“ tiān dì zhī pò ， jì shòu tiān zhí ， zài méi yǒu wán chéng qí shǐ mìng de qíng kuàng xià ， chú fēi bèi rén jī shā ， fǒu zé jué bú huì tū rán xiāo shī bú jiàn 。” bái fà nán zi qiǎo shēng shuō dào 。
“天地之魄，既受天职，在没有完成其使命的情况下，除非被人击杀，否则绝不会突然消失不见。”白发男子悄声说道。
"Souls of the Earth and Sky, having received their divine mandate, will not suddenly vanish unless they are killed. This is true even if they have yet to complete their missions," the man with white hair whispered.
hēi yī xiū shì xiān shì lèng le lèng ， méi fǎn yìng guò lái duì fāng wèi hé tū rán tí zhè chá 。
黑衣修士先是愣了愣，没反应过来对方为何突然提这茬。
The black-robed cultivator was momentarily stunned, unsure why his companion had brought this up so abruptly.
bù guò piàn kè zhī hòu ， tā wēi wēi yí zhèng ， yǒu xiē bù què dìng de shuō dào ：“ zhàn xiōng de yì si shì ， zhè liǎng qǐ shì shì tóng yī zǔ zhī suǒ wèi ？”
不过片刻之后，他微微一怔，有些不确定的说道：“战兄的意思是，这两起事是同一组织所为？”
However, after a moment, he nodded slightly and asked uncertainly, "Brother Zhan means that these two incidents were carried out by the same organization?"
“ bù kě néng ba ？” hēi yī xiū shì zhòu méi dào ，“ néng gòu zài bù yǐn qǐ xiān méng zhù yì de qíng kuàng xià ， jī shā tiān dì zhī pò 。 zhè zhǒng shí lì ……”
“不可能吧？”黑衣修士皱眉道，“能够在不引起仙盟注意的情况下，击杀天地之魄。这种实力……”
"It's impossible, right?" The black-robed cultivator frowned. "To kill the Soul of Earth and Sky without drawing the attention of the Immortal Alliance... Such power..."
xìng zhàn de bái fà nán zi shěn rán yī xiào ：“ xiàng xiōng bù jué dé qí guài me ， zhè liè fēng dòng tiān ， nǐ men xiàng jiā yě shì gāng gāng fā xiàn bù jiǔ 。 zhè huǒ wài dì xiū shì yòu shì rú hé néng zhī xiǎo de ？”
姓战的白发男子哂然一笑：“项兄不觉得奇怪么，这烈风洞天，你们项家也是刚刚发现不久。这伙外地修士又是如何能知晓的？”
The white-haired man with the surname Zhan chuckled. "Brother Xiang doesn't find this strange? Your Xiang family only discovered this realm of Spirit Wind not long ago, yet these outsiders knew about it. How?"
“ shuō shí huà ， qū qū yí gè yuán yīng dòng tiān qí shí yě méi shén me 。 guān jiàn shì zhè bèi hòu zhāng xiǎn de néng lì ， ràng rén yǒu xiē bù ān le 。”
“说实话，区区一个元婴洞天其实也没什么。关键是这背后彰显的能力，让人有些不安了。”
"To be honest, a mere Inner Core Realm cave is nothing significant. The key issue is the power behind it, which makes us feel uneasy."
“ jù shuō xiān méng duì cǐ shì jí wéi zhòng shì ， shèn zhì yǒu chuán fǎ zhě chū miàn le 。” bái fà nán zi shén qíng níng zhòng dào 。
“据说仙盟对此事极为重视，甚至有传法者出面了。”白发男子神情凝重道。
"Supposedly, the Immortal Alliance takes this matter very seriously and even had a Law-Bearer intervene," the man with white hair said solemnly.
hēi yī xiū shì sǒng rán ér jīng ：“ zhè …… hé zhì yú cǐ ？”
黑衣修士悚然而惊：“这……何至于此？”
The black-robed cultivator was startled. "This... Why to such an extent?"
zhī qián yǔ qì hái yǒu jǐ fēn kuáng ào de tā ， zài tīng dào 【 chuán fǎ zhě 】 zhè sān gè zì zhī hòu ， jū rán biàn dé yǒu xiē jǐn zhāng qǐ lái 。
之前语气还有几分狂傲的他，在听到【传法者】这三个字之后，居然变得有些紧张起来。
His previous tone of arrogance had given way to some nervousness upon hearing the term "Law-Bearer."
zhè jiàn shì bèi hòu jìng rán yǐ jīng qiān chě rú cǐ zhī shēn le ， shí zài yǒu xiē chāo hū tā de xiǎng xiàng 。
这件事背后竟然已经牵扯如此之深了，实在有些超乎他的想象。
This matter seemed to have drawn in so much, far beyond his imagination.
