Chapter 315 – The Heavy Sword with a Sharp Edge is a Saber
The Heavy Sword with a Sharp Edge was something that Jianghuang had discovered incidentally. It was not a magical weapon, but there existed a spirit within it. After being inserted into the ground, those below the Martial Dominator Realm would not be able to draw it out.
After several attempts, those who participated in the selection before finally realized that in order to draw the broadsword higher out from the ground, not only was a tremendous strength required, one would also need to awaken the presence inside the broadsword using the will of the Martial Spirit or the intent of one’s Martial Art. The more awake the presence inside the broadsword was, the greater the distance it could be drawn out from the ground.
However, today, with a mere sentence, the entire Heavy Sword with a Sharp Edge began to emit a terrifying Sword Intent, resulting in a rare sight.
ROAR!
A roar similar to the cries of a dragon could be heard, and before the crowd could react in time, the twelve-foot long broadsword—the sword which nobody could draw out from the ground—ended up being completely drawn out by Qin Nan as if it had turned weightless, pointing at the sky. Its green body captured the attention of the crowd as if it was emitting countless rays of blinding light.
BANG!
At that instant, the geniuses and the authorities were lost for words, with blank expressions on their faces.
It’s been drawn out?
The entire Heavy Sword with a Sharp Edge was drawn out from the ground?
A mere half-Martial Emperor Realm cultivator managed to draw the sword out after uttering a single sentence?
“How is this possible!” Jianghuang rose from his seat and stared at the sight before him, while speaking in a disbelieving tone, “Impossible! There is no way! How could the Heavy Sword with a Sharp Edge be drawn out with a single sentence!”
The Heavy Sword with a Sharp Edge was Jianghuang’s treasure all along, which had accompanied him for countless years. Therefore, he was most familiar with it himself.
Even until today, he had no idea how to fully awaken the presence inside the Heavy Sword with a Sharp Edge.
“This…”
The envoy of the Feiyang Sacred Area was stunned.
Wasn’t this Qin Nan appointed by Fang Jian because of his background?
What’s going on here?
Only Fang Jian showed no sign of astonishment on his face. Instead, he reacted as if he had already expected this to happen.
Would Qin Nan fail to draw a sword out from the ground with his eighth-grade Xuan ranked Martial Spirit?
I would be more surprised if that happened!
At that instant, Leng Aotian’s expression thoroughly stiffened. Even after cultivating for a year straight, comprehending the secrets of his Martial Spirit, improving his will, he had only managed to draw the broadsword forty inches out from the ground.
But the result?
This guy before him drew the entire sword out from the ground!
This had never happened in the selection of the two Sacred Areas in previous years!
“No way!”
While Leng Aotian wore a blank expression, he let out a scream, “Your flesh is only equivalent to the first-layer Martial Emperor Realm! And you didn’t even insert any will into the broadsword; how did you manage to wake up the Weapon Spirit within it? You must be cheating; there’s no way——”
Not only Leng Aotian, the other authorities and geniuses instinctively nodded their heads.
They had personally witnessed that Qin Nan had only exhorted brute force with his flesh and unleashed his aura. Following this, he drew out the Heavy Sword with a Sharp Edge after uttering a sentence.
Are you f**king kidding me? Are you implying that one could easily draw the sword out with a mere sentence?
“You think so?”
Qin Nan stood firmly against the suspicious looks of the crowd as he spoke in a calm tone, “Maybe in your eyes, it’s very suspicious that I’m able to draw the sword out from the ground. That being said, it’s time for me to reveal the true appearance of this sword to you all!”
The true appearance?
Everyone was stunned, including Jianghuang too.
“The Heavens and Earth give birth to fascinating objects, and may the true appearance be unveiled after being shrouded for ten years!”
Qin Nan held the hilt and sensed the great joy coming from the Weapon Spirit of the sword. He then uttered a roar and pointed the sword at the sky, as endless flames were emitted from his palms, engulfing the broadsword.
Any magical weapon, or a rare treasure of the Heavens and Earth would never be incinerated by mere flames.
However, the broadsword appeared to be extremely vulnerable to the flames, like a dry branch of a tree, as it was completely ignited after coming into contact with the flames. Furthermore, the flames grew even stronger to a height of sixty feet, causing the crowd’s faces to be lit up.
The broadsword was expected to be destroyed due to the combustion, but the crowd could hear a clear buzz taking place within the flames. Following it, a shocking beam of light was fired into the sky from the flames.
BANG!
The tall flames instantly dissipated, revealing the true appearance of the sword.
The crowd could now see the difference in the appearance of the broadsword, as its surface was filled with cracks like a spiderweb. A moment later, its entire body shattered into pieces.
“This is…”
Jianghuang’s pupils contracted.
