Chapter 279: Side Effects?
Luo Wusheng realized something important.
The sword formation technique called "Six Sword Absolute Array" that the old Nascent Soul cultivator used appeared to be a legacy of the Sword Emperor's lineage.
And this formation was naturally countered by the Soulblade Specter.
Earlier, the burly man had mentioned that the old cultivator inexplicably avoided using this formation against the Soulblade Specter. In hindsight, it was likely because the old cultivator had already discovered that this formation was completely ineffective against the Soulblade Specter.
The peculiar power drawn by the Six Sword Absolute Array bore a resemblance to the power the Sword Emperor's broken sword had used to enhance the Soulblade Specter earlier. However, it was only a resemblance—it couldn't amplify the Soulblade Specter like the broken sword could.
When that power flowed into the special Soulblade Specter formed by the black broken sword, it was miraculously transformed, significantly restoring the Soulblade Specter's strength, which had been weakened and hollowed out.
'As expected, the connection between the Sword Emperor and the Soulblade Specter isn't simple...'
But why did the Soulblade Specter formed by the broken sword swallow the old man?
Wouldn't it upset its stomach?
Luo Wusheng could feel the piercing stares of the two people nearby.
"Ahem, that Six Sword Daoist isn't dead; he's just trapped inside the black mist," he explained awkwardly.
"That's not a real Soulblade Specter either, just a minor ability of my artifact. It's rather… special..."
As he muttered an explanation, Luo Wusheng sent a message through his connection with the broken sword, instructing it to spit the old Nascent Soul cultivator out.
The massive Soulblade Specter tilted its head slightly, as if it understood.
Then, its mouth—which had just closed—opened again.
But instead of releasing the old man, the six flying swords floating in the air all flew into the Soulblade Specter's stomach, one after the other.
Luo Wusheng's lips twitched in exasperation as the black mist around the Soulblade Specter contracted sharply, reforming into the shape of the black broken sword.
Through the connection, Luo Wusheng could sense the sword's joyful and somewhat pleading emotions… but the excitement made it difficult to discern the exact message.
The black broken sword seemed to realize this, slowly descending into Luo Wusheng's hand.
'Has the connection deepened again?'
Was he now one step closer to fully subduing this broken sword?
As he gripped the broken sword, Luo Wusheng raised an eyebrow, and an image suddenly flashed through his mind.
In the vision, several sword-wielding cultivators were chasing a Soulblade Specter through verdant mountains and rivers.
With his sharp eyes, Luo Wusheng recognized three familiar figures in the scene.
Falling leaves, flames, crashing waves...
There was no doubt—they were the three Nascent Soul sword cultivators who had participated in the Soulblade Specter hunt on Daybreak Mountain.
Which meant this vision was… of the Heaven-grade Soulblade Specter in Jianlin City?!
It still hadn't been dealt with by the Nascent Soul cultivators of Sword Province?
Before Luo Wusheng could process this revelation, the black broken sword guided his hand, forcing his body to shift in a particular direction.
It wasn't until he bumped into something and instinctively released his grip that he saw his broken sword rise into the air, black mist swirling around it.
In the next moment, it transformed into something entirely different.
A figure with an aged appearance, surrounded by six swords.
'…It's imitating the Six Sword Daoist?'
Though formed from black mist and with the six swords inexplicably resembling smaller versions of the black broken sword, its posture and demeanor unmistakably mirrored the old Nascent Soul cultivator.
And then, as if it were a real person, the transformed Soulblade Specter stepped into the void and disappeared.
Luo Wusheng quickly received a message through his connection with the sword. After translation, it roughly meant that the black broken sword was embarking on a new journey—heading to Jianlin City to subdue a new Soulblade Specter.
What?!
Everything had happened too abruptly. By the time the old Nascent Soul cultivator form of the sword had vanished, the group finally started to process the situation.
"It is indeed… a very special artifact," Ji Yanyao's soft voice broke the silence. "But it's already far away now. Are you sure it's alright?"
"No problem… probably," Luo Wusheng answered reflexively.
His connection with the Sword Emperor's broken sword had deepened. No matter how far it traveled, he could still sense its location. At this moment, he could feel the sword moving at a speed far exceeding that of Nascent Soul teleportation, heading toward Jianlin City, not far from Daybreak City.
The situation had escalated so quickly that Luo Wusheng was still a bit dazed. Yet, a faint sense of unease crept into his mind.
Hadn't the Taoist Alter Ego of the Empress sounded unusually close just now?
And the thing the broken sword had bumped him into earlier… it had a peculiar softness and was even slightly trembling...
!
His sluggish thoughts finally caught up.
With a stiff body, he slowly stepped away from the… stunning young woman he had inadvertently collided with.
Ahem. As long as he didn't look at the clenched, trembling fist, the girl before him seemed calm and gentle.
Just then, a confused murmur came from behind.
"That's… it? It's over?"
Xuan Ming, the muscular young man, looked utterly baffled.
Although he had been present throughout the entire incident, he felt like an outsider, even more so than when they had hunted the Soulblade Specter on Daybreak Mountain.
To divert attention, Luo Wusheng uncharacteristically responded to Xuan Ming's question.
"It's over," he said while avoiding Ji Yanyao's gaze.
"The Six Sword Daoist… has been temporarily sealed by my artifact. He won't be able to come out for a while."
As for when he might emerge… perhaps only when the black broken sword lost interest in him, turning him into a Soulblade Specter before spitting him out. That would only happen after the sword returned to his side.
'Originally, I had planned to find out if the old man had any suspicious Buddhist memories... oh well, this is enough for now.'
The Buddhist faction remained silent for the time being. In solving the issue of the Nascent Soul cultivator who had hosted the Buddhist Great Attachment, Luo Wusheng had even absorbed the greed aspect of the Great Attachment using a secret method.
His own Buddhist Golden Body had improved further. Though still lacking in sheer strength, it now offered a new ability, such as the protective barrier he had used earlier to shield the Empress's Taoist Alter Ego from the sword energy.
It was a minor upgrade in his defensive capabilities.
However…
Luo Wusheng's eyes gleamed with a hint of peculiarity.
According to the secret method, Buddhist Great Attachments weren't ideal for absorption, often leading to unpredictable side effects.
Yet, he didn't feel any different.
No, it was possible the effects had already taken hold, but like those under the influence of the Great Attachment, he might simply be unaware.
'For now, I should focus on wrapping up the aftermath of this incident…'
With that thought, Luo Wusheng straightened his expression slightly and bowed lightly toward the Taoist Alter Ego of the Empress.
"I must thank you, Daoist friend, for your assistance this time."
"…I was merely accumulating karmic merit," Ji Yanyao replied in her usual serene tone, staying true to her character. She seemed utterly unconcerned about the accidental impropriety earlier.
Luo Wusheng then shifted his gaze toward the out-of-place muscular young man behind him.
By now, he had a good idea of this persistent man's identity.
'If my guess is right… what kind of value can I squeeze out of him?'
<+>
Note: Link to the character Illustration:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lkIcPnCxeyuyZA4Kkb621dPC05UvWjhD
- - - - - - - - - -
Note: If you want to see more chapters of this story, please join my Patreon[1], for $5 each month, you can read all of the available chapters.
Patreon Account: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=93297024[2]
Latest Chapter In Patreon: Chapter 430: The Reason[3]
Link to the latest chapter: https://www.patreon.com/posts/chapter-430-140786233[4]
[1] https://www.patreon.com/user?u=93297024
[2] https://www.patreon.com/user?u=93297024
[3] https://www.patreon.com/posts/chapter-430-140786233
[4] https://www.patreon.com/posts/chapter-430-140786233