Chapter 5: Testing the Blade (Part 1)

The moon blade gradually disappeared as it rotated. Yet everyone could still sense it, as there was a faint tremor and a chill spreading out.
Guo Shieru pointed, and the moon blade reappeared, though its form became much more indistinct. Xian Rudei kept watching it closely. She rubbed her eyes hard and after a while said, “What a pervert!”
Zhou Xiaoling asked, “What pervert?”
Xian Rudei pointed at Guo Shieru and said, “Him!”
Eagle Demon, who was next to them, turned and asked, “You mean Shieru is a pervert?”
Xian Rudei smiled and said, “No, I meant… the moon blade.”
Guo Shieru had already flown into the air and paid no attention to what they were saying. He shouted, “Everyone, step back!” In an instant, the moon blade rose high into the sky and expanded rapidly. Everyone noticed that although it grew larger, its expansion was so subtle that it would go unnoticed unless one paid close attention—only a slight distortion in the sky ahead of Guo Shieru could be seen.
“Slash!”
A crack appeared silently on the ground, extending all the way to the mound and splitting the ten-meter-tall mound in two. The moment the crack appeared, a loud explosion rang out, with countless clouds of dust and debris spewing out from it, as if explosives buried underground had suddenly detonated.
Hiss! Hiss! Everyone couldn’t help but gasp in shock. Its power was no less than that of the Sacrificial Treasure attack. Moments later, as the dust cleared, a deep trench about three meters wide and over twenty meters deep appeared on the ground. Though it wasn’t as large as the ravines in the Wild Battle Secret Realm, the power of this attack far exceeded everyone’s expectations.
Zhang Yaojin’s eyes sparkled as he said, “Amazing! I think even a level-12 mutated talisman beast couldn’t withstand such a fierce attack.”
Xian Rudei said, “Not just level-12—even a level-13 mutated talisman beast might not be able to resist it. It’s sure to break through defenses!”
Eagle Demon said, “This is just one form of attack—the most basic slashing. A weapon at the level of Sacrificial Treasure must have countless varied attack forms.”
Xian Rudei said, “I know! But slashing is the best way to demonstrate a weapon’s attacking power. With other methods, it’s hard to achieve such terrifying effects.”
Guo Shieru retracted the moon blade and smiled, “In terms of power, slashing is the most effective way to show it off. But for Sacrificial Treasure… there are other attack methods. It’s not just about brute force; there are also attacks using talismans. Heh, we still need to explore this further. It’s not possible yet.”

In fact, Guo Shier was also very shocked. He never expected that after the Moon Blade was reforged, its power would become so immense. He understood that this was only the Blade’s basic attack power, without even utilizing the power of the talismans. Although the previous Moon Blade had some talismanic power, it was nowhere near as strong as the current one.

If the original Moon Blade was like a spear, then the current one was equivalent to an automatic rifle. Once it became a true sacred weapon, it would be like a machine gun—there was a huge difference in strength.

Guo Shier said, “Alright, let’s take a break first.” He didn’t look for another place; he simply chose a relatively flat spot, spread out a large piece of animal skin, sat cross-legged, and immediately began reciting scriptures silently. Everyone sat around him in unison, feeling the benefits brought by his spiritual fluctuations.

Since Guo Shier was at the peak of a high-level Grand Sage, reciting spiritual scriptures brought him little benefit unless he advanced further—specifically, to the level of a Virtual Altar—when the scriptures could play a significant role.

Eagle Demon and the others, however, benefited greatly. They couldn’t purify their own souls on their own and relied entirely on Guo Shier’s spiritual fluctuations for purification. Especially since they had received souls infused by Ancient Ink Lotus, they needed the spiritual scriptures to refine them.

The one who benefited the most was the old man Shuai. Composed entirely of soul, his soul quality gradually became purer, and his spiritual power grew stronger through Guo Shier’s recitations. Thus, the best reward Guo Shier could give him was continuing to recite the scriptures; nothing else held any appeal for him.

This session of recitation lasted two full days. Guo Shier extended it specifically to thank the old man Shuai. Not only did the old man Shuai benefit greatly from it, but Eagle Demon and the others also reaped significant advantages.

After the recitation ended, Xian Rudei was reluctant to stand up for a long time. She exclaimed, “Incredible… truly incredible!” She realized that she had reached the peak of a high-level Grand Sage, meaning she could now construct her own Virtual Altar as well.

Guo Shier noticed that not only Xian Rudei but also Eagle Demon and Zhang Yaojin had reached this peak. Four high-level Grand Sages at the pinnacle had gathered here. Luo Zhan was also on the verge of breaking through to the level of a junior Grand Sage; perhaps it wouldn’t be long before he could advance to intermediate. Although Zhou Xiaoling hadn’t reached the peak of a high-level Grand Sage, her soul had improved significantly.

