Chapter 48: Return (Final Chapter of This Volume)

Bidding farewell to Lord Dan, Ji Ning felt a twinge of melancholy.

After this parting… who knew when they would meet again? After all, Lord Dan was in a different universe, while he himself was in the Endless Territories. But he would have to return eventually.

…

Six thousand years had passed in the Three Leaf Realm. The Flamefade Sovereign had sent a servant to deliver a message.

“The Flamefade Sovereign wants to see me?” Ji Ning’s face lit up with joy.

“As soon as the Sovereign emerged from his cave, he instructed me to come see you, Daoist,” said the rough, forthright Daoist in blue. “Come quickly with me.”

“Let’s go. Right now.” Ji Ning had been waiting impatiently. Six thousand years in the Three Leaf Realm, all for the day his lifebound divine weapons would be forged.

Whoosh, whoosh.

Two streaks of light shot across the sky toward the Flamefade Sovereign’s residence.

…

The Flamefade Sovereign’s cave was on the edge of the Three Leaf Realm, but many cultivators passed through here. After all, the Sovereign’s treasures were immensely alluring; even if one couldn’t afford them, it was worth a look to broaden one’s horizons.

“Please.” The Daoist in blue led Ji Ning directly through the main gate of the cave.

Soon they arrived in a courtyard.

“Master, Northmoon is here,” the Daoist in blue said respectfully.

“You may withdraw. Northmoon, come, sit.” The Flamefade Sovereign sat there, a smug smile on his face. Every time he refined a masterpiece, he felt immensely proud. He had always loved crafting treasures—with his extraordinary talent and Lord Dan’s guidance, he had become the foremost refiner in this universe.

Ji Ning suppressed his excitement and sat down.

“Judging by your expression, your mind is entirely on your swords,” the Flamefade Sovereign laughed. “I won’t tease you any longer. Here—these are your six lifebound divine weapons.” He waved his hand, and beside him in midair appeared a pitch-black scabbard, within which lay six divine swords stacked together.

“One scabbard, six swords,” the Flamefade Sovereign said with a smile. “You can carry them on your back at all times. Lifebound divine weapons are different from ordinary weapons. I’ve just forged them; the swords have no Sword Dao essence yet—they’re a blank slate, not even nurturing a sword spirit. So you must infuse them with Sword Dao essence and nurture their spirits. How far they can grow depends entirely on you.”

Ji Ning gazed at the floating pitch-black scabbard with its six divine swords. He beckoned, and with a series of whooshes, the six swords flew out.

Each divine sword looked ordinary—thin blades, sharp edges.

“First, refine them,” the Flamefade Sovereign said, watching Ji Ning. “You know how to refine a lifebound divine weapon, right?”

“Infuse them with blood, nurture them with soul and divine sense—correct?” Ji Ning asked. As a sword cultivator, though obtaining a lifebound divine weapon was extremely difficult, he knew the method of refinement.

“Mm.” The Flamefade Sovereign nodded. “Nurture the swords well. The scabbard is unnecessary; it’s merely an Eternal-grade treasure, nothing special. I made it casually, just a suitable place for the swords to rest.”

The scabbard and six swords floated before Ji Ning. A wound appeared on his palm, and blood flew out. Under his control, the blood split into six streams, enveloping the six swords.

The six swords, all pitch-black, sucked in Ji Ning’s blood like infants nursing. The blood, like a web, continuously seeped into the sword bodies.

For Ji Ning, blood was essentially divine power. After consuming most of his divine power, the six swords were finally ‘full.’

“Hoo.” Ji Ning’s soul and divine sense began to fly out, penetrating into the six swords. Having absorbed his blood—each drop containing divine power and a trace of true spirit—the swords did not resist, allowing his divine sense to drill into their interiors.

His vast divine sense, like a mother’s embrace, enveloped the six swords.

Gradually…

Changes began within the six swords, much like the birth of Pangu. The swords drew on Ji Ning’s blood, and under the nurturing of his soul and divine sense, they gradually gave birth to spirituality. Spirituality was akin to life; it had intelligence, could grow, and even cultivate. For instance, the great bear from Sanshou Daoist’s ‘Zhaixing Mansion’ had become independent and cultivated.

“Woo.”

“Waah.”

“Ah.”

Voices sounded. From the surface of each sword, children began to emerge. Influenced by Ji Ning’s soul and true spirit, they took the form of human children from birth.

