Chapter 242: Chapter 241: Contest of Sword and Man
Dark clouds gathered in the sky, flashing with thunder and lightning. Within the churning Cloud Sea, the domineering silhouette of an Exotic Beast could be faintly seen. It was remarkably similar to the one depicted on the Spiritual Artifact’s hilt; clearly, the Spiritual Artifact had caused this phenomenon.
Many of the Martial Artists present had never witnessed the might of a Spiritual Artifact, and terror filled their faces. They stared at the Ting Xiao Sword in Qin Ya’s hand, a greedy light flickering in their eyes. But the thought of the Ancient King—a man who had intimidated the Celestial Dragon Sea Region for decades—made them quickly dismiss the notion.
The Spiritual Artifact’s glow gradually receded, and the celestial phenomenon slowly dissipated. Sunlight once again bathed the land. At that moment, the Ancient King let out a hearty laugh, his expression filled with excitement. He took a single step and appeared before Qin Ya in the blink of an eye. "Little Brother Qin, you truly are a marvel," he said. "To think you could awaken my Spiritual Artifact."
After he spoke, he reached out to take back the Ting Xiao Sword. In the eyes of the crowd, this was a perfectly normal thing to do; the Spiritual Artifact belonged to the Ancient King, after all. But many had overlooked a crucial point: Spiritual Artifacts were so named because they had developed sentience. They possessed their own consciousness, no different from a person.
The very instant the Ancient King’s hand stretched out, his eyelid twitched as a sudden chill gripped his heart. Without a moment’s hesitation, he let out a low shout. A mountain-heavy Realm erupted from his body, drawing the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi to converge on his palm.
SWOOSH! A purple Sword Light crackling with Thunder flashed past. Before the crowd could even react, they saw the Ancient King had been forced back over a hundred feet. Arcs of purple lightning danced in a three-foot radius around him, cracking the very earth.
The Ancient King stared at his slightly numb palm, his expression as dark as a stormy sea. A cold, murderous intent flashed in his eyes, and a palpable killing aura began to spread. The guests at the banquet felt a chill run down their spines, as if they had been cast naked into an Ice and Snow World.
My God, what were they seeing?
At that moment, no one could believe their own eyes, yet they had to. The scene unfolding before them was simply inconceivable.
Did that young man just push back the Ancient King?
No, it was the Spiritual Artifact in his hand that repelled the Ancient King. What was going on? Did this young man actually plan to steal the Spiritual Artifact, here and now?
He’s insane! This young man is absolutely insane!
No, that’s not right. Why can he wield the Spiritual Artifact?
Has the Spiritual Artifact already acknowledged him as its master? How is that possible? How could a mere Sky-Controlling Initial-Rank Martial Artist have what it takes to make a Spiritual Artifact submit to him?
And how would he dare? Doesn’t he know it belongs to the Ancient King? Does he really think he can stand against the Ancient King just because he has the Spiritual Artifact?
Ridiculous. The boy has a death wish.
For a moment, all kinds of thoughts flashed through their minds.
Even those who had witnessed Qin Ya’s miraculous abilities before—the Blood Saber Youth, Elder Purple Robe, and the Blond Giant from the Lion Palace—were utterly shocked.
They stared at the sword-wielding young man, trying to read something from his face, but they were disappointed. His expression was placid. There was no overbearing arrogance, no inexplicable shock, and certainly no fear or anxiety...
Silence. Utter silence. The atmosphere was eerily quiet, so much so that only the sound of heavy breathing remained. No one dared to make a sound.
Qin Ya looked at the Ting Xiao Sword, now bristling with power, and gave a wry smile. It was an incredibly powerful Spiritual Artifact, but at the moment, it was also an incredible pain.
"Ting Xiao, oh Ting Xiao, you’ve really put me in a difficult spot."
Despite saying so, Qin Ya’s face showed not the slightest trace of panic.
"Qin Ya, give me an explanation."
The Ancient King stood a short distance away from Qin Ya, his hands clasped behind his back. His face betrayed no hint of his emotions, but his tone carried an oppressive pressure. It was clear that if Qin Ya failed to provide a satisfactory explanation, he would face the full fury of a King—a fury that would drive most Martial Artists to despair.
"Ancient King, that last strike was not my intention."
