Chapter 53 | The System Said I'd Die, So I Pulled a Ten-Draw Instead

Yun Heng took a deep breath and tightened her grip on the sword hilt, quickening her previously cautious footsteps.

An undeniable wave of excitement showed on her face, yet her gaze remained firm.

After descending the stone steps for roughly the time it takes an incense stick to burn, the passage ahead finally ceased to be narrow.

An extraordinarily vast subterranean cavern appeared before Yun Heng. The ceiling of the cavern was immensely high, and its edges were completely swallowed by darkness.

The spiritual glow from Yun Heng’s palm could only illuminate a small area around her, making it impossible to gauge just how massive the cavern truly was.

Deep within the cavern, something was emanating a cyan-white glow.

The light stood out conspicuously in the dark, meandering onward until it stretched beyond the reach of her sight.

The surrounding spiritual energy, dense enough to nearly materialize, was constantly emanating from that very source.

Gripping the Tianheng Broken Sword tightly, Yun Heng approached with caution.

As she drew closer, the true form of the cyan-white glowing object gradually revealed itself.

Once Yun Heng saw it clearly, her steps came to a sudden halt.

Her eyes widened in complete disbelief.

“This...”

“Is this... a spirit vein?!”

Looking at the cyan-white glowing spirit vein ahead, Yun Heng could not conceal the pleasant surprise in her eyes.

At present, she could only see a small exposed section of the spirit vein.

As for how long this spirit vein was or what grade it belonged to, she was momentarily unable to judge.

Yet simply standing here, Yun Heng could feel spiritual energy surging toward her from every direction.

The spiritual energy here was so dense it had almost condensed into physical form.

Cultivating here for a single day would likely yield results equivalent to several days in the outside world—and that was without any Spirit-Gathering Array gathering the vein's power.

If she could move this spirit vein into the shattered realm...

Not only would it supply power for cultivation, but it could also nourish the Spirit Fields and spiritual herbs.

The more Yun Heng thought about it, the more tempting it became, and the corners of her mouth curved upward.

Once this thought took root, she could no longer suppress it.

With such a grand treasure sitting right before her eyes, wouldn't it be a terrible waste to take a few glances and just walk away?

Besides, the treasures inside the Qingming Secret Realm were masterless to begin with; whoever found them first claimed the opportunity.

Yun Heng swiftly made up her mind: she had to find a way to take this spirit vein with her.

Just as she began pondering how to excavate the spirit vein, the Tianheng Broken Sword at her waist suddenly vibrated violently.

Yun Heng's expression shifted, and she immediately looked down.

The vibration of the Tianheng Broken Sword grew increasingly intense. The scabbard and blade clattered together, emitting a rapid, buzzing hum.

“What's happening?”

Just as Yun Heng reached out to secure the hilt, the Tianheng Broken Sword suddenly broke free from its scabbard.

Completely beyond her control, the broken sword turned into a beam of light and shot away from her waist.

Startled, Yun Heng instinctively reached out, but grabbed only empty air. Looking up, she saw the broken sword flying toward the ceiling of the cavern.

She immediately activated the Void-Stepping Movement Technique, lightly tapping her toes against the ground to spring into the air.

The Tianheng Broken Sword was blazingly fast. Within just a few breaths, it had reached the cavern ceiling.

Clang!

Accompanied by a crisp, resonant sword chime, the broken sword thrust straight into the stone wall above.

The blade continued to vibrate, sending ripples of spiritual energy expanding outward in every direction, as if resonating with something nearby.

Yun Heng followed closely behind, arriving at the cavern ceiling.

She did not pull the Tianheng Broken Sword out right away. Since the sword had flown here on its own, there might be something nearby drawing it in.

The rocks at the top of the cavern were dark gray, their surfaces covered in fine cracks.

Aside from the spot where the Tianheng Broken Sword was embedded, nothing else appeared out of the ordinary.

Yun Heng patiently searched around, finally spotting a faint glimmer not far from the broken sword.

The light was hidden within a crack in the rock. Had the sword's vibrations not shaken loose the surrounding rubble, she would never have noticed it.

Yun Heng moved closer to the crevice and brushed aside the outer gravel.

An object emanating a cyan-white light gradually revealed itself. Most of it was embedded inside the stone wall, exposing only a corner smaller than a palm.

Yun Heng grabbed the exposed corner and pried outward with force.

A fracturing sound echoed from the stone wall.

After several attempts, she finally extracted the item intact from the crevice.

The moment it fell into Yun Heng's hand, a System prompt suddenly rang out.

[Congratulations to the host for finding the material to repair the Tianheng Broken Sword: Azure Sword Marrow.]

[Azure Sword Marrow: High-grade sword Dao spiritual material. Born in places where spirit veins converge, it requires tens of thousands of years of spiritual energy nourishment to condense into shape. Can repair damaged sword bodies, nourish sword spirits, and enhance a spiritual sword's capacity to hold sword intent and spiritual power.]

Surprise flitted through Yun Heng's eyes.

So this was the material capable of repairing the Tianheng Broken Sword.

She lowered her head to inspect the Azure Sword Marrow in her hands closely.

The Azure Sword Marrow was about half a foot long with an irregular shape, resembling a naturally formed crystal.

It was semi-translucent cyan-white throughout, with countless tiny silver flecks flowing slowly within. Merely holding it in her hand, Yun Heng could feel a sharp, piercing aura.

Embedded in the stone wall, the Tianheng Broken Sword seemed to sense its presence and vibrated even more violently.

Yun Heng was overjoyed.

The Event Card was indeed correct. With this piece of Azure Sword Marrow, the Tianheng Broken Sword could finally be restored.

Holding the Azure Sword Marrow with one hand, she gripped the hilt of the broken sword with the other and pulled it out from the wall.

Yun Heng descended back to the ground carrying the broken sword and the Azure Sword Marrow. After verifying there was nothing else overlooked nearby, she focused her mind and vanished into the shattered realm.

The scenery before her shifted rapidly.

She arrived near the Large Refining Workshop, from which the continuous sound of clanging metal echoed.

Xuan Zheng was standing before a refining furnace, guiding several Grade Two Refiners on how to process materials.

Sensing Yun Heng's aura, he immediately stopped what he was doing and stepped out hurriedly.

“Young Lord.”

Just as Xuan Zheng was about to bow, Yun Heng handed both the Tianheng Broken Sword and the Azure Sword Marrow to him.

“Can you repair this?”

Xuan Zheng first took the Tianheng Broken Sword, then looked at the cyan-white glowing Azure Sword Marrow.

When he saw the material clearly, his eyes widened slightly.

As a Grade Ten Refiner, he naturally knew how extraordinarily precious Azure Sword Marrow was.

For sword cultivators, such a material was virtually impossible to come by.

Azure Sword Marrow required tens of thousands of years of nourishment in a place where sword Qi and spiritual energy converged in extreme density to form.

It could not only repair a broken sword, but also re-nourish damaged sword intent. If used properly, the restored spiritual sword's grade might even exceed its former level.