"The Imperial Sword was the Sacred Ancestor's personal sword. If the Cube had been excavated in ancient times, the Imperial Sword would undoubtedly have been recognized as the most precious Cultural Relics found inside it, bar none. Of course, it was still priceless today—a national treasure of the highest order." Standing before a glass case, Chen Shu studied the magnificent sword. "It witnessed the birth of our country's first unified dynasty and the founding of this brilliant civilization by the Sacred Ancestor. The next five thousand years of our history and civilization all sprang from it."
"This one's a replica too, right?" Zhang Suannai sounded certain.
"Of course. The original's power is too great. The news reports saying it could split mountains and sever rivers weren't exaggerating," Chen Shu said. "You probably know that the philosophy behind forging Spell Artifacts in that era was completely different from later periods. Artifacts back then demanded a lot from their users, but they had a high minimum output and a low ceiling. Whoever used one, its power stayed within a fairly narrow range. Later Spell Artifacts were basically amplifiers for their users' strength."
"That's how our sect used to do it."
"Exactly."
Chen Shu knew the Sword Sect had held on to the medieval approach to Spell Artifacts longer than any other sect. It was only after the King Court gained independence that the Sword Sect had been forced to change. If it clung to tradition any longer, it truly would fall behind the times.
Even now, the Sword Sect's Spirit Swords retained some traits of medieval artifacts. They often carried a reserve of power and could be passed down through generations. Later wielders could release that power when necessary, borrowing outside strength to gain an overwhelming edge.
"Why is it called the