The former spirit of the Thousand-Pound Sword
Asakawa was silent for a moment, then laughed: "Are your eyesight that good?"
Another one, Asakawa, chuckled: "It works quite well in this area, so you two really knew each other before?"
Asakawa nodded and looked up at the night sky: "I once entered that Amber Realm and hunted the Flaming Bird mentioned earlier according to the bounty. I found the box inside its belly. When I opened it, I found a pair of dragon horns. These are top-grade materials. I couldn't bear to sell them, so I used the dragon horns to forge a sword."
Another Chaodu glanced at her silently, thinking to himself that she was indeed a top-notch sword cultivator. Her first reaction to any good material was to forge a sword. If this dragon horn were converted into money, it would be enough for her to live a life of luxury.
Chao Du summoned the Thousand-Pound Sword, gently stroked its spine, and said with a complex expression, "The Thousand-Pound Sword has a sword spirit since that forging."
Another Asakawa was stunned: "Wait, could this sword spirit be...?!"
Chao Du nodded: "Under normal circumstances, a sword first develops its spirituality, and it takes hundreds of years for a sword spirit to appear. However, the Thousand-Pound Sword was less than a hundred years old at that time... The swordsmith and I thought it was because the dragon horn material was special and extremely spiritual. Later we learned that it wasn't the dragon horn that was special, but rather that its soul was sealed inside the dragon horn. When the sword was forged with the dragon horn, the seal was accidentally broken during the process of hammering and boiling true fire, allowing the sword to come into the sword. It recuperated in the sword and gradually regained its senses."
Another Asakawa exclaimed in surprise, "Is that so? Then why didn't he reveal his true identity after regaining his senses?"
“No, he kept it from me for twenty years.” Chao Du pursed his lips and suddenly smiled. “You should cultivate first. I’ll continue the story when you can control your strength.”
Another, Asakawa, exclaimed in shock, "You're really good at keeping us in suspense!"
Chao Du asked with a smile, "Do you want to hear it?"
"Of course I want to! Just wait!" The other one, Chao Du, rolled up her sleeves and continued to knead the dough that she had just protected so well, until she was covered in sweat and her wrists ached, before saying, "It should be about ready."
Chao Du walked over and poked the dough, laughing, "It's so chewy, it must taste delicious. Come on, now touch this dough as gently as possible."
Another person gently reached out, touched the dough, and then withdrew, leaving a deep fingerprint on the dough.
"How could this be? I clearly held back my strength, and I didn't have much strength left to begin with..." another Asakawa said, quite frustrated.
Chao Du said, "No rush, let's try again."
Another person tried several more times, and when the dough was covered with fingerprints, he kneaded it all over again.
She never imagined that simply placing her hand on the dough would be so difficult for her. She spent a lot of effort just trying not to twist, stomp, or turn the dough into a mess, and before she knew it, she was covered in cold sweat.
She tried her best to be patient, placing her hands on the dough as gently as possible, but she always ended up leaving deep fingerprints and even palm marks.
He had lost count of how many times he had tried, and his consciousness was becoming somewhat blurred. The other Chao Du shook his drowsy head, grasped the cool Ice Marrow Demon-Suppressing Bracelet to regain his senses, and continued with the two steps of gently touching and kneading the dough.
"One more time, one more time." The other Asaka encouraged himself in a low voice, but he didn't even have the strength to lift his hand, and his fingertips were trembling uncontrollably.
"Stop shaking! I told you not to shake!" Another Chaodu suddenly screamed at his fingers, almost trying to break them off. The Ice Marrow Demon-Suppressing Bracelet on his wrist suddenly emitted a terrifying chill.
In the extreme cold, the other Asawa regained some of his senses and looked at Asawa in a panicked and bewildered state: "Did I... lose control again just now?"
Asawa stood up, walked towards her, gently patted her shoulder, and said with a gentle smile, "It's okay, it's only the first day, you've already done very well."
Another Asakawa forced a smile, which looked more like a cry than a smile: "I know you're trying to comfort me, but it's such a simple action, how can I not do it?!"
Asakawa comforted him, "You used to have plenty of precision but lacked strength, but now you're just right. You have plenty of strength, but precision has become your weakness, so it's normal that you can't control it well. Otherwise, why would we still be training it? Come on, take a break. You must be tired. Do you want to sleep for a while? Or is there anything you want to eat?"
Another woman shook her head; she had no appetite and couldn't sleep soundly.
"I want to keep practicing. I refuse to believe that such a simple movement can be so difficult for me!" Another Asakawa rolled up his sleeves, gritted his teeth, and strained to continue practicing.
