Chapter 1708: Qing Ju Doesn't Create and the Sword Breaks, Zang Ku Doesn't Cultivate How to Be Reborn

"Elephant... Dragon..."

Cao ErZhu stared blankly at the exquisite sword in his hand. The story of Elephant Dragon Grade One had deeply shocked him, almost overturning his perception of the world over the past twenty-six years.

Was this sword made by his father? Wasn't he a rigid, sullen drunkard? He spent his days idling in the blacksmith shop, drinking, yet he understood the beauty of an ivory hilt and could weave these two layers of light and dark colored patterns... How skillful must those hands be? Could his father's rough, calloused hands, which hadn't touched a hammer in twenty years, have forged this?

Most importantly, two or three decades ago, could his father have upgraded a spiritual sword by a full three grades through reforging?

"Nuu—"

His fingertip traced the sword, and from deep within Elephant Dragon, a distant, profound sound, like an elephant's trumpeting or a dragon's roar, emanated. This sound resonated through his soul, and Cao ErZhu's body trembled as he barely managed to regain his composure.

So, this sword in his hand had witnessed the transition from the first generation of Thorough God Thought to the second, from Punishment for Divine Tribulation to Sword Thought, and was also a symbol of his father's and Eight Venerables' friendship?

"Elephant Dragon, nameless..."

Yes, Elephant Dragon was originally nameless. Before this, Cao ErZhu had never even heard the name Elephant Dragon, but Elephant Dragon wasn't truly nameless. It had been able to advance from Grade Three to Grade One in twenty years, nourished by its fame, and this involved more than just the power of his father's reforging. A larger part of it was the change in how the world perceived Thorough God Thought each time, generating fame, and a small portion of that fame nourished the nameless Elephant Dragon.

Each nourishment from fame caused only a tiny change. But over twenty years, from the world's complete disbelief to everyone now acknowledging that Thorough God Thought could rival the power of Ancestral Origin, the change in "fame" was immense. The power it brought after its transformation, both in quality and quantity, was terrifying. And as the "witness's sword," Elephant Dragon, even if it was nameless and unknown to the world, also, due to this very aspect, after its foundation was set through reforging, it ascended to the realm of Grade One!

"It..." Thinking of all this, Cao ErZhu's heart swelled with emotion. He couldn't help but look up at Uncle Sang: "Why don't you use Elephant Dragon?"

"Because he's not an ancient sword cultivator," Water Ghost chuckled.

"Exactly," Elder Sang, having understood ErZhu's thoughts, replied: "If I were to use it, or rather, if someone were to use it, Elephant Dragon would indeed possess the qualities of a famous sword. Its achievements might even surpass Qingju. But Eight Venerables has too many swords, and none of the swords that followed him had a good ending. He didn't want to let Elephant Dragon down. Therefore, Elephant Dragon only became a witness twice."

Twice? Cao ErZhu was bewildered. He might be a bit slow, but surely not so slow as to confuse one and two?

Elder Sang explained: "The first time Elephant Dragon bore witness was to the evolution of the first and second generations of Thorough God Thought and the decision regarding Thorough God Thought's future direction. The second time was when Eight Venerables handed it to me, deciding to establish the Holy Slaves... it was a token..." Cao ErZhu could no longer hear the rest of what was said, his head buzzing.

Too precious! Cao ErZhu, coming from a blacksmith's background, knew all too well that sometimes a token sword's status was not much inferior to a combat sword's. Xuan Cang was a divine sword. But Xuan Cang's significance on Mount GuiZhe had never been about fighting; it was a symbol, a symbol of suppressing destiny. Similarly, Elephant Dragon was the materialized symbol of Thorough God Thought and the Holy Slaves. In a sense, in the current era, even the Famous Sword Twenty-One might not be as precious as Elephant Dragon!

And now, such a precious sword, how could you so easily hand it to me? If it were scratched, dropped, or even just dirtied... Cao ErZhu was so frightened that he quickly withdrew his hand, not daring to caress it further, and even wiped his hands, which didn't usually sweat much, on his waist.

"Th-th-this... this sword, is it to be reforged?" he stammered.

"No!" Elder Sang shook his head again. "This sword is a gift for you."

Cao ErZhu's pupils immediately dilated; he nearly fainted from happiness. After recovering, he was overwhelmed with gratitude, questioning what he had done to deserve such a gift. But before he could speak, Elder Sang interrupted him with a smile: "This sword was crafted by your father; it's one of his masterpieces. It made a journey between the Ten Venerables and the Holy Slaves, and now it has returned to you—the son of Kuilei Han. This is perfectly reasonable. Haven't you noticed? She isn't repulsed by you at all."

