Chapter 79: The Mid-Nascent Soul Duels

The Endless Boat was the flagship of Endless Island's battle fleet. Its exterior was hardly ornate, forged entirely from black profound iron, exceptionally sturdy. From a distance, it looked like a flying aerial fortress.

The Abyssal Sea forces had only just established a foothold on Lingchuan continent. With the war pressing heavily, the Three Alliance Council's main hall had yet to be built. This meeting was thus held directly aboard the Endless Boat.

Few attendees gathered. Apart from the three Grand Cultivators, only those Mid-Nascent Soul cultivators like Jiuyou who were temporarily free showed up, roughly twenty in total. Most others remained occupied with war efforts elsewhere and couldn't spare the time.

When Jiuyou stepped into the cabin, many people took the initiative to greet him.

Even if they were reluctant inwardly, they had to admit that after the recent string of battles, Jiuyou's accomplishments had proven his strength, far surpassing many veteran Mid-Nascent Soul cultivators. Describing it as explosive accumulation would not be an overstatement.

Privately, some had already begun comparing him to peak Mid-Nascent Soul cultivators like Mo Tiancheng, which drew much astonished discussion.

The meeting lasted several hours.

When Jiuyou returned to the Soul Wraith Mystic Vessel, his expression was calm, but the cold aura radiating from him was heavier than usual. Along the way, Soul Wraith Island disciples who saw him hurriedly bowed, not daring to even breathe loudly.

Canfeng had been brimming with excitement.

Over the past few months, he had thrived on the battlefield, devouring the souls of quite a few low-level cultivators and greatly improving his cultivation.

Moreover, now that his grand-ancestor had broken through to Mid-Nascent Soul, his standing had risen alongside the patriarch in the circle of privileged young heirs among the major Abyssal Sea powers.

Even if some people didn't know Canfeng's name, the moment they heard the fearsome reputation of Grand Ancestor Jiuyou, their faces would change dramatically, expressions turning to shock before finally realizing.

"So this is Grand Ancestor Jiuyou's grand-disciple. I've heard so much about you. What a rare honor to meet you today. Fellow Daoist, your presence exceeds even the rumors..."

The gazes that once held disgust, contempt, or unfamiliarity had all turned courteous and fawning.

Canfeng was inwardly reveling in his triumph.

He had intended to report his cultivation progress to his grand-ancestor, but the moment he caught sight of Jiuyou's eyes, he immediately restrained his smile. Reading people's moods was his greatest skill; otherwise, he wouldn't have been the longest-surviving Golden Core cultivator on Soul Wraith Island, nor would he have earned the grand-ancestor's favor.

He thought to himself: something major must be brewing.

So he hastily clasped his fists, made up an excuse, and quickly withdrew.

Only after Jiuyou strode into the grand hall did the other disciples let out sighs of relief.

Inside the grand hall, Jiuyou sat cross-legged, eyes closed in meditation, going over the meeting's contents from start to finish.

What was discussed wasn't complicated.

Over the past few months, the Abyssal Sea allied forces had stormed through half of the Northern Heaven Alliance's territory with lightning speed, demonstrating their might to the entire Lingchuan continent. But the allied forces had also suffered losses. If they were to fight the whole continent head-on, the cost would inevitably be steep.

About ten days ago, the Three Alliance Council had sent a battle challenge to the high command of the Lingchuan continent coalition.

The content was simple and direct: if they kept fighting like this, neither side stood to gain. Lingchuan and the Abyssal Sea were evenly matched in strength. Grinding each other down would only result in mutual ruin.

So they proposed an alternative.

Both sides would temporarily cease hostilities.

Six months later, each side would send thirteen Mid-Nascent Soul cultivators to duel, with thirteen matches and seven needed for victory.

If the Abyssal Sea won, Lingchuan would cede half its territory to the Abyssal Sea humans to recover and thrive. If the Abyssal Sea lost, they would withdraw from Lingchuan continent and never invade again.

Half a month passed before Lingchuan sent back their reply: they accepted. Temporary truce.

What tricks each side was secretly cooking up, no one knew.

But Jiuyou was well aware that the Abyssal Sea allied forces had no way back. Were they truly supposed to abandon the hard-won territory and return to the Tianyuan Sea polluted by blood mist? Forget himself, no Abyssal Sea cultivator would agree to that.

