The Heavenly Wandering Sword

Chapter 8

True to her word, at the end of the next day there were already workers loading in furniture into his residence. The furniture chosen was very much matching his own personal taste. New paint had already been put on, and he surveyed the place carefully. It needed some work and some items that he had to get, and he went to the Array Formation shop first. Inside were already a small group of people, so Li Jian spent his time casually picking through. The main components he already had, it was something he had always carried in his storage ring. “Honoured customer, is there something that you are looking for?” The shop keep would call out to him. Even the shopkeep was at the Foundation Establishment level, a disciple perhaps of the Formation Association.

“Ah yes I am looking for Sword Flags. Do you have any for sale?” The shopkeep frowned slightly. “Sir, we do indeed have Sword Flags but there is a restriction on their sale. The Formation Association Master will only allow those with a knowledge of swordsmanship to purchase them. Are you perhaps a swordsman?” The shopkeep could not detect any spiritual force or cultivation from Li Jian so he had no real hopes. Li Jian shrugged casually. “I have some knowledge of swords yes. How do I proceed with the test?” The shopkeep bowed. “If the honoured customer will wait for me while I fetch a swordmaster of the association.” A few moments later, the shopkeep came back with a swordsman. “Is this the one? He has no cultivation yet dares to try and purchase sword flags?” The tall man hmphed to himself. Li Jian raised an eyebrow but decided for now to not keep himself low key. He did not need a repeat where he was crippling spirit realm cultivators.

“I am Xin Wuan. I have reached the 5th level of Sword Intent and I am a Level 7 Golden Core. Do you dare proceed with the test?” Li Jian looked at him and sighed slightly. “Very well, what is the test?” Xin Wuan laughed and drew his sword, a long curved sword with a gem in the pommel. “This is a Rank B plus treasure, the Sky Array Sword. I have my own sword spirit. Do you still dare?” Li Jian waved at him casually and sighed. “Yes, I dare. Summon your sword spirit and then we can see.” Xin Wuan laughed and brought the sword up to his face. “Sword spirit, come out!” A flash of light erupted into the form of a swordsman made up of blue light. “This is the Wolf of the North, Bai Lan.” Li Jian looked at the sword spirit and nodded slightly. “Not bad, too bad he is wasted on you. If I defeat you, give me your sword.” Xin Wuan sneered at him. “And why should I do that?” Li Jian went into his storage ring and withdrew one of the swords that he had. It was a dark blue sword that had the words “Lightning Emperor” on the hilt. “This is a Rank A plus sword, the Lightning Emperor sword. This will be my bet.” Xin Wuan looked at the sword and roared. “Looks like junior wishes to gift me today.”

Li Jian looked over at the shopkeep and raised a hand. “I just want to confirm, if I damage the store in our duel will it be held against me?” The shopkeep shook his head. “No no sir, the duel will take place in the sword dueling area outside. If the two will follow me?” He led them through the back to a large courtyard with a dueling arena, a large raised solid stone circular platform surrounded by arrays. The two of them stepped in and Li Jian looked at the array formation deployed. “Not too bad” He thought to himself.

“You still have a chance to surrender, junior.” Xin Wuan said as he summoned his sword spirit again. Li Jian simply shrugged, although he declined to draw a sword. “Then don’t blame me for being impolite.” Xin Wuan launched an attack first, his sword emitting out a large beam of sword intent that he would send down towards Li Jian. “Perhaps I should make this more interesting.” Li Jian murmured to himself and quickly jumped out of the way, moving through quickly with the Divine Sword Steps. It looked as if he appeared suddenly just out of the way of the attack. “We have a quick one here, how quick can you move then, coward?”

This time, Xin Wuan closed in and speared his blade forward, but Li Jian simply caught the tip of his sword with his index and thumb before shoving it aside, tripping his opponent casually and sending him crashing to the floor. “You wish to try and humiliate me? Bai Lan, crush him with your blade!” The Sword spirit made to draw his blade but Li Jian simply looked at him. “Bai Lan, do you dare draw your sword against me?” The blue sword spirit hesitated as if in recognition before bowing down on one knee. “This junior does not dare.” Li Jian nodded and looked back at the now shocked Xin Wuan. “Master Xin, I will spare your life today. I will simply show you what swordsmanship is.”

