Celestial Taoist

Just then, a clear sword cry suddenly pierced the air, completely different from the other sword cries. On the sword rack in the corner of the stone wall, a long sword with a pure white body broke free from its sheath and transformed into a streak of light, flying straight towards Li Mofan.

Caught off guard, Li Mofan instinctively raised his hand, and the longsword landed steadily in his palm.

"This is... the sword of the Amorous Swordsman!" A hint of surprise flashed in Mo Chenzi's eyes, then he chuckled knowingly, "I never expected that this Amorous Sword, which has been dormant for hundreds of years, would take the initiative to recognize you as its master."

Su Qingyao's eyes flickered slightly as she looked at the Amorous Sword in Li Mofan's hand, and murmured, "The Amorous Sword... if it's so amorous, then is there also a Heartless Sword...?"

Upon hearing this, Mo Chenzi slowly shook his head: "Young lady, you jest. We swordsmen dedicate our entire lives to the sword, emphasizing the utmost emotion towards it and reflecting the sword with our hearts. The sword itself is emotionless, but people are. If one could truly be emotionless and have no attachments, how could one merge with the sword and nurture such a spiritually inspired sword?"

Upon hearing this, Su Qingyao did not ask any further questions. Her gaze slowly swept over all the longswords in the stone chamber, from the spirit swords hanging on the stone wall to the ancient blades placed on the stone table, her eyes remaining calm and undisturbed.

Li Mofan gripped the Amorous Sword in his hand. Seeing that Su Qingyao hadn't yet chosen a sword to her liking, he felt concerned and asked softly, "Master, is it possible that none of these swords suits your taste?"

Su Qingyao slowly withdrew her gaze, shook her head slightly, and said in a calm tone, "It's alright. A sword chooses its master, and the master must be compatible with the sword. Although these swords each have their own spirit, none of them can be in harmony with my swordsmanship. It cannot be forced."

Mo Chenzi looked at her and smiled slightly, "Miss Su has a clear mind, which is truly rare. Although there are many famous swords in the Sword Tomb, one must also pay attention to the word 'fate'. Forcing it is useless. Perhaps your sword is not in this Sword Tomb of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect."

Su Qingyao nodded slightly, said nothing more, but looked up at Li Mofan, indicating that he had made his choice and could return to the council hall.

Li Mofan understood immediately, gripped the Amorous Sword tightly, and bowed to Mo Chenzi, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, Senior. I will take my leave now." Mo Chenzi waved his hand gently, his gaze falling on the Cold Moon Sword, and said calmly, "Go. The sword belongs to its destined owner. Do not fail this Amorous Sword."

The two turned and left the Sword Tomb, the stone gate slowly closing. Seeing this, the maid who had led the way quickly stepped forward, bowed, and led the way in silence, returning directly to the council hall.

Inside the hall, Ling Canghai and the elders remained seated. Upon the return of the two, Ling Canghai rose first, his gaze falling on the gleaming white longsword in Li Mofan's hand, a knowing glint in his eyes: "It seems my young friend has already chosen a fine sword that suits his taste?"

Li Mofan raised his hand and revealed the Amorous Sword, his tone calm: "Thanks to the sect leader's good fortune, this sword is named the Amorous Sword. It resonates with my swordsmanship and has already recognized me as its master. However, sect leader, there is a prerequisite for teaching me the art of sword pellets: I must first draw upon the power of the stars to forge the sword pellets."

He deliberately packaged the ritual of receiving the Heavenly Punishment Law as a necessary step in the cultivation of the Sword Pill, and said in a solemn tone: "This ritual of drawing on the power of the stars requires specific materials to be arranged in order to condense the energy of the stars and forge a sword pill that can be used for cultivation. Without the sword pill, the subsequent teaching of the sword pill technique is out of the question."

Upon hearing this, Ling Canghai's eyes flashed with surprise, then he nodded: "I see. May I ask what materials are needed? My Ten Thousand Swords Sect has a decent foundation and will certainly do its best to prepare them."

