Chapter 223: Taming the Divine Dragon and Creating the Floating Sword Skill

Liu Yi was even more astonished. The only explanation was that this ice dragon was far stronger than other desolate dragons—so much so that, though it might lack speed, its strength, special abilities, and resilience more than made up for its shortcomings. It was a miracle that it could still rise after taking two blows from Tie Shi and being wounded by the “Sorrowful Dream” sword.

Yet, while praising this ice dragon, Liu Yi also sensed trouble. The protective aura formed by the shadows of the four divine dragons around him was slowly fading under the assault of the cold air. At the same time, a strange sensation seeped into Liu Yi’s body. Looking into the blood-red eyes of the ice dragon before him, he instinctively stepped back and instinctively grasped the sword hilt at his waist.

But he quickly realized that the “Sorrowful Dream” sword was no longer with him—the hilt was empty, while the sword was embedded in the dragon’s forehead. Staring at the divine dragon glaring at him, Liu Yi wondered, “What’s going on? Why didn’t the ‘Sorrowful Dream’ sword hurt it, even though it’s so sharp?” As he pondered, an object appeared in his right hand. Looking down, he saw the jade flute that Ye Luo Baihua had given him before leaving.

He remembered that the flute contained a sword—he had seen Ye Luo Baihua use it, and it was by no means an ordinary sword. Now that his “Sorrowful Dream” sword was gone, it seemed he had no choice but to use this flute as a weapon. But since he had never used it before, he held little hope. Moreover, the protective aura from the four divine dragon shadows was already failing, leaving him with no choice but to fight desperately.

Liu Yi touched the end of the flute and gently rotated it, then suddenly pulled out the hidden “Floating Sword” from within. With a clear ringing sound, a white light emanated from the sword. The jade-colored hilt, along with a warm aura, flowed into Liu Yi’s body, bringing relief. The white blade was formless, like mist, yet solid, stretching and contracting as it moved. By now, dusk had fallen, and the white sword light had already covered up the last traces of the setting sun’s red glow.

Looking at the ever-shifting, ethereal sword in his hand, Liu Yi suddenly remembered something Ye Luo Baihua had said before they parted: “Since I can’t go with you, take this sword. It’s been with me since I was young. If you have it, I can rest easier.” Thinking of her words, Liu Yi felt a warmth in his heart. It seemed she had foresight—she knew his sword would be lost, so she lent him the “Floating Sword.”

Yet, looking at the sword that kept stretching and contracting, Liu Yi was at a loss as to what to do. Just then, the ice dragon let out a long roar and thrust its right claw forward, sending three ice shards straight at Liu Yi. The movements seemed slow, but Liu Yi wouldn’t underestimate their special abilities. He stepped back lightly and retreated swiftly. At that moment, an idea suddenly flashed through his mind.

The ice dragon before him seemed to be severely injured; its movements had already become extremely slow. If he delivered one more powerful strike, he would most likely be able to subdue it. But… to land that strike, he needed to find its weak point. At this moment, the only advantage he had was the “Sorrowful Dream” sword embedded in its forehead. Only by delivering a third powerful strike there could he possibly subdue the ice dragon.

Liu Yi couldn’t help but look toward Tie Shi, who was struggling on the ground in the distance, thinking to himself, “It seems asking this guy for help won’t work. But it’s strange—this ice dragon is only slightly larger than that grayish-white giant snake. With just one swipe, how could it not be able to stand up?” In fact, Liu Yi had overlooked one thing—he had only considered the size of the ice dragon and the snake, not their strength.

As he retreated, Liu Yi tried to figure out how to cause more damage at the site of the “Sorrowful Dream” sword. He was well aware that charging forward might work, but he might freeze solid before even getting close to the ice dragon’s body. Moreover, the protective aura generated by the Four Divine Dragon Shadows was growing weaker by the moment, seemingly about to fail to withstand the icy cold.

