Chapter 338: The Flying Sword Cultivation Method, Ma Gu's Ambition

“Master… you’re thinking of…” Lu Qing noticed the look on his Master’s face and suddenly understood.

“Judging by how things are in the village, the situation in other nearby settlements likely isn’t much better. I’ll go out and take a look—see just how much Tian Di Bian Hua has affected ordinary people. That way, we can prepare in advance, and won’t be caught off guard when trouble comes.”

Old Doctor’s voice carried a weighty tone.

“Master, don’t worry. I’ll look after things here.”

Lu Qing nodded. He knew his Master’s heart remained unchanged—even after becoming a cultivator, he still carried the compassion of a healer. He couldn’t bear to see common people suffer.

In the past two years, his Master had occasionally taken him on walks through nearby villages and hamlets, offering free medical care to impoverished, elderly people who couldn’t afford treatment. This extended journey, then, naturally left him with some concern.

“Master, may I borrow your sword for a moment? I’d like to reforge it for you.”

After a pause, Lu Qing spoke up.

“Reforging it? I thought this sword was already excellent.”

Old Doctor didn’t hesitate. He drew the blade and handed it to Lu Qing, though a hint of confusion lingered in his eyes. To him, this sword—crafted by Lu Qing—was already a divine weapon of the highest caliber. Sharp beyond measure, invincible, unscathed even when he unleashed his full power. It was truly a masterpiece.

“This long sword was forged by me in the past,” Lu Qing said with a modest smile. “Back then, my forging skills were still quite crude, so there are still many imperfections.”

The sword had been made from Celestial Meteor Iron—a material of immense value. At the time, Lu Qing’s spiritual force was still undeveloped, barely at the Hou Tian Jing realm. He’d only managed to shape it into a divine weapon, which, in truth, was a great waste of the material’s potential.

Now, with his strength transformed beyond recognition and in possession of the Lihuo Ding—a spiritual artifact of unparalleled forging power—it was time to upgrade his Master’s weapon.

When Lu Qing placed the divine sword into the Lihuo Ding, “Yan” nearly gasped.

“A sword forged entirely from Celestial Meteor Iron… and still just an ordinary blade? Who could be so wasteful?”

“Yan” was stunned. Celestial Meteor Iron was, even in the Ancient Cultivation Era, among the most precious materials for crafting spiritual treasures. Any artifact infused with even a trace of it would see its quality skyrocket. It was considered one of the finest materials for refining Qi embryos—second only to the rarest of treasures, Hun Dun Shen Tie.

In fact, the Lihuo Sect had infused substantial amounts of Celestial Meteor Iron into the Lihuo Ding when crafting its body. Even the last words of the late Shao Zong Zhu, the sect’s former leader, had lamented that had they possessed more Celestial Meteor Iron, the Lihuo Ding might have triumphed over their enemy’s spiritual artifact in battle.

The sheer value of the material was undeniable. To see an entire sword made of it, yet still only an ordinary blade, left “Yan” utterly amazed.

“It was forged by me,” Lu Qing admitted, a bit sheepish. “Back then, my cultivation was still too low to inscribe any seals upon it. I could only shape it into a common weapon. Forgive the imperfection.”

Lu Qing knew that in the Ancient Cultivation Era, weapons were classified into four tiers:

Ordinary Weapon, Spiritual Artifact, Treasure Artifact, and Spiritual Artifact.

Though to the outside world, his Master’s sword was already a legendary divine weapon, its lack of seals meant it couldn’t draw upon heavenly energy. To “Yan”—a master craftsman—it was still, fundamentally, just an ordinary blade.

“…” Silence followed. “Yan” was speechless. It had never imagined that the one responsible for such a waste of Celestial Meteor Iron was Lu Qing himself.

For a moment, it didn’t know what to say.

But Lu Qing quickly broke the awkward pause with a smile.

“So I’d like to ask you to help me reforge this blade. And… I also have my own warblade to reforge.”

With that, he drew out his own warblade and placed it beside the sword inside the Lihuo Ding.

“Another sword made entirely of Celestial Meteor Iron… and still just an ordinary blade?” “Yan” widened its eyes again.

Lu Qing’s warblade, too, had remained unreforged since his breakthrough. It, too, still stood as merely an ordinary weapon.

