Volume One, Chapter One: The Awakening of the Sword Spirit

“What am I...?”
“Transmigrated?”

Amid the surrounding clamor, Ye Wuchen slowly opened his eyes, a flicker of confusion passing through his gaze as he glanced around. His entire being felt somewhat dazed.

At that moment, a surge of memories flooded his mind like a tidal wave.

He was a transmigrator. While walking down the street, a massive truck had come hurtling toward him, colliding with both his body and soul, sending him crashing into the heavens.

When he woke again, he found himself in a world teeming with demons and monsters, a forbidden land filled with countless dangers, and a chaotic era dominated by the Great Saint Body and frenzied sword spirits.

In this realm, every person is born with their own sword spirit. After reaching the tenth stage of Qi condensation, each youth at the age of sixteen gains the chance to awaken a sword.

Among them, a rare few can cultivate their sword spirits, forming a profession known as Sword Spirit Masters.

The most prestigious vocation on the continent is that of the Sword Spirit Master.

A hundred years ago, a legendary Sword Saint emerged from the Sword Soul Sect—he was a Sword Spirit Master, and the title of Sword Saint was the highest honor given to masters who achieved great accomplishments.

Thus, a sword spirit defines everyone’s destiny. Awakening a useless sword spirit condemns one to a life without hope or glory.

However, it seemed the truck accident had gone a bit too far, bringing Ye Wuchen two pieces of news—both good and bad.

The first piece of good news: he had been reborn.

The bad news: he hadn’t been reborn as a human, but rather as a sword—a thoroughly useless black iron sword!

Was this not a hellish beginning?

Was he doomed to a lifetime of uselessness just because he transmigrated?

“System? Are you connected yet?”

“Come out and help me!”

Finally, Ye Wuchen’s voice triggered the system to come online.

[Beep! Host detected transmigration to the Sword Spirit Continent. The Ten Thousand Swords System is activating...]
[Host detected rebirth as a sword spirit!]

...

Through the system’s introduction, Ye Wuchen finally understood what the system was.

It was a Master Recognition System.

Of course, this so-called sword master was not exclusive; he could change to a more powerful master at any time, which was a form of compensation granted by the Ten Thousand Swords System.

He opened his status panel.

Name: Ye Wuchen (Sword Spirit)
Sword Name: Nameless Broken Sword
Grade: Spiritual Artifact (Low Grade)
Sword Skill: None

The system’s description was even cleaner than the rust on Ye Wuchen’s sword body.

On the Sword Spirit Continent, treasures are ranked into five grades: Imperial Artifact, Sacred Artifact, Divine Artifact, Immortal Artifact, and Spiritual Artifact. Each grade is further divided into five sub-levels: Heaven, Earth, Extreme, Upper, and Lower. Ye Wuchen’s sword was a Spiritual Artifact! Low Grade!

---

There was one more piece of good news: along with his rebirth, he had obtained the Ten Thousand Swords System, which allowed him to select a sword master and absorb their blood energy to strengthen himself.

Blood energy refers to the intangible essence of cultivators—their spirit, realm, and innate talent. When a sword master’s blood energy reaches its peak, they become the strongest. Simply put, the greater one’s heart and ambition, the greater the world they command.

Every time the sword master breaks through a stage, their form grows stronger, and powerful sword skills can be unlocked.

It wasn’t just about becoming stronger.

If the sword master was powerful enough, Ye Wuchen could even absorb their strength and remold his own body.

...

As Ye Wuchen gathered his thoughts, the scene before him shifted. A young girl knelt in front of him.

“Sword Spirit: Ordinary rusty black sword, Sword Intent Level One!”

Seeing the dazzling line of text floating before her, Yao Xi was struck as if by lightning, frozen in place with disbelief written all over her face.

“How is this possible? No way!”

Instinctively, she hurriedly examined the sword spirit inside her Dan Sea, utterly stunned.

It was a broken shard of iron, as ugly as could be—covered in rust and corrosion, nearly rotten away.

