Chapter 126: Transformation

The news that Lu Chenhan of Kunlun’s Guicang Sword had been snapped in two by an obscure sect disciple spread across the entire cultivation world in an instant. Everyone knew that Lu Chenhan had once used that very sword to slay a Heavenly Demon, earning him the undisputed title of number one among the younger generation of cultivators.

Yet someone had actually broken his sword. Just how terrifyingly powerful did one have to be to achieve such a feat?

Cultivators everywhere had already been glued to the progress of the Grand Sect Tournament, so the moment this news broke, it sparked frantic discussions all over.

"Which sect disciple is this formidable?"

"The Qianji Sect."

"Is it the same Qianji Sect disciple who forged the Eight-Headed Serpent Transformation?"

"No, it seems to be another one. His name is You... You Fushi."

"Kunlun has completely lost face, being thoroughly suppressed and beaten by an obscure sect like that."

"The Qianji Sect, obscure? Though they are on the brink of decline now, they were once a supreme artifact-refining sect on par with the Two Factions and Five Sects. Before the Era of the Fallen Gods, they were the only sect that managed to ascend to godhood purely through artifact refining. In their glory days, even Kunlun had to show them great respect."

"For real? Was the Qianji Sect actually that powerful in the past?"

"Otherwise, why do you think out of all the sects nearing collapse, the Qianji Sect is the most famous?"

"Isn't it because they spend all their time sponging off others?"

"..."

"I heard that two of the top three finalists are disciples from the Qianji Sect. Looking at the top ten, there are four of them—they've taken up almost half the spots!"

"It is half. There's also a rogue cultivator from the Wuming Sect who is actually a disciple of the Qianji Sect as well."

"In previous tournaments, Kunlun always took up half of the top ten. This time, only one made it through, and it's still up in the air if he can even secure third place. After all, his sword is broken. How the tables have turned."

Who could have guessed that Kunlun, the sect with the highest praise, wouldn't even secure second place in the end, and their so-called "number one" would end up with a broken sword?

"If you ask me, it’s a good thing Lu Chenhan's sword broke. This is what you call karma and poetic justice."

"How so?"

"Have you lost count of how many people's swords Lu Chenhan has broken? Over the years, anyone who faced him—unless they yielded on the spot—ended up with a shattered sword and severe injuries."

As the others thought back carefully, they realized his words were absolutely true.

Meanwhile, inside the Kunlun arena, Lu Chenhan stood silently in the shadows, gripping the broken hilt of the Guicang Sword. All the surrounding noise seemed to morph into hushed whispers, gossiping about him and his broken weapon.

Ning Qianyao searched all over before finally finding him, holding the other broken half of the blade in her hands. Standing across from him, her face was fraught with anxiety. "Brother Lu, let me repair the sword for you before you go into the next match."

Lu Chenhan looked up at her for a long time. "You have your own match to worry about. Don't waste your time on me."

"I don't care if I place ninth or tenth, but there is a massive difference between you taking third or fourth, Brother Lu."

Ning Qianyao took a step forward, half her face falling into the shadows with him as she reached out to cover the hand he held his sword with.

"Trust me, I can fix the Guicang Sword very quickly."

After a long pause, Lu Chenhan pulled the broken blade from her hands, threw it to the ground along with the hilt he held, and said, "A sword that knows cowardice is not worth repairing."

Right then, a cold, elegant woman dressed in white flew over from Xuanji Peak atop her sword. She landed directly in front of Lu Chenhan, completely ignoring Ning Qianyao beside him, her gaze fixed solely on him.

"...Master," Lu Chenhan greeted her, lowering his eyes and bowing with cupped hands.

With a flick of her finger, the elegant woman used her spiritual energy to gently stop his bow. "That match wasn't a reflection of a lack of strength on your part. It was simply that the Guicang Sword was inferior to his weapon."

Lu Chenhan did not deny it.

The woman suddenly produced a sword and said to him, "Draw it."

Lu Chenhan’s gaze fell upon the scabbard, which was made of yellowish-brown, lychee-patterned sharkskin. A flash of astonishment crossed his eyes as he looked at her. "Master?"

