There were actually many ways to increase one's rapport with their spirit sword's sword spirit. In the past, when spirit beasts and demon beasts had run amuck, many cultivators had chosen to use their spirit swords as much as possible in slaying these animals, and in this way increase their rapport and proficiency with their swords. This had been the most effective and the quickest way.
But now, the demon beasts were behind the Gate Between Worlds, and spirit beasts had become protected animals in every nation.
Hence, modern cultivators had come up with their own individual secret know-hows to increase rapport with their spirit swords.
For example, Dharmaraja most commonly used the godly thunder inheritance to give his spirit sword a light electric massage; as another example, since immersing himself in studying the broccoli which Grandfather Wang had given him, Grenade-Throwing Senior Immortal had been putting his spirit sword in his broccoli vegetable patch…