Chao Du didn't stop them, but silently opened the Scroll of Reality and Illusion, letting the two little fish find some food.
She and she are the same person, so their tastes should be the same, right?
Before long, the enticing aroma of food wafted into the nose of another person on the riverbank.
She couldn't help but turn her head to look: a table full of dishes had appeared out of nowhere next to her, all of which were her favorite foods!
Braised pork ribs, stewed chicken with mushrooms, sesame duck with soy sauce, sweet glutinous rice lotus root, golden shrimp balls... their aroma fills the house, exuding an irresistible charm.
Asakawa sat down at the table, picked up her chopsticks, and said with a leisurely smile, "You can continue practicing, but it would be a pity if they got cold in a while."
Another one swallowed hard and said resolutely, "Cultivation is important, but letting it go to waste is a heinous crime. I cannot commit such a demonic act!"
Chao Du laughed happily, "Then come quickly!"
Another person, Chao Du, excitedly ran to the table, picked up a steaming hot braised pork rib, took a bite, and then paused, saying, "It tastes so bland."
Asakawa also took a bite, frowning: It tasted just right for her, so why did her other self find it bland? Was it because she had become possessed by a demon?
The other Asakawa looked at her inquiringly. Asakawa was silent for a moment, and before she could speak, the other Asakawa seemed to understand something and asked uneasily, "Is it because I've become a demon? My tastes do seem to have changed." Not long ago, she even had an appetite for bloody raw meat.
Asawatari tried to sound relaxed, saying, "It could be for other reasons. It's okay, we can just add more seasoning."
With a wave of her hand, all the dozen or so spices on the spice rack flew over and landed on the table, filling every corner.
"Add whatever you want!" Asaka said with a light laugh, as if her change of taste was just an accident, just a very, very small problem.
Looking at the table full of delicious food and seasonings, the other Asaka had much less appetite than before, but in order not to worry her other self, she forced herself to cheer up and said with a smile, "Okay, then I won't be polite."
She sprinkled a lot of chili powder on the plate, added some salt, cumin powder and sesame seeds, then picked up a piece of pork rib, dipped it in, and took a bite. Her eyes lit up immediately.
The long-awaited delicious food awakened her sense of smell and taste. At the same time, the fatigue in her body, which she had been deliberately ignoring, became apparent, such as her sore wrists, her still faintly aching limbs, and the burning sensation on her tongue...
All of this reminded her of something very obvious, yet almost forgotten: although she had fallen into demonic possession, she was still a human being, a person of flesh and blood, who loved to eat braised pork ribs, which was not much different from her former self.
Asaka observed her reaction and felt a little relieved. She then smiled and said, "These dishes were probably made by a famous chef. The previous owner of this roll tasted them and thought they were very good, so he kept them in the roll. Eat more."
"Okay!" The other Chao Du nodded; her appetite had returned, and she was ready to go all out! She'd bring her chili peppers and charge into battle!
Seeing that the other Asamato had a hearty appetite, Asamato felt much more at ease.
After a while, Asahi and another Asahi finished eating.
Another one sighed, "I have to touch that lousy dough again later. How come I can't do such a simple thing? I still want to hear you continue telling the story!"
Asaka smiled helplessly and helped her analyze: "It seems like a simple movement, but it is related to many aspects such as mindset, patience and attention to detail. Don't rush, there are other classes tomorrow. Improve all other aspects, and it should be much easier to do this movement then."
Another student, Chao Du, was both excited and scared: "What classes are there tomorrow? I haven't had a class in years, and besides, is Master you?"
Chao Du raised an eyebrow: "What, you don't want me to be your master?"
"No, no..." another one said cautiously, "That's right, that's right, I'm definitely stupid. Although I'll try my best, I'm too stupid, and I'll probably make you angry very easily..."
Chao Du sighed with pity and put a chicken leg on her plate: "You've had such a hard time these past few years that you've lost confidence in yourself. Don't forget, we're all one person. Anyway, don't worry about these things. I'm not a strict teacher, and I won't give you homework or set exams. Just treat me as your friend and your cultivation partner."
Another man, Chao Du, nodded emphatically, his eyes welling up with tears.
After thinking for a moment, Chao Du said, "Let's start tomorrow's lessons with watching the sunrise. We'll watch the sunrise in the morning, practice resonance, then have some practical combat in the morning, and summarize and practice swordsmanship in the afternoon—we can continue with practical combat if we want. In the evening, it's up to us: plant flowers, fish, play the zither, paint, play chess, or just daydream."
Another Chao Du listened with anticipation: "Great! Let's go with this arrangement! But what is cultivation resonance?"
