Volume 8 Chapter 50: Changed His Mind

This was a perfectly intact soul weapon longsword.

The thickest part of the sword's spine was precisely a finger thickness, the withered leaf colored sword blade had oval cup-shaped runes finely engraved on its surface. The sword hilt that was forged together with the blade, apart from having similar runes, didn't have any decorations, making it appear rather simple and ancient.

This was the 'Yellow Cup' Longsword, of the same grade as the 'Daybreak' longsword Lin Xi always used.

Lin Xi recognized this soul weapon longsword, but not from Green Luan Weapons Hall, but rather from the military's records that introduced soul weapons.

'Yellow Cup' Longsword was a blade Yunqin officially stopped manufacturing twenty-one years after the country was founded. The reason for stopping was because a type of rare clay extract used to refine this type of longsword was nearly exhausted.

In this longsword's surroundings, Lin Xi also saw some scattered armor pieces.

There were some pieces of armor that also had some simple and unadorned runes. The areas where these ruined armors were broken were extremely glossy and smooth, clearly directly hacked through by a blade.

Only a cultivator wielding a soul weapon could accomplish such a thing.

There were already no traces of corpses around them, only these hard and cold metals that didn't decay.

"Who are you all? Who did you all fight against here?"

Lin Xi muttered to himself, only receiving the valley's light wind in response.

It was because he could tell from the large amounts of past Yunqin standardized armor and weapons that at least one side was definitely Yunqin's people, so Lin Xi immediately recalled what kind of story took place here, why these people's bones were buried here. However, after Chi Xiaoye's initial shock, the first thing she thought about clearly wasn't this.

She looked at Lin Xi with a bit of pleasant surprise, quietly saying, "There might be formidable soul weapons here."

Her eyes were always focused on a battle-axe that was half exposed.

This battle-axe that was still snow-white and its bright hatchet face were at least ten thingers thick, also, the surface was covered in fish scale-shaped runes, clearly used by a cultivator, the material of this heavy soul weapon far exceeding that of ordinary standard weapons. However, there was a crack-shaped circular hole on this battle-axe's hatchet surface.

Her brain couldn't help but repeatedly play this scene: when facing a cultivator's strike, despite the user of this giant axe defending himself with his weapon, the enemy's weapon still struck through the axe's surface, penetrating his body. Just what kind of power was needed to pierce through this type of axe?

When he heard her voice, Lin Xi nodded. "Unfortunately, we don't have time to completely search this place."

"None of these things are too deep underground." Chi Xiaoye looked at Lin Xi and said, "You've already broken into the Soul Master level cultivation... When cultivators wish to find things, sometimes, they don't necessarily need to use their eyes."

Lin Xi frowned slightly. He thought back to when he was cultivating on his own, how his Daybreak Longsword was flickering with radiance within the wooden chest, immediately understanding. Then, he began to produce that Purgatory Mountain's epoch-marking soul weapon, allowing the endless transparent threads to scatter out. He then closed his eyes, starting to slowly move through this valley.

He could easily sense the strands of wind flow coming from the east, even sensing the small droplets floating within.

This soul weapon made by who knew what kind of craftsman in Purgatory Mountain not long ago, extended his perception outwards like a tentacle, it completely covered everything within a few hundred steps of distance.

That was why what he sensed was not only the general wind flow several hundred steps out and the fine water droplets within these winds, he could even sense the flow of fine winds in this region, the next movement of every single floating water droplet. As long as he was willing, as long as he concentrated his mind, he could sense all of this.

For a cultivator like him who grasped the Windstalker inheritance, this possessed extraordinary significance.

He sensed this fresh new world he had never truly experienced before breaking through into the Soul Master level. After extending his perception in this darkness for a long time, he finally sensed radiance.

He began to walk towards that radiance.

As he walked up to the source of radiance, he then opened his eyes.

In front of him was smooth earth.

Lin Xi stabbed the 'Yellow Cup' Longsword into the earth and then he easily fished out a light green longsword.

This was a similarly light green longsword with some transparent slightly white runes. It was completely different from the outwardly simple and crude 'Yellow Cup', full of a refined feeling.

The transparent slightly white runes were like transparent crystals placed on the sword's body, from the sword's tip to the hilt, the entire sword gave off a flowing feeling. The thickest part of the blade was clearly only half a finger in thickness, yet because of the thick radiance exuded from the sword body, it didn't seem light and frail. The sword hilt had a type of brightly-colored green shell-like material that was much tougher than high-grade well-tempered steel. Perhaps because of the special material, when Lin Xi picked up this sword and moved his arm, shaking off all of the dirt covering the blade, he even felt strands of wind gathering on their own towards the sword hilt and blade, as if making this sword seem even more light and graceful.

Lin Xi understood clearly that back then, An Keyi had him choose the Daybreak Longsword precisely because the Daybreak Longsword could be treated as the lowest level flying sword soul weapon. An Keyi always had him use the Daybreak Longsword precisely to let him become more familiar with the aura of this type of rune, this way, if he reached Sacred Expert level one day, it would be easier for him to have a deep level of understanding towards heaven and earth's vital energy and this type of rune. From this, he would understand how to make a longsword leave his body, fly out and kill the enemy.

