Chapter 248

Chapter 248: The Only Friend!

Another one!

The Tianming Sword!

Hearing the girl’s words, Ye Tianming was instantly shocked, because the Tianming Sword had already been put away by him — how had she sensed it?

That was impossible!

Ye Tianming looked the girl over again. She was very young, only about fifteen or sixteen, wearing a simple cloth skirt, plainly dressed. Her looks weren’t otherworldly, but she was quite delicate and refined. Just as Master Mu had said, she was cold — and from beginning to end, she hadn’t said a single word, just kept playing with the thing in her hands.

Noticing Ye Tianming looking her over, the girl’s gaze remained calm as she looked back at him.

Ye Tianming thought for a moment, then said, “I’ll let you see it in a bit, alright?”

The girl nodded. “Alright.”

Ye Tianming smiled. “You’re not interested in the sword on the table?”

The girl glanced at the Sword Ancestor. “This sword has already reached its peak — there’s nothing much to see. Actually no, it hasn’t quite reached its peak yet.”

Ye Tianming’s interest was immediately piqued. “How so?”

The girl looked at Ye Tianming. “When the master reaches the peak and brings it along, versus when it gets there on its own — those are two different things.”

Ye Tianming fell silent.

The Sword Ancestor also fell silent.

Two hours later, the drinking party ended, and Ye Tianming and the girl came out to the corridor outside, where only the two of them remained.

The girl’s name was Mu Qing, and she was Master Mu’s granddaughter. According to Master Mu, her forging skills had already surpassed his own.

Ye Tianming opened his palm, and the Tianming Sword slowly drifted in front of the girl.

Mu Qing took the Tianming Sword and examined it for a long while, then said, “It has established its Dao.”

Ye Tianming nodded.

Mu Qing looked at Ye Tianming. “It is still a mortal sword.”

Ye Tianming was a little surprised. “How can you tell?”

Mu Qing shook her head. “This sword has been concealed by a top-tier powerhouse — I can’t actually see through it. I’m guessing.”

Ye Tianming smiled. “A very accurate guess.”

Mu Qing said, “This sword once broke and then reformed, which is how it entered the mortal realm. And later, it must have transformed again — hence, it established its Dao.”

Ye Tianming nodded.

Mu Qing looked at Ye Tianming. “This sword also has one greatest flaw. Actually, all divine artifacts tend to have one greatest flaw.”

Ye Tianming said, “It relies too heavily on its master, doesn’t it?”

Mu Qing nodded. “Yes.”

Ye Tianming was silent for a moment, then smiled. “No rush — we’ll take it slowly.”

Mu Qing said, “Meeting you is its misfortune.”

Ye Tianming smiled. “Can you really forge a divine artifact at the Huaquan realm?”

Mu Qing nodded. “We can.”

Ye Tianming was a little curious. “How do you do it?”

Mu Qing said, “Elsewhere, forging something at the Huaquan realm by human hands is nearly impossible. But at Xianbao Pavilion, it’s possible — because Xianbao Pavilion has an enormous wealth of resources. That’s also why we joined Xianbao Pavilion, because only Xianbao Pavilion’s financial power can support us in realizing our ambitions.”

Ye Tianming said, “What I’m more curious about is — how exactly do you forge something at the Huaquan realm?”

Mu Qing said, “A true forgemaster never creates objects — they create…… ideals.”

Ye Tianming looked at Mu Qing. “Ideals?”

Mu Qing nodded. “Only when a divine artifact possesses its own ideal can it grow, with no limits or ceiling.”

Ye Tianming fell silent.

Mu Qing said, “Your sword does have its own ideal. However, its ideal right now is not yet enough.”

Ye Tianming nodded. “I understand.”

Mu Qing said, “May I have a drop of your blood?”

Ye Tianming: “…….”

Mu Qing looked at Ye Tianming, very serious.

Ye Tianming said in a low voice, “What do you want my blood for?”

Mu Qing said, “The power of your bloodline is very, very special……”

Ye Tianming said, “The Crazy Demon bloodline is naturally special. You…….”

“You’re wrong.”

Mu Qing stared at him. “You don’t have the Crazy Demon bloodline. You have a mortal bloodline — and moreover, one you created yourself.”

At that moment, Ye Tianming’s expression finally changed. He looked at Mu Qing before him with a hint of disbelief. “You……”

Mu Qing stared at Ye Tianming. “Whether it’s your sword, your blood, or your constitution — all of it is self-created. That’s what makes it meaningful. I want to take it back and study it.”

Ye Tianming said, “Are you guessing again?”

Mu Qing nodded.

Ye Tianming nodded. “You really can guess……. but I don’t believe it.”

Mu Qing was silent for a moment, then said, “Only someone with a mortal body could create a mortal sword.”

Ye Tianming was briefly stunned, then broke into a smile. “So you figured it out through my sword…….”

Mu Qing said, “We leave the day after tomorrow. These two days — can you lend me your sword to study? And your blood as well. Don’t worry, I’ll keep it confidential.”

Ye Tianming said nothing.

Mu Qing said, “It seems I don’t have much I can offer you. But I do have some things I’ve forged — they’re all quite good. I can give them to you.”

As she spoke, she directly took out a storage ring and handed it to Ye Tianming.

Ye Tianming took a look — good heavens, inside the storage ring were actually six divine artifacts at the Chengzu realm.

Six of them!