Feeling frustrated, Liu Yi instinctively gripped the “Floating Mirage” sword more tightly with his right hand. The moment he did so, the sword rapidly grew longer, extending by over thirty feet. Looking at it in his hand, it was no longer a sword but rather a whip. Liu Yi relaxed his grip slightly, and the sword’s length suddenly shortened to two feet.

Suddenly, a flash of white light appeared. Liu Yi thought to himself, “I’ve found a solution! Ye Luo Baihua is truly a savior.” At this point, Liu Yi had mastered the special ability of the “Floating Mirage” sword—he could make it longer by applying force normally, and if he used his strongest spiritual energy, it might grow even longer. Then, without needing to get close physically, he could use the extended sword to strike the “Sorrowful Dream” sword, thereby delivering a powerful blow to the ice dragon.

The idea formed in the blink of an eye. But in that short time, the ice dragon also moved. With another roar that shook the entire forest, it fired six ice shards. Liu Yi didn’t dare delay. Instead of retreating, he turned and charged forward from the side, aiming to get as close as possible. Since he couldn’t predict how far the “Floating Mirage” sword could extend, he had to minimize the distance—only then would he have a better chance.

As he ran at full speed, leaving behind a trail of afterimages, Liu Yi covered over ten feet in an instant. By then, the ice dragon’s massive body was coiling above his head. The icy cold seemed to penetrate his very being, slowing down his blood flow. Liu Yi knew he didn’t have much time—every moment of delay could cause his protective aura to break, turning him into ice instantly.

To be more confident, Liu Yi raised the “Lanelfina Qing” mental technique to the thirteenth level—Heart of Murder. He was well aware that if this strike failed, unless a miracle occurred, he would instantly turn into ice. Thus, he didn’t need to overestimate the terror of the Heart of Murder. Yet, paradoxically, the powerful vital energy of the Heart of Murder kept his entire body protected from the cold. It seemed that although “Lanelfina Qing” was terrifying, it could still protect its master.

As the vital energy rapidly condensed, Liu Yi unconsciously channeled it into his right arm. At that moment, under the control of this powerful vital energy, the “Furuo” sword extended swiftly. Its blade became ethereal and intangible, growing longer and longer before slowly hanging down. The moment it touched the ground, it vanished suddenly.

Liu Yi thought something must have gone wrong, but with a movement of his right hand, the sword reappeared elsewhere on the ground. An idea flashed through his mind—he mused, “Could this be the special ability of the ‘Furuo’ sword?” But Liu Yi couldn’t dwell on it. No matter how powerful this special skill might be, it wouldn’t help him now. He could study it further with Ye Luobaihua later. For now, his task was to keep extending the “Furuo” sword. Finally, when the vital energy reached its limit, Liu Yi stopped extending it.

Seeing the ice dragon circling in the air, Liu Yi made a rough estimate—this should be about right. There was only one way to find out. The moment he condensed his vital energy, the ice dragon launched another attack. Its huge mouth opened, and a white mist, as solid as matter, shot toward Liu Yi.

Liu Yi knew it was dangerous, but the ice dragon had chosen the wrong target. Its iron-like body was massive, and its movements were somewhat sluggish—these traits should work well against it. But Liu Yi was tiny and on guard, with “Lanelfina Qing” raised to the thirteenth level. The white mist posed no threat to him at all.

Liu Yi lifted his right foot again and shot straight into the air. After dodging the mist, he felt he was now parallel to the ice dragon’s body and at close range. Though cold, this was the best opportunity. How could Liu Yi let it slip away? With a loud shout, he said, “One more time!” His right hand swung violently, and the ethereal, almost invisible sword blade, now controlled by immense vital energy, transformed into a solid and powerful whip, striking straight for the “Sorrowful Dream” sword mark on the ice dragon’s forehead.

