Chapter 404: Close Yet So Far, Unable to Recognize You

Xu Qing took a deep breath, silently sensing the Emperor Sword within his sea of consciousness. He felt that at this moment, the Emperor Sword had completely merged with him, becoming an inseparable part of his being. This connection instilled a profound sense of power within him.

This was the blessing bestowed by an emperor-tier cultivation art. A deep familiarity with swords also emerged in Xu Qing's heart, another change brought about by comprehending the Emperor Sword. He was familiar with every structural part of the sword body, every inch of its sharp blade, and every streak of light from its markings.

However, this familiarity remained somewhat ethereal, like a reflection in a mirror or the moon in water. It required continuous refinement and experience until it could be transformed from illusion into reality, the moon in water made true, becoming an instinct etched into his very soul.

"Only then can it advance to the second tier, granting me the full combat power of a palace," Xu Qing murmured.

After a long time, he looked down at his right palm. With a thought, a dazzling light instantly emanated from his palm lines, rapidly converging. Threads of light swirled above his palm, ultimately weaving a sword shadow. It carried an intent of sharpness, as if to slay all living beings, and a vast might, as if to crush gods and demons across the universe.

Xu Qing realized that the human Sword Holder's emperor-tier cultivation art was not essentially about protection, but about slaying. It was imbued with an extremely heavy murderous aura. This was a sword that achieved protection through slaughter.

Xu Qing understood, a sharp light appearing in his eyes, echoing and merging with the sword gleam in his palm. Vaguely, he seemed to hear the ringing of a sword, a sound that contained familiarity and acknowledgment. Dimly, he seemed to see countless figures from his previous comprehension, each holding an Emperor Sword, smiling at him, witnessing a newcomer embarking on the same grand path as them.

Xu Qing raised his head, stood up, and bowed towards the void. He bowed to the sword, and to his fellow practitioners. From this moment, he finally possessed two emperor-tier cultivation arts: the Golden Crow Refines All Spirits, capable of devouring everything in heaven and earth, and the Human Sword Holder wielding the Emperor Sword, capable of slaying all beings below the Emperor.

Although the latter required years of cultivation to unleash power beyond his own, the sword seed had been formed, and everything was now within reach. Gazing at the Emperor Sword formed by sword qi, Xu Qing suppressed the turmoil in his heart. After a long while, his emotions finally settled, and a thoughtful look appeared in his eyes.

"The Emperor Sword technique is difficult for me to cultivate for many years," he mused. "Therefore, the key is to turn it into one of my trump cards for every battle. I need to quickly transform my familiarity with the sword from illusion to reality, advancing it to the second tier to increase my palace combat power."

"To increase my familiarity, I need a sword..." Xu Qing suddenly had an epiphany, lowering his head and taking out the Sword Holder's command token sword. Looking at the sword, he felt a moment of realization, finally understanding another purpose of this token sword. Besides being essential for Sword Holders' daily use and for constructing sword pavilions, this sword had a hidden function: to increase the familiarity with swords for those who successfully comprehended the Emperor Sword, because its appearance was exactly like the Emperor Sword.

"As expected of the Human Race's Sword Holders' Department, passed down to this day," Xu Qing mused inwardly. "Every aspect within it holds profound meaning and heritage. With such heritage, it's conceivable that countless Sword Holders have comprehended the Emperor Sword over the years. Even if none succeeded on their first attempt, a second success shouldn't be uncommon."

Xu Qing reminded himself not to become complacent because of his second success; after all, Kong Xianglong had also succeeded on his second attempt. Thinking of this, Xu Qing took a deep breath and stepped outside.

What he didn't know was that at the moment of his successful comprehension, in the 89th floor of the Enforcement Department deep underground, the Palace Master, who was meditating cross-legged, slowly opened his eyes. The gigantic vertical pupil behind him also suddenly opened.

"Another individual has successfully comprehended the Emperor Sword on their second attempt, named Xu Qing." A low voice echoed, stirring a storm within the 89th floor. This was the same voice that had conversed with the Palace Master after Xu Qing left the place that day.

"How is Ding 132?"

"That place is special. Although I am the artifact spirit of the Enforcement Department, I have no authority to look into it. However, misfortune has already begun to entwine Xu Qing. Moreover, only you know the secrets of Ding 132. You could tell him directly, and I am also curious about how many secrets are truly there," the voice within the storm rumbled, spreading in all directions.

