Chapter 039: Contemplation

Yu Sha gave an innocent chuckle. Shen Duo glanced at the spot where Shen Qing’s body had once lain, then returned to her small cottage with Yu Sha and Ben Yi.

Shen Qing, having advanced to Spirit Phantom Master, was already one of the strongest figures in Luo City. Who would believe that such a formidable person had died at the hands of Shen Family’s useless Ninth Miss? The very notion would make people laugh until their teeth fell out. Moreover, Shen Qing’s corpse had been obliterated; Shen Duo had nothing to worry about.

Shen Qing was truly worthy of being the city lord. Her storage pouch and storage ring were filled with treasures, though there were few gold coins—likely spent on that Water Spirit Flower. The most valuable item was a cultivation manual for Phantom Masters, detailed with guidance from Phantom Master to Spirit Phantom Master, handed down by the elders of the Shen Family. Only direct disciples were supposed to receive such a book, and Shen Qing must have used some trick to obtain it. Yet for Shen Duo, who could not absorb Spirit Phantom Qi, it was useless.

After looting Shen Qing’s valuables, Shen Duo had Yu Sha burn her storage ring and pouch, destroying them completely. Only then did Shen Duo begin to reflect seriously on the battle with Shen Qing that night.

Suddenly recalling something, Shen Duo took out the scroll the old man had given her. Unrolling it, even her calm demeanor could not help but draw a sharp breath—it was a profound-grade sword technique! Across the continent, the most commonly taught sword skills were of the yellow grade; to learn higher grade skills, one had to join powerful factions or academies. Yet that old man had given her a profound-grade sword manual just like that—how could she not be astonished?

The scroll contained two techniques: “Wind-Cleaving Art” and “Rapid Art.” The Wind-Cleaving Art involved unleashing a barrage of strikes by swinging the sword at high speed in an instant; the faster the sword, the more strikes could be released, and the higher the sword energy, the more consecutive blows. The Rapid Art was of the same lineage, but its flaw lay in its lack of power and destructive force. Rapid Art gathered sword energy into one hand, transforming all gathered energy into strength, condensing it to a critical point, and then erupting all the force instantaneously for a fatal blow.

Both techniques were formidable, but their foundation was not simple. To use and master them, first, one must reach the level of Sword Spirit, so as to possess sufficient sword energy to support such powerful moves. Second, an indomitable will was necessary—the process of training sword techniques was arduous, much like a scientist conducting experiments, with success coming rarely after hundreds or thousands of attempts. To wield sword techniques proficiently, one had to endure hundreds or even thousands of practice sessions.

At the bottom of the scroll was a brief explanation of sword energy: the sword energy of a swordsman, akin to the Spirit Phantom Qi of a Phantom Master, adheres to the blade and is the origin of all techniques. Without sword energy, powerful moves and techniques cannot be unleashed. Dense sword energy is the mark of a strong swordsman. Sword energy came in types: Senior Swordsman’s was white, Sword Spirit’s was green, Sword King’s was cyan, and Sword Saint—Lord Wei Lan’s—was gray. When a swordsman reached Sword King, they could fly on their sword, just like Sky Phantom Masters.

Shen Duo recalled the thick white sword energy on her blade during the battle with Shen Qing. Could she already be a Senior Swordsman? The difference between high-level and low-level Senior Swordsman was in the density of sword energy, and hers had reached at least the seven-star rank.

Shen Duo drew the long sword from her storage ring. She had noticed its peculiarities: when she stabbed at Shen Qing, Shen Qing had clearly dodged, yet she still struck her. Shen Duo furrowed her brows, examining the sword.

Resting in the corner, Yu Sha glanced at her wordlessly. “Hey, Duo, this is a Saint Phantom Weapon. Don’t tell me you didn’t know?”

“Huh?” Shen Duo looked at Yu Sha in puzzlement. “Saint Phantom Weapon?”

Yu Sha nearly coughed up blood in exasperation. “A Saint Phantom Weapon is a whole tier above Spirit Phantom Weapons. Even an Alchemy Grandmaster has less than a fifty percent chance of crafting one. People covet Spirit Phantom Weapons, let alone the rarity of Saint Phantom Weapons. This isn’t the ancient Holy Radiance Continent; after so many generations, inheritance has weakened, especially in the alchemist profession, which has become desolate. Now, an Alchemy Grandmaster in Holy Radiance Continent is already a supreme existence.”

Yu Sha spoke with authority; his knowledge partly came from his magical beast heritage, and much of it from overhearing gossip while sneaking sips in the Butto Tavern.

“Uh…” Shen Duo had not expected that the sword Lei Hang had given her, further modified by the old man, would be a Saint Phantom Weapon coveted even by the continent’s top experts. She wiped cold sweat from her brow, glad she had always kept the sword hidden in her storage ring, never flaunting it.

“Once a Saint Phantom Weapon recognizes its master by blood, it can communicate with the master’s mind, acting according to the owner’s will and even performing unexpected feats. Moreover, Saint Phantom Weapons possess innate concealment—just like a phantom beast’s mimicry. When not in use, to ordinary people it appears as a common phantom weapon; only those with profound cultivation can see through it.” Seeing Shen Duo’s cluelessness, Yu Sha kindly explained.

So that was the case—her worries were unfounded. Even if she carried the sword, unless she encountered a vastly superior expert, no one would recognize it. The sudden change in the sword’s tip during the battle was likely the weapon responding to her intent. Shen Duo was utterly smitten with this sword.

Yu Sha rolled his eyes dramatically at her belated understanding.

With her current abilities, she could not yet practice the sword arts the old man had given her. Her goal now was to quickly advance to Sword Spirit and continually enhance her sword energy.

Having set her sights, Shen Duo felt greatly relieved. At last, unlike when she had first arrived in this unfamiliar world, she was no longer adrift, with no direction or purpose.

Stowing away the sword and scroll, Shen Duo finally lay down comfortably, ready for a good night’s rest; tomorrow, there were many tasks ahead. Yu Sha curled up into Shen Duo’s arms, seeking a cozy spot, while Ben Yi slept beneath the bed. Outside, the winter night wind howled, but inside, the cottage, though lacking a soft bed or warm chamber, was still pleasant and warm.

As the sun just rose, Shen Duo was already up. Yu Sha lingered in bed, his tiger eyes open but unwilling to move. Shen Duo laughed, deliberately teasing him, “If you keep sleeping like this, you’ll never reach adulthood in this lifetime.”

Yu Sha bristled, leaping from the bed with a snarl, “That’s nonsense! I work hard at cultivation! Just you wait, Duo—when I reach adulthood and take human form, you’ll see! Don’t praise me for being too handsome then!”

Shen Duo gave a dry chuckle and shot him a look of disdain. Yu Sha’s tiger fur stood on end in indignation.