"Oh?" the Ancient King said coolly. "Then it was the Spiritual Artifact’s will?"
"Precisely," Qin Ya confirmed with a nod.
With that, Qin Ya plunged the Ting Xiao Sword into the ground. "With your insight, Ancient King, you can surely see that I have not made the Spiritual Artifact acknowledge me as its master. That last strike came entirely from Ting Xiao’s own will."
Qin Ya stepped aside and said with a smile, "You can try it for yourself, Ancient King."
Within the sword, Ting Xiao opened his eyes. The corner of his mouth twitched into a terrifying grin. ’Well now, you little brat,’ he thought nonchalantly, ’you actually threw me out here.’
"Ting Xiao? Is that the sword’s name?" the Ancient King asked coolly.
"It is," Qin Ya confirmed with a slight nod.
The Ancient King shifted his gaze to the Ting Xiao Sword on the ground. He closed his eyes for a moment, then snapped them open, a dazzling light flashing within them. He took a step forward, a heavy, majestic power gathering in his palm as he lunged for the Ting Xiao Sword’s hilt.
’Heh, a minor King thinks he can control me?’
Within the sword, the Sword Spirit, Ting Xiao, gave a cool laugh. Instantly, thunderclouds churned as an incomparably tyrannical aura, accompanied by a brilliant Sword Light, surged from the Ting Xiao Sword.
A faint, thunderous beast’s roar echoed through the air. In the distance, some of the Martial Artists who had yet to reach the Extraordinary rank felt their eardrums vibrate painfully.
"ROAR! ROAR!" The roars were filled with an unparalleled tyranny and arrogance, as if mocking the Ancient King for overestimating his own strength.
Hearing the roars, the Ancient King surged his True Essence once more. The contest of wills between man and sword caused the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi to boil. The ground beneath them cracked and shattered as sand and dirt flew into the air.
"Junior, don’t waste your energy. You alone are not enough to make me submit."
Just as the Ancient King was exerting his power, a deep voice, like rolling thunder, echoed in his mind. His heart skipped a beat—he knew at once that it was the Ting Xiao Sword Spirit.
"This junior wishes to know why you are unwilling to submit. Though you possess human-like intelligence, you are ultimately a Spiritual Artifact. Without a master, you cannot go anywhere."
The Ting Xiao Sword had a long and storied history; in terms of seniority, few in the entire Azure Sky Realm could compare. It was only logical for the Ancient King to refer to himself as "this junior."
"Indeed. At the end of the day, I am merely a Sword Spirit," Ting Xiao replied coolly. "I had intended to have that boy, Qin Ya, become my master and receive my inheritance, but who would have thought he’d refuse? Even so, I think staying by his side will be far more interesting than staying with you. Because you... have already reached the limit of your potential."
The Ancient King was shocked. He had never imagined that Qin Ya would refuse to become Ting Xiao’s master. Hearing the Sword Spirit say that his own potential was exhausted, he couldn’t help but sigh. In the twenty years since he had advanced to the King rank, he had made no further progress. He knew that without some great opportunity, his journey in the Martial Arts was over.
’But isn’t the Ting Xiao Sword right here before me just such an opportunity?’
’The inheritance of the Ting Xiao Sword is immeasurably precious. It might be able to help me break through my bottleneck! Isn’t that why I risked venturing deep into the Returning Ruins in the first place?’
"You are correct, Senior, but this junior still wishes to try!"
The Ancient King let out a furious roar. His True Essence surged, drawing upon the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi for miles around. He channeled it into his body, forming a power as immense as mountains and seas.
"What is fated to be will be; what is not, one should not force!"
"I, the Ancient King, do not believe in fate!"
He was a Loose Cultivator who had reached his current position step by painstaking step. He had relied not on fate, but on his own effort and determination. That was why he was the Ancient King of the Celestial Dragon Sea Region!
"Foolishness!"
The two forces—one as immense as mountains and seas, the other as violent as thunder—clashed. The resulting shockwave was so powerful that the complexions of many Extraordinary Martial Artists drained of color.
"Fall back!"
A white-robed elder suddenly bellowed the order, and the crowd scrambled back. A moment later, the palace itself erupted in a brilliant golden light, forming a Grand Array that enveloped the Ancient King and the Ting Xiao Sword. Even so, the aftershocks still managed to pierce through the array’s barrier.
