Infinite Professions from a Pearl Collector

The pair continued to wander through the packed square.

The trade fair certainly lived up to its reputation. All sorts of bizarre and exotic items were on display.

Chen Ye even saw a stall with a massive glass tank, in which a huge, still-beating heart was submerged. The stall owner claimed it was the heart of a Sea Condensation Realm Great Demon, a Mountain-moving Bear, and that eating it would greatly increase one’s vitality.

Other stalls sold Demon Ghosts sealed in Rune-inscribed jars, which could be bought and used to forge Magical Artifacts or kept as guard pets.

Su Yuan, on the other hand, was fascinated by these things. She was especially captivated by a stall specializing in poisonous insects and herbs, where she lingered, pestering the owner with question after question. Her eyes sparkled so brightly that the stall owner started to feel a little creeped out.

Chen Ye followed behind her, continuing to observe secretly with his Asura’s Eye.

Unfortunately, a find like the Sword Nurturing Technique was a matter of pure luck, not something one could actively seek out.

He went on to examine many other items. While he did spot a few that were more than they seemed, the stall owners were all sharp as tacks. They held firm on their prices, giving him no opportunity to snag a deal.

And as Chen Ye felt the pitiful amount of silver in his pocket, he could only sigh in resignation.

The two continued to browse until evening before returning to the Yuelai Inn, feeling as though they still hadn’t seen everything.

"I’m dead tired! Going to bed!" Su Yuan gave a huge stretch, yawned, and returned to her room.

Chen Ye also went back to his room. He sat cross-legged on the bed and laid his saber across his knees.

This saber had been with him ever since he fought his way out of Yu Huo County. Though it was only forged from Mortal Iron, he had long since developed a faint, almost imperceptible rapport with it.

Then, Chen Ye took out the Sword Nurturing Technique manual and began to study it intently.

According to the manual, the first step of nurturing a blade was attunement.

In other words, one must first establish a basic connection with their blade.

Chen Ye closed his eyes, banished all distracting thoughts, and focused his entire Heart Spirit on the long saber.

He circulated the wisp of Inner Qi in his body—which had become incredibly pure after being enhanced by his Slaying Blade Asura Profession—and, following a peculiar Dharma Gate recorded in the Sword Nurturing Technique, slowly and carefully infused it into the body of the saber.

This was completely different from his usual method of circulating Inner Qi to unleash a Sword Aura.

Unleashing a Sword Aura was about making Inner Qi surge through his meridians and the blade’s body. It was all about speed—a sudden burst.

But the Sword Nurturing Technique was about letting the Inner Qi seep in. It was all about slowness—a gentle nurturing.

HUMMM...

The moment the first wisp of Inner Qi seeped into the saber’s body, a faint hum resonated in Chen Ye’s mind.

It was as if he could see the inside of the saber.

It was a cold, deathly still world composed of countless metallic crystal lattices.

His Inner Qi became a warm stream, flowing slowly through this lifeless world, nourishing every inch of its terrain.

At the same time, Chen Ye activated his Asura’s Eye.

In his blood-red vision, he could clearly see that his Inner Qi, after seeping into the saber, wasn’t dissipating. Instead, it was being slowly absorbed and assimilated by the blade’s metallic structure, just like a sponge soaking up water.

And as he continuously infused his Inner Qi, the impure Energy signatures within the Mortal Iron Long Saber were being cleansed and purged, bit by bit.

The entire body of the saber was undergoing a metamorphosis, imperceptible to the naked eye but perfectly clear on an Energy level.

"It’s really working!"

Chen Ye was overjoyed.

’This Sword Nurturing Technique is simply a Supreme Dharma Gate that can turn the worthless into the miraculous!’

Afterward, Chen Ye settled his Heart Spirit and began cleansing the long saber with his Inner Qi, over and over again, following the Dharma Gate from the manual.

The process was tedious and dull, and it consumed a great deal of both his Heart Spirit and Inner Qi.

But Chen Ye took pleasure in it, enduring the strain gladly.

He could clearly feel the connection between himself and the saber growing ever closer.

What was once a cold, lifeless object now seemed to emanate a faint emotion—a feeling of closeness and yearning, much like that of a newborn.

By now, the night had deepened, and the clamor from outside the window had long since faded away.

Inside the room, Chen Ye remained seated cross-legged, motionless as a statue.

In the candlelight, the long saber on his lap seemed to possess an indescribable shimmer of Spiritual Light it hadn’t had before.

The blade’s edge radiated an even more menacing chill.

Early the next morning, Chen Ye slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a turbid breath.

He glanced out the window and realized the sky was already beginning to brighten with the dawn.

After a whole night of Cultivation, Chen Ye felt a touch of exhaustion.

However, although he had consumed a great deal of Inner Qi, it had already mostly recovered thanks to the Golden Toad Qi Swallowing Technique. In fact, it seemed even more condensed than before.

Of course, his greatest gain was the long saber on his lap.

Chen Ye reached out and lightly flicked the body of the blade.

CLANG!

A clear, crisp ring echoed from the saber, seemingly carrying a hint of joy.

He could clearly feel that a faint, yet very real, spiritual connection had been established between him and the saber.

Now, he didn’t even need to look. He could perceive every detail of the saber just by sensing it with his Heart Spirit.

’And this is just after one night’s work. If I keep this up, just imagine what could happen!’

Chen Ye’s heart surged with emotion. ’It seems I’ve really struck gold.’

He had a feeling that if he continued this Cultivation, this long saber forged from Mortal Iron might one day transform into a true divine weapon.

Just then, Su Yuan’s voice called impatiently from outside the door.

"Are you up yet?"

"Coming,"

Chen Ye called back, sheathing his long saber before getting up to open the door.