"So… you can speak," I said, stunned and feeling slightly awkward at talking to a piece of metal.
I received a reply, which was both expected and unexpected.
"Yes."
"But, you're a sword."
"Yes.
"How is that possible…" I asked.
"I'm not just a sword, I'm a Sword Spirit. Beings like us, gain sentience after living long enough, you just weren't strong enough to listen to my words."
"Huh… seems pretty interesting, I guess you can help in the upcoming fight then." I said.
"I'll be of use to you until I no longer am. It is my promise to the Poison God." The sword spoke.
"So you know the poison god?" I asked.
"I am one of many of his creations…"
I thought for a moment before I said, "How is that even possible, I found you in a random hut in a long forgotten weapon storage of a pretty common sect. You weren't that special, how come you say you belong to the Poison God."
"Who said that it was you who found me, and not the other way around." The sword replied.
This left me unable to come up with a comeback, I mean fate and all that random crap is something I don't wanna think about because it'll only give me headaches that I can't afford to try and justify or analyze using logic. So I just dropped the subject.
"How do you function?" I asked, since it was the first time I was able to see Creeping Demise elongate.
"I eat Qi from my user and from whoever I wound. This allows me to increase my length, I could also have multiple blades at once."
'I remember the fight between the Poison God and Zhang Tian, the poison god used a sword that had nine heads…'
"Do you have a name?" I asked
"My name is the name you've given me. If you wish to know more, you can see your book. The Poison God had made sure to scribe everything of value for his next successor."
'Right, I haven't checked the poison god's book since I became a Nascent Soul cultivator. What will it have for me this time,'
Just as I was about to pull the book, divine sense came rushing towards me as many, many cultivators came to check up on what happened after Heaven's Gate disappeared.
"Shen Bao," spoke one of them.
'Seems like my identity was revealed. Well, no use to hide it anyway.'
I stood up and looked at the people coming my way.
There were many of them, and the majority were in the Nascent Soul cultivation stage.
The man who spoke up was someone I didn't know, but he seems to have prior knowledge of who I am.
"Congratulation on your ascension to the Nascent Soul stage, but can I ask you for a moment of your time," the cultivator asked.
"Ah, I bet young brother Shen Bao is already too tired from the tribulation, I'll have to be the one to invite him over." Another person said who seemed to be on a higher cultivation base than the first.
More people began introducing themselves and inviting me over, and I only understood why after a divine sense message came from the Black Tower's guard to inform me, that every single one of these cultivators wants to know what happened when the Heaven Gate opened up.
"Hold it, fellow cultivators, I have some matters to discuss, as for what happened when the heaven's gate opened up, I can discuss it with you all once I've finished up with a small problem I'm facing right now."
"If brother Shen Bao is having a problem, then let me offer a hand of assistance." A cultivator said.
Immediately more cultivators joined in.
'it seems like information regarding the Heaven's Gate is pretty scarce, but I've seen enough, and I can probably use this to my advantage.
"Yes, a sect that treated me well is currently being antagonized and I would like some of your assistance in helping them out."
"If it's a matter that small, I can help", a cultivator said, and immediately everyone gave way.
It was a large-built man, with rippling muscles and a mane of hair that fell all the way to his ankles, he was wearing baggy pants and only a bra (cultivator's belt) while the rest of the muscles on his chests shone lustrously against the receding sun rays.
He had a club that was entirely made of stone on one of his shoulders as he carried it like it weighed nothing.
The man's cultivation base was pretty damn steep, as just the passive Qi he released was a match to a full outburst of a soul formation cultivator.
Then another cultivator came in, this one looked like a small kid not older than eight. He flew down from the skies and came up, floating right up into my face, with hands crossed between each other, and said, "You have a problem with someone? Tell me, and I'll annihilate them. But I'll need exclusive information regarding the Heaven's Gate."
I tilted my hand to the side and said, "That would be rude to the others, they were here before you,"
The little kid turned and said, "Do you think it rude for me to take your turn in knowing what happened in the heavens Gate first?"
No one dared speak besides the man with the massive club to which he pulled it from over his shoulder and pointed it at the kid saying "Old monster, I was here before you, and if you want to take my turn, we'll have to duke it out."
"No need to fight, why not assist me first and I'll tell everyone," I said.
The words that came from my mouth were enough to make everyone nod down in agreement even if they couldn't speak in front of these two monsters when I mentioned that I'll share with everyone they became even more excited to help.
