The axe was plain and unadorned, no different from the ones any woodcutter might carry. Yet it was vast and imposing. Even now, its color was dim and its radiance hidden, as if it lay dormant, but it still radiated an utterly terrifying pressure that made the heart tremble.
This was Yanxi City's sect-protecting treasure: the Evil-Slaying Axe!
The City Lord stopped beneath the Giant Axe and bowed to it. In a solemn voice, he said, "Senior, I am about to face a battle that concerns life and death, the honor of Yanxi City, and the fortunes of the entire righteous path."
"I ask that Senior lend me your strength!"
Silence filled the void. No one knew how long it lasted. Seeing that the City Lord remained where he was, with no intention of leaving, a voice like thunder suddenly rang out from the Evil-Slaying Axe. "What manner of opponent has made you take this so seriously?"
The City Lord replied, "A rising star of the demonic path. He is young, but he has already defeated the current emperor of the Liulan Dynasty."
"Now he has entered our sect's territory and sent us a challenge."
The Evil-Slaying Axe fell silent again for a while, then finally said, "Very well."
The City Lord bowed once more. "Thank you, Senior."
As he spoke, he reached out toward the Giant Axe. The mountain-sized axe instantly turned into a streak of light and fell into his palm, where it had already shrunk to the size of an ordinary weapon.
The City Lord slung the axe over his back and took another step. He had already left the stone hall. After the world around him blurred into a kaleidoscope of shifting colors, he appeared in an underground cavern.
As far as the eye could see,