Chapter 956: The Haotian Mirror
The greatest difference between a semi-immortal and an immortal object lay in the fact that the latter had a spirit.
For example, the Daoist Order held an immortal object known as the Seven Feather Five Fires Fan, kept within the Kunlun Paradise. It gave rise to a spirit that could take a human form, dressed as a Daoist nun, to wield the artifact itself.
Although such immortal objects were rare among rarities because most could not transform into a human form, all immortal objects were endowed with spirituality. Thus, with spirit came the ability to choose and acknowledge a master.
The Heavenly Preceptor’s Twin Swords were no exception. When the Zhang family patriarch and Earthly Preceptor Xu ascended together at the Ascension Platform of the Kunlun Paradise, they left behind these swords, which returned to the Dazhen Mansion of their own accord. That was their spirit at work.
Strictly speaking, the true master of the Heavenly Preceptor’s Twin Swords was neither Qi Xuansu nor Zhang Yuelu, but the Heavenly Preceptor, Zhang Wushou.
It was the Heavenly Preceptor who had lent the two swords to them. If necessary, he could reclaim them at any time, and neither Qi Xuansu nor Zhang Yuelu had the right or ability to object. This was also the main reason Qi Xuansu had chosen to exchange his merits for Pure Bodhi, because he could only have peace of mind in wielding what truly belonged to him.
Zhang Yuelu’s thought process in hurling Purple Afterglow to Qi Xuansu was that the Heavenly Preceptor’s Twin Swords should be, in some ineffable way, connected to the Great Sage. Under normal circumstances, that might not work. But Izanagi was a god, and his demonic fire not only enveloped Qi Xuansu but also enshrouded the Twin Swords. When a god used divine demonic fire to sear the Heavenly Preceptor’s Twin Swords, this was not just a skirmish with mortals. So, the Heavenly Preceptor would inevitably sense it and respond.
The demonic fire burned ever fiercer. Under its blaze, the Heavenly Preceptor’s Twin Swords flickered, their green and purple radiance blinking unsteadily.
From the very moment the severed hand seized Qi Xuansu, Qi Xuansu’s Spiritual Body had already collapsed. That was because the Spiritual Body was part of the Godly Immortal lineage, so when facing a high-tier Godly Immortal existence, his low-level Spiritual Body shattered almost instantly.
Fortunately, Qi Xuansu was not a true Shaman but a manmade Banished Immortal, so he had other lineages he could rely on that did not suffer from such an inherent weakness. Thus, he did not collapse as swiftly as his Spiritual Body had.
Qi Xuansu’s expression grew twisted, and the flames in his eyes burned ever more fiercely.
The strength of the Longevity Stone Heart was tied closely to the cultivation of its host. It itself was unaffected by the demonic fire, but to aid Qi Xuansu in resisting the flames, it could only ceaselessly draw upon his own divine power.