Chapter 71 - 46: With Sword in Hand

Meng Yifei smiled and said, "There is no need to take a child’s words seriously."

He glanced at Ye Zhaozhao. "As for the matter of exchanging treasure swords, there’s no need to bring it up again. Do you know what perfect compatibility means? Between Li Shuang and Black Abyss, there is no need for a contract; the Heavenly Dao itself is their pact. No matter who tries, their bond cannot be severed. This exchange might just be the unseen guidance of the Heavenly Dao. You should focus on acclimating to the Dragon Roar Sword. Dragon Roar is, after all, a Third-tier Treasure Sword, and Long Yan’s aptitude isn’t too bad as long as he can resolve the issue with this Muddy Qi. If you possess Li Shuang’s abilities, you can naturally nurture him back to his prime."

Ye Zhaozhao’s face instantly turned pale. This time, Meng Yifei’s words were noticeably blunt.

She thought, "No need for a contract; the Heavenly Dao itself is their pact. Are Li Shuang and Black Abyss truly inseparable?"

Ye Zhaozhao could not accept this no matter what. Just as she was about to argue further, Master Lingxu spoke slowly. "Since the exchange was agreed upon, there is naturally no reason to swap back. Zhaozhao, do not pester them about this anymore."

Ye Zhaozhao’s face grew even paler. Even her master wasn’t standing on her side anymore.

Only then did she realize that this perfect compatibility might be far more extraordinary than she had imagined.

"Yes," she replied, lowering her head. The hand hidden inside her sleeve involuntarily clenched into a fist.

"Sect Leader, it’s getting late. I’ll be taking my disciples away first," Master Lingxu said. His expression was calm, betraying neither joy nor anger.

"Go on," Meng Yifei replied with a simple smile, not saying another word.

Long Yan remained rooted to the spot, completely motionless. A hint of gloom flashed through Ye Zhaozhao’s eyes as she forcefully summoned him back into the Sword Spirit Space!

Once the people from Lingxu Peak left, Heartless Peak instantly quieted down significantly. Meng Yifei dismissed the other disciples, then smiled and said, "Peak Master Lin, you’ve taught a good disciple."

Lin Qingling was grinning from ear to ear. "I really must thank Lingxu for being completely blind."

Meng Yifei shook his head somewhat helplessly. If Master Lingxu were here, he would undoubtedly blow his top in anger.

He looked at the innocent-faced Little Sword Spirit, then turned to Li Shuang. "Both you and your Sword Spirit are excellent."

Li Shuang nodded calmly. "Naturally."

Meng Yifei choked on his words for a moment before he couldn’t help but laugh. "Li Shuang, once you return from the Langya Secret Realm, the sect’s resources will be further tilted in your favor. Both the Sword Sect and I are looking forward to watching you grow."

Having said his piece, Meng Yifei didn’t linger any longer. He turned and left Heartless Peak.

Lin Qingling watched his retreating back and gave a cold snort. "A man who never acts without an ulterior motive!"

She affectionately patted the Little Sword Spirit’s small head, then asked, "Little Frost, have you named the Black Abyss Sword Spirit yet?"

Li Shuang shook her head and looked at the Little Sword Spirit. "Do you have any ideas?"

The Little Sword Spirit tilted her head in thought for a moment before her childish voice rang out. "I like Sister Li Shuang, so I want to be called Lili, just like the sweet, delicious pear!"

"Alright, Lili," Li Shuang smiled and flicked the girl’s small hair buns.

Lili flashed a sweet smile, revealing two shallow dimples on her cheeks that melted everyone’s hearts.

"Thank goodness it’s perfect compatibility," Lin Qingling said. "Otherwise, those shameless people from Lingxu Peak might have actually tried to snatch Lili back."

It was obvious at a glance that this Little Sword Spirit was extraordinary. When ordinary sword spirits first awakened, their minds were in a state of chaos, and it took time for them to slowly become lively and intelligent. But what about Lili? She had just woken up, yet she was already as spirited and articulate as a real person. Such Talent was completely unheard of.

