Chapter 31: The Enigmatic Blades and Ethereal Transformations

The mysterious voice, laced with urgency, cried out, ‘Pull them out, now!’

‘Coming, coming!’ I exclaimed, exchanging a glance with Su Yingning.

I could discern the fine beads of sweat breaking out on her face, a clear sign of her nervousness.

Without further ado, we scurried towards the stone steps.

The swords had to be drawn; leaving them would halt our progress on the quest.

Yet, drawing them required a delicate touch and strategic thinking.

We absolutely could not succumb to the other party’s will and blindly extract them all.

Of course, if even drawing just one sword led to our downfall, then I would accept defeat for this round.

However, once offline, I would make it my personal mission to track down the home address of the scoundrel who designed this quest.

Hand in hand, Su Yingning and I descended the steps carved into the pit’s edge.

Our eyes narrowed to slits against the intense glare, we cautiously made our way, one slow step after another, towards the pit’s depths.

With each step downward, the light emanating from within the pit intensified, growing so blindingly brilliant that it rendered everything around us indistinct.

Fortunately, our descent was unimpeded; with a soft thud, our feet finally met solid ground, signaling our arrival at the cave’s bottom.

Upon reaching the bottom, the sheer intensity of the light forced us to keep our eyes tightly shut.

We were left to navigate our surroundings solely by touch and the faint impressions our minds had gathered.

With our eyes still closed, we instinctively gravitated towards the light’s origin.

My tail, acting like an exploratory tentacle, swept wildly around, probing the contours of the terrain.

As it brushed across the floor, it seemed to make contact with something.

Turning my head, I reached out to touch, and sure enough, my fingers closed around the hilt of a sword.

With no room for hesitation, I turned, gripped the sword’s hilt firmly, and pulled with all my might.

‘Buzz!’

The sword slid free with barely a whisper, offering no resistance whatsoever.

The moment it left its sheath, the vibrant pink light instantly dissipated, and a corner of the seamless, three-colored illumination winked out.

The oppressive pressure on both Su Yingning and me significantly lessened.

[You obtained ??? Sword]

Beyond the enigmatic name [???], no other details were revealed.

There were no attributes, no intricate descriptions; in essence, we had gleaned absolutely no valuable information.

Turning my back to the remaining two sources of light, I lowered my gaze, beginning a careful examination of the sword in my hand.

It was a slender, pink rapier, exquisitely crafted and imbued with a lively grace, clearly fashioned for a female wielder.

Now, a gentle radiance flowed from its surface, entirely devoid of its previous scorching intensity.

Indeed, a single glance now evoked a sensation of crisp, refreshing comfort.

Intricate patterns of intertwining vines and unknown blossoms were carved into the slender blade, and from these very engravings, a truly refreshing floral fragrance, brimming with the essence of nature, occasionally wafted forth, invigorating the senses.

Even more astonishingly, two butterflies fluttered and danced playfully around the rapier, as if mistaking it for a blooming flower patch!

Concurrently, the ambient light around us diminished significantly once more, a clear indication that Su Yingning had successfully drawn the white sword.

With two swords now freed, we converged, meticulously examining both blades in detail.

Su Yingning’s blade was a translucent, faintly ice-blue creation—an ice sword, perhaps, or a crystal sword, even a diamond sword.

In essence, its material was utterly beyond our comprehension.

It too was a rapier, yet its surface bore no carvings of flowers or vines.

Instead, it seemed to project the chilling majesty of snow-capped mountains and frozen rivers, with an ethereal, cold mist swirling around its blade.

Remarkably, after this sword was drawn, the temperature within the entire cavern plummeted by several degrees.

Unexpectedly, despite the ice sword radiating a bone-chilling aura, its touch was far from the frigid sensation one might anticipate.

The instant it was grasped, a remarkably invigorating surge of cold energy flowed through every fiber of one’s being, leaving a profound sense of rejuvenation and heightened vitality.

Whether it was an illusion or not, as Su Yingning gripped the sword, her entire aura shifted, becoming noticeably cooler.

This coolness, however, was not one of haughty arrogance, but rather a transcendent serenity.

She seemed to have instantly transformed into a celestial fairy from the Moon Palace, untouched by mortal dust, enhancing her allure by several folds.

If the former Su Yingning was captivating enough to make hearts flutter, the present Su Yingning was the kind to elicit gasps and screams of awe.

And so, I screamed.

‘Ahhh, Master, you’re so ethereal, so stunningly beautiful, so utterly captivating!’

‘Is that so…?’ Su Yingning murmured, her gaze turning to me, a flicker of surprise evident on her face.

‘You’ve undergone such a profound change. What could have happened?’

Su Yingning’s voice, now imbued with an even more ethereal quality than before, carried the distinct cadence of a celestial being.

‘My change?’ I echoed, equally stunned.

‘Could the sword in my grasp also possess some charm-enhancing properties?’ I wondered.

‘Hmm… if you were once a mischievous, whimsical girl, you now exude a vibrant agility tempered by gentle inclusiveness,’ Su Yingning observed.

‘There’s a noticeable maternal warmth about you, something comforting and inviting, making you seem more like a truly proper young woman.’

As she spoke, Su Yingning leaned closer, sniffing at my neck.

‘Even your natural scent has transformed… it’s considerably softer than before, losing that hint of a bewitching aura.’

Truly, a woman’s perception of appearances and the vast lexicon they possess to describe them are utterly beyond my own capabilities; her detailed description left me speechless.

Yet, such an evaluation, despite its detail, did little to lift my spirits.

‘Here, Master, take this; put it away,’ I said, swiftly passing the ‘hot potato’ of a sword to Su Yingning.

‘You should store it in your pet backpack first,’ she replied.

‘I can’t take it; I only have one empty slot remaining.’

With a sullen sigh, I tucked the pink rapier into my pet backpack, only to be astonished as the two butterflies, which had been circling the blade, fluttered in after it, vanishing without a trace.

Su Yingning, too, returned the ice sword to her backpack, yet even with the blade no longer in her grasp, her transformed demeanor remained unaltered, as though she were still profoundly influenced by its presence.

Well then, I surmised that my own state was likely quite similar to Su Yingning’s.

Silently marveling at the wondrous effects of [Pursuit II], Su Yingning and I did not linger for long, resuming our journey.

We then waved dismissively towards the source of the final golden light.

‘Oh, Senior! We’re off now, see you next time!’ I called out.

‘No need to thank us! We are Lei Feng (TL Note: A legendary selfless soldier in Chinese culture, a symbol of altruism and dedication)!’

The golden light pulsed: [???!!!]