As soon as Yuan Ji had stepped into the blue portal to the next level, he found himself in a dark space.
He was actually quite startled as this was the first time that he had found himself drifting in a dark emptiness of the space.
"Feiyue?"
There was no sight of her.
A soft harmonic voice was soon heard from the surrounding, "Do not be afraid. You are now in the spatial space of the portal. After you have received your reward, you will be sent to the next level."
Yuan Ji laughed weakly, "I've thought that I am dead and that is why I am in a limbo. So this reward is a little special? What happens if I choose the exit portal, will the reward be more inferior?"
The spatial voice: …
"You talk too much."
Yuan Ji: …
All of a sudden there were two glowing lights in front of him, one purple and one white.
"To choose your reward, touch one of the lights in front of you."
Yuan Ji asked, "What if I touch both at the same time?"
The spatial voice: …
"You can only choose one. Stop interrupting…"
"Alright." Yuan Ji replied with a disappointed look.
"Touching the purple light will enhance your ordinary sword to a precious sword, upgrade a precious sword by two minor grades or increase the grade of a divine sword by a minor grade. If you already have a heaven-step divine sword, it will have no effect whatever so. Got it?"
Yuan Ji rubbed his chin as he nodded, "So that means that I will be able to transform my earth-step divine sword to a heaven-step divine sword. This reward is extremely enticing."
"If you touch the white light, you will gain a spirit entity in your soul sea."
"What abilities do this spirit entity has?"
"It is random." The spatial voice said.
"What if it is a weak spirit entity?"
"You can only take a gambit." The spatial voice replied nonchalantly.
"This is too luck dependence." Yuan Ji frowned.
"Make your choice now." The spatial voice urged.
Yuan Ji nodded, "Alright then."
After he had said that, he touched the two glowing lights at once.
The spatial voice: …
"Did I just tell you that you can only touch one of the lights?"
Yuan Ji smiled weakly, "I am just curious to know what happens if I touch both the lights at the same time."
The spatial voice: …
"So, what is going to happen now?" Yuan Ji asked curiously.
"Please make your choices again." The spatial voice appears to be trembling.
"You actually have emotions?" Yuan Ji asked curiously after he had sensed the fluctuations of the spatial voice.
"I have no emotions." The spatial voice firmly said.
"You sound forceful this time." Yuan Ji pointed out.
"Please make your choice now." The spatial voice said.
"Alright, alright. Don't rush me." Yuan Ji grinned as he put his hands on the two lights again.
The spatial voice: …
"You touch the two lights again…"
Yuan Ji nodded, "That's right."
"Why did you do that for?" The spatial voice sounded a little upset now.
"I'm just checking if I may get two rewards by touching the two lights. Maybe there is a secret reward." Yuan Ji explained coolly.
The spatial voice: …
"Did I do anything wrong?" Yuan Ji asked curiously.
The spatial voice: …
The spatial voice: …
The spatial voice: …
"Please make your choice again. If you touch both lights again, you will get nothing and be expelled from the trials." The spatial voice warned with a heavier tone.
Yuan Ji nodded and once again, he moved both his hands toward the light.
But this time the two lights began to move away from him.
"Are you trying to touch both lights again?!" The spatial voice murmured a little louder than usual.
Yuan Ji was startled, "How did you know? Are you a mind reader? Or you can see me?"
The spatial voice: …
"You don't have to touch the lights anymore. Answer me if you want to touch the white light or the purple light?"
Yuan Ji muttered, "Now that is a tough question…"
"You have all the time to think. I don't mind. While in this space, your profound strength will be drained rapidly. If you don't want to die then you can choose to answer me quickly."
Yuan Ji rubbed his chin before he said slowly, "Will you like to be my spirit entity instead? You are a sentient spirit entity am I right?"
The spatial voice: …
The spatial voice: …
The spatial voice: …
"You don't want to upgrade your earth-step divine sword into a heaven-step divine sword? A heaven-step divine sword is a thousand times more precious than an earth-step divine sword and there aren't many in the Celestial Realm. You are making a big mistake."
Yuan Ji grinned, "It seems that you are aware that I have an earth-step divine sword in my spatial ring. You are definitely smarter than my divine sword so therefore I won't be wrong about choosing you to be my spirit entity."
"Who says that I'm going to be your spirit entity? I am giving you a random spirit entity." The spatial voice protested weakly.
Yuan Ji asked curiously, "You are the spirit entity of the Lotus Sword Mansion? Why don't you join me to have a look outside? It will be fun. Didn't you say that I can choose a spirit entity by answering your question? I choose you."
"You are twisting the nature of the trial…"
Yuan Ji looked a little disappointed, "In that case, I won't impose my will on you…"
All of a sudden a beautiful spirit entity in the form of a young maiden had appeared in front of him and she was looking curiously at him.
She had a big eyes with pointed ears, very thin and was dressed in a white sexy linen.
The mono tone had become an alluring voice, "Are you sure that you want to pick me as your spirit entity? I'm completely useless you know."
Yuan Ji was gasping softly at the astonishing beauty of this picturesque spirit entity, "You are really a sentient spirit entity and you can talk."
But he was soon smiling, "I don't think you're completely useless. At least you can talk to me when I'm bored."