A white light expanded infinitely, and combined with the powerful vital energy, it struck the ice dragon’s body just as it was about to counterattack—precisely at the spot where the “Sorrowful Dream” sword had pierced it. The “Furuo” sword had doubled the effect of the vital energy as it swung. With a sharp “whoosh,” the black sword, subjected to tremendous force, pierced straight through the dragon’s forehead and out through the back of its head, landing with a “clang” on the ice surface.

At this moment, Liu Yi also lost his strength. The “Furuo” sword quickly returned to its original state, and Liu Yi flipped back to the ground. At the same time, the protective energy around his body vanished rapidly, and the cold air rushed into his body. Although he had mental techniques to protect himself, he still couldn’t withstand such cold. Liu Yi already sensed that something was wrong.

Just then, with a roar like that of a dragon, Liu Yi raised his head. He saw the ice dragon rolling rapidly in the sky. As it rolled, pieces of white ice fell off little by little. At the same time, the ice dragon let out a pained cry. Watching the ice dragon in the sky, Liu Yi seemed to forget the cold. He stood up and stared up at it.

As the ice dragon gradually disappeared, it finally vanished, leaving only a wisp of white mist. That mist drifted toward the “Beyi Meng” sword embedded in the ice surface. Then, it slowly seeped in. As it did so, a blue-white light radiated from around the “Beyi Meng” sword before disappearing instantly, restoring calm.

Blue-white light slowly descended from the sky, and the cold around Liu Yi’s body gradually faded away. He sheathed the “Furuo” sword. His right hand then curled into a claw and stretched toward the “Beyi Meng” sword. A powerful suction force lifted the sword off the ground and returned it to Liu Yi’s hand. The black hilt felt warm to the touch, followed by a hint of coldness—a truly pleasant sensation. Liu Yi said happily, “I’ve finally tamed it.”

He casually sheathed the “Beyi Meng” sword and rushed over to Tie Shi. Tie Shi, seeing that the ice dragon had been killed and was no longer struggling, seemed relieved that Liu Yi had managed. Now that Liu Yi was unharmed, Tie Shi also stopped moving. Looking at Tie Shi’s huge head, Liu Yi went up to its ear and asked, “How are you? Are you badly injured?”

Tie Shi replied in its rough voice, “I’m fine. I just needed to lie down for a while, and I’m already recovering. That dragon was really strong.”

Liu Yi nodded. Seeing Tie Shi’s condition, he thought to himself, “That giant snake can’t compare to this dragon at all.” With that thought, he smiled helplessly, sat on Tie Shi’s shoulder, glanced at the sky, and said, “Hurry up and recover. The sun is about to set. I need to return to Wulei City tomorrow, or things will get troublesome.”

Tie Shi slowly closed its eyes and replied, “Don’t worry with me here. I recover much faster than that fool. You’ll definitely make it back…” Its voice faded away. Liu Yi thought Tie Shi might be too badly injured, but upon closer inspection, he found its breathing was steady, and it didn’t seem injured. It must have fallen asleep, which might help it recover faster. Liu Yi didn’t say much more and sat on Tie Shi’s shoulder, lost in his own thoughts.

Having tamed the ice dragon fulfilled one of his wishes. But why was this ice dragon so powerful? Thinking about it, he wondered how difficult it would be to tame the other three dragons. Moreover, since the ice dragon appeared in the Netherworld, if the other three dragons were not in the Human Realm or had scattered, where could he look in such a vast space? Could he really rely on luck?

As he thought about it, Liu Yi unconsciously reached for the jade-colored flute. Looking at the flute in his hand, he suddenly remembered an idea that had popped into his mind during the battle with the Ice Dragon—perhaps this special sword truly possessed unique abilities. Although no one from the Ye Luo family had mentioned them in detail, it was after all a divine weapon with special functions, and maybe those functions were exactly what were needed to support some special skills.