“ xiàng xiōng yě zhī dào ， jiā fù zài 【 zhǎng tiān sī 】 rèn zhí 。 gù ér ……” bái fà nán zi diǎn dào jí zhǐ 。
“项兄也知道，家父在【掌天司】任职。故而……”白发男子点到即止。
"Brother Xiang knows that my father works at the Office of Heaven," the white-haired man said, stopping short.
hēi yī xiū shì diǎn diǎn tóu ， nǎo hǎi zhōng zài bù duàn pán suàn zhe 。
黑衣修士点点头，脑海中在不断盘算着。
The black-robed cultivator nodded, his mind racing with thoughts.
zhàn xìng xiū shì kàn zhe zhè wèi hǎo yǒu ， xīn zhōng qí shí yǒu xiē huà hái méi yǒu shuō 。
战姓修士看着这位好友，心中其实有些话还没有说。
Zhan's friend looked at him, having some words left unsaid.
suǒ wèi zhǎng tiān sī ， nà shì xiān méng nèi zhuān mén guān cè yǔ jiān dū tiān dì zhī pò yǔ tiān dì zhī lǐ hén jì de shén mì zǔ zhī 。
所谓掌天司，那是仙盟内专门观测与监督天地之魄与天地之理痕迹的神秘组织。
The Office of Heaven was a mysterious organization within the Immortal Alliance dedicated to observing and supervising the traces of the Soul of Earth and Sky as well as the Laws of Heaven. Few knew its existence outside official circles.
bù zài guān fāng zhèng shì zǔ zhī míng dān shàng ， zhǐ yǒu jí shǎo bù fèn xiū shì cái zhī dào zhǎng tiān sī de cún zài 。
不在官方正式组织名单上，只有极少部分修士才知道掌天司的存在。
The Soul of Earth and Sky involved Daoist combat prowess. Each one was crucial, so the Immortal Alliance sought to monitor them, which made sense.
tiān dì zhī pò ， qiān shè dào hé dào zhàn lì 。
天地之魄，牵涉到合道战力。
Efforts over the years had increased their monitoring capabilities, though not reaching a hundred percent. About a third of all Souls of Earth and Sky were now logged by the Office of Heaven.
měi yí gè dōu jí wéi zhòng yào ， suǒ yǐ xiān méng yù duì qí jìn xíng jiān guǎn ， yě zài qíng lǐ zhī zhōng 。
每一个都极为重要，所以仙盟欲对其进行监管，也在情理之中。
This was considered the Immortal Alliance's most precious asset.
lì qiú jǐn kě néng de jiāng měi yí gè tiān dì zhī pò dōu nà rù zhǎng tiān sī jiān cè zhī zhōng ， zhè xiē nián lái de xiào lǜ yuè lái yuè gāo 。 suī shuō hái zuò bú dào bǎi fēn zhī bǎi ， dàn xiàn shì jìn hū sān fēn zhī yī de tiān dì zhī pò ， dōu bèi zhǎng tiān sī dēng lù zài ān 。
力求尽可能的将每一个天地之魄都纳入掌天司监测之中，这些年来的效率越来越高。虽说还做不到百分之百，但现世近乎三分之一的天地之魄，都被掌天司登录在桉。
However, this was merely an incidental task for the Office of Heaven.
zhè suàn de shàng shì xiān méng zuì zhēn guì de yī bǐ cái fù le 。
这算的上是仙盟最珍贵的一笔财富了。
Their true duty was to constantly monitor the traces of the Laws of Heaven.
rán ér ， zhè qí shí yě bù guò shì zhǎng tiān sī shùn dài de rèn wù bà le 。
然而，这其实也不过是掌天司顺带的任务罢了。
Even if these laws had barely changed in thousands of years, they still needed constant vigilance.
zhǎng tiān sī zhēn zhèng de zhí zé ， nǎi shì shí shí kè kè jiān cè tiān dì zhī lǐ de hén jì 。
掌天司真正的职责，乃是时时刻刻监测天地之理的痕迹。
The Laws of Heaven were like a vast web, forming the Dao of Xuanhuang's cosmos. Those who defied this order became part of it, their actions stirring ripples within the web.
