Setting out at early dawn.
Returning by dusk.
Gazing into the setting sun, Ye Long could not help but let out a long, wistful sigh.
Now, that final shred of entanglements had vanished along with the dissipation of his lingering grievances.
"In this life, I shall live for myself! To become a god, to forge an ancestry..."
Only at this moment did Ye Long feel a trace of ease, his entire body floating as if weightless.
It was like a baptism of sublimation; his soul-force was pure and crystal-clear, devoid of the slightest blemish.
Looking at the several carts of supplies behind them, one could say they had practically swept clean all the meat in the entire city.
Little did he know, the whole city was buzzing with chatter because of it:
"The hunting expedition into the jungle is tomorrow, hurry and sign up at the city gates."
You must know.
Before reaching Foundation Establishment, all were mortal bodies, and the vital essence of flesh and blood was an absolute necessity.
When they returned to Minwu Hall, the others had long been waiting impatiently... seeing Ye Long return, much of their resentment finally dissipated.
That evening, the score of them spent the time wolfing down their food and indulging in a hearty feast.
That night, the group sat cross-legged one after another to regulate their breathing.
Yet Ye Long was the exception. Seeing the green glow reappear, he closed the doors and windows, returned to his couch, and drifted straight off to dreamland...
The next morning, at dawn.
They stood in formation just as before, awaiting inspection by the general.
Once the roll call was finished, Qin Feng announced on the spot: "Starting today, training shifts to life-and-death combat. Form groups of four. You have twenty breaths. If you haven't sorted out your teams by then, you needn't go!"
Hearing this, the crowd scrambled in a rush to form teams.
Unusually, this time things turned out differently from before: Ye Long happened to be grouped with Qin Hu, Long Aoxing, and Zhou Yuan.
Seeing everyone else sorted into groups, only Qiu Tian was left looking fiercely dissatisfied.
At this, Qin Feng said nothing more. He glanced at the sky and then led the group in a large stride toward the main street.
"I give you the time of one incense stick to find a weapon that suits your hand. If the time is up and you haven't headed to the city gates, you can crawl right back!"
Qingyang City, Weapon Workshop.
The twenty men looked at the dazzling array of weapons casually displayed on both sides of the counters, unable to conceal their excitement.
In his past life, the implement Ye Long had used most was the kitchen cleaver. He cooked to a high standard, so naturally his knife skills went without saying.
Therefore, deep down in his heart, he had secretly hoped to find a fine blade!
Looking at the dazzling assortment of swords and sabers, Ye Long could only fall speechless.
Simply because the prices were far too exorbitant...
Yet as he wandered about, a faint gleam suddenly flashed past the corner of his eye.
It was precisely a rusted blade!
This saber was covered in rust, casually tossed into a corner, and looked as though it had been ignored by everyone for a long time.
Ye Long picked up the blade without hesitation and gave it a thorough inspection up and down.
The blade was four centimeters wide and about one hundred centimeters long, bearing a striking resemblance to a Tang saber!
Ye Long was filled with the thrill of a hunter spotting rare prey.
A blade that could emit a glow from a dark corner was obviously no ordinary object.
A sharp glint suddenly appeared in his eyes as he asked:
"Shopkeeper, this useless blade—how much is it worth?"
Hearing this, the shopkeeper glanced over and couldn't help curling his lip:
"That saber was picked up from the mountains; it's never been polished. Are you sure you want that one?"
Yet when the shopkeeper saw Ye Long nod, he let out a long sigh:
"Forget it, I'll give it to you for free. Hand it over, I'll help you grind it a bit—consider it a complimentary bonus for patronizing my establishment."
One had to admit.
The shopkeeper truly deserved to be called a master craftsman. He picked up the blade and tossed it straight into the furnace to heat. When the edge glowed red, he pulled it right back out and plunged it directly into a spring of clear water.
Sissst!
Instantly, layers of iron flakes peeled away from the blade.
The shopkeeper set to work grinding it rapidly, and the harsh screech of friction—*screech... screech*—broke the cold silence of the morning.
In no time at all, the blade was fully polished.
Yet who would have expected that upon seeing the brilliant, sparkling treasure light, the shopkeeper would turn pale with shock and cry out:
"This is..."
Seeing this, Ye Long hurriedly snatched the blade away, overjoyed.