All were innocent and ignorant, unable to speak at the moment of birth.

“Little ones.” Ji Ning watched the six sword spirits being born and suddenly felt a strong connection with them. In the past, refining treasures had given him some connection, but it was ordinary.

But now…

It felt a bit like the first time he saw his daughter, Brightmoon—a bond from the depths of his soul and true spirit, lives intertwined, like father and child. This was why they were called ‘lifebound divine weapons.’

“Good.” Ji Ning smiled at the six little ones, all naked and childlike. He communicated with them through divine sense, sending them information. They were not mortals; they learned quickly. Upon receiving his message, they instantly mastered language.

“Master.”

“Master.”

“Ah, you’re our master?”

All six little ones called out.

Ji Ning was a bit helpless.

Though they quickly grasped language, their wisdom needed time to grow. They were still too simple and naive.

“From today on, according to the order you awakened, you are the eldest, you are the second, you are the third…” Ji Ning assigned them a birth order.

“Haha.” The Flamefade Sovereign laughed. “Northmoon, can’t help but treat them as family and children?”

Ji Ning was startled. They were just swords, yet he had unconsciously given them a birth order.

“Many mighty cultivators treat their lifebound divine weapons like children,” the Flamefade Sovereign said with emotion. “It’s normal. The more you nurture them, the deeper your bond will grow. So even if a rare few lifebound divine weapons break through to become ‘Cosmic Treasures,’ they still hold deep affection for their original masters.”

Ji Ning nodded slightly. The Cosmic Treasure of the deceased Lord had sought a master with a similar temperament and had not chosen him.

“From today, they will follow you forever, fighting and adventuring with you,” the Flamefade Sovereign said. “Don’t let them down.”

“Mm.” Ji Ning looked at the six swords. For the first time, he felt toward a treasure as if it were family.

“These six lifebound divine weapons shall be called the Northbow Swords,” Ji Ning said.

Northbow.

‘North’ from Northmoon, his Daoist title.

‘Bow’ from Firebow, the Daoist title of his senior apprentice-sister Yu Wei. His pursuit of limits, strength, and the path to the peak was primarily to revive her. Without her, he might not have pushed himself so hard.

He would wield the Northbow Swords to carve a path through the thorny road of cultivation.

“Northbow Swords? Then I’m Northbow the First.”

“Mm, nice name.”

“I’m Northbow the Third.”

“I’m Northbow the Fourth.”

Each spoke in turn.

The last, Northbow the Sixth, turned his head away with a snort, refusing to echo them.

Ji Ning blinked and laughed. With a thought, sword intent surged within the six swords. The five supreme Daos he had comprehended began to merge, the five sword intents cycling and settling within the swords, forming the Sword Dao essence.

Instantly, the aura of the six swords soared, overwhelming everything. The six little ones also showed joy.

“Withdraw.” With a thought, Ji Ning shouldered the scabbard. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—the six swords flew back into it.

“Their material is on par with Eternal-grade divine swords,” the Flamefade Sovereign instructed. “But they must continue to grow, advancing toward Cosmic Treasures. Though it’s extremely rare for a lifebound divine weapon to become a Cosmic Treasure, as long as they grow, they will grow stronger. They will need to devour various rare materials, which you must provide.”

“Understood.” Ji Ning nodded with a smile. “Raising them is my duty.”

“Haha, yes, raising them.” The Flamefade Sovereign laughed too.

“Sovereign, words cannot express my gratitude. Northmoon takes his leave.” Ji Ning said gratefully.

“Mm.” The Flamefade Sovereign nodded.

…

That same day.

Ji Ning had Yu Hong Daoist lead the way as he prepared to leave the Three Leaf Realm.

“This is the star chart of this universe. The Three Leaf Realm has three spacetime passages, leading to three locations in this universe,” Yu Hong Daoist explained.

Ji Ning chose the one closest to his destination.

“This spacetime passage was built by my master. Only she in this universe can build passages spanning nearly half the universe.” Yu Hong Daoist pointed ahead at the huge, pitch-black vortex.

“Mm.” Ji Ning turned to glance at the distant direction, then stepped into the pitch-black vortex.

At that moment, at the entrance of Lord Dan’s cave.

Outside the cold, dark cave, Lord Dan, clad in black gauze, gazed into the distance. She could see the white-robed youth carrying the black swords on his back, watching as he entered the spacetime passage and left the Three Leaf Realm.