126: Ink Plum Sword

After returning to West Lake City, Qin Feng did not rush to go out. Instead, he asked Su Yuetang for three days leave, secluded himself in the quiet room of Green Bamboo Courtyard, and began his closed-door Cultivation.

His sea voyage, though fraught with peril, yielded immense rewards. Not only did he obtain the five spirit flower, but his Sword Heart and Sword Bone also Advanced from Elementary to Advanced due to the casual guidance of that mysterious Blue-Clad Woman. Furthermore, a vast amount of profound insights regarding the Dao of the Sword had accumulated within him. He needed time to thoroughly digest these gains and transform them into tangible strength.

Inside the quiet room, Spiritual Qi permeated the air.

Qin Feng sat cross-legged, an jade bottle containing earth core jade marrow placed before him. He carefully consumed a drop, and the pure, vast energy instantly spread, like a warm current, nourishing his Meridians, which were slightly damaged by the qi burst pill, and propelling the Primordial Unity Qi Art to operate at high speed.

Under the enhancement of the Advanced Sword Heart and Sword Bone, his control over Internal Energy reached a new Realm. The Internal Energy surging through his Meridians was no longer just a current of Qi; it seemed to carry a trace of unparalleled Sword Intent, making its circulation smoother and more condensed. The invisible barrier obstructing his path to Peak Grand Martial Master began to tremble violently under the continuous scouring of the earth core jade marrow and the constant impact of the Sword Intent Internal Energy, becoming precarious.

At the same time, he dedicated a portion of his mind to comprehending the first volume of the Daoist Primordial Chaos Art, which he obtained from the Ghost Market. Previously, the ancient script and obscure Daoist Concept would have given him a headache. But now, the extraordinary Comprehension Ability brought by his Advanced Sword Heart allowed him to easily grasp the profound principles of heaven and earth contained within the text. The grand Concept expounding on the unity and all-encompassing nature of primordial Chaos surprisingly shared many similarities with his original Cultivation Technique, the Primordial Unity Qi Art, and even subtly pointed out its future path.

"So that's how it is... Primordial Chaos is not Chaos, but rather inclusion and evolution..."

Unbeknownst to him, the nature of his Internal Energy began to undergo subtle changes, becoming purer and more balanced and peaceful, yet still containing terrifying explosive power. The Bottleneck of the Primordial Unity Qi Art shattered with a crash under the guidance of this higher-level principle!

"Boom!"

On the evening of the third day, a silent thunderclap seemed to echo in the quiet room.

Qin Feng's aura surged dramatically, then rapidly retracted, becoming like the deep sea—calm on the surface, yet containing even more terrifying power within. He opened his eyes, a sharp gleam flashing within them like a drawn sword, incomparably keen, before receding and returning to tranquility.

Grand Martial Master, Peak!

Not only that, but with the Advanced Sword Heart and Sword Bone and the earth core jade marrow, the Primordial Unity Qi Art was also pushed to the Great Perfection of the third layer. With just one opportune moment, he could attempt to assault the fourth layer, corresponding to the Martial King Realm. What surprised him even more was that the first volume of the Daoist Primordial Chaos Art also successfully initiated entry during this Breakthrough! Although he had only just scratched the surface, the quality of his Internal Energy and its recovery speed had already significantly improved.

He exhaled a long, turbid breath, his breathing deep and steady, carrying a faint, all-encompassing Primordial Chaos Dao Concept.

His gaze shifted to the corner of the quiet room, where the "bronze mud sword" obtained from the Ghost Market lay.

For three days, he had continuously soaked it according to the intelligence, using "centennial stalactite fluid" mixed with the "sun-scorched grass juice" given by Jin Wanguan. Now, the hard, stone-like dark green rust and mud were covered with spiderweb-like cracks, and it emitted a faint, entirely different aura than before—a deep, restrained, yet incomparably sharp Sword Intent!

"Crack... crackle..."

Subtle cracking sounds continuously echoed.

Finally, under Qin Feng's gaze, the outer layer of rust and mud completely peeled off, revealing the true appearance of the sword body within!

The sword was three feet three inches long. Its body was not the bronze color he expected, but a deep, profound black that seemed to absorb light. On the sword body, dark silver patterns resembling the branches of an Ink Plum in winter were naturally etched, twisting and vigorous, imbued with an ancient and aloof Concept. The blade appeared edgeless, yet it emanated a chilling gleam that sent shivers down one's spine. The entire sword exuded a sense of weight, coldness, and loftiness, like an ink plum swordsman standing aloof from the world.

Qin Feng reached out and grasped the hilt. It was icy cold to the touch, yet it instantly resonated strongly with the Sword Heart and Sword Bone within him! The sword body trembled slightly, emitting a barely audible hum that went straight to his Soul!

"What a fine sword!" Qin Feng's eyes burst forth with dazzling brilliance. Just holding it, he could feel the extraordinary nature of this sword, far surpassing the previously damaged qingming sword!

Just then, the zi hour arrived.

[Ding! The zi hour has arrived! Daily intelligence has been refreshed!]

[Today's Intelligence:]

[Yellow Intelligence: The ancient sword in your hand is named 'Ink Plum', an Earth Rank Medium Grade treasured sword. It was forged from extraterrestrial meteorite iron and ten-thousand-year cold iron core, mixed with various rare metals, by an ancient Artifact Refining Grandmaster who poured his heart and Soul into it. The sword body is indestructible and incomparably sharp, with a significant amplification effect on ice and dark attribute Cultivation Techniques and Sword Intent.]

[White Intelligence: Xiao Chun's formal name (Su Yuechun) has fully adapted to the changes brought by the initial awakening of her Myriad Medicine Body, and her Cultivation has naturally broken through to Early Stage Grand Martial Master. Her control over her abilities is now more refined.]

[White Intelligence: Bai Kong, the son born to Su Yuetang, the head of Hundred Flowers Pavilion's West Lake City branch, and her ex-husband, Eldest Young Master Bai, will arrive in West Lake City tomorrow to visit his mother.]

"ink plum sword! Earth Rank Medium Grade! I hit the jackpot!" Qin Feng stroked the cold sword body with adoration, his joy inexpressible. This sword was practically tailor-made for him, perfectly compatible with his Sword Heart and Sword Bone!

"Xiao Chun has also broken through to Grand Martial Master? As expected of the Myriad Medicine Body, this speed..." Qin Feng was genuinely happy for Xiao Chun.

However, the last piece of intelligence made him raise an eyebrow slightly.

"Su Yuetang's son... Bai Kong? Coming tomorrow?"

He recalled Su Yuetang's complex and unreadable gaze when she mentioned her ex-husband's Family, as well as the profound background of that Family, capable of casually producing two king breaking pills. Was Bai Kong's visit at this time merely for Family visitation, or... did he have other intentions?

Qin Feng lightly swung the ink plum sword, its black blade cutting a graceful arc through the air, accompanied by a subtle whooshing sound.

He had a premonition that the tranquility of West Lake City might be broken once more.