It truly was a fine saber!
The edge shimmered with a brilliant, flowing luster, radiating a sharpness through the body of the weapon that pricked the eyes.
Amidst his delight, he suddenly circulated the Qingshi Formula, pressed his fingers together in the Qingshi style, and lightly touched the tip of the blade.
"Hiss!"
To his utter shock.
Ye Long discovered with astonishment that this blade was actually an peerless mortal weapon!
Looking at the droplets of blood welling up, he broke into a grin from ear to ear.
"From now on, I'll call you the Slaughter Blade!"
At this moment, the others were still searching for suitable weapons.
Ye Long didn't idle either; he picked up the Slaughter Blade and swung it until it whipped up a gale.
And truth be told.
Using a saber for the very first time, he inevitably felt a sense of sluggishness, and found the consecutive movements somewhat unnatural.
Putting aside brute force and angles, once he swung it out wide and heavy, it was completely devoid of any method or discipline.
In his hands, this saber was nothing more than a sharp weapon.
Refusing to believe it, Ye Long immediately shifted his stance and thrust forward repeatedly in rapid succession!
"No, the angle is slightly off!"
With a silent retraction of the blade, his soul-force permeated every part of the edge, leaving not even a speck of dust unchecked.
Then, his eyes suddenly locked, and the sharp edge of his right hand flashed out once more.
It vanished in a flash, carrying razor-sharp deadliness.
Looking again, the Slaughter Blade was a unified whole, its edge appearing increasingly intimidating.
You must know, the saber is the overlord among weapons!
As the Slaughter Blade flashed into action again and again, a sheet of white radiance appeared like an inseparable curtain of light, concealing its keen edge while harboring endless killing intent!
This shadow of the blade edge was formless yet had substance; once a strike was launched, there was no retreat, only advancement!
Ye Long quickly grew accustomed to the rhythm of the blade, leaving the shopkeeper dazzled and unable to keep up.
The more the shopkeeper gasped in cold air, the more he instinctively shrank his neck back.
Gradually, Ye Long's spirit, energy, and essence grew sharp yet unpretentious. His nimble legs shifted unpredictably, and the blade moved faster and faster with every swing.
Swish, swish, swish!
Hum, hum, hum!
When he abruptly opened his eyes, his clean and decisive movements could truly be called "flowing clouds and running water, accomplished in a single breath"!
After toying with the Slaughter Blade for a moment, Ye Long suddenly realized that a practitioner of the blade, though overbearing, was direct and straightforward.
Once a strike was unleashed, there was no such thing as withdrawing the move; it was a fight to the death with no holding back!
"Slaughter Blade, then from now on I am a saber-wielding wanderer—a blade-cultivator!"
Quietly defining his path in his heart, Ye Long wore an expression of utmost solemnity.
In an instant, even his right hand gripping the hilt grew a fraction lighter.
As the light in the sky silently shifted along its trajectory, he inevitably raised his head to gaze at the boundless firmament, lost in a trance!
Hold the blade vertical, hack straight down.
Hold the blade sideways, thrust straight ahead.
Hold the blade horizontal, stake your life!
"Shing..."
Every downward slash of the blade carried an astonishing aura of deterrence.
In the blink of an eye, Ye Long and his blade transformed into an overlord saber-cultivator.
"Shing... shing..."
The blade light repeatedly vanished into the void as Ye Long grew increasingly adept.
It was as though the saber were an extension of his own arm, and he had been born a master swordsman!
By this time, everyone else had chosen their weapons—whether swords or heavy clubs, each one could cut through iron like mud and was exceedingly heavy.
After settling the bill with silver, the shopkeeper could only sigh heavily as he watched Ye Long swagger out the doors of the workshop.
Instead, watching those who carried sword scabbards while secretly grinding their teeth with hidden resentment, he muttered to himself incessantly:
"What a stingy shopkeeper! Since he gave away a saber, why couldn't he throw in a scabbard as well..."
Still... the thought of having the Slaughter Blade in his hand brought a broad grin back to his face.
When they arrived at the city gates, the place was already a sea of humanity.
The score of men rendezvoused with Qin Feng and immediately marched out through the city gates!
Only an hour later did the group finally reach the outer entrance of the Monster Beast jungle.