Chapter 598: Seven Stars Sword Group

"City Lord, here are the official documents submitted from below."

An underdog carrying a stack of official documents placed them on the City Lord's desk, dividing them into two neat piles.

The City Lord was a female cultivator of rare and exceptional beauty, yet none dared question her authority, nor did anyone dare gossip about her appearance.

To hold the position of City Lord in a city teeming with male cultivators, her methods and cultivation level could well be imagined.

"Three days have already passed, why haven't they come down yet?"

Luo Hong sat in the great hall of the third-tier City Lord's manor; the identity she had assigned to herself was that of the City Lord.

Having finished processing the city's affairs, she looked up at the sky as was her custom, toward the location of the fourth tier.

Suddenly, a rift tore open in the sky, and three figures emerged from the breach, vanishing in a flash only to reappear within the hall of the City Lord's manor.

"Senior Luo Hong, we meet again," Lu Yang greeted her with a smile.

Luo Hong stood frozen in silence.

She distinctly remembered him going up alone; how had he multiplied into three upon his return?

Furthermore, Luo Hong sensed that the two figures standing behind Lu Yang were unfathomably deep, possessing an utterly terrifying strength.

As the spirit of the secret realm, Luo Hong could mobilize all the power within this domain. This place held countless treasures, yet not a single supreme talent of the demon race had ever attempted to force their way back in after growing into a great power—a testament to Luo Hong's dreadfulness.

Even so, she still felt she was no match for the two individuals standing behind Lu Yang.

She even felt a profound sense of awe and reverence toward the female cultivator clad in crimson.

"Luo Hong pays respects to the Mistress!"

Luo Hong immediately knelt and kowtowed before Jiang Lianyi.

"Hold on a moment, who are you?"

Jiang Lianyi stepped to the side, unwilling to receive someone's prostration without cause.

"I am the spirit of the secret realm, created by the Master."

"Who is your master?"

"Shi He. Master commanded me to call him the Qilin Immortal."

Shi He was the true name of the Qilin Immortal.

"Master created this secret realm and decreed that if anyone answered all the questions correctly on the third tier, they would be permitted to enter the fourth tier. The Mistress resides upon the fourth tier, and once the Mistress appears, everything within the secret realm, including myself, shall belong to her."

A complex immortal seal manifested between Luo Hong's brows; she cradled the seal in her hands and respectfully offered it to Jiang Lianyi.

"It is indeed the mark left behind by my husband."

Jiang Lianyi accepted the seal. This was the token of the secret realm; holding this seal meant absolute command over everything within it.

In an instant, Jiang Lianyi perceived the entire structure of the realm. With but a single thought, she could compel Luo Hong to do anything, and the secret realm's treasury could be opened at her whim.

With a casual wave of her hand, Jiang Lianyi sliced open a spatial rift, revealing countless treasures piled high like mountains.

These treasures, which would make even the great powers of the demon race green with envy, were nothing extraordinary in the eyes of Jiang Lianyi.

"Is there anything you need?"

Jiang Lianyi turned her head to ask Lu Yang, willing to give him all these treasures if he so desired.

Lu Yang found himself in a bit of a predicament. It was true that treasures were valuable, but he did not lack money, had no need for spirit stones, and as for Dharma treasures, surely nothing could be more precious than his Azure Peak Sword. Furthermore, regarding cultivation insights and techniques, he had the Scripture Repository and his Eldest Senior Sister; there was no need for him to study the experiences left behind by the demon race's ancient powers.

"I heard that a supreme talent of the demon race once obtained a celestial herb here that allows one to cross an entire major realm upon consumption, and that it carries no side effects whatsoever?"

Jiang Lianyi reached out her hand, spanning across space to pluck a spiritual herb from the second tier. It possessed seven leaves, each speckled with starlight.

"You speak of the Seven-Star Moon-Chasing Grass. The conditions for its growth are extremely harsh, and it can indeed raise one by a major realm—for instance, elevating you from the late Golden Core stage to the late Nascent Soul stage—but to call it a celestial herb is to vastly overrate it. Once consumed, one can never again break through to the Tribulation Transmutation stage."

