Chapter 1320: Heavenly River Sword and Weapon Theory

Pure Nine-Lotus Lamp:

Chen Mobai could tell that True Monarch Qingfeng's Pure Finger, in terms of sheer power, had actually reached the sixth-tier level, having integrated with the Grand Dao of Wind.

Theoretically, the Kui beast hide should be capable of being cut by it.

After all, although it contained the Kui beast's formidable Grand Dao of Armor power, the beast's death meant that most of its Dao resonance had long since dissipated.

"It seems I preserved the relevant Dao resonance relatively completely during the detaching process, which was an oversight on my part. Fellow Daoist, please set it aside for now; the Purple Lightning Sword can handle it later."

Chen Mobai immediately smoothed things over for True Monarch Qingfeng, whose expression flickered. He was tempted to bring out his Carefree Roaming Heaven Fan to empower his Pure Finger and try again.

However, considering that another failure would mean a complete loss of face, and since it was his strongest technique, exposing it merely to save face would be unwise.

So, in the end, True Monarch Qingfeng took a deep breath and, with a look of shame, placed the small piece of Kui beast hide he held onto another table.

"I've made a spectacle of myself before you all."

Seeing True Monarch Qingfeng act so rationally, all the Soul Transformation cultivators present, including Chen Mobai, were somewhat surprised.

"Not at all, not at all. Isn't the art of artifact refining one that requires courage to experiment, allowing us to grow through continuous failure? Fellow Daoist, your willingness to try first truly sets an example for us all."

Layman Fanyun also immediately spoke up, helping True Monarch Qingfeng save face. He then personally approached the table, picked up the piece of Kui beast hide, and attempted to cut it with his own refining tools. The result, naturally, was also unsuccessful.

Everyone could see that Layman Fanyun wasn't just going through the motions; he had used his most powerful divine abilities to enhance his attempt.

"Let me try too!"

After the two Soul Transformation cultivators had "embarrassed themselves," the others also shed their inhibitions and one by one stepped forward, picking up the Kui beast hide to make their attempts.

This could also be considered a form of competition.

If others couldn't do it, but one succeeded, they could immediately become famous throughout the world, thanks to today's Grand Ceremony for Soul Transformation.

Unfortunately, cutting the Kui beast hide required at least sixth-tier power, meaning the power of a Grand Dao. Only a handful of top Soul Transformation cultivators present, such as True Monarch Qingfeng, possessed such a level of cultivation.

The first one to succeed was Immortal Taixu.

He directly used the power of the Grand Dao of Void to cleave it. Although the Kui beast hide glowed with a clear Dao resonance, it still split inch by inch along the lines.

"Senior Brother Jiang's cultivation is indeed above mine; it seems his ascension is not far off."

True Monarch Qingfeng couldn't help but look envious upon seeing this.

The fifteen top cultivators in the Tianhe Realm, as ranked by the Impermanence Hall, were nominally not ordered by rank, but in reality, the major powers across the Five Continents and Four Seas still had their own internal rankings. Immortal Taixu's performance today also confirmed this.

Theoretically, True Monarch Qingfeng's Grand Dao of Wind should also restrain the Grand Dao of Armor. However, without employing a sixth-tier artifact, he couldn't achieve the same cutting effect as Immortal Taixu by solely relying on spells and divine abilities. This demonstrated a disparity in their cultivation realms and strength.

"Mere luck!"

Immortal Taixu responded very humbly to this, then handed the Kui beast hide in his hand to Immortal Haoran Yi Qi, who was not far away.

"The Grand Dao power I cultivate is not proficient in offense. I estimate I'd be like Fellow Daoist Qingfeng, so I won't embarrass myself."

But Immortal Haoran Yi Qi shook his head and directly refused.

Immortal Taixu was somewhat surprised, never expecting that Qianqiu Pen and Ink Forest, usually fond of empty fame, would not wish to display their abilities on this stage.

Although Grand Daos related to sacred virtues were indeed not skilled in offense, Immortal Taixu believed that Immortal Haoran Yi Qi could certainly cut this piece of Kui beast hide.

