Chapter 664: The legendary Divine Artifact is now in hand
"This sword is so precious, how could I possibly have the audacity to take away someone’s beloved possession?" Mu Hanyan saw that when he took out the silver note, it was wrapped tightly within three layers inside and three layers outside, indicating that these five thousand silver taels were all the savings he had toiled for over many decades; how could she have the heart to accept it?
Besides, she now realized that this sword was definitely not as simple as it appeared on the surface. If she could unlock its secrets and then resell it, the silver taels Han Jinglun could earn might be more than he could spend in several lifetimes.
"I’ve got no use for this sword anyway; it was specifically purchased to present to Young Master Mu." Han Jinglun persisted, refusing to reach out his hand.
"Old man, this sword may be valuable to you, but to others, it’s really not much of anything. If someone doesn’t want it, you should just take it back."
"Yeah, only you treasure it as something precious. Which swordsman with a bit of cultivation would even give it a second glance?" Hearing the exchange between the two and taking in Mu Hanyan’s attire, the bystanders assumed she was too polite to bluntly say she disdained this piece of rubbish, so they said to Han Jinglun.
"Young Master Mu, may I borrow your sword for a moment?" Han Jinglun, unaware that Mu Hanyan could use her Divine Sense to investigate, thought she disapproved of the sword’s poor saleability but didn’t rush and calmly said.
Driven by curiosity, Mu Hanyan didn’t ask any further and handed him the Cold Sky Sword.
Others, observing Han Jinglun’s actions, guessed he intended to use Mu Hanyan’s Sword to test the quality of this piece of rubbish, and many couldn’t help but laugh.
Although they were unsure what grade Mu Hanyan’s Sword was, any swordsman with a decent background wouldn’t carry a shabby weapon. It was ridiculous for the old man to try such a method to test a worthless piece of metal; wasn’t he just inviting shame?
They had repressed many remarks just a moment ago, keeping silent out of respect for his age, but if he insisted on humiliating himself, he deserved it.
Han Jinglun paid no attention to the expressions of those around him, drew the Cold Sky Sword, focused intently, and swung with all his might at the Rusted Sword in his other hand.
With a "clang," both swords remained unscathed.
The slightly mocking smiles on the faces of the crowd suddenly froze.
Once the Cold Sky Sword was unsheathed, they recognized that Mu Hanyan’s Sword was far superior to the standard sword borne by ordinary swordsmen. The exquisitely beautiful cloud pattern and the chilling aura that emanated were clearly the work of a master craftsman.
Although Han Jinglun appeared to have little cultivation, based solely on the quality of the sword itself, it should have easily split the worthless metal in two with a full-force swing. Yet, against all expectations, not even a hairline notch had appeared after the strike.
Mu Hanyan was also somewhat surprised. Even though she suspected there was something unusual about the sword Han Jinglun had chosen, she had not anticipated it would be so resilient. After all, Mu Hanfeng’s Longsword was crafted by a renowned master; it could easily shave hair or slice through iron, even in the hands of an ordinary person.
"My strength is too feeble. Young Master Mu, perhaps you should try," Han Jinglun said resignedly, handing both swords over to Mu Hanyan.
Now even more curious about the sword, Mu Hanyan immediately took the Longsword.
"Young Master Mu, just use your full strength," Han Jinglun said.
"Alright." Seeing Han Jinglun’s confident demeanor, Mu Hanyan had no reservations, so she channeled her Qi into the Cold Sky Sword and struck at the Rusted Sword.
"Eh!" As the two swords met again, another clear chime rang out, and Mu Hanyan let out a surprised gasp. With this strike, she had harnessed seventy percent of her Qi, equivalent to the heavy blow of a Seventh Rank Swordsman. Moreover, considering the sharpness of the Cold Sky Sword, even refined steel should have been cleaved in two. Yet, the rusted sword remained unharmed, not even bearing a scratch.
"Young Master Mu, do not worry. Simply exert your strongest power," Han Jinglun said once more.
Mu Hanyan nodded her head and struck several heavy blows in succession.
The sound of the sword humming, Eighth Rank Swordsman, Ninth Rank Swordsman, Tenth Rank Swordsman, she had now exercised the full strength of a Great Swordsman, but still, the rusted sword was without a single scratch. Mu Hanyan, feeling fierce, decided to fully deploy the peak power of a Great Swordsman.
Fortunately, her Qi was solid. Had it not been deliberately exaggerated to intimidate Dai Songling, her display of strength would be even less noticeable than that of her peers. The bystanders could only sense her unpredictable and profound strength without being able to grasp the details, so they were not too shocked.
"Clang!" To the astonishment of everyone watching, Mu Hanyan’s sword finally opened a crack in the rusted blade. As the sword split, the prohibition that had hindered Mu Hanyan’s Divine Sense from probing shattered as well. A red gleam seeped through the crack, resembling a stretch of crimson sunset clouds.
What was going on? Mu Hanyan was taken aback.
"Ting" At that moment, a series of fine, tinkling sounds came from the blade. Along the crack, countless hairline fractures spread like a spiderweb until it finally burst open, with countless fragments falling to the ground and making a tinkling noise.
A longsword, as if wrought from the shimmer of molten silver yet faintly glowing with red gleams, appeared in Mu Hanyan’s hands.
The elegantly long blade and cloud patterns, without exception, showcased supreme forging craftsmanship, perfectly matching with the hilt and sword guard. What shocked Mu Hanyan even more was that she felt an extraordinary vivacity within the sword, as though it possessed life itself.
As she pondered this, the blade trembled lightly in her hand, and a humming sound that was like celestial music to her ears filled the air, resonating with joy.
Spiritual, the sword had developed a spirit. Mu Hanyan’s heart raced uncontrollably—once a sword developed a spirit, it could be called a Divine Artifact.
Although she was not unfamiliar with Divine Artifacts, already in possession of two, the Star Illusion Thousand Machine was actually the remnant thoughts left behind by an unparalleled expert, and the Star Plate itself lacked a spirit, so it couldn’t be considered a true Divine Artifact. The Cangxuan Cloud Silk was called a Divine Artifact, yet it had a fatal flaw, and only after she refined it did it barely qualify as a Divine Artifact.
Now, this spirited longsword in her hand, once its outer prohibition vanished, was without any oddities.
This was a true Divine Artifact.
Mu Hanyan could certainly surmise that both the layer of shattered metal and the Divine Sense that her own divine sense couldn’t penetrate were meant to disguise the true identity of this Divine Artifact.
"The Chi Xiao Sword, it’s actually the Chi Xiao Sword!" A shocked voice rose from the crowd.
Only then did Mu Hanyan notice two ancient characters inscribed on the sword: Chi Xiao.
It was actually the Chi Xiao Sword, causing Mu Hanyan’s hands to shake slightly.
The Chi Xiao Sword, famous across the Holy Court Continent for thousands of years, may not be as ancient as those merchants lamented, but in terms of renown, it certainly wasn’t inferior to those legendary ancient famous swords. After all, legends are just that—legends that no one has seen, whereas the Chi Xiao Sword truly existed.