Chapter 225 : The Formless Sword's Forging

"Formless Sword [a sword that is formless and invisible]."

Exquisite Jiang [the female protagonist, a powerful cultivator] raised an eyebrow, a flicker of surprise crossing her brow.

Formless Precious Metal [a rare and precious metal with formless properties] is exceedingly rare, a treasured and uncommon precious metal. The forging method for the Formless Immortal Sword [an immortal-grade sword that is formless] is also profoundly mysterious.

Unlike ordinary third-rank Immortal Sword [a sword of immortal grade], crafting the embryonic form of the Formless Immortal Sword requires exceptional mastery in both Formation [the art of creating magical arrays] and artifact forging to succeed.

Furthermore, this sword does not absorb Five Elements Essence [a refined spiritual essence containing the power of the five elements]. Instead, it requires repeated tempering with one hundred and eight different types of Spirit Herb [plants imbued with spiritual energy], a process demanding forty-nine days of meticulous ritual refinement to complete.

These Spirit Herb are extremely precious. Among them, three stalks of Void-Condensing Herb [a rare herb that aids in condensing void energy] are required. Each stalk of Void-Condensing Herb is worth over thirty thousand Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy, used as currency]. Given Eldrin Chen [the male protagonist, a young cultivator]'s current status and resources, gathering all one hundred and eight types of Spirit Herb would be exceedingly difficult.

"The cost of these Spirit Herb is exorbitant," she remarked. "Combined with this piece of Formless Precious Metal and the forging method, the total cost for this Formless Immortal Sword would likely exceed two hundred thousand Spirit Stone."

Exquisite Jiang said this, yet she nodded in acknowledgment. "However, the Formless Sword is shadowless and shapeless. It specifically counters protective auras and magical treasures. Even a Golden Core Cultivator [a cultivator who has formed a Golden Core, a high level of cultivation] would suffer grievous injury if ambushed by this blade."

"Though the price is steep, it is a worthy investment."

With those words, she led Eldrin Chen into the Earthfire Chamber [a forging chamber that harnesses geothermal and spiritual flames]. Discover more cultivation stories at AUDIO-NOVEL.COM.

The Formless Sword [a sword famed for its ability to conceal its presence and disrupt defenses] is a superior-grade Immortal Sword of the Third Rank Superior Grade [the third and highest tier within the third rank], and its forging difficulty ranks among the most challenging even within the realm of third-rank Immortal Sword.

Fortunately, Exquisite Jiang's Artifact Forging Art [a specialized technique for crafting magical artifacts] has already advanced to the fourth rank, granting her absolute certainty in successfully forging this sword.

As she melted the Formless Precious Metal [a rare metal with properties of intangibility and concealment], she explained, "The Formless Sword's raw destructive power is not its greatest strength among peers. Its true value lies in its efficacy for concealment and barrier-breaking."

"Among the array patterns [magical formations etched into an artifact] within this set of Immortal Sword, two are paramount. One is the Formless Concealment Array Pattern [a formation designed to erase all traces of the sword's aura], and the other is the Barrier-Breaking Sword Aura Array Pattern [a formation that empowers the sword's energy to pierce through magical defenses]."

"As long as these two crucial array patterns are flawlessly inscribed, even an ordinary Golden Core Cultivator [a cultivator who has condensed their spiritual energy into a Golden Core, the third major realm] would be wary of this sword's capabilities."

After several days had passed, Exquisite Jiang methodically completed the inscription of the several array patterns.

At this stage, the Immortal Sword was essentially complete. The subsequent tempering with Spirit Herb [plants infused with spiritual energy] was merely a matter of patient, meticulous work.

The task of tempering the Immortal Sword was tedious and time-consuming, something Eldrin Chen could manage himself. "You should return to your cultivation," he said. "In just over a decade, there may be some trouble brewing over at Green Sun Mountain."

"Mm."

