CHAPTER 51: CHAPTER 51: BLOOD-DRINKING SWORD

The next day.

In the dense forest.

The breath of spring quietly descended, sunlight piercing through the treetops, casting mottled shadows on the moist ground.

Xu Ping wielded his sword with one hand, continuously performing sword moves.

In an instant, the dense forest was filled with layers of sword light, with faint sounds of thunder echoing.

After completing a set of sword moves, Xu Ping stood still, frowning as he gripped the Qinghe Sword in his hand:

"After breaking through to the sixth level of Qi Cultivation, the feeling of being suppressed by the Qinghe Sword has become heavier, making it impossible to fully exert my strength."

This feeling was really unbearable, like being confined in a small room where he couldn’t fully extend his limbs.

"Sigh, it’s been almost two months with no news of an upper-grade magical sword, who knows when I can finally switch swords." Xu Ping sighed softly, losing interest in practicing swordsmanship.

After putting away the Qinghe Sword, he returned home.

...

...

Three days later.

As soon as Xu Ping arrived at Yuan Wei’s house, Yuan Wei excitedly shared good news: "Boss, there’s news about the upper-grade magical sword."

"There’s news?" Xu Ping asked happily, "Who is it, and when is the transaction?"

It was like finding a pillow for his sleepiness; he had just broken through to the sixth level of Qi Cultivation, and there was already news of an upper-grade magical sword.

"It’s Zhang Changqing leading from the Longevity Sect; he said the transaction can happen anytime," Yuan Wei explained slowly.

"Zhang Changqing?" Xu Ping was surprised.

This person was not simple, probably the most influential and powerful figure in the entire market.

"How did you find him?" Xu Ping inquired.

"I didn’t find him, he sent someone to find me, saying he has an upper-grade magical sword and wants to meet you to discuss," Yuan Wei answered truthfully.

"Meet me to discuss?" Xu Ping furrowed his brows.

He had no dealings with this Zhang Changqing, what could he want to discuss?

After pondering for a moment, Xu Ping decided to meet him.

No matter what the discussion, he was determined to obtain the upper-grade magical sword.

"It’s too late today, let’s meet the talented disciple of the Longevity Sect first thing tomorrow," Xu Ping said calmly.

"Sure." Yuan Wei agreed happily.

...

...

The next morning.

In the core area of Dongwu Market.

Yuan Wei led Xu Ping to a simple shack, with birds perched on the roof and lizards and beetles crawling all around.

At the door, a glamorous woman in Longevity Sect attire was waiting, and upon seeing Xu Ping and his companion arriving, she hurriedly stepped forward:

"You must be Fellow Daoist Bai, I’ve heard about you for a long time." The glamorous woman performed a salute.

Xu Ping’s alias was Bai Zhiyuan.

"No need to be so polite," Xu Ping returned the salute.

"Please come in, my senior brother is waiting inside for Fellow Daoist Bai’s arrival," the glamorous woman smiled slightly.

"Okay." Xu Ping nodded and followed her inside.

As he reached the entrance, the glamorous woman stopped Xu Ping: "My senior brother is quite particular about cleanliness, please change into these new shoes before entering."

The glamorous woman had prepared a pair of ordinary new shoes in advance.

"Particular about cleanliness?"

Xu Ping wore a peculiar expression.

Nevertheless, he took the shoes, changed into them, and stepped inside.

The entire room wasn’t large but was exceptionally clean and tidy, even the decorations on the cabinet were neatly aligned in one direction.

"This isn’t just a matter of cleanliness, it’s probably an obsession," Xu Ping’s expression grew more peculiar.

Quickly looking away, he set his sight on the center of the room, where a young man dressed in white stood. The man’s face was ordinary, but he had an ethereal presence, and his aura had already reached the ninth level of Qi Cultivation.

At this moment, the young man was gazing intently at Xu Ping, with a faint purple shimmer in his eyes.

