Chapter Sixty-Eight: The Might of the Sword

“What do you mean by that? Are you looking down on us?”
The men’s expressions grew stern, but a hint of a wicked smile played at their lips. Zhou Lingsan leaned close to Xu Xing’s ear and whispered softly,
“Don’t stoop to their level. The enlightenment on the Black Tortoise Tablet is about to begin. There’s no need to waste your energy on them.”
Xu Xing smiled faintly. These few? They weren’t even enough to fill the gap between his teeth. Last night, hadn’t hundreds, along with the Azure Sun Swordsman—whose strength rivaled the peak of Foundation Establishment—perished by his hand?
“I’m saying, if you dare, come at me. You have only one chance. Otherwise, you’ll miss your opportunity.”
“Hmph. Brothers, death isn’t allowed on the arena, so let’s hold back a little. We wouldn’t want to kill him by accident; that would be troublesome to deal with,” the leader said.
He thrust the Dragon Scale Sword into the ground before him, perfectly framing himself. As the sword struck the platform, all eyes immediately turned to Xu Xing.
The arena was filled with the roar of dragons—a cerulean dragon soared through the air, emerging from the sword, so lifelike that it left the crowd in awe.
“What’s going on? This sword… could it be… the one from beneath the waters of the isolated island? That legend, sealed for so long—has it finally been awakened?”
“I can hardly breathe under this pressure. Who on earth is this? Why has he appeared at the Black Tortoise Tablet’s arena?”
“Could it be… he really comes from that island? This sword is so much like the one in the legends—where the dragon emerges, mountains move, and the earth trembles. Has the sword finally found its master?”
“No, impossible. The swordsman who once wielded it died years ago, and the Great Shu sealed him away. How could it reappear? This must be a counterfeit—it can’t possibly be real.”
At this moment, not a single soul was willing to believe that the sword in Xu Xing’s hand hailed from the isolated sea.
But only Hang Ri knew the sword’s true origin.

This sword had indeed come from that solitary domain beneath Mount Shu, rising from the sea—a sword so mysterious that even Xu Xing knew little of its history.
It had only ever spoken to him twice: once during the battle with Mo Xi, when it imparted a sword technique; the second, instructing him on how to step into the realm of the Supreme Seeker.
If Xu Xing were to recount his experiences, he might well frighten many out of their wits. To slay a multitude of advanced Foundation Establishment cultivators single-handedly while still at the early stage—what greater feat could there be?
Even Zhou Lingsan couldn’t help but gaze at Xu Xing’s Dragon Scale Sword. Swallowing nervously, she asked,
“Where exactly did this sword come from?”
Xu Xing, hearing her words, turned and replied softly, “This sword is nameless, or perhaps you could call it the Dragon Scale Sword—but it has no true name.”
The aura released by the Dragon Scale Sword was overwhelming, intimidating the others on the arena. Meeting Xu Xing’s gaze, their brashness faded, replaced by stammering uncertainty.
Xu Xing planted the sword in the platform, then began to stroll about at his leisure, glancing at the other arenas. To his surprise, all eyes were upon him.
“If you want it, come and take it. If the sword is willing to follow you, I won’t stand in its way,” he said nonchalantly as he walked, pride radiating from him—a fierce confidence that no one could wrest from his grasp what was his.
“Brothers, let’s go! If we succeed, that sword is a treasure worth a fortune. At worst, if we fail, we’ll only lose a little face,” the leader murmured.
With that, they summoned their artifacts, unleashing their full power toward the Dragon Scale Sword.
In less than a second, one was swept aside, unable to mount any resistance.

They bounced off the arena’s crimson ropes several times before recovering, terror-stricken as they stared at Xu Xing’s back, trembling as they spoke,
“Who is this man? How can he be so terrifying? Is he really just at the Foundation Establishment stage?”
“Big brother, I think we’ve messed with the wrong person. He really might be Xu Xing—the one who slew three hundred with a single sword yesterday.”
Realizing the gravity of the situation, they were filled with dread. The audience erupted into a clamor, all of them stunned.
Above the arena, three elders watched Xu Xing’s platform intently.
“So this is the one who slew my sect’s Nine Swordsmen and the Azure Sun Swordsman?”
“And what of it? Our Northern Sea Academy will protect him.”
“The Zhaoding Academy will stand by him as well.”
One elder’s face turned purple with fury as he protested,
“You—how can you be like this?”
“And what if we are? Do you have a problem with that?”