"Ding 132..." The Palace Master's eyes showed a hint of reminiscence. "The secrets there are not just one. But I never play favorites; everything depends on fate. If misfortune still clings to him after seven days, remove his title as guardian of Ding 132 and assign him to any other cell. This would mean he is not destined for this fortune." The Palace Master spoke calmly, then closed his eyes.

Meanwhile, within the Sword Holders' Palace, Xu Qing was stepping out. "Since I'm here, I'll visit the Commandery Capital's pharmacy to buy some poisonous herbs. My research into the path of poison cannot be neglected. Also, I should buy some Plain Pills to study." Xu Qing's body flickered as he rose into the air, heading straight for the Commandery Capital.

It was late at night. Dark clouds covered the sky, and rumbling thunder echoed, signaling an impending downpour. However, in the Commandery Capital, most shops were open day and night. After all, the main customers were cultivators, who bought goods regardless of the time.

But just as Xu Qing ascended outside the Sword Holders' Palace, about to enter the Commandery Capital, thunder roared in the sky. A bolt of lightning suddenly struck down from the clouds, streaking towards Xu Qing in mid-air. The lightning resembled a tree branch, splitting into countless terrifying forks as it descended. Its speed was incredibly fast, its power astonishing, and its roar deafening, as if a heavenly tribulation had descended.

Despite its suddenness, Xu Qing had ingrained vigilance into his soul. Almost the instant the lightning arrived, he abruptly retreated, narrowly avoiding it. Watching the lightning streak past him and hit the ground, Xu Qing's expression darkened as he looked up at the sky. In mid-air, his eyes, illuminated by the flashes of lightning, reflected a sharp glint. Dark clouds permeated the sky, and thunder echoed. Nothing seemed particularly unusual, only lightning streaking across, as if everything was merely a coincidence.

"Something's not right!" Xu Qing's expression was grim. Both the previous dispersal of the Sword Holder's sword light and this falling thunderbolt were too coincidental. This instinctively made him think of Section 132 and recall the words spoken by the middle-aged jailer, Old Li: "More than half of its previous guardians met mysterious deaths outside."

Xu Qing's expression remained grim. He landed a step, arriving at the edge of the Commandery Capital, his gaze returning from the sky to look down at the ground below. Although it was night and clouds covered the sky, Xu Qing could still clearly see the Enforcement Department on the ground, thanks to the dazzling light of the lightning flashes and his own cultivation. The second coincidence plunged him into deep thought.

As he pondered, Xu Qing entered the Commandery Capital, his senses spreading outwards. "Not all guardians of Ding 132 met mysterious deaths. Only some perished unexpectedly. The Palace Master should know the secrets within. So why did he arrange for me to be there... Is it a test, or something else?" Questions arose in Xu Qing's mind as he walked towards the Commandery Capital's pharmacy.

Thunder continued to roar in the sky, and rain seemed to be gathering its force to descend. There were few ordinary citizens on the streets; most people out at night were cultivators. Half an hour later, Xu Qing spotted a pharmacy. His body flickered as he swiftly approached, and as he stepped inside, he frowned.

Inside the pharmacy, seven or eight cultivators were buying medicinal herbs and pills. Among them was a woman in a Sword Holder's Daoist robe whom Xu Qing recognized: Qingqiu, carrying her evil ghost scythe. As an inspector, Qingqiu had finished her shift today and was preparing to return to the Sword Pavilion. She also planned to buy some pills here. Noticing Xu Qing, her finely arched eyebrows furrowed beneath her mask, and she heard the sound of an evil ghost gasping in her mind.

"This Xu Qing is like a lingering ghost! I think he's following us. We shouldn't take this route after our shifts anymore. I find this Xu Qing too dangerous; we must avoid him, or I'm afraid you won't be able to resist taking him down with you!"

"Taking him down with us isn't worth it. Our method for mutual destruction would be better used on others, like mad dogs."

Xu Qing's gaze swept over Qingqiu. He paid her no mind and walked directly to the counter. At that moment, the voice of the Vajra Sect Ancestor echoed in his mind. "Master, I have something... I've wanted to report to you for a while."

Xu Qing's expression remained calm. After telling the pharmacy owner which herbs he wanted to buy, he spoke faintly in his mind. "Speak."

