"Not for sale?"
Chu Yunfei raised an eyebrow, but his hand did not release the sword's hilt.
"Why?"
The attendant's smile stiffened slightly.
She bowed and explained, "Young master, you may not know this, but this sword's origins are rather unusual."
"Several years ago, our pavilion master entered the ruins of a secret realm and discovered it among the rubble."
"After bringing it back, he invited many master swordsmiths and appraisers to examine it. They tried everything-refining it with fire, quenching it in water, infusing it with spiritual power-but it never reacted in the slightest."
"No one recognized its material, and no one could draw even a glimmer of spiritual light from it."
The attendant paused briefly before giving the final conclusion.
"So it was deemed a worthless sword."
Chu Yunfei lowered his gaze to the black blade.
A worthless sword?
How could something that made the Divine Cauldron of Heavenly Mandate react possibly be a worthless sword?
Seeing that he still refused to let go, the attendant could only continue, "The pavilion master thought its material was unusual and its weight astonishing. It seemed a shame to throw it away, so he kept it in the pavilion as a memento."
"Later, since no one ever showed any interest, it was moved to this corner."
"It has never been priced, so naturally, it isn't offered for sale."
She had made herself perfectly clear.
This thing had no spiritual light, no grade, and could not even be considered a true spirit sword.
To put it bluntly, it was just a piece of black iron shaped like a sword.
Their conversation soon drew the attention of the other customers on the second floor.
Once they saw the black sword in Chu Yunfei's hand, several sneers followed.
"I thought he'd found some treasure."
A young man in brocade closed his folding fan, his face full of contempt.
"A whole floor of spirit swords, and he picks a piece of scrap iron instead. What a truly unique eye."
A sword-carrying warrior beside him picked up the thread.
"Maybe he simply can't afford a spirit sword."
"He deliberately picked something that isn't for sale, then pretended he had the discerning eye to spot a pearl. That way, even if he leaves empty-handed, he won't look too bad."
"So he's just building himself a step down."
"Hahaha..."
Laughter rippled across the second floor.
Standing nearby, the attendant felt the tips of her ears grow slightly hot.
She had only wanted to make an ordinary sale. She had never expected it to cause such a commotion.
"Young master."
She lowered her voice and urged, "If you truly wish to buy a sword, I can select a few more suitable ones for you."
"We have everything from yellow rank low grade to yellow rank high grade. We can surely find one that fits your hand."
Chu Yunfei did not answer.
His thumb slowly brushed over the cold hilt.
Deep within his sea of consciousness, that earlier tremor from the Divine Cauldron of Heavenly Mandate could not have been a mistake.
Something was hidden inside this sword.
And it was anything but ordinary.
A bunch of people who couldn't even see the seal thought themselves qualified to declare it worthless?
Just then, an aged voice came from the stairs.
"What's all this noise?"
The voice was quiet, yet it drowned out every discussion on the second floor.
The laughter stopped abruptly.
Everyone turned toward the voice.
An old man in gray slowly ascended the wooden stairs.
He had a thin face and white hair and beard. His left sleeve hung empty, swaying gently with his steps.
Only his eyes were sharp as two unsheathed swords.
"Pavilion Master Shen!"
"Old Shen has come out."
The warriors who had been jeering immediately shut their mouths and even straightened their postures considerably.
The newcomer was none other than Shen Zhu, master of the Famous Sword Pavilion.
There were plenty of rumors about him in Qingyang City.
Decades ago, with only one arm, he had slain three experts of the same realm in succession.
After that battle, no one had ever dared underestimate him for missing an arm.
As though she had found her pillar of support, the attendant hurried forward and bowed.
"Pavilion Master."
Shen Zhu nodded, swept his gaze over the second floor, and finally settled it on Chu Yunfei.
More precisely, on the black sword.
His brows furrowed.
But the next moment, his gaze shifted to Chu Yunfei's right hand gripping the sword.
Others might not know, but he understood better than anyone.
This black sword weighed five hundred and thirty jin!
Even using both hands, an ordinary Body Tempering Realm warrior might not be able to lift it off the sword rack.
Yet the youth before him held it with just one hand.
His wrist was steady.
The sword's tip did not waver in the slightest.
