Chapter 478: Famous Sword Returns and Finally Unites

“Xiao Yu, we’ve struck it rich!”

Xu Xiaoshou’s eyes suddenly opened wide, startling Yu Zhiwen, who was sitting across from him with her knees hugged, examining the young man before her. She jumped in surprise, and the spiritual sword skewered with roasted meat in her hand flew straight up into the air.

Whoosh!

Xu Xiaoshou reacted quickly, shooting a spider silk spiritual thread from his wrist to yank the flying spiritual sword back into his grasp.

“What… what’s wrong?”

Yu Zhiwen’s face flushed, her eyes blinking rapidly as she stumbled over her words. Like a child caught doing something wrong, she felt uneasy facing Xu Xiaoshou in the narrow cave, as if sitting on pins and needles.

“We’ve struck it rich!”

Xu Xiaoshou exclaimed excitedly again. He didn’t plan to reveal the full map he’d found in the Yuan Ting Bai Zhu, but he needed someone to share this joy with right now. With this map in hand, what part of Bai Ku couldn’t he reach? As long as he avoided the spots where the You Si Jian was, with everyone else frantically hunting for the ultimate treasure, he could sneak off and grab resources from other areas. Wouldn’t that be even better than getting the You Si Jian, which would only bring disaster?

Sizzle. Xu Xiaoshou bit into the meat on the spiritual sword, smacked his lips a few times, and swallowed a big mouthful.

“Not bad, Xiao Yu. Your grilling is just as good as mine.”

Yu Zhiwen stared blankly at the spot where Xu Xiaoshou had bitten, watching as his large bite completely covered the marks she had just made.

“This is mine…”

She silently protested in her heart, still clueless about why Xu Xiaoshou had suddenly become so excited. It seemed like he’d been tired when he entered the cave earlier, as if he’d been preparing for this very moment.

“Have you broken through?”

Yu Zhiwen guessed.

“Not exactly, but I’ve uncovered a big secret.” Xu Xiaoshou quickly finished the meat in his hand and said vaguely, “Let’s rest up. We’ll head out at dawn—I’ll take you to loot some treasures!”

“Treasures?”

“Mm.”

Xu Xiaoshou nodded. “Everything except the You Si Jian—we can go for it all…”

Yu Zhiwen’s eyebrows twitched. She had no idea what had happened to Xu Xiaoshou, but from the look of it, had he really cracked some ultimate secret of Bai Ku? Hadn’t she been with him the whole time? Besides the emergence of Ming Jian Yanmang, nothing else special had occurred!

“Except the You Si Jian?”

She repeated.

Xu Xiaoshou paused with the spiritual sword in his hand and asked doubtfully, “Oh, right—is your goal also the You Si Jian?”

“Mm.”

Yu Zhiwen nodded without thinking, even though she normally wouldn’t have answered directly. But faced with Xu Xiaoshou’s straightforward question, she had no urge to lie or change the subject.

“I see…”

Xu Xiaoshou fell silent, pondering. He knew this girl wasn’t simple. Without the You Si Jian, he probably wouldn’t have even met Yu Zhiwen. But even if her goal was firm, now that Xu Xiaoshou knew about Sang Lao’s hidden plans and had already obtained Yanmang, he had no intention of getting involved in that mess anymore.

Click. He picked up the Ming Jian Yanmang lying casually at his side and slowly ran his hand over the blade. The sword felt extremely hot to the touch—as a Zongshi-level expert, he could handle it, but an ordinary Refining Spirit Master without covering their palm in spiritual energy would end up burned to a crisp.

The crackling campfire burned on, and the atmosphere in the cave grew quiet.

“You don’t want to go?”

Yu Zhiwen was sharp and could easily see through Xu Xiaoshou’s thoughts.

“It’s not that I don’t want to…”

Xu Xiaoshou hesitated. As a sword that was even more renowned than a Ming Jian and ranked among the five great Chaotic Divine Artifacts, any swordsman would be lying if they claimed they had no interest in it. But sometimes, you might have the desire without the guts—that was perfectly normal.

