170: Chapter 169 Departure

The tenth day, early morning.

When Jiang Hanzhou walked out of his Immortal Cave, the sky was just beginning to brighten.

A thin mist like gauze shrouded the entire Red Fire Peak, and occasionally, bird calls drifted from the distant bamboo forest, crisp and pleasant to the ear.

He walked down the mountain path, heading straight for the Spirit Weapon Hall.

Along the way, his heart beat a little faster than usual.

The tiger soul saber.

That saber, which had accompanied him for several months and slaughtered countless enemies, was to complete that crucial step today.

Transforming from a thousand-forged weapon into a true spirit weapon.

He recalled the scene that day under the Lijian Cliff, when the tiger soul saber had rushed out of his sumeru pouch on its own, its blade covered in dense golden patterns.

He remembered how, over the past two months, every time he Cultivated in the Earth Fire Cave, the tiger soul saber would tremble gently inside his sumeru pouch, as if it were enduring the tempering of the baleful fire alongside him.

He recalled the strange feeling that surged in his heart when that saber first "responded" to him.

It was not a dead object.

It was a partner.

The Spirit Weapon Hall still stood towering, and the two stone lions were still baring their fangs and brandishing their claws.

Jiang Hanzhou stepped into the hall and walked straight to the counter.

The burly old man from that day was already waiting behind the counter.

"You've come?" The old man glanced at him and took out an object from behind him.

It was a saber.

The blade was about four feet long, slightly longer than before, and still retained its dull blood-red color, but within that dullness, there were now countless fine golden patterns.

Those patterns spread out from the hilt, covering the blade like blood vessels, winding and twisting, yet secretly conforming to some profound law.

Within each pattern, a very faint golden light flowed slowly, like the pulse of a living thing.

At the hilt, the originally plain wooden handle had been replaced by a kind of dark red spirit wood; the wood grain was as fine as silk, and it felt warm and smooth to the touch like jade.

At the end of the hilt was embedded a deep red gemstone the size of a dragon's eye, with flames faintly dancing deep within it.

On the blade, the aura that had originally been dormant was now completely awakened.

It was an aura that was sharp, intense, and yet carried a hint of bloodlust.

A spirit weapon.

A true spirit weapon.

Jiang Hanzhou reached out and grasped the hilt.

In that instant, he sensed it.

He sensed the "heartbeat" of the tiger soul saber.

The heartbeat was extremely light and slow, yet extremely clear, echoing his own heartbeat from afar, as if man and saber shared the same heart.

On the blade, those golden patterns suddenly lit up!

The light flashed and vanished, so fast that one might think it was an illusion.

But Jiang Hanzhou knew it was not an illusion.

It was the tiger soul saber responding to him.

"Good saber." The burly old man spoke, his voice filled with a hint of approval. "I have been forging spirit weapons for thirty years and have handled no fewer than a hundred of them. But this saber is somewhat special."

"Special?" Jiang Hanzhou raised an eyebrow slightly.

"It has its own 'temperament'." The old man said, "When ordinary spirit weapons are first formed, their spirituality is weak. They require the owner to nourish them with True Qi daily, taking anywhere from three months to a year, before they can achieve a connection of hearts and minds. But this saber—" He paused, "It recognizes you."

Jiang Hanzhou was silent.

He certainly knew that the tiger soul saber recognized him.

It had already recognized him that day under the Lijian Cliff.

"Thank you, Senior." He bowed solemnly.

The old man waved his hand and turned to leave, leaving behind only one sentence: "Treat it well. A saber like this is rare."

Jiang Hanzhou held the tiger soul saber and stood quietly in the Spirit Weapon Hall for a long time.

Then, he sheathed the saber and turned to leave.

...

Outside the mountain gate, at the agreed-upon location.

By the time Jiang Hanzhou arrived, four people were already waiting there.

Teng Yuzhi was still dressed in a moon-white combat outfit, her features cold and aloof, with that long sword hanging at her waist.

Standing beside her was Zhao Yuanjing, who had changed into a dark blue combat outfit today, carrying a long spear on his back; the spear shaft was pitch black, and a faint cold light flowed from the spear tip.

There were also three other people.

The leader was a young man in his early thirties with a square face, thick eyebrows like blades, wearing a dark cyan brocade robe, and an Inner Sect Disciple token of the Dragon Abyss Palace hanging at his waist.

Late Yuanxiang Stage.

Behind him stood two people, a man and a woman.

The man was a sturdy fellow of twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with a burly build, broad shoulders and a thick waist, his bare arms bulging with muscles and veins popping out.

He carried a huge iron hammer in his hand, with lightning faintly flowing over it.

Yuan Xiang middle stage.

The woman was twenty-five or twenty-six, beautiful, with a spirited look between her brows, wearing a light cyan combat outfit, with a pair of short swords hanging at her waist.

Yuan Xiang middle stage.

Jiang Hanzhou's gaze swept over the three, and without stopping his pace, he walked to the side of Teng Yuzhi and Zhao Yuanjing.

"Brother Jiang." Zhao Yuanjing nodded slightly.

Teng Yuzhi glanced at him, her gaze lingering for a moment on the tiger soul saber at his waist, a flash of surprise appearing in her eyes.

"A spirit weapon?" She whispered.

Jiang Hanzhou nodded.

Teng Yuzhi did not ask further, simply nodding slightly before looking away.

The young man in the dark cyan brocade robe walked forward, his gaze landing on Jiang Hanzhou, and he looked him over a few times.

"You are Jiang Hanzhou?" His voice was not loud, but it carried a somewhat condescending tone.

"That is correct." Jiang Hanzhou said.

"I have heard of you," the young man said. "Elder Master Xue Mu's newly accepted Named Disciple, one of the five who escaped alive from the Dragon Slaying Cave Mansion. Not bad."

He paused, then added, "I am Huo Qingfeng, an Inner Sect Disciple of Red Fire Peak. I will be leading this mission."

Jiang Hanzhou did not reply, only nodding slightly.

Huo Qingfeng frowned slightly at his reaction, but quickly smoothed it out.

"Since everyone is here, let's set off." He turned and walked outside the mountain gate.

Everyone followed.

Outside the mountain gate, a cyan flying boat about five zhang long hovered silently.

The flying boat was engraved with the logo of the Dragon Abyss Palace; it was clearly the transportation they had prepared in advance.

The six people boarded the flying boat, and Huo Qingfeng activated the Formation; the flying boat trembled slightly, then took off into the air and sped towards the western horizon.