He also wanted to use this opportunity to see if Immortal Haoran Yi Qi's cultivation had improved over the years.

"Let me try."

Just as Immortal Taixu was about to set down the Kui beast hide in his hand, feeling a bit disheartened, Feng Qingshu's voice suddenly rang out.

Everyone immediately turned their gaze towards her.

The Clan Chief of the Phoenix Race, ranked as the foremost among the Nine True Spirits by the Impermanence Hall, was acknowledged for her formidable strength but rarely made a move. To see her display her divine abilities today would be a boast-worthy tale for the cultivators attending the ceremony.

Feng Qingshu, however, did not take the piece of Kui beast hide from Immortal Taixu's hand. Instead, she chose another piece that the Purple Lightning Sword had cut.

She activated her divine sense, and her eyes blazed with fire. Then, the Kui beast hide before her showed the same phenomenon as when Chen Mobai had made his attempt earlier.

Linear flames ignited on the Kui beast hide, burning only within a concentrated area. After a burst of dazzling fire, the hide in Feng Qingshu's hand split into two.

"Clan Chief Feng's Grand Dao of Fire has reached its peak; it's no less profound than mine."

Chen Mobai couldn't help but greatly admire what he saw.

Although he hadn't spent much time on the Grand Dao of Fire, his profound understanding, due to possessing a Dao Fruit, allowed him to instantly perceive the profound subtlety of Feng Qingshu's move.

"It wasn't as effortless as Fellow Daoist Jiang's, so I've made a spectacle of myself before you all."

Feng Qingshu reached out and touched the charred edges where the Kui beast hide had split. With a slight hint of regret, she placed it on the table and spoke.

"Not at all, not at all. It's merely a different manifestation of the Grand Dao. Clan Chief Feng's strength is certainly not beneath mine."

Immortal Taixu also followed suit, uttering a similar remark.

It was fortunate that Feng Qingshu didn't care for empty fame. If it had been someone with Immortal Yan Zhong's temperament, she would have insisted on competing with Chen Mobai and Immortal Taixu to determine who was superior.

At this point, the Purple Lightning Sword had already completed the task of cutting the Kui beast hide for refining the Sunset Drum.

Chen Mobai took the drum hide in his hand and began to inspect it. Without needing instructions, the Purple Lightning Sword, glowing with a faint white light, flew above the leftover Kui beast hide and carefully began cutting again along the lines Chen Mobai had marked.

"Truly worthy of being the peerless killing sword that accompanied Fellow Daoist Chen across the Five Continents and Four Seas! In terms of sharpness alone, it ranks first in the Tianhe Realm!"

Upon seeing this, True Monarch Qingfeng began to extol the Purple Lightning Sword.

By praising this sword, he would have room to defend himself if anyone were to mock his performance today.

"Although Fellow Daoist has a point, when it comes to swords, I believe those from the Grand Pure Palace and Qingwei Sword Sect are more formidable."

Regarding this, the Soul Transformation cultivators present held differing opinions.

Everyone looked over at the sound and saw Ao Yuxia.

For Qing Nü's Grand Ceremony for Soul Transformation, Chen Mobai had also sent an invitation to the Purple Cloud Heaven Palace, as they were now partners in refining the Immortal Pills.

"If we're talking about a sword's grade, the Purple Lightning naturally falls a notch short. However, one must remember that this sword embodies the Grand Dao of Destruction. I believe there's no issue ranking it first in terms of sharpness."

True Monarch Qingfeng still sided with the Purple Lightning Sword, as he had personally witnessed a sixth-tier Kui beast being chased into the heavens by this newly promoted sixth-tier Purple Lightning Sword back in the Nine Heavens.

"I still think cultivation realm is more important..."

But Ao Yuxia still held her opinion, believing that the sect-guarding swords of the Qingwei Sword Sect and the Grand Pure Palace were more powerful.

"I think they can be ranked side by side!"

True Monarch Dakong spoke, taking the Eastern Continent's stance. After all, the swords of the Qingwei Sword Sect and the Grand Pure Palace were far superior in grade to the Purple Lightning Sword.