“Do you know how many people in Bai Ku are after the You Si Jian?”

Xu Xiaoshou asked.

Yu Zhiwen blinked her starry eyes and nodded. “Besides you?”

Xu Xiaoshou: “…”

How did it turn into “besides me”? I’m not afraid—I just don’t like it, that’s all!

“What do you think your chances are of getting the You Si Jian?”

Xu Xiaoshou got straight to the point.

Yu Zhiwen fell silent for a long moment before replying, “Not very high.”

Xu Xiaoshou nodded with a smug, knowing smile, as if to say she was finally seeing sense. But just as he was about to persuade her to give up and wander the world with him instead, he heard her add,

“Just about seventy percent.”

“Hah?”

Xu Xiaoshou was stunned, his mouth hanging open like Yu Zhiwen’s had earlier. Seventy percent? And she called that not very high?!

“Did you come prepared?”

He asked in shock.

Yu Zhiwen covered her mouth and smiled. “I traveled thousands of miles to get here—how could I not have a plan?”

“I suppose so.”

Xu Xiaoshou looked her up and down with a strange expression, unable to figure out how this delicate-looking girl could be so confident.

“You must have seen those two sword wielders earlier.”

“Their strength—you’ve experienced it. And you still think you have seventy percent?”

Xu Xiaoshou was full of disbelief.

“Mm-hmm.”

Yu Zhiwen nodded. “It’s because of those two that it dropped to seventy percent.”

Xu Xiaoshou: “…”

He was at a loss for words. It felt like he was a poor student asking a top scorer how they got 98 percent, only for them to say they messed up one multiple-choice question. What could he even say to that?

How to explain? There was no explanation!

Yu Zhiwen’s face lit up with a smile, clearly delighted to see Xu Xiaoshou at a loss. This quick-tongued guy finally had his comeuppance! To deal with him, she couldn’t be modest like with ordinary people. She had to be even more brazen to keep him in check!

Keep him in check?

Why did she want to keep him in check…?

Yu Zhiwen suddenly paused, realizing she’d developed a competitive mindset that she’d never had before. This was completely unexpected. Her master had once said that to reach the peak of the world, you needed a fighting spirit—but she’d always lacked that. This “can’t be helped” attitude was one reason she even wore a veil when going out—to avoid standing out.

She didn’t want to act, didn’t want to excel, didn’t want attention. That was her way of embracing ordinariness. But with Xu Xiaoshou, so many emotions were changing.

“To fight for it…”

Yu Zhiwen’s eyes curved with a smile. She wasn’t sure what this feeling was, but stifling Xu Xiaoshou definitely brought her joy.

“Seventy percent chance…”

Xu Xiaoshou murmured to himself. He didn’t know what else was on Yu Zhiwen’s mind, but that seventy percent had sparked a different idea in him. Earlier, when Ming Jian Yanmang emerged, she hadn’t shown any interest and had just let him take it. Such a generous person deserved some reciprocity, right?

“With seventy percent, how much would this increase your chances?”

Xu Xiaoshou said, pulling out the black Luo Jian sheath. He didn’t want to risk going after the You Si Jian himself, but if this girl wasn’t afraid, why not help her get it? Then he could see what troubles she’d face and how she’d handle them. After all, she had a big force backing her—things he feared might be nothing to Yu Zhiwen.

“The You Si Jian sheath?”

Yu Zhiwen looked at the black sword sheath in Xu Xiaoshou’s hand, surprised. “Are you giving it to me?”

This gift was incredibly valuable. As the former Eighth Sword Immortal…

“What are you thinking!”

Xu Xiaoshou cut her off bluntly, not letting her fantasize. He thrust the spiritual sword with the meat into her hands and said, “I’m just asking about the chances—don’t get the wrong idea.” As he spoke, he drew Zang Ku from the sheath and placed it beside Yanmang.

“If I give you this sheath, what will Zang Ku wear?”

“Does it need to wear anything?”

Zang Ku sensed the aura of the Ming Jian nearby, like being yanked out of a warm blanket and thrown into the snow on a winter night—it wilted instantly.

