WDMJST 16

Chapter 16

Human-Shaped Flying Swords?

Other cultivators merely control cold, lifeless artifacts or magic treasures.

But what he would one day command… were his own junior brothers and sisters—living beings capable of infinite growth!

Once he mastered the Ten Thousand Swords Return to Origin technique, and his juniors who practiced the Sword Refining Art also achieved mastery,
then each of them would become a living sword—able to automatically seek out enemies and coordinate attacks.

Even if they were ambushed, they could immediately cover for each other.

And as they cultivated, they would continuously grow stronger, enhancing their quality as flying swords.

He himself would no longer have to worry about replacing magic treasures!

That would be so satisfying!

Hehehehehehehehehehehe!

“Junior Sister, just imagine this,” he said with sparkling eyes.
“In future sect wars, an ordinary sword cultivator can control a hundred—maybe a thousand—swords at most.”

“But what if it’s a sword cultivator from our Gui Xi Sect?”

“At that time—!”
“Responding to our sword cultivators will no longer be lifeless metal blades…”
“But hundreds—thousands—of fellow disciples who have cultivated the Sword Refining Art, their hearts and minds connected with ours!”

“They will be our swords!”

“Each ‘human sword’ will have intelligence, able to sense openings, combine attacks, and even… self-destruct if necessary!”

“This unity of will, this torrent of sword energy formed by living beings—”

“Who could resist it? What sect could oppose us?”

“This—this is the path forged by us mortals banding together, carving out a defiant road in the face of despair!”

“It is the true future of the Gui Xi Sect!”

“And I truly believe… this is the path most suited for you!”

Human-shaped… flying swords?

Su Ling’er stared blankly at Lin Qingfeng’s earnest face.

He wanted to use people as swords?!

How could anyone even come up with something like that?!

And judging by his expression—he wasn’t joking.

He actually meant it?!

To erase the will of his own sect members with evil arts, turning them into killing tools that obey only commands…

No, not even tools!

At least broken tools can be repaired—these people… would even become parts of the self-destructing process?!

So this was the true face of the Sword Refining Art?!

It wasn’t just a cruel body-refining demonic technique—
It was an art to forge living weapons and loyal death soldiers!

And the ones with mediocre talent—those whose deaths meant little—were the perfect materials for it.

In an instant, Su Ling’er understood everything.

All those times he emphasized how poor his own aptitude was—it wasn’t idle talk.
He was using cruel reality to tell her:

“You are not qualified to walk the normal cultivation path.”

“You lack both time and talent to slowly polish yourself.”

With his talent, even if he cultivated diligently to reach the peak of the Qi Refining stage, by then he’d already be old and dying.

He revered this wicked technique because it was made for people like him—those born ordinary.

It was a dead end…
But perhaps, to them, also a “path to survival.”

Because without it, people of mediocre aptitude could only live and die in obscurity.

That was the brutal reality—
The cruel truth every untalented disciple had to face.

He shattered her peace with terrifying imagery, then wrapped that horror in gentle reasoning, guiding her step by step toward the trap.

He was trying to sever her last delusion with his own hands, to make her realize she had no choice left—

That she could only lie down gratefully on the forging table and become a part of their demonic art.

Or worse… become a sword herself.

If she became a sword, at least she could still be wielded—still “exist.”
But those turned into blood and flesh elixirs, sacrificed to temper others’ blades…

Even though the disciple used as a sacrifice could never recall his own face—
even though he seemed utterly ordinary—
the image of melting flesh and blood alone made her shudder uncontrollably.

She still couldn’t understand why that disciple had willingly offered himself as a sacrifice, turning into essence to nourish another.

Unless…

That disciple’s entire family had been threatened by this demonic sect,
and he had to sacrifice himself to save them?

As expected—this truly was a demonic sect!

Su Ling’er’s lips trembled as she forced herself to speak:

“M-Master Senior Brother, this… this path is far too profound.
Ling’er still needs to ponder and comprehend it further.

The Great Dao has three thousand paths, each with its own destiny.
Perhaps my understanding is still too shallow.
If I rush it, it may give rise to inner demons instead—hardly ideal.”

Lin Qingfeng sighed softly.

So, just watching hadn’t been enough.
The earlier forging process—seemingly a brush with death—had clearly traumatized her deeply.

Since she feared death so much, then he’d simply show her how their sect could pull people back from the brink of death!

“Junior Sister, you’re right—maintaining a steady heart truly is the foundation of cultivation.”

“In that case, let’s not discuss cultivation for now.”

“I’ll take you somewhere else—to show you another side of our Gui Xi Sect’s strength.”

“Come. Let’s visit the Valley of Hundred Herbs.”

“There, you’ll understand why our disciples dare to face death again and again—and return alive!”

Su Ling’er followed Lin Qingfeng, step by step, along the stone path through the mountains.

Where were they going this time?

The Pill Cauldron Hall—a hell where living people were used to refine pills.
The Weapon Forging Pavilion—a furnace where living bodies were tempered into tools.

Every name that sounded normal concealed horrors beyond imagination.

This “Valley of Hundred Herbs”…

Its name evoked life, the fragrance of grass and flowers.

But in this demonic stronghold, the prettier the name, the more horrifying the truth that lay beneath.

A stick of incense later, she passed through a misty mountain pass—
and froze.

Before her lay a vast valley.

Spiritual mist flowed gently through the air.
From afar came the sound of gurgling streams and cascading waterfalls.
Countless familiar and unfamiliar spiritual plants swayed in the wind.

This…
This truly looked like a celestial paradise.

Yet Su Ling’er’s heart tightened even more.

When something seems too good to be true—it usually is.

“Junior Sister, look over there.”

Following her senior brother’s gesture, Su Ling’er saw several spirit fields surrounded by formation barriers.

The spiritual energy there was several times denser than elsewhere, the soil itself glowing faintly.

Several spiritual herbs were thriving within.

At that very moment, two groups of disciples were quarreling bitterly over the best field.

“Why should you get this ‘spirit vein node’? You already planted here last month!”

“Because I spent more spirit stones than you! If you’ve got the guts, save up two months’ worth and spend them all at once!”

Soon, they were pushing, shoving—
spiritual power colliding, spells flying, fighting furiously.

Around them, other disciples barely reacted.
Some even stopped to watch, amused.

Lin Qingfeng smiled as he observed the scene.

“See, Junior Sister?”

“The struggle for the Dao exists everywhere.”

“Even a single patch of medicine field is a battlefield.”

“That spirit vein node makes herbs grown there twenty percent more potent.”

“You want it?”

“Then either spend more spirit stones than others…”
“Or fight for it—seize it—win it!”

“Our Gui Xi Sect does not raise flowers in a greenhouse.”

“The resources are there, laid out equally before everyone.”

“The strong take, the capable earn. That’s the simplest, purest law of heaven and earth.”

Let her see what happens if she refuses to cultivate the Sword Refining Art—
with her mediocre aptitude, she’d end up nothing more than prey for the strong.

She needed to understand that deeply.

After all, this senior brother of hers…
was truly doing it all for her own good.