Chapter 1280: Five Minutes

"Charge straight up?" Brother Hu and the other youths pondered.

"Our strength is not weak. If we join forces to seal his cultivation and prevent him from releasing his weapon, it won't be too difficult! Once we succeed, we won't have to worry. Then we can obtain the treasures according to our own fortunes. What do you think?"

Sun Qian analyzed the situation.

"This Zhang Xuan is indeed a big trouble. Brother Sun is right. We must subdue him first to get the treasures; otherwise, we won't even get a sip of the northwest wind!"

Brother Hu also nodded.

"Since you agree, let's make a master's pact. If anyone breaks it, may they lose their reputation and be ruined!" Sun Qian nodded.

"Good!"

Everyone nodded simultaneously.

Soon, the pact was completed, and Sun Qian and the others quickly flew toward the direction where the treasure was emerging.

Although the formations on the island were formidable, everyone was an exceptional genius. With many hands making light work, they soon found the precise location and arrived before the stone wall.

Rounding the stone wall and continuing forward, a vast expanse of mist appeared before them.

Only then did they realize that the remaining twenty-plus people who had come for the re-examination had also all arrived.

"How about we seize the treasure first and then compete?"

Sun Qian shared his earlier idea.

"Good!" Everyone agreed.

…

"No matter which is real and which is fake… just kill them all!"

After trying to distinguish for a long time without recognizing which one was Zhang Xuan, Ji Lingfeng quickly shouted.

"Right. Please, Senior, kill these two fellows…" Ji Lingzhen cupped his fists.

One Zhang Xuan had already beaten him until he couldn't fight back and nearly died; now another had appeared, so he certainly couldn't withstand them.

"Kill both? That's not impossible. Give me another weapon like the Qingyu Sword…" The longsword on the stone platform seemed to stretch lazily and said indifferently.

"This…"

Ji Lingzhen's face twitched.

Ordinary mid-grade saint artifacts were not hard to find in the Qianchong Empire, but a weapon of the Qingyu Sword's level was as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have agreed to Ji Lingfeng's request to act just for a sword.

"Senior knows that such a level of saint artifact is not common… but give me time, and I will surely find one. However, this one must be killed as soon as possible; otherwise, the trouble will be immense…"

Pausing, Ji Lingzhen hurriedly said.

Before he finished speaking, they heard the young man not far away speak with a slightly contemptuous tone: "In the end, you're just unwilling to produce a saint artifact!"

Having said this, one of the youths stepped forward, his eyes filled with grief and indignation: "Senior, do you know why these two want to kill me? Because they stole my ancestral saint artifact longsword! Fearing that my elders would find out, they lured me here to silence me!"

"Stole a saint artifact?"

"Who stole your saint artifact? It was you who stole my spirit stones, wasn't it…"

Unexpectedly, he suddenly interrupted at this moment. Ji Lingzhen and Ji Lingfeng were both stunned and nearly exploded with rage.

Have you no shame?

When did we ever steal anything from you?

"Stole your saint artifact longsword? What level?"

The longsword on the stone platform shook its body, and a sword qi sealed the space, causing Ji Lingzhen and the other to stop speaking.

"Reporting to Senior, it's at the half-step domain level. Although it hasn't reached the high-grade level, it's not far off… It was bestowed by my clan's elder for self-protection!"

The Zhang Xuan who had just spoken quickly said.

"A half-step domain saint artifact?" The longsword on the stone platform snorted, its sword qi surging as if filled with anger.

"Senior, don't listen to his nonsense! When did I ever steal anything from him? Besides, he's just a rogue cultivator; how could he be qualified to possess such a powerful weapon…"

Ji Lingzhen was extremely anxious.

Weapon spirits have relatively simple personalities. This longsword had a special fondness for other sword-type weapons.

Because of this, the Qingyu Sword and Qingming Sword had been able to attract its help and build a relationship.

He had thought that after several hundred years of association, he had become its friend. He never dreamed that this fellow would deceive it with just a few words!

"Who said I'm a rogue cultivator? I am a genius of the Sage Zhang Clan. Senior, if you don't believe me, you can check my blood…"

Raising his eyebrows, Zhang Xuan flicked his finger, and a drop of blood flew out.

"Descendants of sage clans have the power of sages within them. Using special techniques, they can release sage qi…" The longsword on the stone platform seemed to know something and shook.

Wuwuwu!

Several strands of sword qi immediately fell upon the blood, and a surge of sage qi burst forth and scattered down.

"Although it's very thin and negligible, it is indeed the bloodline of a sage clan…"

The longsword responded.

"This…"

Ji Lingzhen's body went rigid.

In the information Ji Lingfeng had given him, this Zhang Xuan was just a nobody from the Qingyuan Empire. When did he become a member of the Sage Zhang Clan?

If he had known it involved a sage clan, he would never have dared to act!

"Senior, don't believe this fellow's wild talk… To gain recognition from such a powerful longsword, one must have extremely high comprehension of swordsmanship. This fellow excels in blade techniques, palm techniques, fist techniques, and movement techniques. Even if he knows some swordsmanship, it's absolutely impossible for him to have reached the level of subduing a half-step domain longsword…"

Seeing the senior waver, Ji Lingfeng continued.

