Peak Sparring
With his current strength, he can kill weak opponents with his fists. If he encounters a powerful enemy and is forced to rely on external forces, a divine weapon of the level of the Giant Soul Sword is of no use. Only a top-level divine weapon like the Wheel-Turning King Sword is meaningful. Not to mention that in the near future, he will also receive a Dragon Scale Sword as a symbol of the Heaven's Will Palace.
He doesn't have a hobby of collecting divine weapons, so carrying too many weapons is meaningless. If it were a sword, he could consider it, since the Crimson Scorpion Evil Saber is only a third-rate divine weapon.
Although the Sword-Forging Manor is named after swords, they also forge knives, spears, and halberds, not just knives. Otherwise, they would be turning away potential customers. Therefore, the Sword Pavilion also displays various knives, including some divine weapons.
As if sensing Si Ming's rejection, the Giant Soul Sword trembled regretfully, like a thoroughbred horse that had lost its discerning owner, and then fell silent.
"I already knew that divine weapons possess spirits, but I never expected them to display such a human-like side. The Sword-Forging Manor is truly extraordinary." Si Ming exclaimed in amazement.
Yun Yinmo shook her head and said, "In the past, although these weapons also possessed a kind of spirituality, it was always very subtle. At most, one could feel a connection with them when holding them, but it has only recently become particularly obvious."
Si Ming felt that it was most likely because the power of the Eternal Barrier had been weakened. Now that even Technique Method could be used, perhaps those Law Treasure hidden in history could reappear.
The Sword Pavilion has five floors, with the quality increasing as you go up. Si Ming even saw three first-class divine weapons on the top floor, which made him quite envious. Unfortunately, he couldn't resonate with the Sword Intent like the Giant Soul Sword. Even if he could pass the test with his extensive knowledge of various schools of martial arts, he couldn't afford the price to buy them—first-class divine weapons were priced at an astonishing 10 billion!
At this moment, Si Ming finally understood why the Sword-Forging Manor hadn't established rules. Even if they weren't particularly compatible, the human instinct was to possess anything of value. If the Sword-Forging Manor didn't have the strength to protect its treasures, it would likely face annihilation in no time. For example, the Sword-Forging Manor lacked Great Grandmaster, and Si Ming was a ruthless scoundrel. Now that he was forcibly seizing the divine weapon, who could stop him?
However, Si Ming's greed was fleeting and did not linger. With the even more extraordinary Wheel-Turning King Sword, these first-class divine weapons were not enough to shake his mind, just as he did not particularly value the position of the Heaven's Will Palace.
It must be admitted that the forging technology of the Sword-Forging Manor far surpasses that of the Glazed Temple. After all, they know how to combine technology with traditional forging techniques and are professional sword forgers, while the Glazed Temple is only a part-timer. If it were a true duel between sword forgers, the Glazed Temple would undoubtedly lose.
However, the Wheel-Turning King Sword is a divine weapon that the Glazed Temple spent over a hundred years and poured all its manpower and resources into forging. It is not the work of any one person, but rather the culmination of the efforts of countless blacksmiths. The Sword-Forging Manor, which has never experienced annihilation, could not possibly do the same thing and was destined to be unable to forge a similar divine weapon.
After going upstairs, Yun Yinmo kept staring at Si Ming. Seeing his calm demeanor, she couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Even Ten Thousand Ren, Spirit Treasure, Evil Startler can't arouse your interest?"
Si Ming, "No way, of course I'm very interested. If you're going to give me these three divine weapons, I certainly won't refuse."
Yun Yinmo said, "The kind of interest I'm talking about isn't this kind of interest."
Si Ming laughed and said dismissively, "It's all the same, it's all the same. By the way, if I could resonate with this Ten Thousand Ren Saber, would you give it to me for free?"
