Chapter 285 : The Sword Refining Art Has Ruined Me

Chapter 285: The Sword Refining Art Has Ruined Me!

Outside the Gentleman Temple, outside the residence.

The greater sword person who had gone further and higher, and the lesser sword person whose realm was lower but whose body refinement was purer, stared at each other wide-eyed.

Chu Huaixu and Xu Ziqing both found the feelings in their hearts strange and peculiar.

As the senior brother, Chu Huaixu even felt that after studying the sword path for so long within the Dao Ancestor’s secret realm, he had gone a little mad.

“This is way too abstract!” he thought.

Chu Huaixu felt that if Little Xu really were a peerless sword, he couldn’t just pick him up and swing him around, could he?

Though for a body refiner, that bit of weight wouldn’t matter…

But such a scene would be far too bizarre. Just imagining it made him burst out laughing while looking at Little Xu.

Seeing his senior brother suddenly laughing happily for no reason, the refined youth was somewhat confused.

But since his senior brother was so happy, he didn’t want to ruin the mood, so he scratched his head foolishly and laughed along.

Seeing him laughing along cluelessly, Chu Huaixu asked:

“Little Xu, do I seem any different today?”

“Senior Brother, did you obtain some opportunity or fortune, greatly increase your realm, and trigger a heaven-and-earth phenomenon today?” Xu Ziqing first asked.

“Mm, I entered the Dao Ancestor’s secret realm and, by chance, condensed a second Sword Heart,” he said casually, his tone calm.

The refined youth truly was an excellent foil—he would never let Chu Huaixu’s words fall flat.

His eyes widened in shock as he sincerely congratulated:

“Congratulations, Senior Brother, on condensing another Sword Heart. Your sword path has advanced further!”

“Oh? You don’t seem surprised that I have two Sword Hearts?” Chu Huaixu said with a smile.

The youth shook his head.

To him, his senior brother had always been a peerless genius.

No matter what extraordinary or even system-defying feat he accomplished, it all seemed perfectly reasonable.

“Senior Brother is a great talent, the Xuanhuang Champion. He cannot be judged by common logic,” he said in a matter-of-fact tone.

Chu Huaixu felt very pleased.

Compared to Li Chunsong and the others’ constant shock, he preferred Xu Ziqing’s natural acceptance.

“No choice—back when my Comprehension was 1, in Little Xu’s eyes, I was already at 10.”

After chatting about that, Xu Ziqing began to speak about his unusual feeling today.

“Senior Brother, when you asked what felt different about you today… I truly do feel something unusual.”

“Oh? Go on,” Chu Huaixu immediately became interested.

“Senior Brother has given me a second life and is the person I respect most in this world,” Xu Ziqing began with his usual declaration of loyalty.

Then he continued:

“But today, for some reason, when I saw Senior Brother, I suddenly felt… awe.”

“Even a bit… a bit…” The refined youth’s delicate, almost beautiful face gradually flushed red, as if it were difficult to say.

Seeing his face redden as though it might drip blood, Chu Huaixu panicked instead.

“Choose your words carefully!” he quickly warned.

After thinking for a long time, Xu Ziqing finally said:

“It feels like in storybooks… encountering a wise ruler, being willing to follow, and bowing in submission.”

I, Xu Ziqing, am willing to be Senior Brother’s most loyal subject!

After saying this, he felt somewhat embarrassed, his face growing even redder.

He even began to suspect whether his senior brother had learned some kind of charm technique.

Otherwise, how could it be like in novels—where someone naturally possesses a kingly aura that makes others want to follow them for life?

For Xu Ziqing, today’s feeling was very strange.

He had always respected Chu Huaixu and would do anything asked of him without hesitation.

But today’s feeling was clearly different—

It was the awe of someone beneath, toward someone above!

At this moment, Chu Huaixu pondered briefly, then let out a long sigh.

He gently patted the youth’s shoulder and said:

“Little Xu, this isn’t your fault.”

Clearly, Xu Ziqing was becoming more and more “sword-like.”

When Chu Huaixu had been surrounded by myriad swords in the secret realm, he could feel every sword’s submission to him!

Little Xu was the same.

Sigh… the two of them had both been deeply “poisoned” by the 《Sword Refining Art》.

At most, others might become “neither human nor ghost.”

But for them, it had become—

Neither human nor sword!

“These issues might stem from my two Sword Hearts,” he said quietly to Xu Ziqing.

Moon Country, Daoist Institute.

The old state preceptor Ming Xuanji sat at a table while his disciple Lin Zixuan brewed tea for him.

