World's No. 1 Swordsman

Chapter 95: The Spiritless Sword

Chapter 95: The Spiritless SwordMa Zibin had been saying that he had something good in store for Wang Sheng ever since he arrived. Unexpectedly, it turned out to be a sword.

A celestial sword developed by the re

Though it was useless for cultivating the Dao of the Sword, it was excellent for combat.

Wang Sheng was not a picky person. Since it was a carefully chosen gift, he had no reason to complain. By principle, he should offer something in return, but he truly had nothing suitable to give.

"Professor Ma—Uncle Ma, does this sword have a name?"

Still rummaging through a cabinet, Ma Zibin replied without looking back, "The team that made it called it Light Edge No. 6. I doubt you'd like that name, though, so feel free to rename it."

Wang Sheng thought for a moment. When Ma Zibin finally returned with a few small boxes in hand, Wang Sheng said, "Let's call it Spiritless."

"Spiritless? Sounds pretty good." Ma Zibin chuckled. "You cultivators always have this classical romanticism about you, unlike us researchers. Our minds are stuck on dissecting the nature of Daoism and primal qi."

Wang Sheng smiled. "Uncle Ma, your work benefits the entire Hua Republic. We cultivators only look after ourselves."

Ma Zibin sighed. "That's only true if we can achieve a real breakthrough. Many research projects are stuck at a bottleneck. That's why we wanted to interact with real cultivators. We learned a lot from this afternoon alone.

"Anyway, take a look at this! It's one of my inventions from last year: the third-generation Primal-Qi Gatherer!"

Wang Sheng's interest was immediately piqued. He carefully returned Spiritless into its case and examined the strange-looking boxes on the table.

The first item that Ma Zibin handed over resembled a posture corrector. He gestured for Wang Sheng to try it on. Wang Sheng hesitated, but since he didn't want to refuse, he still wore it over his Daoist robe.

Can this thing really enhance the absorption of primal qi?

Now in full lecture mode, Ma Zibin proudly explained, "I based the design on the Shangqing Sect's Qi-Gathering Talisman and an ancient formation recorded in an old text. I realized that the talisman was a simplified version of a qi-gathering formation, which gave me an idea.

"We haven't fully deciphered the fundamental workings of talismans and formations, but that doesn't stop us from applying them. Think of it as a key; we might not understand its inner mechanics, but we can replicate it using a mold and still unlock a whole new world of energy applications. This is the activation button. Try it out."

Wang Sheng nodded and pressed the button near his ribs. He then heard flowing water.

Looking down, he saw no visible change. Soon, however, waves of slightly murky primal qi began surging toward his chest and back.

He tried absorbing some. The quality was no different from what he usually took in directly from the air, but because the surrounding primal qi density had increased, his absorption speed had nearly matched the rate he achieved when meditating in seclusion.

It actually worked!

Having the device was like carrying a portable qi-gathering formation.

Not only could it extend his endurance in battle, but wearing it while cultivating would also accelerate his progress.

"This has already been issued to the Special Warfare Unit. The only downside is that it's not breathable, so it gets slightly warm after prolonged use. It won't be a problem in winter, but it can be quite uncomfortable in summer," Ma Zibin admitted, then sheepishly laughed. "It also needs to be recharged every twelve hours. To compensate, I added a wireless charging feature."

Ma Zibin was clearly not entirely satisfied with his invention, finding it imperfect. Nevertheless Wang Sheng was at a loss for words.

This thing can even be charged? By the heavens, just how far had the Hua Republic's research into primal qi progressed? It's only been three or four years since primal qi returned!

"My next goal is to add a purification and filtration function to purify the absorbed primal qi, making it even more efficient for the user," Ma Zibin added, exciting Wang Sheng even more.

With renewed enthusiasm, Ma Zibin moved on to introduce the next batch of goodies.

Wang Sheng had already thought that the primal-qi gathering device was remarkable, but the next two inventions left him even more amazed.

"This glove comes in both left-hand and right-hand versions, so it works no matter which hand you use for your sword. It has three functions. When the switch is off, it increases adhesion to surfaces like stone walls or smooth surfaces, allowing you to climb buildings with ease. When you turn on the switch on the back and infuse it with primal qi... Try it."

Wang Sheng slipped on the glove and channeled a small stream of primal qi into it. Then, he pressed the button on the back of his hand.

Bzz!

A half-meter-wide primal qi shield materialized on the back of his hand.

Ma Zibin grinned. "It forms a shield using primal qi—a defensive technique that cultivators at the Seed Formation Realm use. The array embedded in the glove minimizes qi loss, allowing you to conserve primal qi and stay in the fight longer."

Wang Sheng nodded solemnly.

Though he would soon recover from his leg injury and return to Wudang or Zhongnan, at this moment, he had to show his appreciation for the organization.

The priority was to get these treasures out first!

Ma Zibin added, "The button on the palm lets you consume primal qi to enhance your grip strength."

A device that passively gathered primal qi, a glove that provided both defense and utility, and Spiritless—these three alone already significantly enhanced Wang Sheng's combat capabilities.

However, Ma Zibin wasn't done. With a mysterious smile, he remarked, "Satisfied already? Wait until you see my proudest achievement so far. Keep your eyes wide open! Don't blink!"

As the third box was opened, a tightly compressed gray fabric bundle shot out, unfolding in midair into... a pair of men's boxers.