Chapter 491: Method of Using the Rebirth Golden Core

"Can a sword spirit truly become a soul?"

"An ordinary sword spirit certainly cannot, but the Sovereign of the Sword Tower was different; he was a half-immortal. His sword spirit must have slain countless enemies, soaked in immortal blood, and thus acquired the spiritual rhythm of the immortal path."

"Just look at that Qilin Undying Herb in the medicine garden—was it not soaked in the blood of the Qilin Immortal, thereby gaining intelligence and turning into a spirit?"

As the duo's authority climbed, elevating them to the positions of acting sect masters, they also became privy to certain hidden secrets.

Take the Sovereign of the Sword Tower, for instance.

Sovereign was a title that only powerhouse cultivators at the half-immortal level could be crowned with, just as an incorruptible immortal could be called an Incorruptible Sovereign.

What kind of embryonic Dao Fruit the Sovereign of the Sword Tower possessed remained unknown; the only certainty was that his attempt to perfect it and seize the opportunity to become an immortal had ended in failure, resulting in his complete annihilation.

No one met the criteria to inherit the legacy he left behind, and the Sword Tower suffered defeat after defeat, eventually degenerating into the first-grade sect it was today.

If Mingtai was indeed the sword spirit of the Sovereign of the Sword Tower, it was entirely within reason for him to inherit that supreme legacy.

"You should know that the higher a cultivator's cultivation level, the more difficult it is to conceive offspring. When two half-immortals become Dao companions, it is even more difficult to have children."

Lu Yang nodded; he was aware of this fact. Most of the current imperial princes and princesses had been born during the Great Emperor of Xia's youth. It was not that the Emperor was now old and frail, lacking the capacity to sire children, but rather that his cultivation was simply too high, making conception nearly impossible.

Of course, it was also possible that he truly lacked the strength for it now.

"Some half-immortal companions would shed blood, mixing their immortal essences together. When luck was on their side, something resembling a sword spirit would be born within that blood. Over a longer period, it would develop intelligence and become a soul—essentially becoming their child."

"Therefore, the higher a cultivator's cultivation level, the more cautious they must be during battle to ensure they do not bleed."

"Why is that?"

"Think about it. Two half-immortals fight a grueling battle, vomiting blood and spilling their guts without resolving the conflict, finally agreeing to resume the next day."

"When the next day arrives, lo and behold, the blood has turned into a spirit, and the two suddenly have a child. Tell me, what should they do then?"

Lu Yang: "..."

That actually made a terrifying amount of sense.

"In our ancient times, half-immortals fought with strict restraint. They avoided drawing blood whenever possible, and even if blood was shed, they would absolutely clean up the battlefield afterward to avoid any subsequent chaos, ensuring nobody could argue over whose responsibility it was."

"Furthermore, this method of siring offspring is highly controversial. For example, the family of the Qilin Immortal resolutely refused to adopt such a practice."

On the arena stage, both sides stood firmly, fully prepared for combat.

"Li Haoran of the Wendao Sect."

"Zhao Po of the Corpse-Driving Sect."

The two clasped their hands in a proper, disciplined salute.

"Senior Brother Li, please." Zhao Po's expression was grave; his opponent was a senior brother from the prestigious Wendao Sect, and he dared not be careless.

He had witnessed firsthand the immense strength of Lu Yang.

There was also the Beast Tamer, Wei Nanfei.

However, he was no longer the man he used to be; having received personal guidance from his sect master, his strength had advanced by leaps and bounds, and his living corpse had undergone a profound transformation.

"Junior Brother Zhao, after you."

Zhao Po did not waste words with courtesy; he launched an attack simultaneously with his living corpse.

The living corpse possessed a body of iron and steel, utterly impervious to pain. It charged fiercely toward Li Haoran like a moving mountain. Though Li Haoran managed to swat the corpse away with both hands, the impact left his arms completely numb.

Before Li Haoran could alleviate the pain, Zhao Po advanced with a copper coin sword in hand. Each large coin ignited one by one, giving rise to a soaring golden aura that resembled both sharp sword qi and blazing fire, delivering a devastating assault.

"Cleave!"

The golden aura condensed into a sharp sword qi that pierced through the air with a deafening roar, as brilliant as a shower of sparks.

Li Haoran showed no fear, meeting the copper coin sword directly with an open palm.

The moment his palm made contact with the golden sword qi, a bizarre phenomenon occurred.

Between his palm and the golden sword qi, there appeared to be a thin membrane composed of countless irregular fragments. Though light and thin, it was incredibly difficult to pierce, completely blocking the attack of the golden sword qi.

