Chapter 868
A Rare Event That Never Comes Unexpected
But the sword remained completely still, as if it were one with the boulder, impossible to shake.
"No, I can't pull it out," the young man said breathlessly, shaking his head as he stepped off the stone platform.
Next, several more people went up to try, but the result was the same—no one could pull the sword.
"It's true that only those with the right destiny can pull it out; brute force is useless," someone remarked.
"So what kind of person is destined to be chosen?"
"Who knows? Perhaps we'll only know when the right person appears."
Zheng Yi stood in the crowd, watching quietly.
He wasn't particularly interested in the sword in the stone. He wasn't a swordsman and rarely used a sword. Although the sword looked impressive, it was of no use to him.
“Sir, why don’t you give it a try?” Guo Mingxuan asked.
“Me?” Zheng Yi shook his head. “I’m not a sword cultivator, and I’m not very proficient in swordsmanship. Since this sword was left behind by the founder of a swordsmanship sect, it should be prepared for a master swordsman. It would be a waste of my energy to try it.”
“What you say is right,” Guo Mingxuan nodded.
At this moment, a commotion arose in the crowd.
Zheng Yi looked in the direction of the sound and saw Han Zixuan walking towards the stone platform with several followers. His face was gloomy, clearly still harboring resentment over yesterday's events.
"Make way! Make way! The Han family is here!" a follower shouted.
The crowd parted to make way for Han Zixuan.
Han Zixuan walked to the stone platform, arrogantly looked around, then walked to the boulder and gripped the sword hilt with both hands.
"Hmph!" He channeled all his inner energy and suddenly pulled upwards.
But the sword remained completely still.
Han Zixuan's face turned grim. He tried several more times, but the result was the same.
"Hmph, what a lousy sword, it's a complete fraud!" he said angrily, shaking his head as he stepped off the stone platform.
As he walked into the crowd, his eyes met Zheng Yi's.
The two stared at each other for a moment, and a venomous glint flashed in Han Zixuan's eyes.
"Mr. Dark Night, why don't you give it a try?" he sneered. "I heard you killed the Lu family's prodigy with a single punch; your strength is astonishing. Maybe you can even pull out that sword?"
"I'm not very skilled in swordsmanship, so I won't embarrass myself by showing off," Zheng Yi said calmly.
"Not proficient?" Han Zixuan sneered. "I bet you're just too scared! You were so imposing on the stage yesterday, why are you chickening out today?"
Zheng Yi frowned and ignored him.
But Han Zixuan wouldn't let it go, continuing his mockery: "That's true, you're just a self-taught swordsman from a small town, what do you know about swordsmanship? If you were asked to draw a sword, you probably couldn't even hold the hilt properly, right?"
His attendants also burst into laughter.
"Exactly! A country bumpkin dares to go against the Han family? He's really overestimating himself."
"I heard he's from some Qingyun City, but I've never even heard of it. It must be some poor, remote place."
"This kind of person doesn't even deserve to come to the Xuan Tian Sect. He's utterly disgraceful."
Guo Shouzhen and Guo Xiong's expressions turned grim, but they dared not utter a word in rebuttal. The Han family's power was too great; they couldn't afford to offend them.
Guo Mingxuan couldn't hold back any longer and shouted, "Don't go too far! Mr. Dark Night is..."
"Mingxuan, stop talking." Zheng Yi interrupted him.
He looked at Han Zixuan, a cold glint in his eyes.
"Does Young Master Han really insist that I give it a try?"
"What, do you dare?" Han Zixuan provocatively asked.
“What’s there to be afraid of?” Zheng Yi said calmly. “However, if I draw that sword, what does Young Master Han intend to do?”
"You?" Han Zixuan laughed loudly, "You think you can pull out that sword? Dream on!"
"What if I actually pull it out?" Zheng Yi pressed.
Han Zixuan laughed even louder: "If you can pull out that sword, I, Han Zixuan, will kowtow three times to you in public!"
“Okay, it’s a deal.” Zheng Yi nodded and then walked towards the stone platform.
The crowd parted to make way, and all eyes were on Zheng Yi.
"Is he really going to try?"
Who is this person?
"It seems to be the person who clashed with Han Zixuan in the ring yesterday."
"He's not a swordsman, is he? Why is he drawing his sword too?"
The murmurs rose and fell, but Zheng Yi ignored them and walked straight up to the stone platform.
He came to the boulder and carefully examined the sword in the stone.