"She?" Cao ErZhu looked down.

"The spirit of Elephant Dragon! Before, besides me, even Xu Xiaoshou couldn't make her fully devote herself." Elder Sang, of course, held back half of what he truly meant when he said this. Mainly, he also didn't dare to take out this sword in front of that unruly disciple. One should know that the Phoenix and Dragon Auspice bathtub, which was used for alchemy in front of Xu Xiaoshou at the Spirit Hoard Pavilion, had already fallen into the latter's hands.

Cao ErZhu was moved to tears. It was true! Looking at it again, Elephant Dragon not only didn't reject him but was quite affectionate.

"Through Elephant Dragon, you've learned of your father's capabilities, and it has set a goal for you to surpass... There are so many good things here, which is why this sword is being given to you." Elder Sang gifted it with such an air of obviousness, as if he had wanted to bestow a treasure upon Cao ErZhu the moment he saw him, truly acting as a super-invincible good uncle. Cao ErZhu thought so too. His heart stirred: "Then I can..."

"You may," Elder Sang knew what he was going to say. "If you meet a suitable person, I trust your judgment, and I also trust that you won't give her away carelessly. So, when you feel it's right, then it is."

"Uncle Sang..." Cao ErZhu's nose was almost running. Uncle Sang was so good! Besides his own father and Brother Xiaoshou, he was practically the person who understood his heart best! He hadn't even spoken, yet how did Uncle Sang know what he wanted to say and even remove all his worries? Yes, Cao ErZhu wasn't an ancient sword cultivator either, and he didn't want to hold Elephant Dragon back. A sword and its wielder should be a perfect match, not a pearl gathering dust. Knowing that Elephant Dragon had been given away multiple times and finally ended up in his hands, but without having found the right wielder yet, he already had a perfect candidate in mind!

She had always treated him exceptionally well... Her appearance had accompanied him for half his childhood... She came and went like a shadow. In the past, Cao ErZhu had even suspected that the name she told him was fake — Nameless! But precisely, she was extremely powerful, possessing the same essence as Elephant Dragon — Grade One!

Cao ErZhu hadn't known the phrase "reciprocity" before leaving Qingyuan Mountain; he used to think that true friendship was enough. Now, looking back, she and "he" had taught him so much, yet he had taken everything for granted. It was their choice not to seek recompense, but whether he returned the favor or not was another matter. It just so happened that for over a decade, she hadn't even had a decent sword, and the Elephant Dragon in his hand had some connection to her...

"Eighth Month!" Cao ErZhu made up his mind. As a form of repayment, he would give Elephant Dragon to Eighth Month, just as his father had given it to Eight Venerables, when they next met. Would they meet again? Yes, they would! Definitely! At that time, Eighth Month and Elephant Dragon would surely shine brilliantly in the ancient sword cultivation world!

"Elder Uncle Sang..." Cao ErZhu solemnly accepted Elephant Dragon. He was repaying Eighth Month and the old man's past kindness towards him in the future, but at present, he had no way to repay Elder Uncle Sang's gift. Yet he couldn't refuse Elephant Dragon, and this made him feel deeply ashamed: "Can I do anything for you?"

Elder Sang pressed down his straw hat with one hand, closing his eyes deeply, concealing his smile completely. This was the very sentence he had been waiting for, son of Kuilei Han!

"Indeed, there is an impertinent request..."

"Uncle Sang, please tell me quickly!" Cao ErZhu's eyes lit up, overjoyed.

Water Ghost clasped his forehead. Foolish child, you'd be sold out and wouldn't even know it! He had previously thought Kuilei Han's training method was flawless, but now, putting himself in Elder Sang's shoes, he realized there were some minor issues. On the other hand, Xu Xiaoshou's free-range approach... But while Xu Xiaoshou was still young, it was fine. Once he matured, he would also... Sigh, everyone has problems. How could anyone be without problems? It was merely different growth environments and different training methods.

Elder Sang didn't hesitate, firmly choosing Cao ErZhu, yet he still skirted the topic: "ErZhu, do you know why your father didn't let you successfully forge a spiritual sword? Do you know why for more than twenty years, you've only been able to use a utility hammer, constantly forging these ordinary iron weapons?"

Cao ErZhu was anxious and eager to help Uncle Sang. Hearing this now, he couldn't help but pause, astonished and unable to speak. "I don't know..." But didn't you yourself say not to ask why?

