Chapter 531: Chapter 524: Am I Qualified to be the Sword Holder?

Du Youqian thought for a moment. To motivate Meng Xiao and Xi Mengran, he dangled a huge carrot. "When my Cultivation advances further, I’ll have the chance to ennoble you as Ghost Immortals, allowing you to ascend in a single step and achieve immortality. You needn’t worry. Just serve me well, and in the future, I will give the two of you... the two of you ghosts a chance at Becoming an Immortal."

Xi Mengran just pouted.

She probably found that promise hard to swallow, not believing Du Youqian could actually ennoble Ghost Immortals.

After all, for anyone to make such a claim was nothing short of a fairy tale. ’Do you think you’re the Immortal Emperor, bestowing titles whenever you please?’

Meng Xiao, however, seemed to believe him. He said excitedly, "Thank you, Master, for your immense favor! This subordinate will definitely serve you with all my heart."

"Tell me about the Thorny Insects."

Meng Xiao carefully took out a simple Jade Box. He opened it, revealing a dozen or so fat, plump insects inside.

’So these are the Thorny Insects?’ Du Youqian muttered to himself, though he had already confirmed that these were indeed the very insects the Long-tailed Golden Chicken clan dreamed of acquiring.

He scanned them carefully with his Divine Sense but found nothing particularly special about them. ’Why would eating these insects allow the Long-tailed Golden Chicken clan’s bloodline to evolve?’

For now, he could only attribute it to the wonders of creation.

"Indeed. When we first hatched the eggs, we got a total of seven Thorny Insects. After all these years of raising them, we still haven’t figured out the knack. We haven’t been able to expand their population, failing to live up to your expectations, Master. Please, show us the way, and this subordinate will spare no effort."

Meng Xiao’s speech was becoming more and more fluent.

Du Youqian considered it. In truth, he didn’t have any good ideas either. He could only say, "Experiment cautiously. Don’t be reckless."

Before leaving, Du Youqian took one of the Thorny Insects with him.

He needed to bring this proof to the Long-tailed Golden Chicken clan.

Since that clan had long consumed Thorny Insects, they might know how to increase their numbers.

Only after Du Youqian’s Flying Boat vanished over the horizon did Meng Xiao retract his gaze. "Ran’Er, you need to be more respectful to the Master in the future. He’s so young—not even three hundred years old—and he’s already a Divinity Transformation True Monarch. Moreover, he seems to possess a Secret Technique that allows him to quickly recover his Past Life Memory each time he reincarnates after death. A man like that, who cannot be bound even by death, is destined for Enlightenment. Ennobling us as Ghost Immortals might be a grand promise, but he can certainly help us advance. A Tier Five Ghost Cultivator has a lifespan of ten thousand years. You don’t want to turn into a Demon, do you?"

"Brother Xiao, of course I want to be with you forever. It’s not that I don’t respect the Master. It’s just... every time I see him, I can’t help but feel terrified. Making faces at him is just my way of hiding my fear."

"Don’t be afraid. I’m here. The Master will do me the courtesy of not holding it against you."

The two ghosts shared a tender moment. Good thing Du Youqian was already gone and didn’t have to witness their public display of affection.

After leaving the Ghost Kindom, Du Youqian first made a trip to Shaoze Mansion.

The fact that his Cultivation had reached the Divinity Transformation Realm didn’t surprise True Monarch Zhaoxiang Guangde.

He merely assumed that the quality of Qingxu Tongxuan Guanmiao True Monarch’s own Divinity Transformation had simply improved again.

In truth, Du Youqian had a ton of questions to discuss with True Monarch Zhaoxiang Guangde, but he was a deep schemer. He acted aloof toward the True Monarch, neither warm nor cold, and didn’t ask much. Instead, he simply commandeered the Teleportation Array and began communicating with the Momenan World.

He learned that True Monarch Zhaoxiang Guangde had already followed his instructions, having spent the last few years collecting the Tier One through Tier Four Inheritances for all Sixteen Cultivation Techniques and sending them to Momenan.

Du Youqian had no urgent need for these Inheritances at the moment. He had already set a goal for this life: to master the Gu Technique.

Besides, he had already extorted High Tier Inheritances for Artifact Refining, Talisman Making, Arrays, Divination, and Puppetry Art from True Monarch Zhaoxiang Guangde. He also had the complete Tier Seven Alchemy Inheritance from Fairy Hengguan’s Grotto Heaven, a Tier Eight Spirit Plant Inheritance, and Tier Six Inheritances for Spirit Embroidery and Feng Shui.

He wasn’t worried about having nothing to learn, only about not having enough time to learn it all.

Therefore, the focus of Du Youqian’s communication was to check whether any peerless geniuses had emerged in Momenan over the years.

Unfortunately, the answer was no.

Du Youqian wasn’t willing to lower his standards; after all, teleporting someone out of Momenan was incredibly costly.

In recent years, the Spiritual Qi in Momenan had declined precipitously. Core Formation Cultivators had all gone into seclusion just to maintain their Realm, not daring to venture out.

Cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Early and Middle Stage were now the backbones of the various Sects.

Forget about Core Formation; just breaking through the bottleneck between the Foundation Establishment Middle and Late Stage was now an immense struggle. Without a Top Grade Spirit Root, it was completely out of the question.

