With a clang, the black and white swords destroyed each other, turning into 'snowflakes' that filled the sky. It was as though the world was only left with the constantly fluttering colors of immaculate black and holy white.
Shi Xiaobai had underestimated the intentions of the black and white swords. Or it could be said that he underestimated their 'loyalty'. He never expected the two swords to acutely sense the seriousness of the situation, nor did he expect that they would sacrifice themselves just to save him.
Shi Xiaobai fell into a daze for a while as he looked at the black and white fragments on the ground. He felt a stifling weight on his chest as he gaped slightly, unable to utter a word. Something seemed stuck in his throat. He could neither swallow it down nor spit it out.
He could endure pain, tolerate torment but he could not accept others sacrificing themselves for him.
That benevolent butcher who had said, "This year, when we visit the tombs, I will tell your Grandpa that we will not slaughter pigs in the future".
The black-haired teenager who had knocked him unconscious in the cupboard, picked up a rusty pig slaughtering knife and charged out the door but had never returned.
That purple-haired pixie who was willing to 'rage', degenerating herself to become her most hated fallen pixie in order to save him.
That blond girl who carried him on her back while running across an entire world to the point of fainting yet never revealing a hint of exhaustion.
That azure-dressed girl who was worried if he would feel sorry despite having her arms nearly ripped off because of his loss of control.
They were like that.
The little white dog floating beside him who had vomited all of its treasured collections.
The black and white swords that had shattered themselves in order to save him.
They were like that too.
He could not tolerate such sacrifice. It was a sadness that a king could not bear. It was a tragedy that was unacceptable.
Shi Xiaobai fell into a prolonged silence before finally sighing. A look of determination flashed in his eyes.
He moved his weak body and stretched out his stiff arms to slowly pick up the black and white sword fragments. He gathered them into a pile and placed it in front of him.
"There will come a day when This King will restore the both of you."
Shi Xiaobai gently caressed the black and white fragments. They had the feeling of black and white keys on a piano, but they could no longer emit clear sword hums like before. At that moment, they were completely silent as if they had turned into a pile of compost.
Shi Xiaobai would not eat them even if they were truly dead, even if there was a minute left before the Holy Tree Sin Poison struck again.
He would keep the black and white fragments and safeguard them. He would search for a way to 'assemble' them once again in order to restore them to their former states.
"Hmph!"
Suddenly, a somewhat childish but aloof grunt of a young girl was heard.
Shi Xiaobai was slightly astonished as he felt a burning sensation on the back of his right hand. He looked down and saw the golden pattern suddenly light up. Dazzling golden light emitted in all directions like the blooming of a lotus!
A golden blob of light suddenly floated out of the golden lotus, enshrouded by an inkling of a divine aura.
The golden blob of light emitted a fragrant scent with the faint sounds of sword hums. A snow-white figure that was even whiter than the snow-white plains they were on slowly walked out of the blob of light.
The figure was in the shape of a six or seven-year-old girl with delicate facial features that did not look human. It wore a princess gown that had no other colors except white. As for its skin, it was much whiter than the princess gown. However, it was white in a matte and smooth manner, like smooth, creamy jade.
The waist-long hair was also snow-white in color. Other than its black eyebrows, pale golden pupils, and the nearly invisible nostrils and tiny pink cherry lips, there was no other color other than white. However, this whiteness was not monotone. There were hints of red in the whiteness, or it could be as white as snow, or as white as jade. It looked like a visual feast of whiteness.
Shi Xiaobai was dumbfounded. Who else could the snow-white little loli that suddenly appeared out of the golden light be other than the little sword spirit that he named 'Little Black'?
The little sword spirit seldom appeared. She could only be summoned by vigorously prodding the golden pattern on the back of his hand, so why did she take the initiative to appear this time?
Just as Shi Xiaobai opened his mouth to inquire, he saw the little sword spirit walk towards him the moment she landed on her feet. He immediately sensed something different.
The soft and cute face that compelled people to reach out their hands to pinch no longer had the tinge of cuteness a little loli should have. She had a cold and angry expression making her look like a furious teenage girl.
The six-year-old looks of a girl and the expression of a teenage girl looked completely alien.
"You are so foolish that This Sword Spirit can't bear watching it any further!"
Before Shi Xiaobai could speak a word, the little sword spirit had spoken. Her voice no longer sounded as childlike or cute. Instead, it was forbidding and clear, just like the sound of pearls dropping on a jade plate.
Shi Xiaobai was left dumbfounded.
The little sword spirit hurled a barrage of words as she walked. "From the beginning, you were only supposed to drip a drop of blood to allow This Sword Spirit to recover her energy but you managed to force This Sword Spirit into signing a slave contract."
"That can be put aside. At most, This Sword Spirit would just hide away but you actually forced This Sword Spirit out, saying you wanted to learn swords."
