Chapter 195

Chapter 195: Challenge Letter

By now the starlight had faded, and the Lunar Star hid again.

Under the shine of the Sun, Li Shuang could no longer sense star power.

Her first round of training in the Rebirth Art had reached a clean end.

Though the price was heavy, choosing the strongest star right from the start would pay off greatly in the long run. It was a huge win.

Li Shuang finally had time to check the state of her soul.

Besides jumping from Early Nascent Soul to Late Nascent Soul, a Lotus Phantom had appeared within her sea of consciousness.

According to the Rebirth Art, once the Lotus Phantom appears, the art has reached Minor Completion.

When this Phantom Stage solidifies, it will become Great Completion.

She had trained only one night, yet with the Lunar Star’s great power, she had already reached Minor Completion.

Of course, she could not expect such huge gains every time.

This jump came because her link with the Lunar Star gave her a gift, pushing her soul strength forward in one surge.

From here on, she would have to move step by step.

Now a new worry began to form.

At her current pace, she might reach Great Completion of the First Turn within a few years.

So she needed to start working now to gather the one hundred thousand Merit Points required for the Second Turn of the Rebirth Art.

One hundred thousand Merit Points was a lot, but after tasting the wonder of this art herself, Li Shuang knew it was worth every point.

She would definitely keep training it.

To collect those points, she also needed to visit the Soul Prison soon.

Earlier, the Guard of the Trial Tower had told her that she could not go outside until at least three lines appeared on her Soul Golden Core.

But now, her Soul Golden Core had turned into a Soul Lotus, and Li Shuang was not sure what level that counted as.

Did a Soul Lotus equal a Three-Stripe Golden Core?

She did not know yet. She had to test it herself.

Before entering the Myriad Arts City again, Li Shuang had more prep work to do.

First, the Black Abyss Sword.

With her Soul Realm now at Late Nascent Soul, and with the help of her Soul Method, she could fully control a Fourth Tier sword.

She planned to raise the Black Abyss Sword straight to Fourth Tier.

As for the exact materials, she could exchange them directly from the Heaven and Earth Furnace.

Second, the Secret Soul Method called Soul Chain, and the movement art Swimming Dragon Step.

She would start both of these arts and reach entry level first.

Once done, her strength would surge again.

Together with her Soul Method, even though she was only at Golden Core Stage, she would have a very good chance against a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator.

If she used every hidden card she had, she might even stand a chance against someone at Divine Transformation Stage.

When Li Li learned that Li Shuang planned to strengthen the Black Abyss Sword again, she was thrilled.

Li Shuang now had the Compendium of Marvels, which had raised her vision.

She picked out several materials from the Compendium that might suit Li Li and let Li Li choose.

Looking at the piles of materials, Li Li grinned until her eyes curved. She hugged an armful and could not bear to put any back.

But in forging, depth matters more than breadth.

After a long struggle, Li Li finally picked her favorite set.

Li Shuang and Li Li discussed and settled on the upgrade materials, then went straight to the forging rooms.

This time, Li Shuang chose a Grade B forging chamber.

The ground fire in a Grade B room was much stronger than in a Grade C room and much harder to control.

But for Li Shuang, it was still within reach.

She had once forged the Dragon Roar Sword up to Fourth Tier with her own hands. Forging the Black Abyss now felt very familiar.

She had a feeling: at Fourth Tier, the Black Abyss Sword’s power would amaze everyone.

Again, Li Shuang asked the Heaven and Earth Furnace to guide her in forging a perfect Fourth Tier sword.

Under the Furnace’s control, her body began to move on its own.

Earlier, while forging the Second Tier Black Abyss, she had grasped a Rhythm Method that had a strange effect on the soul.

This time, guided by the Furnace, her every breath became even more profound.

Her breathing, her body, her everything merged with the sword in this moment.

It was an advanced form of the Rhythm Method.

Joy flashed in her eyes.

The Rebirth Art could borrow star power to temper the soul.

The Rhythm Method could blend the soul with heaven and earth.

What if the two were combined?

The effect would be more than one plus one.

For now, she could only use this advanced method passively under the Furnace’s lead. To truly master it, she would need long training.

Li Shuang took her time and began the forging journey with patience.

She shut herself away, and three months passed in a blink.

In the Sword Sect, Meng Yi Fei looked at a letter. Cold light flickered in his eyes.

The Tyrant Blade Sect.

Yan Zhong He actually dared.

Anger rose, but so did a faint feeling of helplessness.

Fifty years ago, the Tyrant Blade Sect obtained two powerful manuals. Since then, their strength had grown by leaps and bounds, while the Sword Sect had stalled.

Now, speaking of the younger generation alone, the Sword Sect truly lagged.

Seeing this, Yan Zhong He sent a letter saying he would bring several of his Disciples to the Sword Sect to “ask for pointers.”

In truth, he wanted to crush the confidence of the Sword Sect’s young Disciples.

Meng Yi Fei thought for a moment, then called in several Peak Masters to discuss.

He said, calm but firm: “Yan Zhong He bullies us too far. The sect’s grand competition is near. Our Sword Sect Disciples are behind for now, but within three years we can catch up. If the Tyrant Blade Sect breaks their confidence now and plants a Devil Demon in their hearts, that would be the real disaster.”

Someone burst out: “Sect Master, we cannot let them come!”

Another said, heated: “Just refuse the Tyrant Blade Sect. What, will they dare force their way in?”

The room buzzed with anger.

Meng Yi Fei watched them quietly, then said: “If we refuse, Yan Zhong He will spread the word that our Disciples feared his Disciples. You know the trend of these years. When our Disciples go out on missions, they often run into Tyrant Blade Sect Disciples stirring trouble. If we refuse, their kind will only grow more arrogant. Our Disciples will not be able to raise their heads. The spines of our young people will truly be bent.”

Silence fell.

The Sword Sect was one of the Upper Six Sects.

The Tyrant Blade Sect was only an ordinary sect.

If the Sword Sect did not even dare receive a visit from an ordinary sect, who knew what story Yan Zhong He would spread it into?

One Peak Master hesitated and said: “But if our Disciples really lose… their pride may not bear it.”

Meng Yi Fei answered evenly: “If they lose in battle, they can feel shame and grow brave. There will be a day to win it back. If they surrender without fighting, that is when a Devil Demon truly takes root.”

His mind was made up.

Pang Zhi Xue stood and said: “I believe our Sword Sect Disciples will not break from a single loss. If the Tyrant Blade Sect wants to come, let them come. We might not lose.”

Lin Qing Ling said calmly: “Whatever else, my Disciples will not let one win or loss shake their Dao hearts. Trading blows with the Tyrant Blade Sect’s elite will be good. At least both sides can get a clear sense of each other.”

Meng Yi Fei looked around the room, then spoke slowly: “No one’s cultivation path is smooth. If a person cannot handle a little setback, they will never walk out their own Great Dao. I believe our Sword Sect Disciples are not weaker than others.”

He stood: “I will reply to the letter. If the Tyrant Blade Sect wishes to come, let them. Our Sword Sect Disciples will be ready to receive them.”

The others looked at one another, then answered without hesitation: “Yes.”