The Jujube Sword's origins were quite remarkable. Father Ling had unexpectedly discovered the treasured blade in their backyard, just a week after Ling Xian's first birthday.
Shortly after acquiring the sword, he decided to have it appraised at the once-in-fifty-years "Flying Dragon Spirit Sword Auction 4540 Edition."
To his astonishment, it was valued at 799 yuan! He didn't sell it then, choosing instead to temporarily let the sword serve as a substitute for Ling Xian.
This peculiar Jujube Sword accompanied Ling Xian throughout his entire childhood, forging a unique bond between them.
Now that Ling Xian was sixteen, the sword had been his companion for fifteen and a half years.
It was merely a fated sword Father Ling had picked up in the backyard, its value so low it was treated like common grass. Yet the blade radiated an enigmatic glow that even Ling Xian couldn't decipher, secretly suppressing his sword qi. The hilt was wrapped in plain white bandages that seemed to shimmer faintly. Unlike the ornate swords sold in the market, this one proved nearly impossible for Ling Xian to break.
Its virtually indestructible material came from an ancient tree struck by lightning.
Seven years ago, when the infamous calamity struck Feilong City, the sword absorbed the boundless energy flowing from the cosmic barrier—giving birth to its own Sword Spirit.
Its name was Kongji.
...
That evening, Ling Xian finally opened the package Ling Xun had sent two days prior. He hadn't had time to do so earlier.
Lifting the lid, he found a Xiaomi smartphone neatly arranged inside.
Ling Xian had always been unable to use smart devices. His brainwaves interfered with electronic equipment, destroying them almost instantly.
Of course, there was a more fundamental solution: a special model developed by Ling Xun.
Devices modified by Ling Xun, crafted from jade, were far more durable than commercially available products. Ling Xun claimed it was a gift, but Ling Xian saw through the deception...
This man has coveted my weaknesses since childhood. He secretly implanted advanced AI surveillance devices to track my every move!
Ling Xian had discovered this when he personally attended Ling Xian's fourteenth birthday banquet.
He stared intently at the screen, his expression grave, then powered on the phone.
Ling Xian naturally understood the basic operation of smartphones—the most ubiquitous smart devices globally, representing a major technological breakthrough.
The phone came pre-installed with all necessary apps, including WeChat.
I pressed the green icon and used the QR code scanner to scan the QR code.
If not for his claim of being unable to use smart devices, he would have been a long-time WeChat user by now.
A notification pinged almost immediately...
[User "Xian" has successfully joined the group "Pikoko Melon Base"!]
[Please note that User "Xian" has not added any group members as contacts. ]
Ling Xian scanned the member list and noticed he was the last to join.
Su Xinyi: "!!!"
Xu Yutong: "Xian?! Could this be his real account?"
Lianhua: "Finally, he's here!"
Zhao Ming: "Of course it's him. That name is so concise—totally his style. Hey Ling Xian! You there, bro?"
Ling Xian, watching the rapid-fire messages, instinctively typed a period: "."
Hao Zhen: "Haha! That single period perfectly captures his presence. It's definitely him!" He sent a funny cat GIF.
Ling Xian responded with the same terse reply: "." The group chat fell silent.
The class seemed accustomed to Ling Xuan's taciturn nature.
Still, Hao Zhen was speechless. He's awkward at school, and now he's awkward online too! F**king hell, does he even know how to socialize?!
Fortunately, their math teacher intervened: "Everyone! Don't forget to meet at the school gate at 8:30 AM sharp!"
Almost everyone replied with an OK emoji simultaneously.
Su Xinyi: "Has everyone prepared their Spirit Swords?"
Elder Gossip sent a realization emoji. "Damn, I almost forgot! Su Xinyi mentioned something important. When we arrive, the leaders and examiners might inspect our Spirit Swords. Everyone should at least have one ready."
Although Spirit Sword class had only started two weeks ago, knowledge about Spirit Swords had been instilled in them since childhood.
Once you found a suitable sword, you needed to forge a contract with it—establishing a bond. Through this contract, a Sword Spirit could reside within the blade and gradually grow.
Some Sword Spirits even possessed independent thought and action, their intelligence increasing fortyfold with age.
In this era of immortal cultivation, the way Sword Spirits developed differed greatly from ancient times, a fact Ling was well aware of.
Clearly, the Immortal Swords and Holy Swords sold on the market already had fixed Sword Spirits, preventing them from surpassing artificially set growth limits.
Soon after, Zhao Ming sent a photo of his treasured sword.
The image showed Zhao Ming's current Spirit Sword, its blade a crimson-green hue, its scabbard shimmering with purple light, and the word "KING" neatly engraved on the blade.
Zhao Ming: "This sword is called Moonlight! It's an ancient weapon passed down through generations of my clan and finally came into my possession! It took about... five years to refine. I first obtained it when I was eleven!"
The old man with the Eight Trigrams raised his thumb. "Impressive! Judging by the sword's luster and the forging process, you've truly maintained it well. Keep up the good work, Zhao Ming's disciple!"
Zhao Ming: "Haha! Thank you, Teacher! But... I haven't yet tempered its Spirituality..."
"Tempering a Spirit Sword requires time! Let me explain briefly..."
Before he could finish, the old man with the Eight Trigrams patiently elaborated: "Everyone must treat their swords with patience. As I mentioned earlier, tempering Spirituality is a gradual process. Unless absolutely necessary, never give up. Once the sword's form is complete, its Spirit Soul will naturally embark on its own journey of growth."
"Oh? Is that how it works? Teacher Xuan, please tell us more!"
He recorded a voice message and continued: "The Spirituality lessons you're currently studying only cover one-third of the nation's Spirit Sword blueprint. When you advance to the second year, you'll transition to higher-level courses on flight, swordsmanship, and even sword techniques—all mandatory subjects at the university. Your sole task for now is to establish a bond with your Spirit Body and nurture it diligently."
Before he could finish, another message arrived: "Zhao Ming has already uploaded a photo of his Spirit Sword. Please do the same so we can assess the materials you're working with..."
...