On the peak of Mount Ziyun, immortal energy swirled and danced.
Two purple-feathered immortal cranes departed from Ziyun Cave, heading directly north. Suddenly, a streak of iridescent lightning flashed in the sky, followed by an auspicious cloud that drifted gracefully into view. From it, a woman of breathtaking beauty slowly materialized. She held a treasured sword in her hand, and a hint of red immortal energy flickered between her brows. Though her face was youthful, it already showed the accomplishments of her daoist cultivation.
The young woman's moniker was Shuanghua, the chief disciple of Loose Immortal Ziyun Daoist Master. Having received the Daoist Master's personal transmission, she had eradicated countless demon beasts over the past century.
Shuanghua entered Ziyun Cave, putting away the treasured sword she held. She then slowly used her other arm to wipe away a bead of sweat from her forehead, adjusted her attire, and finally, walked slowly into the cave entrance.
Inside Ziyun Cave, Ziyun Daoist Master sat on his revered seat, eyes closed in meditation. A wisp of purple qi floated in the air like soft silk, yet did not dissipate. Shuanghua stood to one side, waiting in silence.
A moment later, Ziyun Daoist Master opened his eyes and gestured for Shuanghua to approach.
"Hua'er, how did you deal with the Blood Demon Mingsang?"
"Master, your disciple has successfully eradicated the Blood Demon Mingsang, however..."
"However what?" The Daoist Master showed a hint of surprise.
"Twenty people were killed by the Blood Demon Mingsang."
"Oh." Ziyun Daoist Master mused for a moment, a trace of pity appearing in his eyes. "In that case, given your cultivation level, eradicating the Blood Demon Mingsang was truly no easy feat. For you, my disciple, to return unscathed is already a stroke of great fortune; you should consider this a tremendous blessing."
"Why did Master not personally intervene? If Master had acted, you could have saved the lives of those twenty people, eradicated the Blood Demon Mingsang, and eliminated harm for all living beings. Moreover, this wouldn't have consumed much of Master's vital essence." As she spoke, Shuanghua couldn't help but show her dissatisfaction with her Master. After personally witnessing twenty people die tragically, even centuries of daoist cultivation couldn't suppress the rising anger in her heart, causing her to lose her composure before her Master like this.
Ziyun Daoist Master seemed startled, then let out a sigh of lament. Shuanghua, realizing her loss of composure, stood silently to one side, not saying a word.
The Daoist Master gently moved his finger, and streaks of colorful light suddenly swirled and enveloped, slowly condensing to form a sword. The light surrounding the sword grew increasingly intense, finally erupting in a blinding flash that made it impossible for anyone to open their eyes. When the flash subsided, a treasured sword was revealed.
"Master!" Shuanghua couldn't help but exclaim loudly. Having followed her Master for many years, she had never seen him use a divine weapon. "What is this sword called?"
But Ziyun Daoist Master did not respond. After a moment, the light faded, and he gestured for Shuanghua to come closer and observe.
Looking at the treasured sword, she saw that its hilt and blade were formed from countless tiny, transparent crystal fragments. Upon closer inspection, the hilt seemed to be enveloped by an impenetrable aura, so potent that a piece of Shuanghua's clothing turned to dust upon touching the blade.
"Truly a treasured sword," Shuanghua exclaimed. Due to excitement, her cheeks became flushed, revealing her charming beauty.
"This sword is called Sương Hoa," the Daoist Master said gently. "Long ago, when I was traveling outside, its radiance led me to you. You were still a child then, curled up beside the Sương Hoa sword. I guessed you had a deep connection with this sword, and so I named you Sương Hoa. I have kept this precious sword safe for many years, and today, it is time for the object to return to its rightful owner."
But Sương Hoa felt a chill in his heart, thinking to himself: *This sword truly is a treasure, but Master is not acting normally today. Could it be related to his injuries?*
Thus, he accepted the sword from his Master's hand, speechless.
He saw that the precious sword was very long, its divine blade shimmering like jade. With a gentle sway, radiance immediately burst forth in all directions, enveloping Tử Vân Cave as if in a cloud, as if covered by a thousand lights. Sương Hoa couldn't help but exclaim, "What a sword! What a treasure!"
Only the Daoist Master continued to frown.
"On Mount Thiên Trụ, demonic energy has frequently invaded recently, and malevolent aura rises high into the blue clouds. When I went to investigate before, the demonic energy was very strong, but I couldn't find any specific demon. That's why for many days I have been diligently cultivating, precisely to uphold the heavenly dao and eliminate harm for all living beings." At this point, the Daoist Master sighed, feeling helpless. "I haven't been able to check on the malevolent aura these past few days, and I don't know how many lives have been lost to the demon's claws."
"So, Master, while gravely injured, you called for me to come and vanquish the demons?"
"That's right."
"Since Master cannot go, how can I, with my current level of cultivation, hope to win?"
"Hoa'er, you are, after all, my senior disciple, and you have the Sương Hoa Sword to assist you. No matter the situation, how could you not achieve victory?"
"Then why doesn't Master use the Sương Hoa Sword?"
"All things possess spirituality, let alone a rare and precious treasure like this. The Sương Hoa Sword is not very useful to me. If I were to use it, its immense power would be limited, making it little different from an ordinary precious sword." The Daoist Master explained this to his beloved disciple, hoping he would understand and not be timid when facing challenges, which brought a hint of exasperation to his tone. "Go now, disciple. Before you leave the cave, take this Mặc Ngọc Kì Bàn Cách. Consider it my gift to you."
After speaking, he beckoned a young attendant to step back and retrieve a treasure. It was the size of a palm, emerald green with gold patterns on its surface, and exquisitely crafted. It was indeed Daoist Master Tử Vân's most prized treasure: the Mặc Ngọc Kì Bàn Cách.
Sương Hoa happily accepted it, then bid farewell to his Master and left Tử Vân Cave, heading straight for Mount Thiên Trụ.