Liu Yi slowly stood up, recalling his memories. After he enhanced his vital energy, the “Furuo” Sword would extend infinitely rapidly and disappear quickly once it hit the ground. But in reality, it hadn’t disappeared—it simply had a special relationship with the ground, hiding and vanishing when it touched it. If he could control this sword clearly, then even if others couldn’t see where it was… And if his vital energy could make the sword’s blade spread out… Then… As he thought further, an unrealistic idea came to Liu Yi’s mind. Since the sword had such special attributes, it was definitely possible to use them to create a perfect sword technique.

While pondering these issues, Liu Yi slowly walked toward the edge of the lake. Looking at the thirty-foot-tall ancient tree before him, he thought to himself, “Whether it works or not, I’ll find out by trying. If I don’t try, I’ll never know the true secret. Even if I possess a divine sword, I’ll spend my life in sorrow because I can’t fully utilize it.” As his thoughts shifted, he gently turned the jade flute with his right hand. With a flash of white light, the “Furuo” Sword reappeared in his hands.

Watching the intangible and flickering blade, Liu Yi channeled his vital energy. Relaxing his right hand, he raised both palms symmetrically and directed his vital energy between them. The powerful vital energy caused the “Furuo” Sword to extend instantly, though its white blade remained intangible and disappeared upon touching the ground. From a distance, it seemed as though only a white sword stood in front of Liu Yi.

Liu Yi slowly closed his eyes and sent out a trace of his spiritual awareness, guiding it into the infinite depths of the sword’s blade through his vital energy. Sure enough, it was as he had thought—the blade, once it hit the ground, was no longer affected by any external conditions and could be controlled at will by his vital energy.

Suddenly, Liu Yi’s eyes snapped open. He was staring at an ancient tree about thirty feet away. As white light emanated from between his palms, he shouted, “Appear!” Instantly, a white light spiraled upward from the roots of the ancient tree. As the light spiraled, Liu Yi divided his vital energy once more, channeling ten different forces into the sword’s blade. At the same time, those ten forces of varying sizes and speeds caused the white blade to split into ten identical beams of light. Liu Yi was thrilled, but he didn’t stop there.

The white sword blade transformed into ten swords under ten different forces—extending infinitely, winding and intertwining to form a network that encircled the ancient tree. As Liu Yi watched what was happening, he exclaimed, “What a miraculous sword!” He saw him pick up the ‘Furuo’ sword with his right hand and gently insert it into the flute. At the same time, the network of ten white lights surrounding the tree quickly tightened, with the center of convergence being right at the heart of the ancient tree. With several sharp sounds, the tree turned into fragments and fell downward.

As Liu Yi walked toward Tie Shi, he said, “Truly a divine weapon—so powerful. If I pass this sword technique to Ye Luo Baihua, her safety will be better assured. Moreover, this skill doesn’t require rest like magic or martial arts. If one masters its essence, they might be able to create multiple swords at once, extending and spreading infinitely…” In fact, Liu Yi himself didn’t know why he was thinking about Ye Luo Baihua’s safety, but he felt as though she was very lonely and vulnerable.

Although Liu Yi wasn’t tired, having gone through so much in one day, he felt mentally exhausted. He slowly sat on Tie Shi’s shoulder, watching the sun set and the brightest star appear. Shaking his head, he said, “Are these experiences good or bad? What lies ahead?”

In quiet moments, there always seemed to be many things to think about and do. Looking at the bright star in the sky, Liu Yi gently shook his head. He didn’t know what he was thinking randomly. What would happen when the flowers of the other shore bloomed? When the goddess returned to the divine realm, what about him? Would he fall forever like a meteor, until destruction…

With a sigh, overwhelmed by helplessness, he closed his eyes. If even the gods in this world had no love, then what was magic? Since the gods were heartless, it might be better to follow one’s desires as a demon. Perhaps it was all predestined. Although the outcome might be hard to change, the process must be done without regrets. Otherwise, what was the meaning of seven thousand years? How could one seek an ending to three lifetimes of love…