal Sword?
I don’t understand.
Please enlighten me, Master.”
Nan Shuangxue stared at him without blinking.
Bai Muchun explained with ease,
“Only a very small number of people can possess a Life-bound Immortal Sword, and those who do will inevitably become Sword Immortals.
A Life-bound Immortal Sword has no fixed rank, because its grade increases alongside its owner.
You must know that ordinary spiritual swords cannot be upgraded whatever rank they are forged as, they remain.”
Nan Shuangxue raised her small hand and eagerly asked,
“Master, do you have a Life-bound Immortal Sword too?”
Bai Muchun regretfully shook his head.
“I do not.”
“Huh?
But didn’t Uncle-Master say that your swordsmanship is unparalleled, that your sword reigns supreme?”
Nan Shuangxue tilted her head, her black eyes filled with confusion.
“A Sword Cultivator can never achieve more than 70% compatibility with any sword, no matter how long they use it.
For Sword Cultivators, aside from improving their cultivation realm, finding a highly compatible sword is their second greatest pursuit.
The higher the compatibility, the stronger their killing power.
However, those with a Life-bound Immortal Sword can completely bypass this compatibility issue, because their sword is no different from their own limbs it moves as they will.
Their compatibility is naturally perfect.”
Bai Muchun paused, then solemnly continued,
“But relying too much on a Life-bound Immortal Sword will only lead to stagnation.
Even though I do not possess one, every sword I wield…
Is no less than an Immortal Sword!”
He looked at the stunned Nan Shuangxue, the corners of his lips curving upward.
“So don’t think that having a Life-bound Immortal Sword is a shortcut on the path of the sword.
There is no easy road to mastery.”
“I will remember Master’s teachings,” Nan Shuangxue said earnestly.
Seeing her serious expression, Bai Muchun couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Alright, I was just speaking casually.
Now, can you summon your Life-bound Immortal Sword?”
Nan Shuangxue closed her eyes and entered deep concentration.
“I’ll try.”
Buzz!
A resounding sword hum spread through the air.
A sword, its blade pure white, adorned with intricate runes, radiating an intense and untainted sword aura, hovered beside Nan Shuangxue.
Suddenly, a terrifying killing intent surged forth.
The sword twisted in midair and lunged straight at Bai Muchun!
“Master!”
Nan Shuangxue was startled and instinctively reached for the sword, but the moment her right hand touched the hilt, an overwhelming force of sword energy shredded her flesh.
Bai Muchun narrowed his eyes at the sword and uttered a single word imbued with Dao power
“Suppress.”
Buzz…
The sword, as if struck by an invisible force, plummeted to the ground.
It trembled violently but remained pinned in place.
Bai Muchun paid it no further attention and instead grasped Nan Shuangxue’s bloodied hand.
A surge of boundless vitality flowed from his palm into hers.
Nan Shuangxue bit her lip, her right arm trembling in pain.
But as time passed, she witnessed an astonishing sight
Her torn flesh rapidly regenerated before her very eyes.
Bai Muchun gently tapped her forehead and reassured her,
“Don’t be afraid, your master is here.”
“I’m sorry, Master…”
Nan Shuangxue lowered her head.
Bai Muchun stroked her soft hair and said warmly,
“This was not your fault.”
The Immortal Sword continued to tremble, its murderous aura as fierce as a raging tide.
Bai Muchun glanced at the rebellious sword and let out a cold chuckle.
“A mere unshaped blade dares to harm its master?”
The sword quivered even more violently.
“Silence!”
Another word of Dao power pressed down on it.
The sword instantly fell still, as if lifeless.
Nan Shuangxue looked at the now-motionless sword and asked,
“Master, why doesn’t it listen to me?”
Bai Muchun explained,
“Because you have yet to earn its recognition.”
Anticipating her next question, he continued,
“Though it does not acknowledge you, you are still its owner.
It sensed that I pose a great threat to you, so it attacked me.”
“Then how do I make it recognize me, Master?”
Bai Muchun extended his index finger and tapped the sword.
“Simple.
Beat it into submission.”
A soft glow emanated from his fingertip, surrounding them both with Dao energy.
“Next, I will take you into the sword’s inner world to meet its spirit.”
“All you have to do… is make it surrender.”
Nan Shuangxue nodded and said nothing more.
Bai Muchun pressed his fingertip down.
A bright white light engulfed them.
In the next instant, both of them vanished.