"My problem is with a certain sect that is currently oppressing a few friends of mine, if it's possible I don't wish to see any of you here hurt, I just want to oppress them a bit and allow my friends to leave this planet."
"Oh, so you're the crazed man who actually gave up his own privilege for a woman." The muscular man said.
"That's manly! To die for the woman one cares for!" he said in a laugh.
'Woman? I love? What the fuck? When did that happen?'
"Yes, I also heard rumors, that the Three-legged Raven Sect actually kidnapped the whole palace of the Purple Cloud Palace, then tortured them, seems like the beauty of the sect master was too much for him to give up, so he did that. Then a man came and saved the whole sect from underneath the Three-Legged Raven Sect."
"Yes, I also heard that he was masquerading as a young cultivator who knew nothing until he managed to sneak the whole sect in a flashy act. The idiots of the Three-Legged Raven Sect didn't even know that the very person that they treated well was the very man who tricked them and stole away their hostages." Another cultivator said.
"Yes, I also heard that, seems like Brother Shen Bao is very capable And we all love an underdog. I'm all in for assisting a young man in love, hah!"
More cultivators even came up with even more absurd reasons and I was astonished at the number of rumors that spread. I mean how the hell did that even happen, and how was my identity even exposed. Still, it's good it will help in the upcoming confrontation.
"Right, I'll head out first then, I need to get to the Black Tower Pavilion." I said, please excuse me" I said and then jumped up, then turbo shot myself forward flying with impressive speed towards the city.
"Seems like you're a poison cultivator," said the cultivator that was probably eight years of age.
Thankfully, I didn't jump or shake from fright when he appeared out of thin air and began flying next to me like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"How can you tell?" I asked.
"You are releasing too much Qi from your flight, that it's actually poisoning the atmosphere behind you. And since you're a new Nascent Soul cultivator it seems that you're still unable to separate your offensive Qi and your natural passive Qi. I can guide you on how to do it if you wish."
"That would be most helpful," I said.
The young-looking cultivator sent a divine sense wave to scan me, and then frowned.
"This is rather… interesting, you don't have a single meridian, and your Dantian is apparently full to the brim with Qi. I don't understand how that works, but since it's something of yours I won't pry, still, to help you with your flight, use your Dantian to separate the offensive Qi, which is poison, from mixing with your natural Qi. When that is done, use the refined Qi to move forward, it will even be less taxing and will help you fly faster." The boy said.
I tried doing that but then realized, to actually have Pure Qi, as he said, I need to be able to harvest natural Qi from the world.
"Seems like I can't do that right now," I said.
"Hmm, seems that your talent is lacking, though it's impressive to see you achieve such a high stage of cultivation at a young age." He said. "How long did it take you to reach Nascent Soul stage?" he asked.
"About three years… maybe four," I said.
The muscular man immediately flew next to us and said, "Impressive! Only four years, and without a talent root? HAHA! That's a manly way of cultivation! Who needs talent when you can brute force your way into greatness!"
"Don't mind that muscle brain, you're doing well for someone without a talent root. But I'm sad to tell you that your future doesn't look that bright with such a low and lesser talent level. Not that it matters with an invasion of this size. We'll probably all die." The kid said. but he didn't look upset about it.
"Seems like this invasion is pretty terrible yet I don't find anyone despairing about it," I asked.
"Why should we? It is the way of the strong. The strong prey on the weak, and we are weak, it is their right, why would the lamb blame the tiger for eating it? it has no right because it is WEAK! Still, we won't go down without a fight, we too have horns, and we'll use them. And enter reincarnation with a levitated spirit."
'Talk about cup half full, these guys are pretty damn chill about an impeding gloom and doom future of theirs.'
"True. I said none merits pity if their will wanes in front of odds." I said.
"Oh, that's some pretty deep stuff, were you a scholar before?" asked the muscular cultivator.
"No, it's a saying from where I come. That's the black tower, let's get down." I said and I flew down until I landed in front of the tower.
Looking back at the extended arc of poisonous smoke, I opened my mouth and took a deep breath in, sucking in every single bit and gout of poison I released from my flight that was still hovering in the air.
I didn't want to accidentally kill someone. And I'll need to find a fix for this passive poison release from my flight, perhaps I'll find a way around it using the Poison God's flying sword.
Just as I was done with the poison in the air, I turned to see an old man, his attendant, and a younger person who had the most venomous glare I've seen to date.
"YOU!" he pointed "ARE A DEAD MAN!" he said and dove towards me.