Chapter 14: System Limitations
Lin Yuan gripped the hilt of the Rain Blade, and kneeling in the courtyard, Bai Chen was completely and utterly mesmerized.
Because of his limited cultivation at the 6th level of Qi Condensation, Bai Chen could not even begin to explain the profound phenomenon he was witnessing, let alone understand the conceptual Dao laws that had just been manipulated. To his eyes, it was pure magic. However, the sheer visual majesty of the weapon was undeniable.
The rusted iron was entirely gone. In its place was a blade that seemed to be carved from a single shard of deep-ocean ice. Faint ripples flowed up and down the steel, casting a mesmerizing, watery reflection against the walls of the courtyard.
Bai Chen’s breath hitched. He knew that a treasure’s worth was measured by the blood it could draw. By the mere sight of it, the chilling aura it naturally emitted, and the way the spiritual qi of the world seemed to respectfully bow to it, Bai Chen knew this sword would be considered a priceless treasure by countless sects.
If this sword were to appear in the inner city, the Bai Clan Patriarch and the leaders of the rival clans would slaughter each other for the chance to claim it. Yet, his Lord had just casually forged it.
Lin Yuan offered a satisfied smile. He did not boast, nor did he swing the blade to test its physical limits. He simply sheathed his aura.
With the Rain Blade safely in his grasp, Lin Yuan’s thoughts immediately shifted to his bedroom. He wanted Bai Qingyue to see this. He wanted the ethereal beauty of this blade to light up her day.
Without a second thought, Lin Yuan used his Immortal Cloud Step.
His physical form dissolved into a wisp of mist. He bypassed the courtyard and the main hall, completely phasing through the door of the bedroom, and materialized instantly beside the bed.
The abrupt shift in temperature, accompanied by the swirling mist that trailed the blade, caused Bai Qingyue to look up.
When her eyes landed on the weapon in Lin Yuan’s hand, she was instantly mesmerized. The sword illuminated the dim bedroom with a soft, pulsating azure glow. It was beautiful—impossibly so. Now as a mortal, she could not decipher the profound Dao hidden within the steel. And truthfully, even if she were still the peerless genius at the peak of Qi Condensation, she would still be utterly clueless. The Dao was a concept reserved for those who touched the heavens; to a lower cultivator, it was an abstract myth.
But beauty transcends the boundaries of cultivation.
"Lin Yuan..." Bai Qingyue breathed out, her delicate hands resting atop her blanket as she leaned forward, her eyes reflecting the rippling azure light. "What... what is that?"
"A Rain Blade," Lin Yuan replied softly, holding the sword horizontally so she could admire the crystalline ripples flowing across its surface. The mist rolling off the blade felt cool and refreshing, contrasting perfectly with the warm temperature he maintained in the room.
"It is breathtaking," she murmured, a profound sense of awe washing over her. "It looks as though you have captured a piece of a summer storm and forged it into steel. Where did you get such a priceless artifact?"
"I didn’t get it from anywhere," Lin Yuan chuckled lightly, sitting down on the edge of the mattress. "I just refined it. Do you remember the mortal sentiment aura I asked Bai Chen to retrieve?"
Bai Qingyue nodded slowly,
"I comprehended the essence of those sentiments, and through them, I saw a glimpse of the my true Dao," Lin Yuan explained, his tone casual. "I took that understanding, grabbed the iron sword that was lying in the corner of this room, and fused a splinter of the Dao into the metal."
Bai Qingyue’s lips parted in sheer disbelief. She looked from the majestic, translucent blade to the man sitting beside her. Even after his explanation, she couldn’t still understand what he had done. What does he mean by Dao? Rain Essence?
As the initial shock faded, Bai Qingyue continued to stare at the sword. A complex, heavy emotion began to swell within her chest. The azure light reflected in her pupils, but the awe was slowly giving way to a deep thought.
She remembered the feeling of a sword in her hand. She remembered the rush of spiritual qi flowing through her meridians, the empowering sensation of cutting through the wind, and the pride of standing at the peak of her generation. Seeing such a peerless blade right in front of her—a blade forged by her own husband—ignited a fierce, desperate longing within her soul.
She wanted to be a cultivator again. She wanted to stand by his side, not as a fragile mortal who needed to be shielded from a simple rainstorm, but as a Dao Companion worthy of wielding such a magnificent weapon.
Lin Yuan, now possessing sharp perception, instantly caught the shift in her demeanor. He saw the longing in her eyes, the slight tremble of her pale fingers as they instinctively twitched toward the hilt of the sword.
Then a thought suddenly struck Lin Yuan’s mind like a bolt of lightning.
Wait a minute, Lin Yuan pondered. The Millionfold Return System triggers whenever I invest into my wife. I just used a splinter of my own Dao to upgrade this mortal sword into a supreme Rain Blade.
What if I give her the sword?
If giving her a low-grade healing pill triggered a one-million-times multiplier and yielded a Rank 8 divine pill, what would happen if he invested a Dao-infused weapon? Would the system multiply the Dao essence? Would it grant him a Divine Armament capable of slaying true immortals? Would it drop a heavenly artifact straight out of the legends?
The possibilities were infinite and intoxicating.
"Qingyue," Lin Yuan said, his voice dropping to an excited register. He held the hilt of the Rain Blade out toward her. "Take it. This sword is yours."
Bai Qingyue blinked, startled by the sudden offering. "Mine? But... Lin Yuan, I am no more a cultivator. I cannot wield such a blade. I cannot even channel a trace of qi to activate its innate sharpness. It would be a supreme waste..."
"Nothing I give to you is a waste," Lin Yuan insisted, carefully placing the hilt into her delicate palms. "Take it. Claim it as your own."
Trembling slightly, Bai Qingyue wrapped her fingers around the hilt. The sword was surprisingly light, perfectly balanced, and thrummed with a comforting energy.
Lin Yuan held his breath, staring intensely at the space above her head, waiting for the familiar chime of the system.
But after several seconds passed, there was nothing.
What’s going on? Where’s my return?
Suddenly, a sharp chime pierced his mind.
[Ding!]
[System Notification: Investment Failed.] [Reason: The target Dao Companion is currently unable to cultivate. To successfully ’invest’ a spiritual item, that’s a non-consumable (such as spiritual weapons, armor, cultivation techniques, martial arts...), the recipient must be able to imbue the item with their Divine Sense or spiritual qi to establish the investment.]
[Since the Dao Companion cannot use or claim ownership, your action can’t be considered ’Investing’.]
Lin Yuan’s eyes widened slightly.
He then stared at Bai Qingyue, who was looking down at the beautiful blade in her hands.
Lin Yuan instantly understood. Because his wife’s meridians were shattered, she had no Divine Sense. She was physically incapable of claiming the sword.
Therefore, to the system, he hadn’t "invested" a sword into her; he had merely handed her an object to hold.
Lin Yuan slowly let out a long breath. First and foremost, he needed to repair her meridians so she could cultivate again.
He needed to break the Soul Transformation restriction that was acting as a parasite in her body. Before any such investment could be possible, he had to return his wife to the peak of the cultivation world.
Lin Yuan reached out and gently placed his hand over hers, pausing her inspection of the blade.
"It is alright," Lin Yuan said softly, offering her a reassuring smile. He gently took the Rain Blade back and stored it in his spatial ring. "You cannot wield it today. But I promise you, Qingyue... the day is rapidly approaching when you will not only wield this blade, but the entire world will tremble when you draw it."