Cohabitation with Sword Spirit-Chapter 91 - 76: I Went

Late night, August 17, 2017

Li Fengyun’s 50th birthday banquet finally came to an end in a somewhat awkward atmosphere.

However, aside from Li Tianya’s performance art at the end, the banquet was overall quite successful. Whether it was the exquisite dishes, Shen Qingming’s sincere confession, or Li Tianya’s earnest advice to the younger generations at the end, all left a deep impression. As the guests, carried away by the wine, left one by one, they gave the banquet high praise and then returned home to rest.

Yet, for the hosts, there was still much cleanup work after the banquet, leaving them no time for rest even after the bustle.

"So, what about the Original Sword Essence?"

In the bedroom, Li Fengyun earnestly asked his wife for advice.

Lu Xin rubbed her temples wearily, feeling drowsiness surge like a tide.

The last time she slept was probably back on August 11th. The effort she had put in up to now was nothing short of praiseworthy... So, when the banquet ended, the accumulated fatigue over the days made her wish she could collapse into bed and sleep until spring 2018!

On the other hand, the issue of the Original Sword Essence that Li Fengyun raised was indeed a headache and couldn’t be ignored.

Before the banquet ended, Li Tianya had asked Li Fengyun to prepare an Original Sword Essence for Shen Qingming to address the girl’s unique physique’s incompatibility with the Nine Dragon Sword Heart.

The so-called Original Sword Essence is a heavenly and earthly treasure from the Primordial Era, said to be a treasure created by the Immortal Venerables of the Primordial Era, condensing the essence of heaven and earth and the Dao Laws. It appears as a crystal clear orb the size of a fist, containing a vast amount of Sword Dao essence, profoundly mystical.

The most miraculous aspect of this item is its ability to improve a cultivator’s innate aptitude. Once a cultivator refines the Original Sword Essence with their Divine Sense, they can absorb all the Sword Dao essence within, undergoing a transformation akin to bone marrow cleansing, bringing both body and mind closer to the source of the Sword Dao. From then on, any swordsmanship they practice will yield twice the result with half the effort.

Even for high-level great cultivators, the Original Sword Essence can often help them break through existing bottlenecks and advance further. There’s a story that the head of Cyan Lotus Academy a century ago refined an Original Sword Essence and comprehended the Cyan Lotus Swordsmanship, thus even surpassing the Wuxiang Sword Academy in the Sword Dao Domain. Thus, the Original Sword Essence is priceless, a top-tier treasure renowned throughout the Xiangzhou Continent.

In the 2015 edition of Cyan Cloud Natural History published by the famous writer and scholar Li Tianya, the Original Sword Essence was rated as a Level A top treasure.

This treasure could indeed help Shen Qingming alleviate the incompatibility between her body and the Sword Heart, but the issue is the rarity and preciousness of the Original Sword Essence. Even among the Seven Great Noble Families, it’s extremely difficult to obtain. The Li Family has only acquired a few hundred over several millennia, averaging over a decade for each one.

Of course, if the Li Family exerted all efforts, they could obtain one. Even if they had no stock themselves, they could trade with other noble families or simply visit the Saint Sect and Three Academies; there are always channels to acquire one, depending on the cost.

The problem is, that all takes time.

Yet unfortunately, Li Fengyun doesn’t have much time right now. At the latest, he must deliver the Original Sword Essence to Shen Qingming within three days.

This matter needs to rewind to a few hours back, at the end of the birthday banquet...

——

"Ah, Cyan Cloud Li Tianya, it’s been so long!"

At the banquet, Li Tianya warmly greeted Wang Jiu.

"Oh my, just a few days no see, you seem to have gotten even more handsome."

Wang Jiu laughed, "Thank you, same to you."

Li Tianya laughed heartily, "Of course, we are both Li Tianya after all!"

The banquet hall had fallen into dead silence, people wide-eyed and speechless at the unbelievable performance art of the former patriarch, their minds baffled... Some from the branch families even started worrying if the main family would silence them.

After greeting Wang Jiu, Li Tianya looked around, puzzled, and asked, "So, what’s with all the decorations here? And what am I here for?"

Wang Jiu explained, "It’s your son Li Fengyun’s fiftieth birthday. You’re here to give prophetic guidance to the younger guests attending the banquet."

Li Tianya nodded repeatedly, "Prophetic guidance? Oh, using Inch and Mile Sword Intent to touch upon Space-Time Law, crafting guidance tailored for younger cultivators? Not bad, not bad, sounds like something Li Tianya would do."

After saying this, Li Tianya eagerly looked at the table of younger guests and asked, "What did I just say?"

"You said Li Fengyun should prepare an Original Sword Essence for Shen Qingming..."

"That’s correct, the Original Sword Essence," Li Tianya said. "For those with poor talent in Sword Dao, it is an invaluable treasure capable of altering fate. For Great Cultivators trapped at a bottleneck, it is an opportunity for breakthrough. However, if used for marrow cleansing to improve aptitude, it must be refined soon after the child breaks through the Wind Barrier; improving aptitude is always better done early."

