Chapter 498 - The Scum Is Incomplete

"This all is related to this land's spiritual energy." Xiao Bao answered.

They all fell silent as they carefully listened.

"As master Cheng has said, everything has a spirit." Xiao Bao started. "The trees also have a spirit and they can cultivate until they formed their spirit body that they will imitate from humans. The animals also can cultivate, too, and become humans. Some people who will discover their existence would call them as demons, but they aren't." he explained. "We aren't." he added.

They understood. Sword spirits are the same as the trees and the animals. And xiao Bao… the one before them is the sword spirit's spiritual body. The sword is his real body.

"The difference between us spiritual entities, or I will call us as 'phantoms'." Xiao Bao continued. "Our first difference from the demons is that we are spirits. The second difference is that we are 'born' as pure. Thirdly, we bear no ill will." He explained.

They nodded, indicating that they understood.

"But, in order for us to be 'born', that is, to create a spiritual body to be able to manifest, we have to have enough spiritual energy. Thus, we also cultivate." Xiao Bao continued. "But… because there are also humans who know how to cultivate, and that you cultivate faster than us because you have greater consciousness than us, so, we can only gather less spiritual energy, and thus cultivate slower than you." He explained.

"That…" they all looked at each other. "… we apologize. We didn't know…" they said, feeling ashamed.

Xiao Bao shook his head. "Life is a jungle. Only those who are stronger can survive." He said.

They have no comment on that.

"But, us swords…" xiao Bao looked at them. "Since you cultivators use us, thus you feed us your spiritual energy." He continued. "But, you also have to use us to attack, so…" he shrugged.

"…" they don't know what to say.

"So, us swords spirits can't manifest, much less create our own spiritual body." Xiao Bao said. "It is actually fortunate enough to have our own consciousness and own some spiritual energy. That is why, even though master was unconscious after he fell to the Abyss, I and a piece of Bai Tan, were able to protect him, fending off the demons." He told them. "That is why I haven't appeared before you after master Cheng finally found us and took master and I with him back from the Abyss. I don't have enough spiritual energy left after I exhausted it in the Abyss." He added.

Xie Lan, Fan Wen and Fei Lin sighed in relief. Everyone now finally understood how Fei Yin was unscathed even after falling into the Abyss and stayed there for five years.

"How was Fei Yin alive? Is he really alive?" Wu Fan suddenly asked.

Xie Lan, Fan Wen and Fei Lin started and stared at xiao Bao. That's right… xiao Bao should know Fei Yin's current condition! They thought.

"Master is alive, of course. Or else, his body would have already decayed." Xiao Bao answered.

Everyone's eyes widened in shock. Although they already believed it as it be, but it still different to hear a confirmation.

"Then, why is Yin-er still unconscious?" Fei Lin anxiously asked.

Xiao Bao turned to Fei Lin who has the similar qi as his master. "Master's consciousness naturally is absent." He answered in a matter-of-fact tone.

"The consciousness… is absent?" they muttered.

Xiao Bao nodded. "Master's soul is currently present, but, his consciousness is absent." He spoke. "One of the reasons is that his soul is incomplete. The other reason is – mmph!" his eyes suddenly widened when a hand covered his mouth.

They were startled, and suddenly turned to see Cheng Sheng's grumpy face and one of his hand was covering xiao Bao's mouth.

"Child… do you dare to believe I wouldn't hurt you just because your Fei Yin's sword spirit and protected him in the Abyss?" Cheng Sheng asked and smiled at xiao Bao.

Xiao Bao's face that is red from suffocation turned pale when he saw Cheng Sheng's smile. He immediately shook his head. Only then did Cheng Sheng let him go. Chen Jing immediately pulled xiao Bao to him.

"Xiao Sheng…" Fan Wen called as he stared at Cheng Sheng.

"Cheng Sheng, you…" Fei Lin wanted to speak, but then, in the end, only sighed. He knows that Cheng Sheng wouldn't harm Fei Yin.

"That's Yin and I's secret." Cheng Sheng just said.