Xu Xiaoshou glared and pointed. “Look, I just drew it, and it’s already gone limp from the cold.”

Yu Zhiwen: “…”

She looked at the man and his sword, speechless for a moment.

“Stingy guy.”

She muttered under her breath, but Xu Xiaoshou’s sharp ears caught it.

“Stingy?”

“Where am I stingy? I’m even planning to lend you the sheath to get the You Si Jian—is that stingy?”

“This is helping each other out!”

Xu Xiaoshou got worked up.

“How is that helping each other?”

Yu Zhiwen lifted her chin slightly, the firelight reflecting in her starry eyes as she retorted, “I directly gave you a Ming Jian, and you’re just ‘lending’ me a sheath?”

She emphasized “lending” with a sly glint, eager to see Xu Xiaoshou get backed into a corner again.

But Xu Xiaoshou didn’t back down.

“I’ve already gone through the process of ‘lending,’ and you’re just giving—now you think you’re in the right?”

“Don’t forget, when Yanmang emerged, you just watched me take the Ming Jian.”

“Now that the You Si Jian hasn’t even appeared, I’m already thinking of ‘lending’ you the black Luo Jian sheath.”

“By the time you get the sword, won’t my effort be just a bit more than yours?”

Xu Xiaoshou clapped his hands. “Tell me, isn’t that the truth?”

Yu Zhiwen was stumped. It… it did seem that way.

“Ah.”

Xu Xiaoshou sighed and sat back by the fire, looking defeated. “That’s women for you—always thinking their effort is a little more than anyone else’s.”

“Ah, so sad, so tearful.”

“I…” Yu Zhiwen was furious. Never mind if you’re twisting words—even if you’re right, what does that have to do with us women? How can you generalize like that?

“I’m not talking to you anymore.”

She stood up in a huff, glared at Xu Xiaoshou, who was pretending to wipe tears, stomped her foot, and headed toward the cave entrance.

“Damn it.”

“Cursed, passive value +1.”

“Hey, where are you going?”

Xu Xiaoshou “sensed” her reaction and found it amusing. Seeing she was about to storm off because she couldn’t win the argument, he stopped faking tears and called out.

“To sleep!”

Yu Zhiwen didn’t look back.

“To sleep, and you’re heading outside?”

Xu Xiaoshou chuckled. “Have you lost your mind, girl? To sleep, you go inside!”

Yu Zhiwen paused, turned back with a resentful glare, and said, “I like sleeping outside—what’s it to you?”

“Fine…”

Xu Xiaoshou couldn’t argue anymore. Watching Yu Zhiwen huff off toward the cave entrance with exaggerated stomps, he thought it was adorable.

“Sleeping outside is fine too. Then I won’t bother you—be careful out there.”

He called out, then went back to his makeshift grass bed, sighing with a smile, “This is great—I love sleeping inside…”

Her footsteps halted abruptly.

“Cursed, passive value +1.”

“Missed, passive value +1.”

The next day—or not quite, since Xu Xiaoshou was woken up in the middle of the night by Yu Zhiwen. This girl clearly wasn’t cut out for sleeping outside. While he was deep in passive cultivation, she sneaked back into the cave and started practicing her swordplay!

Xu Xiaoshou was utterly shocked.

“In such a small cave, why are you practicing swordplay?”

He asked, but all he got was a huffy reply: “I like it—what’s it to you?”

So, he said nothing more. Of course, not being able to sleep had its perks. Lying there in the middle of the night, watching this captivating girl’s sword dance was quite the sight—though there was always the risk of getting stabbed, his Zongshi body made him unfazed. He ended up propping his chin and watching for a long time, and after complimenting, “You dance so beautifully,” Yu Zhiwen blushed and gave up.

In the end, he yielded the grass bed and made a simple mound for himself outside to sleep on.

One dream, one awakening, one night passed.

When they set out again, they were already a good distance from where Ming Jian Yanmang had emerged in Bai Ku.

“Shh.”

“Keep it down.”