At this moment, although Li Tianya’s mind was somewhat confused, his perspective and knowledge as a top cultivator were still intact. After a brief contemplation, he said: "Considering Qingming’s aptitude, it would be best to refine the Sword Essence for her now. There’s no time to delay, Fengyun, deliver the Sword Essence for her improvement within three days."

Li Fengyun was stunned by the words, while Lu Xin was greatly shocked.

"Father, within three days? The Original Sword Essence is extremely rare, and there’s no stock at home; it might be impossible in just three days..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Li Tianya furrowed his brow deeply: "Impossible? What kind of talk is that? The Li Family, one of the Seven Great Noble Families, can’t even produce a single Original Sword Essence? That’s simply a joke! You aren’t reluctant to part with it, are you?"

Such an accusation was indeed severe, causing Lu Xin’s face to turn red: "Of course not. It’s just..."

"Since you’re willing, don’t waste time hesitating. Three days is enough. As the head of the family, you need to start thinking of solutions. Now, in the name of the former Patriarch, I command you to present the Original Sword Essence within three days. Did you hear me!?"

——

According to the rules of the Li Family Mansion, the name of the former Patriarch doesn’t have real significance.

When Li Tianya handed over the position of Patriarch to the next generation, he renounced all privileges associated with being Patriarch. In cases of conflict with the current Patriarch, regardless of seniority, he must unconditionally respect the current Patriarch’s decisions.

Thus, when Li Tianya awkwardly offered to repay Wang Jiu’s kindness with a million spirit stones, he explained that as the former Patriarch, he no longer had the authority to access family resources.

However, Li Tianya uttered those words amidst the festive gathering in the Birthday Banquet Hall of the Wind and Cloud Tower, in full view of the crowd. Considering his status, even muddled words carry weight. Furthermore, Li Fengyun and his wife had just resolved the misunderstanding with their daughter Shen Qingming, making it a sensitive time. If they genuinely disregard the elder’s words, rumors would inevitably spread claiming they don’t care about Shen Qingming.

Hence, when Lu Xin heard her husband bring up the topic of the Original Sword Essence, even though exhausted, she forced herself to think seriously.

After a while, the woman pondered: "Currently, only the Saint Sect has the capacity to produce Original Sword Essence. Perhaps the Wuxiang Sword Academy has one or two in stock... I’ve heard the Wuxiang Sword Academy invested poorly in Golden Jade City recently, leading to severe deficits. Maybe I could suggest acquiring it with spirit stones in a letter. If things go smoothly, a transaction could be completed within a month or two."

Li Fengyun said: "But father mentioned needing it within three days."

Lu Xin shook her head with a bitter smile, "You can’t take father’s words too seriously. How can such an unrealistic demand be achieved? We just need to do our best, and if we can ultimately obtain the Original Sword Essence, that’s sufficient. After all, everyone knows that producing an Original Sword Essence in three days is impossible. Even if we were insane enough to charge into Wuxiang Sword Academy with swords drawn and blatantly rob them, three days isn’t enough for such a round trip... unless we jump off a cliff in a nearby mountain to find a mystical adventure. Let’s not dwell on it anymore, it’s late, let’s rest first. I’ll write the letter in the morning..."

By the end of her words, Lu Xin was truly exhausted, and she lay down and quickly fell into deep sleep.

However, Li Fengyun remained energetic, furrowing his brows, muttering to himself: "Jumping off a cliff for mystical adventure..."

After a while, Li Fengyun still couldn’t sleep, worrying over the matter of the Original Sword Essence.

Seeing his wife’s recent exhaustion, he didn’t want to disturb her rest, and quietly got up to sit at the writing desk, seriously penning a letter to a reliable elder for assistance.

"Sword Spirit Elder, during tonight’s banquet, my father requested that I prepare an Original Sword Essence for Qingming within three days. This item is extremely rare and difficult to obtain. What is your opinion on this matter?"

After a while, Li Fengyun received a reply from Wang Jiu.

"The Original Sword Essence is derived from Primordial Era techniques used by Heaven Shattering Realm Sword Cultivators to extract the essence of Dao Laws. Not only does it aid Sword Cultivators in improving aptitude and breaking bottlenecks, it also assists in my rebuilding of the Sword World. Such a treasure is extraordinarily rare, which is normal; don’t make a fuss. Also, if you have the chance to acquire it, remember to get a portion for me as well."

Li Fengyun held the letter, remaining silent for a long time.

——

The next morning, when Lu Xin opened her eyes, the sunlight outside the window was scorching hot—it was already noon.

The woman was shocked, how could it be so late?! As the Lady of the Mansion, she was always known for her strict and regulated routine; she hadn’t expected to sleep past her waking time!

Then, Lu Xin began to blame her husband in her heart, unlike herself, he was a Peak Stage Mountain-Overturning Realm expert, with true lasting energy and untiring stamina; his daily sleep was mere formality, and waking up on time was incredibly easy... Why didn’t he wake her up?!

While hurriedly bathing and getting dressed with Immortal Technique in bed, fighting off fatigue to stand, Lu Xin hadn’t yet had time to put on all her jewelry when she saw the note Li Fengyun left for her on the desk beside the bed.

"Xin’Er, inspired by your reminder last night, I’ve gone to the nearby mountains to jump off a cliff for mystical adventure; don’t worry."