Shen Zhu glanced at the wooden sword rack as it gently sprang back, then studied Chu Yunfei again.
What a powerful physique.
This brat was definitely not as simple as he looked.
However, Shen Zhu did not point it out.
He walked slowly up to Chu Yunfei, his tone indifferent.
"Stop feeling it, brat."
"You won't rub flowers out of it, no matter how long you keep at it."
"This sword isn't for sale."
"Put it down, then leave the Famous Sword Pavilion."
At those words, gloating expressions returned to the faces of the surrounding crowd.
Pavilion Master Shen was personally throwing him out.
Now, even if Chu Yunfei wanted a step down, he would find none.
The attendant sighed softly.
She was just about to try persuading him again when Chu Yunfei raised his head and met Shen Zhu's gaze.
"Senior, name your price."
Shen Zhu narrowed his eyes.
"I said it isn't for sale."
As his words fell, an invisible pressure spread from him.
The air on the second floor suddenly grew heavy.
The expressions of several nearby warriors shifted slightly, and they instinctively retreated half a step.
Chu Yunfei's robes pressed against his body, and his shoulders sank under the weight.
But his feet did not retreat.
Nor did his hand release the black sword.
"There are always exceptions."
Chu Yunfei spoke calmly.
"Today, this sword will be mine."
"Heh."
Shen Zhu laughed in anger.
He had intended to throw him straight out, but when his gaze landed on Chu Yunfei's excessively steady hand, he changed his mind.
This brat knew full well that the black sword had no spiritual light, yet he still refused to let go.
Had he truly seen something, or did he simply not know the immensity of heaven and earth?
Shen Zhu wanted to know the answer too.
"Brat."
He glanced at the black sword.
"Do you truly believe you're holding a divine weapon?"
"We'll only know whether it's a divine weapon after trying it."
Chu Yunfei answered without the slightest hesitation.
"Good."
Shen Zhu nodded slowly.
"'We'll only know after trying it.' Well said."
"I've studied this sword for years."
"Whether I infused it with spiritual power or dripped blood on it to claim ownership, it never reacted in the slightest."
"Since you're so confident, I'll give you a chance today."
Shen Zhu raised his sole remaining hand, his right, and pointed at the black sword.
"If you can make it display even the slightest unusual phenomenon before my eyes."
"Even a wisp of spiritual light or a single sword cry."
"I won't take a single coin for this sword. I'll present it to you with both hands."
The second floor first fell silent.
Then an uproar erupted.
Give it away?
The way many people looked at the black sword instantly changed.
Although countless people had already appraised it as scrap iron, no one recognized its material, after all.
If it really could be activated, no one could say for certain what grade it was.
But before they could think further, Shen Zhu's tone turned cold.
"But if you can't..."
"You'll buy three spirit swords from the second floor today, as an apology for wasting my time."
Three spirit swords!
Several warriors secretly clicked their tongues.
Even the worst spirit swords on the Famous Sword Pavilion's second floor were yellow rank low grade.
Three together would cost at least several thousand low-grade spirit stones.
That was no small price.
"This brat is finished."
"Pavilion Master Shen couldn't activate that worthless sword after studying it for years. What makes him think he can?"
"Before, he was only losing face. Now, he'll probably lose his entire fortune."
The young man in brocade opened his folding fan again and shook his head with a smile.
"It's fine for young people to want the limelight, but they should weigh their spirit storage pouches first."
Everyone looked at Chu Yunfei.
Some sneered.
Some shook their heads.
Others waited to see how he would get himself out of this.
The attendant opened her mouth, wanting to dissuade him, but did not dare interrupt in front of Shen Zhu.
In her eyes, there was simply no chance of winning this wager.
Countless master swordsmiths had been helpless before this black sword. What could Chu Yunfei, a mere Body Tempering Realm warrior, possibly make it do?
Shen Zhu stared at Chu Yunfei.
"What's wrong?"
"Lost your nerve?"
Chu Yunfei looked down at the black sword in his hand.
Deep within his sea of consciousness, the Divine Cauldron of Heavenly Mandate trembled gently once more.
Hum.
In the deepest reaches of the black blade, some power that had slumbered for years seemed to respond for an instant.
Chu Yunfei smiled.
"All right."