Walker Of The Worlds

Chapter 3009: The Power Of The Sheath

A tiny smirk touched the corner of the Saintess’ lips as she heard the story.

But it quickly faded.

"And you said it came from your ring?" she asked.

"Yeah. It was always there, but I could never interact with it," Lin Mu replied. "Until that moment in the Sacred Grounds. It moved on its own. I didn’t summon it."

The Saintess turned her gaze skyward for a moment, as if seeking answers from the stars.

"Dao Embryos that are born independently, without the will of a cultivator... are incredibly rare," she said after a pause. "It’s said that only one or two might exist for each Dao at any given time in all of existence. For you to come across one here in this world..."

She trailed off, a flicker of disbelief passing through her expression.

"You think it came from somewhere else?" Lin Mu asked.

She nodded slowly. "Perhaps from a realm lost to time. A place even I have never seen. I wouldn’t be surprised if the founder of the Xian Sword sect—Daoist Star Slayer—was the one who brought it here. He’s said to have wandered countless realms."

Lin Mu looked back at the sheath with a new perspective. "I wonder if I’ll ever get to meet him."

"You might," the Saintess said. "Though... beings like him rarely show themselves without purpose."𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Lin Mu remained silent, thoughts swirling. Then he glanced at her again. "There’s one more thing."

She tilted her head. "What is it?"

"The Sword Spirit of the Sacred Grounds... it acknowledged me," he said quietly. "The Patriarch said I’m its heir now. And... if I’m ever in danger... I can call on it."

That made the Saintess still.

The wind quieted. The trees stopped moving.

"So it was that presence..." she whispered. "When the sky split. Even from the Silent Lotus Temple, I felt it. That power... it was immense. Far greater than anything I’ve sensed here before."

"How strong do you think it is?" Lin Mu asked.

The Saintess crossed her arms, her voice thoughtful. "Spirits like that don’t have fixed strength. Their might depends on the one who carries them. In your hands... it might already rival a Transcendent. But if you grow stronger..."

She paused, her eyes narrowing.

Then her gaze shifted again to the sheath—and this time, a flicker of realization flashed in her eyes.

"...Wait," she said slowly. "That sense of danger I felt earlier—it’s the same as what I felt from the Sword Spirit. It’s not the sheath."

Lin Mu blinked. "What?"

"The danger isn’t from the Dao Embryo itself," she said, eyes now gleaming with understanding. "It’s from the Xian Sword Spirit. It’s still bound to that sheath... or perhaps... it is within the sheath in some form."

Lin Mu’s eyes widened.

That... made sense.

That would explain the sheath’s autonomous will. Its power. Its rejection of others. Its thirst.

"So I’m not just carrying a Dao Embryo..." he muttered. "I’m carrying the embodiment of the Sword Spirit itself."

The Saintess looked at him with something between awe and concern. "You’ve taken on something... few in this world could ever hope to."

"Yeah," Lin Mu said, letting out a soft chuckle. "That’s kind of been my week."

She smiled faintly at that, then took a step back.

"Be careful, Lin Mu. Power like this... it comes with a weight. And not just the kind you carry on your back."

"I know," he said. "But I’m ready."

The Saintess vanished into the mist once more, her presence fading like moonlight through clouds.

Lin Mu sat still for a long while after that, fingers brushing the edge of the sheath on his back.

For the first time, he truly understood what he was carrying.

Not just a weapon.

Not just a legacy.

But a will that had waited eons for someone worthy.

And now, it had chosen him.

The moonlight had not yet faded, and the stars still shimmered like diamonds in the heavens when Lin Mu finally turned his thoughts inward. The Saintess had left, her presence like a breeze—quiet but unforgettable. Yet what she said lingered with weight in Lin Mu’s heart.

"You’re carrying more than just a Dao Embryo... it may well be the Sword Spirit itself."

He looked over his shoulder at the Sword Cradle Divine Sheath resting firmly on his back. Its plain surface gave no hint to the immense mystery it held within, but Lin Mu could sense it—alive, aware, and ancient.

He reached back, unslung it gently, and placed it across his lap as he sat cross-legged in the courtyard. The silent moonlight seemed to shimmer around it, casting vague shadows as if the sheath distorted even the very light.

Dao Embryos usually revealed their Dao Skills to their wielders immediately upon bonding.

It was something all cultivators who reached this stage knew—when one formed a Dao Embryo, their comprehension of the Dao condensed and became usable skills. These were often profound, devastating, and symbolic representations of their cultivation path.

But this sheath... was different.

It didn’t originate from Lin Mu’s will or his own cultivation. It had chosen him. It was an independent entity that had existed long before he ever reached the Dao Embryo stage.

And so, no knowledge had been directly passed to him.

He had to discover it for himself.

With a deep breath, Lin Mu closed his eyes and extended his Immortal Sense. It wrapped around the Sword Cradle Divine Sheath, gently probing its surface, slipping between invisible seams, searching for resonance.

The sheath trembled slightly.

And then, with a hum that only Lin Mu could hear through his immortal sense, it opened up to him.

A tide of information surged forth—not like a flood, but like drops falling into a still pond. Gentle, calm, and deep.

He slowly began to grasp it. The nature of the sheath. Its will. Its origin.

And finally... its Dao Skill.

But when Lin Mu understood what it was, he was stunned.