Catastrophe Containment Facility
Chapter 558 - 556: Sword of Heart

Chapter 558: Chapter 556: Sword of Heart

"A fine thing, indeed a fine thing..."

Wen Wen knew that within this crystal lay the life’s learning of a powerful swordsman, and if he were to absorb the Sword Qi Crystal, his level of Sword Dao would surely improve greatly.

To obtain such formidable Strength with just a stretch of the hand was a massive temptation for anyone, but Wen Wen felt an innate resistance towards the Sword Qi Crystal.

"I feel that if I use this thing, I will never find my own sword in this lifetime..."

"But if it could elevate my Sword Dao to such a level, does it really matter what my own sword is? After all, swordsmanship is merely a tool for me, naturally, the stronger, the better..."

A struggle flashed through Wen Wen’s eyes. If he were to weigh the pros and cons, naturally, he would opt for the Sword Qi Crystal, but he just didn’t want to reach out for it.

At that moment, he remembered what Xun Ying had told him, "If you cannot find your own sword, your path in the Sword Dao stops here."

Wen Wen exhaled deeply, his eyes cleared up, "I still do not want to stop here..."

Now, in Wen Wen’s eyes, the Sword Qi Crystal no longer appeared as a rare treasure, but as a hot potato.

Having made up his mind, Wen Wen suddenly felt a lot lighter, and the Sword Qi within him also changed in that instant. An invisible flow of Qi circulated around him, forcing Barcode to involuntarily retreat until he was pressed against the corner of the wall.

Wen Wen drew the Ice Longsword from his cloak; the Sword Qi gracefully flowed along the blade, as if possessing life, and this cold long sword seemed to have developed emotions.

"So that’s how it is, that’s how it is..."

"The so-called own sword... is not just about having a longsword of one’s own, but also having a sword in the heart, genuinely desiring to explore the Sword Dao, instead of just treating the Sword Dao as a tool similar to other abilities..."

"Understanding this point, even if the Sanctuary disappears, even if the Superpower vanishes, my sword will still exist!"

"Before reaching the ’True Self’ realm, all the strength that a superpower user possesses is nothing more than the legacy of others."

"Only those strong in the ’True Self’ realm can break through the fog of power, shed the influence of the predecessors to find their true self, and thus achieve transcendence of strength."

"Could this be considered having something that truly belongs to me even before reaching the ’True Self’?"

It was only then that Wen Wen realized how precious that particular piece of advice from Xun Ying really was.

It was akin to letting Wen Wen glimpse a corner of the ’True Self’ realm in advance, precious even though it was just a corner.

Afterward, Wen Wen sheathed his longsword and started muttering, wondering why Xun Ying had to make things so ambiguous. If he had been clearer, Wen Wen wouldn’t have had to take such a roundabout path.

But what Wen Wen did not know was that if Xun Ying had made everything clear that day, Wen Wen would not have had his epiphany today.

Barcode had no idea what Wen Wen had gone through, but he could sense that Wen Wen’s demeanor seemed to have changed, more terrifying yet sharper at the same time.

"This Sword Qi Crystal, do you want it or not?" Barcode ventured to ask.

Wen Wen didn’t respond to Barcode and instead made a phone call. After a few rings, the other side picked up the phone, "It’s four o’clock in the morning. I finally managed to get some good sleep. What do you want?"

"Ah... Old Xun, I need to tell you something, and I hope you won’t get upset," Wen Wen preemptively prepared the other side mentally.

On the other end was Xun Qing, who sprang up from bed upon hearing Wen Wen’s words, sensing from Wen Wen’s tone that something significant was about to unfold.

"Just tell me what it is."

"Hmm... Someone has dug up your family’s ancestral tomb," Wen Wen blurted out upon hearing from Xun Qing.

"What?"

There was silence on the phone for more than ten seconds before Xun Qing managed to calm his emotion and asked Wen Wen, "What exactly happened, explain it to me clearly."

Next, Wen Wen omitted the matters related to Red Beard, the encounter with Barcode, being pursued by Absurd Words, and finding the Sword Qi Crystal, and told the entire story to Xun Qing.

Barcode’s calves were trembling as he listened on the side; Wen Wen and the members of the Xun Clan were acquaintances, yet he had led people to dig up the Xun Clan’s ancestral tomb...

After listening, Xun Qing’s mood seemed to calm down as he asked, "They only took the Sword Qi Crystal and didn’t do anything else, did they?"

Wen Wen turned to ask Barcode, and Barcode immediately said, "We were also acting under orders, and throughout the process, we were respectful and dared not damage the remains of the deceased..."

"Then there’s no problem," Xun Qing said, relieved.

Wen Wen felt something was off: "That’s it for digging up your family’s ancestral tomb?"

Xun Qing matter-of-factly said, "That’s it, what else could be done?"

"The bones of clan members who were beginners in the Sword Dao and their respective swords are all buried within the Sword Mound, where they are honored by the disciples of the Xun Clan annually."

"The external grave sites are just ceremonial mounds, intended for those of the Xun Clan who cannot enter the Sword Mound to express their grief. If what was done wasn’t excessive, then I don’t want to pursue it."

Wen Wen scratched his head; in his understanding, when a noble family’s ancestral tomb is dug up, it should lead to an irreconcilable grievance, even if it’s just a ceremonial mound—Xun Qing’s response was just too strange.

"Since it was only a ceremonial mound, why was the Sword Qi Crystal there, and don’t you want to come over sometime and take it back yourself?"

After pondering for a few seconds, Xun Qing then told Wen Wen, "You don’t need to worry about the Sword Qi Crystal, let whoever wants to snatch it take it, but make sure you yourself never use it."

Wen Wen expressed his astonishment, "I’ve heard that gaining possession of the Sword Qi Crystal could grant one the swordsmanship proficiency of that predecessor; why would you all..."

Xun Qing sighed and said, "If that thing was really so great, why would we abandon it in an external graveyard unused?"

"However, since you learned about this and didn’t embezzle the Sword Qi Crystal, I, Xun Qing, personally owe you a favor. Moreover, the metal around the Sword Qi Crystal is an excellent material for sword casting, which you can take..."

After giving his instructions, Xun Qing hung up the phone. Holding the phone, Wen Wen’s expression towards the Sword Qi Crystal turned nuanced.

Although Xun Qing did not explicitly say it, Wen Wen understood everything he meant.

The Sword Qi Crystal, left unprotected in the ceremonial mound, was a pitfall that even the Xun Clan didn’t care to trouble themselves with—a big pitfall!

If Wen Wen had been beguiled earlier by the crystal, he might have already found himself trapped in a gutter by now.

Thinking now, if it were not for the Sword Qi Crystal dazzle, seeing from an outsider’s point of view, the fact that Absurd Words knew the Xun Clan’s secret and easily stole the Sword Qi Crystal, was a rather absurd situation in itself.

Considering Xun Qing’s bizarre attitude, it’s possible that the various miraculous effects of the Sword Qi Crystal, and the news of its burial site, were released by the Xun Family themselves!

"Cunning old fox... a thousand-year-old family is indeed not simple; taking advantage of them isn’t that easy after all, I’m still too naïve," Wen Wen said, shaking his head and sighing.

Barcode, standing aside, was somewhat speechless; he could only hear what Wen Wen said, so he didn’t understand what was happening.

He just wanted to know when Wen Wen, after dilly-dallying for so long, would finally take the Sword Qi Crystal and let him go...