Elder Sang didn't stop questioning, continuing: "If I'm not mistaken, besides this forging table and this utility hammer, your father must have also equipped you with a complete set of... other things?" Cao ErZhu abruptly clamped his slightly open mouth shut, as if that could hide the shock of being guessed correctly again.

"That other set is of very high quality. Even if you didn't use it, you must have... or your father must have given you another instruction, commanding you to use it often, to constantly adapt to it, but never to take it out in front of outsiders." Cao ErZhu inhaled deeply through his nostrils, like an incredulous ox.

"You could only practice by yourself, yet you dared not secretly forge your most satisfying works on this forging table or with that hammer, because you feared your father." Impossible! Absolutely impossible! My mind is completely blank; even if Uncle Sang has mind-reading abilities, he'd only read a string of "princes and generals" (a common Chinese idiom often used in the context of "who says you can't challenge the powerful?"). Cao ErZhu shuffled back, as if facing a tiger.

Water Ghost's curiosity was piqued. Of course, he knew that Elder Qin, the boss, could guess a young man's thoughts; that was no big deal. But what was Kuilei Han's motive for doing this? Elder Sang and Kuilei Han didn't have a deep personal relationship, so how could Elder Sang read Kuilei Han's mind from afar?

"Take out the hammer," Elder Sang said with a smile, as if confirming something. Cao ErZhu hurriedly stepped forward, picked up the utility hammer nearby, and with the hammer obstructing his view of Elder Uncle Sang, he felt somewhat at ease.

Water Ghost was visibly moved. If he still couldn't guess the core issue at this point, then this golden beast mask might as well be worn by Yu Lingdi! "Is the Sky-Shattering Hammer in your hand?" "Kuilei Han is so generous, he passed the Sky-Shattering Hammer to you?"

With a clatter, the utility hammer dropped to the ground. Cao ErZhu looked at Water Ghost as if he had seen a ghost, his eyes wide with astonishment: "You... how do you know too?" It's true?! Water Ghost couldn't sit still; he abruptly rose from the large stone. The Sky-Shattering Hammer, one of the Nine Supreme Divine Artifacts, renowned alongside Soul-Severing Overlord, Evil Sin Bow, and Broken Jun Shield. That was nothing. Just a supreme divine artifact; Water Ghost himself had one. He had the Source-Sealing Spear, snatched from Yan Wuse.

But this was completely incomparable. The Nine Supreme Divine Artifacts also emphasized compatibility, the unity of person and artifact, and required "nurturing." He had acquired the Source-Sealing Spear, and it was a long-handled weapon that felt quite handy, though it was slightly lighter than the Sea-Taming Divine Halberd, so he still needed to adapt. To put it plainly, it wasn't a perfect match. But the Sky-Shattering Hammer in Kuilei Han's hands was equivalent to Overlord for Shen Yi, or Evil Sin Bow for Ai Cangsong! Before the Broken Jun Shield appeared, the Nine Supreme Divine Artifacts had only these three perfect pairs. No one would intentionally break apart these three combinations to discuss combat power, just as no one would speak only of "mandarin" or only "duck" when discussing mandarin ducks. Now, someone was telling him... Ai Cangsong had passed his bow to his disciple, or Shen Yi had passed Overlord to his children?

"He's insane!" Water Ghost spread his hands, looking at Elder Sang with an expression even more ghostly than Cao ErZhu's. "You dare to think such a thing, and he actually did it?"

Elder Sang: "Aren't you too?"

Water Ghost was suddenly speechless. But even if he appeared strong on the outside, deep down he knew he was still a slight distance from the Ten Venerables. The Sea-Taming Divine Halberd was indeed a perfect match for Water Ghost, but it wouldn't be unsuitable for Yu Lingdi either... Water Ghost obediently closed his mouth. Elder Sang, who had no son, understood. This father, however, only now saw through it, all that was left was incessant thigh-slapping: "Sigh! Sigh! Sigh!" Not in a way that looked down on Cao ErZhu. Water Ghost was simply lamenting that he would no longer see Kuilei Han's complete "Thunder God · Punishment for Divine Tribulation · Sky-Shattering Hammer" form, which pushed explosive power to its limit.

Cao ErZhu didn't know what they were sighing about, but finally unable to bear their gazes, he apologized to his father in his heart.

