Chapter 254: The Forgotten Sword Intent
To be honest, Luo Wusheng hadn't originally planned on giving away the Star-Moon Jade this time.
Since that day when the Demon Artifact Pavilion opened, and a mischievous brat from the Heavenly Divination Tower almost exposed his secret, he had slowly realized that his strategy might not be as foolproof as he thought.
Although the Star-Moon Jade was a unique, top-tier gemstone he personally crafted and monopolized, it had become a bit problematic.
He never expected so many unexpected developments...
Yet, despite all this, when it came time to give it away, he didn't think too much about the issue.
The reasons were simple.
The white-haired loli already knew everything and asked for it directly.
Miss Kirin got hers because, in his dream, he had a moment of carelessness... In fact, to this day, he still doesn't understand how an item he gave away in a dream managed to end up in the hands of the Empress.
This time, as he re-evaluated his usual method, perhaps for the first time, he hesitated.
After all, this young woman likely had no connection to any of the story's named characters.
But who could've expected that, as if destiny had a will of its own, his old habits would come back to haunt him?
'Well, I suppose it's fine... I can't think of anything better to give her anyway...'
Besides, it's just another small detail to keep an eye on in the future, nothing too major.
Now that he thought about it, this was the sixth Star-Moon Jade he'd given away, and he had made 23 in total back in the Ancient Heavenly Gate...
Ahem, and he still owed the Heavenly Divination Tower Master 20 of them.
Oh well, when it comes to debts, the one who owes is the master...
There's no way they'd expect him to pay in flesh, right?
As these thoughts swirled in his mind, Luo Wusheng rubbed his slightly aching head. Lying in the soft, comforting embrace of the fairy beside him, he was about to respond.
Although he still felt a bit groggy from waking up from the "dream," his body felt relaxed, as if he'd just had a long rest. There didn't seem to be any issues...
"I forgot..." Luo Wusheng's gaze suddenly turned blank.
"Forgot?"
Ling Shuangxue, still unsure of what the boy on her lap meant, raised her hand, but then gently placed it back down, sensing for any anomalies in his body. Her voice carried a hint of concern.
She, too, began to sense something off.
A stick of Sword Enlightenment Incense had burned out, granting ten years of sword enlightenment in the illusionary realm.
Although only a short time had passed in the outside world, it had been a real ten years in the illusion.
For a cultivator, such a long period often resulted in some disorientation after awakening due to the time discrepancy.
Let alone for Luo Wusheng, who hadn't even reached twenty years of age.
For him, those ten years would feel incredibly long. It might take time to sort through those memories.
But contrary to her expectations, Luo Wusheng seemed to have quickly adapted to his surroundings upon waking, without showing any of the typical signs of someone who had just gained ten years of experience.
A suspicion began to form in Ling Shuangxue's mind.
Luo Wusheng frowned.
"There's a gap in my memory of the ten years of sword enlightenment... I remember entering the illusion, but everything after that is blank. My next memory is waking up when the incense burned out."
Ling Shuangxue furrowed her brows slightly, but then a thoughtful expression crossed her face.
She quickly understood what he was saying, as it aligned with her earlier suspicions.
After a brief pause, she asked softly, "What about your sword intent? Can you feel any changes?"
Luo Wusheng closed his eyes.
Before long, an aged but sharp sword intent surged around him, carrying with it the clear sound of a sword ringing.
This was the sign of sword intent nearing perfection.
However, his expression grew more serious.
"It seems like I succeeded... but I can't remember how the sword intent evolved. I can only sense that it's somehow connected to that black broken sword..."
"Besides that... it feels like there's another sword intent?"
"It's strange... I can't figure out the nature of this second sword intent, and I can't use it..."
As he spoke, Luo Wusheng lifted his hand, watching as a thread of sword intent briefly appeared and dissipated. He looked confused.
Ling Shuangxue gently took his hand in hers, as if to reassure him.
"Perhaps it's the remnant of the Sword Emperor's broken sword."
She softly placed his hand in her palm, saying, "According to the Sword Sect records, no one has ever held two sword intents at the same time, except maybe our ancestor or an ancient figure from a long-past era. Can you sense anything unusual about the second sword intent?"
Luo Wusheng blinked, examining the second sword intent within him.
"It seems denser than my current sword intent, almost fully developed. Though I don't know why it appeared, it feels like it belongs to me, even though I can't use it right now. It doesn't seem harmful."
While saying this, Luo Wusheng began reviewing his memories.
The change seemed to stem from the black broken sword left by the Sword Emperor.
The secret realm hadn't turned out as dangerous as he'd anticipated.
Instead of deadly traps, the broken sword had practically handed itself over to him.
Initially, he had planned to give it to the sword fairy beside him since swordsmanship wasn't his strongest suit. He thought it would benefit her more.
However, for some reason, the sword intent from the black sword had ended up with him...
'Oh well, I'll figure something out later...'
For now, the real question was the two sword intents within him.
'Could the broken sword have caused this anomaly? Though no one in later generations has successfully wielded two sword intents, perhaps in the Sword Emperor's era it was possible...'
And if an ancient powerhouse had left behind such a sword, it wouldn't be surprising if it had the power to erase some memories.
Now, he truly had no idea about the origins of his second sword intent.
As Luo Wusheng pondered this, Ling Shuangxue gently exhaled.
"If that's the case, then this may not be a bad thing."
Though the sword essence from the broken sword had nearly overwhelmed Luo Wusheng's undeveloped sword intent, it seemed its purpose had been to strengthen the sword intent rather than harm him.
Understanding this, Luo Wusheng could only sigh helplessly.
It seemed he had unintentionally gained a second, fully-formed sword intent just by sleeping.
At least he now had a near-perfect sword intent.
It was at this moment that he noticed Ling Shuangxue's right hand gently gripping the Star-Moon Jade ring on her left hand.
It seemed she was about to take it off.
"Sir, this ring..."
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Note: Link to the character Illustration:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lkIcPnCxeyuyZA4Kkb621dPC05UvWjhD