Xie Zhaolin met her gaze and understood the moment had finally come. She nodded. Her eyes were calm, steady, and unwavering. "I'm ready."
Luo Xinglan didn't say anything else. She formed several hand seals, her spiritual power rising and pulsing in a strange rhythm. A layer of gentle yet compact spiritual light wrapped around the ribbon that slowly emerged in the air.
The ribbon stretched nearly seven feet long. Its entire body was a deep, mysterious dark purple, as if nightfall and glowing clouds had been woven together.
Xie Zhaolin could clearly sense the strange power humming inside it.
This thing was even more perfect than she expected.
Luo Xinglan took a long breath. "The last step needs you to offer blood essence and Primordial Soul as the guide. Only then can you form the deepest bond with the artifact. It'll hurt a lot and, and I can feel it. Whatever we just forged, it's probably even more unusual than we thought. The reaction won't be small."
Xie Zhaolin met her tense and solemn gaze without a shred of hesitation.
"Let's start."
She'd been prepared for this from the beginning. No matter what they forged, no matter what she'd face, she'd accept it without fear.
Mo Yan needed no instruction. Its figure flickered and sank silently into the shadows nearby.
Seeing Xie Zhaolin so composed steadied Luo Xinglan's heart.
She stopped hesitating. Hand seals flew from her fingertips, and threads of pure spiritual power wrapped around the dark purple ribbon suspended above her palm.
A low hum rang out.
As the final seal landed, the entire ribbon burst into dazzling light.
The dark purple surface became faintly translucent. Silver moonlight and crimson baleful qi twined together like two flood dragons, chasing each other, then merging in perfect harmony.
Luo Xinglan's head snapped up. "Now!"
Xie Zhaolin didn't pause. She tapped her chest. A drop of crimson blood essence was forced out of her heart. At the same moment, light flashed between her brows. A Primordial Soul imprint separated from her sea of consciousness and merged into the drop of blood.
"Go," Xie Zhaolin said softly.
The fused light shot forward like a streak, hitting the floating artifact embryo with perfect accuracy. The moment the essence touched the ribbon, it was like the final fuse had ignited. The ribbon erupted with a light ten times brighter than before.
Xie Zhaolin let out a muffled groan. Her face drained of color. She felt her Primordial Soul being pulled, as if a colossal force wanted to merge her completely with the ribbon.
A sharp crack echoed across the sky.
At some unknown point, the once clear heavens had turned pitch black. Heavy tribulation clouds gathered at a frightening speed, locking onto the newborn ribbon with terrifying Heavenly might.
"It really did attract a thunder tribulation." Luo Xinglan looked up, unsurprised but anxious. "It's an artifact tribulation. This artifact's quality is far beyond what we expected. Hold your mind steady. The thunder will temper it. It's dangerous, but it's also a huge chance. If it survives, its quality will rise again."
She'd barely finished speaking.
Thunder crashed.
A streak of silver lightning tore across the sky and slammed toward the floating ribbon.
At Xie Zhaolin's command, the ribbon let out a clear, ringing hum. It rose on its own, meeting the thunder head on.
Moonlight and baleful qi surged at the same time, forming a strange shield around it.
Lightning struck.
The ribbon shuddered violently. Its light flickered.
Blood spilled from the corner of Xie Zhaolin's lips, but her eyes grew brighter. She could feel the bond between her and the ribbon strengthening with every strike. Under the thunder's tempering, the ribbon's structure became more solid and pure.
More thunder split the air. Bright silver light flooded the valley as streak after streak crashed down.
The dark purple ribbon rose and fell within the storm. Every strike dimmed its glow for an instant, then it burst back even brighter than before. The silver moon patterns and blood red baleful marks on its surface moved like they'd gained life, flowing freely beneath the thunder's refinement.
When the last echo of thunder faded, the clouds slowly dispersed, revealing a clear sky. The ribbon floated quietly in the air, its surface glowing with a gentle, restrained light.
It trembled lightly, then turned into a streak of radiance and flew into Xie Zhaolin's hand, wrapping itself around her wrist like an obedient companion.
She reached out, stroking the ribbon. She could feel the power that had awakened inside it.
She had a strong feeling that with training and battles, in time, this ribbon would surpass the Shiyue Ribbon she'd wielded in her past life.
Maybe, it could even develop a true spirit.
But that joy lasted for only a moment.
A sharp series of whooshing sounds came from outside the valley. Several powerful divine senses swept inside without hesitation. The barrier Luo Xinglan had set up shattered instantly under their force.
"This is bad." Luo Xinglan's face changed. "The thunder was too loud. It attracted the cultivators from Heiyan City."
Even before she finished speaking, more than a dozen figures appeared on the surrounding rocks, sealing off all escape routes.
Their weakest was at early Golden Core, with several in late stage.
Their gazes burned with greed as they stared at the ribbon coiled around Xie Zhaolin's wrist.
"Tsk tsk. An artifact that survived a thunder tribulation. Not top grade, but still a rare treasure," a burly late stage Golden Core man said with a cruel grin.
"Little girl, hand over the artifact if you know what's good for you. Don't force us to hurt you," another sharp eyed elder said coldly.
Luo Xinglan was furious and anxious. She moved instinctively, wanting to talk or threaten with her identity.
But a steady hand pressed her shoulder.
Xie Zhaolin was already standing straight. She didn't spare the surrounding cultivators a glance. She only lowered her head and gently stroked the ribbon in her palm as if she were admiring a piece of art.
Her voice was soft, but it carried a chill that made Luo Xinglan's heart tighten.
"Don't worry. A newborn weapon needs blood to awaken its edge."
Luo Xinglan froze. She didn't understand. Her vision blurred for a moment.
Whatever happened after that, whatever Xie Zhaolin said, Luo Xinglan couldn't remember clearly.
She only remembered the dark purple ribbon blooming with bizarre blood red flowers, then the sky exploding in a storm of crimson more vibrant than sunset and hotter than flames.
And in the middle of that rain of blood was a figure standing tall with a ribbon in hand.
That scene felt painfully familiar.
It was as if time had rolled backward to that afternoon two centuries ago, the day she'd been cornered by demon clans on the edge of death.
A streak of blood red ribbon light swept in like a fire that could burn the heavens, bringing hope, bringing salvation, and giving her the most unforgettable sight she'd ever witnessed.
That day, she'd seen the most beautiful sight in her life.The Shiyue Ribbon tearing across the sky.The demons turning to ash beneath it.A true lord standing like a god.
The blood in front of her slowly overlapped with the blood in her memories.
That day, she had seen the most beautiful sight in her life.
And today, that sight appeared once more before her eyes.
Even more overwhelming.
Even more unforgettable.
Even more, carved into her very soul.