The petite girl, slender yet full-figured, would occasionally take out a spirit fruit and eat it in small bites.

She chewed slowly and carefully.

Like someone sneaking snacks during class, she tried to minimize any sound.

Because she could tell her master was thinking about something.

Her master liked silence—at times like these, he must not be disturbed, or punishment would follow.

But if she didn’t eat, she couldn’t hold herself back.

Since meeting her prince and her master, Lin Zixuan felt that her life had already been completely arranged.

Who she would marry, whose wife she would become, and what she would do for her husband and the people of the world—everything had been clearly set.

Her master excelled in divination and possessed heaven-reaching abilities.

Though he had no eyes, it was as if he could see the future.

For Lin Zixuan, she even knew how many children she would have with the prince, and whether they would be boys or girls.

A predetermined path lay before her—she only needed to walk it.

Such a life could sometimes feel dull, even rigid and lifeless.

Fortunately, there were countless delicious foods in the world.

Lin Zixuan was someone easily satisfied—one bite of something she liked could make her extremely happy.

At this moment, she secretly wiped her slightly sticky fingers on her clothes.

Anyway, this dress was a magical artifact given by her master—it had a self-cleaning array, so it could be used like a handkerchief.

Then she obediently picked up the teapot and poured tea into her master’s cup.

Ming Xuanji opened his hollow eyes and asked:

“Zixuan, the Heir of Prince Rui should have returned yesterday, correct?”

“Mm, he returned last night,” Lin Zixuan replied.

She felt that her master seemed somewhat unfamiliar lately.

In the past, he rarely used words like “should.”

He seldom spoke in questions—his words were usually simple statements, as if what he knew was already the inevitable truth of the world.

But recently, something seemed off.

Her master no longer seemed as certain about his divinations.

“And… Master has suddenly aged a lot,” she thought.

To speak bluntly, he looked so old that she felt he might not have many years left.

Ming Xuanji picked up the tea, blew on it gently, and took a sip.

Age spots were clearly visible on the back of his hand.

His wrist was thin, just skin over bone.

After setting the cup down, he asked again:

“During this second entry into the Imperial Pool, did the Heir gain anything?”

Lin Zixuan immediately replied:

“Reporting to Master, the prince obtained three strands of Emperor-level Divine Sense this time. Combined with before, he now has four strands—it’s very impressive.”

“Now, he has cultivated his spear intent to Minor Mastery. With the enhancement of these four strands of divine sense, he can display power equivalent to Perfection of Spear Intent—perhaps even comparable to a half-step Spear Heart realm.”

“This Eastern and Western Continents’ Grand Competition now has greater assurance.”

Ming Xuanji nodded slightly, as if he had already calculated this and was not surprised.

“Additionally, his cultivation increased by four minor stages during this entry into the Imperial Pool. He has now reached Third Realm Great Perfection,” she added.

“And also—!” Lin Zixuan suddenly remembered something, then hesitated.

“And also what?” Ming Xuanji seemed to have guessed, a faint smile appearing.

“Also… the prince’s appearance and temperament seem to have subtly changed,” she answered.

“You mean he has become more handsome?” Ming Xuanji’s smile deepened.

“That’s true,” she nodded seriously.

The old man seemed unusually talkative today and said:

“I’ve heard that the Xuanhuang Champion Chu Huaixu is also exceptionally handsome. In last year’s Grand Competition, he and the prince even wore similar robes.”

“In your eyes, which of the two is more handsome?”

Without hesitation, Lin Zixuan answered honestly:

“Chu Huaixu.”

She didn’t think anything was wrong with that—most people thought the same.

Qin Xuanxiao’s handsomeness came with noble bearing and kingly aura.

Simply put, his charm was enhanced by attire, accessories, confidence, and status.

Chu Huaixu, on the other hand—

Was simply, undeniably handsome!

At this moment, Lin Zixuan looked at her master.

The smile on his face visibly froze, and his expression gradually turned cold.

He seemed very dissatisfied with the answer.

The naturally naive girl was puzzled.

What puzzled her even more was that her master began divining again, though she didn’t know what he was calculating.

After a while, the coldness on his face faded.

The old man brought the topic back and said:

“Zixuan, do you know why the prince’s appearance and temperament have changed?”

“Or rather, do you know whom he is becoming more and more like?”

Lin Zixuan tilted her head and thought for a while but couldn’t figure it out.

“This disciple does not know.”

Ming Xuanji raised his aged hand and gently patted his only disciple’s head.

A meaningful expression appeared on his face as he gave the answer:

“He is becoming more and more like the founding emperor.”