Exquisite Jiang nodded. According to her calculations, Patriarch Xu's injuries would likely be fully healed within twenty years. If they waited more than fifteen years, Patriarch Xu would have recovered most of his strength, making it exceedingly difficult to subdue the Verdant Sun Sect.

Having recently broken through to the Golden Core realm, she still needed to consecrate several of her Lifebound Magical Treasure. The allotted time was indeed rather tight.

Though reluctant, she rose to her feet. Before departing, she produced a jade case and handed it to Eldrin Chen.

"Is this... a Shellfish King Pearl [a rare, luminous pearl produced by ancient, kingly shellfish, prized for its cultivation-enhancing properties]?"

Eldrin Chen took the case. Inside, he found a crystal-clear, lustrous treasure pearl and immediately recognized its origin.

The Shellfish King Pearl was exceptionally precious, a rare specialty from the depths of the Vast and Misty Marsh. Once refined, it could increase the cultivation speed of a Violet Sanctum Cultivator by fifty percent for thirty years.

"Indeed. The Shellfish King Pearl can accelerate your cultivation progress,"

Exquisite Jiang said, a note of concern in her voice. "The Verdant Sun Sect has a millennium-old legacy. Their hidden reserves are truly Extraordinary. Once hostilities begin, I may not be able to guarantee your safety."

"Moreover, you will likely become a prime target in Patriarch Xu's eyes. Therefore, you must strive to break through to the Violet Sanctum Mid Stage as soon as possible. Only then will you possess sufficient power to ensure your own security."

"I understand,"

Eldrin Chen nodded and carefully stored the precious item away.

After Exquisite Jiang departed, he began to refine the Immortal Sword [a powerful enchanted blade wielded by cultivators] using Spirit Herb [plants imbued with spiritual energy, used in alchemy and cultivation]. He continued this process until all one hundred and eight types of Spirit Herb were exhausted, finally succeeding in consecrating this Immortal Sword.

"Hmm—"

A sound like a dragon's hum resonated as the translucent Formless Immortal Sword [an enchanted sword that is nearly invisible and bypasses defenses] materialized in his hand, radiating a hazy barrier-piercing sword aura [a sharp energy field projected by a sword].

Eldrin Chen tested it and discovered that not only was the sword silent when activated, but it was also specifically effective against protective auras [energy shields] and defensive magical treasures [enchanted artifacts used for protection].

"An excellent Immortal Sword."

Having obtained a new top-tier Immortal Sword of Third Rank Superior Grade [a high-quality classification for enchanted items], a look of delight appeared on Eldrin Chen's face. This chapter is provided by audio . novel . com. Support the original.

Although the Formless Immortal Sword's raw power might not match that of the Great Geng Immortal Sword, its specialized utility could potentially prove even more valuable.

After storing the Immortal Sword, Eldrin Chen did not leave immediately. He planned to utilize the earth fire's [magma or geothermal energy used for forging and alchemy] power to refine a batch of Spirit-Nourishing Pill [elixirs that replenish and strengthen one's spiritual energy].

Through years of accumulated experience, his alchemy skill had reached a point where he was fully confident in breaking through to the third-rank middle-grade [a specific level within the alchemical ranking system].

Commencing the furnace to refine the Spirit-Nourishing Pill, he completed the process in merely half a month. Furthermore, by employing the Pill Fusion Art [a specialized alchemical technique for merging pill essences] taught to him by Exquisite Jiang, he successfully produced a full two Spirit-Nourishing Pill from this single batch.

Having elevated his alchemy to the third-rank middle-grade, Eldrin Chen finally soared forth from Heavenly Ruins Mountain on his flying sword, returning all the way to Spirit Isle Lake.

"..."

Mystic Iron Mountain, Metallic Gold Earth Vein.

As Eldrin Chen stood in secluded cultivation before the Sword Cleansing Pool, a clear sword cry suddenly rang out from within its depths.

A streak of sword light shot into the heavens before descending to land in Eldrin Chen's waiting hand.