Yun Yinmo pondered for a moment, then said seriously, "I can't guarantee it. These three divine weapons are too precious; they are the only three high-grade divine weapons that my Sword-Forging Manor has ever possessed. But since you are Yan Jinghong's disciple, you should have a great chance. After all, our Sword-Forging Manor values its reputation highly. If we break our promise, my great-grandfather will lose face—provided you can keep your word."
"Then let's give it a try."
Si Ming plans to use his vast knowledge to find a martial art that is compatible with the Ten Thousand Ren Saber. He will then use his sudden enlightenment talent to develop it to perfection on the spot, and then use the blade's intent to trigger the resonance of the divine weapon. No one else can do this, only he can.
This is like using a carrot to lure a donkey. Although the donkey is actually attracted by the carrot, the carrot is in a person's hand, so to onlookers it looks no different from being attracted by the person.
Thinking it over and doing it, even if he had to refuse later, he could still do a favor for the Sword-Forging Manor. Si Ming tried out dozens of sword techniques and their implications one by one, and finally found one that could trigger the reaction of the Ten Thousand Ren Saber Sword. He immediately began to practice it on the spot.
With the help of his sudden enlightenment talent, the awe-inspiring sword intent emanating from him grew stronger and stronger, and the reaction of the Ten Thousand Ren Saber became more and more intense, on the verge of resonating with him.
"Kid, you're trying to be clever."
A Sword Qi pierced through the air, forcibly interrupting Si Ming's communication.
Chapter 727 Peak Sparring
This Sword Qi energy was not strong; even a non- Spirit Transformation cultivator could block it. However, the Sword Intent within it was like a surging river, flowing endlessly, giving one a sense of powerlessness that even if one could hold it off for a while, one would eventually be overwhelmed.
However, the artistic conception is ultimately just that—the artistic conception—and cannot cause any real harm. In addition, Si Ming's Divine Firmament Soul Body is incredibly resilient and has a strong ability to resist mental impacts. He quickly broke free from the influence of the Sword Intent, and with a flick of his finger, he shot out a Sword Qi that collided and annihilated with the sword.
Si Ming turned his head and saw that the person who made the move was an old man with a sage-like appearance and white hair and beard. Although he was old, there was not a single wrinkle on his face. His skin was as smooth as a child's. His eyes were not cloudy like those of an old man. Instead, they were bright and sharp like those of a young man, full of agility. He was looking at him with a smile.
Based on the other party's appearance and the Sword Qi he had just unleashed, his identity was already quite obvious.
In the past, Si Ming would have naturally addressed him respectfully as "senior," not daring to overstep his bounds. However, having faced many formidable opponents, all that surged within him at this moment was a burning desire to fight, wanting to see just how far he could go.
Although Si Ming himself was unaware of it, his experience of defeating powerful enemies time and time again had given him audacious confidence and an unyielding tenacity in the face of any difficulty. Even when he encountered an emperor or president, his first thought was not to be trembling with fear, but rather whether he could kill the other party with his punch.
Even if you are of noble birth, you can't even withstand one punch from me. Your so-called power is just a joke. You are right here, and everyone is an enemy. What is there to fear?
Of course, this is just a fleeting thought and will not actually be taken into action. It is more of a judgment on the strength of the enemy and ourselves, similar to the instinct of a martial artist, weighing the strength in their mind at first glance.
"Senior is joking. Anything not prohibited by law is permissible. Does the Sword-Forging Manor have a rule that martial intent cannot be used within the Sword Pavilion? If not, I was merely following the rules of the Sword-Forging Manor. I am an honest man, so how can you call following the rules being cunning?"
The old man was taken aback when he felt Si Ming's gaze. For many years, no one had dared to show any fighting spirit in front of him since he had advanced to the Supreme Realm.
"Then, I will now add this rule: the use of martial intent is forbidden within the Sword Pavilion." The old man not only did not feel offended, but his eyes showed even more interest; such a young man was truly rare.