"Hammer!" He whispered, opening his right hand, and a silver-black, round-headed great hammer emerged from his flesh. The hammer's handle was thick, as stout as Water Ghost's forearm; an ordinary person's physique truly couldn't grip it, but for Cao ErZhu, it was just right. The hammerhead was large, twice the size of Cao ErZhu's head, with multiple conical protrusions on its surface, making one dread to imagine what would happen if it struck someone's head. Holding the Sky-Shattering Hammer, Cao ErZhu's bare upper body muscles tensed, his forearms and biceps bulging, veins clearly visible. He instinctively settled into a slight horse stance, the hammer handle forward, the hammerhead outward, a protective stance for both himself and his feet. From the slightly indented ground beneath his feet, it was clear that both the hammer handle and head were solid. Very brute, very wild, very explosive!

"I won't swing it; the sound is a bit loud." Cao ErZhu held the hammer with both hands, unable to scratch his head. Elder Sang and Water Ghost stared intently at the Sky-Shattering Hammer. ErZhu's hands were incredibly steady, so much so that the Sky-Shattering Hammer didn't tremble an inch in space, making the scene utterly silent. Yet, both knew that when this thing was swung, upon friction with space and friction with the laws, the sound would be a "boom-boom-boom" that could drown out the thunder of Punishment for Divine Tribulation, and when it exploded, it would be comparable to a continuous demolition of sacred mountains, even more outrageous than Xu Xiaoshou's shenanigans!

"Gulp..." Water Ghost swallowed, his scalp tingling slightly. Not because he was scared by Cao ErZhu, but he was startled by this massive figure with such a physique and a hammer, feeling as if Kuilei Han had descended and the place could be hammered to smithereens at any moment. So similar! How could Yu Lingdi not be as handsome as himself? ErZhu was carved from the same mold as his father's youthful, honest appearance. Of course, in terms of inner qualities, just like Yu Lingdi's complete seclusion on Void Island, the previous generation's level of darkness basically completely overwhelmed the younger generation. Except for Xu Xiaoshou.

"Elder Uncle Sang, what should I do? Hit you?" Cao ErZhu felt that Brother Xiaoshou's master and disciple always had surprising things to say, so he asked first.

"Don't!" Elder Sang was startled by this kid's surprising remark. He just wanted to confirm, to judge if Cao ErZhu's ability was truly as he imagined, but he had no intention of taking a hit from this thing, not even an ordinary one. "Put it away," he hastily waved his hand.

"Since it's out, I'll practice 'hammer holding.' I haven't trained in a while." With a "what's done is done" mentality, since everyone knew now, there was nothing left to hide. He could just train normally. Cao ErZhu adopted a slight horse stance, held the great hammer diagonally, hammerhead facing outwards, his tiger-like eyes wide and fixed forward, and muttered: "Uncle Sang, please continue." Water Ghost instinctively retreated a bit, then scooped up Cen Jiaofu from the side and moved him to another spot as well. He was a cynical person anyway, and what he heard was: "Elder Uncle Sang, just say it. See if I hammer you or not."

Elder Sang knew ErZhu didn't mean it that way, and now he didn't dare to beat around the bush much. He reorganized his words and said: "A sword and its wielder are indeed the best match, but no matter how perfectly they fit, they can't be called absolutely perfect. A blacksmith, a sword, and its wielder—theoretically, only when these three are united in spirit can a true 'perfection' be forged. But this can only exist in theory." Elder Sang glanced at ErZhu as he spoke, and seeing no unusual reaction, he relaxed slightly and continued: "Unless a family elder is guiding the way, it's very difficult for a 'perfect' match to emerge from normal, unorthodox cultivation. Imagine this: you and I start cultivating from birth. I cultivate swordsmanship, you cultivate blacksmithing, and we just happen to acquire a piece of divine iron. The three of us cultivate and forge the sword together. By the end, one achieves mastery in swordsmanship, another achieves mastery in blacksmithing, and the divine iron is finally perfectly refined into a famous sword. The spirit of the famous sword communicates with all three, achieving the greatest fame under heaven... Is this possible?"

Cao ErZhu shook his head. Indeed, it was largely impossible. But this was in his narrow world; perhaps Elder Uncle Sang would turn the conversation around...

"Indeed, it's not possible," Elder Sang also shook his head. "I've lived for so long and am not ignorant; I haven't heard of such a match. But reforging makes it possible! Meeting at the peak of their respective Daos—one a grand master of the Way of the Sword, the other a grand master of the Way of Forging. The two conversing happily, deciding to collectively reforge the sword master's first personal sword—because ancient sword cultivators generally have the deepest emotional attachment to their first sword. Through this, they forge the foundation of a famous sword, and all three achieve fame together. Is this possible?" Answering his own question, Elder Sang said: "Absolutely possible!"

