After being chosen by the Ice Queen

The purplish-black snake shadow emitted even more violent fluctuations, struggling but unable to resist the pull of the higher-level power. Under the astonished gazes of Totosai and Chiba Rin, the snake shadow, along with its violent aura, was forcibly separated from the remnant snow, like rivers flowing into the sea, transforming into a purplish-black stream of light that suddenly pierced into Gu Yan's brow.

Gu Yan groaned as a flood of chaotic, violent images and fragments of information, imbued with the aura of ancient savagery, rushed into his mind. At the same time, a cold and insidious power attempted to erode his body and will. However, the obscure Yin Qi within him seemed to be flowing spontaneously, as if offended by a king, emanating an even more ancient and majestic chilling aura, rapidly suppressing, enveloping, digesting, and absorbing the invading remnants of the Eight-Headed Serpent's power.

[Successfully absorbed! Obtained the incomplete inheritance 'Remnant of Yamata no Orochi' (Initial Fusion)].

[Gain special abilities: 'Serpent's Bite' (Basic) - Attacks inflict a weak, venomous corrosive effect; 'Peril Sense' (Passive) - Slightly enhances perception of malice and danger.]

[Warning: This inheritance contains strong negative emotions and remnants of a curse. Use with caution and seek out a complete successor or purification process; otherwise, it may cause mental corruption or physical mutations.]

[The core essence and aura of "Ming Canxue: Imitation" were forcibly extracted, causing the structure of its vessel to collapse.]

As soon as the system notification sound ended, a clear, crisp sound came from Gu Yan's hand.

Suddenly, spiderweb-like cracks appeared all over the grayish-white blade, and its cold, eerie light quickly dimmed and extinguished. Then, starting from the tip, the entire blade shattered and peeled away inch by inch, turning into countless dull metal fragments and dust, which fell softly from between Gu Yan's fingers. Finally, only an empty hilt and a broken guard remained, which fell to the ground with a clatter.

Those replicas of the once-famous swords were thus completely lost.

A deathly silence.

Daodaosai stared blankly at the shards on the ground, his facial muscles twitching violently, his eyes shifting from shock to disbelief, and then to immense heartache and anger.

He spent years studying this peculiar knife. Although he didn't forge it, he was captivated by its forging techniques and tried to unravel its mysteries, even viewing it as a challenge.

But now... it's shattered! Right before his eyes, it inexplicably turned into dust.

"You bastard!!!" Totosai suddenly looked up, his eyes bloodshot, glaring at Gu Yan like a volcano about to erupt. "What have you done to my sword?! You destroyed it! You ruined a work worthy of study!!!"

Chiba Rin watched this scene in shock, his brows furrowed, his hand already on the hilt of his sword, ready to deal with the enraged Totosai at any moment.

Gu Yan sensed the new inherited information in his mind and the subtle changes within his body, then looked at the enraged Daodaozhai, his mind racing. He knew this matter had to be resolved, otherwise, let alone asking Daodaozhai to forge a sword for Chiba Rin, their ability to safely descend the mountain today would be questionable.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the slight discomfort and chaotic thoughts arising from absorbing the inheritance, stepped forward, and bowed deeply to Daodaosai, who exuded a dangerous aura:

"I am deeply sorry, Master Totosai. This matter was indeed caused by me, but I had no intention of destroying the sword. This sword contained an extremely ancient and ominous object. It suddenly erupted just now, and I had no choice but to try to absorb and subdue it, but unexpectedly, the sword could not withstand the pressure and shattered. I, Gu Yan, am willing to take full responsibility for the destruction of the sword!"

Daodaozhai, panting heavily, stared intently at Gu Yan: "Take responsibility? How will you take responsibility? What will you use to compensate me for this sword?! What will you use to compensate me for all the hard work I've put in over the years?!"

Gu Yan straightened up, looking firmly at Daodaozhai: "I cannot compensate you with an exact replica of the Broken Snow Sword. But perhaps I can find you more valuable forging materials, or... clues about the whereabouts of another legendary sword as compensation."

"A legendary sword?" Daodaosai's anger subsided slightly, but he remained skeptical. "Kid, you're quite the talker! What sword?"

Gu Yan slowly uttered a name, a name that resounded throughout Japanese mythology and history:

"—The Kusanagi Sword."

Totosai's pupils suddenly contracted, and even Chiba Rin next to him showed a look of shock.

"What did you say?!" Totosai stepped forward, his scorching breath almost hitting Gu Yan's face. "You know the whereabouts of the Ama no Kusanagi?!"

"I don't know the exact location." Gu Yan shook his head and said cautiously, "But because I absorbed the aura from the Remnant Snow Imitation, I seem to have obtained some clues that may be related to the Heavenly Cloud Sword. I am willing to search for it and tell the master all the information I find. At the same time, if I find any rare forging materials during the search, I will present them to the master first."

A new system notification quietly appeared in Gu Yan's mind:

[Hidden Side Quest Triggered: The Promise to Find the Sword]

[Mission Requirements: Find clues or information regarding the whereabouts of the "Kusanagi Sword" (Ama-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi) and inform Totosai.]

[Quest Rewards: Increased favorability with Totosai, potentially leading to weapons forged by him or assistance, as well as increased exploration progress in the unknown world.]

[Hint: This quest has a potential connection to the legacy of 'The Shadow of Yamata no Orochi'.]

Daodaozhai stared intently into Gu Yan's eyes, as if trying to discern whether he was lying. After a long while, the anger emanating from him gradually subsided, transforming into a deep and solemn expression.

"The Kusanagi Sword..." he murmured to himself, his eyes burning with the fervor and longing of a craftsman for the supreme legendary skill.

"Good! Boy, remember what you said today! If you can find even the slightest clue about the 'Kusanagi Sword,' I will not pursue the matter of destroying the sword today. Not only will I not pursue it, but as long as the clues you bring are valuable, I can even tailor-make a fine sword worthy of you, or for this little girl from the Chiba family."

He paused, then said sternly, "But if you're just spouting nonsense and trying to fool me... humph!"

"This junior dares not," Gu Yan bowed again.

Daodaosai snorted heavily, bent down and carefully picked up the remaining fragments of the tsuba and hilt from the ground, holding them in his hands as if they were the remains of a lover, his expression complex.

The two took their leave.

Chiba Rin walked to Gu Yan's side and whispered, "You...did you really absorb what was inside the sword just now? Are you confident about the clues to the Ama-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi?"

Gu Yan said softly, "The thing inside the sword is troublesome, but we've got it under control for now. As for the Ama-no-Murakumo sword..." He turned to look at Chiba Rin, "It will take time to find and verify. For now, at least the sword you want might be found."

Chiba Rin gave Gu Yan a deep look, but didn't press him to reveal what the troublesome thing was. She simply nodded: "Let's go back first and discuss this further. I also need to take care of some things."

The two left the tavern. On the way back, Gu Yan closed his eyes and sorted through the newly acquired "Remnant Image of Yamata no Orochi" inheritance information in his mind. Those fragmented images: the raging flood, the lightning that tore the sky apart, the wielding giant sword, the angry roar, and the huge shadow sinking into the abyss... as well as that faint but persistent sense of pull pointing to some unknown direction.

The Kusanagi Sword... Orochi... the waters of this world are indeed much deeper than they appear. His quest, "The Remnant Snow: Imitation," has been completed in an unexpected way (he has obtained and awakened the "spirit" within it—the remnant image of Orochi). However, the "Promise to Find the Sword" side quest that led to this has bound him and Chiba Rin even more deeply together.

Gu Yan pondered, unsure whether this was a blessing or a curse.