Si Ming sighed with regret, "Martial arts are an integral part of a martial artist. Martial artists cultivate martial arts, and martial arts also influence martial artists. The two complement each other and are inseparable. The fact that the Sword-Forging Manor has established such a rule is equivalent to saying that although hands and feet are human, people cannot eat with their hands or walk with their feet. Once this gets out, it will only make people wonder if the people of the Sword-Forging Manor have also forged their heads into lumps of iron."
The old man laughed heartily, not giving an inch, and said, "Let outsiders have their doubts. In the territory of the Sword-Forging Manor, one must abide by the rules of the Sword-Forging Manor. Even if the manor stipulates that one must be on all fours in the Sword Pavilion, they can only obediently lie on the ground with their buttocks sticking up."
"Rules are made by people, and naturally they can be changed by people. If you don't want to follow the rules, then let the people who made the rules change them."
Si Ming's challenging gaze was undisguised, because since the other party had not introduced himself, he could pretend not to know.
Yun Yinmo, who was standing nearby, finally came to her senses. Hearing Si Ming's provocative words, she immediately looked nervous and wanted to remind him, but found that she could no longer speak. The two people who were talking seemed to be chatting and laughing and had not made a move, but in fact they had already started to fight. Their essence, energy and spirit were combined and gathered into an invisible force, which intertwined and surged in the void. The residual force of the shock was enough to make her unable to move.
The old man said slowly, "It's normal for young people to be competitive, but rigidity leads to breakage, and showing off one's sharpness is always superficial. Only when the sword is sheathed can it be wielded more effectively. You should know that those who do not contend are unmatched in the world. The joy of the wise is like water. After experiencing all things in the world, one can understand the meaning of tranquility and detachment. You are still too young after all. You have already admitted defeat before even making a move."
With a slight sound, the sand and dust on the ground began to vibrate restlessly. At first, the vibration was small and slight, but it quickly grew larger until the divine weapons hanging on the four walls also trembled and emitted a metallic sound.
Si Ming laughed and retorted, "The principle of 'not contending but contending' is the Daoist School principle, Non-Self the Mohist School principle. If one has benevolence and righteousness in hand, one should contend for the benefit of the world. This is the path that Mohist should take. Besides, the way of dealing with the world has nothing to do with martial arts. Just like in chess, even if the skill levels are equal, if a retired master player were to compete against a teenager, he would undoubtedly lose. Martial arts are also a kind of combat, and only the strong will win!"
To save face, the elderly person said that they were indifferent to fame and fortune, had lofty ideals, and won without actually winning. The young person, not wanting to expose the elder's shortcomings, echoed, "Yes, yes, you're right." After all, they had to save face for the elder; they couldn't let the other person lose both face and dignity.
The old man's admiration deepened. Of course, he didn't believe in the Daoist School's nonsense about the virtue of non-contention. Otherwise, he wouldn't have interrupted Si Ming with his Sword Qi energy earlier. Instead, he would have used a more tactful approach. What Si Ming was not important. What was important was that he could speak up during the current clash of auras, proving that his strength was worthy of attention. This was not something that ordinary people could do. At least most Spirit Transformation Grandmaster couldn't do it.
He took a step forward, like adding a catalyst to a chemical reaction; the gas swirled and twisted, turning into a hurricane, stirring up smoke and dust that billowed everywhere.
The wind grew stronger and louder. Yun Yinmo could hear nothing but the whooshing sound of the wind. It felt as if a huge rock was pressing on her chest, and she gradually found it hard to breathe. Forced to retreat, she knew that the invisible confrontation between the two was becoming increasingly intense and could no longer tolerate a third party. At the same time, a huge wave of emotions surged within her.
She knew that Si Ming had long since become Yan Jinghong's apprentice, and even knew through the intelligence channels of the Sword-Forging Manor that Si Ming had played an important role in the recent great battle in the Northern Continent, making a name for himself. But even so, she never expected that he would not be at a disadvantage in the clash of auras with her great-grandfather!
For Yun Yinmo, who grew up listening to her great-grandfather's stories and had long regarded him as a deity, no matter what great feat Si Ming accomplished, it was not as impactful as this scene.