Neither he nor Ji Lingzhen was a match for the opponent. They could only rely on this sword—the old man's sword—to change the outcome. If he was truly deceived by the opponent or believed that the opponent was a descendant of a sage clan, they would surely die!

He had fought with this person before; his strengths were blade techniques, fist techniques, palm techniques, and movement techniques. Swordsmanship had hardly been used…

Swords are light and agile; blades are heavy. Normally, those skilled in blade techniques are not good with swords!

If they could seize on this point and prove that the opponent could not subdue a peak mid-grade saint artifact weapon, they could show that his previous words were lies!

Sure enough, upon hearing this, the longsword on the stone platform's voice turned displeased: "You are skilled in blade techniques?"

Blades and swords are incompatible; they have always been rivals. Since this fellow excelled in blade techniques, the sword naturally disliked him.

"Senior, don't listen to his nonsense. I am a sword cultivator. What I am best at is swordsmanship. My comprehension of swordsmanship has already reached the realm of Upper Sword Heart. How could I possibly practice blade techniques?"

Zhang Xuan pointed his finger.

Zila!

A sword qi broke through the air, illuminating the surroundings.

The sword intent was pure and had indeed reached the realm of Upper Sword Heart, not far from Half-Step True Solution.

"You…"

Ji Lingzhen and Ji Lingfeng were both stunned.

They had seen this fellow control over a hundred blades to break the formation disk earlier and thought he was using blades… How had he suddenly turned to swords? And his sword qi was so pure?

Even surpassing them?

"The sword intent is clear and the aura is steady. Without a sincere love for the way of the sword, one could not have comprehended to this level!" The longsword on the stone platform shook and praised sincerely.

"This…"

Ji Lingzhen and Ji Lingfeng both stiffened.

From the longsword's tone, it seemed to have some appreciation for this fellow… How could they kill him now?

"I spent at least five hundred years getting close, offered treasures and weapons worth over tens of thousands of high-grade essence spirit stones… My own understanding of swordsmanship has reached Half-Step True Solution. After so long, I still haven't gained its recognition… Why does this fellow, with only Upper Sword Heart, earn its praise?"

Ji Lingzhen couldn't believe it.

Refining a high-level longsword is somewhat similar to taming a beast; it requires persistent effort over time to gain its recognition.

He had spent his whole life trying to get close to this sword without receiving any praise. The other party only said a few words and was showered with compliments… Since when had this longsword become so reasonable?

If it had been like this earlier, he wouldn't have made no progress all these years!

"This fellow is using Demon Sound and Master's Word Grant!"

Seeing his confusion, Ji Lingfeng quickly transmitted his voice.

The other's voice carried inducement and seduction; he saw it clearly. Without that, given the longsword's nature, it would have already chopped him up.

"Damn it!"

Once the other pointed it out, Ji Lingzhen also understood. His gaze turned cold, and he trembled with anger.

"Senior, don't listen to his nonsense…"

He hurried forward anxiously.

"Shut up!"

Zhang Xuan squinted: "Senior, the most important reason these two want to kill me is that… I have fully comprehended the 'Sword' character left by Sword Elder. My understanding of swordsmanship is about to break through to True Solution! They fear being surpassed by me, so they have been trying to make a move…"

"You have fully comprehended the 'Sword' character? Are you telling the truth?"

The longsword on the stone platform trembled and asked hastily.

"Of course it's true!" Zhang Xuan nodded: "This character, stroke by stroke, contains a total of one hundred and seven sword techniques. Overall, they are unrelated, have no connection, and many even conflict and counteract each other. But… this is precisely the brilliance of Sword Elder. In fact, he has already merged these one hundred and seven sword techniques into a new set of swordsmanship! Senior, am I correct?"

"Continue!"

The longsword hurriedly said.

"Although this set of swordsmanship is not manifested in this 'Sword' character, I can still infer some of it. It should be about encompassing all things and commanding all weapons… If I'm not mistaken, Sword Elder's swordsmanship is related to some kind of sword formation, and to fully activate and execute it, Senior must be the one to preside over it!"

Zhang Xuan continued.

The stone tablet outside recorded the wisdom of countless people. Through the library, he had already found the most correct cultivation method, and then, with his understanding of swordsmanship, summarizing these was not difficult!

"Well said…"

The longsword on the stone platform responded, looking at the young man before it with increasing satisfaction.

To comprehend so much from just a single 'Sword' character—his talent was indeed terrifyingly strong!

If Ji Lingzhen had comprehended these things back then, perhaps he would have already submitted and become his weapon.

"You just said you are about to break through to Sword Dao True Solution… How long will it take? Ten years? Fifty years? Or a hundred years?"

Recalling the other's words, the longsword couldn't help asking.

With such a deep understanding of Sword Elder's inscription, once he reached Sword Dao True Solution, he would fully meet all the requirements for the latter's inheritance.

"It won't take that long…"

Zhang Xuan closed his eyes: "Wait a moment… Five minutes!"