Volume 1, Chapter 30: The Heavenly Sword Splits in Two

Zhao Wujiang had hoped that the Heavenly Sword would respond to his call and fly into his hand, yet it remained motionless, showing no reaction whatsoever.

"Hmm?" Zhao Wujiang was stunned.

[Could it be that my blood is useless?]
[Does only Long Zhan’s blood have the power to make the Heavenly Sword acknowledge its master?]
[Damn it! That’s unfair!]

Ling Qingxue noticed the sequence of Zhao Wujiang’s actions—cutting his hand and spilling his blood—and heard his inner thoughts. This boy really was full of tricks! How did he know that the Heavenly Sword required a blood sacrifice to be claimed?

"Long Zhan, come quickly!" Ling Qingxue shouted.

Long Zhan, who was fighting on the other side, glanced over and charged toward them. Following closely behind him were the other surviving martial arts experts and a group of men from the Sword Casting Bureau.

With Long Zhan in the lead and his senior sister Ling Qingxue providing cover, they were the first to reach the Heavenly Sword. At that critical moment, Jian Donglai finished off a martial arts master and swept toward them with the force of a gale, striking Long Zhan with a heavy palm.

"How dare you attempt to touch my Heavenly Sword! You are nothing but offerings for the blade!"

Immediately, Long Zhan groaned, spat out blood, and collapsed to the side. As he fell, a large portion of his blood sprayed onto the Heavenly Sword.

Zhao Wujiang, who had already sensed the danger and hidden in a corner, watched this scene in a daze. He recalled the plot of the original story: Long Zhan had indeed spilled his blood on the Heavenly Sword by sheer coincidence, which was what allowed it to acknowledge him.

Sigh... such a cliché... it’s not fair... that first blood was clearly mine... Zhao Wujiang lamented inwardly.

At this moment, Ling Qingxue was also driven back by Jian Donglai, her wounds compounding and leaving her increasingly weak. Everyone else in the Sword Casting Bureau had been injured in the chaos; those who had fallen were down, and those still standing dared not approach, fearing they would be cut down by Jian Donglai’s blade.

Jian Donglai held his longsword, blood dripping from its tip. He surveyed the crowd with a haughty gaze; his peak fifth-grade cultivation was enough to suppress everyone present. Moreover, he was a master of the sword!

"The Heavenly Sword has been forged for so long, yet it could never truly be brought forth. But the ancestral teachings of the Sword Clan state that the Heavenly Sword has a spirit, and blood must be used to awaken it!" Jian Donglai’s expression grew increasingly manic. "It’s done! My Heavenly Sword is finally complete!"

Jian Donglai swept his eyes over the crowd, especially lingering on Zhao Wujiang, who was hiding like a turtle in the corner, and sneered, "You bunch of weaklings, it is your honor to have your blood used to sharpen the Heavenly Sword!"

Watching the Heavenly Sword, which was now enveloped in red and blue flames, Jian Donglai took a step out, walking across the Sword Cultivation Pool. "With the Heavenly Sword in hand, I shall be a Sword Saint of my generation! One day, I will use this sword to command the world, overthrow the Li imperial family, and ascend the throne—what could stop me?"

As he spoke, Jian Donglai reached out to grasp the sword.

Zhao Wujiang muttered to himself that the plot was wrong! Long Zhan was also beating his chest in frustration, gritting his teeth; he had been so close to obtaining the Heavenly Sword! Just a hair’s breadth away!

However, as Jian Donglai approached the sword, he was repeatedly forced back by the flames erupting from it.

"Impossible! Heavenly Sword, why do you still refuse to acknowledge me as your master!"

As Jian Donglai was forced back, Li Yunyi finally arrived with the Capital Guard. "Seize this traitor at once!"

Zhao Wujiang was speechless at the sight. He had told Li Yunyi to play dead, so why was this fool still wading into the mess?

