Starting My Cultivation With Time Management

The Green Duckweed Sword was three feet and six inches long, entirely dark with a green lotus decoration carved at its hilt.

The Thunder Punishment Sword was three feet and eight inches long, its blade shimmering enough to see one’s reflection, adorned at the hilt with a golden lion’s teeth embossed design that looked powerful and domineering.

Well, or perhaps another word, flashy.

Even though it was a Tenth Rank Immortal Sword, it had been discarded in the storage room where nobody paid attention to it, piled up with brooms and other things as if it were just firewood.

Finding the dust-covered Thunder Punishment Sword in a corner, An Zhisu picked it up, drew a few sword flowers in the air, and wiped the hilt with a handkerchief before handing it to Ling Yunpo and said,

“Here, want to give it a try? If you can successfully refine it, we won’t need to go to the Sword Pool to get a second sword.”

Ling Yunpo took the Flying Sword, trying to connect his Qi to it.

As soon as he touched the blade, he was immediately repelled.

Following that, a very flashy voice of a chūnibyō teenager echoed back:

“Who wants to refine me? A miscultivator! Are you even an immortal? Not even worthy?”

Ling Yunpo: ……

“Senior Sister,” he said earnestly, “I don’t have much experience dealing with Sword Spirits, but with a spirit like this, I think it could be thrown back into the Sword Pool. Let it clash swords day and night with other Flying Swords.”

The sounds of hearty laughter from the Green Duckweed Sword and the indignant cursing of the Thunder Punishment Sword echoed in his mind while An Zhisu laughed and said,

“Junior Brother, Thunder Punishment is, after all, a Tenth Rank Immortal Sword. Isn’t it a pity to just throw it into the Sword Pool like that?”

The Thunder Punishment Sword relaxed, continuing to sneer in his mind:

“Pfft, good thing this little girl knows her stuff. Too bad she hasn’t even reached the Golden Core Rank yet. As for you, you rude miscultivator, even if you really become an immortal, don’t think you can conquer me!”

“Alright, Senior Sister,” Ling Yunpo nodded, “then I’ll take it back and try to refine it.”

“Mhm,” An Zhisu said smilingly, “take your time, no rush.”

Bringing the Thunder Punishment Sword back to his bedroom and placing it on the desk, Ling Yunpo then asked:

“Ah Jing, Qing Ping, is there a way to train a Sword Spirit?”

The Kunlun Mirror was silent for a long time before it said,

“What do you mean by ‘train’?”

“To make it obediently listen to me,” Ling Yunpo said with a cold laugh, “like, for instance, throwing it into a dry latrine’s dung pit?”

“Are you human!” the Green Duckweed Sword exclaimed in disbelief.

As a Tenth Rank Immortal Sword, it naturally didn’t worry that a mere Qi Refining Rank disciple could cause it any substantial damage.

But being thrown into a dung pit… While it wouldn’t be highly damaging, it was extremely insulting. Thunder Punishment Sword would rather destroy its Sword Spirit than retain such a memory.

“If I may be so bold, Sword Master,” the Green Duckweed Sword inquired cautiously, “if it’s thrown into that filthy place, even if it’s to force it to submit, wouldn’t it become unusable afterward, since it would be so foul-smelling…”

“No matter,” Ling Yunpo said nonchalantly, “just clean it up. Since a Flying Sword doesn’t need to be held when used, even if it stinks, it’s others who will be bothered by the smell, not me.”

Green Duckweed Sword: ……

It wanted to say “but I do mind,” but upon reflection, it knew that its cold-hearted Sword Master certainly wouldn’t care about its senses.

So, after a moment’s thought, the Green Duckweed Sword once again ingratiatingly said,

“Sword Master, why not let me try?”

“You?” Ling Yunpo said lazily, “How do you plan to try?”

He knew from a previous sparring session with Lin Duanshan that this Green Duckweed Sword was no ordinary Immortal Sword—it had to be actively tapped for its value.

“I can go persuade it,” said the Green Duckweed Sword enticingly.

“How to persuade…” Ling Yunpo had begun to ask when he suddenly became wary and said, “Wait, it’s not going to be some seductive scheme, is it?!”