"Fine, so what if you want to learn swords. What the heck was 'the name Little Black is quite cute'? This Sword Spirit hates the color black the most!"
"Hmph, forget it about names. You are after all the master of This Sword Spirit's slave contract. This Sword Spirit complied with your twisted interests and planned on acting as a cute and naive loli before parting ways with you once This Sword Spirit recovers!"
The little sword spirit had a cold expression and she babbled on endlessly, as though it was venting all of her 'complaints' at one go. She walked in front of the stunned Shi Xiaobai and stretched out her tiny hand to point at the pile of black and white fragments. She said coldly, "Why are you so dumb? Just for a pile of scrap metal? Do you want to die?"
Shi Xiaobai's expression finally changed when he heard those words. He looked at the 'unfamiliar' little loli in front of him and said solemnly, "They are This King's swords, not scrap metal!"
The little loli grunted coldly and said, "What difference is a bunch of dead objects from scrap metal? Are you eating or not!?"
Shi Xiaobai said with a shake of his head, "This King will absolutely not eat them!"
The little sword spirit said with a glare, "Then revoke the slave contract you have on This Sword Spirit. If you want to die, don't pull This Sword Spirit along!"
Shi Xiaobai was stunned as he asked, "How?"
The little sword spirit said with a scoff, "You used terms of a slave contract that This Sword Spirit had never heard before. How would This Sword Spirit know?"
Shi Xiaobai fell silent and recalled to the moment he said the phrase to sign a contract with Lucifer's Sword in the Underworld. It was—
"Implode reality, pulverize thy spirit. By banishing this world, comply with the blood pact, thou art serve the King, becoming This King's sword, the holy sword that slays demons—Little Black!"
Well, the incantation seemed, appeared…like it was made up on the spot…
Although Shi Xiaobai did not find it strange that an incantation he made up would become a slave contract, he truly did not know how to revoke the contract.
That was because he had never thought of voluntarily revoking pacts he made himself.
Shi Xiaobai said with a dry smile, "This King does not know as well. But don't worry. This King will not die. It's just a tiny bit of poison. It can't kill This King."
Shi Xiaobai naturally had a last resort he could use. Although he would need to pay a terrible price, it would not be as bad as being poisoned to death by the Holy Tree Sin Poison. If not, whatever he said about restoring the black and white swords to their original states would be empty talk.
The little sword spirit gave him a doubtful look and said with a grunt, "This Sword Spirit has already seen enough of your dumb ways! This pile of scrap…Quickly eat them, or This Sword Spirit cannot be allayed!"
Shi Xiaobai said with a shake of his head, "This King will absolutely not eat them!"
The little sword spirit gritted her teeth and said, "If you aren't eating, think of a way to revoke the slave contract!"
Shi Xiaobai shook his head again and said, "This King has no way of revoking it."
The little sword spirit said angrily, "Then eat it quickly!"
Shi Xiaobai said affirmatively, "No!"
The little sword spirit glared at him and said, "Are you eating or not!?"
Shi Xiaobai glared back. "No! Not eating! Absolutely not eating!"
The two of them glared at each other with staunch viewpoints but none of them planned on being 'reasonable' with the other.
Shi Xiaobai found the glaring loli in front of him 'abominable'. If not for his hands turning extremely stiff because of the 'Holy Tree Sin Poison' as if it was frozen in ice, he would have 'ravaged' the tiny face of hers.
The little sword spirit seemed to sense the 'evil thoughts' from Shi Xiaobai's eyes. Immediately, she lost in the glaring war as she lowered her head.
Shi Xiaobai smiled slightly. He knew that although the little sword spirit was using a 'selfish' attitude, it stemmed from her worry of him doing something foolish. However, he found it slightly overboard for her to fake the act of a cute little loli in the past.
Shi Xiaobai gradually lifted his hand, prepared to attack her by ruffling her hair and tell her that he would not do something rash. Even if he didn't eat the black and white swords, he would absolutely not be poisoned to death.
However, at that moment, the little sword spirit that had lowered her head suddenly rushed forward. Her feet landed on the sitting Shi Xiaobai's thighs as her petite body leaned onto Shi Xiaobai's chest. She lifted her fair hands up and suddenly reached for Shi Xiaobai's face.
The speed of the little sword spirit was so fast that Shi Xiaobai did not react in time.
With a cold grunt, the little sword spirit's hands were already pinching Shi Xiaobai's cheek. With a pull of extreme force, she forced Shi Xiaobai’s mouth open.
At the same time, the black and white fragments seemed to be attracted off the ground and hurtled straight for Shi Xiaobai's opened mouth!
"You'll eat even if you refuse to!"
The little sword spirit's eyes were squinted. Although she was in the shape of a six-year-old loli, her expression was overbearing like a mighty queen.
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