Chapter 621: A Strengthening Sword Embryo
Translator: Irene Editor: Lucas, TYZ
Within the fantasyland of the blood eye, the confrontation between God's blood and sword embryo showed no signs of stopping.
After the nourishment of hundreds of thousands of sword formations, the sword embryo had obviously changed.
The initial emergence of fog that enveloped his earth palace was like a spiraling, grey cloud. Now, countless sword blades could faintly be seen surging within this cloud. The blades were of different sizes and shapes, but each one flickered with a sharp and dazzling light ray, making them seem substantial. However, only the tip of the blades were solid. While moving along the sword bodies, they became increasingly blurry and eventually faded into fog spirals.
They dragged long stretches of fog that looked like many strips of palm-sized and flat satin.
The sword embryo's movement and might was much more shocking now, and its combat power had clearly increased as well.
Ai Hui had been observing it very closely. Even though both both were in equilibrium, the fragmented rays shattered by the golden light pillar had clearly increased. The surging and spiralling sword blades were like a shoal of terrifying piranhas, advancing dauntlessly with their sharp teeth. As if they were immune to exhaustion, they kept biting at the golden light pillar non-stop.
Such a change surprised him greatly.
To him, the sword embryo was covered with a layer of mysterious muslin and hence was difficult to see through. It reacted to all objects related to swords. It was very mystical and did not lose to the aggressive and powerful God's blood.
Thinking about it, Ai Hui felt he was really quite lucky.
He didn't have much God's blood within his body, perhaps a third or a quarter of a drop. He was convinced that if he had a complete drop of God's blood, he would've been dead by now, even with his sword embryo.
He felt somewhat curious. Where did One Thousand Yuan get God's blood?
He thought it was most likely that it was a reward from the Holy Emperor, but why did the Holy Emperor do that? God's blood was extremely precious, and he definitely wouldn't bestow it to anyone easily.
Plus… did he not need it anymore?
Ai Hui found this idea ridiculous. God's blood was thus far a force of the highest level and even his sword embryo was merely tied. What would a force stronger than God's blood be like?
Ai Hui's knowledge of forces had unknowingly undergone a change.
Supposing that a Master signified an elementalist who had found a path of his own, his next target would be to construct an elemental ring of his own. For example, Vitality Branches and Lightning were all elemental energy rings, five elemental energy rings to be specific.
This was undoubtedly the most difficult and deceiving in nature.
Ordinary elementalists started from training for one elemental energy, and their journey to becoming Masters was arduous and filled with obstacles. Perhaps many were convinced that the single elemental energy was their guiding principle, but little did they know that in order to progress further, their single elemental energy had to move toward all five elemental energies.
Assembly of the Patriarchs's fusion elemental energy had more advantage in this aspect.
What was more mystical was that the five elemental energy rings created by Masters, more often than not, did not display all five elemental energies. For example, people viewed Vitality Branches as wood elemental energy, whereas Lightning was associated with water elemental energy. No one would've thought that they were all part of an elaborate and structured five elemental energy ring.
If not for God's blood, Ai Hui wouldn't have comprehended this concept.
Five elemental rings was a Master's second base level.
What about a Grandmaster? Would it still be a five elemental energy ring? Ai Hui had no idea since he hadn't seen a Grandmaster and was unable to judge. However, Lu Chen's Vitality Branches' five elemental energy ring was already exquisitely structured and abstruse, but he wasn't a Grandmaster. He himself had fumbled his way into refining lightning without becoming a Grandmaster.
A Grandmaster was someone comparable to the Holy Emperor, so their strength must be on par as well.
In the elemental energy system, it was really commendable for a construct to be able to contend against God's blood. Even Ai Hui's lightning would be annihilated by it. His sword embryo was a strange fetus whose origin AI Hui was still unclear about.
While straightening out this thoughts, Ai Hui formed his own judgment.
The first phase was to become a Master.
The second phase was to understand the five elemental energy rings and differences emerged in this stage. For example, Lightning would surpass Vitality Branches. Was there a five elemental energy ring simpler than Vitality Branches? Ai Hui believed so. Was there a more complex five elemental energy ring than Lightning? Ai Hui was positive as well.
The third phase was to become as strong as a Grandmaster, God's blood, and the sword embryo.
If the Holy Emperor bestowed God's blood to She Yu, could it be that he had already found something more potent? Was there something even more powerful than that?
Ai Hui was at a loss. The five elemental energy rings of Vitality Branches surprised him, and he also found Lightning's composition unimaginable. God's blood was absolutely powerful and admirable, while the sword embryo was a muddled mess, albeit originating from a mysterious and powerful swordsman, so Ai Hui looked forward to that.
A power of a higher level than that of God's blood? Ai Hui was unable to imagine.
Alright. Ai Hui felt his thoughts getting increasingly ridiculous. Such far-fetched ideas weren't things he needed to consider.
He shook his head and diverted his focus back onto the confrontation between the sword embryo and God's blood.
