Disciples of the True Martial Holy Sect are under considerable pressure; many of them use the time they would otherwise sleep for cultivation.
In fact, after martial artists step onto the Heavenly Path, the higher their realm, the less sleep they will need.
Eventually, in the later stages, it is possible for some to go into seclusion for years or even hundreds of years.
Gazing at the pitch-black night, speckled with a few stars scattered across the sky.
Xu Zimei prepared to go to the Cleansing Sword Pond.
The Cleansing Sword Pond is a Holy Land within the True Martial Holy Sect, greatly aiding the awakening of spirituality within weapons.
Xu Zimei had obtained a token from his father, which was specifically for entering and exiting the Cleansing Sword Pond.
For regular disciples, entering the Cleansing Sword Pond once requires a massive amount of Contribution Value.
However, for "second-generation officials" like Xu Zimei, Contribution Value was never a concern.
A high-tier Formation surrounded the Cleansing Sword Pond, personally laid out by the Seventh Elder. Those who had not reached the Saint Vein Realm and tried to force their way in would find only death.
Xu Zimei arrived in front of the Formation where, at the forefront, stood a large tree with a hollow in its trunk.
Placing the token inside the hollow, spiritual energy surged around him in an instant, and wisps of white fog spread across the clearing ahead.
Beyond the Defensive Array around the Cleansing Sword Pond, there were also fog formations to provide cover.
The fog Formation in front of him automatically tore open a gap, and Xu Zimei walked through.
Once inside the Cleansing Sword Pond, he found himself enveloped in a white expanse where nothing was visible.
Xu Zimei knew that the white mist was not fog, but a kind of spiritual energy that nourished weapons.
He continued forward, soon hearing the sound of running water underfoot, the ground soft to the touch.
Xu Zimei slowly drew Tyrant Shadow from its scabbard, and the surrounding spiritual energy began to flow towards the blade.
After walking for roughly five minutes, his vision finally cleared, and the white substance in the air had dissipated considerably.
Ahead lay a clear lake, with water so transparent you could see to the bottom. At its very center, several Green Lotuses grew tranquilly.
The pink lotus flowers emitted a fragrant aroma, each petal numbering eight, rooting deep in the lake bed and channeling a pale green liquid into the waters.
Unstained by the mud, unstirred by the clear ripple,
The Green Lotus exuded an arrogance, conveying a sense of purity and sanctity, as though it did not belong to the mundane world.
Each of the eight petals had a different color: white, black, yellow, red, blue, purple, gray, green.
...
Next to the lake, there sat an especially huge stone, pale aqua in color, smooth, and delicate with numerous weapon shapes etched into its surface.
Swords, spears, clubs, staves, axes, halberds, hooks, forks – varieties of weapon shapes were all represented.
Xu Zimei slowly took a seat at the edge of the lake, placed Tyrant Shadow on top of the stone where a Curved Blade pattern was etched, and then scooped up some water from the lake.
He began to grind the Curved Blade against the rock.
A soft scraping, the sound of sharpening becoming increasingly clear.
As the friction began, Tyrant Shadow’s blade grew brighter, emitting a faint white light.
This sharpening seemed to resonate rhythmically, and Xu Zimei slowly closed his eyes.
All around was very quiet, only the sound of sharpening echoing through the air.
Before his eyes, all was pitch-black.
Suddenly, a white light flickered, engulfing his entire mind, and when the white light dissipated, an image of a curved blade appeared in his mind.
Although his eyes were closed, the appearance of the blade was incredibly clear, as though it could not be any clearer even if the blade were placed in front of his eyes.
What exactly is a blade?
Xu Zimei had once heard a saying, "The blade is a tool for killing, and the art of the blade is the art of slaying."
Xu Zimei felt the shape of the blade becoming clearer and clearer in his heart; he was not seeing with his eyes, but feeling with his soul.
To trigger the spirit within a weapon, it is not about bestowing upon the weapon a consciousness akin to that of a human being but allowing the weapon to have simple and rudimentary thoughts.
To have it recognize its owner.
Once you have awakened the spirit of the weapon, it can move as freely as your own arm.
It might become part of you, rather than the unfamiliarity that comes with relying on an external object.
As the weapon gradually transforms and even grows into a Great Emperor’s True Artifact, its cognitive consciousness will become more and more mature, virtually indistinguishable from that of a human.
By that time, aside from the owner they recognize, no one else could wield another’s weapon.
......
"In this life, to follow me in conquering Hengyu, shattering the firmament, bearing destiny, and looking down upon all beings for another exhilarating battle, how does that sound?" murmured Xu Zimei, his voice very light, as if he were speaking to himself, or as if he were awakening something.
Immediately after, the image of the curved blade in his mind abruptly enlarged—it was the form of Tyrant Shadow.
The curved blade began to tremble as if the blade being rubbed in his hands was quivering, or as if the curved blade in his mind was shaking.
Perhaps both were.
A white aura flared up from Tyrant Shadow and in the midst of the vast white light, Tyrant Shadow began its metamorphosis.
Originally just a common weapon, it now completely evolved into a Yellow Tier weapon.
The curvature of the blade seemed more pronounced, and the blackness on it became more pure, shining with a dark gleam.
On the pitch-black hilt, the form of a Shadow Dragon appeared, faint and elusive.
Xu Zimei looked at the completely renewed Tyrant Shadow with satisfaction, smiled, and sheathed the curved blade.
The process went smoothly; indeed, even without the help of the Cleansing Sword Pond, he could have activated Tyrant Shadow, albeit with a bit more effort.
Before leaving, Xu Zimei cast a glance at the few Green Lotuses in the center of the lake.
"Ranked thirteenth on the List of Wonders, the Myriad Dao Green Lotus."
The name of this Green Lotus sounds very domineering, but its function is quite simple—it produces sacred water that helps activate the spirit of weapons.
However, legend has it that there are a total of eight Myriad Dao Green Lotuses, just like the colors of its eight petals.
The Green Lotus within the True Martial Holy Sect’s Cleansing Sword Pond is just one of them, and it’s said that if all eight Green Lotuses are gathered, even the first place on the List of Wonders could be contested.
It has been recorded in the annals of the True Martial Holy Sect that Empress Hongtian once gathered these eight Myriad Dao Green Lotuses.
But for some unknown reason, just before her ascension, she left behind only the Green Lotus, while the whereabouts of the other seven remain unknown.
..............
Having placed Tyrant Shadow into its sheath, Xu Zimei left the Cleansing Sword Pond.
After a weapon advances to the Yellow Tier, it is time to begin nurturing the weapon.
The methods of nurturing weapons are widely known and varied, and the type of weapon you desire in the future will dictate the selection of a suitable nurturing method.
Within his heart, Xu Zimei already had his own plans.