Thirty million pure sword intents had now completely replaced Chen Xia's sentient sea, becoming a sword sea forged from sword intent.
The image of the three million flying swords was the fish swimming in this sword sea.
And fish come in different sizes.
The powerful flying swords were the big fish among them.
Chen Xia had gone to the Heavenly Pavilion to look up information about the ranking of flying swords, which was roughly divided into four levels.
Spirit swords, dao swords, half-immortal swords, and immortal swords.
Most treasures in the world were also divided into these four grades, and their meanings were easy to understand from the names. Spirit swords were flying swords that had awakened sentience, not common but not rare either.
Sword cultivators at the level of Moving Mountains usually carried a spirit sword, though prodigies from large sects might wield a dao sword.
It depended on the person's aptitude.
Some sword prodigies were born with pure sword intent, allowing them to attract spirit swords to take them as master.
The book Chen Xia read also recorded that throughout history, even the most astonishing sword prodigies could only attract dao swords at most.
Half-immortal swords would not take initiative to choose a master, as they carried a sense of aloofness with the character 'immortal'. You had to seek them out yourself.
Moreover, almost every half-immortal sword in the world was recorded in the registrar, all famed weapons. If you could make a half-immortal sword submit, your talent surely reached the level of quasi-saint.
As for immortal swords, they seemed too ethereal, with only thirty-six recorded in the book, scattered across the great heavens. Each flying sword once followed a great emperor in their conquests.
It could be said every immortal sword was one of the most ferocious existences in the world, far exceeding other immortal treasures.
The book used this simile:
If half-immortal treasures were peerless beauties, then immortal treasures were peerless beauties who wore uniforms.
Few and far between, unparalleled and unmatched.
Chen Xia felt this book was less and less serious as he read on. He flipped back to check the title he'd ignored earlier.
Sword Cultivators: From Starting Out to Six Feet Under - Wang Yangzi
Sure enough, not very serious at all.
Chen Xia put the book at the very bottom of the bookshelf in the Heavenly Pavilion, thinking such secret manuals were better off not circulating.
After gaining a general understanding of flying sword ranks, he could begin categorizing the three million flying swords in his body.
This was an extremely time-consuming and meticulous task, but Chen Xia had no shortage of time. He inspected them one by one.
Among them, two million five hundred thousand were ordinary treasure-grade flying swords without specific ranks.
Four hundred and eighty thousand were spirit swords.
One thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine were dao swords.
There was only one half-immortal sword.
That was the bronze sword used by Sword Attendant.
Usually a sword cultivator would have one or two flying swords, while those with outstanding talent could have three or more life-bound swords.
The most exaggerated record in history was a sword sage who commanded ten thousand swords alone, able to contend against quasi-emperors.
Chen Xia nodded. By this measure, he wasn't too outrageous, just three hundred times more than that sage.
Not bad.
Chen Xia was no sword cultivator, so despite having thirty million pure sword intent within him, he didn't know how to utilize them except to overwhelm opponents with raw power.
No technique, relying solely on strength.
If he could learn to wield sword qi and sword techniques later, the might of his three million flying swords could be raised exponentially. Truly unprecedented in the past and unrivaled in the future.
Unfortunately Chen Xia didn't know any, but he could learn slowly since he had the time.
Sword techniques depended greatly on talent and perception. Sword prodigies grasped the sword from birth, their techniques naturally superb.
Chen Xia didn't know if he had the aptitude, but he had destiny on his side. That was enough.
No matter how great the talent, it couldn't surpass good fortune.
Because luck was the essence of mysticism.
Right now he sat in his own cave dwelling, continuously nurturing his sword intent while cultivating techniques and carving out dao patterns.
The dao patterns of Reincarnation Extremity could still be optimized. Chen Xia decided to add some sparkling light effects and particle effects, because that would look really cool.
Big Yellow Dog would come see him every few days, always bringing herbal soups it had cooked.
"This herbal soup can replenish your qi and blood," it said, baring its teeth in a grin as it brought out the soup and placed it before Chen Xia, signaling for him to drink up.
Looking from the outside, Chen Xia's current condition didn't seem great.
His pale complexion had persisted for two years with no signs of improving. He would sway unsteadily when he moved, like a critically ill person.
Chi Yu had already gone back to her clan, saying she'd bring back potent medicine for Chen Xia.
Meanwhile, Big Yellow Dog would bring nourishing herbal soups for Chen Xia every few days.
It did provide some benefit for Chen Xia, making him curiously ask:
"Where are you getting these herbs?"
Big Yellow Dog scratched its butt and grinned. "From Elder Lei's herb garden. Elder Lei has a good temper. Ordinary disciples take a few stalks when sick, not really stealing. He mainly minds the wild beasts."
Chen Xia frowned, finding this rhetoric somewhat familiar.
He knew about this Elder Lei, having heard other outer disciples talk about his deeds, which could be summarized in one sentence:
He was a good man.
Chen Xia didn't dwell on it further and drank the soup to replenish his vital essence and blood. His brows furrowed and he added:
"In the future when you pick herbs, leave some money behind. Otherwise it's not right to always freeload."
Big Yellow Dog rubbed its butt. "I don't have money."
Chen Xia nodded. He didn't either.
The Blue Sky Sword Sea didn't pay stipends to outer disciples.
For now they could only freeload.
Chen Xia planned to do some profitable business after fully nurturing his sword intent, at least to pay back Elder Lei for the herbs.
He definitely couldn't freeload off a good man's money.
Otherwise if everyone freeloaded, there would be no more good people left in the world.
Big Yellow Dog stood to the side, hitching up its pants. It suddenly had a suggestion:
"Why don't I sell my clothes?"
Chen Xia looked it up and down carefully. "Who would buy your used clothes?"
Anyone even slightly normal wouldn't buy clothes worn by Big Yellow Dog, right?
What would even be the point?
Dog-scented underwear?
Big Yellow Dog shook its head and explained: "I've collected a lot of clothes from female cultivators of the sect, including intimate garments. I think there'd be buyers."
"Never do that," Chen Xia said, shaking his head. "Hurry up and burn those clothes."
"Why?" Big Yellow Dog seemed confused, waving its paws earnestly. "I worked hard to steal every single one. It wasn't easy."
Its tone suggested it thought this was a great accomplishment.
Chen Xia patted its dog head and sighed.
"Pay more attention in your next life."