Only after careful observation could one tell it was a sword; the ornamental fittings on the hilt had decayed, leaving only the sword’s core.

Could this be the result of losing her Dao Fruit in her previous life?

Yao Xi’s watery eyes were filled with unwillingness.

But what use was unwillingness? Sword spirits were innate, immutable by anyone.

“Yao Xi, sword spirit: worthless rusty black sword, innate Sword Intent Level One, suitable development path: none.”

At that moment, the elder on the Awakening Platform finished reading aloud.

The sword spirit awakening ceremony was officially over.

“Hey, the legendary rusty black sword?”

“Sounds like the most useless sword spirit.”

Luo Qinghan heard the elder’s announcement from the Sword Soul Sect and turned to mock Yao Xi mercilessly.

Yao Xi was usually aloof and disdainful toward others; now that there was a chance to ridicule her, Luo Qinghan wouldn’t let it pass.

“A useless sword. Seems like it’s truly worthless.”

Scoffs and sneers echoed around, following Luo Qinghan’s lead.

“The Sword Soul Sect never trains useless sword spirits, you know.”

“I told you, looking pretty isn’t enough. When it counts, only strength matters.”

The disdainful laughter and pitying sighs stabbed Yao Xi’s heart like sharp thorns, making her breath slightly uneven as she stood frozen, like a wooden stake.

Yao Xi slowly lifted her head, looking somewhat lost.

One had to admit, Yao Xi was truly a rare beauty.

Her skin was like congealed cream, eyebrows curved like a crescent moon, eyes shimmering like the Milky Way. With a slight frown, her face was as white and delicate as a daffodil—elegant and refined. Yet the self-mocking smile at the corner of her lips hinted at a bitter sorrow within.

The inner disciples of the Sword Soul Sect glanced indifferently at Yao Xi, joining in the verbal assault.

One sneered, “Looks like this girl is destined to be a stranger to our Sword Soul Sect. Didn’t someone named Luo Qinghan just awaken a top-tier sword spirit, the Seven Killing Sword? The difference is like heaven and earth. Maybe that’s fate.”

The strong never mind the weak.

---

So beautiful, yet what of it?

A pity.

Mortals are still mortals.

A hundred years later, even the most beautiful will be but a handful of dust.

Moreover, Yao Xi’s personality had always been proud and aloof, her maturity making her seem out of place among the youth.

She had never attracted much attention.

Hearing their mockery, Yao Xi clenched her fists tighter until her knuckles turned white. One must remember—she was the reincarnation of an Empress.

When had these insignificant ants ever been qualified to criticize her? Yet as the saying goes, a drowning phoenix is no better than a chicken.

Though their words stung, the truth was undeniable.

Was she doomed to never exact revenge in this life? Was she fated to live as an ordinary person?

Was this her destiny?

Yet Yao Xi was not one to believe in fate.

On the Sword Spirit Continent, cultivators’ realms are divided into three realms: Heaven, Earth, and Human.

Heaven Realm: Sword Immortal, Sword Emperor, Sword Sovereign.
Earth Realm: Sword Saint, Sword God.
Human Realm: Qi Condensation, Sword Adept, Sword Master, Great Sword Master, Sword Sect, Sword Lord, Sword King—with each level further divided into ten stages.

“...”

“Empress, a worthless waste?”

Upon discerning the sword master’s past, Ye Wuchen was stunned.

He suddenly looked up and could not look away.

Her delicate oval face, flawless features.

Eyes like autumn waters, eyebrows like distant ink.

Silky black hair cascaded like a waterfall, her beautiful face shining like jade.

What a striking young lady.

Ye Wuchen marveled!

Just lacking a bit of mature charm.

“Huh? Why do I feel like she wants to kill me?”

Seeing Yao Xi coldly glaring at him, Ye Wuchen’s heart trembled.

As all the memories flooded back, he finally understood the whole story.

Ye Wuchen could clearly sense her thoughts, as if she had the urge to immediately absorb him.

He understood perfectly—who wouldn’t be furious if a former Empress awakened such a worthless sword spirit?