Chapter 249: Newly Forged Treasure Sword

“Not necessarily.” Li Qingge, however, held a different opinion. “My king detests old conventions and outdated practices. It’s possible that the Grand Preceptor who eventually takes the position won’t rely on seniority or connections, but rather on youth and ability. That’s why I believe Fan Ke and Yan Lixin have an advantage. Especially Yan Lixin; he established the Xiyun Sect of Taoism in his early twenties and became the leader of the Southeast Dao Alliance at thirty-one. His reputation and talent are currently at their peak.”

He Chunhua praised him and then said, “But it won’t be easy for him to become Grand Preceptor, will it?”

“Of course! Is the position of Grand Preceptor so easily attained? Fan Ke is currently suppressing him, and many veteran officials in the court also object, believing he is too young to manage the fate of a nation. After all, the other two Grand Preceptors are both over fifty.” Li Qingge put down her teacup. “Alright, today is a momentous day for Young Master He to draw his blade. Let’s not chat about trivial matters anymore; let’s go witness it.”

He Lingchuan had barely taken a couple of sips of hot tea before standing up. “Please lead the way.”

Li Fubo was already waiting outside.

It was the first time He Lingchuan’s residence had welcomed so many guests.

The gold that had formed around the blade had faded to a brilliant pure gold, indicating that the content of impurities was almost zero. Li Qingge reached out and pressed the hilt, but recoiled the next second as if stung by a bee.

Everyone was startled. Li Qingge looked at her palm. “The ferocity of this blade is extraordinary. Just by holding the hilt, I can feel its resistance.” It was like a wild lion or tiger confined in a cage, baring its fangs and claws the moment someone approaches. “However, it also indicates that this blade-planting process was very successful.”

He Chunhua was somewhat concerned. “With such a fierce blade, can Chuan’er truly wield it? If not, it might turn on its master.”

He Lingchuan stepped forward and placed a hand on the hilt.

He had performed this action countless times over the past ten days without any issue.

The blade felt like an old acquaintance to him—cordial and friendly, sometimes even exchanging greetings.

He asked Li Fubo, “Can I draw it now?”

Li Fubo seemed even more nervous than him, not blinking as he replied, “Yes!”

He Lingchuan gripped the hilt and slowly applied pressure, understanding something in that instant:

Isn’t this just like the Sword in the Stone?

Once he drew it, would he become a chosen one, forever graced with a protagonist’s halo?

Li Fubo suddenly spoke up, “Wait a moment!”

He Lingchuan held his breath, then heard him continue, “Please give it a name first? A treasure blade must have a name.”

“A name?” Right, it couldn’t keep being called ‘the broken blade.’ He Lingchuan didn’t know why its previous owner, Zhong Shengguang, hadn’t named it, but as Li Fubo said, a treasure blade must have a name.

In that instant, He Lingchuan recalled the fleeting grandeur of that ancient city, the vast yellow sands of the Coiling Dragon Desert, the joys and sorrows of the common people in the city, the unparalleled loyalty and bravery of the Great Wind Army’s fallen heroes, and the desolate solitude before Zhong Shengguang’s tomb.

Almost everything this treasure blade had witnessed had vanished with the wind, dissipating into the dust of history.

Yet, they must have been unwilling to fade away.

He had an epiphany, and stroking the hilt, he softly said, “From this day forward, your name shall be ‘Floating Life.’”

To remember it, to reflect on it, to be wary of it, and then to embrace rebirth.

The blade immediately vibrated faintly, as if the treasure blade itself rejoiced at finally being given a proper name.

He Lingchuan gripped the hilt and slowly, inch by inch, drew the blade out.

After so many days of solidification, the gold mud had become as hard as cement, but before the treasure blade, it was like tofu.

Then, he saw two intaglio characters appear on the blade, near the hilt.

He Lingchuan, having studied diligently recently, recognized them at once as ancient Immortal script.

Li Qingge, meanwhile, read them aloud directly:

“Floa... ting... Life...?”

Madam Ying let out a long gasp of surprise. “Did the characters carve themselves onto it? This was truly unlike any ordinary weapon; she found it incredibly eye-opening.”

Li Fubo, however, was very pleased: “The treasure blade has a spirit; it has accepted the name.”

As they spoke, He Lingchuan had already drawn the treasure blade completely.

Everyone saw that “Floating Life” was now complete, perfect from hilt to tip.

Compared to before, the blade’s length remained almost unchanged, but its curve was more pronounced, making it better suited for cleaving, and it featured a gleaming blood groove on each side.

Other than that, it seemed to possess no special features; even its edge was not as chillingly cold as before.

He Lingchuan plunged it into the ground, and the blade stood upright.

Madam Ying instinctively asked, “Didn’t they say it could cut through iron like mud? How can it stand upright like that?”

He Lingchuan gently pushed the hilt, and the blade silently sank into the ground until only the hilt remained visible.

It dulled when he wished it dull and sharpened when he wished it sharp, completely at his command.

“Try cleaving this.” Li Qingge tossed over a dark, indistinct object.

He Lingchuan performed a blade flourish, and the object was instantly severed into two pieces, falling to the ground.

It turned out to be a piece of jet-black wood.

“This is lightning-struck wood, harder than thousand-year-old cold iron.” Li Qingge applauded softly. “Excellent, Young Master He, you and Master Li have once again collaborated to create a rare treasure blade.”

Madam Ying was puzzled: “Is its sharpness alone enough to call it a rare treasure?”

Li Qingge smiled. “As for the blade’s specific properties, only its wielder knows. It’s not appropriate for us to inquire further.”

