Remould the Glory of Sword Art

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Indeed, only this way could confirm what Dao Jiu had spoken of the past.

The Bai Ze Secret Realm had not made its first appearance in the mortal world... Only many years ago, its emergence wasn't in Carp Tide River but on the other side of the North Sea!

Erosion Sun Swamp!

Demon Cultivators, with their violent dispositions, would stop at nothing in their pursuit of creation's favors—

Although in this respect, Cultivators of the Human Race were not much better.

But those Demon Cultivators from Erosion Sun Swamp would indeed crack skulls over a "Dao Furnace"; if the earlier situation had occurred in Demon Country, a group of weaker Demon Cultivators ganging up to assassinate a high-ranking one could very well happen... As long as there was the slightest chance that the risks could be directly proportional to the rewards.

Then they would truly consider doing it!

After sorting out his thoughts.

"Baihua Valley has nothing to do with Erosion Sun Swamp."

Xie Xuanyi looked toward Dao Jiu, seriously saying, "The people you saw last time were from Demon Country. And this group... they are from the Human Race, the Dachu Dynasty."

"Demon Country, Human Race..."

Dao Jiu raised an eyebrow, saying, "I see, you indeed are different from the Cultivators who came here last time."

"Your master's Secret Realm drifts in the North Sea."

Xie Xuanyi explained, "The last landing was at Erosion Sun Swamp, and this time... it reached the border of the Human Race."

Dao Jiu suddenly realized, but then asked with confusion, "What do you mean, my master's Secret Realm drifts in the North Sea?"

Xie Xuanyi frowned, "This Secret Realm is not fixed in place, do you not know this?"

Dao Jiu was silent for a few moments.

"When my master left me here, I had just gained sentience, knowing little. When the 'Dao Pen' existed previously, there were sounds of the Dao imparted to me, that's the only chance I had to learn about the outside world..."

Dao Jiu let out a light sigh.

Black lines emerged on Xie Xuanyi's forehead.

If he wasn't mistaken, this was the reason Dao Jiu knew about the existence of things like the Joyful Union Skill.

The Artifact Spirit of the "Dao Pen" once imparted the Dao throughout the entire Secret Realm!

This sentence sounded somewhat pitiable.

Upon feeling it earnestly, one could further appreciate the despair within... The great Bai Ze's Dao shackles, locking the "Dao Furnace" inside the hall; afterwards gaining sentience, transforming, cultivating the Dao, over the long years, Dao Jiu could only be trapped here, utterly uninformed of what transpired outside.

It could only learn a thing or two through the accounts of "outsiders."

"If you have any questions, just ask them."

Xie Xuanyi let out a light sigh, settled into a comfortable position to sit, and started telling Dao Jiu stories of the outside world.

This was the first time the Dao Furnace Artifact Spirit, trapped in the great hall for a thousand years, had such a conversation with a human.

Those Demon Cultivators back then only had eyes for the "Dao Furnace."

Until the end, they fought violently and died without exception.

Even in the end, it never had a real conversation with anyone.

Dao Jiu had a lot of questions.

Xie Xuanyi answered them one by one.

In the outside world, there were humans and demons.

Spirits and monsters of the plants and woods could all cultivate.

Mountains and rivers, lakes and seas, snowy plains and vast deserts.

He clearly felt that Dao Jiu's eyes had changed, from initially indifferent to gradually beaming with life.

After two hours, Dao Jiu still had many questions...

The outside world could not be covered in just two hours.

But he voluntarily stopped himself.

After a long silence, Dao Jiu lowered his eyelids, murmuring, "My master once said, a Cultivator needs a heart free of impurities; amidst the profound mortal world, if one wants to achieve the Dao, one must guard a pure land... Yet the world outside is so fascinating, what's the point of achieving the Dao if one simply sits withering in one place?"

At the beginning of its sentient life, it regarded its master's words as a principle to uphold.

Quiet sitting, cultivating, then sitting again, and cultivating.

After repeating this for hundreds of years, it began to wonder what the outside world was truly like.

Later, it saw those Demon Cultivators fighting bloodily over the "Dao Furnace," ending with all of them perishing...

The confusion in its heart grew more and more.

Now that he had met Xie Xuanyi, Dao Jiu started to doubt whether simply sitting in meditation and cultivating was the true way.

"The wide Dao of the world favors neither side. All laws under heaven are without a hierarchy."

Xie Xuanyi said softly, "In cultivating the Dao, one doesn't cultivate someone else's Dao... but one's own Dao. Merely sitting in place may not be wrong, nor necessarily right; it all depends on oneself."

This speech left Dao Jiu deep in thought.

Moments later, it suddenly looked up, gazing directly at the youth before it.

"Xie Zhen, would you take me away from here?"

The divine aura of the Dao Furnace burst forth, red light and fire blazed brilliantly, turning the hall into a vision of resplendent gold.

This question left Xie Xuanyi in silence.

This true treasure was of extremely high quality, having spawned a humanoid form, it could even be useful if cultivated to the Yang God Realm—

Such a treasure coming so easily, who would not be tempted? Who would refuse?

But Xie Xuanyi shook his head.

"Let's talk terms."

Xie Xuanyi was clear-headed, "I know... taking you with me won't be that simple."

The spirit of the Dao Furnace, although possessing self-awareness, did not have the power to control its own fate.

Dao Jiu's fate was not something it could decide on its own.

The Bai Ze Dao patterns that imprisoned the great hall could not be solved by it, otherwise, it would not have been trapped inside for a thousand years!

"My master set down rules."