’I’m not a woman, why is he staring at me like that?’

Xu Ping felt baffled, just as he was about to speak, he felt an itch in his nose.

"Achoo!" He couldn’t resist sneezing.

The young man’s pupils slightly constricted, and the purple light in his eyes vanished instantly.

"Sorry, my nose just suddenly itched. I am Bai Zhiyuan, pleased to meet Fellow Daoist Zhang." Xu Ping clasped his fists and apologized.

"No problem at all, Fellow Daoist Bai, have a seat and let’s talk." Zhang Changqing warmly invited Xu Ping to sit down.

"You’re too kind, Fellow Daoist Zhang. I heard you have an upper-grade magical sword, is that true?" Xu Ping sat down, getting straight to the point.

"You are straightforward, Fellow Daoist."

Zhang Changqing smiled slightly, not beating around the bush, and directly took out a plain black scabbard from his storage bag.

He grasped the hilt and slowly unsheathed the sword.

Immediately, an invisible sharp aura filled the room, akin to blades brushing against one’s skin, raising Xu Ping’s hackles.

"This sword is called Blood-Drinking, a Sword Cultivator’s sword, forged by a second-stage upper-grade blacksmith using century-old dark iron, making the blade incredibly hard.

Due to the sophisticated refining method, the restriction forms naturally. Once infused with spiritual power, the sword Qi will soar, unparalleled in sharpness."

Zhang Changqing smiled as he offered the Blood-Drinking Sword to Xu Ping: "Fellow Daoist Bai, are you satisfied?"

Xu Ping suppressed the excitement in his heart, carefully examining the magical sword he held.

The sword’s blade was long and gleamed coldly, resembling a silver serpent slithering through space and time.

"How much does Fellow Daoist Zhang ask for it?" Xu Ping placed the magical sword on the table, maintaining his composure.

This sword was one he was determined to acquire no matter what.

"Sixteen hundred lower-grade spirit stones," Zhang Changqing replied with a beaming smile.

"Gasp!"

Xu Ping drew in a cold breath: "That expensive?"

It was over ten times more costly than a mid-grade magical artifact.

"This is not expensive, upper-grade magical swords have always been priced like this, and my upper-grade magical sword is much better than the usual ones, so sixteen hundred lower-grade spirit stones is a very fair price." Zhang Changqing quickly shook his head.

Hearing this, Xu Ping immediately felt a headache coming on.

Previously, the spirit stones he had barely sufficed, but he had spent quite a few on brewing those vats of Hundred Flowers Brew, and his recent expenditures had been rather high, so he truly didn’t have that many left.

"Fellow Daoist Zhang, could you possibly lower the price a bit?" Xu Ping asked tentatively.

"I can’t lower it, not even by a single spirit stone," Zhang Changqing shook his head vigorously like a rattle drum.

This left Xu Ping in a difficult position, even contemplating the thought of snatching it by force.

Who knew, at that moment, Zhang Changqing suddenly shifted the conversation: "But if Fellow Daoist Bai doesn’t have enough spirit stones, there is another way."

"What way?" Xu Ping’s interest was piqued.

"You probably know about the recent issues with the Demon Cultivators, right?" Zhang Changqing inquired.

"I do," Xu Ping nodded.

"Those Demon Cultivators are heartless and cruel. We wish to eliminate them as quickly as possible, but unfortunately, they are powerful and cunning, making them very difficult to deal with.

And we’re currently short of manpower, so we would like to invite you to join our Demon Suppression Team to jointly hunt the Demon Cultivators, though we aren’t asking you to work for free."

"If you’re willing to join, this upper-grade magical sword can be yours for just six hundred spirit stones," Zhang Changqing suggested sincerely.

"Join the Demon Suppression Team to hunt Demon Cultivators?" Xu Ping furrowed his brows and began weighing the pros and cons.

Zhang Changqing didn’t rush him, patiently waiting on the side.

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