Cao ErZhu was already listening with fervent excitement: "Is it my father and Uncle Eight Venerables?"

"No. Possible as it is, they didn't do it. Because there was already a precedent: the famous sword 'Ghost Hunter,' which started as an ordinary sword, without secondary refinement, and rose to fame solely through the nourishment of its reputation. Ghost Hunter's blade has multiple chipped edges and is pitted, but this hasn't affected its strength at all. On the contrary, it has become Ghost Hunter's unique mark—unprecedented and unrivaled!"

Ghost Hunter... Cao ErZhu had recently crammed some knowledge about the Spirit Cultivation world, taught by Uncle Shen Yi. He knew that Ghost Hunter was Hua Changdeng's personal sword. And that was it.

"That's why Qingju broke," Elder Sang shifted the topic here, saying regretfully: "Times are different now. It's not just that swordsmanship is slowly developing, or that blacksmithing is also slowly developing. The era is different. Nowadays, a Grade Ten spiritual sword, once it leaves the gate, immediately faces the pressure of Supreme Divine Artifacts, Chaos Divine Artifacts, anomalous weapons, and even various ancient inscribed artifact steles that were once famous but now gather dust... They have sealed off the sky. Even if Qingju were stronger, trying to cultivate another 'invincible' would not happen overnight. The result of a head-on confrontation, just like Eight Venerables, is that excessive rigidity breaks easily. So it broke."

Cao ErZhu nodded in agreement. He deeply resonated with Elder Uncle Sang's words. Coming out of the small town, he had thought it would be the starting point for his Grade Ten spiritual sword, and he had fantasized about ascending to the clouds one day. Unexpectedly, as soon as he stepped out of Qingyuan Mountain, various jackals and tigers charged him directly... It felt more like an end point! The slightest carelessness, and he would reach his end! His father indeed hadn't lied; the Spirit Cultivation world was terrifying, and so was the sword world. Everyone was under immense pressure.

"I don't want the history of Qingju to repeat itself, but now, I'm already seeing signs," Elder Sang said, looking earnestly at Cao ErZhu.

"You..." Cao ErZhu hesitated. Which of your swords is worn out? After such a long roundabout, I'm not stupid; I can tell you want my help forging a sword. It's fine, you can just say it directly. But the problem is... "Do you have a sword?" Cao ErZhu asked hesitantly.

"I don't have one myself." Elder Sang extended his hands; they were withered and charred. In the end, he couldn't stand the appearance of smooth, tender skin and chose to change his skin. He stared at his hands and smiled: "Or rather, my sword is something you can't help forge."

"Then who needs a sword forged?" Elder Sang lowered his hands, holding his straw hat, and without answering, said: "A blacksmith's first sword, like a sword wielder's first sword, at the moment of its spirit's birth, holds the deepest emotional connection."

Cao ErZhu's mind was shaken. Was this why his father hadn't let him successfully forge spiritual items? He refused to let the weapons he forged birth spirits, even suppressing all possibilities of "spiritual birth," just to preserve this... first time? Then, for whom was this first time to be reserved? Cao ErZhu became even more curious and asked again: "Uncle Sang, please don't keep me in suspense. Who do I need to forge for?"

Elder Sang took off his straw hat, bent down, and sincerely asked: "ErZhu, are you and Xu Xiaoshou on good terms?" Brother Xiaoshou...

"If I implore you, if you were to forge the very first sword for Xu Xiaoshou, to put in your utmost effort, even to the point of exhausting your heart and soul... genuinely exhausting your heart and soul, could you do it?" Cao ErZhu could barely maintain his horse stance: "But Brother Xiaoshou already has his first sword..." At this point, Cao ErZhu suddenly realized. Sword, wielder, blacksmith, first sword, reforging...

"Cang Ku?!" Cao ErZhu exclaimed, he understood!

Elder Sang didn't speak, but nodded very seriously. This was no joke; it would determine the latter half of Xu Xiaoshou's ancient swordsmanship path.

Cao ErZhu quickly put away the Sky-Shattering Hammer, stood at attention, and replied just as seriously: "Uncle Sang, if it's for Brother Xiaoshou, even without Elephant Dragon, my answer will only be, and must be..." He vigorously pounded his chest, his eyes shining with resolve, and declared in a clear, resonant voice: "Who says princes and generals are born of a special lineage?!"