Strength can be acquired through various means, some for the long term and others for immediate use. Deciding whether to focus on long-term gains or to enhance one’s current power has always been a difficult choice.
According to the enigmatic will of the Pool of All Beings, the Great Rhinoceros Horn’s rank was even higher than that of the Dongyue Sword Body. Combining the two would be somewhat wasteful. However, Qian Ye had grown attached to Dongyue, having relied on it to survive countless crises. On the other hand, the mysterious will clearly favored life and soul-related matters and did not seem to appreciate Dongyue, which was a product of the Great Workshop era.
Moreover, Qian Ye currently lacked a suitable weapon, and Dongyue was gradually unable to bear his strength. Once he broke through to become a divine general, he would likely have to switch weapons. In Qian Ye’s view, the most pressing matter was to overcome the final two levels before the divine general’s heavenly threshold. When he truly became a divine general, his vampire bloodline’s power would also greatly increase, and at that point, obtaining another Great Rhinoceros Horn would not be difficult.
Therefore, despite the pain, Qian Ye decided to merge them.
The enigmatic will wasted no words, merely stating, “If that is so, let us proceed. However, you are still lacking some materials. I shall help you complete them.”
A cloud of vapor enveloped Dongyue and the Great Rhinoceros Horn, immersing them in the small lake where the Sea Lotus resided. A green jade-like lotus seed pod gradually melted, turning into a strand of green liquid that covered the Great Rhinoceros Horn. The horn began to soften, eventually transforming into a gelatinous substance, which then slithered towards Dongyue and attached itself as if making it its nest.
This gelatinous substance continuously entered and exited Dongyue’s blade, finding its way into the crevices. As it entered, it was a pale green, semi-transparent gel, but as it emerged, it often carried a speck or two of debris. The gel carrying debris seemed to lose its vitality, sinking to the bottom of the lake, never to move again.
This process continued for a full day and night.
Qian Ye waited patiently, practicing cultivation. By the time the gel in the lake was nearly depleted, he had also returned to his peak state, with all the vortices of origin power within him brimming, ready to break through after a few days of meditation.
A wave stirred in the small lake, and a large lotus leaf bearing the newly reborn Dongyue flew to Qian Ye’s front.
The dark sword body of Dongyue now appeared slightly more slender, with a longer, more elegant blade. The blade was adorned with many deep-green patterns, appearing completely natural, without any trace of artificial crafting.
If the old Dongyue was a rugged, bearded warrior, the new Dongyue now had the air of an intelligent and valiant general. Yet, looking at the nearly two-meter-long blade, Qian Ye found himself both amused and exasperated. The blade was simply too long.
The enigmatic will, seemingly knowing Qian Ye’s thoughts, slowly stated, “Based on my calculations, this length of the blade is perfect for your kind, allowing for… well, more effective… slaughtering.”
It took the enigmatic will quite an effort to find the word ‘effective’ to convey its meaning.
Qian Ye knew that such a long blade was a formidable weapon in group battles, capable of sweeping down numerous foes. Even in future battles against strong opponents, it could serve as a spear, adding versatility. But he would need to reforge his sword techniques based on the new Dongyue.
Qian Ye reached out, gripping the hilt of Dongyue, and gently lifted it. To his surprise, as soon as he lifted it, it felt much heavier.
Shocked, he exerted more force and finally managed to lift the new Dongyue. The newly forged Dongyue was nearly twice as heavy as before. Such weight, even without the blade, would be incredibly powerful when swung.
Holding the sword, Qian Ye tried channeling origin power, feeling it flow smoothly. The greenish-blue patterns on the blade lit up, emanating a soft glow that enveloped a ten-meter radius. Within the glow, water vapor quickly rose, and Qian Ye felt a coolness in his soul, making his thoughts sharper. Moreover, within the green light, his senses became more refined, almost omnipresent, even penetrating deep into the ground.
“Is it self-contained with a domain?” Qian Ye was greatly surprised.
The green light emitted by Dongyue was no different from a domain. After a bit of experimentation, Qian Ye discovered two domain abilities. One was to calm the mind, making it less susceptible to instincts and desires. The other was to enhance perception, ensuring that no one could sneak up within the range of the green light. Although the range was only about ten meters, any warning was better than none.
Qian Ye then tried activating his own domain. Under the power of the sea, the green light rippled and flowed naturally, not only not being suppressed but even expanding its coverage.
Remarkably, the green domain did not conflict with Qian Ye’s own domain and could coexist, increasing its value further.
A sword with its own domain would be at least an eighth-rank weapon. With this green domain, Dongyue was already invaluable. Other abilities, whether present or absent, were no longer important.
