Chapter 369: Chapter 369: [Sword Comes] (Third update, asking for monthly votes!)
“It… It’s been sucked in!” Lu Xun exclaimed, looking at the floating sword sheath, his heart racing.

He knew that the sheath was made of a special material, the hardest part of a mysterious tortoise shell, refined and shaped by Elder Gui.

Although it was of intermediate purple level, its hardness was unparalleled throughout the entire Heavenly Dust Continent.

Lu Xun had journeyed with it for a long time, it had devoured much along the way, mostly spherical objects…

In theory, he should have been reassured.

But this soul-devouring flame was monstrous, one of the foreign race’s most treasured items.

In his past life, Lu Xun had watched in horror as it destroyed a purple level magical weapon!

In the battle of the Southern Territory, Mo Yurou and Master Mo met their tragic ends. Her pair of purple-gold earrings, a rare purple level magical weapon, were also burned clean by the flame, reduced to two wisps of purple smoke!

This little flame was like an unstoppable force; it could incinerate immortals and gods alike!

This made Lu Xun extremely uneasy, unsure if the sword sheath could digest and absorb it.

Just now, the black strings dangling from the sword sheath suddenly became taut.

Immediately afterward, its body shook vigorously.

From the opening of the sword sheath, the flickering light of the soul-devouring flame could be faintly seen.

It was trying to consume the sheath, while the sheath was attempting to consume it in return!

And judging from the current situation, the sword sheath was on the losing end.

“It’s doing all this for me,” Lu Xun thought to himself.

Perhaps the sheath was aware of the risk it was taking.

But if it did nothing, Lu Xun would have died by now.

“Crack–!” A sudden sound made.

Lu Xun watched in horror as a tiny crack appeared on the sword sheath.

The crack was small and could easily be missed, but it was undeniably there!

The sheath, made from tortoise shell and exceptionally tough, which was once able to contain the “Sword Qi is Near”, had developed a crack in it!

Small sparks escaped from the crevice, attempting to further burn the sword sheath!

The sheath began to shake more violently, the two black strings were twitching rapidly, seemingly unable to bear the strain.

The Durability was declining incessantly!

“What should I do! I need to do something!”

“If this continues, the sword sheath is done for!”

He quickly mulled over possible solutions, then remembered a reward he’d just earned not too long ago.

After helping “Partridge Sky” level up, the “Guide” task rewarded Lu Xun lavishly. Included was a “Purple Level Equipment Repair Coupon!”

This item could be exchanged for at the Contribution Points Mall, but currently, the mall had just opened and the purple level repair coupon wasn’t available yet. Lu Xun had no choice but to wait for the next system update.

Moreover, the price difference between the purple level and the blue level coupon was vast.

A blue level only cost 1000 points, while a purple level was ten times the price, needing 10,000 contribution points.

This item was truly a luxury.

Lu Xun stared at the sword sheath, unsure of how to proceed.

Using the repair coupon now would be futile.

The soul-devouring flame was still inside it, and even if he managed to repair the sheath, the flame would continue to burn.

Due to the nature of the soul-devouring flame, once it attached to you, it wouldn’t let go.

It wouldn’t stop until it had completely devoured you, it wouldn’t change its target.

Once the Durability of the sword sheath was depleted, maybe then the flame would let it go.

But once that happened, the flame would be on to him in an instant. He was uncertain if he’d be able to use the Purple Level Equipment Repair Coupon in time.

This made the situation extremely challenging.

He needed a breakthrough.

“Crack–!”

“Crack–!”

Two more tiny cracks appeared on the sword sheath.

The wicked flame was like a transgression against the natural law, outrageous beyond belief!

It seemed capable of eradicating everything from existence!

At this moment, the sword sheath understood, it was in a life or death crisis.

But what Lu Xun didn’t expect was during this state of urgency, upon feeling his anxiety, the black strings on the sheath began floating upwards towards him. Like before, they wished to rub against the back of his hand as a means of comfort.

But it was in such torment at this moment, using all its power to resist the flames.

Thus, the black rope only managed to float halfway before it limply fell down.

Shortly after, it let out a sob.

Yes, it was just like the sound of the wind blowing out of a mountain cave, sounding like a sob.

And this sound seemed like a signal.

Yet, who was this signal for, and where would it reach?

…

…

Demon Sect, the summit of Hidden Mountain.

A sword with extraordinary momentum was suspended in the air. It was the king of all magical weapons within the Hidden Mountain!

It was “The Sword Qi is Near”, once the personal sword of Yan Li, the world’s first sword cultivator, known as the fastest sword under the heavens.

Since Yan Li’s death, it has been left on Hidden Mountain.

But at the time, it did not feel bored or tedious…until its sword sheath was taken away by that man!

—I hate!!!

Since then, it experienced loneliness for the first time.

The years used to slip away in a flash, but now every day is utterly dragged out, dreadfully agonizing.

For this reason, when Lin Chan began her climb, it let out a sword beacon as a signal, indicating that it had chosen her and hoped she would take it down the mountain.

What it did not expect was that Lin Chan chose that dying sword, barely hanging onto life!

“The Sword Qi is Near” did not manage a triumphant exit. Instead, it stayed disheartened on the Hidden Mountain, trying to encourage itself and wait for the next opportunity to depart.

Then it saw Ji Li, soon to begin her climb.

Before Ji Li ascended, it emitted the proud sound of a sword beacon.

While it looked like a challenge to Lu Xun beneath the mountain, in reality, “The Sword Qi is Near” only hoped to attract his attention.

—The one it thinks about day and night.

Unfortunately, it seems he was still angry at it and unwilling to climb the mountain to visit.

Alas, pride feels good in the moment, but it’s a funeral pyre in the pursuit of love.

At that time, “The Sword Qi is Near” understood — following Ji Li down was pointless.

Especially considering how hard it was for Lin Chan to wield it, let alone Ji Li, who had lesser swordsmanship aptitude.

It was too formidable. Under Yan Li’s sword cultivation technique, it had become incredibly powerful.

It had reached its limit as a sword, having been strengthened to its absolute maximum by the sword cultivation technique.

Its power should no longer be evaluated as a magic weapon. Its strength was not inferior to that of Yan Li prior to his death!

Truthfully, the seals on Hidden Mountain could trap any other magical weapon, but not it.

The reason it obediently stayed on the mountain was firstly because it was Yan Li’s command before his death, and secondly due to its fear of its master.

But these small days are truly hard to bear.

The feeling of loneliness is unbearably painful!

Until this very moment, when it suddenly received a mysterious instinctive signal.

As a sword and its sheath have a natural connection.

This natural connection has been there since the moment of their birth.

In an instant, it understood — the sword sheath was in peril!

At that very moment, “The Sword Qi is Near” let out a bright sword beacon sound.

In a flash, the sword disappeared from the peak of Hidden Mountain.

The seal of Hidden Mountain was broken in an instant; it couldn’t stop it as it was like a thin sheet of paper to it.

—The sword departs the mountain!

A streak of light shot across the horizon at an unimaginable speed.

It was so fast; it seemed capable of tearing the sky apart.

…

On this day.

A sword speeds southwards, coming from the Eastern Region.

…

(PS: Third update! I didn’t go out on my birthday, I stayed home to bring you these chapters, can I secure the 8th position in the monthly ranking? Please vote!!!)