The hilt was bronze-colored, engraved with intricate patterns. These patterns looked ancient, seemingly imbued with some kind of mysterious power. Only a small portion of the blade was visible, its silvery-white surface gleaming coldly in the sunlight.
"A fine sword," Zheng Yi murmured.
He extended his right hand and gently grasped the sword hilt.
The moment the sword hilt touched his hand, he felt a strange energy emanating from it. The energy was warm and pure, like a gentle stream flowing down his arm and into his body.
“This is…” A thought struck him.
That energy actually resonated with the Heavenly Qi within his body!
The Heavenly Gang Qi is a special energy generated from his cultivation of the Heavenly Gang Technique, extremely domineering and fierce. However, the energy contained in this sword is very compatible with the Heavenly Gang Qi, as if they were originally one.
"Could this sword be related to the Heavenly Gang Technique?" Zheng Yi wondered to himself.
He took a deep breath, channeled his inner energy, and then gently lifted it upwards.
"Buzz—"
A deep, resonant sword rang out.
Everyone stared wide-eyed at the scene unfolding on the stone platform in disbelief.
The sword embedded in the boulder for thousands of years actually moved!
The sword slowly slid out of the boulder, making a soft scraping sound. Its silvery-white blade shimmered brilliantly in the sunlight, like a silver dragon awakening after a thousand years of slumber.
"How...how is this possible?" Han Zixuan's face turned deathly pale, and his whole body trembled.
"He...he really drew his sword?"
"Oh my god, is this real?"
"For a thousand years, this sword has been stuck in the boulder. Finally, someone has pulled it out!"
A deafening commotion erupted from the crowd. Everyone stared at Zheng Yi in disbelief, as if he were a figure from a mythological tale.
Zheng Yi remained calm. He drew the sword completely, held it up to his eyes, and examined it carefully.
This is a three-foot-long sword, its blade as white as snow and its edge incredibly sharp. Two ancient characters are engraved on the blade: "破天" (Pòtiān).
“Breaking the sky,” Zheng Yi murmured.
He gently swung the sword, and a silvery-white sword aura shot out from the tip, leaving a long trail in the air before disappearing without a trace.
"What a fine sword!" he exclaimed.
Although this sword had slumbered within the boulder for millennia, it remained incredibly sharp and powerful. More importantly, the sword resonated perfectly with the celestial energy within him, allowing him to wield it with effortless ease, as if it were an extension of his own body.
On the high platform, Master Xuantian also stood up, his face showing a look of shock.
He has lived for hundreds of years and witnessed countless battles fought with swords drawn, but no one has ever been able to actually draw the sword. Today, a young man has done it!
“What is going on?” he murmured.
The elders around him were also stunned, speechless with disbelief.
Zheng Yi sheathed his sword—he noticed that the end of the hilt was attached to an old scabbard, which had previously been hidden by a boulder. He hung the sword at his waist and then bowed respectfully to the Xuan Tian Zhenren on the high platform.
"Thank you, Xuantian Sect, for giving this junior this opportunity," he said.
Master Xuantian came to his senses, a complex expression appearing on his face.
“Young friend, please come up and talk to me,” he said.
Zheng Yi nodded, then leaped onto the high platform.
Upon arriving before Master Xuantian, he bowed once more.
"Junior An Ye greets the Sect Leader."
"Mr. Dark Night, I have heard of your name." True Master Xuantian sized up Zheng Yi. "To kill the Lu family's prodigy with a single punch and intimidate the allied forces of the three great families—such achievements at such a young age are truly remarkable."
"You flatter me, Sect Leader," Zheng Yi said.
"Being able to pull out the Heaven-Piercing Sword means you have a connection with it," said Master Xuantian. "According to the rules of our sect, you can take this sword with you and directly become an inner disciple."
"Thank you for your kind offer, Sect Leader," Zheng Yi said. "However, I already have my own path of cultivation and am afraid I cannot join the Xuan Tian Sect. This sword..."
He hesitated for a moment, then said, "If the sect leader doesn't mind, I would like to take this sword with me, but I will not join the Xuantian Sect. Is that alright?"
Master Xuantian remained silent for a moment.
An elder beside him couldn't help but say, "Mr. Dark Night, this sword is the personal sword of our sect's founding patriarch, a priceless treasure. It's inappropriate for you to take it away without joining the sect."
“Elder Liu is right,” another elder added. “Although the Heaven-Piercing Sword can only be drawn by a destined person, it is, after all, a heirloom of our sect. If Mr. Dark Night is unwilling to join our sect, he should leave the sword behind.”