When his gaze fell onto the aggressive collision, he noticed that specks of fragmented golden rays were being peeled off the golden light pillar. Toward the solid and seemingly substantial golden light pillar, these specks of fragmented rays were simply negligible. If they kept up this speed, how long would this deadlock last?
Suddenly, Ai Hui realized that he had overlooked a problem.
The sharp swords within the sword embryo had shattered from the collision and transformed into fog to re-enter the sword embryo. Where had the rays that were shattered by the light pillar of God's blood gone to?
Returned to God's blood? Not right...
Ai Hui opened his eyes wide in search.
…..
"That's about all for today."
Jiang Wei's expression carried a tinge of exhaustion. The battle in the day had been extremely intense. The enemy had innumerable tricks, so they had to stay alert at all times. The enemies were getting increasingly sly and their strategies were constantly changing, but somehow their battle outcomes weren't as good as before.
There was a total of thirteen broadback batfish corpses.
When they realized that flesh was needed for the sword formations, Jiang Wei and gang started transporting these corpses from the frontline every day. Members of the Sword of Lightning quickly went forward to receive and chop them into pieces before sprinkling them into the sword formations.
Currently, the sword formations were starting to build up.
Atop the mountain ridge overlooking the valley, the atmosphere was completely different. The densely packed sword formations were like a steel jungle, permeated by a dangerous and biting cold aura. The fog bred and diffused non-stop, causing many corners to be hidden from the eyes.
The fog spiralled within the valley's sword formations. It was like a giant whirlpool that enveloped the valley, and in the heart of the whirlpool stood Ai Hui.
The constant supply of fog poured into Ai Hui's body.
Gentle "pu, pu" sounds traveled from within the sword formations. They were sounds made by the transformation of swords into flying ashes.
"How many swords in the valley now?"
"Three hundred twenty six thousand, six hundred forty nine so far."
"How shocking. Were you a sword eater in your previous life?"
"Lou Lan thinks so too."
Jiang Wei looked eager. "Does it really work?"
Lou Lan answered seriously, "Yes, it works, Jiang Wei. The effects of using flesh is notable as it can increase the power of the sword formations by five times and it can develop an amazing change in the sword aura and a trace of spirituality. While weak, it is extremely precious. Among all the sword formations we found, the Yin and Yang Sword Formation works the best."
Jiang Wei asked immediately, "When will Ai Hui wake up?"
Lou Lan shook his head. "No idea."
Jiang Wei fixed his gaze onto the center of the densely packed sword formations where Ai Hui was in deep sleep. "I really hope he wakes up soon."
Looking longingly, Lou Lan nodded. "Yeah."
…..
Within the blood eye.
Ai Hui finally understood where those fragmented rays had gone.
A portion of them had been absorbed by the sword embryo, and another portion had entered his body. The remaining had transformed into a faint, golden fog that pervaded the air.
Ai Hui could clearly feel the sword embryo and his flesh undergoing astonishing changes. He found it difficult to describe these changes, but he knew that they were very beneficial for himself.
The most obvious benefit was evident from the recovering process of his withered flesh. This gave him a pleasant surprise. Ever since he had used his lightning to fight off Night Moth Fruit, his body was completely wrecked and he was as weak as paper. Afterward, all sorts of forces clashed within his body, turning it into a bitter battlefield. There seemingly wasn't any hope for recovery.
Who knew that the fragmented golden rays would have such an effect!
The sword embryo's change was even more complicated, and Ai Hui couldn't determine whether it was a good or bad change. However, after absorbing the rays, the sword embryo seemed to have become more calm toward God's blood.
After halting for two days, the sword aura started to flow incessantly again. Ai Hui knew that it must've been the work of Lou Lan and gang. They were trying to help him.
Ai Hui was moved. No matter when and no matter how hard the situation, they weren't going to abandon him.
The constant flow of sword aura rapidly strengthened the sword embryo.
Ai Hui found something different. Not only was the sword aura much stronger now, there were also many changes. It had a weak spiritual nature and a division between Yin and Yang now.
Could it be a sword formation?
In just a while, Ai Hui almost guessed it. Few had greater knowledge than him when it came to an understanding of sword formations and swords. The amount of incoming sword aura was alarming, so it was obvious that the sword formation designed by Lou Lan and gang was of a significant scale.
Ai Hui was still unaware that in order to save him, Lou Lan was going to create hundreds and thousands of sword formations.
He only reckoned there were tens of thousands of swords. He would be struck dumb if he knew.
The new influx of sword aura produced a major impact on the sword embryo. Not only did the closely packed and swimming sword points become more spiritual, they gradually splitted into two groups, one Yin and one Yang. The groups were connected at both ends, entangling and spiralling.
Ai Hui got a shock when he saw it. Wasn't this Yin Yang Fish?
The changed sword embryo started to become stronger and the amount of fragmented rays coming off the golden light pillar increased. The fragmented golden rays were unceasingly being absorbed by the sword embryo and his flesh. The unabsorbable portion transformed into drifting, golden fog that became increasingly visible.
The suspending and scorching sun seemed not to have changed in the slightest. The golden light pillar remained as overbearing as before, but Ai Hui saw a chance of victory.