"I don’t want them anyway!" Lili put her hands on her hips. "They bullied Sister Li Shuang! I’m going to beat them up!"

Lin Qingling burst into laughter upon hearing this. "Good, good, good. From now on, your Sister Li Shuang will be counting on you to protect her."

Lili nodded very seriously. She was very strong. Once she grew a little bigger, she would definitely be able to protect Sister Li Shuang.

"Little Frost, this Sword Spirit is extraordinary. Since she has only just awakened, the two of you still need to get to know each other. Go back and spend some time bonding," Lin Qingling instructed.

"Yes," Li Shuang agreed.

Lin Qingling, Luo Mingyue, and the others then took their leave.

Under the cold moonlight, Li Shuang tilted her head to look at Lili. Lili tilted her head back at her and said, "Sister Li Shuang, I’m going back to the Sword Spirit Space first." With that, she dove right back into the Sword Spirit Space.

The moment Lili returned, the previously dim and lackluster Black Abyss Sword instantly felt different. While there were no visible changes on the surface, Li Shuang immediately noticed the shift.

She tried practicing her Swordsmanship, and the sensation became even clearer. Her connection with Black Abyss was much tighter. As she executed the sword techniques she had already mastered, they were elevated to a whole new level, carrying a faint sense of seamless mastery.

And this was only the most basic improvement.

Li Shuang discovered that with Lili’s enhancement, both the durability and sharpness of Black Abyss had received a comprehensive boost. The sheer scale of this enhancement was comparable to what the fully Solidified Long Yan had provided before.

Yet Lili was merely in a newly awakened state!

Finally, Li Shuang also vaguely sensed that with Lili’s assistance, she seemed to be much more perceptive of good and evil. Under the Supreme Forget Emotion Technique, she was already highly sensitive to the malice and goodwill in people’s hearts. Lili appeared to possess a similar inherent Talent; the "fragrant" and "stinky" scents she spoke of earlier were likely just her way of interpreting good and evil. With Lili’s augmentation, distinguishing people’s true intentions would be even easier for her in the future.

With Lili’s awakening, the Black Abyss Sword had truly become a Peerless Treasure Sword.

Li Shuang summoned Lili once again, and the two of them sat side by side beneath the moonlight. Bathed in the lunar glow, the young woman and the tiny Sword Spirit simply sat there, chatting the night away.

When the sky grew bright with dawn, Li Shuang turned her head to look at Lili. "Let’s go. It’s time for our first battle together."

Lili nodded vigorously. She and Sister Li Shuang were going to fight side by side in many more battles in the future. And today was the first one.

The round-robin tournament!

The final round!

The drawing results had been announced yesterday. Li Shuang’s opponent: Jiang Yunge! The current Chief Disciple of the Law Enforcement Hall.

During the time Li Shuang had faded into obscurity, Jiang Yunge was widely acknowledged as the number one figure among the disciples under fifty years of age. It was fair to say that every single one of Li Shuang’s three battles in the round-robin tournament was a grueling fight.

But Li Shuang was very satisfied with this outcome. She grew stronger when facing stronger opponents; she never feared a challenge. Furthermore, she now had Lili by her side.

Currently, Black Abyss was still only a First-tier Treasure Sword, but soon enough, she would nurture it step by step.

Holding the sword in hand, treading the path to the heavens. The path of a Sword Cultivator was meant to forge ahead without hesitation.

At the Martial Arts Arena.

"The Central Arena! It’s the Central Arena again!"

"This is already the third time Senior Sister Li Shuang has been assigned to the Central Arena, right?"

"First match against a veteran Foundation Establishment Stage disciple—victory! Second match against the Sword Spirit who understood her best—victory! Third match against the widely acknowledged Chief Disciple, Senior Sister Jiang! This battle is truly going to be spectacular!"