Dao Jiu said seriously, "Only those with destiny and share, cause and effect, can take away the 'true treasures' of the Secret Tomb. You've arrived here, that means you have the destiny and share; if you can satisfy the second rule set by the master, kill all your companions, and use their blood to temper the Dao Furnace, then that would be cause and effect."

The first condition had been met.

It was only the second one remaining.

"Kill all my companions?"

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Xie Xuanyi sneered, "Is this a rule set by Bai Ze that one must do so to acquire the 'Dao Furnace'?"

"It is necessary..."

Dao Jiu said somberly, "The master says if one wishes to attain the Dao, they must abandon all extraneous possessions and cannot harbor the slightest bit of pity. The opportunity for the Dao comes in a fleeting thought, gone in the blink of an eye."

This statement sounded cold-blooded and merciless.

But in the world of cultivation, it was also considered half the ultimate truth.

For the vast majority of cultivators, this 'Dao Furnace' might well be the only opportunity in their lifetime...

The Yin Mountain White Ghost of the past seized an Earth Dragon and became one of the three saints.

And the cultivator who gets this 'Dao Furnace' might very well become the second White Ghost.

Unfortunately, for Xie Xuanyi, the opportunity of this 'Dao Furnace' was not yet so important to that extent.

"Brother Dao Jiu, it seems we're destined not to be associated," Xie Xuanyi said as he stood up, speaking dispassionately.

"I have sent Yuan Yi and the others away; I cannot fulfill the second rule of this 'Dao Furnace'."

"No, no, no... there's still a chance,"

Dao Jiu hurriedly interjected.

With a sweep of his sleeve, the Dao Furnace descended with tumbling divine radiance; amid the blazing light, the door that had vanished reappeared.

"They have not yet left; you still have time to bring them back!"

Xie Xuanyi looked at that door.

Seeing this, Dao Jiu pleaded, "Xie Zhen, even if I wish to leave with you, the second rule set by the master must be fulfilled..."

Xie Xuanyi sighed lightly, "Dao Jiu, don't you understand?"

Dao Jiu was stunned.

Xie Xuanyi lowered his head, looking at the reeds in his arms.

Among that group of people was a young girl who had carried a sword for him all the way...

Though she was somewhat foolish, she at least deserved to live well.

"Xie Zhen..."

Dao Jiu murmured, "Could it be that you have no interest in the 'Dao Furnace' at all?"

"Even if a 'Dao Pen' were before me now, it wouldn't change the situation,"

Xie Xuanyi shook his head, saying, "I don't kill them, not because I'm indifferent to the 'Dao Furnace', nor because I, Xie someone, adhere to a moral code..."

He was very clear that he was not exactly a good person.

"It is simply that I, Xie someone, do things based on what I like."

Xie Xuanyi stated coldly, "I don't like Bai Ze's second rule... so I am very sorry."

After he said that, he turned to leave.

Dao Jiu's eyes looked somewhat desperate.

The fire-blazing door didn't close immediately...

He prayed in his heart for Xie Zhen to change his mind.

Perhaps it was the heavens showing pity for this ancient artifact spirit that had been trapped for a thousand years!

After lifting his foot, Xie Xuanyi actually stopped.

"If the second rule set by Bai Ze was that the winner after a battle would get the 'Dao Furnace', then why didn't those demon cultivators from back then take you with them?"

Xie Xuanyi suddenly thought of an "interesting" fact.

He asked this question with his back to Dao Jiu.

The voice echoed in the great hall.

Dao Jiu said sincerely, "Back then, those cultivators had similar strengths and realms. After fighting each other, they were all seriously injured. In the end, one of them initiated 'self-destruction'..."

Xie Xuanyi smiled.

He posed a second question, "What if someone 'destined' joins in the middle of the fight?"

"Naturally, they are included together,"

Dao Jiu stated earnestly, "The 'Dao Furnace' only belongs to the last victor."

Xie Xuanyi uttered an 'Oh.'

He didn't leave but instead turned around again, looking at the artifact spirit in the great hall, "You said before that passing through the 'Gate of Life' and leaving the Secret Realm takes about one 'two-hour'."

"Correct..."

Dao Jiu nodded, helplessly saying, "Xie Zhen, if you don't act quickly... those women will leave here."

"If they all leave,"

Xie Xuanyi said, "There's only me left here, wouldn't that directly fulfill the second rule to take away the 'Dao Furnace'?"

This question was unexpected for Dao Jiu.

Dao Jiu opened his mouth, unsure of how to answer.

The rule left by the master was that only one person could take away the 'Dao Furnace'.

But if from the beginning to the end, only one person had stepped into this place...?

"Maybe, perhaps, probably... it's not satisfactory, right?"

Dao Jiu thought for a long time and murmured, "The rule states that the 'Dao Furnace' must be forged with the blood of the defeated. If there's only one person, where does the blood come from?"

"One last question,"

Xie Xuanyi said calmly, "As long as both rules are satisfied, I can take you with me, right?"

A strange feeling arose in Dao Jiu's heart.

He looked into Xie Zhen's eyes and slowly nodded.

With a "click!"

Xie Xuanyi took out the reed from his arms, and, along with the sword scabbard, thrust it into the ground.

The sound of Sword Sound resonated, echoing around the great hall.

Xie Xuanyi placed his hands on the scabbard and hilt.

"Brother Dao Jiu, please open all the 'Gates' leading here from the perimeter of the Secret Realm—"

Xie Xuanyi said expressionlessly, "I have a few friends who still can't find the way outside."