“Originally, I didn’t plan to get involved. After all, there are many cultivators in the secret realm. I’ve separated from the main group of the sect. The most important thing is to catch up with everyone, not to cause unnecessary trouble for myself.”
“But I saw that the person was Senior Brother Li.” Lin Ju’an glanced at Li Geyue, who was receiving treatment. “Senior Brother Li was being chased and hacked by several puppets at the time, and he was clearly outnumbered.”
"So I went up to help him, but by the time I got there it was too late, and Senior Brother Li's injuries were already so severe."
Ji Mo Fan pondered for a moment.
"After he receives treatment, tear up the teleportation talisman and send him back to the Yun Cang Sword Sect." Ji Mo Fan sighed, tucking his hands into the sleeves of the opposite side of his clothes.
"With injuries like this, there's no way we can take him on any more training missions."
The two disciples of Yifeng nodded hurriedly.
"Take this and give it to Junior Brother Ning for safekeeping." Ji Mofan seemed to only then realize that he was still holding the Xiaoxiang Sword, which he had just obtained from the inheritance at the bottom of the cliff.
Lin Ju'an felt something was strange, after all, Ning Weisheng was not far from Ji Mofan, and he clearly saw the two of them standing together when he arrived.
But he didn't refute Ji Mofan's words; he just obediently nodded and reached out, wanting to take the sword from his hand.
Ji Mofan suddenly pressed down hard as he handed it over.
"Hiss...!" Lin Ju'an subconsciously pulled his hand away.
His palm was accidentally cut open by the sword's edge, and blood instantly filled the wound, dripping down.
"Oh dear, I'm so sorry." Ji Mofan apologized in a completely emotionless manner, reaching out as if to help him up.
Lin Ju'an watched as his blood was smeared onto the sword in Ji Mofan's hand.
The Xiaoxiang Sword emitted an intense spiritual light, as if it contained towering waves that crashed out one after another. The ripples of spiritual energy almost solidified in the air and were visible to the naked eye.
"Senior Brother!" Lin Ju'an's eyes widened in an instant.
What exactly does he want to do?
Only swords possessed by a sword spirit require a blood oath to become their master. However, sword spirits are invariably proud and stubborn. If forced to undergo this blood oath by someone else, they will either destroy themselves or, worse, turn against the offender!
Lin Ju'an had already vaguely sensed that something foreign was gradually squeezing into his mind.
If we don't interrupt quickly, I'm afraid...
"Don't move." Ji Mofan suddenly reached out and put his hand on his shoulder.
Lin Ju'an's pupils suddenly contracted.
It wasn't an accident; the senior brother was consciously helping him form a contract with this sword!
"Senior Brother!" Ning Weisheng was originally watching over Li Geyue's treatment when he suddenly sensed the spiritual energy fluctuations coming from Ji Mofan. He was startled and immediately jumped up to go closer and take a look.
"Stop." Ji Mofan tilted his head slightly and glanced at him.
"...Senior Brother, what exactly happened?" Although worried, Ning Weisheng still stood obediently in place.
"When Xiaoxiang Sword saw Junior Brother Lin, it suddenly moved on its own. It seems that it wants to acknowledge Junior Brother Lin as its master." Ji Mo Fan started spouting nonsense.
Not only did Lin Ju'an's eyes flicker, but even the Xiaoxiang Sword in Ji Mofan's hand emitted a slight sword hum.
Then Ji Mofan gripped the hilt of the sword, and the Xiaoxiang Sword fell silent.
Ugh, those damned two-legged beasts, bullying the sword spirit because it can't speak.
“I will preside over the ceremony of recognizing him as the master.” Ji Mofan said, and without waiting for Ning Weisheng and the others to react, he grabbed Lin Ju’an’s clothes, drew the Snow Sword from his waist, and flew away on the sword.
Ning Weisheng was too late to stop them and could only watch as the two disappeared into the dense forest.
He sighed.
Although all the gains from this training should, in principle, be redistributed by the team leader based on contributions after the training is over and everyone returns to the sect.
But since the sword itself initiated a connection with that disciple surnamed Lin, there's nothing that can be done about it.
but......
Ning Weisheng turned back to Li Geyue's side, still slightly puzzled.
Does a ceremony to recognize a Lord require any special venue?
Where is the eldest brother planning to take him?
Ji Mofan ignored what the others were thinking. After pulling Lin Ju'an away from everyone's sight, he let go of him.
"What exactly happened between you and Li Geyue?" Since the two of them shouldn't be separated from the group for too long, Ji Mofan got straight to the point.
"As instructed by my senior brother, I kept an eye on Senior Brother Li's whereabouts the whole way." With no one else around and a soundproof barrier set up by Ji Mofan, Lin Ju'an revealed the whole truth.
"He seemed to have deliberately fallen behind. After following the main group for a while, when they passed through a valley, he went against the direction of the locator and flew into it on his sword."
“I followed him all the way, and I saw that Senior Brother Li was holding a map and seemed to be looking for something.” Lin Ju’an took out half of the blood-stained sheepskin map from his pocket. “It looks like a topographical map of the Shen’ai Secret Realm, but it is not quite the same as the current appearance of the secret realm. I guess it should be a map left by a senior who entered the secret realm when it was last opened a hundred years ago.”
Ji Mofan took the map fragment. From the blood-stained patterns, he could vaguely see a cross mark next to the pattern representing the valley.
"What did he find there?" It seemed like a treasure map, hence his question.
"Junior Brother Li dug out a small pottery jar." Lin Ju'an had already secretly taken the item from Li Geyue while he was unconscious.
Ji Mofan looked at the small pottery jar, no bigger than a palm, lying in Lin Ju'an's palm.
The jar was crudely made, without even a glaze on the outside. It was clearly made by an ordinary person using their own kiln and was neither valuable nor precious.
The earthenware jar was sealed very carefully; a wooden stopper wasn't enough, the sides were also sealed tightly with tree sap, as if afraid that something inside might leak out.
Suddenly, Ji Mofan remembered something. He picked up the pottery jar, turned it around, and examined the bottom.
“...It’s a Gu worm from the Southern Frontier.” He ran his fingertip along the characters carved on the bottom of the jar. “This is the script of the Southern Frontier. Each tribe, and even each Gu maker, uses a different script arrangement to mark the Gu worms they cultivate.”
"Gu worms?" Lin Ju'an was startled by this unfamiliar term.
This can't be blamed on him. After all, the Yuncang Sword Sect is located in the Central Plains, and Lin Ju'an is a native of the Central Plains. If it weren't for this secret realm training, he probably wouldn't have bothered to come to such a far-off place as the Southern Frontier.
Naturally, they would not come into contact with the Gu worms that are only found in southern Xinjiang.
"Senior Brother, what is the purpose of this Gu worm?" He looked up at Ji Mofan with some surprise and asked.
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