Chapter 282

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“Object Manipulation” was the most fundamental technique in immortal cultivation. As long as one possessed Divine Sense, the very first thing they would typically learn was how to manipulate objects. After all, this was the most basic difference between a cultivator and an ordinary person. Moreover, this divine ability of “Object Manipulation” also formed the foundation for many other techniques, such as controlling flying swords and various kinds of artifacts. Without the ability to manipulate objects, such feats were simply unimaginable.

The incantation for “Object Manipulation” was short and not particularly obscure. After recalling it for a while and silently reciting it a few times in his heart, Zhang Xiaohua had already formed a rough impression of it. Then, with lowered brows and closed eyes, he began to comprehend it earnestly. About the time it would take to eat a meal later, Zhang Xiaohua made no other movement. He simply formed a basic hand seal with his right hand, muttered something under his breath, and split off a tiny thread of his Divine Sense, channeling it into the small sword.

At first, the sword felt incomparably heavy. But after several rounds of experimentation and pondering, Zhang Xiaohua gradually grasped the knack of it. As he grew more adept, the little sword began to feel increasingly light. Another short while passed—roughly the time it took to drink a cup of tea—and the small sword suddenly gave a slight twitch. Then, like a toddler just learning to walk, it raised its head ever so slightly. A moment later, the entire sword lifted off the table, swaying unsteadily in the air.

Having overcome the most difficult initial step, everything that followed became much smoother. Before long, the small sword was moving under Zhang Xiaohua’s control—its motions purposeful, its trajectory increasingly clear. Most remarkable of all, under the control of the object manipulation incantation, Zhang Xiaohua could no longer feel the sword’s weight. It was completely different from holding it by hand—an experience that left Zhang Xiaohua clicking his tongue in amazement. So this was how the sword was meant to be used—with Divine Sense, not by hand!

By the time Zhang Xiaohua could skillfully direct the small sword to dart around the cabin at will, going wherever he pleased, it was already midday. He was thoroughly engrossed in his practice when a sailor knocked on the door. Startled, Zhang Xiaohua quickly put away the small sword and scolded himself for being so careless. Now that he had reached the third level of Qi Refinement, using Divine Sense cost him little effort, so why wasn’t he constantly keeping it extended? With that thought, Zhang Xiaohua tried projecting his Divine Sense outside his body for the first time. Only then did he rise to open the door.

Zhang Xiaohua had originally thought to have his meal brought to the cabin, but after spending the whole morning cultivating, he felt a bit stifled and weary of it all. So, wanting to get some fresh air, he followed the sailor downstairs.

Even before descending, Zhang Xiaohua’s Divine Sense had already swept across the entire large vessel. Within the main cabin, the feast was already laid out, and everyone was laughing and exchanging toasts, enjoying the luxurious revelry. His entrance did not draw much attention. Qin Shiyue merely glanced at him, gave a faint smile, and nodded slightly as a greeting.

Zhang Xiaohua casually found a seat by the entrance. Before long, a sailor brought over food and wine. Zhang Xiaohua did not stand on ceremony. He picked up his chopsticks and began to eat—this feast wasn’t held for him; he was merely here to fill his stomach. The Three Seas Flood Dragon Kings and the Seven Waters Sect Leaders had already thoroughly learned of Zhang Xiaohua’s background. They now knew that he bore something crucial that concerned the Cult Master himself. Those who had tried to strike up conversation with him yesterday were already feeling uneasy, and today, no one dared come disturb him.

Zhang Xiaohua focused on his meal and quickly finished eating and drinking. Just as he was about to rise and leave, his extended Divine Sense suddenly detected another ship, identical in size and shape to their own, rapidly approaching. His heart stirred, and he dismissed the thought of leaving. Sure enough, not even a moment later, a sailor rushed in and whispered a few words into Flood Dragon King Xu’s ear.

Once the sailor left, Flood Dragon King Xu laughed and said: “Everyone, the item meant as tribute to the Cult Master has arrived. Lord Qin may rest easy now. Please, have another cup of wine. After this, we shall present the offering.”

Qin Shiyue was overjoyed upon hearing this. He raised his cup and drank with everyone, laughing as he said: “You have all shown great hospitality—Qin is truly honored. Let’s go, then, Flood Dragon King Xu. Show me what fine things you’ve prepared for the Cult Master.”

Flood Dragon King Xu laughed and replied: “There’s not much to speak of. The Cult Master’s request this time wasn’t too extravagant—just a single chest. As for the rest, there are quite a few other items, though all are mundane. Whether they’ll satisfy the Cult Master and Lord Qin, we truly cannot say.”

With that, he led the group out of the cabin. Naturally, Zhang Xiaohua followed along behind.

Facing them, a massive sea vessel broke through the waves. Its appearance and size were identical to the one Zhang Xiaohua was aboard. On its main mast flew the same pitch-black banner bearing the image of a flood dragon. Without a doubt, it was another warship belonging to the South Sea Flood Dragon Palace.

When the ship drew near and the gangplank was laid, a team of sailors carried over more than a dozen large chests. The size of those chests was roughly the same as the ones Zhang Xiaohua had looted from the hidden chamber in West Cui Mountain. Zhang Xiaohua was filled with curiosity. Before the sailors could even bring the chests over, his Divine Sense had already swept across them, and just one glance nearly made him drool on the spot.