After a long moment, “Yan” regained its composure and asked, “Young Master, do you have a lot of Celestial Meteor Iron?”

“I do. I obtained it from my Qiankun Yiqi Dai.”

“No denial,” Lu Qing said plainly.

“From the Qiankun Yiqi Dai? So Xunfeng Dao Ren actually had so much Celestial Meteor Iron?”

“Xunfeng Dao Ren?” Lu Qing frowned.

“The former owner of the Qiankun Yiqi Dai. In the Ancient Cultivation Era, he was a renowned Yuan Shen Great Sage. Master of wind-elemental arts, quite formidable. The Qiankun Yiqi Dai was his famed treasure artifact. But he was a solitary figure, rarely interacting with others—very mysterious. No one knows what happened to him, or why he left the artifact behind.”

“Yan” explained slowly.

“I see,” Lu Qing nodded. He remembered when he first acquired the Qiankun Yiqi Dai. At the time, his cultivation was too low—no name appeared in the artifact’s revealed information. Now, he finally knew: the original owner had been Xunfeng Dao Ren.

“That Xunfeng Dao Ren was peculiar, never fond of company. Even in ancient times, he was a reclusive cultivator. No one knows where he obtained such a vast quantity of Celestial Meteor Iron.”

“Yan” sighed.

Cultivation was never easy. The trials and tribulations one faced were countless. To become a Yuan Shen Great Sage—especially as a lone cultivator—was no small feat. Each such figure had their own unique strengths, extraordinary methods, and countless survival techniques. Major sects rarely provoked them unless absolutely necessary.

As a result, their true histories, their secrets, and their hidden treasures remained largely unknown.

Now, thanks to Lu Qing, “Yan” was learning things it never thought possible. The Plague Elder had once possessed Chunhun Shen Tie, a unique treasure. And Xunfeng Dao Ren had gathered a massive stock of Celestial Meteor Iron.

It was clear: every Yuan Shen Great Sage was a man of profound Qi aura, each with their own fated encounters and hidden blessings.

After a pause, “Yan” said hesitantly, “Young Master… if you have extra Celestial Meteor Iron, I wonder…”

“You need Celestial Meteor Iron?”

“Yes. In the final days of the Ancient Cultivation Era, the Lihuo Sect fought a life-or-death battle with a rival sect. I clashed with their ancestral spiritual artifact for a long time. Though both of us were damaged, I suffered greater injury. The Lihuo Ding’s body was cracked. To this day, it has never fully recovered. If I could absorb some Celestial Meteor Iron, I could not only repair the damage, but possibly even strengthen the artifact’s essence.”

Lu Qing recalled the abilities probe results from the Lihuo Ding and the final words of the late Shao Zong Zhu. “Yan” wasn’t lying. The artifact had indeed suffered a heavy blow, and it had originally been infused with Celestial Meteor Iron during its creation.

He nodded. “Of course. If you can fully restore it, it’ll be a great boon to me as well. After we finish refining these two weapons, I’ll hand over the Celestial Meteor Iron to you.”

Celestial Meteor Iron was precious, but the Lihuo Ding was now Lu Qing’s spiritual artifact. Restoring it would be to his benefit in every way.

“Then let’s begin without delay!” “Yan” said eagerly.

Lu Qing smiled and focused his mind into the Lihuo Ding, starting the refinement process.

The next day, Lu Qing removed the newly refined swords and threw a large chunk of Celestial Meteor Iron into the ding, letting “Yan” absorb it slowly. Then, he took the newly refined sword and went to the Half Mountain Small Courtyard.

“This is the re-reforged sword?” Old Doctor took the blade and examined it closely.

The sword had changed dramatically—its cold aura was sharper, more intense. Most importantly, faint, mysterious inscriptions shimmered across the blade’s surface, radiating an otherworldly presence.

“Master, I’ve infused this sword with Water and Fire Seals. It can guide and amplify Qi and spiritual force of both water and fire elements. Since you specialize in water and fire cultivation, this should suit you perfectly.”

Lu Qing explained.

“Indeed,” Old Doctor murmured, his eyes widening. “I can faintly sense a resonance between the sword’s inner power and my own spiritual force.”

“A Qing, how do I activate this sword?”