jí biàn tiān dì zhī lǐ ， jìn hū shù qiān nián bù yì 。
即便天地之理，近乎数千年不易。
The greater the defiance, the stronger the ripples.
dàn zhǎng tiān sī yě yào shí kè dīng jǐn ， bù dé fàng sōng fēn háo 。
但掌天司也要时刻盯紧，不得放松分毫。
By observing these ripples, they could detect cultivators attempting to reverse the Laws of Heaven and achieve immortality.
tiān dì zhī lǐ ， rú tóng yī zhāng zòng héng jiāo cuò de jù wǎng ， biān zhī zǔ chéng le xuán huáng jiè tiān dào 。
天地之理，如同一张纵横交错的巨网，编织组成了玄黄界天道。
If such traces were found, they had to immediately investigate the identity of the Law-Breaker.
yǒu cháng shēng tiān zūn ， nì tiān dì zhī lǐ ， cóng ér chéng wéi zhè zhāng jù wǎng de yī bù fèn 。
有长生天尊，逆天地之理，从而成为这张巨网的一部分。
Neutral cultivators would be fine.
nì lǐ de guò chéng ， shì bì huì yǐn dòng zhè zhāng jù wǎng de sī xiàn 。
逆理的过程，势必会引动这张巨网的丝线。
But if it was a member of the Five Elders' Council, all means would be used to prevent their success at defying the laws.
cóng ér fā chū zhèn zhèn bō dòng 。
从而发出阵阵波动。
...
nì zhuǎn de chéng dù yuè gāo ， bō dòng yě jiù yuè qiáng 。
逆转的程度越高，波动也就越强。
Zhan Fei's thoughts raced through various aspects of the Office of Heaven. Despite his father emphasizing its importance countless times, he harbored no fondness for this organization.
tōng guò zhè zhǒng fāng fǎ ， jiù néng guān cè chū ， shì fǒu yǒu xiū shì zhèng zài nì zhuǎn tiān dì zhī lǐ 、 zhèng dào zhǎng shēng 。
通过这种方法，就能观测出，是否有修士正在逆转天地之理、证道长生。
A lifetime spent in front of a machine with little respite... such a life was regrettable.
rú guǒ yí dàn fā xiàn zhè zhǒng hén jì ， jiù bì xū yào lì kè chá qīng chǔ nì lǐ xiū shì de shēn fèn 。
如果一旦发现这种痕迹，就必须要立刻查清楚逆理修士的身份。
Unfortunately, he had no control over his appointment to the Office of Heaven.
shì zhōng lì xiū shì hái hǎo 。
是中立修士还好。
Zhan Fei looked at his friend with a touch of envy. Being a local figure could be advantageous.
rú guǒ duì fāng shì wǔ lǎo huì suǒ shǔ ， nà jiù yào qiān fāng bǎi jì 、 bù xī yí qiè dài jià qù zǔ zhǐ duì fāng chéng gōng nì lǐ 。
如果对方是五老会所属，那就要千方百计、不惜一切代价去阻止对方成功逆理。
The black-robed cultivator named Xiang Zengqiang did not know what his friend was thinking as he pondered and hesitated before making a decision.
……
……
First, he would identify the thief who had stolen Spirit Wind Realm but refrain from acting rashly. He would wait to see how the Office of Heaven responded first.
yǒu guān yú zhǎng tiān sī de zhǒng zhǒng ， zài zhàn fěi nǎo hǎi zhōng huá guò 。
有关于掌天司的种种，在战斐脑海中划过。
...
duì yú zhè ge tā jí jiāng rèn zhí de zǔ zhī ， tā qí shí xīn zhōng bìng méi yǒu shén me hǎo gǎn 。 jí biàn fù qīn yǐ jīng bù zhī dào zài tā miàn qián qiáng diào guò duō shǎo biàn ， zhǎng tiān sī de zhòng yào xìng 。
对于这个他即将任职的组织，他其实心中并没有什么好感。即便父亲已经不知道在他面前强调过多少遍，掌天司的重要性。
Cunyun Sea.