All of higher grade than the Tianming Sword……. Of course, the Tianming Sword had the “mortal” enhancement, so its power wouldn’t be inferior to Chengzu realm divine artifacts.

Ye Tianming looked at Mu Qing. “You forged all of these?”

Mu Qing nodded. “Yes.”

Ye Tianming smiled. “Remarkable. But I won’t take these.”

As he spoke, he placed the Tianming Sword in Mu Qing’s hands, then dripped a drop of blood for her as well.

Mu Qing looked at him, puzzled. “Why?”

Ye Tianming said, “Consider it you owing me a favor, alright?”

Mu Qing stared at him. “You — or you?”

Ye Tianming smiled. “The master of this sword.”

He was referring to the Tianming Sword.

Mu Qing nodded. “Alright.”

Ye Tianming said, “Does my word carry any weight at headquarters?”

Mu Qing shook her head. “It doesn’t.”

Ye Tianming: “…….”

Mu Qing continued, “Only the words of Pavilion Master Qin and the Guanxuan Sword Master carry weight at headquarters. As for you — Pavilion Master Qin hasn’t said you can inherit the headquarters, so they won’t recognize you there.”

Ye Tianming smiled bitterly. “Alright then.”

Mu Qing said, “What are you trying to do?”

Ye Tianming said, “I was hoping to transfer some people from there to help me…….”

Mu Qing said, “I can help with that.”

Ye Tianming was a little surprised.

Mu Qing said, “Our ‘Jiang Zong’ has some connections there. Combined with your special identity, I can reach out to some people to come over. However, I can only contact those below the Huaquan realm — Huaquan realm powerhouses are not something money or favors can buy.”

Ye Tianming smiled. “Then in that case, consider this repaying the favor you owe me.”

Mu Qing shook her head. “This doesn’t count as a favor.”

Ye Tianming was puzzled. “Why not?”

Mu Qing glanced at him. “You’ve been decent to me, so I can’t be any less decent in return.”

Ye Tianming laughed. “Are we friends?”

Mu Qing said, “I suppose so!”

Ye Tianming smiled. “I have one more thing I can give you to study.”

Mu Qing looked at him with some curiosity.

Ye Tianming took out a scroll and handed it to her. When Mu Qing opened it and looked, her expression immediately changed.

The Law of All Beings!

What Ye Tianming had given her was the Law of All Beings — and moreover, the complete Law of All Beings.

Mu Qing looked at him. “Why?”

Ye Tianming smiled. “This should help you forge weapons, shouldn’t it?”

Mu Qing said in a low voice, “Unimaginably so.”

Ye Tianming nodded. “Good then.”

Mu Qing said again, “Why are you giving me this? This is extremely precious!”

Ye Tianming smiled. “Didn’t I say? We’re friends…….”

Mu Qing looked at him. “I was just being polite.”

Ye Tianming said, “I took it seriously.”

Mu Qing was silent for a moment, then said, “I’ve never had a friend before. From now on, you’ll be the first — and the only one!”

Ye Tianming smiled. “If there’s a chance in the future, I’ll come find you at Xianbao Pavilion. Though by then, I probably won’t be in the role of Young Master anymore.”

Mu Qing shook her head. “To me, you’re just you — it has nothing to do with what title you hold……. I’ll go write a letter now and have the people over there come.”

With that, she turned and left.

On the balcony, only Ye Tianming remained. He turned to look out at the expanse of the Milky Way — brilliant and breathtakingly beautiful. After a moment, he said softly, “They should be arriving soon too.”

The next day, Ye Tianming went to the academy and found Gu Chen. Gu Chen looked at him, his expression very calm.

Ye Tianming bowed deeply. “Teacher Gu.”

Teacher Gu shook his head. “I don’t deserve that.”

Ye Tianming said directly, “I know I was wrong.”

Those words immediately caught Gu Chen off guard.

Ye Tianming continued, “Teacher Gu, the academy has been plagued by deep-rooted problems for a long time now. I want to carry out a thorough reform, and so I’d like to ask for your help.”

Gu Chen stared at him. “Are you serious?”

Ye Tianming nodded. “Yes.”

Gu Chen fell silent.

Ye Tianming said, “You oversee the Literature Court, which is the core of our academy. But right now, the forces of the great clans and sects are deeply entrenched — connected by blood and by allegiance, intertwined at every level, controlling nearly all the resources of our Guanxuan Academy. Who knows how many things have been going on in the shadows……”

As he spoke, he let out a quiet sigh. “If we don’t reform, when will the people at the bottom ever get a chance to rise?”

Gu Chen looked at him. “Do you know what reform means?”

Ye Tianming nodded. “Bloodshed — a great deal of it.”

Gu Chen said, “You may not be able to pull it off.”

Ye Tianming smiled. “I want to try.”

Gu Chen was silent for a moment, then said, “Your father’s idea?”

Ye Tianming shook his head. “Mine.”

He chose not to hide it, because the person before him was sharp — and with sharp people, you don’t speak falsehoods.

Gu Chen stared at Ye Tianming for a good long while, then said, “Tell me your plan……”

Ye Tianming nodded and began laying out his plan in detail.

Throughout the process, Gu Chen would nod from time to time, but sometimes shake his head, and then begin discussing things with him.

And so the two of them talked through the entire night.

The following day, a piece of news reached both of their ears.

Someone from the lower cosmos had broken through the Guanxuan Path!

The third person in history to break through the Guanxuan Path had appeared.