"What is a sword?"

This abrupt question was like a cold wind circulating in the cave, slowly fading away after a moment.

Upon hearing this question, even though Du Fei had anticipated various possibilities, he was momentarily stunned. After a brief pause, he frowned and said, "Senior, did you mean?"

"Don't you understand me? This is the test you need to take. If you can tell me what is a sword, then the Qiankun Pill Sword will be yours," the massive shadow responded indifferently.

"I see. What is a sword?" Du Fei pondered for a moment before looking up and stating firmly, "Senior, what you're asking isn't as simple, right? You're asking about the sword spirit, aren't you?"

There was a brief silence in the hollow cave, after which the vast shadow laughed heartily, saying, "Very good, you've discerned that point. Indeed, what I want to know is, what is a sword spirit? Based on everything you've observed and experienced in this scroll space, tell me, what is a sword spirit?"

Hearing this, Du Fei remained silent for a while, then said in a deep voice, "The so-called sword spirit is about being unstoppable, it's about the overwhelming urge to kill. With a sword in hand, there is no turning back; one can only move forward."

"Oh? Quite interesting..." The massive shadow seemed to pause for a moment, then said lightly, "Being able to understand this suggests you've experienced quite a lot. You're right. The essence of sword spirit is indeed the intent to kill. With a sword in hand, everything in the world can be slain. In this world, it's the survival of the fittest, where the strong are revered. If you have a sword but lack the sword spirit, even with a blade, you'd be nothing. But if you don't have a sword yet possess the sword spirit, even if you're unarmed, you can still become a formidable force."

"Thank you for the guidance, Senior." After reflecting on these words for a moment and realizing their profound truth, Du Fei gave a respectful bow.

"You don't have to thank me. You probably understand these things better than I do... With your temperament, if the Qiankun Pill Sword falls into your hands, it won't be a waste. After all, I've waited for so many years. If I can find someone satisfactory. Forget it, this is yours now!" As the voice fell, the massive shadow seemed to wave its hand. Suddenly, the light sword on the altar floated up and, before Du Fei could react, it quickly darted to him, swiftly entering his forehead.

The moment the light sword entered his forehead, Du Fei felt as if an endless stream of information rapidly emerged in his mind. Not only were there cultivation methods for the Qiankun Pill Sword, but also various experiences on its applications.

"Whew—"

When he opened his eyes again, Du Fei was back in the pill room. The invaluable scroll had turned to dust, scattered on the ground. However, at this moment, Du Fei had already fully cultivated the Qiankun Pill Sword.

Squinting and looking around, Du Fei pondered for a moment before realizing that, although it felt like he'd been inside the scroll's space for years, only a few hours had passed.

He was fortunate to have successfully cultivated the Qiankun Pill Sword. If his luck had been slightly worse, he might have met the same fate as those countless corpses inside, ending up dead and dismembered.

"I wonder how Little Bai is doing." Slowly standing up, Du Fei walked to the pill room's entrance and looked out, only to see countless Yan Sect Pills rapidly circling and entering a huge blue light sphere in the courtyard's center. Within the sphere, there were strong fluctuations continuously emanating.

"Hasn't it been refined successfully yet?" Seeing this, Du Fei slightly furrowed his brows. However, he didn't say much and returned to the pill room, sitting down cross-legged. In the next instant, his consciousness re-entered the cultivation space.

At this moment, in the cultivation space, the previously dim light had completely disappeared. In its place was an area resembling a vast room. In the center of the room, more luminous points had appeared above a floating black sphere. Below the sphere, Little Bai's figure was nowhere to be seen, presumably having gone to the outside world.

Walking leisurely to the room's window, Du Fei noticed that the once eerie scenery outside had now become indistinguishable from the real world. Furthermore, sounds of birds and other creatures could be faintly heard in the distance.

Du Fei frequently visited this cultivation space. Thus, the massive change left him momentarily stunned. After catching his breath, he realized that Little Bai must have successfully acquired the system fragment.

However, with Little Bai absent, even Du Fei was clueless about the additional functionalities that the system might now offer.

"Never mind that for now. I should familiarize myself with the Qiankun Pill Sword. At least, I don't need to waste pills in here." Du Fei muttered, chuckling lightly. With a light step, he effortlessly levitated, with his hand seals rapidly shifting, and immediately, powerful fluctuations began emanating from him.

...

Time gradually passed, and within the courtyard where Du Fei resided, the radiance emanating from the pale blue orb grew richer. By the morning of the third day, the orb suddenly expanded and unleashed a dazzling brilliance.

From within it, Little Bai's figure abruptly shot out. Holding nothing in its hands, its face bore a smug grin as it triumphantly roared with laughter, "I, Little Bai, am indeed a genius! Who would've thought I'd successfully refine it like this!"