Holding the scabbard, she presented the hilt toward him. "If you can draw it, this sword is yours."

On the high viewing platform, the Sect Master of the Wanfo Sect suddenly stood up, unable to keep his composure. He stared at the weapon in the hands of Lu Chenhan’s master. "That is... I didn't expect that sword to still exist. I thought it had vanished along with its master."

Lu Chenhan gripped the hilt with one hand and instantly sensed its extraordinary nature. His expression turned solemn. Gripping it with both hands, he unleashed his spiritual energy. Within moments, his forehead was beaded with sweat as his energy was heavily drained. Finally, at the absolute limit, he pulled the sword out with a forceful tug.

In that split second, the dark corner lit up. Seven and a half stars were aligned in a row along the blade.

Holding the weapon, Lu Chenhan could feel an immense surge of power. He even felt as though the sword in his hand was alive. Upon seeing the seven and a half stars, his heart skipped a heavy beat. He looked at the white-robed woman. "Master, is this..."

"The Qijue Sword," the woman replied, her voice as soft and gentle as a flowing stream. "It has been in my safekeeping. Since you can draw it, it is yours to use."

The Qijue Sword!

The surrounding cultivators were thoroughly shaken upon hearing those words.

This sword was spoken of in the same breath as the Chongming Saber, yet it was even more legendary. Every sword cultivator who had ever wielded it had become a monumental figure in the cultivation world.

"Go on. Finish your final match," the woman said to Lu Chenhan.

As expected of Kunlun—the moment the Guicang Sword broke, they immediately produced the Qijue Sword.

Meanwhile, Ye Su and You Fushi were set to compete for first and second place. As the two walked up side-by-side, You Fushi somehow missed his footing on the final step. Had Ye Su not caught him in time, he would have taken a nasty fall.

"Sleepy?" Ye Su asked, turning her head toward him.

You Fushi gave a faint "Mm."

Ever since he returned the Chongming Sword, drowsiness had started creeping in. To put it another way, his energy consumption had been too massive, and he desperately needed to rest.

Before they even reached the center of the stage, Ye Su suddenly let go of his hand and turned to walk back down the steps.

"I concede."

Ye Su turned around in astonishment, only to see You Fushi standing on the stage, speaking to the brown-haired elder in charge of recording the matches.

The elder glanced between the two with a bizarre look on his face. One was standing on the stage forfeiting, while the other already had one foot off the platform, completely bypassing the fight. Nonetheless, he nodded and announced the verdict: "Ye Su wins."

You Fushi turned around, walked over to Ye Su, and gently tugged at her sleeve. "We can go back now."

After a brief silence, Ye Su replied, "Alright."

"You're leaving right now?" Yan Hao asked Ye Su. "Lu Chenhan just went out to fight with the Qijue Sword. Aren't you staying to watch?"

If it had been before, Ye Su might have been curious about the Qijue Sword, but now...

"No, we're going back to rest first." After exchanging quick goodbyes with Ming Liusha and the others, Ye Su led You Fushi through the crowd and back to their resting quarters.

The moment You Fushi touched the bed, he fell fast asleep. To be more accurate, it looked like he had blacked out.

Ye Su leaned over, pulled a thin quilt across the bed to cover him, and then removed his jade hair pin. A waterfall of ink-black hair spilled out instantly, the silk-like strands flowing smoothly through her fingers, prompting her to gently stroke it.

The Chongming Sword leaned obediently against the foot of the bed, acting perfectly innocent, as if it had seen nothing and was just a blameless weapon left in the room.

With his long lashes slightly closed and his lips entirely devoid of color, it was obvious that drawing the Chongming Sword had severely drained his spiritual reserves.

Ye Su threw a sharp sideways glance at the Chongming Sword. Sensing an immediate chill, the sword swiftly bolted out through the door.

With a wave of her hand, she closed the door behind it. She reached out to hold her junior brother's hand, closed her eyes, and began drawing out the stray spiritual energy floating aimlessly within her own spiritual mansion, channeling all of it into his body.

