Chapter 17: The Eternal Sword Body

Now, in the mind of Xian Yue, a serene and powerful voice rang out:

[Ding! The system automatically logged in. The Host! Congratulations! You have mastered the Supreme Divine Body – the Eternal Sword Body.]

Xian Yue's eyes looked wide as his heart sped up, and the words resonated inside his consciousness.

Eternal Sword Body? he whispered, barely able to calm the turmoil inside him.

He couldn't help but wonder at this unbelievable prize. "The things awarded by this system are really extraordinary," Xian Yue mused, stroking his chin in contemplation. "Not only treasures and cultivation techniques, even physical enhancements? It will change the future of my clan entirely!"

All these possibilities started making his head whirl. If he could always log in to get through the physical enhancements which this one was, then that meant it would be possible for his family to be raised above all others, an unmatched strength and physical force to be reckoned with.

"Imagine," Xian Yue thought, his eyes lighting up, "a family where everyone possesses supreme physical bodies. Within a few years, we could dominate any list of the world's strongest physiques! "

While he wasn't particularly concerned with such rankings; such competitions seemed immature on the scale of things to him personally-Xian Yue was ecstatic about the prospect of his clan achieving such stature.

"Still," Xian Yue paused, his brow furrowing slightly, "I wonder what tier the Supreme Divine Body belongs to?"

He did not know much about physical classifications. In his past life, Xian Yue had only heard of ordinary mortal bodies and the slightly more refined spiritual bodies. This Eternal Sword Body, though, felt beyond anything he had ever known.

Curiosity got the better of him, and Xian Yue settled his mind and reached out with his consciousness beyond the boundary of his physical body. His mind traveled through space; it cut across dimensions and time itself, until it latched onto the universal knowledge of physical classifications.

"So that's how it is…" Xian Yue muttered in his mind. There are mortal bodies, spiritual bodies, royal bodies, holy bodies, immortal bodies. and even supreme immortal bodies…

He furrowed his brows as if still trying to dig deeper into the information. But. no record of any divine body in this universe? Could it be… that divine bodies exist above even the supreme immortal bodies?

Instinctively, he felt that so it was. Otherwise, according to their nature, the divine world was higher than the immortal world in terms of cultivation realms, and there would only be one correlation: that divine bodies followed a similar hierarchy.

As he ventured deeper with this cosmic knowledge, Xian Yue's perception grazed against something else: a hidden universe, vast and isolated, tucked away at the very heart of the known cosmos. It was shrouded in a strange energy, and their galaxies orbited in a unique, almost forbidden manner.

"No one in this world can get into that place," Xian Yue remarked, his eyes momentarily drawn in. But then he shrugged. "No matter. It doesn't matter to me right now. My main priority is helping my family realize their potential first."

He closed off his space exploration, refocusing on what was right in front of him. A plan began to form in his head. "Once I determine who among my clan members is most suited for swordsmanship, I'll gift this Eternal Sword Body to them. It will transform them into a peerless swordsman."

As for him, though, Xian Yue did not need to assimilate the physique. Why would he? With his power, he could evolve any body shape he wanted at will. No physical shape could significantly enhance his combat strength at his level. Passing these boons down through generations would be far more valuable to him, uplifting the clan as a whole.

Meanwhile, in a place few mortals or even immortals had dares to tread, an ominous silence stretched out across the land. No living thing bloomed there-no grass, no trees, no miniscule whisper of a breeze broke the rending chill stillness. The sun hung pale and distant in the sky, the light cold as death itself.

In the very center of this miserable land sat an enormous dark palace, overshadowed by an aura of oppression. Inside this hall was sitting a figure wearing imperial black robes. A beaded crown was sitting upon his head and with mysterious and otherworldly light bursting from within them, his eyes were blazing. Just by being there, he commanded respect and fear.

Here sat Lord Yama, ruler of the underworld, collector of life and death.

A grave expression crossed his face as he spoke, his deep voice filled with unyielding authority.

"Who dares to tamper with the balance of life and death?" His voice echoed through the vast hall, freezing the spine of anyone who happens to be there. "Someone has reversed the cycle of reincarnation and brought a soul back from my underworld."

A killing silence seemed to seize the air as Yama's dark eyes filled with his mortal anger, barely contained. "From the dawn of worlds, no spirit has ever threatened to challenge the right of my dominion. And yet, some heretic has desecrated the sacred balance of life and death? Has sought to turn the very undercurrents of the underworld? This cannot stand."

He blinked once, as if weighing his next words.

"Find out who was responsible," Lord Yama commanded, his tone brokering no argument. "I will not let such defiance go unpunished."

Two figures stepped forward immediately, their appearances ghastly and otherworldly. One wore white, holding long flag; the other wore black with shackles. He was the Black and White Impermanence, the under-world's infamous enforcers.

"Yes, Lord Yama!" they replied in unison, their voices as cold as the realm they represented.

Without hesitation, the two vanished into the ether, off on a quest to determine the identity of the sinner.

Lord Yama's eyes sparkled with icy determination. "The world has forgotten to fear the underworld. but I shall remind them."

Xian Zhan slumbered for a whole day and night in the Xian Clan estate; Xian Zhan was shaken to his senses as the burden he carried in the world lightened off his shoulders. His torment in his dream was all of his enemies hounding him mercilessly, and when he jolted awake, his heart still pounded in terror.

He went out, taking in great breaths of the fresh morning air. A comforting feeling crept over him, as familiar sights and sounds of the Xiao family grounds come to fill him with a sense of belonging.

"This is home," Xian Zhan whispered to himself. "No matter where I go, my family is my root."

He went off to meet the master of the clan, Xian Yue, who had rescued him. He felt that he could never be able to repay him for that in this lifetime, but deep inside, he pledged to personally express his gratitude.

Just as he was about to step out of his courtyard, he caught sight of a little girl skipping through the garden. Her two long pigtails swung up and down with each step that brought her nearer.

"Ruomeng?" Xian Zhan had recognized the girl to be one of the younger generation of the Xian Clan.

"Brother Xian Zhan, you're awake!" beamed Xian Ruomeng with an innocent smile.

"Yes, I am. Do you know where the clan leader is right now?" he asked.

Ruomeng thought for a moment. "He should be in the main hall. Just earlier, my grandfather went there too. They probably are discussing something important."

"Thanks," Xian Zhan nodded and off he went to the main hall.

Ruomeng slipped up to him as he was turning away, a mischievous grin on her face. "By the way, Brother Xian Zhan, is it true you've fallen for someone outside of our clan? When are you going to bring her back to meet us?"

Xian Zhan's eyes went wide. "How did you know about that?"

Ruomeng smiled. "Oh, they talked about it! They said it's three monks from the Wang family in Kyoto."

Xian Zhan's face tightened up at the mention of the Wang family. He gripped Ruomeng's shoulders so tight. "The Wang family? From Kyoto? What are they doing here?"

Ruomeng blinks at him in surprise by the sudden intensity of his words, but hastily talked it out, "They arrived at the Xian yesterday. But don't worry, Brother Xian Yue handled them. He killed all three of them in an instant!"

Xian Zhan's mind galloped in her head, trying to understand what she had heard.

"Xian Yue...killed three experts from the Wang family…in an instant?"

Ruomeng nodded excitedly. "And that's not all! He destroyed a Fifth-Grade spiritual weapon with just one finger!"

Xiao Zhan was gaping. "Destroying a Fifth-Grade spiritual weapon. with one finger? What level of power does Xiao Chen possess now?"