In an instant, the world before "Zhou Ziyin’s" eyes disintegrated, turning into black and white.

When he opened his eyes again, the scene drastically changed.

"..."

The Sect gate.

The sky-high demonic clouds submerged the last sliver of light, and demonic flames surged, spreading as the floating islands of the Sect crashed down.

Zhou Ziyin’s body swayed, blood dripping. He no longer had the Spiritual Qi to wield the ancient sword, so he could only hold it in his hand.

With a thud, he collapsed onto the ground.

"One hundred and eight Immortals of the Central Domain, the Evil-Suppressing Sword Immortal..."

That demonic Cultivator walked step by step, treading on the corpses of his fellow disciples, all the way here.

"Truly formidable, to be able to fight until this moment..."

The demonic Cultivator casually crushed the head of a Cultivator on the ground, looking at him mockingly: "Do you know? What I like most is killing you Sword Cultivators..."

He seemed to want to have a good chat with Zhou Ziyin.

"Trampling your so-called Dao Heart and Sword Intent underfoot, watching your expressions of despair..."

"..."

Zhou Ziyin sat withered on the ground, the ancient sword stuck beside him.

Just like hundreds of years ago, outside Xianyang Village, on the Tomb of Three Evils.

"Hmph, utterly boring."

The demonic Cultivator snorted coldly.

"Die!"

The dark flame wave swept over, and no miracle occurred.

Zhou Ziyin, died and his Dao dissipated.

"Tsk."

The demonic Cultivator sneered.

"What Central Domain Genius, what Immortal Dao Prodigy. Under my Dao, aren’t they just lambs to be slaughtered..."

"Hmm?"

The demonic Cultivator’s expression shifted, and he looked towards the cliff.

Zhou Ziyin’s corpse was annihilated, but that ancient sword still stood in its original place.

The flame wave dispersed, and the sword body was as pristine white as new.

"..."

The demonic Cultivator gritted his teeth: "These Natal Flying Swords are as stubborn and unyielding as those Sword Cultivators!"

"Very well."

The flame wave swept over again.

"Let your Sword Spirit Intent, under the demonic flames, suffer torment for all eternity..."

"Suffer torment!"

Overwhelming demonic intent, assailed him head-on!

Boom!!!

...The surging flame wave swept through Song Yan’s eyes.

A jolt of alarm, he came back to his senses, finding himself still in the Liangyi Realm in the form of Divine Sense.

The clamor and noise were gone, replaced by a profound silence... "...Hoo."

What was that just now... The jumbled thoughts and memories slowly began to clear.

"..."

He seemed to have had a long dream, in which he was a Cultivator named Zhou Ziyin.

From a mundane village to stepping into the Cultivation world, and finally being cruelly annihilated by the Demonic Sect... Everything else was hazy, like waking from a dream, but the memories of a prodigal’s return and the Sect’s destruction were quite clear.

At that time, facing the demonic Cultivator’s heaven-shaking magical power was truly like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

He lowered his head and looked at the sword in his hand.

"How many years have passed..."

"...since that era?"

After Senior Zhou Ziyin’s death, his Sword Dao Will and Dao Heart still remained within this sword.

However, they were engulfed by that demonic Cultivator’s overwhelming demonic flames, refined day and night, until today... The Spirit Intent within had long been obliterated.

What was surprising was that the sword’s body showed no signs of wear... He wondered what it was made of.

This question, even if posed to Senior Zhou Ziyin from back then, he probably wouldn’t be able to answer.

After all, he obtained it from the belly of that evil dragon.

Just as Song Yan was pondering, a wisp of milky-white spiritual light suddenly drifted slowly out from the sword, gently circling the sword body.

Then came the second wisp.

The third wisp... Wisps of spiritual light floated, circling above the Sword Dao Seed, and then, led by one particular wisp, merged into it together.

"Om—"

The phantom of the Dao Seed seemed to become more solid and fuller.

Song Yan was startled.

"Immaterial Spirit Intent!"

Both the Sword Planting Technique and the Spirit Transformation Chapter general outline mentioned that as a Natal Flying Sword gradually takes shape and perfects, it will raise the grade of the Sword Dao Seed.

At its core, this is still the growth and improvement of the Heart of Seeking Dao and Sword Dao Will.

Therefore, besides this, there is also an unconventional method to strengthen the Dao Seed.

That is Immaterial Spirit Intent.

Immaterial Spirit Intent is usually only obtained when powerful Senior Cultivators among Sword Cultivators, wishing to guide their juniors, would separate an unformed Spirit Intent from their own Natal Flying Sword, polish it, integrate it into a spiritual object, and gift it to a junior.