The spirit entity: …
But she was soon smiling, "You are really an interesting cultivator. I have never met anyone like you. You must know that I have the powers to cast you out of here. But I like you so I will join you but whether you can become my master is still too early to be determined."
She lifted her fingers and all of a sudden Yuan Ji's divine sword was forcefully pulled out of his spatial ring and it had transformed into a heaven-step divine sword in the next instant!
Yuan Ji was gasping with astonishment, "This is too splendid. I thought that you are my reward? Why are you upgrading my divine sword?"
The spirit entity smiled, "I need a vessel for my spirit entity and a heaven-step divine sword is perfect for me. Moreover..."
She lifted her nose to sniff before continuing, "Moreover, the scent of your divine sword is too heavenly. The former mistress of your divine sword must be a heavenly maiden."
"You can always stay in my soul sea." Yuan Ji pointed out.
"That will be too impure for me." The spirit entity smiled.
Yuan Ji: …
"My soul sea is impure?" Yuan Ji was frowning lightly.
"And your thoughts too." The spirit entity added nonchalantly.
Yuan Ji: …
"This is too personal." Yuan Ji frowned but he was soon smiling, "So what is your name?"
"Fairy Xiang'xiang Li'mu'er."
Yuan Ji frowned, "Your name is a little too long. I shall call you Xiang Li in the future."
"Up to you." Xiang Li giggled before she vanished into the newly formed heaven-step divine sword.
Yuan Ji said to his divine sword with a soft sigh, "Not bad. I got a sentient spirit entity that likes my divine sword better than my soul sea. She is indeed a little useless. She really did not lie to me at all."
Once a cultivator was able to obtain a spirit entity, he would be able to put it into their soul sea. From there they could obtain some of the profound power of their spirit entity.
But of course the added profound power had a price as the spirit entity needed to draw upon the profound strength of the cultivator and that was the main reason why the spirit entity could only dwell in the soul sea of the cultivator.
Without the soul sea of the cultivator to support the spirit entity, it would slowly fade away.
Yuan Ji was aware of this and he could not resist asking Xiang Li, "You can survive on your own without my soul sea?"
Xiang Li giggled softly, "I can't but I can leech off your soul sea if I want to since your soul sea is already opened to me."
Yuan Ji frowned as he rubbed his chin, "Why is that I feel that something is amiss here? She can use my profound strength but I can't use her profound power? This sound like a lame exchange here…"
"I did tell you that I am useless…" Xiang Li giggled. "So are you regretting it now?"
Yuan Ji smiled bitterly, "I only regret teasing you earlier."
All of a sudden there was a bright light and Yuan Ji found himself back to a familiar mountain environment.
Ling Feiyue was standing in front of him and she was smiling with delight, "What take you so long? For a moment I thought that something has happened to you."
Yuan Ji laughed weakly, "Well, almost. So what is your reward?"
Ling Feiyue smiled as she lifted her palm and there was a wisp of white light. "I was given two options. A spirit entity or an opportunity to upgrade my divine sword. Since I've already got a heaven-step divine sword and I have come to the trials to obtain a spirit entity, my choice is naturally the spirit entity."
She giggled softly, "And guess what? I've got a unique spirit entity. This is a sword spirit."
Yuan Ji was startled, "A sword spirit?" He had always dreamed of obtaining a sword spirit but he could only dream of it.
A sword spirit would be most useful to him for reaching a greater enlightenment in his insight with his sword art.
He was a little envious of Ling Feiyue now and muttered, "I wish that this is my reward."
Ling Feiyue smiled gently, "So what is your reward?"
Yuan Ji frowned lightly, "I have the exact reward as you. I choose the spirit entity reward as well."
"Oh? What is the spirit manifestation of your spirit entity? Quick, show it to me."
Yuan Ji took out his new heaven-step divine sword and said awkwardly, "She is inside now."
"Your earth-step divine sword is now a heaven-step divine sword? You have actually chosen the other reward. Why did you say you have chosen the spirit entity as your reward huh?"
Yuan Ji smiled bitterly, "I've actually chosen the spirit entity as my reward but she had upgraded my divine sword instead."
Ling Feiyue: ???
"Xiang Li, why don't you come out to explain? I can't summon you because you are not in my soul sea." Yuan Ji muttered to his divine sword.
No response.
"Can you hear me?"
No response.
Ling Feiyue hummed coldly, "Obviously you have chosen the option to upgrade your divine sword. Your joke isn't funny."
Yuan Ji blinked his eyes as he said awkwardly, "Wait, and hear me out please. Earlier, I was teasing my spirit entity and now she is teasing me back…"
Ling Feiyue turned her back on him, "I don't want to talk to a liar. Go away."
Yuan Ji swung his sword and hit it on the ground, "Come out to explain, will you? You're screwing me now, you know?"
No answer.
Yuan Ji: …
"Alright, you win." Yuan Ji smiled bitterly before he forced himself to say aloud to Ling Feiyue, "Alright, I was only joking earlier. I had actually chosen the option of upgrading my divine sword…"
While he was explaining to Ling Feiyue, he was cursing Xiang Li silently. "My spirit entity is indeed useless…"
Ling Feiyue returned him a gentle smile, "I will forgive you because I know that you're envious of my sword spirit. So let's check the black stele for the final trial now."
Yuan Ji said weakly, "I am indeed envious of your sword spirit..."