162 Detached (1/2)
Wang Baole's mind buzzed, and his breathing halted. Staring at the scabbard in front of him, his eyes widened and slowly emitted an intense gaze.
”This suppressive force… could this be a first-grade Dharmic Artifact?” Wang Baole drew a gasp as he carefully examined the scabbard. Upon confirming that it was indeed first grade, a wave of shock and excitement unwittingly began to well up in his heart.
”This unbelievable suppressive force coming from just a first-grade weapon. Imagine this to be second-grade… or even third-grade, how much more powerful will this be!” Wang Baole exclaimed.
Just the mere thought of it caused whirlwinds in his heart. With his mind still in disarray, it took him a while before he could suppress his shock and settle down. Suddenly, with a strange glint in his eyes, Wang Baole thought of what Little Missy had said—when it reached its top level, the ancient greenish-bronze sword could be attracted. Although it seemed unreliable, it might still be a more plausible option.
Still pondering over the situation, Wang Baole waited for the scabbard to cool before grabbing it. With a fiery gaze in his eyes, he decided to test the prowess of the scabbard by transferring his Spirit Qi to it. However, the scabbard merely shimmered. Nothing happened.
Wang Baole was taken aback. He stared at the scabbard—empty yet emitting Spirit Qi. Upon checking the interior of the scabbard, Wang Baole found out that the Inscriptions on the Spirit Kernel were not the same as what he had previously seen. Instead of a hundred of them, the Inscriptions were now countless and dense, as if it was some form of encryption. Even Wang Baole himself had to carefully study those Inscriptions before arriving at only a superficial understanding of it. As for outsiders who did not have knowledge of these Inscriptions, it would be a highly difficult task for them to fully understand.
”Hmm, Inscription mutation? Oh, and didn't Little Missy say before that a sword-like Spirit Qi needle would appear on the scabbard?” Wang Baole remarked and sighed deeply. Refusing to have his beliefs shaken, Wang Baole once again gathered his Spirit Qi and transferred it to the scabbard before swinging the scabbard outward. However, the scabbard remained as before.
”Is this a lie?” remarked Wang Baole with a tinge of anger in his tone. Refusing to admit defeat, Wang Baole once again decided to confirm the suppressive force emitted from the scabbard. It was indeed a remarkable force. In a state of confusion, Wang Baole casually used the scabbard as a dagger and stabbed at the wall beside him.
With a bang, the walls cracked slightly, but nothing else happened. Seeing this, Wang Baole momentarily became dumbfounded. In the heat of the moment, he decided to take out the Hallucination Pillow and ask Little Missy for a clear explanation.
Just as Wang Baole was about to take out the Hallucination Pillow, he paused for a moment. Recalling Little Missy's eccentric temper behind that mask of hers, he pondered for a while before turning his head around and leaving the cave abode. Upon returning from the marketplace—where he had bought a bouquet of fresh flowers—he entered the Hallucination realm.
With an affectionate gaze, he removed the mask, placed it on the ground, and softly said, ”Little Missy, I have come to see you. There was nothing much to do today. I coincidentally passed by a cliff, saw these flowers, and instinctively thought of you.”
Having said that, Wang Baole took out the flowers that he had bought and placed them beside the mask.
The purple petals—together with the black mask—seemed to cast a beautiful radiance. Especially in the wintry Hallucination realm, a small breeze could gently cause the petals to flutter and be carried away by the wind.
”Little Missy, these flowers grow ever so lonely on the cliff, which reminded me of the lonely you. I cannot visit you frequently. I hope these flowers can take my place and accompany you,” Wang Baole muttered. With that, he immediately went to observe the mask. No signs of change. A wave of disappointment began to rise in him.
”Seems like Little Missy is also an experienced being. It's so difficult to please her…” Wang Baole remarked. Heaving a sigh of relief internally, he blinked and coughed.
”Oh right, Little Missy, I suddenly thought of something. I have already refined the scabbard, which you asked me to do, but the problem is, how do I use it? I have tried a couple of times already…”
Just as Wang Baole was about to complete his sentence, a gust of wind blew, brushing the flowers against the mask. It seemed like these flowers were about to be blown away into the distance.
At that moment, a seemingly invisible hand appeared from the mask and gently pinched a fluttering flower petal. The flower petal froze and stopped in midair!
This scene made Wang Baole's pupils shrink suddenly, and his breathing hastened. Staring at the flower that hung in midair, he saw the flower rise slightly, as if someone had brought it near their nose to take a whiff.
Not sure if it was just an illusion, Wang Baole vaguely saw a woman's silhouette above the mask. She had long hair that was swaying lightly. With an indistinct face, she was wearing a traditional regal gown. Yet, she appeared to stand aloof from the world—detached. At that instant, her tender hands held onto the flower, taking in the faint scent.
”Thank you.”
A cold, tranquil voice suddenly sounded out of the black mask while Wang Baole's heart was racing. This sudden voice gave Wang Baole a fright as he hurriedly took a few steps back. After suppressing his alarm, Wang Baole blinked and hurriedly said, ”Little Missy, you have such a pleasant voice.”
The black mask remained silent. After a while, the originally cold-hearted voice became apparently less cold and seemed to have more emotions in it, just as it started to say more.
”The scabbard is a growth-typed Dharmic Artifact. Only by refining it to the third grade will you be able to release the sword-like Spirit Qi needles. Let me teach you a way where you can infuse the scabbard into your body for nurturing. This will allow you to become one with your weapon, granting you the ability to command it with ease as you wish.
”At the same time, throughout this cultivation period, it will also serve as your Intrinsic Dharma treasure. In the future, in terms of function and physical changes, this scabbard will also match your personality as well as your state of mind.