"Indeed!"
Feixiao didn't beat around the bush; she gave the most direct—and the most reliable—answer.
She then turned to the boy beside her. "Yanqing, you explain."
"Yes." Yanqing stepped forward to face Jing Yuan.
With two fingers, he tapped the sword's blade. A deep hum roared forth, like the cries of dragons and tigers.
At just that simple gesture, Jing Yuan could not help but exclaim in praise: "What an extraordinary sword!"
Though his killing arts were not the very peak of the Xianzhou, they were undeniably among the first rank. And with nearly a millennium of experience, his ability to judge a divine weapon was unmatched.
Perhaps all wondrous things share a common truth. Of old, sages would strum the strings of swords and sing. The finer the weapon, the purer its ring when struck.
And this sword, after merely two light taps, roared like a beast. Its tones were layered, but its force overwhelming. Such a treasure, he had never seen before.
Only the four peerless curios Feixiao herself wielded could surpass it!
Jing Yuan, who had only just steadied his heart, felt it blaze with excitement anew. He asked, "This sword surely bears some extraordinary power?"
"I was just about to report to the General." At this, a trace of pride shone in Yanqing's eyes.
From this day forth, this sword was his weapon!
The regard both generals gave it had only deepened his own. Whatever doubts he once had were long gone—he was utterly satisfied now.
"General, please watch."
He placed the sword gently on the ground.
At first, Jing Yuan wondered why he did not simply speak. But the instant the blade touched the ground, he understood.
Yanqing had used no Path energy, nor even a hint of force—yet the sword slid straight into the floor!
Slowly, he released his grip. The sword began to sink faster.
At last, with a clang, the hilt struck the ground; only the guard stopped it from plunging deeper. If not for that, perhaps it would have pierced straight into the core of the Xianzhou itself!
"To think it is so sharp?!"
Jing Yuan was struck with awe.
Even Feixiao, who had crossed blades with it, raised her brows. The sword had already proven its edge against harder ground, yet this sight still startled her.
She and Jing Yuan exchanged glances. Both saw the same deep question in the other's eyes.
Why had the blade not caught halfway?
To most, it might seem a foolish thought. But to true masters of weapons, it was a revelation.
It wasn't mere sharpness that allowed this. Any fine saw could cut into the floor. But to keep falling, to drive deeper after being released? That defied physics.
The world had friction. The Xianzhou believed in science.
The blade was broad, far more than a slender sword, so its friction should have been immense. Yet it sank as though the floor were air.
Could the smooth sides of the blade be just as sharp? Impossible. If that were the case, Yanqing's hands would have been minced to pieces when he tapped it earlier!
The longer Jing Yuan looked, the more alarmed he became. This was no mere cutting of stone. It was as though…
The ground itself feared the sword, and parted before it!
This was no weapon. This was a ritual artifact!
His uncovered eye narrowed, then slowly opened wide. At last, he breathed out: "If I'm not mistaken, this sword possesses the power of Concepts?"
"Your wisdom is unmatched, General. Precisely so!" Yanqing lifted the sword, demonstrating a cutting motion. "It holds the Conceptual power of Severing All Things!"
"Severing… all things?!"
Though he had braced himself, hearing the words made Jing Yuan's eyes snap open.
"Yes, the Conceptual power to sever all things," Feixiao confirmed, recalling their battle. "Only in facing it directly does one understand what 'indestructible' truly means.
"To be safe, I struck from above, with height and angle on my side. I won by striking aside. But head-on? Without utmost caution, even I would have suffered greatly!"
She looked at Yanqing with a faint smile.
He was mature for his age, but still a boy at heart. When first he held the sword, he had pouted with disdain. Now, having seen its might, he clutched it as if it were his very soul.
"Well, well."
Understanding now, Jing Yuan looked at Yanqing with nothing but pride.
His mind needed sharpening, his skill still room to grow. But with such a divine weapon, his strength was already unrivaled beneath the Arbiter-Generals themselves.
And he was only a boy yet! Nearly a thousand years still lay before him, to deepen his cultivation and temper his swordcraft.
Even if we set aside his future potential, Yanqing's present strength should not be underestimated. Every surviving member of the High-Cloud Quintet has crossed blades with him, and among the Seven Arbiter-Generals of the Xianzhou, two have already tested his skills in combat.
What warrior in the cosmos could boast such feats?
Though the results of those battles had always been predictable, it was his courage, his indomitable will, that truly shone.
Most would have fallen after facing such foes even once.
Jing Yuan found himself nodding.
Yes. Even I am moved.
He smiled at Yanqing, but kept his thoughts unspoken. To say them aloud might puff the boy up—or worse, sting his pride. Jing Yuan was not one to wound with words.
Yet his pride was genuine.
Treasures of Conceptual power were beyond rare. Even when they appeared, they were almost always gifts from the Aeons, and such gifts were never random. They could not be traded, nor found by chance.
And yet now—how many Conceptual curios had appeared in mere days?
The burden on his shoulders had grown lighter.
Luofu had a future worth believing in.
"Only a shame it isn't a flying sword," Jing Yuan mused. "That would truly suit your talents best."
At this, he thought of Yunli, who had only just arrived on Luofu. In every way, the sword seemed a better match for that young girl.
Hah… hopefully it won't be taken from him again.
"No shame at all! I even drew this!"
Yanqing pulled out the [Stone of Enlightenment], beaming. "With this, I can grant the sword a spirit. Once it has its own will, it can control its own strength—then it'll serve as a flying sword!"
Jing Yuan watched his pupil's foolish grin, but shared none of his optimism.
Wasn't it possible… that once the sword gained spirit, it would fly straight into Yunli's arms instead?
Boy, you just lost a sword like that already.
He pictured Yanqing's heartbreak—the tears, the tantrum—when the sword abandoned him. He sighed inwardly. If the future Sword Champion of Luofu's became such a figure…
Then Luofu had a future worth mocking.