Upon hearing this, Zheng Yi looked troubled.
He really didn't want to join the Xuantian Sect, but he really liked this sword. It was very compatible with the Heavenly Gang Qi within him, and if he could take it with him, it would greatly help his cultivation.
“The elders are right.” He was about to return the sword when Master Xuantian waved his hand.
"What you say makes sense, but the rules were set by me, and I can naturally change them," said Master Xuantian. "The Heaven-Breaking Sword has been stuck in this boulder for over a thousand years. Unless one is destined to have it, it cannot be pulled out. Mr. Dark Night was able to pull it out, which means the sword is destined for him. Since it is destined, it should belong to him."
"Sect Leader." The two elders wanted to say something, but were interrupted by True Person Xuantian.
“No need for further words,” said Master Xuantian. “Mr. Dark Night, you may take this sword. However, I have one condition.”
"Please speak, Sect Leader," Zheng Yi said.
"I hope that when you have time in the future, you can visit the Xuantian Sect and spar with our disciples," said Master Xuantian. "Although you are not a sword cultivator, your ability to draw the Heaven-Breaking Sword shows that you have a unique understanding of the sword path. Our disciples will definitely benefit greatly from exchanging ideas with you."
"No problem," Zheng Yi nodded. "I will definitely visit you when I have time."
“Alright, it’s a deal,” Master Xuantian said with a smile.
After chatting for a few more minutes, Zheng Yi took his leave and left the high platform.
He jumped off the platform and returned to the Guo family.
Guo Shouzhen, Guo Xiong, and Guo Mingxuan all looked at him with disbelief, as if they were looking at a god who had descended from the sky.
"Sir, you really drew your sword?" Guo Mingxuan stammered.
"Yes, it's out." Zheng Yi nodded and patted the Heaven-Piercing Sword at his waist.
"But...but that sword has been stuck there for over a thousand years, and no one has ever been able to pull it out," Guo Shouzhen murmured. "How did you manage to do it, sir?"
“I don’t know either,” Zheng Yi said honestly. “I just gripped the hilt and gently lifted it, and it came out.”
"It came out with just a gentle lift?" Guo Xiong's eyes widened. "Sir, are you joking?"
“I’m not joking,” Zheng Yi said. “Perhaps I’m destined to have this sword.”
The Guo family members looked at each other, unsure of what to say.
At this moment, Han Zixuan walked over.
His face was ashen, and he was trembling all over; he was clearly still reeling from the shock.
"How...how did you do that?" he asked, staring at Zheng Yi.
"I've already said I don't know either," Zheng Yi said calmly. "Perhaps it's because I have a special connection with this sword."
"Fate?" Han Zixuan sneered. "How could someone who doesn't understand swordsmanship possibly be destined for a sword? You must have used some kind of method!"
"Think what you want," Zheng Yi said, too lazy to argue. "By the way, you said earlier that if I drew my sword, you would kowtow three times to me in public. Now that I've drawn my sword, shouldn't you keep your promise?"
Han Zixuan's face turned bright red.
He never expected that Zheng Yi could actually pull out that sword. Now that Zheng Yi had brought it up in public, he was in a dilemma.
If he were to actually kowtow to Zheng Yi in public, the Han family would lose all face. But if he went back on his word, he would be looked down upon and accused of being a liar.
"What, Young Master Han, are you not going to keep your promise?" Zheng Yi asked coldly.
People gathered around, watching the scene with curiosity.
"What did Han Zixuan just say?"
"He said that if Mr. Dark Night could draw his sword, he would kowtow three times to him in public."
"Hahaha, this is going to be good!"
"The Han family has to kowtow to someone? This is an extremely rare occurrence!"
Han Zixuan's expression turned even more unpleasant as he listened to the surrounding whispers.
"Don't push your luck!" he gritted his teeth. "How could the Han family bow down to someone like you?"
"So you mean you're going to back out?" Zheng Yi asked.
"Hmph, I just spoke offhand, it doesn't count!" Han Zixuan retorted.
"It doesn't count?" Zheng Yi sneered. "So many people heard it, and now you're saying it doesn't count?"
"It doesn't count!" Han Zixuan shouted angrily. "What can you do to me?"
"What can I do to you?" A cold glint flashed in Zheng Yi's eyes. "Young Master Han, since you're going back on your word, then don't ever hold your head high in front of others again."
"You—" Han Zixuan trembled with rage. (End of Chapter)