“The Heavy Sword with a Sharp Edge was naturally formed by the Heavens and Earth. It is a rare object, and does not belong to the category of magical weapons. There is no Weapon Spirit inside it, but there exists a powerful conscience.” Qin Nan’s calm voice could be heard, “You guys thought you had to awaken the presence inside it in order to draw it out from the ground, but you were wrong; in order to draw it out, it was not the presence you should awaken, but its real appearance. I’ve managed to discover its real appearance, thus I’m able to draw it out with a single sentence!”
“That is because, the Heavy Sword with a Sharp Edge is not a sword at all!”
“The Heavy Sword with no Sharp Edge is a sword! But the Heavy Sword with a Sharp Edge—it’s a saber!”
It was as if the words were filled with a certain magic, which caused the souls of the crowd to quaver.
The broadsword in Qin Nan’s hand shuddered violently, as if it was extremely joyful. At that instant, the cracks on its surface were peeled off on its own, dropping to the ground. A snowish-white, crescent-shaped, twelve-foot long saber emitting an icy glow appeared before the crowd!
At that instant, an endless stream of Saber Intent burst out from it, as if winter had arrived, resulting in the crowd’s hearts being filled with an icy chill.
Buzz!
The huge saber emitted a terrifying glow that penetrated the sky, as it stood firmly before the crowd.
Countless years later, its true form had finally been revealed to the world!
At that instant, the geniuses, the authorities, and Jianghuang were completely lost for words.
Who would expect the true form of a broadsword to be a saber!
Who would expect this to be the true appearance of the Heavy Sword with a Sharp Edge!
“The Heavy Sword with no Sharp Edge is a sword, and the Heavy Sword with a Sharp Edge is a saber… Who would have thought, who would have thought; so the reason that this sword is unable to be drawn out was because it had always been waiting for someone to awaken its true form!” Jianghuang mumbled to himself after a slight hesitation. Following this, his eyes were filled with utter joy as he exclaimed, “What a surprise, even I, a half-Martial Highness was unable to discover the truth. Qin Nan, what a great surprise you’ve given me.”
After saying this, he straightened his face and uttered a roar, “In the name of the City Lord of Jianghuang City, I hereby declare the winner of the selection to be… Qin Nan!”
Translator: XephiZ
Editor: DOCuinn
Chapter 316 – The King of Geniuses
“How is this possible…”
Leng Aotian was utterly dumbfounded.
Shouldn’t he be the winner of this year’s selection for the two Sacred Areas?
How did he lose to this Qin Nan who appeared out of nowhere?
Are you kidding me!
Leng Aotian’s expression turned incredibly dark, who almost vomited blood on the spot.
How disgraceful!
Last year, he suffered a total defeat after stumbling into that genius. Following it, he spent a year cultivating in seclusion just to come first this year, and finally achieved an outstanding result of forty inches. However, he ended up encountering this Qin Nan who managed to draw the entire saber out from the ground after discovering its true form!
Why am I so unlucky?
What did I do to deserve this?
Is God pulling a prank on me, by not allowing me to come first despite all the effort I put in!
“Qin Nan, I hate you!’
Leng Aotian withheld the anger in his heart and uttered a roar at Qin Nan before fleeing from the scene.
Qin Nan was utterly confused; I don’t think I’ve offended him before. Isn’t it just a competition, why does he hate me all of a sudden?
“Leng Aotian!”
The envoy of the Feiyang Sacred Area’s face turned pale as he rose from his seat and planned to chase after him. However, before he could react, Leng Aotian’s figure had already vanished from his sight.
“Cough Cough, I did remind you there’s no point for this competition. Leng Aotian had already suffered a great shock last year; why would you want him to suffer again this time? But you never believed my words, and insisted on betting with me…” Fang Jian let out a sigh while shaking his head. Leng Aotian was quite talented, leaving him with a great future ahead. However, his luck was not that great, and with his stubbornness, together with the shock he just experienced, it would not be easy for him to recover.
“You…”
The envoy of the Feiyang Sacred Area felt like vomiting blood, but he was instantly left speechless.
Meanwhile, the geniuses now looked at Qin Nan differently.
At the beginning, they were disdainful toward Qin Nan, as they assumed him to be appointed due to this background.
However, Qin Nan was able to reveal the true form of the saber and completely drew it out from the ground. There was no way they could match his talent.
“Brother Qin, sorry for misunderstanding you just now.”
“Junior Brother Qin Nan, it was my fault for what happened just then. I hope you wont fuss about it.”
“Hehe, I know you are a forgiving person, who wouldn’t bear grudges against us.”
“……”
Although the geniuses felt quite awkward, most of them were willing to apologize.
The ability to know when to yield and when not to yield was essential for true geniuses. It was quite rare to meet someone who was so extreme about coming first.
“It’s not that of a big deal.” Qin Nan brought his fists together and smilingly said, “It’s all luck that I’m able to draw the saber out, all thanks to my eye-technique, which allowed me to see something different. As for the previous two rounds, there was something wrong about my cultivation, which prevented me from taking part in the trial. As a result, Envoy Fang Jian decided to appoint me so I wouldn’t embarrass myself.”