Chao Du looked at her in surprise: "You didn't know...?" It seems that by the time she comprehended resonance, her destiny had already deviated significantly from her own, and her other self had not even comprehended resonance.
Chao Du felt a pang of regret and explained, "Resonance requires you to listen attentively to the voice of heaven and earth, observe all things and phenomena, and then become a part of it. It can be used to attack or retreat, and it is very useful."
"Moreover," Asakawa pointed her finger towards her heart, "it can calm your heart."
“I understand.” The other Chao Du nodded knowingly. “Now that I’ve fallen into demonic possession, what I need most isn’t power, but self-cultivation. I will try my best.”
Chao Du shook his head: "Not entirely. You need power now too. You need power anytime, anywhere. But if you don't cultivate your mind, the more power you gain, the easier it is to lose control. So you need to do both at the same time. They are both important. And what you need to do now is not to work hard, but to relax. The more relaxed you are, the more you can hear the voice of heaven and earth."
The other one immediately took a deep breath: "Okay, then I'll try to relax."
Asaka chuckled helplessly, "Take away the 'try your best' part. You don't need to try your best to relax. Don't rush, take it slow, don't put any pressure on yourself." As he spoke, Asaka picked up another shrimp for her, "Eat more. When you eat, focus on eating. When you fish, focus on fishing. In short, don't think about those messy things. Just focus on what's in front of you. Don't think about or care about anything or anyone you can't see."
Another Asawata: "Okay, I got it!"
"By the way, dough is inconvenient to carry, so I'll make you a ball of spiritual energy." Chao Du raised his hand, and a ball of spiritual energy appeared between his fingers, which he handed to the other Chao Du.
Another person took the ball of spiritual energy, kneaded it, and found that it felt no different from kneading dough. She tried to gently cover it with her hand, but failed again.
Asakawa comforted her, "It's alright, no rush. You can practice with this anytime afterward, and you'll eventually succeed. When you're not using it, it can turn into two little birds to keep you company." Asakawa winked at her, "You know their names."
Another one, Chao Du, exclaimed, "Early to bed and early to rise!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the ball of spiritual energy split in two, transforming into two small and adorable birds, one blue and one pink. They circled around her, chirping melodiously, before finally settling together in her palm.
"Go to bed early, get up early, you're back..." Another Chao Du gently held them, as if holding two priceless, unparalleled pearls, her voice trembling slightly, "This time I absolutely, absolutely will not send you away again!"
Holding the two long-lost birds in her arms, she unconsciously wanted to get closer to them. She gently stroked the feathers on their backs with her thumb, and they didn't show any sign of struggling. Instead, they affectionately turned around and rubbed against her fingertips.
Asakawa's eyes lit up, and she exclaimed with delight, "You did it!"
The other woman stared blankly at her palm for a moment, then realized what she had done: because of the long separation, she unconsciously wanted to get close to them; because of her love, she subconsciously used the lightest of all her strength, so she successfully controlled her strength, touching them without harming them.
Chao Du laughed and said, "You really have to go to bed early and get up early. Those two are practically miracle doctors."
Another woman, Chao Du, held two small birds in her hands, smiling gently: "They are also our lucky stars. When we first started practicing swordsmanship, we had trouble getting up in the morning. It was they who worked hard to wake us up every day to remind us to get up and practice. Now that I'm practicing again, it's they who have helped me understand."
Another Asaka gently kissed them: "I was so wrong before."
Looking at this scene, Asahi smiled and said, "It's okay, the road ahead is still long, and I'll accompany you to bed early and get up early."
The other one, Chao Du, nodded happily: "Great! Right! Now that I've managed to control my strength, shouldn't you continue?"
Asakado smiled helplessly: "Go ahead and talk, but you're just getting into the zone now, so it's best not to stop. Practice a little longer and talk when we're watching the sunrise."
Another person, Chao Du, nodded happily: "Okay!"
The two continued their cultivation, and when sunrise was approaching, they went to the edge of the cliff to watch the sunrise together.
Another person, Chao Du, embraced the idea of going to bed early and waking up early, gazing at the vast golden sea of clouds and listening to the howling wind in his ears. The confusion and fear in his heart gradually dissipated, and the past events, like a painful and long dream, gradually blurred and faded away.
Chao Du had been observing her, and was surprised to find that the demonic energy on her body had faded slightly, indicating that there was still hope in eradicating the demonic energy.
Another Asawa suddenly turned his head and looked at her expectantly: "Should we continue now?"