bì jìng yī rù zhǎng tiān sī ， jiē xià lái de dà bàn bèi zi ， dōu yào kū zuò zài nà tái yí qì qián 。
毕竟一入掌天司，接下来的大半辈子，都要枯坐在那台仪器前。
Ji Shaoli, having returned to Haxuan Island, was unaware that someone was watching him until he received an anonymous message after handling various matters at the Mutual Aid Association.
bǎi nián dōu bù yí dìng yǒu yī tiān jià qī 。
百年都不一定有一天假期。
"Friend Ji, do you have any grudges with the Quchi Region's Xiang family? I see they've been discreetly probing your movements."
zhè zhǒng rì zi ……
这种日子……
Ji Shaoli's expression was strange. "Quchi Region?"
kě xī ， zhǎng tiān sī de rèn mìng bú shì tā néng zuǒ yòu de 。
可惜，掌天司的任命不是他能左右的。
He frowned as his sole connection to that region was likely the Spirit Wind Realm he had recently consumed.
zhàn fěi kàn zhe shēn biān de hǎo yǒu ， xīn zhōng shǎn guò yī sī xiàn mù 。
战斐看着身边的好友，心中闪过一丝羡慕。
He quickly deduced why he might have offended them.
qí shí dāng gè dì tóu shé yě bù cuò 。
其实当个地头蛇也不错。
After a thorough search, Ji Shaoli felt somewhat relieved.
ér míng wèi xiàng céng qiáng de hēi yī xiū shì ， què shì bù zhī dào hǎo yǒu xīn zhōng suǒ xiǎng 。
而名为项曾强的黑衣修士，却是不知道好友心中所想。
The Xiang family was merely a local power in Quchi, with only one Daoist sitting at their helm.
tā sī suǒ 、 chóu chú hǎo yī huì ， zuì zhōng cái zuò chū jué duàn 。
他思索、踌躇好一会，最终才做出决断。
Even if they came to his doorstep, Ji Shaoli would not be intimidated.
xiān gǎo qīng chǔ tōu qiè liè fēng dòng tiān de xiū shì shēn fèn ， dàn què bù qīng jǔ wàng dòng 。
先搞清楚偷窃烈风洞天的修士身份，但却不轻举妄动。
"Still, preparations are necessary."
xiān kàn kàn zhǎng tiān sī nà biān de dòng jìng zài shuō 。
先看看掌天司那边的动静再说。
Ji Shaoli's eyes flickered as he continued to sense the sword dao.
cóng yún hǎi 。
丛云海。
At the Sword Tomb of Tianjian Sect, Li Fan suddenly awoke from his concentration.
yǐ jīng fǎn huí hǎi xuān dǎo de jì shào lí ， yuán xiān hái bù zhī dào zì jǐ yǐ jīng bèi rén dīng shàng le 。
已经返回海轩岛的季绍离，原先还不知道自己已经被人盯上了。
Not because of any imminent danger for his doppelganger, but because he could no longer sense anything through "the Sword."
bù guò ， dāng tā chǔ lǐ wán hù zhù huì zhū duō zá shì hòu ， què shì shōu dào le yī zé nì míng chuán xùn 。
不过，当他处理完互助会诸多杂事后，却是收到了一则匿名传讯。
Li Fan looked around. He realized that not just him was experiencing this; all the myriad swords in the tomb seemed to have lost their connection with "the Sword."
“ jì dào yǒu kě shì gēn jù cháo zhōu xiàng jiā yǒu guò jié ？ wǒ kàn nà biān yǒu rén qiāo dǎ tàn nǐ de xiāo xī 。”
“季道友可是跟聚潮洲项家有过节？我看那边有人悄打探你的消息。”
The bent blades straightened, appearing bewildered.
jì shào lí shén sè mò míng ：“ jù cháo zhōu ？”
季绍离神色莫名：“聚潮洲？”
Li Fan stared at the wooden sword before him: "Is it a change in its nature? Has its spirit been completely lost?"
tā méi tóu jǐn zhòu 。
他眉头紧皱。
"Not exactly," he quickly discerned.
tā gēn jù cháo zhōu wéi yī de lián xì ， kǒng pà jiù shì bù jiǔ qián tūn shì de liè fēng dòng tiān le 。
他跟聚潮洲唯一的联系，恐怕就是不久前吞噬的烈风洞天了。
Soon, Li Fan noticed something peculiar. He did not act rashly but carefully observed and waited patiently.