“Look at what you’re saying, Sword Master,” the Green Duckweed Sword giggled, “Among us Sword Spirits, we only have the gender we identify with, not an inherent distinction between male and female, so where does the idea of a honey trap or… ‘pretty sword scheme’ come from?”

“Besides, since I serve you, Sword Master, I will live as your Immortal Sword and die as your broken sword. How could I possibly cater to another sword…”

“Alright, alright.” Ling Yunpo also felt that he might have overthought it, as if he was somewhat forcing himself to find a silver lining, “I’ll leave it to you then, Qingping. Don’t let me down.”

He placed the Green Duckweed Sword on the desk and leisurely walked out of the room with his hands clasped behind his back.

“Hmph, Fan Tie, what are you trying to do?” the Thunder Punishment Sword arrogantly asked, lying on the desk.

The next second, an extremely terrifying aura rose from the Green Duckweed Sword beside it.

With nothing to do, Ling Yunpo took a leisurely stroll around the top of Qingluo Peak.

The Various Peaks of Shushan were located in the Heavenly Mansion territory, where the landscape stretched for miles. Although it did not match the grandeur of the snow-covered Kunlun Peak, it had its own exquisitely beautiful charm.

Twining vines and flowering shrubs, mountains with cascading streams, birds in flight and insects singing, each element was brimming with the vitality of nature.

By the creek behind the observation point, Ling Yunpo saw a poem inscribed on the stone wall as if carved with axes and knives:

Even the eternal sky and the boundless earth have their end, yet this sorrow lingers on without cease.

Ling Yunpo: ?

Looking at the handwriting, it didn’t seem to be written by Senior Sister An.

But his cheap master, the man from the Seven Kills Formation, Su Jian, was said to have been obsessed with the way of the sword all his life, and was also unlikely to express such deeply emotional feelings.

Well, he just didn’t know which senior had left it.

After making a round outside, Ling Yunpo returned to the side room only to find the two Tenth Rank Immortal Swords still lying quietly on the desk.

Ling Yunpo slung the Green Duckweed Sword over his shoulder and picked up the Thunder Punishment Sword, linking their auras.

The Thunder Punishment Sword offered no resistance, which made him slightly puzzled.

So he attempted to communicate with it:

“Thunderbane, you…”

“Oh my! I’m here,” the Thunder Punishment Sword said sycophantically, “Sword Master, what do you need me for?”

Ling Yunpo:

He really wanted to make a confused face, but considering there was no audience around, he asked again with patience:

“Qingping… what did it say to you?”

“Sword Master.” The Thunder Punishment Sword spoke respectfully, “The Emperor has taught me many principles, such as how a good bird chooses a tree to nest, and a wise sword chooses a master to serve; and that a sword may have pride, but it must not have arrogance…”

“Stop.” Ling Yunpo halted it, interrupting its ramble, “Who the heck is the Emperor?”

“Qingping Emperor believes itself to be the Empress among swords, so I call it ‘Your Majesty,’” the Thunder Punishment Sword said with a grin.

“And what is your gender?”

“I currently do not possess a gender,” the Thunder Punishment Sword hastily replied, “If the Sword Master prefers maidens, I can be a delicate young beauty; if you like the style of a man, I can be an attractive gentleman. Even my voice can correspondingly transform…”

“Go away!” Ling Yunpo cursed irritably, “What attractive gentleman? From today on, you will speak with the voice of a little loli!”

“May I ask, Sword Master, what exactly is a ‘little loli’?”

“A young girl around thirteen or fourteen years old.”

“As the Sword Master commands.” The Thunder Punishment Sword began to adjust its tone, voice gradually becoming high-pitched and clear, “Eh, oh, ah!”

Eventually, it successfully transformed into the bell-like, slightly milky voice of a young girl.

“Sword Master~ is this alright?”

“Hmm, that will do,” Ling Yunpo said coldly.

He carried Qingping on his back and held Thunderbane in a reversed grip as he confidently walked out of his quarters, turning to knock on Senior Sister An’s door.

“Senior Sister An,” he said with a deep voice and a hint of amusement, “I have already subjugated the Thunder Punishment Sword!”

“Really?” An Zhisu, hearing his voice, hurried over to open the door for him. She looked at the Thunder Punishment Sword in his hand and asked excitedly, “How did you subjugate it?”

“Of course, by virtue!” Ling Yunpo declared firmly.