“Master, simply offer a drop of blood to claim it, then continuously refine it with your spirit. Over time, the sword will become one with your will. Once fully cultivated, you can even store it within your Dantian to aid your cultivation. Here’s a jade slip—keep it. It contains the method for cultivating a flying sword. Once you learn it, you can add more seals yourself and further nurture the blade.”

Lu Qing handed over the jade slip.

Though the sword currently bore only a single layer of Water and Fire Seals—making it a low-tier magical sword—it had an exceptional foundation. Its true potential far surpassed many high-tier treasure blades. With the Flying Sword Cultivation Method, Old Doctor could continue enhancing it in the future.

“Very well,” Old Doctor said, accepting the jade slip without hesitation. “That way, I won’t need to trouble you every time.”

Seeing his Master accept the slip, Lu Qing smiled.

It was strange, really. His Master, a man of such gentle, healing nature, possessed an astonishing talent in sword cultivation. Despite having never killed more than a few people, he had mastered a sword qi domain of unparalleled offensive power.

Cultivation truly was vast and unfathomable—impossible to predict.

After receiving the magical sword, Old Doctor didn’t linger. He shouldered his herb basket and headed down the mountain, preparing to visit the surrounding villages.

Lu Qing watched until his Master’s figure disappeared into the distance before turning away.

“Young Master,” “Yan” spoke from within the Lihuo Ding, “your Master… he’s truly a rare soul.”

Having learned of Old Doctor’s purpose—his journey to help the common people—“Yan” now held him in greater respect.

A cultivator who still remembered his original intention, who still chose to heal the weak and suffering… such a heart, if not cut short by misfortune, would surely achieve great things in the future.

“My Master has always been this way,” Lu Qing said, sensing the sincerity in “Yan’s” tone.

He had originally wanted to accompany his Master on the healing tour. But the current circumstances made it unwise. This journey to Zhong Zhou had brought them many enemies. It was only a matter of time before their origins were uncovered.

If both he and his Master left, and enemies came calling, it would be disastrous.

So, he had to stay behind to guard Jiu Li Village.

As for Old Doctor—armed with the newly forged magical sword and his own sword qi domain—Lu Qing had every confidence that, in the entire Xian Tian Jing realm, few, if any, could pose a real threat to him.

Old Doctor’s medical visits usually lasted ten to fifteen days. So for the next few days, Lu Qing and Xiao Yan settled into the Half Mountain Small Courtyard—quiet, secluded, and ideal for his work without disturbing the villagers.

On the second afternoon, the Wei Family’s caravan arrived once more at the courtyard.

“Lu Qing brother!”

“Lu Xiao Da Fu!”

Once again, Wei Da Zong Guan was in charge of the convoy. But this time, Ma Gu and Wei Zian also accompanied him.

“You’re here too? Why not stay home a bit longer?”

Lu Qing greeted them with a smile.

“Hmm. I was bored at home. Just wanted to come play here. As for my master—he’s fleeing home, escaping an arranged marriage!”

Wei Zian’s words stunned everyone.

“Oh? Ma Ye is getting married?”

Lu Qing turned to Ma Gu, surprised.

“No such thing!” Ma Gu shot a glare at his apprentice. “That’s just my parents’ nagging. I’ve never even thought about it.”

“Ma Ye has no intention of marriage?” Lu Qing was genuinely surprised.

Ma Gu was already over thirty. In this era, even with longer lifespans for martial cultivators, that was considered quite old.

And yet, he’d never once considered settling down.

“Having seen the peak of the world, how could I ever be content with the ordinary?” Ma Gu said seriously. “Now, I only wish to focus on the martial path. I want to break through and enter the Xian Tian Jing. As for romance and marriage—no thought of it at all.”

Had it been before, Ma Gu might have obeyed his parents’ wishes, married a suitable woman, raised a family, and lived out his life in peace. After all, he’d known his limits—no matter how hard he tried, he’d never reach Wu Dao Zong Shi or even the Xian Tian Jing.

But after Zhong Zhou, after witnessing the power of masters like Lu Qing and Old Doctor, and after absorbing a trace of Benyuan Qi that dramatically boosted his cultivation—his dreams had changed.

He no longer wanted to be just a Hou Tian Jing martial artist. He wanted to climb higher, to witness greater wonders. He even dared to dream of glimpsing the legendary path of cultivation.

In that light, what were mere romantic entanglements, compared to such ambitions?

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end