Any additional properties of a treasure blade are often considered crucial for victory in future battles, and its owner typically guards them as absolute secrets, never revealing them publicly.

Madam Ying looked at her eldest son suspiciously. He merely smiled without speaking, clearly having gained something.

In fact, with the blade in his hand, He Lingchuan naturally sensed several additional special properties it now possessed—

* **Void-Piercer:** This blade accompanied its previous two masters as they entered and exited the netherworld, allowing it to combat formless and bodiless entities.

He Lingchuan understood formless entities to mean ghosts, vengeful spirits, and similar beings. This was an excellent property; combating ghosts typically required specially crafted magical artifacts, as ordinary weapons might not be able to harm them.

As for ‘bodiless,’ he wasn’t entirely sure what that implied, but he would find out in due course.

* **Army Breaker:** The blade’s past and present were infused with the will of hundreds of thousands of people. When its wielder faces an enemy, there is a small chance for this collective will to erupt, bypassing the opponent’s elemental energy shield and dealing true damage directly.

* **Surestrike Throw:** Its wielder enjoyed throwing it at enemies, and after the blade-planting was successful, “Floating Life” remembered this trait. However, it could only be used once every fifteen minutes.

* **Passage Permit:** The blade’s wielder, having received its legacy, could use the divine bone to enter the Da Fanghu’s dream realm, “Coiling Dragon Domain.” Naturally, this ability extended beyond that, with further potential for discovery.

At first glance, none of the properties seemed particularly earth-shattering.

However, Li Fubo had previously told him that a blade, being a weapon of war, didn't require flashy special effects. As long as it was fast, sharp, and indestructible, it was a good blade. If it could excel further in these aspects, it would be priceless.

Upon closer consideration, the “Army Breaker” property was actually quite remarkable. Opponents carrying a Sheji token would have an elemental energy shield, using it to enhance various divine abilities and formations, which would typically reduce the damage they sustained from others. The existence of “Army Breaker,” however, was like using a bug to eliminate a bug, or fighting magic with magic, directly dealing true and effective damage.

Whatever the original damage should have been, that’s what it would be.

Of course, he also noticed the words ‘small chance.’ The “Floating Life” blade subtly hinted to him that this chance could be increased.

How to increase it? That remained unknown for now.

As for the last special property, “Passage Permit,” He Lingchuan didn’t consider it a special effect at all; at most, it was merely a token for entering and exiting dreams. But it also contained useful information, such as, what did ‘received the legacy’ mean?

The blade was gifted by Zhong Shengguang, so would that count as receiving the legacy? In other words, if someone else were to obtain this blade but not directly from He Lingchuan, they wouldn’t be able to enter the Coiling Dragon Dream Realm?

Furthermore, he finally confirmed the destination of his nightly dreams: it truly was the Da Fanghu! His long-standing question had finally received a definitive answer.

The Da Fanghu, coveted by both gods and mortals, had neither vanished nor hidden itself; instead, it was connected to him through the divine bone necklace and the “Floating Life” blade.

There was also another crucial point:

It turned out it wasn’t the “Floating Life” blade itself, but the divine bone necklace that allowed him to enter the “dream world” of the Da Fanghu, specifically noted as the “Coiling Dragon Domain.”

Why had the divine bone necklace not sent him into a dream before, despite being in his possession for so long? Perhaps this dream realm was only unlocked after he acquired the broken blade.

This meant the divine bone necklace was the key to the Da Fanghu, while the “Floating Life” blade was the specific path to the Coiling Dragon Dream Realm.

It was no wonder he hadn’t been able to dream of anything else since obtaining “Floating Life.”

Could he then interpret this to mean that other dream realms within the Da Fanghu were awaiting him? The phrase ‘further potential for discovery’ also hinted at a similar possibility.

These possibilities truly stirred his heart.

Li Fubo was also examining “Floating Life,” even borrowing it to stroke repeatedly, admiring and appraising it repeatedly with Li Qingge before reluctantly returning it to He Lingchuan. “The blade’s shape has changed, so the original scabbard is no longer suitable. I’ll make you a new one.”

Both men looked deeply moved. Repairing a spirit artifact without harming its intrinsic properties was a monumental success in itself, something Songyang Prefecture could boast about extensively.

He Lingchuan was truly grateful, bowing deeply to both him and Li Qingge. “Thank you both!” he said.

Without Songyang Prefecture’s miraculous blade-planting technique, the broken blade would have remained broken, with almost no hope of repair.

“Don’t mention it,” Li Qingge said with a slight smile. “The experience of cultivating such a treasure blade is incredibly valuable and greatly beneficial to us.”

He Lingchuan was always generous, and naturally, he wouldn’t be stingy at such a moment. “Today is a joyous occasion. Please, everyone, let’s proceed to Heshu Restaurant. Dinner is on me tonight!”

He Chunhua instructed his old butler, Mo, to go to the prefecture and call for He Yue, then the group set off for the restaurant together.

Heshu Restaurant had added several new signature dishes, one of which was called “Full House Red.”

It was served in a large bowl, with a half-finger-thick layer of red oil floating on top, immediately signaling a spicy kick and arousing caution.

He Lingchuan, of course, knew that Heshu Restaurant’s head chef had created this new dish based on the chili oil recipe he had provided. In his original world, this dish was called “boiled,” but here, Heshu Restaurant wanted to give it a resounding and auspicious name.

After all, it was a high-end restaurant, so they wouldn’t use offal from pigs, cows, or sheep, to avoid lowering the status of banquets for nobles and dignitaries.