Chapter Ten: Remembrance

General, would you be proud to see this right now? My excellent bartering skills will never fade! My shot worked this time…

…

Ah. I forgot to sell the talismans I got from the other guy. Oh well, they can always be sold later. The most important benefit of this trip is the golden page. 

A common magic technique was located on the golden page, the "Essence Concentration Technique". Its ability was also an extremely average support technique called the "Spirit Gathering Technique" and could only increase the speed at which Spiritual Qi was gathered.

Yet, hidden beneath this facade was an amazingly cool technique! 

The Azure Sword Essence Art had several divine abilities that would be granted upon the initiation of every three layers. And the first one was shooting sword beams out my hand.

SWORD BEAMS. 

This is ignoring everything else like the sword shield that auto defends and counteracts and so much more~

SwordsswordsswordsswordsswordsswordsswordsswordsswordsS!

Swords forever!

Since I have the full version of the technique it also means that the missing parts are all filled and the crap defect is gone too now!

LET'S GOOOOOO!

Regardless, let's open up this gift bag! Well, first I need to record this Essence Concentration Technique and its supporting technique. Just in case.

But now, the true reward is here!

First, burning the golden letter!

…

After two weeks of waiting the surface of the damn page finally started to melt… I have sat here waiting for this to finally burn. Since I don't have the foundational flame brought by Foundation Establishment it's going to take a much longer time…

…

It's been over a month of waiting and the wait is finally over. After using several branches and rocks to lift the burning golden page out of the heap, I was able to find the sword control technique. 

The original novel didn't describe much about this technique, but from what I can see it's a similar principle to my [Ice Control]'s spiritual tendrils. It's quite complex if I were to say so myself, but it's essentially using myself as a power grid connecting to each one of the swords, but more delicate. 

But now, I can finally get the technique!

Go [Darting Ironthorn]!

…

As Yanqing swiftly used his frozen blade comparable to a magic tool to damage the golden page, a light shot out from the paper. 

[Frozen Azure Essence Sword Art] [1-13]

[Three Essence Revolutions]

[Giant Sword Technique]

[Refining Knowledge: Bamboo Cloudswarm Swords]

…

The techniques were almost the same as the original, but there seemed to be a change. If I recall, wasn't the original technique the Azure Sword Essence Art? Why is there a [Frozen]?

Could this be the work of the system? Damn you Aha! 

Regardless, my excitement and elation is just too high right now. Thank you for whoever gave me this technique, I promise I will not lose any battles with this technique!

Running away doesn't count as losing!

…

Somewhere in the Spiritual Realm, a man sneezed even with his Grand Ascension Stage Cultivation. An urge to beat up a junior felt almost natural…

Maybe he should go and beat up some Mayfly juniors…

…

After a whole day of celebration by creating hundreds of frozen swords, Yanqing finally recuperated before cultivating the technique. 

The technique was not unique because of its compression methods, but rather because the energy compressed was changed into that of a different shape. The cultivator had to imagine what it meant to be a "Sword" in order to slowly change their energy into one of that. 

Yanqing slowly imagined himself as the weapon of the general, and a sword of Loufu, a slaughterer of abominations. Past memories which were blurred slowly began to resurface as memories of slaying countless abominations during the war flashed in his mind. 

As the concept of a [Sword] formed and engraved it onto himself, he began to circulate the energy in accordance with the technique. A whirlpool of ice energy soon gathered around him as the temperature soon fell around him. Each breath that he took was visible, but with each passing moment of circulation his breath started to turn invisible. 

A purple-pink energy emerged around his body causing the ice energy inside of him to slowly transform. Each of the ice produced now had a crystalline structure. 

The cave slowly started to freeze as the amount of ice energy gathered was immense. 

He was previously amnesiac, filled with memories of his previous life, before he was even Yanqing. Imaginary tree shenanigans must've happened in order for this to have happened. Someone was forgotten…?

During this period of time Yanqing slowly forgot the urge to eat, sleep, or even move. Everything was dedicated to remembering who he was, and what he was. With each battle remembered, a tear fell from his eyes. 

Yet, with each memory, a happiness was born inside of him as he remembered his sadness, his happiness, his joys, and his despair. Each moment created and sharpened the person known as "Yanqing". 

No further hesitation–

On those unanswered questions–

So now, I'll make my dream unchanged–!

Just like what the general wanted!

Yet, with those words going through his mind… The image of the General calling out to him came once more. This time much more vividly as he could see that the general was missing an arm and was tossing something to him. 

Like a movie left on a cliffhanger, the vision shattered right there and then leaving Yanqing puzzled and angered. 

"...!"

Tears fell rapidly as the boy snapped out of cultivation while he pounded the cave. The floor rumbled due to the force, and as the rumbling grew quieter and smaller in size, the boy was in a fetal position.

"Why!"

"Please… just one more minute. I just–"

"Show me the General! Show me what happened!" 

"...please"

Tears still left his closed eyes, one filled with regret, but also pain.

"I beg of you…"

"Anyone…" And as these whimpered messages came and went, someone did witness this moment. A gaze fell upon the boy as he soon fell into the realm of dreams.

A humanoid figure carved out of a reflective crystal material wearing a Mianguan. The entity shook his hands before gazing downwards at the sleeping boy.

The last tear turned into a crystal-like substance with the properties of ice, a reminder of the past. It clung onto the boy's body before it created a string to become a necklace around the boy's neck. 

It was a comfort brought upon by an entity's remnant power in sadness for the boy's remembrance. 

"The world remembers."