Wu Fan looked at them before he coughed. "Since you're now awake, can you tell us how can we invoke our sword spirits?" he asked.

Everyone immediately recovered their thoughts and decided to let Fei Yin's matter be.

"Sword spirits can also be called spirit servants." Cheng Sheng spoke.

As soon as his voice fell and they all finally digested his swords, they all froze. Their eyes then widened in shock and they all looked at him. "What?!" they exclaimed.

"They are spirits, and they serve us. So, they are also spirit servants." Cheng Sheng said. "Although they and their master, us, don't share a life, but they also need spiritual energy. The other spirit servants' medium, or their body, can be a talisman or jade. Meanwhile, theirs are a sword. So, they are also spirit servants." He explained.

They all fell silent as they pondered over what he said.

"But… why is the Spirit Tracing Bell didn't activate if xiao Bao is a spirit servant?" Chen Jing asked after he coaxed xiao Bao and xiao Bao reluctantly changed his face back to Cheng Sheng's face when he was a child.

Cheng Sheng turned a blind eye to it. "Because our swords are also refined tools." He answered.

"… oh." They muttered, finally understood. "So, the Spirit Tracing Bell is ineffective against another spiritual tool?" they asked.

"Currently." Cheng Sheng answered.

"… 'currently'?" they said, suddenly sensed something from Cheng Sheng's answer.

"You are thinking right. Xiao Bao's sneaking out this time let me have an epiphany." Cheng Sheng glanced at xiao Bao. "I'll make some adjustments on the Spirit Tracing Bell so give it back to me later. I'll make it so that even a spiritual tool like it would not be a bane to it." He told them.

Their eyes sparkled. "Okay!" they answered as they immediately returned the Spirit Tracing Bells on their hands to Cheng Sheng.

Cheng Sheng rose from his seat and yawned. "I'll make the adjustments now. If the other sects would return along with Li-shixiong and the others, tell them to come to me and hand me the bells." He said and then left.

"… master Cheng is really a genius." Xiao Bao can't help but sigh in admiration as they all watched Cheng Sheng left. "I hope xiao Ling could also have a spiritual body." He said.

"'xiao Ling'?" they turned to him.

Xiao Bao nodded. "Master Cheng's sword spirit." He answered.

Everyone. "…" fck! We still haven't learned how to invoke our sword spirits! They thought as their faces darkened. Cheng Sheng caught us off-guard earlier and so he fled after! How cunning! They frowned.

"So, how can we invoke our sword spirits?" they asked xiao Bao again.

"It's simple, actually." Xiao Bao spoke. "You just need to feed your sword with enough spiritual energy and 'communicate' with it then wait for it to respond to you." He explained. "Then, you can give it a name, so that it will have deeper connection with you, and it definitely will never betray you. Like master and I, and master Cheng and xiao Ling, we are friends with each other." He told them.

"So that's how it is…" they finally understood and thoughtfully held the hilt of their swords.

"But, xiao Tian, xiao Mo, xiao Qing, xiao Rou and xiao Ling should have already taught this by xiao Sheng. Xiao Mo even had his sword spirit manifested." Xie Lan spoke. "But, Bai Bai disappeared. How about xiao Tian and the others?" he asked. He knows that Li Tian is the smartest among his and Fan Wen's disciples, next to Cheng Sheng. But, even Li Tian failed.

"Oh. This…" xiao Bao muttered.

"You know the cause?" Fan Wen asked.

Xiao Bao nodded. "As I've said earlier, the spiritual energy in the land is consumed more by you cultivators. We also contend against the trees and the beasts." He said. "But, there's one more reason to invoke a sword spirit." He told them.

"What is it?" they asked.

"That is, you have the desire for it." Xiao Bao answered.

Immediately, they all became silent.

Xiao Bao could understand them. "Master Cheng feels lonely, since he and my master aren't together at that time. My master also wants to protect master Cheng, so he wished for me to protect, and also accompany, master Cheng is he isn't around… just like now." He explained as his voice became low.

No one spoke since they also know how lonely Cheng Sheng is, before and now.