"Then never mind," Lu Yang remarked, believing that cultivation required steady, step-by-step progress, and there was no need to rush.

Jiang Lianyi planted the Seven-Star Moon-Chasing Grass back where it belonged.

"Could I choose a few swords to form a sword array?" Lu Yang suddenly asked.

"You may."

Jiang Lianyi beckoned with her fingers, and seven precious swords of varying styles, each exceedingly rare, drifted out from the mountain of treasures, radiating a chilly gleam.

"All seven of these swords are yours."

Every sword within the Ancient Realm of Creation was gathered here, and all of them were growth-type Dharma treasures.

Engraved upon the hilts were the names of the precious swords: Tianshu, Tianxuan, Tianji...

Luo Hong, being the most familiar with these treasures, introduced them: "These names correspond to the Big Dipper of ancient times. This set of swords is known as the Seven Star Sword Array."

Hovering above each sword was the numeral "Two."

"Fine pieces indeed."

Lu Yang was a sword cultivator after all; receiving seven distinct, precious swords made him grin so wide his mouth could hardly close.

"How does one establish ownership? By dropping blood to claim them?"

Luo Hong spoke solemnly: "It is not so simple. These seven swords all possess spirituality. To tame them, one must nourish the swords with one's body, nourish them with one's heart, and nourish them with one's blood. This is a protracted process, taking a month at the shortest, and a year at the longest."

The Seven Star Sword Array erupted into a chorus of sword cries, validating Luo Hong's words.

Sword cultivators were proud, and these precious swords possessed a pride unique to themselves; they were not tools to be used casually by just anyone. At the moment of their creation, three rules had been set for their employment:

None but a peerless sword cultivator would do, none but a peerless genius would do, and none but one who moved them with absolute sincerity would do.

Though the Seven Star Swords had not reached the point of generating true intelligence, they possessed a keen spirituality.

The Immortal Fairy stepped forward, fiercely striking whichever sword wailed the loudest. Once the Seven Star Sword Array fell silent, she pointed at Lu Yang and commanded, "Follow him from now on, do you hear me!"

The Seven Star Swords let out a succession of whimpering cries, trembling and shaking.

Though those strikes seemed casual, they were attacks that struck directly at their spirituality; if the Immortal Fairy so wished, a few more taps could erase their spiritual essence entirely.

They then drifted over to Lu Yang's side, rubbing against him in an affectionate manner.

Lu Yang hastily dodged away. It would be fine if a fluffy little rabbit were rubbing against him, but with seven swords rubbing against him, were they trying to slice him to pieces?

Lu Yang ran ahead while the Seven Star Sword Array pursued from behind, resolute and unyielding in their chase. In the end, Lu Yang simply used his identity jade plaque to store them away, finally bringing peace to the scene.

Jiang Lianyi then said to Luo Hong, "Continue to fulfill your previous duties within the secret realm; everything shall remain as it was."

"Yes!"

"Furthermore, do not speak a word to anyone regarding matters concerning me or Sister Immortal."

"By your command!"

When descending from the fourth tier, the Immortal Fairy had told Jiang Lianyi not to speak of her existence to the outside world, lest they alert the enemy.

"Let us depart; it is the perfect time to see what the current world of cultivation looks like."

Thirty thousand years had passed; she feared her old friends were gone, and the world had changed beyond recognition.

"Speaking of old friends, there actually is one recently," Lu Yang said, stroking his chin, the Immortal Fairy having already returned to his spiritual space by now.

"Who?"

"The ancient Di Jiang. He has slept from the ancient times until now. Upon waking, he intends to unify the demon domain and establish a demon kingdom. I reckon that when we step outside, we will be just in time for his national founding ceremony."

Jiang Lianyi froze for a moment, suddenly realizing who the ancient Dijiang Lu Yang spoke of truly was, and a poignant sense of how things had changed washed over her.

"He actually managed to establish a demon kingdom? Look how much he has grown."

"There is one more matter upon which I would like to seek your counsel."

"You are the one who resurrected Sister Immortal; there is no need for such restraint with me. Whatever it is, speak freely."

"Have you ever heard of the Heavenly Court?"