"Master Cauldron, this is the place!"
In the imperial mausoleum, desolation and silence reigned. The nearest mausoleum guards were dozens of miles away. Standing before the Ancestral Emperor's Mausoleum, Lin Yu focused his mind, and the God-Eating Cauldron—etched with ancient, complex divine runes—emerged from between his brows.
"Kid, today you'll witness Master Cauldron's might...!"
Master Cauldron chuckled. Starlight shimmered within the cauldron, as if an entire galaxy had been drawn into its depths.
Next, ripples of starlight emanated from the God-Eating Cauldron, enveloping the Ancestral Emperor's Mausoleum entirely. Under the 冲刷 (scouring) of these starlight ripples, the mausoleum trembled violently. Then, a brilliant sword qi shot into the sky.
The Ancestral Emperor's Mausoleum, protected by layers of formations that even Purple Mansion Realm experts could hardly breach, cracked open. The Human Emperor Sword burst forth as a stream of light, circling Lin Yu and resisting the cauldron's attempt to swallow it!
But the Human Emperor Sword only held out for an instant before being drawn into the God-Eating Cauldron like rivers merging into the sea. Lin Yu was astonished—the Human Emperor Sword, born of imperial luck and one of the world's top spiritual treasures, had been swallowed so easily!
Inside the cauldron, starlight surged like a boiling sea. The Human Emperor Sword, now a stream of light, thrashed about but was gradually refined.
"Kid, you have sage blood. Master Cauldron will refine the Human Emperor's luck from the sword. Once it fuses with your blood, the Saint Emperor Sword Body will reappear in the world through you!" Master Cauldron's voice brimmed with pride.
"It's said the Ancestral Emperor had a peerless sword body, cultivating sword dao as if aided by the gods. If I can fuse the Saint Emperor Sword Body, can I rival the Ancestral Emperor?" Lin Yu's eyes lit up. In this era, though 强者 (powerful beings) abounded, sword cultivation reigned supreme. Swordmasters, rare and the strongest in their realms, were the stuff of legend—stories told of them turning into rainbow swords to cleave mountains, slay demon kings, and dominate from a thousand li away.
...
The Saint Emperor Sword Body, born from refining the Human Emperor Sword, was definitely no inferior to a peerless sword body!
"Lin Aotian's peerless sword body is merely blessed by luck. How can it compare to yours? The Saint Emperor Sword Body, fused with sage blood and Human Emperor luck, will make you omniscient in sword dao!" Master Cauldron laughed proudly. Starlight swirled within the God-Eating Cauldron, clearly benefiting greatly from refining the sword.
"Master Cauldron, I want to fuse the Saint Emperor Sword Body!" Without hesitation, Lin Yu sat cross-legged before the Ancestral Mausoleum and began the fusion.
A sharp sword intent instantly surged into his body, washing over him like a tide to cleanse his marrow and bones. Lin Yu felt every bone and meridian being scoured by the sword intent, a pain so intense it felt like being slowly sliced apart—agony that pierced the soul. He gritted his teeth, enduring like a small boat in a storm.
As time passed, wave after wave of sword intent transformed him from within. When Lin Yu fused the Saint Emperor Sword Body, the mausoleum's 异变 (anomaly) rippled across a hundred miles, shaking the imperial city. Every warrior could sense the sharp sword intent released when the Human Emperor Sword emerged.
"Sword qi piercing the sky—what's happening?"
"Strange! This sword qi seems to come from the Ancestral Emperor's Mausoleum!"
"The Human Emperor Sword! Only it in the mausoleum wields such terrifying sword qi!"
In the forbidden palace and noble estates, Innate Realm warriors who could soar into the air rose to peer toward the mausoleum. The Han Emperor and his ministers emerged, standing aloft and exchanging bewildered glances.
"Only the Human Emperor Sword in the Ancestral Mausoleum has such 强横 (overpowering) sword qi. Born of imperial luck, it only accompanies sword dao prodigies. Today, if the spiritual sword has emerged, does that mean a sword dao prodigy is born in the imperial city?" The Han Emperor looked toward the mausoleum, his face lighting up.
Royal records stated that when the Ancestral Emperor was born, the Human Emperor Sword descended and stayed by his side. The Ancestral Emperor was 天赋异禀 (gifted with extraordinary talent), possessing the legendary peerless sword body. It was said the sword's emergence marked the birth of a sword dao prodigy.
"Congratulations, Your Majesty! A sword dao prodigy born in the imperial city is a sign that heaven intends for Great Han to prosper!" Ministers congratulated the emperor in unison.
"Not yet. Issue an order: inspect every baby born in the imperial city today—no one must be missed. The Human Emperor Sword must also be found; it will surely be with the prodigy. Find the sword, find the prodigy!" The Han Emperor suppressed his joy. "Hurry—we must not let others get ahead!" Powerful clans and sects within the dynasty, though allied with the royal family in name, might seize the prodigy first—a dire outcome for the 皇室 (royal family).
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Ministers departed to organize the citywide search.
The Han Emperor landed, 神色凝重 (grave-faced), and suddenly thought of the Third Prince, Lin Yu, who had been banished to guard the mausoleum. Could he be behind this commotion? He shook his head. Lin Yu's dantian had been destroyed, rendering him a cultivation cripple unable to enter the mausoleum's 阵法 (formations). The anomaly must be unrelated to him.
Lin Yu opened his eyes, still palpitating from the fusion. The process had been excruciating—he never wanted to experience it again! He staggered up, returned to the mausoleum guardhouse, and sat to meditate, feeling the changes from the Saint Emperor Sword Body.
But the mausoleum was now a storm of activity, with powerful figures from clans and sects converging. Their gazes peered at the cracked mausoleum, seeking clues to the sword dao prodigy.
"As expected, the Human Emperor Sword is gone!"
"This mausoleum is protected by formations—only experts above Purple Mansion Seventh Layer could break in!"
"After the Demon-Suppressing War, countless 强者 (powerful beings) fell. Few Purple Mansion Seventh Layer experts remain. The mausoleum's crack formed from within—it wasn't man-made!"
... Dozens of Innate Realm warriors gathered, and upon finding the sword missing, they dispersed, leaving the mausoleum quiet again.
In the guardhouse, Lin Yu smiled. "The Saint Emperor Sword Body lives up to its name! I was once called a cultivation prodigy for my excellent roots, but this body is infinitely stronger!" The most obvious changes were his physical and spiritual strength, now unmatched in the same realm.
Previously, he had been ambushed, his dantian destroyed, reducing his cultivation from Warrior Eighth Rank to First Rank. Now, his dantian had not only recovered but was stronger, boosting him to Warrior Sixth Rank. He would soon surpass his former self.
However, the Saint Emperor Sword Body absorbed spiritual energy at a terrifying rate—like a bottomless pit. The mausoleum's thin spiritual qi hindered his cultivation. Lin Yu turned to the God-Eating Cauldron: "Master Cauldron, the mausoleum lacks spiritual energy. Can you speed up my cultivation?"