Ye Su had been fully prepared to meet resistance, but to her surprise, You Fushi's spiritual mansion lay completely open, allowing her transferred energy to flow in without a single hitch.

When my junior brother wakes up, I need to teach him how to set up barriers in his spiritual mansion, she thought. He can't just let anyone wander in so easily. Otherwise, if something happens in the future, it would be far too easy for someone with malicious intent to sabotage him.

The spiritual mansion inside You Fushi seemed even more bottomless than her own; no matter how much energy she funneled in, it couldn't be filled.

Ye Su wasn't particularly shocked by this. If he really was the reincarnation of some grand master, such a phenomenon wouldn't be unusual.

Only after transferring all the unconverted energy from her own spiritual mansion into his did Ye Su open her eyes and release his hand. She turned around to sit on the edge of the bed, her mind drifting slightly.

After such a long time, the Grand Sect Tournament was finally drawing to a close.

Being able to enter the so-called Rotating Tower was an unexpected bonus. Originally, Ye Su had only intended to use the tournament to build a reputation for the Qianji Sect. Now... the results seemed to have exceeded expectations by a landslide.

A faint rustling sound came from behind her. Thinking You Fushi had woken up, Ye Su turned to look.

Within a mere quarter of an hour, the hair around his forehead and behind his ears had become completely drenched in sweat. And on his wrist, which was peeking out from his sleeve...

Ye Su narrowed her eyes. To make sure she wasn’t seeing things, she reached out to touch his wrist. There she felt familiar black jade-like pieces—or rather, scales. They were icy cold to the touch, gleaming with a translucent jade luster.

With that gentle touch, a scale on his wrist suddenly flaked off, revealing a lighter-colored new scale underneath.

Ye Su pulled out the black jade fragment she had picked up in the room earlier from her spatial pouch to compare the two. The only difference was their size.

In that split second, Ye Su wasn't thinking about the mystery of You Fushi's scales; instead, her eyes instinctively darted to his face, which was entirely slick with sweat.

Is he about to shift back into a demon?

Without a second thought, Ye Su sent a message to Huang Erqian, telling him to come over with his teleportation scroll.

Huang Erqian arrived incredibly fast, showing up almost the moment the message was sent.

Hearing a knock at the door, Ye Su wrapped You Fushi's hand tightly inside the thin quilt before heading out to open it.

"Is your match over?" Huang Erqian asked. He had just been talking business with some sword cultivators, preparing to collect materials.

"Mine is done." Ye Su looked at him. "Can the Myriad Realms Scroll send us back to the Qianji Sect?"

"Right now?" Huang Erqian was taken aback.

"Right now." Ye Su’s subconscious instinct was to prevent anyone here from discovering You Fushi’s true identity.

"Of course. Though it's typically used for various secret realms and hidden grottoes, this scroll of mine can function as a transportation array just fine," Huang Erqian agreed readily.

Ye Su extended her divine sense into the room first to ensure You Fushi hadn't undergone any massive, visible changes before leading Huang Erqian inside.

"Is... Young Master You injured?" Huang Erqian asked instinctively upon seeing You Fushi wrapped up like a cocoon.

Ye Su didn't answer his question, simply helping the boy up. "Sorry for the trouble."

Fortunately, Huang Erqian didn't press for answers. He took out his scroll and transported the two of them away.

"Returning to the Qianji Sect at a time like this?" Huang Erqian scratched his head. As he turned to leave, he nearly collided with the Chongming Sword flying back in, giving him quite a fright. "Wait, why is there another sword here?"

The abandoned Chongming Sword: "..."

After a brief blur in her vision, Ye Su found herself transported back into her original room at the Qianji Sect, which remained largely unchanged.

She had no time to look for her master, the Sect Leader, and could only lay You Fushi down on the bed first. By now, even the side of his face showed faint traces of tiny black scales.

It wasn't hideous; instead, it possessed a striking, eerie, and breathtaking beauty.

This wasn't the first time Ye Su had witnessed a demon transformation. When Jian Hu had transformed into a nine-tailed fox in front of everyone last time, she hadn't felt much of a stir in her heart.

But this time was different. Her junior brother's situation seemed far more complex than a simple shift in form.