“No wonder…”
The geniuses finally knew the truth now; even those who did not apologize in the first place went up to Qin Nan and begged for forgiveness.
These people initially thought that Qin Nan was pretending to be weak so he could attract the attention of the crowd.
“That’s all for today, congratulations to those who managed to pass the trial.” Jianghuang stood up and said with a smile, “I have to admit that this year’s selection is quite remarkable. I’m very pleased with your performances. However, don’t feel too relieved yet, as the real trial only starts after passing this trial. According to the tradition of the two Sacred Areas, since the ultimate trial was being held at the Feiyang Sacred Area last year, it’s the Qinglong Sacred Area turn this year to organize the trial! You will be taking a day off to rest up, and we will be heading to the Qinglong Sacred Area tomorrow!”
“Got it!”
Over a hundred disciples who passed the trial uttered a yell at the same time, their eyes showing a hint of excitement.
Although Qin Nan had ended up grabbing all the attention of the crowd during the selection, they were not too fussy about it. They understood that there would definitely be differences between people, thus there was nothing like a total fair competition for everyone. What they should be focusing on now was joining the two Sacred Areas, and striving to improve their strength, in order to achieve their own goals.
After Jianghuang finished organizing everything, he uttered, “Qin Nan, follow me!”
Following this, Qin Nan, Fang Jian, Princess Miao Miao, and the Longhu Ancestor Beast were led by Jianghuang into a room inside the City Lord’s Mansion.
Jianghuang held the Heavy Sword with a Sharp Edge in his hand, who stared at the chilly reflection on the saber’s surface with a complicated expression. He could not help but exclaim, “I’ve finally understood why I was unable to fully awaken its consciousness after all these years, because I’ve been wrong all this time… Qin Nan, this is all thanks to you!”
Qin Nan shook his head while wearing a smile.
He had incidentally discovered the secrets of the saber with his Eyes of the Divine Battle Spirit, which allowed him to awaken its consciousness. That being said, even without its secrets, Qin Nan was confident that he could still have thoroughly dragged it out from the ground!
“I remember that you are a saber user. Since you are the one who drew it out from the ground, I’ll now gift this Heavy Sword with a Sharp Edge to you, as a reward for coming first in the trial, how does that sound?” Jianghuang suddenly spoke.
Qin Nan was startled, as he did not expect Jianghuang to say such words. He immediately shook his head and said, “Jianghuang, this saber is no doubt a rare piece of treasure that possesses an incredible value. Thus, I will not accept this gift. Besides, this saber doesn’t suit me at all anyway.”
These words were the words of his lungs.
After arriving at Jianghuang City, Qin Nan always had the chance to acquire a saber that belonged to the category of Emperor Weapons, or even Dominator Weapons. However, he had decided not to do so, mainly because in his view, the most important factor was the person holding the saber.
If the person holding the saber was strong enough, even a Mystical Weapon would be able to destroy a Dominator Weapon.
Therefore, Qin Nan would not be greedy for any magical weapon, as his own strength was his only focus.
Princess Miao Miao and the Longhu Ancestor Beast both wore dull expressions. Qin Nan is such an idiot; why wouldn’t he accept the gift and sell it later, it would definitely allow them to earn a huge fortune.
Jianghuang’s eyes were filled with admiration. Following this, he said in a calm tone, “Qin Nan, although I have no idea regarding the exact rank of your Martial Spirit or your strength, I have to remind you that the trial at the Qinglong Sacred Area will be completely different than the trial here. The upcoming trial will have geniuses that the envoys and the Peak Leaders discovered within the lower district. Everyone will possess incredible talents that you can’t afford to underestimate.”
“That being said, if possible, I hope you will become the King of Geniuses this year!”
“King of Geniuses?” Qin Nan was startled.
This time, it was Fang Jian’s turn to speak, “The selection of the two Sacred Areas is different comparing to other sects’. Firstly, we will gather all the geniuses at the same place, and let them display their strength through the trial. Following this, the two Sacred Areas will pick the geniuses that they are fond of. When the two Sacred Areas are both interested in the same genius, to an extent that they would fight one another just to claim the person, that genius will be known as… the King of Geniuses!”
“So that’s what it is!”
Qin Nan immediately understood. When the two Sacred Areas gathered the geniuses in one place and tested their strength, only those with outstanding performances would be able to attract the attention of the envoys and the Peak Leaders of the two Sacred Areas, causing them to fight one another in order to recruit the talented ones. As a result, the one who stirred the most epic competition between the two Sacred Areas would be regarded as the King of Geniuses!
“Very interesting!”
Qin Nan let out a smile, as the blood in his body became excited once again.
Following this, the crew chatted with one another, and Qin Nan spent half of the day cultivating while observing his Inner Core. The following day, under the guidance of Fang Jian and the envoy of the Feiyang Sacred Area, the group departed for the Qinglong Sacred Area!
Translator: XephiZ
Editor: DOCuinn
TL Note: A common idiom in Chinese, which refers to words being uttered with all honesty.