"Refining Space?" Luo Hongxia recognized the weapon-refining technique Li Haoran was employing.

An expert weapon refiner could refine and manipulate space for their own use, making it an extension of their weapon, but this was absolutely not a technique a cultivator in the early Golden Core stage should be able to master!

The Fifth Elder looked at Li Haoran with a beaming smile, thoroughly satisfied.

Li Haoran had not focused on advancing his cultivation level recently precisely because he was comprehending this particular weapon-refining technique.

Lacking experience, Zhao Po had never seen such a method before and momentarily lost his footing. Li Haoran was not about to give him any time to react.

Shattering the spatial membrane, he tapped his fingers lightly against the copper coin sword with an implicit, rhythmic cadence.

With every single tap, the power of the copper coin sword weakened by a fraction. After three consecutive taps, the sword qi of the copper coin sword had completely dimmed into obscurity.

Zhao Po's pupils contracted sharply; he found himself utterly unable to activate the copper coin sword any further.

"Junior Brother Zhao must have only recently acquired this copper coin sword, as it hasn't been fully refined yet. Remember to use a weapon that truly belongs to you in your next battle," Li Haoran said leisurely, temporarily severing the connection between Zhao Po and the weapon.

This was likewise a common tactic employed by skilled weapon refiners.

Zhao Po gritted his teeth. Since things had escalated to this point, he had no choice but to resort to a risky venture.

He bit into his own wrist, pouring his blood over the living corpse. The pores of the corpse opened wide, absorbing the crimson fluid completely.

Beneath the pale skin of the living corpse, blood began to flow, making it look almost as if it had returned to life.

"Together!"

The living corpse charged forward like a rampaging elephant, while Zhao Po took to the air like a striking eagle.

Under normal circumstances, when two individuals teamed up against one, their lack of shared experience made it difficult to achieve perfect synchronization.

But Zhao Po and his living corpse were different; their connection was intimate and seamless, their cooperation flawless.

The living corpse fought like a martial arts grandmaster, its punches and kicks bearing immense power as though hewing with axes and cleaving with sabers. Every single strike carried a fatal threat, exploding across the arena like successive claps of thunder.

Meanwhile, Zhao Po hovered in midair with a peach-wood sword and talismans, systematically targeting the gaps in Li Haoran's defense.

The combined assault of the man and the corpse left Li Haoran overwhelmed, forcing him into a disadvantageous position.

Simultaneously, Zhao Po and the living corpse struck Li Haoran squarely in the chest, sending him flying backward.

Zhao Po panted heavily; this method of attack placed an immense drain on both him and his corpse, and he needed to conclude the battle quickly.

"Clap, clap, clap—"

A solitary round of applause echoed from beneath the stage. Both Zhao Po and the spectators below turned their bewildered gazes toward the source of the sound.

The person clapping looked exactly like the Li Haoran who stood upon the arena.

It was actually Li Haoran!

How could this be? Was Li Haoran not already on the stage?

Only the leaders and elders of the major factions smiled knowingly, having seemingly seen through the illusion.

"Well fought, Junior Brother Zhao. It seems that a single clone truly isn't enough to defeat you."

"A clone?" Zhao Po frowned, still unable to comprehend how Li Haoran had accomplished this feat.

Was it a wooden clone identical to the one Senior Brother Lu Yang used?

Li Haoran explained in a deliberate manner: "My Golden Core is known as the Rebirth Golden Core. As the name implies, it allows severed limbs to regenerate, a severed head to regrow, and severed legs to reform."

"If I chop up my entire body, wouldn't I be able to piece together a whole new corpse?"

Zhao Po's pupils contracted slightly; who could have imagined such a method even existed?!

"Next, I sought guidance on the art of corpse-driving from Senior Brother Man. I use it to control my own remains; though its combat power falls short of my original self, it still retains seventy to eighty percent of its strength."

Li Haoran wore a gentle smile, like a refreshing spring breeze. "Since my clone cannot defeat you, how will you respond if both my clone and I strike together?"

Zhao Po's heart sank. Just contending with the clone had been an grueling ordeal; if Senior Brother Li's true body joined the fray, how could he possibly fight?

A wave of unease rippled through the other cultivators in the early Golden Core stage group. The prowess Li Haoran had displayed was plain for all to see and exceedingly troublesome, and that was just a clone. If true body and clone joined forces, who could possibly stand against them?

The gaunt referee glanced down at Li Haoran standing beneath the arena, then declared the outcome of the match.

"According to the rules of the tournament, once the match begins, if one party is outside the boundaries of the arena, they are deemed the loser."

"Zhao Po wins."

The smile froze upon Li Haoran's face.

(End of Chapter)