Gu Mo Lian is not only a supreme treasure that can become an altar but also possesses magical skills. Just the ability to draw out the altar’s soul is already quite extraordinary. Combined with Guo Shier’s Soul Scripture, their combined power is truly immense.
Xian Rudi said, “Brother Shier, thank you.”
Guo Shier asked in surprise, “Thank me? Why?”
A hint of reluctance appeared on Xian Rudi’s face. It wasn’t that she was reluctant to leave Guo Shier, but rather reluctant to part with the fluctuations of his soul. She said, “Brother Shier, I need to return to the Gu Dai family. Once I reach the rank of Advanced Great Sage… I must return to my family to inherit their traditions and prepare the materials needed for my own Virtual Form Altar. If I stay here any longer, I won’t be able to progress further.”
Guo Shier asked, “You want to go home?”
Xian Rudi nodded. “Yes, Brother Shier. Can I take Sister Dingding back with me to our family?”
Guo Shier couldn’t help but smile bitterly. Of course he understood—since Zhou Xiaoling had inherited the traditions of the Gu Dai family, Xian Rudi naturally wanted to take her back as well. Moreover, Zhou Xiaoling had also reached the rank of Advanced Great Sage and needed to inherit knowledge and train. If she went back with him to the Fire Sect, she wouldn’t be able to advance further, as the Fire Sect couldn’t provide her with the skills from the Gu Dai family’s traditions.
Guo Shier asked, “Dingding, what do you think?”
Zhou Xiaoling seemed hesitant. She said, “I… I don’t know…” She didn’t want to leave Guo Shier, but she also understood that once he reached the level of a Virtual Form Altar, her strength would fall far behind his. After hesitating for a while, she gritted her teeth and said, “I’ll go back with Sister Xian!”
Zhang Yaojin said, “I’ll go too!”
Xian Rudi asked, “What are you going to do there?”
Zhang Yaojin replied, “I’ve also inherited the traditions of the Gu Dai family. Of course, I need to go back too!”
Xian Rudi scratched her head, not knowing what to do. Zhang Yaojin was also an Advanced Great Sage, and even the Gu Dai family wouldn’t ignore such a skilled person. But he was a man!
Zhang Yaojin stood quietly, but his attitude was firm. He had already decided that whatever the inheritance was, as long as it could enhance his strength, gender didn’t matter.
Seeing Xian Rudi’s hesitation, Guo Shier said, “Xian Rudi, take Brother Zhang back too. Some things aren’t up to you to decide. Maybe… your family’s elders can make the decision.”
Zhang Yaojin nodded. “Mm, just take me back.”
Xian Rudi finally nodded. “Alright, then come with me. Sister Dingding, you should come with us too.”

Zhou Xiaoling had made up her mind; she too wanted to become a master with a altar. She said, “Shier, I…”
Guo Shier smiled and said, “Go ahead. Be careful. Once you reach the Virtual Form Altar, then look for a way back.” He didn’t want to block Zhou Xiaoling’s path to advancement.
Zhou Xiaoling nodded and said, “Take care of yourself. Sister Qian, I’ll go with you.”
Qian Ruidai cheered happily and said, “Great! Sister Dingding, our Gudai family has many continents and secret realms. I’ll take you there to explore later, hehe.”
Guo Shier said, “Qian Ruidai, there’s something I need your help with.”
Qian Ruidai smiled and said, “What is it? If I can help… I definitely won’t refuse.” She was in high spirits.
Guo Shier said, “I need coordinates for continents and secret realms—the more, the better! Hehe, we’ve been lost for a long time.”
Qian Ruidai said, “Lost? No way. Is that even possible? I have the simplest way to find our way… just go back the way we came.”
Guo Shier smiled bitterly and said, “If I could just go back the way we came, I would have already done so.”
Qian Ruidai thought for a moment, then took out a jade talisman and said, “I have quite a few coordinates for continents and secret realms here. Here, take it… see if any match the coordinates you know.”
Guo Shier was overjoyed. Professionals usually didn’t share coordinates for continents and secret realms; what was exchanged were usually unimportant ones.
Taking the jade talisman, Guo Shier immediately began searching. After a while, he showed a hint of joy. Although he still hadn’t found a way home, having more coordinates meant he could explore slowly.
Eagle Demon stepped forward and said, “Dingding, take care! Qian Ruidai, make sure to look after your senior sister.”
Luo Zhan also said, “Take care, Old Zhang… You too, take care.”
Zhang Yaojin nodded and said, “You all take care too.”
Qian Ruidai said, “Brother Shier, let’s exchange message talismans. When we reach our Gudai family’s territory, remember to get in touch with me.”
Zhang Yaojin also took out his own message talisman to exchange with everyone. This was necessary because once separated, without clear continental addresses, it would be extremely difficult to find each other. Thus, the other person’s message talisman was very important—as long as they were on the same continent, it would be easy to locate each other.
Zhou Xiaoling stepped in front of Guo Shier, stretched out her arms, and hugged him tightly. Her face turned slightly red as she said, “I’ll come back. By then, I will definitely be a professional with an altar!”
Guo Shier said softly, “Dingding, take care. Find a way back home.”

As professionals, everyone has a certain awareness to face partings and reunions with composure. Just like Eagle Demon and Yu Lan back then, although they felt a bit regretful, they wouldn’t let it hold them back.
Xian Ru Dai also stepped forward to hug Guo Shier, saying with a smile, “Brother Shier, be sure to visit our Gu Dai family if you get the chance!”
Guo Shier nodded and said, “Okay, take care too.”