Moreover, the Abyssal Sea allied forces were no weaker than the Lingchuan continent. Why would the three Grand Cultivators make such a risky decision?

Jiuyou guessed they likely had other plans in mind. As for what exactly, he couldn't fathom for now.

But he didn't dwell on it. Whatever happened in the future, rapidly improving his strength was the foundation. With more tricks up his sleeve, he'd naturally have more confidence to survive.

After a moment's thought, he took out the thirty-two Jinli Ember Moon Swords from his storage pouch. Wiping his hand across them, he erased every trace of the spiritual mark left behind by the young man.

These spirit swords were the young man's natal magical artifacts, not ancient relics. They couldn't be used directly; they required complete re-refinement. Their grade wasn't low, and fully refining them would likely take considerable effort.

Jiuyou didn't hesitate. He immediately closed his eyes, gathered his focus, and began the refinement process.

He first took out one spirit sword and repeatedly washed it with his own magical power. The blade hummed incessantly, as if resisting. After all, it was a life-bound treasure nurtured by another for years. Even with the mark erased, the residual spiritual nature still rejected a new master.

Roughly half an hour later, the first sword was barely refined.

Jiuyou opened his eyes and did the math.

Refining one sword took half an hour. Thirty-two swords meant sixteen hours. That didn't sound like much, but this was the ideal scenario. The later swords would only resist more fiercely. And after refinement, they'd still need nurturing and attunement before they could truly obey his will like extensions of his own arm.

At this pace, fully refining all of them would take at least seven or eight years.

Too slow.

Frowning, his fingertips stroked the blade when a sudden idea struck him.

The Golden Sun True Flame within the Golden Sun Heavenly Mountain was a Pure Yang Flame. Not only could it suppress demonic cultivation methods, it also possessed an extremely potent tempering power over artifacts. If he used it to assist the refinement, it might yield twice the results with half the effort.

Jiuyou immediately retrieved the Golden Sun Heavenly Mountain, drew out a wisp of Golden Sun True Flame, and wrapped it around another spirit sword.

The crimson-golden flame licked at the blade. The residual spiritual nature within the sword rapidly dissolved under the scorching heat of the Golden Sun True Flame, and its original resistance greatly diminished.

Seizing the opportunity, Jiuyou infused it with his magical power. In less than the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, the second sword was completely refined.

Nearly thirty times faster.

Jiuyou's heart stirred. At this pace, refining them all would take only a few months. With more practice, he could go even faster.

While refining, he pondered. The grade of this Jinli Sword Formation was extremely high. The Sky Blue Flowers and Jinli Stones needed to forge the spirit swords were no ordinary materials. That young man surnamed Ye was only an Early Nascent Soul cultivator, yet he possessed thirty-two of them, complete with a full sword formation inheritance. His origins were clearly no simple matter.

And this Jinli Sword Formation leaned toward Yang attributes, coincidentally being perfectly complemented by the Golden Sun True Flame in refinement, flowing even more smoothly than using true fire to refine ordinary artifacts. It was as if they came from the same lineage.

Could it be connected to the Azure Sun Sect?

The more Jiuyou thought about it, the more likely it seemed.

Since the Azure Sun Sect could produce a powerhouse like the Heavenly Sun Supreme One, it wouldn't be surprising for them to possess an ancient sword formation passed down for tens of thousands of years. That young man surnamed Ye might well be a disciple of the Azure Sun Sect, perhaps even a core inheritor. Even if not, he couldn't be far off.

He set aside his thoughts and didn't dig deeper. Whatever his origins, all these things belonged to him now.

The Golden Sun True Flame danced at his fingertips as sword after sword was refined. The light on the blades shifted from initial resistance to gradual submission, their spiritual nature beginning to merge with Jiuyou's magical power.

Outside the cave dwelling, the night was heavy. Occasionally, warships swept past in the distance, their spiritual light illuminating half the sky.

Jiuyou sat cross-legged in the center of the grand hall, sword light swirling around him, the Golden Sun True Flame flickering unsteadily. His expression was blank, his mind entirely immersed in the refinement.

Thirty-two swords. He would devour them one by one.

As for the duels six months from now, he wasn't worried.

What was meant to come would come eventually.