"Three years of cleansing, and it is finally complete."

Gazing at the Formless Immortal Sword in his grasp, Eldrin Chen's brow lifted slightly.

Five years had passed since he first forged the Formless Immortal Sword. In the intervening time, during moments of leisure, he had placed both it and the Heavenly River Positive Water Sword into the Sword Cleansing Pool for tempering.

After this cleansing, the Formless Immortal Sword's capabilities had grown significantly, both its power to become invisible and its ability to pierce through protective auras.

"A pity about this Sword Cleansing Pool."

Eldrin Chen's brows furrowed slightly. The pool of spiritual liquid within the Sword Cleansing Pool had accumulated over many years; it could be considered an extremely precious treasure liquid [a rare, spiritually-charged fluid with potent properties].

It was a pity that after successively cleansing and tempering the Solar Fire Returning Abyss Sword, the Heavenly River Positive Water Sword, the Crimson Flame Spirit Blade, the Great Geng Immortal Sword, and now the Formless Sword before him, ninety percent of the pool's spiritual liquid had been consumed.

From now on, it would require sixty years of accumulation—a full Sixty-Year Cycle—to gather enough for a single sword-cleansing session.

"The Sword Cleansing Pool is excellent, but unfortunately, the grade of the Metallic Gold Earth Vein is somewhat low."

"If it were a fourth-rank Metallic Gold Earth Vein, then it could cleanse and temper a single third-rank Immortal Sword every ten years."

"There are even legends that the Sword Cleansing Pool within a Fourth Rank Earth Vein can condense a drop of spiritual liquid essence every Sixty-Year Cycle; a single drop is said to increase the power of a fourth-rank Immortal Sword by thirty percent."

Eldrin Chen murmured to himself. This was not merely hearsay; there was a precedent before him.

The reason the Firmament Sword Sect of Chu Nation was hailed as the premier sword sect was precisely because they controlled the only fourth-rank Metallic Gold Earth Vein within Chu Nation.

The pool of treasure liquid within that Metallic Gold Earth Vein Sword Cleansing Pool was an incomparably precious supreme treasure. It was by nourishing their Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure, the Vault Heaven Immortal Sword, with that pool of immortal liquid that the Firmament Sword Sect maintained its fearsome power—a single strike capable of grievously wounding a Golden Core Late Stage Demonic Cultivator.

The Heaven's Vault Mirror of the Verdant Sun Sect, the Firmament Sword of the Firmament Sword Sect, the Purple Abyss Furnace of the Purple Abyss Sect—each and every one was a Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure that caused demons and monsters to flee in terror.

Among them, the Heaven's Vault Mirror [a legendary mirror capable of sundering the earth] could cleave the earth for a thousand Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters], its might the most terrifying. The Purple Abyss Furnace [a mystical furnace that refines with profound flames] could incinerate demons and monsters to ash, peerless in its ability to vanquish hordes.

However, the weapon that had slain the most high-ranking demons was the Firmament Sword [a divine sword embodying the heavens]. This blade's Slaughter [a supreme divine ability focused on annihilation] was unmatched; it had claimed the lives of more Golden Core [the third major stage of cultivation where one forms a solidified core of spiritual power] Demonic Cultivator [cultivators who use unorthodox, often malevolent methods] and Demon King [a powerful ruler among demonic beings, equivalent to a Golden Core cultivator] than any other.

In the past, Eldrin Chen's cultivation base had been insufficient. He had only thought the Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure [a set of legendary treasures specifically designed to suppress demonic forces] were all Fourth Rank Superior Grade [the highest quality tier for artifacts at the fourth rank] Golden Core [the third major stage of cultivation where one forms a solidified core of spiritual power] magical treasures. But as his own cultivation grew ever more profound, he came to understand that each of the Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure [a set of legendary treasures specifically designed to suppress demonic forces] possessed an extraordinary and profound origin. For the best reading experience, visit audio–novel.com.