"Master, that red-clothed woman's scythe has an artifact spirit. This artifact spirit hasn't detected me, so every time it sees you, Master, it curses. It thinks you can't hear it, but it doesn't know that as a high-tier lightning soul, I can sense it." The Vajra Sect Ancestor had actually heard the evil ghost's divine sense beside the red-clothed woman long ago, but he hadn't said anything. He had originally intended to reveal it at a crucial moment as a way to prove his merit. However, his previous ineffective action in the prison had left him uneasy, fearing he might be deemed useless, so he quickly blurted out this matter. "I overheard that little ghost's words; it seems they have a method to perish alongside others. Master, please be careful when dealing with that red-clothed woman in the future."

Xu Qing looked at Qingqiu's scythe thoughtfully.

"He's looking at me! His gaze is wrong, very wrong!" the evil ghost shrieked in Qingqiu's mind. "Let's leave quickly! I have a bad feeling. This Xu Qing seems to have noticed something. He was personally chosen by the Great Emperor, and now he's the Palace Master's accompanying scribe. We can't afford to provoke him. Besides, I feel there's something off about him; he gives me a very bad vibe."

As the evil ghost shrieked, the Vajra Sect Ancestor's voice echoed in Xu Qing's mind once more. "Master is mighty! With just one glance, that little artifact spirit immediately got scared. Don't worry, Master, I'll keep an eye on that little ghost for you from now on. Hmph, daring to harbor ill will towards the master of a wandering spirit like me? That little ghost is asking for death! With me here, no evil spirit can harm my benefactor; they'll have to get past me first! Also, Master, I think you could occasionally display your 'kingly aura,' uh, that's what the storybooks call it—the 'king's domineering presence.' I believe Master also possesses this ability, which would terrify that little ghost artifact spirit. Then I'll find an opportunity to instigate a rebellion. That way, our elimination of the red-clothed woman will proceed without any hitches." The Vajra Sect Ancestor spoke rapidly, demonstrating his worth.

Xu Qing remained contemplative. By then, the owner had brought out the herbs Xu Qing needed. While settling the payment, Xu Qing thought of Plain Pills and inquired about them. "Do you have Plain Pills?"

The owner smiled and nodded, taking a pill bottle from under the counter and placing it in front of Xu Qing. "One spirit coin per Plain Pill."

Xu Qing was somewhat surprised. This price was extremely low; even White Pills in Yinghuang Province cost more than this. "The Commandery Governor, being virtuous and benevolent, developed this meritorious pill to protect all citizens of the Commandery Capital from anomalous contamination. So, this price is essentially just the basic cost for pharmacies to store the pills, almost like giving them away for free."

Xu Qing felt admiration. He gave the spirit coin, took the pill bottle, and planned to study it back home, learning the Commandery Governor's alchemy methods from it. Having completed his purchase, Xu Qing turned and walked out of the pharmacy.

Meanwhile, Qingqiu, standing nearby, watched Xu Qing buy the pills, and some past memories involuntarily surfaced. She thought of the scavenger camp in the Southern Phoenix Continent. She recalled a scene from when she was a clerk in the general store at that camp: a thin, small figure, face smeared with dirt, wearing a large padded jacket, approaching her with caution and a guarded distance from all outsiders, to buy White Pills.

Qingqiu frowned. She didn't understand why, while watching that detestable 'Ghost Hand' buy pills, her memory would recall the young brother who represented beauty in her life. In her opinion, this was a desecration. Thus, she looked at Xu Qing's departing back with even greater aversion, picked up the pills she had bought there, and left, flying out of the Commandery Capital and heading towards the ground. She did not reside in the Departure Cult's branch in the Commandery Capital. She had no particular fondness for the Departure Cult, so comparatively, she preferred the Sword Pavilion.

However, before she could even get close to the Sword Pavilion, still in mid-air, her brows furrowed once more.

"It's the Ghost Hand again, a lingering spirit! Is he coming to harm us?!" The fierce ghost's shriek echoed in her mind, filled with terror. "I know! He just looked at me! He found me! He's coming to perish with us!"

"Shut up!" Qingqiu gritted her teeth, her heart filled with irritation. She turned, her eyes flashing with fierceness, and looked at Xu Qing flying in the distance.