Back at the familiar little hill, Xu Xiaoshou led Yu Zhiwen to crouch behind it, watching the rows of massive white skeletons sitting, standing, lying, or crouching in front of them. Compared to the two groups they’d seen fighting earlier, this bunch of white skeletons was even stronger. Not only did they wield terrifying giant weapons, but they were also enveloped in a faint white flame.

“Zongshi-level white skeletons?”

Xu Xiaoshou narrowed his eyes, noticing the completely transformed, bony quality of these giants.

“Jin Zhao Fire Seeds!”

Without a doubt, their heads no longer contained the explosive fire energy liquid—they’d compressed into energy cores known as Jin Zhao Fire Seeds. After repeated calcinations, this group of white skeletons had likely all reached the Zongshi level!

“Tsk, tsk.”

Xu Xiaoshou could hardly imagine how rare Zongshi-level beings were outside, yet here in Bai Ku, they were appearing in groups. These guys definitely hadn’t cultivated Jin Zhao Tian Fen, so the only way they could have become Zongshi was through years of agonizing calcination, with only one in ten thousand succeeding in a qualitative change.

“Even after the change, these guys are still living in groups, hanging out with other Zongshi-level white skeletons…”

Xu Xiaoshou found it unbelievable. This wave was too much for him to take on alone. Thankfully, these creatures lacked the cunning minds of Refining Spirit Masters. Otherwise, if they kept multiplying, it’d be the end of the world!

“Thirty-six of them.”

Yu Zhiwen carefully counted and whispered, “What do you plan to do?”

“Dig for treasures, of course!”

Xu Xiaoshou said matter-of-factly. To him, these thirty-six white skeletons meant thirty-six Jin Zhao Fire Seeds! Back then, three seeds had turned him into an innate physical body, outshining everyone in Tian Sang Spiritual Palace. The sheer energy in these fire seeds might surpass most fire-based treasures in the world. How could he pass this up and live up to his reputation for taking everything in sight?

“How do we get them?”

Yu Zhiwen said worriedly. She reached out and gently tapped Xu Xiaoshou’s arm, feeling the rebound force, and exclaimed, “They’re all Zongshi-level, right?”

“They are Zongshi-level, but not as strong as me.”

“But there are so many of them.”

“I’m not planning to charge in…”

Xu Xiaoshou rolled his eyes and slowly drew his new companion, Ming Jian Yanmang.

“Fighting requires brains.”

“What counters what—you have to think it through first!”

He tapped Yu Zhiwen’s forehead with his finger, pushing her back a bit, then stood up straight and added, “And don’t touch me randomly—it could be fatal.”

Yu Zhiwen’s face burned from Xu Xiaoshou’s sudden touch, and her heart skipped a beat. Only then did she realize how close she’d gotten to someone she’d only known for a day.

“What do you mean, fatal… Touching you once would kill someone?”

She muttered subconsciously. Seeing Xu Xiaoshou leap into action, she quickly advised, “Be careful.”

Xu Xiaoshou nodded.

Glancing at the group of white skeletons below, who hadn’t noticed him yet, he muttered, “Are their eyes burned out…”

Then he shouted loudly,

“Take that! You demons are done for!”

The white bone giants looked up at the sound.

Roar!

In an instant, roars echoed through the sky, nearly blasting away the little hill where Yu Zhiwen was hiding.

Xu Xiaoshou’s eyes sharpened as his finger glided over the sword. Feeling the intense heat within it, as if it were igniting, his fighting spirit surged.

This Ming Jian seemed to have been bound to him under duress from that disheveled saint, so he could barely sense its hidden spirituality. But once drawn and the sword intent resonated, its raw battle lust was transmitted directly.

“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but since you’re with me, let’s fight together!”

“In this world, few things are truly mutual.”

“Just like I never wanted to touch you in the first place…”

Xu Xiaoshou looked down at Yanmang and said seriously, “Even though we’re bound, I was forced into it, not by choice.”

“But so what?”

He looked up at the sky, devoid of sun or stars, only shrouded in a faint red mist, and his eyes suddenly filled with sword intent.