Chao Du sighed helplessly, "Tell me. After the Thousand-Pound Sword was reforged, I felt a bit awkward using it and it was stuck in my hand. He kept cooperating with me and helping me get used to it, doing his best as a sword spirit without revealing his identity. I just treated him as an ordinary sword spirit."
Another, Chao Du, asked in bewilderment, "Why didn't he say?"
As Chaodu gazed at the increasingly bright sea of clouds, he recalled distant memories: "Back then, Long Mingyuan, driven by jealousy and the desire for the throne, conspired with the Demon Lord to kill him. They severed his dragon horns, stripped him of his scales, and sealed his soul within a dragon horn, casting it into an amber realm in the cultivation world that could shift at any moment. Finding him was nearly impossible for the dragon race. I accidentally brought him out, but he was heartbroken by his brother and didn't want to cause further conflict over the throne, leading to more dragons dying. So he decided not to return to the dragon race and truly stayed in my sword as a sword spirit. Later, when he confessed his past identity to me, he even said that the time he spent as my sword spirit was the most carefree and enjoyable period of his life."
As Chao Du spoke, he pinched his brow helplessly: "I don't even know what to say anymore. He kept it from me for twenty years. During that time, I treated him as a sword spirit, trusted him and talked to him about everything, but he kept it from me and lied to me for so long."
Another one, Chao Du, suddenly understood: "No wonder..." No wonder her eyes were so complicated when she mentioned him. "So when did you find out his true identity?"
Chao Du: "The demon race, together with the Demon Lord and the Ghost King, attacked the cultivation world. The cultivation world was in imminent danger. I planned to assassinate Long Mingyuan, and that's when he revealed his true identity to me."
The other Chao Du was immediately shocked: "Assassinate Long Mingyuan?! You went to assassinate Long Mingyuan?"
Chao Du nodded: "I went. When I first devised the assassination plan, I didn't expect to leave the Dragon Palace alive. I just thought I had to get rid of Long Mingyuan and break the alliance between the demon race and the Demon Lord Ghost King. Later, with his assistance as the former crown prince, the assassination plan went much more smoothly. Although I was seriously injured, at least I didn't lose my life. Long Mingyuan died under the sword forged from his dragon horn, which can be considered revenge for him."
Another Chao Du murmured, "So this is another way to break the deadlock... Fu Buci still hasn't been able to deal with Long Mingyuan, and the consequences are endless. After the assassination was successful, will he still remain in the sword?" The other Chao Du looked at the Thousand-Pound Sword: "Is the sword spirit still him now?"
The Thousand-Pound Sword swayed slightly from side to side, as if in denial.
“Now the sword spirit is no longer him, it is the true sword spirit.” Chao Du also looked at the Thousand Jun Sword, recalling the past, his expression became more complicated, “At first, he was unwilling to leave the sword, he did not want me to tell the dragon clan about his identity, he wanted me to forget his original name and identity, and continue to treat him as the Thousand Jun Sword Spirit.”
Another Asawa: "...Huh? He likes being a sword spirit that much?" Does he actually like being a sword spirit, or...?
Asaka gazed into the distance, gently stroking the Thousand-Pound Sword: "No matter what he thinks, I think my sword spirit is just a sword spirit, not someone who has deceived me for so many years. So I still 'invited' him out of the sword, reforged the Thousand-Pound Sword, and took out the dragon horn from the sword to return to him, even though he didn't want to accept it."
Another chaebol was shocked by her determination.
Asakawa said calmly, "I know he had his reasons. At first, he wasn't sure if I could be trusted, so he didn't dare to tell me. Later, he was sure I could be trusted, but he also found that I hated being lied to, especially by my close friends and family. So he was even more reluctant to tell me. He kept putting it off for so many years. Anyway, he went back to be the new king later."
Another Asawata: "I feel that he might, possibly, actually likes..."
Chao Du: "Stop, don't worry about him, let's continue our cultivation. Observe with your eyes, listen with your ears, smell with your nose, touch with your hands... mobilize all the senses you can use, and use them to connect your heart with heaven and earth. You will gradually resonate with heaven and earth. The more detailed your observation and feeling, the more connections you will make, and the higher the degree of resonance with heaven and earth will be."
Another Asawata tried to do as Asawata said, perceiving everything around him as meticulously as possible, from large to small, from shallow to deep.
She tried to concentrate on watching, but soon found that the harder she tried, the more agitated she became and the more her attention wandered.
Memories kept flooding back, and she tried to ignore them, continuing to observe her surroundings through them, but then a very familiar voice rang out from behind her.
"Du'er, so you've been here all along."
She turned her head and was horrified to see that the monster with Fu Buci's face was there too! Just five steps behind her! When did it follow her?!
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