Chapter 173

The sense of crisis in her heart prompted her to want to do something, but before she could speak, the carriage she was riding in came to a stop. Then, Xiao Cheng Yin opened the curtain of the carriage. What came into view was a grand building, with a plaque hanging on the door inscribed with the words "Forging Sword Tower," crafted from an invaluable spiritual jade. It appeared exceptionally extravagant. In fact, both Forging Sword Tower and Forging Sword Manor lived up to people's impression of grandeur. According to incomplete statistics, the magical treasures produced by Forging Sword Manor accounted for nearly seventy percent of the cultivation world. The spiritual stones obtained from the annual sale of magical treasures alone were enough to make Forging Sword Manor a wealthy presence in the cultivation world. There's a saying that perfectly encapsulates how rich Forging Sword Manor is: even the Emperor would feel envious upon seeing their treasure vault. As the curtain was opened, Bai Lian was instantly captivated by the sight before her, not just because of the grandeur of Forging Sword Tower, but also because of the soaring sword aura contained within. Although Forging Sword Tower produced various magical treasures, not just swords, the fact that they were named Forging Sword Tower was enough to show their confidence in sword forging, even enough to take it as their trademark. Compared to the Sword Sect of Taihua's forced study of sword forging techniques, the final products were only medium-quality standard disciple swords. Forging Sword Manor's accomplishment in sword forging could be considered otherworldly. Before the Ascension Ladder was severed, Forging Sword Manor could even produce immortal swords. These immortal swords weren't directly sold, but were chosen for suitable cultivators through the Sword Ring Competition held by Forging Sword Manor and then presented to them. This was actually a way for Forging Sword Manor to protect itself, considering that despite being good at crafting, their own strength wasn't particularly high. Even the highest-level cultivator in the sect was only at the Mid-Stage of the Primordial Realm. With such average strength, coupled with unparalleled crafting skills and immense wealth, they naturally faced intense scrutiny from the outside world. It was precisely for this reason that Forging Sword Manor held the Sword Ring Competition. A cultivator who could defeat others and win an immortal sword in the Sword Ring Competition naturally couldn't be underestimated. And since they received the immortal sword as a gift, they would naturally feel grateful to Forging Sword Manor. In the long run, Forging Sword Manor obtained an unimaginable network of contacts. Those who harbored intentions towards them had to carefully consider whether they could withstand the retaliation from the owners of those immortal swords. Later, with the severance of the Ascension Ladder, the amount of immortal energy obtainable in the cultivation world decreased, and even with their exceptional sword forging techniques, Forging Sword Manor was unable to carry on. As a result, the ultimate reward for the Sword Ring Competition had to become top-notch spiritual tools. But even with such top-notch spiritual tools, they remained the objects of everyone's desire. The Sword Ring Competition held every hundred years continued to be a great event in the cultivation world. It's worth mentioning that Ling Zongzhu's Frost Condensation Sword was won by her at the Sword Ring Competition. As for that part of the history, the game only had a very brief introduction: at that Sword Ring Competition, Ling Zongzhu took a wooden sword and defeated all the participants before effortlessly winning the Frost Condensation Sword. Prior to that, people's impression of her was only of the "Goddess of Slaughter" in the Battle against Evil, but after this event, people finally realized how high her accomplishment in swordsmanship was. Her reason for participating in that Sword Ring Competition was simple: she felt that the Frost Condensation Sword suited her name very well. In summary, Bai Lian sensed an awe-inspiring sword intent within Forging Sword Tower, which indicated that there was definitely more than one top-tier spiritual sword inside. She immediately gazed at Forging Sword Tower with great interest. After being reborn, in order to not arouse suspicion from the female leads, she had to switch to cultivating the Profound Heart Scripture and transform from a traditional sword cultivator into a mage who relied on sword-casting magic. She could no longer display the heroic and graceful swordsmanship as before. But even if she couldn't become a sword cultivator, it wouldn't hurt to feast her eyes on top-tier spiritual swords! Watching Bai Lian's eager gaze, Xiao Cheng Yin smiled and said, "I didn't expect Miss Bai to have such a similar interest as me." "I've heard that Forging Sword Tower is a property of the renowned Forging Sword Manor in the martial world. Each weapon in Forging Sword Tower is a fine divine weapon, and the owner of Forging Sword Tower must be a person of great vision." "Since she is willing to spend a fortune to capture the attention of sword enthusiasts, as well as exhibit the sword for recognition, it is clear that she is confident in distinguishing the sword's authenticity." "If that is truly the sword enthusiast's sword, it should not be missed." "Since we both love swords, why don't we first go inside Forging Sword Tower and take a look?" At his words, Bai Lian subconsciously nodded and said, "Okay." Seeing Bai Lian agree with his idea, Xiao Cheng Yin's smile became even more radiant. He believed this was the beginning of the progression of his and Bai Lian's relationship. In his view, all women in the world are aspirational, including high-caliber women like Bai Lian; the only difference is that Bai Lian's standards are higher. Just like the Emperor's consorts, weren't they all once the pride of the Heavens? In the end, didn't they have to stay quietly in the harem? As a prince, both in appearance and family background, he could be considered the most outstanding man in the world. Therefore, he was confident that as long as he performed excellently, Bai Lian would definitely fall for him. Unless Bai Lian didn't like men. But how was that possible? He had investigated, and it was true - Bai Lian was very aloof. She rarely interacted with people, but her aloofness wasn't selective; no one fared well in her presence, regardless of gender. If it were before, perhaps he might not have had the confidence to get close to Bai Lian. But now, he knew Bai Lian's preference - a sword. It is said that understanding someone's preferences is the beginning of gaining their heart. And he had already won too much! The more Xiao Cheng Yin thought about it, the more he felt that he had a chance. As a result, he couldn't help but show a hint of joy as he extended his hand to help Bai Lian down the carriage. No woman would not feel proud to be helped down from a carriage by a prince, right? However, what he didn't expect was that in the instant he reached out, Bai Lian suddenly took a step back, as if avoiding something filthy. Xiao Cheng Yin couldn't help but twitch his mouth at Bai Lian's action. Seriously, is this sincere enough, stepping back half a step? How could a prince like me be treated like trash in your eyes? "Cough, there's no need to trouble Brother Cheng Yin; I can get down by myself." Bai Lian also realized that her reaction had been a bit excessive and couldn't help feeling embarrassed. There was nothing she could do; she now realized that Xiao Cheng Yin had some strange ideas about her. But she was very clear that Xiao Cheng Yin's feelings could never be reciprocated. Even though she was now a girl, the male memories of over twenty years from her previous life were not something she could just discard. As a normal heterosexual man, being liked by another man made her feel completely disgusted. If it weren't for still needing Xiao Cheng Yin's help to get close to the monks of the Maitreya Sect, she might have already fled with Mu Xinghe overnight. For this reason, it was no wonder that Mu Xinghe didn't like Xiao Cheng Yin at all in the game. Just this, let alone his oily way of flirting, was enough to make her want to run for the hills. She must keep her distance from Xiao Cheng Yin! Naturally, Xiao Cheng Yin was unaware of Bai Lian's thoughts. He only felt that his actions had been too sudden and had frightened Bai Lian. It seemed that dealing with a delicate flower like Bai Lian required a more patient approach. He silently withdrew his hand as if nothing had happened. "Miss Bai, please."