shùn jiān jiù míng bái le kě néng dé zuì duì fāng de yuán yīn 。
瞬间就明白了可能得罪对方的原因。
Sure enough, after just a quarter of an hour, the wooden sword regained its unique qualities as if nothing had happened.
yī fān sōu xún zhī hòu ， jì shào lí xīn zhōng shāo kuān 。
一番搜寻之后，季绍离心中稍宽。
It exuded the essence of the Sword Dao, making all other swords bow in reverence.
zhè xiàng jiā bù guò shì jù cháo zhōu běn tǔ shì lì ， jiā zhōng zhǐ yǒu yī wèi hé dào zuò zhèn 。
这项家不过是聚潮洲本土势力，家中只有一位合道坐镇。
The question was...
jiù suàn tā men zhǎo shàng mén lái ， jì shào lí yě yí rán bù jù 。
就算他们找上门来，季绍离也怡然不惧。
What happened during that quarter-hour?
“ bù guò ， hái shì yào zuò xiē zhǔn bèi 。”
“不过，还是要做些准备。”
Li Fan's interest piqued. He continued to sense the Sword Dao while waiting for the next "malfunction."
jì shào lí mù guāng shǎn dòng 。
季绍离目光闪动。
After several days of observation, Li Fan discovered a pattern: every so often, the sword would lose its spirit for a quarter hour.
……
……
During this period, all swords in the tomb lost their connection with "the Sword," except one!
tiān jiàn zōng ， jiàn zhǒng 。
天剑宗，剑冢。
Thanks to the existence of the Daoist Stone in his mind, he could record and compare each sword's reaction.
zhèng zài níng shén gǎn wù de lǐ fán hū de jīng xǐng 。
正在凝神感悟的李凡忽的惊醒。
He identified the unique aspect!
bú shì yīn wèi fēn shēn kě néng huì miàn duì de wēi jī ， ér shì tā mò míng qí miào de ， wán quán wú fǎ cóng 【 jiàn 】 de shēn shàng gǎn wù dào rèn hé dōng xī le 。
不是因为分身可能会面对的危机，而是他莫名其妙的，完全无法从【剑】的身上感悟到任何东西了。
Locking onto the target, Li Fan leaped to its side when it next malfunctioned.
lǐ fán huán gù sì zhōu 。
李凡环顾四周。
This was a nondescript black sword covered in dust, plain and unadorned. It lacked sharp edges or intricate designs—more like a novice smith’s first attempt, appearing ordinary even somewhat ugly.
fā xiàn bù jǐn jǐn shì tā zhè yàng 。
发现不仅仅是他这样。
Yet, this sword alone attracted the attention of the Wooden Sword's unique qualities.
jiàn zhǒng zhōng de wàn qiān bǐng yí jiàn ， cǐ kè yě fǎng fú shī qù le duì 【 jiàn 】 de gǎn yìng 。
剑冢中的万千柄遗剑，此刻也仿佛失去了对【剑】的感应。
During the "malfunction," it was as if the Wooden Sword gave special attention to this black sword, akin to giving private lessons.
"Souls of the Earth and Sky, having received their divine mandate, will not suddenly vanish unless they are killed. This is true even if they have yet to complete their missions," the man with white hair whispered.
The black-robed cultivator was momentarily stunned, unsure why his companion had brought this up so abruptly.
However, after a moment, he nodded slightly and asked uncertainly, "Brother Zhan means that these two incidents were carried out by the same organization?"
"It's impossible, right?" The black-robed cultivator frowned. "To kill the Soul of Earth and Sky without drawing the attention of the Immortal Alliance... Such power..."
The white-haired man with the surname Zhan chuckled. "Brother Xiang doesn't find this strange? Your Xiang family only discovered this realm of Spirit Wind not long ago, yet these outsiders knew about it. How?"
"To be honest, a mere Inner Core Realm cave is nothing significant. The key issue is the power behind it, which makes us feel uneasy."
"Supposedly, the Immortal Alliance takes this matter very seriously and even had a Law-Bearer intervene," the man with white hair said solemnly.
The black-robed cultivator was startled. "This... Why to such an extent?"
His previous tone of arrogance had given way to some nervousness upon hearing the term "Law-Bearer."
This matter seemed to have drawn in so much, far beyond his imagination.
"Brother Xiang knows that my father works at the Office of Heaven," the white-haired man said, stopping short.
The black-robed cultivator nodded, his mind racing with thoughts.
Zhan's friend looked at him, having some words left unsaid.
