Chapter 433: Target, Bashan Sword Hut

Chapter 433: Target, Bashan Sword Hut

Zhao Changhe held his blade, feeling as if he were in a dream.

He could clearly sense an extremely direct spiritual connection with the blade; his will could easily be conveyed to the blade spirit, and he could also easily perceive all its thoughts. For instance, he could distinctly feel its obedience, its desire to serve and slay enemies for its lord.

But it was tsundere, unwilling to express itself, yet through this peculiar master-servant bond, its heart was laid bare.

Is that it? Usually, you seem so S, but the truth is you're a total M?

Before, he could never see what the blade spirit looked like, but now it revealed itself without any guard—a phantom in the form of a dragon sparrow. It wasn't hiding somewhere in the blade; it was one with the blade, present everywhere.

The ponytailed loli was gone... but no matter how he looked at it, it seemed like a fierce little loli. He wondered if it could ever take human form...

Well, that wasn't important.

What mattered was the change brought by the bond of ownership.

The heavy broadsword, no matter how high his cultivation, had always had a bit of weight dragging him down when wielded with one hand. But now, it perfectly adapted to his strength with an almost intelligent precision—not too light to lose sensation, nor burdened with unnecessary weight, achieving the most comfortable feel.

And the power contained within the blade, which he had previously been unable to unleash, was now accessible. Before, he could only use its material and sharpness. Even when emitting blade light, it was his own true qi that drove it, and it was weak.

But now, he could clearly sense that if he wished, he could fully unleash a blade light far surpassing what he should be capable of...

"Shua!" Zhao Changhe tested a swing aimed far.

A massive crescent slash howled forth, slicing through a brick courtyard wall over ten zhang away as if it were tofu, sending it crashing down.

And this didn't consume much of his own true qi—it was the power of the Dragon Sparrow.

Zhao Changhe's mouth hung half-open, and only one thought surfaced in his mind: I'm invincible.

At least among those of the same rank, he would be invincible. Who among his peers could compete with him?

Unfortunately, energy conservation applied to everyone. The Dragon Sparrow's energy didn't come from nowhere; it was a combination of the blade's stored energy and the blade spirit's soul power. Unleashing such terrifying blade light consumed a great deal of energy, which needed to be slowly replenished over time by absorbing the world's energy. It seemed that for at least ten days or half a month, he couldn't unleash a second strike.

Beyond actively cutting enemies, the blade spirit's fundamental significance lay in its ability to operate autonomously, absorbing external energy to compensate for losses, achieving a self-sustaining cycle. Once the blade spirit fell asleep, relying on passive recovery would leave the blade half-crippled.

So he had to be careful in daily use, just like with his own true qi—knowing when to unleash it and how much to use, needing a sense of proportion. Most of the time, he would use it as an ordinary blade, only as a last-resort life-saving measure.

Han Wubing had once told him not to rely too much on divine weapons. The Ice Soul in Chichi's hand also had a spirit and likely similar abilities, but even when she was at a disadvantage against the venomous spider, she hadn't relied on it; she still sought her own way to break the deadlock.

The significance of a divine weapon's emergence wasn't for cross-rank battles... It was actually forged by a master far surpassing its power, nurtured with their intent. In its original owner's hands, it was merely a convenient weapon suited to their own use, nothing more.

For example, this blade light—its true application should be to emit it with one's own true qi, with the Dragon Sparrow's power combining to amplify it. Both man and blade would save effort, jointly achieving an effect greater than the sum of its parts, with extended endurance.

No matter how much bloodshed a divine weapon might cause in the world, the elites of this era still understood that the key lay in themselves.

Seeing Zhao Changhe lost in thought, the Dragon Sparrow proactively conveyed its intention: "I have a set of blade techniques. Does the master want them?"

"Uh..." The feeling of being called "master" by a loli... no, wait, this is a blade. What the hell am I thinking...

Zhao Changhe tapped his head: "Are they Old Xia's techniques?"

"Not his techniques; they can only be said to contain his blade intent. I naturally became a spirit; he didn't deliberately nurture me, nor did he feed me any techniques. But having long accompanied him through battles, I can summarize a set of techniques based on his blade intent." The Dragon Sparrow was somewhat proud: "I was born for the blade. When it comes to the way of the blade, even Xia Longyuan himself can't compare to me!"

"Alright, alright." Zhao Changhe was quite pleased. He had said he didn't want to learn Old Xia's things, but he had indeed acquired few blade techniques. Being able to see more high-level techniques was always good.

The Dragon Sparrow began to show off: "That Blood Fiend Blade Technique of yours—it's powerful enough, but day in and day out, it's either frog leaps or red eyes, or swollen limbs, and afterward you lie there drooling... The whole set makes you look like a brain-dead child. If it weren't for the fact that the power is passable, who would want to accompany you in your madness..."

Zhao Changhe: "..."

This broken blade can't stay; maybe I should switch to a sword...

Or maybe you and Baoqin can sit at the same table...