Qian Ye casually shook Dongyue, causing the blade to tremble and hum. After testing a few sword techniques and striking the blade, he realized that the sword body was much softer than before, yet its sharpness and durability far exceeded the old Dongyue. The sharpness had increased slightly, while the durability had dramatically improved, not even budgeable by the dark gold blood aura.
In the past, Qian Ye dared not cover the sword with blood flame for too long during battles. The dark gold blood aura was overwhelmingly potent, especially its corrosive power, which was almost unstoppable. Even Dongyue, when burned for too long, would suffer damage.
But now, perhaps due to the integration of the green jade lotus pod, the blade of Dongyue had a subtle jade-like quality, completely repelling the blood flame.
In terms of durability, Dongyue almost met the Empire’s “indestructible” standard. Of course, the term “indestructible” was exaggerated; if Dongyue were placed under the Zhao Clan’s million-ton press, it would still deform after repeated pressure.
Holding the newly reborn Dongyue, Qian Ye was overjoyed and immediately named the domain “Cerulean Waters.” He then thanked the enigmatic will.
The enigmatic will replied indifferently, “There’s no need to thank me. To create this, I used some additional materials. We are now even. If there are no extra matters next time, the Pool of All Beings will no longer welcome you.”
Qian Ye was surprised by the sudden change in the enigmatic will’s attitude. However, sensing a deeper meaning in its last statement, he asked, “What do you mean by ‘extra matters’?”
“For instance, letting the little one beside you live in the Pool of All Beings.”
“That’s impossible! She is not aquatic,” Qian Ye firmly denied.
“Making her aquatic isn’t difficult. Even you, if you wish, I can grant you the ability to walk freely on land and sea, and even cross the void, though it would take some time.”
Qian Ye was stunned. Crossing the void was not a minor skill; it was Zhang Boqian’s signature ability. He used this skill to move freely through the void, daring to enter the Dusk Continent even before becoming a celestial king. Without this ability, even the most powerful warriors would be affected to some degree in the void, with their powers diminished.
In other words, even the three Supreme Beings atop the Holy Mountain would likely be unable to catch Zhang Boqian in the void. Being able to fight and retreat, the Azure King naturally stood invincible.
To think that the enigmatic will of the Pool of All Beings considered the ability to cross the void as a mere inconvenience, how incredible!
However, the danger lurking behind this temptation was like the gaping maw of a void beast above his head. Qian Ye, completely unaware of the enigmatic will’s true intentions, dared not easily hand over his body for random modification. His life would be in the hands of others, a situation he could not afford.
Seeing Qian Ye refuse again, the enigmatic will did not insist. A cloud of mist enveloped Qian Ye and Little Zhu Ji, instantly transporting them a hundred miles away.
Now, Qian Ye had no mood to explore. He identified the direction and set off towards the Imperial fortress, eager to learn the whereabouts of the others.
There were still many wandering natives along the way, but without the six-armed giants, they posed little threat. Qian Ye avoided them when possible, and eliminated them when necessary. After several days, he finally reached the location of the Imperial fortress.
But what greeted Qian Ye was not a fortress, but a pile of ruins.
Startled, he confirmed and reconfirmed, finally determining that he was standing where the fortress was marked on the map.
He looked up at the sky and saw, in the distant horizon, a faint glow. That was the entrance to the spatial channel leading to the Empire, reinforced by generations of Empire’s strongest, making it nearly permanent.
However, each passage through the channel damaged its structure, so the Empire strictly limited who could use it and how often. After all, every divine general had their duties, and the celestial kings were needed to maintain overall stability and counter the Evernight. No one was idle, and stabilizing the channel required meticulous manpower reallocation.
The dark races, with more powerful beings, had their own dedicated channels and showed no interest in seizing the Empire’s. Even if they did, the Empire guarded the other end of the channel, and the dark race’s warriors emerging from it would be like walking into a trap.
Though it seemed unlikely that the dark races would suddenly attack, who then had destroyed the fortress?
Qian Ye woke up Little Zhu Ji, instructing her to wait where she was, and stealthily approached the fortress, concealing his presence. The key to his return was still inside the fortress.
The fortress was thoroughly ruined, with the top two floors of the main building missing and the walls toppled. Various weapons were embedded in the rubble. Though crudely made, they were robust and heavy, clearly left by the natives. Axes and broadswords were deeply embedded in the rock, testifying to the immense strength of their wielders.
After a thorough examination, Qian Ye determined that the natives had done this. The number of attackers was astonishing, with at least thousands. The weapons of the four-armed warriors alone numbered in the hundreds.
Behind the fortress, in a clear area, was a pile of charred corpses. There were at least several hundred, all natives, burned together.
Having checked the outside and surroundings, Qian Ye, seeing no immediate danger, entered the ruined main hall. The structure of the hall was still intact, with wall hangings and furniture scattered about, but a long table at the end remained undamaged. On the table, a letter was prominently displayed.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage