Celestial Cloud Ancient Sword

Until dusk approached, Chu Liang reluctantly bid farewell to the black-furred creature.

He always felt that the enormous ghost tree deep in the forest exuded a sinister aura, strange and eerie; being there at night inevitably made his heart race with unease.

Sunlight was scarce within the woods, and by the time he returned to Mount Shu, it was already twilight.

Impatiently, he refined all the seeds and then went to the small flower field to sow them. Having slain quite a number of black-furred beasts today, it was enough to cultivate two small flower fields similar in scale to yesterday’s.

As Chu Liang dug the soil and sowed the seeds, he contemplated the pricing for the golden-striped berries.

Logically, his cost for these berries was just his labor, three sword coins worth of plant spirits for a month, and the fishwork by Liu Xiaoyu.

With the recent continuous rainy days, Liu Xiaoyu’s watering duties could have been canceled, but she still needed to eat. Strictly speaking, this should be accounted for as natural loss.

Even if the cost was low, the price couldn’t be set too cheaply, lest the brand’s quality and reputation be compromised. This would affect any future ventures he might undertake.

As long as the berry’s production and sales went smoothly, he believed it wouldn’t be long before his small flower garden grew into a large orchard.

While laboring, he suddenly heard someone call from afar: “Senior Brother Chu!”

“Huh?” Chu Liang turned around to see Wen Yulong approaching quickly.

“Junior Brother Wen?” Chu Liang greeted.

Wen Yulong hurried over and said, “The price negotiation for that silence-weaving silk material I helped you with last time has a result. The seller from Gluttonous City has agreed to lower the price; it should be obtainable for about six hundred and fifty sword coins now.”

“That’s good,” Chu Liang responded gladly.

This price was roughly what Wen Yulong had initially estimated, so there was no need to fuss over minor differences.

After their last conversation, Chu Liang had also inquired about the price elsewhere, and found it consistent with Wen Yulong’s figure, proving that Wen’s help was sincere and uncomplicated.

As long as the price was close enough, Chu Liang didn’t care if Wen Yulong pocketed a small commission; there was no need to be overly meticulous when someone was helping.

“Alright,” Wen Yulong nodded. “I’ll pass the message back and have the seller send the materials immediately. Shipping treasures from Gluttonous City is expensive, but it’s the most reliable option. It’s better not to skimp on this.”

“No problem,” Chu Liang agreed.

Gluttonous City was far away; if he had to retrieve the materials himself, it would be troublesome. With his purse full of sword coins and an industry chain about to be established, he was feeling quite generous.

Wen Yulong then inquired about the flying leaf dagger, and Chu Liang could only smile wryly. Just as he was about to complain, a shout suddenly came from the pavilion of the peak master.

“Disciple—”

The voice of the Phoenix Empress was commanding and imposing, as if ready to reprimand at any moment, even without any prior disputes.

“My master is calling me,” Chu Liang said, turning sharply.

The Phoenix Empress rarely sought him out; he wondered what urgent matter this could be.

“I have nothing more to do, so I won’t disturb Senior Brother Chu,” Wen Yulong quickly said as he took his leave. The notorious reputation of Mount Shu’s troublemaker was something he’d known since childhood, and that shout gave him a chill.

...

Chu Liang immediately hurried to the peak master’s pavilion.

There, the Phoenix Empress was carefully placing a sword case on the table, her face beaming with joy. “Look, what a wonderful thing this is.”

“What is it?” Chu Liang asked cautiously.

He didn’t trust that his master would give him anything good.

But the Phoenix Empress quickly proved him wrong.

As she opened the sword case, Chu Liang’s pupils contracted sharply.

Inside lay a silver-white ancient sword over four feet long, its blade subtly radiant with countless flowing Daoist runes.

The Sky Cloud Ancient Sword!

Chu Liang recognized it instantly.

This was the very sword ranked thirty-first in the Compendium of Ten Thousand Treasures, and the weapon of Yan Daoist, the peak master of Mount Shu’s Bilu Peak—the Sky Cloud Ancient Sword!

Legend said that in ancient times, a great swordsmith discovered Daoist runes within the clouds and repeatedly tried to forge them into a blade but failed. Finally, he found a way: taking a colossal beast soaring into the ninth heavens, he forged the sword amid the clouds. Amidst wind, thunder, and blazing heavens, after countless hardships, the sword was born and named “Sky Cloud.”

Mount Shu’s sect, relying on ancestral wealth, still possessed a considerable number of treasures ranked within the top hundred of the Compendium, despite having lost some supreme artifacts.

“You said you didn’t have a suitable weapon when attending the Mount Shu summit?” the Phoenix Empress smiled. “I thought for a long time and decided to help you. So, I borrowed Yan Zi’s Sky Cloud Ancient Sword. Besides the Purple-Blue Twin Swords, it’s the highest-ranked weapon on Mount Shu.”

Chu Liang was astonished. “My master wants me to use the Sky Cloud Ancient Sword at the Mount Shu summit? This...”

He didn’t know whether to feel touched or incredulous.

“Dream on,” the Phoenix Empress rolled her eyes. “Yan Zi is the type who wouldn’t even tolerate dust on the ground when walking, so how could she let others use her sword...”

“Moreover, with your cultivation level, using this sword would probably drain your energy in one strike; you wouldn’t be able to handle it.”

“Ah...” Chu Liang sighed in relief upon hearing this.

If she truly intended for him to wield the Sky Cloud Ancient Sword, he would definitely refuse.

Not every treasure was so accommodating as to be used by anyone.

Some, like the Red-Name Slayer Sword, allowed those with insufficient cultivation to use them and even supplemented their power — truly an earthly ideal.

Others, like Mount Shu’s Purple-Blue Twin Swords, disliked masters and only accepted young disciples as their wielders, which was extremely rare.

Most top-ranked treasures in the Compendium demanded certain cultivation levels; those below the required level couldn’t harness them, and some were so temperamental they could lash out and harm their users.

Especially the top ten supreme artifacts—those unqualified who tried to activate them would be instantly killed by backlash.

The Sky Cloud Ancient Sword was no exception.

All treasures require virtue in their holders and ability to wield them; this never goes wrong.

“I intend to take you to Gluttonous City to find a swordsmith and craft a replica of the Sky Cloud Ancient Sword. With its power, even a copy won’t be weak. Then you’ll have a flying sword of your own,” the Phoenix Empress revealed her plan.

“Brilliant,” Chu Liang praised.

Earlier, he had met Song Qingyi from the Gentleman’s Hall, who wielded a weapon called the Inch-Heart Ruler, a replica of the River Jade Ruler, with equally outstanding power.

Replicas of magical weapons were not uncommon in the cultivation world, and their potency depended not only on the original but largely on the swordsmith, materials, and craftsmanship.

Top-ranked artifacts in the Compendium, when replicated skillfully, could achieve power ranked within the top five hundred. Only replicas couldn’t be included in the Compendium, which is why many powerful copies remain obscure.

So Chu Liang asked, “Which swordsmith does my master intend to find in Gluttonous City?”

The Phoenix Empress answered, “Master Kunwu!”

“Ah?” Chu Liang was startled. “Him?”