"The master of my Dragon Sparrow must not only be strong but also good-looking and imposing! Watch closely!" The Dragon Sparrow, unaware that it had been assigned a seat, eagerly flew into the air and began to perform a set of blade techniques.

Zhao Changhe instantly cast aside all complaints, his mind deeply captivated.

Saying it had "long accompanied battles" and "imperial dominance" easily conjured an image of a bold, overwhelming, and invincible blade technique, perhaps similar to the Blood Fiend technique but more elegant, yet with a similar intent—like that "Lie" technique from before, seemingly calm but actually terrifying.

But in reality, what the Dragon Sparrow displayed was quite different from the Blood Fiend technique, even opposite.

It wasn't so murderous, but the pressure was immense... Like a giant turning to look down at a surging army of thousands, with a contemptuous sneer, the blade descending from the heavens, splitting mountains and rivers, overturning heaven and earth.

All were mere petty foes; the blade's strike defied no imperial will.

That irresistible pressure made one want to bow in submission.

There was a faint sense of contradiction.

As if gods and buddhas had scattered, and the blade was meant to strike this bastard.

Could the rebellious defiance of the common folk and the imperial dominance of a ruler be combined?

Come to think of it, he was no longer very common-folk now, which was why the Dragon Sparrow's approval was growing... Did that mean the Blood Fiend intent was nearing its end?

A bit unwilling... He had poured so much effort into it, and he had just broken through...

The blade stopped. The Dragon Sparrow floated before him: "How was it?"

Zhao Changhe snapped back to reality and smiled: "Good blade, good technique. What's the name of this technique?"

The Dragon Sparrow trembled: "Let's call it the Dragon Sparrow Blade Technique, shall we? That move just now... hmm, call it 'Breaking a Thousand Troops.'"

"Fine." Zhao Changhe certainly wouldn't argue with a chuunibyou blade over naming rights. Call it whatever it wanted.

He grasped the hilt and suddenly swung.

A blood-colored blade light, carrying the intent of making all living beings bow, slashed out fiercely.

"Boom!"

His own power obviously couldn't send a slash several zhang away like the Dragon Sparrow's crescent had; the stone table before him was simply shattered.

If the Dragon Sparrow could take human form, it would probably be scratching its head and frowning right now.

This master had good talent, solid fundamentals, and a very thorough understanding of the blade, which was why he learned so quickly.

He should be happy... But this slash... was it really like that?

Sort of... but not quite.

If this was supposed to have imperial intent, it felt more like a rebel king's.

Oh well, let's count it as close enough. I'm not that old nag who loves to teach; I've already offered the treasure to the master. How he uses it is his business.

The Dragon Sparrow quieted down, seemingly acknowledging the slash. Zhao Changhe realized that this troublesome blade was actually quite obedient... After all, it had acknowledged the master-servant bond.

Indeed, it deserved a seat with Baoqin...

As for this blade intent... Zhao Changhe looked down at his hand, feeling that this wasn't the final path he wanted.

"Let's go." He rarely slung the Dragon Sparrow back onto his back and said with a smile, "The wound on my chest is about healed. It didn't hurt much when I swung the blade just now, so it shouldn't hinder travel. Dealing with a few petty troublemakers won't be a problem."

The Dragon Sparrow seemed a bit excited: "If there are troublemakers, I'll cut them! Where to? Straight to the southwest?"

Zhao Changhe headed to the stables to find Wuzhui, saying as he went, "Heading southwest, we can continue by waterway, passing through Wu Gorge along the way..."

"To look at the Blood God Array Plate?"

"No, to Bashan."

The Dragon Sparrow perked up: "I heard that the master of Bashan Sword Hut, Shi Wuding, is also near the top of the Earth Ranking... He uses a sword! I want to cut him!"

"I've heard that Bashan Sword Hut has a sharp-edged grass, which is one of the materials for forging my Blood Rakshasa Body. Although I'm close with Han Wubing, and he has a grudge against the Sword Hut, I'm not clear on the full story of that feud, so it doesn't involve me. A normal visit should get me a reception; I'll see if I can trade for that sharp-edged grass."

The Dragon Sparrow instantly lost interest. So it wasn't a fight after all...

"Besides..." Zhao Changhe grinned. "I'll ask the Sword Hut for a few pointers."

Longque trembled with excitement.

Zhao Changhe hardly dared tell it that what he wanted was not to challenge the Sword Hut, but to use the Heavenly Book to steal some of the Sword Hut's techniques and sword intent—first, to corroborate what he had gained from the Sword Emperor, and second, because he truly needed to start considering playing with a sword.

He had tried it before at Kunlun, and the results were passable... but afterward, every battle was critical, so he never had a chance to keep practicing. On this journey, he could give it a try.

Because just now he had a strong feeling... the way of the blade was not his final destination, at most a milestone along the way.

With the Ancient Sword Dragon Emperor in his possession and the Night Emperor's sword dangling ahead, perhaps he could truly consider—after combining blade and sword—what path lay beyond.