In particular, the Grand Pure Palace's "Red Dust Severer" was a failed Dao-achieving sword. In the hands of a cultivator practicing the corresponding cultivation method, it could unleash seventh-tier power and was renowned as the foremost flying sword across the Five Continents and Four Seas.

As for the Qingwei Sword Sect's Twin Swords of Grand Purity and Subtle Purity, they were swords descended from the immortal realm. When combined, their power was no less than that of the Red Dust Severer.

Although the Purple Lightning Sword embodied the Grand Dao of Destruction, it had only recently advanced to the sixth-tier. No matter how much it was exalted, it could not compare to these three swords.

However, True Monarch Dakong, wishing to highlight the Eastern Continent, disregarded these facts and argued that the Purple Lightning Sword could be ranked alongside the Red Dust Severer.

"Indeed, I agree."

After True Monarch Dakong finished speaking, Shen Xi immediately nodded in agreement.

Ye Qing hesitated for a moment. After comforting his Taihe Sword, he also, against his better judgment, claimed that the Purple Lightning Sword was formidable.

All the Soul Transformation cultivators from the Eastern Continent, at this moment, had unequivocally sided with the Purple Lightning Sword.

Ao Yuxia felt that these people were utterly shameless.

How dared a low-grade sixth-tier item claim to be on par with, or even surpass, high-grade sixth-tier or peak-tier items?

"I propose that the Purple Lightning, Grand Purity, Subtle Purity, and Red Dust Severer can be collectively called the 'Four Swords of Tianhe'!"

The moment True Monarch Qingfeng's words fell, the Taihe Sword on Ye Qing's back couldn't help but vibrate.

It was also a sixth-tier sword artifact, having held the title of the Eastern Continent's foremost sword for ten thousand years.

How was it that suddenly, its title as the Eastern Continent's foremost was not yet snatched away, but its international standing had already been surpassed by the Purple Lightning Sword, a junior latecomer?

It was somewhat displeased.

Ye Qing could only continue to comfort it, as he understood that the Taihe Sword certainly could not compare to the Grand Purity, Subtle Purity, and Red Dust Severer.

As for the Purple Lightning Sword, which embodied the power of the Grand Dao of Destruction, it was likely that in a head-on clash, the Taihe Sword would be the one to shatter.

There was no need to get angry over such empty fame.

"How about we list all the sixth-tier flying swords in the Tianhe Realm? Since Lord Cui is also here today, we could compile a 'Treatise on Tianhe Swords'."

As Ye Qing was comforting his Taihe Sword, Chen Mobai felt that while he was refining the artifact, the Soul Transformation cultivators present had nothing to do and might be bored just watching him work. So, he cast a brick to attract jade (initiated a discussion) and brought up a topic.

"Excellent, excellent! Although our sect has records of the artifacts of various Soul Transformation True Monarchs, we truly haven't dedicated a separate section specifically to swords."

Upon hearing this, Cui Tai also thought Chen Mobai's suggestion was excellent. As he spoke, he took out paper and brush, ready to record it all.

"My Taihe Sword of the Nine Heavens Demon Eradication Sect is founded upon the celestial Azure Stone from the Nine Glories Immortal Mountain in the Upper Realm. It can sever heavenly tribulations above and sweep away demons below, possessing boundless power..."

Ye Qing, thinking Chen Mobai was helping him, immediately drew the Taihe Sword from his back and was the first to introduce it.

To demonstrate that it truly was the Eastern Continent's foremost sword, the Taihe Sword also erupted with an unprecedented cold gleam.

The Nascent Soul cultivators present couldn't help but retreat behind the Soul Transformation cultivators, as they were unable to withstand the brilliance of a sixth-tier sword artifact.

Even some weaker Soul Transformation cultivators activated their body-guarding techniques or conjured their artifacts.

At this moment, Ye Qing, holding the Taihe Sword, approached a table and performed the Unprepared Sword Art, cutting a piece of Kui beast hide with a mere thought.