Li Jian stood back and aiming at the array formation itself, he reached down and picked up the sheath from the stunned Xin Wuan before slicing up in the air. With a loud boom, the array formation was broken casually, and Xin Wuan felt himself unable to move. The shopkeep stood at the side, stunned as the formation created and set down by their master was casually sliced apart with a sword sheath. Taking the Sky Array Sword, he gave a single look towards the blue sword spirit before it quickly retreated back into the sword. He sheathed it and then placed it into his storage ring. “I believe that should suffice as to my qualifications?” The shopkeep nodded sheepishly. “My apologies, please forgive the junior for not recognizing a great master.”

The shopkeep began counting out the sword flags. Sword flags were needed to power sword arrays, and their power depended on the swordsmanship as well as the array knowledge of the user. “That will be 35 thousand spirit stones good senior.” Li Jian nodded and casually withdrew the amount from his storage ring before taking away the 100 sword flags he had purchased. As he was about to leave, a voice boomed from the back. “Who destroyed my array?”

The shopkeep shrank back a bit as the intimidating head of the Array Formation Association stepped down from the ground floor. Li Jian could tell instantly that he was Level 10 of the Nascent Soul realm. That would explain why the formation was not too bad. The shopkeep got on both knees on the floor and kowtowed hurriedly. “Array Master, please forgive this junior. A customer came in who wished to purchase sword flags, and was dueling with Xin Wuan. The array was destroyed in the duel.” The Array Master sighed and shook his head. “Is the customer injured? And how did Xin Wuan destroy the array? Did he break through to another realm already?” The shopkeep shook his head and pointed at Li Jian. “No Master Huang. The customer is right here and has just bought the sword flags. He defeated Xin Wuan and in a single strike destroyed the Master’s array. I saw that the man was indeed qualified to purchase sword flags.”

Huang Wu stroked his beard as he looked at Li Jian. Li Jian bowed politely. “It is an honour to greet you Array Master Huang.” Huang Wu sighed and nodded. “That is acceptable then, after all it is I who set the conditions. I hope you will put the flags to good use.” Li Jian bowed again before leaving. “He is not a simple man. Do not underestimate him.” Huang Wu instructed. The shopkeep bowed. “What do you mean Array Master?” Huang Wu stroked his beard thoughtfully. “I cannot detect any cultivation from him at all, but he has struck down one of my Class A formations with such ease.”

When Li Jian got to his home, it was quiet, thankfully. He whistled and Kon Wang floated out to look around. “Yes Master? Is this your new home? Master is spending those spirit stones like a boss.” The sword spirit was sent flying into a wall with a casual backhand. Kon Wang stood up, his eyes twirling around for a moment before sighing. “What do you wish Master?” Li Jian held up the one hundred sword flags and set them on the ground and looked at him. Kon Wang bowed his head. “Kon Kon will install them.”

A few moments later, all one hundred were set up in a carefully practiced array and Li Jian headed to the center of the place, a pagoda set up in a large garden with ponds and various spiritual plants that Lady Bai had thoughtfully ordered to be planted. From his storage ring, he summoned all 13 of the swords that he had stored there. In a single gesture, all 13 swords were set up in a circle with the Golden blade in the middle. With a wave of his fingers, he summoned all 13 Sword Spirits. “Heed my command. The Divine Sword Array, create for me Unlimited Swords.”

The formation activated, invisible to those without cultivation but for those with cultivation, there would be a sudden flash of golden light until a large sphere covered the entire property. On the golden sword that he had taken from the Golden Temple disciple, he bit a finger and dripped his blood onto the handle. “Take my blood and heed my call. Within this formation sword is law.” He completed the last of the chant, as each of the 13 Sword Spirits erupted in a flash of power. “Jing Jian will be your Captain. This place you will defend. Jing Jian, prepare to take my orders.” The Golden Swordsman kneeled on one knee. “Those who come to this place with ill will or intent, capture all. Killing is done on my command only.” The Golden Swordsman bowed his head. “The 13 Swords heed your command.”