However, the text did not mention that it could also be obtained from a Flying Sword left behind by a Senior... "Could it be the effect of the liangyi pearl?"

Song Yan frowned, realizing that this matter was not so simple.

A bold conjecture and idea, from this moment on, planted a seed in his heart.

"However, for now, it’s more important to refine the Flying Sword..."

Pulling himself away from his wandering thoughts, and calming down for a moment, Song Yan left the Liangyi Realm.

Taking out the Flying Sword from the liangyi pearl, there was no hindrance.

If it were an ordinary Cultivator, refining a Flying Sword would require infusing Spiritual Qi to activate the magical incantation.

But Song Yan wasn’t going to use it as an ordinary Flying Sword; instead... he was going to use it as the sword body for his future Natal Flying Sword!

Therefore, he drew wisps of Dao Seed Sword Qi from the Zhen Dao Sword Mansion and slowly infused them into the sword.

Right... Speaking of which, after this sword was obtained by the demonic Cultivator, it was called "Heart Demon."

But now, those overwhelming demonic flames have been dissipated by the liangyi pearl, so calling it by that name is no longer appropriate. However, that memory also did not mention what name Senior Zhou Ziyin gave this sword... "Evil-Suppressing Sword Immortal..."

Song Yan suddenly shook his head slightly, sighing softly.

"Before, you eradicated demons and suppressed evil, but in the end, you suffered a thousand years of scorching refinement, and your Spirit Intent dissipated."

"Now that you are with me, don’t carry such a heavy burden anymore."

"As for correcting and saving the world, there are naturally profound Dao experts to figure out solutions..."

"I’ll be an ordinary Cultivator, and you’ll be an ordinary Flying Sword. You and I will be unrestrained, observing all phenomena in the world, free and unfettered between heaven and earth."

"I only seek clarity of mind and smooth Spirit Intent."

As Song Yan thought of this, his eyes were clear, and he looked at the Flying Sword in his hand, feeling an inexplicable fondness for it.

"How can one have no ambition for eternal life, yet be constrained and unfree..."

He murmured, a nameless poem he had heard somewhere.

"One day returning to Weishang, floating like..."

Let’s call it... "’Unmoored Boat.’"

...The refinement did not take much time; it was completed in two and a half days.

Song Yan wielded Spiritual Qi, as easily as moving an arm.

It was his first time refining a Flying Sword with Sword Qi, and the feeling was quite marvelous.

Compared to Spiritual Qi refinement, the current "Unmoored Boat" was noticeably more agile than the Qingmu Gengjin Flying Sword he had received from the Sect before.

"Hmm..."

As a Medium Grade Spiritual Artifact, its grade was even sufficient for Song Yan to pass through the entire Qi Refinement Stage.

Furthermore, as the sword body for his future Natal Flying Sword, it still had room for improvement in grade, making its future promising.

After a brief practice of Sword Manipulation techniques, Song Yan returned to his Immortal Cave.

In the following days, he Cultivated and breathed as usual, but was surprised to find that not only had his Cultivation improved slightly, but even the speed at which he absorbed Spiritual Qi had increased significantly.

"This Immaterial Spirit Intent raising the Dao Seed’s grade is truly effective immediately..."

At this rate, he would only need about three months to begin his Breakthrough to Qi Refining Stage 6.

The first six stages of Qi Refinement, the early and Middle Stage, had no Bottlenecks to speak of.

As long as one’s talent was sufficient and one Cultivated daily to accumulate Spiritual Qi, it was merely a matter of course.

It was only in the Late Stage of Qi Refinement that progress truly became arduous.

In the following days, Song Yan diligently Cultivated and breathed, wielded his Flying Sword, and practiced Sword Manipulation techniques.

Occasionally, he would also think of that Senior named Zhou Ziyin.

His story, if adapted into a play, taken to a mundane theater, or to a storyteller, would surely be a huge success.

It might even be passed down through the ages.

But Song Yan was an ordinary person—he always believed that.

Indeed, Senior Zhou’s sudden repentance was precious.

However, Song Yan thought of his past misdeeds in the village, and the families he had bullied and ruined, and he no longer felt much about it.

Later, this Senior became a righteous hero, suppressing evil and punishing wickedness, which was indeed worthy of admiration and reverence... Speaking of which... Where did the demonic flames dissipated by the liangyi pearl and the nascent Dao Heart go?

Did they turn into the black color within the Liangyi Realm... Or were they truly dissolved by this miraculous pearl?

Song Yan did not know.