Ever since the Lingyu Sword inexplicably began its violent agitation, Upper Immortal Qingqing had been desperately trying to suppress it.
Unfortunately.
It was utterly useless.
No matter how she tried to restrain it, she could never calm the Lingyu Sword down. In the end, the sword shot out from within her like a wild horse that had slipped its reins, or like a dragon that had broken free from its chains.
This happened too quickly—so fast that no one had time to react. By the time she regained her senses, the Lingyu Sword had already swooped down from mid-air, charging straight toward the deck.
Witnessing this scene, Huode was genuinely frightened, instinctively darting away to flee. The others also dared not delay, scattering from the deck one after another. Only Gu Qingfeng remained, lounging leisurely on his chair as if nothing were amiss, one leg propped up on the table, holding a cup of wine as he watched the Lingyu Sword charging toward the deck.
To be precise, the Lingyu Sword wasn't aiming for the deck at all—it was aiming for him. Everyone saw clearly that as the sword descended like an arrow of light, its target was unmistakably Gu Qingfeng.
No one knew why the Lingyu Sword was charging toward Gu Qingfeng.
And at this moment, no one had the time to ponder the question.
"Be careful!"
"Get out of the way!"
Upper Immortal Qingqing, Old Lady Jin Hua, and Lixin Xianzi rushed forward desperately, trying to intercept the out-of-control Lingyu Sword.
However.
They were too late.
Just as they made their move, the Lingyu Sword had already reached the space directly in front of Gu Qingfeng.
To everyone's astonishment, they had expected the Lingyu Sword to pierce straight through Gu Qingfeng. But instead, not only did it fail to pierce him, but as it descended, it began to swirl around Gu Qingfeng in circles.
This was an azure-blue immortal sword, exquisitely crafted, shimmering with layers of profound, watery radiance. As it circled Gu Qingfeng, rippling waves of light emanated from its blade, accompanied by a light, melodious sound—a peculiar noise, like a low hum or a kind of chirping.
As the Lingyu Sword spun faster and faster, its watery radiance grew increasingly dazzling. When this light bloomed, a sharp and formidable aura erupted—profound, powerful, leaving everyone both incredulous and awestruck.
Their incredulity stemmed from the fact that they all knew Upper Immortal Qingqing's Lingyu Sword was exceptionally powerful. Only today did they realize that its might far exceeded their imagination; its mere sword aura alone was enough to terrify anyone to death.
Their awe came from witnessing the aura stirred by the spinning Lingyu Sword, which resembled a vast river or lake churning up enormous waves, blooming layer upon layer—profound beyond measure, wondrous beyond words, utterly miraculous.
This feeling wasn't limited to them alone. Even those closest to Upper Immortal Qingqing—Old Lady Jin Hua, Lixin Xianzi, and Qiao'er—were stunned as they watched this scene. They, too, were seeing the Lingyu Sword display such miraculous power for the first time.
Not to mention them; even the Lingyu Sword's owner, Upper Immortal Qingqing, stared at the unfolding spectacle with a face full of shock.
Although she was the sword's master and it had accompanied her throughout her growth, this Lingyu Sword was not personally forged by her.
Who exactly had forged it remained a mystery to this day.
To speak of this Lingyu Sword, one had to start from Upper Immortal Qingqing's childhood. Not long after she began cultivating, she followed an elder from the Eternal Life Pavilion on a training expedition. This sword was something she picked up from the ruins within a secret realm. At the time she found it, the Lingyu Sword was a broken blade, only half remaining. Perhaps feeling a connection with the sword, Upper Immortal Qingqing kept it.
Later, on a chance occasion, she discovered that this broken sword not only possessed remarkable spirituality but also contained a sword spirit. Overwhelmed with excitement, Upper Immortal Qingqing invested countless efforts and used precious resources from her collection to reforge the broken sword, resulting in the exquisite Lingyu Sword she now possessed.
Throughout her subsequent cultivation journey, the Lingyu Sword had assisted Upper Immortal Qingqing many times—not only sensing danger repeatedly but also helping her escape when she was trapped in dire situations.
However, what disappointed Upper Immortal Qingqing was that no matter what she tried, she could never awaken the Lingyu Sword's sword spirit. Even after nurturing the sword for hundreds of years, sharing joys and sorrows with it, and facing countless dangers together, she still failed to rouse it.
She had once asked her master, Fusheng Dijun, about this. Fusheng Dijun told her: "The sword is broken, yet the spirit remains. The master is dead, yet the spirit does not abandon. This is a broken sword longing for its benevolent master."
Fusheng Dijun's meaning was simple and clear: this broken sword she had picked up from the ruins still yearned for the master who created it. In other words, this was not merely an immortal sword containing a sword spirit; it was also a sword of deep sentiment and unwavering loyalty.
After examining the sword, Fusheng Dijun advised her to give up.
Because the sword's power was too immense for Upper Immortal Qingqing to control, and more importantly, the sword spirit's longing for its original master meant it would never truly accept her.
But Upper Immortal Qingqing did not give up. She believed that one day, through her actions, she could move the Lingyu Sword, make it accept her, and eventually awaken the sword spirit.
After so many years of effort, the Lingyu Sword did accept Upper Immortal Qingqing—but it was only acceptance, nothing more.
To this day, she still had not succeeded in awakening the sword spirit.
However.
On this very day, just moments ago, right now, at this very moment, as she watched the Lingyu Sword blooming with watery radiance, stirring the vast ocean and churning up waves of light in layer upon layer of splendor, Upper Immortal Qingqing knew that the Lingyu Sword's long-sealed sword spirit had finally awakened. Not only had it awakened, but the sword spirit was also singing a sword-song—a melody she had heard only once by chance hundreds of years ago.
Speaking of which, during the centuries Upper Immortal Qingqing had nurtured the Lingyu Sword, the sword spirit had not been completely dormant. Once, when she was trapped in a perilous situation, the Lingyu Sword's spirit had awakened.
That time, when the Lingyu Sword's spirit awoke, it was just like now—blooming with vast, watery radiance, containing a terrifying aura akin to stirring the great sea, its blade rippling with profound waves of light, emitting a light, mysterious sound. That was the voice of the sword spirit, the sword-song of the sword spirit.
Upper Immortal Qingqing had thought she would never have another chance to witness the sword spirit awaken, never again hear the sword-song it produced.
Never did she imagine she would encounter it today.
Yet, Upper Immortal Qingqing couldn't understand. Last time, she had been in dire straits, her life hanging by a thread, in imminent peril—that was when the Lingyu Sword's spirit awoke, singing its sword-song to help her escape.
But this time, she wasn't in any danger, her life wasn't threatened, and she wasn't in imminent peril. Why would the Lingyu Sword's spirit suddenly awaken now?
Moreover, after awakening, it completely disregarded her control, inexplicably swirling around a strange man with excitement and fervor, cheering wildly.
That's right!
It was excitement, it was fervor—the Lingyu Sword was cheering.
Upper Immortal Qingqing could feel it, and the sensation was intensely powerful, causing even her own heart to pound uncontrollably in rhythm with the Lingyu Sword's excited throbbing.