All of Du Youqian’s acquaintances there had long since withered away, so there was nothing for him to lament.

It wasn’t that he felt nothing for the Momenan World, but the place had already been claimed as a future Grotto Heaven by Emperor Shu, a Harmonization Great Power from the Human World’s Zhongxuan Sect. Even with his unique advantages, Du Youqian couldn’t just leapfrog two major Realms to challenge a Harmonization Great Power.

As he was now, if he used every trick up his sleeve, he might be able to escape from a Void Step True Monarch. He might even be able to kill a Void Step True Monarch who was nearing the end of their life, though it would be a desperate fight.

But a Harmonization Great Power? He was utterly powerless against one.

If anyone claimed they dared to provoke a Harmonization Great Power while only at the Divinity Transformation Realm... they must have some kind of legendary cheat ability, like "instantly Possess whoever kills you."

Otherwise, they must have suffered a mental collapse during their last breakthrough.

So, for the Momenan World, all Du Youqian could do for now was to guide a few peerless geniuses out.

As for the future... that was a problem for the future.

~~~~~~~~

In True Monarch Zhaoxiang Guangde’s simple reception room, Du Youqian sat kneeling calmly. After preparing his tea, the Tier Six Puppet, which looked like a small, exquisitely carved doll, stared at him with curiosity.

Du Youqian was also quite interested in this Tier Six Puppet that had already developed Spiritual Wisdom. He planned to delve into the Dao of Puppetry in the future. His current skill in Puppetry Art was already considerable, at a Tier Three level, and he was on the verge of breaking through to Tier Four.

This Puppet would be an excellent research subject, but True Monarch Zhaoxiang Guangde would certainly never let him touch it, let alone dismantle it.

That thing was as precious as life itself to True Monarch Zhaoxiang Guangde.

Du Youqian smiled slightly. "Little one, why are you staring at me?"

The little Puppet spoke in a high, childish voice, with what sounded like a lisp. "The Twue Monawch says you’we vewy stwong, but I think you’we vewy gentle. You don’t wook wike a good fighter."

Du Youqian smiled. "I’m not much of a fighter. Your True Monarch is just flattering me."

The little Puppet tilted its head, looking left and right. "Where’s the gold?"

Du Youqian was speechless.

’How is this little Puppet so dim-witted?’

Normally, a Tier Six Puppet should be full of Spirituality, possessing the intelligence of a ten-year-old human.

He stopped paying attention to the little Puppet and, after a few more words of idle chat with True Monarch Zhaoxiang Guangde, began to communicate with the Blood Slaughter Sword.

’Alright, old-timer. I’m here to make you my lackey!’

Of course, he couldn’t actually say that. It was too impolite. He’d be killed.

What Du Youqian actually said was, "Elder Blood Slaughter, do you think I am now qualified to be your Sword Holder?"

The key was to be humble.

After all, the Blood Slaughter Sword had once been a Tier Seven Spiritual Treasure. Even though its Realm had fallen, that was only due to the loss of power from supporting Momenan for so many years; its Spirituality had not been severely damaged.

With enough time and nourishment from Spiritual Qi, it had a high probability of returning to Tier Seven.

"As for being my Sword Holder, you are qualified. But I do not wish it."

"Why?"

"I am doing very well here. This young friend is most dutiful. He has expended great effort to help me recover, and he rarely borrows my power—even less than you. I have already recovered to Tier Six."

Du Youqian was a little speechless but had no intention of trying to persuade the Blood Slaughter Sword.

This kind of Artifact Spirit was utterly unyielding. Once it made a decision, it could not be swayed by mere rhetoric.

He changed his request. "I wish to continue deepening my comprehension of your Sword Intent."

"Permitted. When you wish for Sword Enlightenment, you may call upon me. I will aid your comprehension for one month in exchange for a wisp of Merit."

Du Youqian tried to haggle. "One wisp per year."

"Done."

Hearing the Blood Slaughter Sword agree so readily, Du Youqian instantly felt he hadn’t bargained hard enough.

He should have tried for "one wisp per hundred years."

"Of your Eight Great Sword Intents—Blood Sacrifice, Blood Food, Massacre, Slaughter, Piercing, Severance, Destruction, and Annihilate—I have already comprehended most of Blood Sacrifice, Blood Food, Massacre, Piercing, and Annihilate. For the remaining intents, I have only reached the Small Success realm. Now that I have advanced to Divinity Transformation, I want to comprehend all of them to the Great Success Realm."

"Permitted."

Du Youqian asked another question. "I have a friend named Jie Yu. Over a hundred years ago, she emerged from the Teleportation Array and was injured. I heard she was wounded by True Monarch Zhaoxiang Guangde."

Du Youqian described Jie Yu’s appearance and then asked, "Elder, can you tell me what happened back then? For a Divinity Transformation True Monarch like Zhaoxiang Guangde to strike a Core Formation Cultivator and not kill her on the spot? I find that suspicious."

The Blood Slaughter Sword took a moment before replying, "The young friend knows this friend of yours. Your friend was not wounded by his attack, but by the backlash from a broken oath. Her Divine Soul should have been utterly destroyed, but it was the young friend who saved her."

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