Twin Sigil Sword of Ice and Fire

During his leisure time at the Li Family Village, Lin Bei went off to immerse himself in observing the talent show, while Chu Liang chose to stay behind and cultivate on his own.

Their residence was a private courtyard within the village, tranquil and elegant, with rather generous accommodations. It was here that Chu Liang practiced the Sword Art of the Dao of Talismans.

After a period of training atop Mount Shu, his mastery of the Sword Art of the Dao of Talismans had reached a new level. He was now quite adept at wielding the Twin Talisman Sword of Wind and Fire. However, increasing the number of talismans to execute a Three-Talisman Sword remained difficult; this was closely tied to the strength of his spiritual consciousness. With his current cultivation at the late stage of Divine Intent, the Twin Talisman Sword was likely nearing his limit.

Unwilling to settle for the status quo, Chu Liang began studying more talismans and their combinations. With his existing foundation, it was only a matter of mastering additional talismans—then, as his cultivation advanced, he could naturally perform more varied sword techniques.

At present, he was working on the Ice Talisman.

The Fire Talisman of the Five Elements was the most basic, and from it many combinations could be derived. For example, the Wind and Fire Twin Talisman Sword he had mastered: wind fueled fire, fire enhanced wind, resulting in a dramatic increase in power.

If he learned the Thunder Talisman, he could form the Thunder and Fire Twin Talisman Sword or the Wind and Thunder Twin Talisman Sword—much like the Wind and Fire combination, all greatly amplifying their force.

Acquiring the Wood Talisman would allow him to create the Wood and Fire Twin Talisman Sword, where wood nurtures fire, unleashing the most intense fire sword technique.

Each combination had its own unique traits, but in Chu Liang's view, those that simply boosted power overlapped with the Wind and Fire Twin Talisman Sword, offering no substantial improvement in the short term.

The Ice Talisman, however, was different.

Among the Twin Talisman Sword techniques, one stood out—the Ice and Fire Twin Talisman Sword.

Unlike techniques that relied on complementary attributes for greater power, the Ice and Fire combination brought together two opposing elements to produce a devastating force capable of breaking through defenses.

It was a unique kind of power.

Chu Liang only discovered this by reading the "True Interpretation of the Dao of Talismans"—that the ice and fire talismans could form such a marvelous union.

Thus, he chose the Ice Talisman as his third to study. The process was not difficult, given his prior experience; even if the talisman was more complex, it was simply a matter of repeated practice.

He tried the Ice Sword technique alone. Wherever the sword energy passed, a chill followed. If struck by this sword, the wound would be sealed with frost, causing more damage than usual.

But wielding the Ice and Fire Twin Talisman Sword was ten times harder than the Wind and Fire combination. The two opposing elements could not be simply merged; if forced together, the talismans would collide and explode overhead before even being released.

The power of ice and fire was explosively volatile.

Upon contemplation, Chu Liang realized the key was to prevent the two talismans from touching, yet still have them accompany the sword energy. This required precise manipulation—indeed, the concept of "micro-control" could be applied to all aspects of cultivation.

Although Chu Liang had trained deliberately, making his spiritual consciousness more agile than most late-stage Divine Intent cultivators, others rarely attempted such elaborate techniques, leaving him constantly feeling barely sufficient.

After a morning of practice, he began to see results. Whenever the Ice and Fire Twin Talisman Sword succeeded, its power was no less than the Wind and Fire combination—and its penetration even greater.

The alternating bombardment of ice and fire produced a killing force beyond imagination.

Only the success rate was abysmally low; out of ten attempts, only three succeeded.

Chu Liang pondered for a while. He felt he had exerted himself to the utmost, but success still depended on a measure of luck—an unavoidable reality.

"Ah?"

Thinking of luck, a certain figure came to mind.

He went up to the loft and knocked on a bedroom door.

"What is it?" Liu Xiaoyu opened the door, still groggy from sleep. She had slept from dusk the previous evening until now, and by all appearances, would have stayed in bed had she not been disturbed.

"Miss Xiaoyu, I need your help," Chu Liang said with a smile.

And so, the young girl was ushered to the center of the courtyard, blinking in the dazzling sunlight, finally fully awake. "What do you need me for?"

"Just stand here," Chu Liang replied. "Hmm... You could also silently wish me success."

"Wish you success?" She looked puzzled.

"Wish Chu Liang success," he emphasized, to avoid having to clarify the pronoun later.

Liu Xiaoyu stood by, thoroughly confused.

Chu Liang summoned his flying sword and resumed his practice. "Ice... Fire... Go!"

Swish, swish, swish—

The flying sword streaked through the air, trailing a silvery afterimage, accompanied by a whooshing sound, its blinding red and white streams surging like a meteor, crashing onto the distant ground.

Boom—

When the dust settled, there was a charred pit, covered with frost.

"Well, that's..." Chu Liang blinked. "Seems to have some effect?"

He tried nine more times. Of ten Ice and Fire sword techniques, only the tenth failed due to depleted true energy; the other nine succeeded!

His success rate soared from thirty percent to ninety.

Was this the magic of the lucky koi?

He glanced at Liu Xiaoyu, wondering if having her around would enhance his luck for future rewards as well.

The girl yawned, squinting, and asked, "Do you have anything to eat? I'm hungry."

...

Chu Liang quickly sent for the Li Family Village maids to prepare food for her. Just then, Steward Cui arrived to inform him of something.

"The girl you asked me to investigate yesterday—there's some news," Steward Cui said gravely.

"Oh?"

"The other day, a girl somewhat resembling Miss Liu appeared near the manor. The young lord of Ding Mountain Marquis was entertaining guests, and someone saw her speaking with him for a while before she disappeared. If you wish to search for her, she isn't in our manor, but the young lord might know more," Steward Cui continued.

"Ding Mountain Marquis?" Chu Liang asked, hearing the name for the first time.

Steward Cui gave a brief explanation.

After the Yu Dynasty established its rule, it granted titles to royal and noble families, mostly in the barren western and southern territories. Though their power had waned after generations of inheritance, their status remained prestigious.

The Ding Mountain Marquis in South Pass City was a genuine member of the Xia imperial clan.

"I see..." Chu Liang said. "Then we should ask the young lord about her."

"I've already sent a letter inquiring, but the marquis's household is highly esteemed; it may take some time for them to respond. Tomorrow, Miss Xue will arrive in South Pass City, and there will be a banquet at our Li Family Village. All the city's elites will attend, including the young lord. Perhaps you and your companion could represent Mount Shu at the banquet and inquire then," Steward Cui suggested.

"That sounds good," Chu Liang nodded. "Thank you, Steward Cui."

"It's nothing," Steward Cui replied with a smile.

Chu Liang was about to exchange further courtesies when suddenly he sensed a subtle signal from the space within the White Pagoda.

It was the Red Name Slayer Sword.

The sword of justice had sent its call.

Chu Liang's eyebrows twitched.

A villain?