An Keyi's suggestions regarding cultivation were always extremely accurate. During Lin Xi's entrance examination, he naturally chose the sword. This had nothing to do with him coming from another world, but rather because of him innately liking this type of weapon.

After seeing Purgatory Mountain's flying sword, he was naturally drawn from his very soul. This was why he was indeed most suitable for using the sword, most suitable for walking down the path of a great sword master.

This was also the reason why he was especially sensitive towards special runes, towards longswords that could become flying swords. That was why he knew without a doubt that even though he didn't recognize this wondrous flowing longsword that was similarly light green, he knew that it was also a soul weapon that could be treated as a flying sword.

"This is an exceptional soul weapon."

Chi Xiaoye walked over with difficulty. She looked at the longsword he found and quietly suggested, "You can bring it with you. Before we reach Great Magnetic Swamp, you should choose a place to bury it first. That way, when you have the time, you can come back and fetch it."

Lin Xi really found this sword to his liking, a bit reluctant as he said, "Is Great Magnetic Swamp really as formidable as you say, even this type of sword can't be brought inside?"

In Lin Xi's opinion, if it was only much heavier, at most exhausting a bit more strength, then he would choose to bring this sword with him.

"It's not what you think." Chi Xiaoye could see through what Lin Xi was thinking, shaking her head and saying, "The earth in Great Magnetic Swamp is magnetic earth. Once you bring this metal weapon inside, even if it never touches the ground, the dirt will be sucked up. Even if it is a State Master level cultivator, they still don't have enough soul force to make a soul weapon's aura continuously ripple, completely scatter this earth."

"When any type of metal weapon or metal armor is brought into Great Magnetic Swamp, the longer one walked, the more magnetic earth would be picked up. Eventually, it will turn into a magnetic ball that can crush you. My original intention was that if we could find any nonmetal material soul weapon, then that would be the best."

Lin Xi understood. He thought for a bit and said, "This is quite difficult, because most of our Yunqin's soul weapons are made from various types of metals, some nonmetal materials only used as supplementary material... However, I can try, perhaps by applying a thick layer of something over this sword, for example, ordinary earth, then it wouldn't suck out magnetic earth. This way, as long as the soul weapon isn't used while we are moving through that area, then it'll be fine."

"That's fine as well." Chi Xiaoye thought for a bit and said, "I just don't know how thick of a layer is needed to prevent any magnetic earth from being attracted. If you need to carry an extremely thick bundle yourself, then it will be the same as carrying a mud pillar on your back, which will greatly exhaust your strength."

"En." Lin Xi nodded. "We can test some things out by Great Magnetic Swamp's border."

...

"If there are formidable bows, then there are definitely formidable arrows. I can already display the power of the Divine Pear Longbow. If there are formidable arrows, then even killing State Knight level cultivators is a possibility. This is especially the case inside Great Magnetic Swamp... if Di Choufei and the others enter, they definitely can't bring any metal weapons or armors, so they can only resist it directly with their bodies and soul force. This way, even if it is a State Master, there is still a chance of killing them." Lin Xi looked at the two damaged bows that were clearly not low level, unable to help but say this.

"Indeed. I am precisely a State Master level cultivator. In Great Magnetic Swamp, stopping the arrows from soul weapons indeed takes a lot of effort."

"You are still so young, but you already reached State Master level?" Shi Hao immediately sensed a deep feeling of respect.

"In our home behind Great Desolate Swamp, the number of cultivators is extremely few." Chi Xiaoye looked at Lin Xi. After a bit of hesitation, she still said, "However, among our clansmen, those who can become cultivators can mostly sense soul force from birth. I know that almost everyone in Yunqin starts once they reach their teenage years, and only then are their minds mature, possibly allowing for cultivation. That is why even if it is someone of the same age, we've already cultivated for many more years than you all."

"Natural cultivators who can sense soul force from birth?" Lin Xi was stunned.

It wasn't that this type of person didn't exist in Yunqin, but they were even rarer than Windstalkers, unknown how many years it would be before a single one appeared. They were the geniuses among geniuses.

"Arrows are normally hard to perceive, especially formidable arrows. If they don't penetrate deeply underground, then they will have collided with formidable cultivators, difficult for them to remain intact." While looking at the slightly stunned Lin Xi, Chi Xiaoye said, "If a large amount of time is used to search for them, it might put us in a dangerous situation."

"You're right. Let's go then."

Lin Xi nodded. He picked up Chi Xiaoye and also carried the three-tailed little beast whose eyes were squinted as it still didn't sleep enough, and then made his way towards Great Magnetic Swamp.

The valley quickly reached its end. Great Magnetic Swamp's outlines appeared in Lin Xi's line of sight.

"I changed my mind."

However, the moment he saw the outlines of Great Magnetic Swamp, Lin Xi was immediately stunned, the expression on his face becoming extremely strange. "I am going back to see if there are any formidable arrows."