His Unprepared Sword Art could disregard defenses, as the Grand Dao of Armor was naturally countered by it.

"A fine sword!"

Cui Tai was the first to chime in with praise. Although the feat was achieved through the sword artifact, it highlighted the Taihe Sword's prowess compared to the previous failures of True Monarch Qingfeng and others.

Shen Xi and the other Eastern Continent Soul Transformation cultivators were also unstinting in their praise, stating that although the Taihe Sword's sharpness was inferior to the Purple Lightning Sword's, its profound foundation and righteous aura qualified it as the "Most Righteous Sword of Tianhe."

"My Purple Cloud Heaven Palace possesses the Golden Tower Sword, once worn by the Heavenly Emperor, which can be named the 'Most Esteemed Sword of Tianhe'."

Ao Yuxia spoke up for her sect's sword at this point. After all, once this discussion on swords was solidified today, regardless of grade, the names would certainly become famous. Bestowing her sect's sixth-tier sword with the title of 'Most Esteemed Sword' would also be a boast-worthy achievement for True Monarch Ziqi after his ascension.

"I recall that in the Northern Continent's Star God Palace, there is a sixth-tier Star Constellation Sword that can manifest the entire sky of stars and the Twenty-Eight Constellations. Its transformations are endless and its mysteries unfathomable, making it worthy of the title 'Most Intricate Sword of Tianhe'."

"As for the Red Dust Severer, a sword artifact that once ascended to the seventh-tier, it can be called the 'Strongest Sword of Tianhe'."

"No, no, that's not right. Today we are discussing all sixth-tier flying swords across the Five Continents and Four Seas. If the Red Dust Severer is crowned as the 'Strongest,' then discussing the other flying swords would be meaningless, and all their glory would be overshadowed. I suggest we change it to the 'Most Peerless Sword of Tianhe' instead, to lament its past failure during its attempted ascension with the Grand Supreme Sword Venerable!"

The Grand Pure Palace had a seventh-tier True Immortal, the Grand Supreme Sword Venerable.

However, the Red Dust Severer sword was inherently flawed. Although its wielder successfully integrated with the Dao, the sword itself fractured during its ascension to the seventh-tier, unable to bear the weight of the entire Grand Dao it embodied.

Ultimately, the Grand Supreme Sword Venerable extracted its sword spirit and commissioned master refiners from the Lingkong Immortal Realm to reforge a seventh-tier sword body, thus reconstructing it.

The original fractured sword body, however, was left behind in the Tianhe Realm and is now the Grand Pure Palace's sect-guarding flying sword, the Red Dust Severer.

The Soul Transformation cultivators present discussed heatedly. Even Immortal Taixu couldn't help but join in, vying for the title of the 'Most Illusory Sword of Tianhe' for his own Taixu Sword. Not to mention Immortal Haoran Yi Qi, who inherently enjoyed debating and was knowledgeable about every sixth-tier flying sword, thus speaking at great length.

For beings of their stature, gathering together was a rare occurrence. They were discovering for the first time that debating could be such an enjoyable experience.

The title of 'Sharpest Sword of Tianhe' for the Purple Lightning Sword was the first to be finalized.

"I recall that Fellow Daoist Chen also possesses a sixth-tier flying sword!"

Towards the end, Cui Tai turned his head and brought up this matter again.

Multitasking, Chen Mobai, who was refining the Sunset Drum while listening to everyone's discussion, immediately slapped his forehead. Instantly, his second primordial spirit flew out from behind his head, carrying the Primordial Yang Sword.

"This sword can be called the 'Most Fiery Sword of Tianhe'!"

Ye Qing, who had witnessed Chen Mobai using this sword to slay the White Bone Dharma King, spoke up, and everyone else agreed.

"This Treatise on Swords records twelve sixth-tier flying swords of the Tianhe Realm. If there are no further opinions, it shall be concluded."

After Cui Tai noted down the Primordial Yang Sword, he intended to stop writing.

"I also have a Sea-Stabilizing Sword in my possession, which my husband refined for me."