Zhang Xiaohua hadn’t carefully counted the contents of the three large chests he’d seized from the secret chamber at West Cui Mountain, but even so, the sheer abundance had left him dizzy for quite some time. That was the sort of wealth he had never even dreamed of in his lifetime. Back then, he had shouted repeatedly that he had struck it rich. But compared to the things inside these new chests, the loot from the mountain bandits clearly paled in comparison, not just in quality, but in quantity as well.

However, upon reflection, Zhang Xiaohua understood. The mountain bandits of West Cui Mountain were nothing but ordinary ruffians—how could they compare to the South Sea Flood Dragon Palace? The Flood Dragon Palace was a massive, powerful organization. The mere fact that they were offering such treasures was enough to leave Zhang Xiaohua speechless.

Sure enough, Flood Dragon King Xu said to Qin Shiyue: “Lord Qin, these are but mundane items for the Cult Master. Nothing of value, really. The gift list only contains ten chests; as for the rest, please feel free to dispose of them as you see fit.”

Qin Shiyue smiled and replied: “Flood Dragon King Xu is too kind. How could I accept such a generous offering?”

“There’s no need to be so polite, Lord Qin. You handle matters in the Divine Cult, so I’m sure these things will come in handy for you. Even if they don’t catch your eye, the Cult has many others who may find them useful. And since you rarely go outside, it’s rare for someone to offer you such gifts. Even if you have no use for them, it would be wise to accept them, for Master Garuda will certainly appreciate them.”

Qin Shiyue pondered for a moment and then said: “In that case, I won’t refuse any longer. I will often visit the South Sea in the future, and I trust I can count on your guidance, Flood Dragon King Xu.”

Flood Dragon King Xu looked at Qin Shiyue with increasing fondness. “Of course, once Lord Qin completes his mission, come back to the South Sea, and I’ll give you a proper welcome.”

Seeing so much wealth that had nothing to do with him, Zhang Xiaohua felt lazy and disinterested. He didn’t even bother to look at the last chest that had yet to be moved. With a sigh, he turned and made his way to the second floor of the cabin.

After closing the cabin door, Zhang Xiaohua took out the small sword he had been practicing with in the morning and, using the Object Manipulation divine ability, guided it to dart around the small cabin. Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind. While he had mastered the technique of Object Manipulation, this alone was not enough to kill an enemy. Where would the swordplay of the immortal path come from? Naturally, he thought of using his well-practiced Left-Handed Sword techniques. He remembered how Elder Yu had taught him the sword moves, with both individual strikes and a central principle. He had mastered a few sword techniques with his left hand, but the central principle was something he could never fully grasp. Why not try to understand it now?

Zhang Xiaohua closed his eyes and thought for a moment, then began to combine the central principle with Object Manipulation. Suddenly, it dawned on him. Of course! The nameless sword techniques he had learned were originally meant to be used with Object Manipulation. No wonder many of the strikes emerged from seemingly impossible angles. If he relied only on his arm, how could he complete them?

In fact, the moves he could perform with his left hand were all adapted to what his arm could do. Those that his arm couldn’t manage were simply impossible to learn. Zhang Xiaohua suddenly realized that it wasn’t that his aptitude was lacking; it was that these moves could not be practiced in the martial way. If he tried to force them, would success even be possible? He thought back to Elder Yu’s one-armed style and broke into a sweat, realizing that it might be the result of trying to practice divine arts beyond the physical limits.

Fortunately, Zhang Xiaohua had already mastered Object Manipulation, which allowed him to fully understand the central principle. His swordplay had become familiar, and now he was merely transferring it from his hand to his Divine Sense. Though it felt a bit strange at first, once he began, it came naturally. Not long after, Zhang Xiaohua had mastered several variations of the nameless sword technique. As he completed the practice, he realized that the nameless sword techniques weren’t just variations of one technique, as Elder Yu had said, but rather several distinct sword techniques. The key difference was that while Elder Yu had viewed them from the martial perspective, assuming them to be variations of a single technique, when driven by Divine Sense, they connected into a series of different sword techniques!

This swordplay was clearly part of a larger system, but not a complete set. No wonder Elder Yu had called it a fragmented sword technique. Still, even this fragmented swordplay was the first flying sword technique Zhang Xiaohua had mastered. With his left hand alone, he could block the attacks of Situ Yueming. If he used the small sword controlled by Divine Sense, he was sure victory would be guaranteed.

Feeling satisfied, Zhang Xiaohua practiced his swordplay for a while before putting the flying sword away.

By now, everyone had returned to the first floor of the cabin, and the dozen or so large chests had been placed in the hall. Zhang Xiaohua had no intention of looking at them, but the incomplete swordplay stirred his curiosity again. He extended his Divine Sense and secretly examined the large chest with strong spiritual fluctuations. He wondered to himself: “I wonder if there’s anything in that chest related to sword techniques, perhaps a jade slip?”

In the first-floor cabin, after the sailors had placed the chests around the hall, Flood Dragon King Xu did not open them all for Qin Shiyue to see. He singled out one chest filled with various jade items and opened it, saying: “Lord Qin, please take a look. These are items we’ve gathered from the Three Seas and Seven Waters, just a little something for you to review.”

Qin Shiyue approached with caution, not daring to be careless. He stepped forward and began carefully picking up some of the jade items. The items were all bizarre in shape—some were small jade stones, others were shaped like jade daggers, and some were even shaped like little umbrellas. As he flipped through them, Qin Shiyue’s eyes suddenly brightened as he pulled out a large jade block that was different from the others.