“A future without stars can be cut open!”

“A destiny in hand is mastery!”

He held the sword horizontally, gripping it like he was seizing fate itself. Infusing it with sword intent, Yanmang seemed to feel its master’s surging will, which he rarely showed.

Buzz.

The surrounding Zongshi sword intent suddenly gained a searing heat. Sword sect intent. Ming Jian returns to its nest! A seamless, harmonious connection formed for the first time in battle, breaking through the barrier between Xu Xiaoshou and Yanmang.

In that moment, Xu Xiaoshou deeply felt the sword’s will. He floated in the void, seeing nothing before him, yet envisioning himself as a massive serpent thousands of feet long. Wherever its eyes gazed, death followed. Its body embodied the noble, untouchable pride of a Ming Jian, overlooking the world.

“Battle!”

With a low shout, the Yanmang illusion shattered, turning into points of light that merged into Xu Xiaoshou’s body. As the white skeletons below leaped toward him with their massive weapons, he raised Yanmang, and the sword intent retracted.

The next moment, it exploded with earth-shattering force!

Boom!

The surging sword intent was no longer just slightly hot—it felt like erupting lava, capable of melting the heavens. It flipped the attacking white skeletons and shattered the ground!

“Human-sword unity…”

Yu Zhiwen murmured in a daze. Human-sword unity was a simple concept in theory but incredibly complex in practice. It demanded a solid sword dao foundation, deep insight into the heavenly dao, and an exceptional sword. Of course, Yu Zhiwen knew that with Xu Xiaoshou’s level, he couldn’t achieve it with Zang Ku, as the sword wasn’t up to par. But with a Ming Jian, he absolutely could.

Even with that expectation, seeing him accomplish human-sword unity after just one night with the sword left her shocked.

“What incredible sword dao comprehension!”

“Or is it that even in will, even in the proud, unyielding nature of the Ming Jian, Xu Xiaoshou can instantly assimilate it and achieve perfect unity?”

Yu Zhiwen stared at the young man floating in the air, using sword intent alone to send the white skeletons tumbling, and felt a moment of confusion. Was this the real Xu Xiaoshou—the quirky, unguarded talker, or the one standing with sword in hand, dominating all?

“Admired, passive value +1.”

“Good, strong.”

Xu Xiaoshou had no time to check his info panel and didn’t know what random thoughts Yu Zhiwen was having behind him. He gripped Ming Jian Yanmang, looking at the white skeletons regrouping below, and felt like he could wipe them all out with one strike.

“An illusion?”

Xu Xiaoshou was lost in thought for a while until the sword intent suppressing the skeletons faded and their deafening roars resumed. The battle was silent.

Sss.

Yu Zhiwen shivered at the sound, seeing Xu Xiaoshou suddenly appear beside her, slowly sheathing his sword. The hissing was the odd noise from the black Luo Jian sheath not fitting Yanmang perfectly.

“What are you doing?”

“They’re coming!”

Yu Zhiwen pointed panic-stricken at the dozens of white skeletons charging from behind, their massive forms blocking out the sky, their weapons terrifying.

“They?”

Xu Xiaoshou turned with a smile. “They’re already dead.”

“Hah?”

Yu Zhiwen crouched down, bracing herself, and heard a series of booms. She looked back in shock to see the thirty-six white skeletons that had been right in front of them now lying in pieces on the ground!

“You…”

Yu Zhiwen’s starry eyes widened. She hadn’t even seen when Xu Xiaoshou had struck! How was that possible? Just with a Ming Jian, could his combat power increase to this level? Even her starry eyes couldn’t catch it?

Xu Xiaoshou finished sheathing the sword, like completing a ritual. He tilted his head, eyes on the ground, letting the wind from the falling skeletons ruffle his hair.

“West wind withers the snow.”

As he spoke, the hissing finally faded, and the sound of the sword guard clicking into the sheath echoed softly.

Click.

Yu Zhiwen’s heart skipped a beat.

“Observed, passive value +1.”