Before Li Mofan could speak, Su Qingyao raised her eyes, her fingertips lightly lifting, and a faint, shimmering white light emanated from her body. A pile of various objects appeared on the ground in front of her. She pointed to a leather scroll on the ground: "I have prepared the ritual materials. Your esteemed family need not trouble themselves. Simply find an open mountain peak, arrange the formation according to this diagram, and the elixir can be cast."

Upon seeing this, Ling Canghai and the other elders were all astonished, never expecting Su Qingyao to possess such abilities, and their awe grew even stronger. Ling Canghai quickly cupped his hands, saying, "Imperial Fairy Su's considerations are thorough; I admire you. The location for setting up the formation is easy to arrange; I will immediately instruct my disciples to prepare it. However, you two are guests from afar and must be weary from your journey. Why don't you rest at my Ten Thousand Swords Sect first, and proceed with the casting of the formation once it is complete?"

Li Mofan looked at Su Qingyao, and seeing her nod slightly, he replied, "It's all up to the sect leader's arrangement."

Ling Canghai laughed heartily and gestured to the middle-aged steward beside him: "Quickly, lead these two young friends to the west courtyard and prepare a superior room for each of them. Make sure they are well taken care of and not neglected in the slightest!"

The middle-aged manager quickly stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Seniors, please follow me."

Su Qingyao spoke calmly, her tone completely unwavering: "No need for that, one private room will suffice."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall was taken aback. Ling Canghai was also somewhat surprised, but he quickly realized what was going on and hurriedly said with a smile, "It was my oversight. Then I will prepare a spacious and elegant room for you two. Please rest here for the time being."

Su Qingyao nodded slightly, said nothing more, and followed the middle-aged manager, with Li Mofan close behind.

Inside the room, the two sat down on the couch by the window. Su Qingyao raised her hand, and a wisp of shimmering white spiritual light condensed at her fingertips. With a light flick of her finger, the spiritual light spread out like flowing water, slowly swirling along the cracks in the doors and windows and the corners of the walls, eventually forming a semi-transparent light shield around the room, completely enveloping the entire room.

The moment the light shield took shape, the sounds of the wind and the footsteps of the disciples in the distance were shut out, and the room instantly became quiet.

Su Qingyao slowly withdrew her hand, the shimmering white light gradually fading away, her tone tinged with mockery: "You've been calling me Master all day, what, do you think I'm too old as the captain?"

Li Mofan quickly replied, "Captain, this is a last resort. If we asked someone else, it would either be inappropriate or we would definitely be looked down upon by those natives."

Upon hearing this, Su Qingyao's eyes turned slightly cold, her mockery undiminished, but she shifted her tone, her gaze falling on the Amorous Sword hanging at Li Mofan's waist, her fingertips lightly tapping the edge of the bed: "Is it truly a helpless act? Hmph! But I'd like to ask you, why did that Amorous Sword willingly recognize you as its master?"

Li Mofan was taken aback, and subconsciously raised his hand to touch the hilt of the sword, a hint of joy on his face: "Captain, it seems that I am destined to be with this sword. When I touched the hilt just now, my Dao Foundation resonated strongly with it, and it seemed to be able to sense my aura."

"Fate?" Su Qingyao raised an eyebrow. "When a sword chooses its master, it's about compatibility, not just 'fate.' This Amorous Sword has been dormant for centuries, sought after by countless disciples of the Myriad Swords Sect, yet it chose you."

She leaned forward slightly, her sharp gaze fixed on Li Mofan, striking at his core: "I remember your previous Dao foundation was more forceful and aggressive, clearly incompatible with the gentle sword intent of this Amorous Sword."

Li Mofan's expression changed slightly, and he tightened his grip on the sword hilt. He quickly replied, "Captain, you are wise. I... I don't know why, but when I came into contact with the Amorous Sword just now, I felt that the two were perfectly integrated, without any separation."

"Alright, I'm not very interested in your Dao Foundation. Let's cultivate." With that, Su Qingyao stretched out her hands, and shimmering white spiritual energy gathered between her palms.