The Office of Heaven was a mysterious organization within the Immortal Alliance dedicated to observing and supervising the traces of the Soul of Earth and Sky as well as the Laws of Heaven. Few knew its existence outside official circles.
The Soul of Earth and Sky involved Daoist combat prowess. Each one was crucial, so the Immortal Alliance sought to monitor them, which made sense.
Efforts over the years had increased their monitoring capabilities, though not reaching a hundred percent. About a third of all Souls of Earth and Sky were now logged by the Office of Heaven.
This was considered the Immortal Alliance's most precious asset.
However, this was merely an incidental task for the Office of Heaven.
Their true duty was to constantly monitor the traces of the Laws of Heaven.
Even if these laws had barely changed in thousands of years, they still needed constant vigilance.
The Laws of Heaven were like a vast web, forming the Dao of Xuanhuang's cosmos. Those who defied this order became part of it, their actions stirring ripples within the web.
The greater the defiance, the stronger the ripples.
By observing these ripples, they could detect cultivators attempting to reverse the Laws of Heaven and achieve immortality.
If such traces were found, they had to immediately investigate the identity of the Law-Breaker.
Neutral cultivators would be fine.
But if it was a member of the Five Elders' Council, all means would be used to prevent their success at defying the laws.
...
Zhan Fei's thoughts raced through various aspects of the Office of Heaven. Despite his father emphasizing its importance countless times, he harbored no fondness for this organization.
A lifetime spent in front of a machine with little respite... such a life was regrettable.
Unfortunately, he had no control over his appointment to the Office of Heaven.
Zhan Fei looked at his friend with a touch of envy. Being a local figure could be advantageous.
The black-robed cultivator named Xiang Zengqiang did not know what his friend was thinking as he pondered and hesitated before making a decision.
First, he would identify the thief who had stolen Spirit Wind Realm but refrain from acting rashly. He would wait to see how the Office of Heaven responded first.
...
Cunyun Sea.
Ji Shaoli, having returned to Haxuan Island, was unaware that someone was watching him until he received an anonymous message after handling various matters at the Mutual Aid Association.
"Friend Ji, do you have any grudges with the Quchi Region's Xiang family? I see they've been discreetly probing your movements."
Ji Shaoli's expression was strange. "Quchi Region?"
He frowned as his sole connection to that region was likely the Spirit Wind Realm he had recently consumed.
He quickly deduced why he might have offended them.
After a thorough search, Ji Shaoli felt somewhat relieved.
The Xiang family was merely a local power in Quchi, with only one Daoist sitting at their helm.
Even if they came to his doorstep, Ji Shaoli would not be intimidated.
"Still, preparations are necessary."
Ji Shaoli's eyes flickered as he continued to sense the sword dao.
...
At the Sword Tomb of Tianjian Sect, Li Fan suddenly awoke from his concentration.
Not because of any imminent danger for his doppelganger, but because he could no longer sense anything through "the Sword."
Li Fan looked around. He realized that not just him was experiencing this; all the myriad swords in the tomb seemed to have lost their connection with "the Sword."
The bent blades straightened, appearing bewildered.
Li Fan stared at the wooden sword before him: "Is it a change in its nature? Has its spirit been completely lost?"
"Not exactly," he quickly discerned.
Soon, Li Fan noticed something peculiar. He did not act rashly but carefully observed and waited patiently.
Sure enough, after just a quarter of an hour, the wooden sword regained its unique qualities as if nothing had happened.
It exuded the essence of the Sword Dao, making all other swords bow in reverence.
The question was...
What happened during that quarter-hour?
Li Fan's interest piqued. He continued to sense the Sword Dao while waiting for the next "malfunction."
After several days of observation, Li Fan discovered a pattern: every so often, the sword would lose its spirit for a quarter hour.
During this period, all swords in the tomb lost their connection with "the Sword," except one!
Thanks to the existence of the Daoist Stone in his mind, he could record and compare each sword's reaction.
He identified the unique aspect!
Locking onto the target, Li Fan leaped to its side when it next malfunctioned.
This was a nondescript black sword covered in dust, plain and unadorned. It lacked sharp edges or intricate designs—more like a novice smith’s first attempt, appearing ordinary even somewhat ugly.
Yet, this sword alone attracted the attention of the Wooden Sword's unique qualities.
During the "malfunction," it was as if the Wooden Sword gave special attention to this black sword, akin to giving private lessons.