Sensing Little Bai's boisterous laughter, the Little Tiger, previously resting atop the roof, rose and growled in annoyance.

"Was it a success?" From within the pill room, Du Fei, who had been meditating, emerged. His gaze swiftly fell upon the floating space where the pale blue orb had been. It had slowly dissipated, leaving nothing behind. Shortly after, the Ancient Demon Tiger's remains plummeted from the sky. However, upon closer inspection, the Tiger Demon Bone on its forehead had vanished.

"Congratulations, Master! It seems you've successfully cultivated the Qiankun Pill Sword!" Upon seeing Du Fei emerge, Little Bai, who had been laughing uproariously in mid-air, paused momentarily, a hint of embarrassment evident on its face. Still, it quickly descended and smiled at Du Fei.

"It's mostly thanks to the cultivation space, I suppose." Du Fei nodded and then asked, "By the way, after you absorbed that system fragment, were there any changes to the system?"

"Well," Little Bai scratched its head, "For now, I only know that the system seems to have been almost half repaired. As for any new functionalities, I'll need to study it further to find out. But there's no rush. At least the system won't screw us over."

Hearing this, Du Fei rolled his eyes. When had this troublesome system ever not been a hassle?

Nevertheless, he understood Little Bai's point. He smiled and said, "Alright, didn't you say you succeeded earlier? After using up all my resources, what did you manage? If you disappoint me, well."

In response, Little Bai smirked disdainfully. With a flick of its mouth, a pale blue light swiftly emerged, transforming into a light blue dagger about the length of a human forearm floating in mid-air.

"What is this?"

Du Fei gazed at the suspended dagger, slightly furrowing his brows. The object looked like a dagger, but its blade seemed strangely twisted, somewhat resembling a snake's tongue. To call it a dagger seemed a bit of a stretch. Still, when his eyes settled upon it, Du Fei couldn't help but tense up, sensing an incredibly chilling and dangerous aura emanating from it.

At this moment, he didn't doubt the immense value of the object. Compared to it, his Canglong Reverse Claw Seal seemed mundane.

"Is this the True Martial Talisman?" Du Fei hesitated for a moment before venturing a guess.

"In your dreams!" Little Bai shot him a contemptuous look, exclaiming with a hint of annoyance, "True Martial Talisman? Do you think we're talking about a legendary artifact? Even those so-called superpowers in the Xuanwu Continent, the Xuan Sect, might not possess such a thing. Do you think I, with my current abilities, could produce a True Martial Talisman?"

"In that case, could it be a fourth-ranked talisman treasure?" Du Fei, although somewhat disappointed, still asked with a hint of excitement.

"How could that be possible!" Little Bai snorted, replying nonchalantly, "It's merely a sixth-ranked talisman treasure."

"A sixth-ranked martial talisman?" Hearing this, Du Fei slightly frowned and responded, "That's still decent. But it doesn't seem right. My Canglong Reverse Claw Seal is already a fifth-ranked talisman. The aura I feel from this thing seems even stronger than the Canglong Reverse Claw Seal. How is it only a sixth-rank?"

Little Bai chuckled lightly and said, "Something made by me, Little Bai, is naturally not comparable to generic items like the Canglong Reverse Claw Seal! Things like the Canglong Reverse Claw Seal are often heirlooms passed down in sects. Who knows how many hands it passed through to reach its current form! Those who refined it had different levels, different cultivation methods, and different Qi attributes. It's a wonder it was successfully crafted amidst such chaos. But such a product is impure, and while it might seem powerful, it may not be as potent as mine! My creation drew upon your Universal Ice Demonic Qi, the Qi from the Ice Lotus Pill, and a significant amount of Yan Sect's Qi. Even if its rank is lower than the Canglong Reverse Claw Seal, its creation was seamless, making it unparalleled in sharpness. Most importantly, it's crafted from your Qi, which means once you refine it, it becomes your life force martial talisman! You can unleash its full power, and given the right circumstances, it can even evolve!"

"Martial talismans can evolve?" Du Fei exclaimed in surprise.

"Of course! Even those legendary True Martial Talismans started as basic nine-ranked talismans and evolved. At most, they were initially refined to the level of talisman treasures. To reach the level of True Martial Talisman, it's all about opportunities and evolution. But it's a complex process, so don't overthink it. All you need to understand is that once you've refined this thing, its power might surpass the Canglong Reverse Claw Seal by a significant margin," Little Bai replied nonchalantly, flicking its hand with a look of indifference.

"More powerful than the Canglong Reverse Claw Seal?" Du Fei paused to consider this revelation. After a moment of contemplation, he slowly reached out and grasped the dagger in his hand.

The moment he held it, a bone-chilling cold permeated his skin, as if he was holding a block of solid ice, causing an involuntary shiver. Yet, Du Fei didn't release it. His eyes burned with intensity as he murmured, "What is this thing?"