"It must be that there isn't enough blood! Not enough! You arrived just in time!" Jian Donglai sneered. With a flicker of his figure, he grabbed Li Yunyi by the throat, hoisting the prince up as a shield, and stepped toward the flame-wreathed sword.

The mist was thick, and the Sword Cultivation Pool felt like a giant steamer, intent on cooking everyone alive as a sacrifice to the heavens. Li Yunyi’s face turned scarlet as he struggled, but he was no match for a peak fifth-grade expert. He was forced step by step toward the sword, the clothes on his back scorched away by the heat.

Long Zhan, having briefly caught his breath and possessing exceptional talent, felt his condition improve. Seeing Li Yunyi captured, he knew this was the Sixth Prince; saving a prince would be a great achievement!

"Release the Sixth Prince!" Long Zhan roared. The True Sun Heart Method erupted within him, his regal aura fully unleashed, and he charged at Jian Donglai with fierce momentum.

Jian Donglai glanced at him and struck back with a palm: "Overestimating yourself!"

Long Zhan was still no match, stumbling backward with blood seeping from the corner of his mouth, his thick brows furrowed in frustration.

But the next moment, the mist in the pool surged violently. The Heavenly Sword in the center trembled intensely, and to everyone’s shock, it broke out of the pool and flew directly toward Long Zhan.

Long Zhan was stunned, then overjoyed. He grabbed the Heavenly Sword, and endless sword energy instantly engulfed him.

"The Heavenly Sword! It acknowledges me as its master!" Long Zhan stared at the brilliant, glowing sword in his hand, filled with ecstasy.

That’s how it should be! This is my destiny. All the great things, all the beautiful women—they should all belong to me!

"Impossible! This is impossible!" Jian Donglai, seeing this, was nearly driven mad. "The supreme treasure that three generations of my Sword Casting Bureau poured their hearts into forging—why would it acknowledge you? This is unfair!"

He rushed forward, attempting to snatch the sword back. Beside him, Ling Qingxue’s eyes lit up, and she warned Long Zhan, not wanting him to get carried away: "Junior Brother, kill Jian Donglai! You and I must leave this place!"

"Right!" Long Zhan nodded, holding the Heavenly Sword with the aura of a future hegemon.

"Die!"

But just as Long Zhan prepared to swing the sword, the blade suddenly emitted a ripple of red and blue sword energy!

"What is happening!"

Long Zhan could not control the Heavenly Sword, and before the horrified eyes of the crowd, the sword split in two!

The sword in Long Zhan’s hand became a blade of cold blue light, while the other half—a blood-red, demonic blade—flew straight toward the unremarkable corner where Zhao Wujiang was hiding, landing right in front of him.

"Hmm? A change in plans?" Zhao Wujiang immediately drew the blood-red demonic sword and said under the gaze of everyone, "You guys keep fighting; my mother is calling me home for dinner."

Jian Donglai was filled with uncontrollable rage!

"I understand! I finally understand!"

So that was it—a blood sacrifice to the Heavenly Sword required the blood of the living! No wonder he had used so many corpses to feed the sword before; it was impossible to fully sharpen and awaken it that way!

"These two have both offered their blood to the sword, so the Heavenly Sword—being of both righteous and evil origins—has split in two: one, a King’s Sword; the other, a Hegemon’s Sword!"

Damn it! Jian Donglai’s face twitched. He raised his arm, and a precious sword flew from outside the pool into his hand. His intent to kill was overwhelming. "Hand over the Heavenly Sword!"

Two waves of sword energy swept toward Long Zhan and Zhao Wujiang. Although Long Zhan was resentful that the Heavenly Sword had split and half had been taken by Zhao Wujiang, he knew he had to deal with Jian Donglai first!

He swung his blue light sword. Zhao Wujiang had also already swung his blade; the moment Jian Donglai’s murderous intent had surfaced, he had countered. Strike first to gain the advantage—especially in a life-or-death situation!

The blue and red sword energies swept toward Jian Donglai, and in the air, they unexpectedly merged into one!

"I spent years planning to forge this sword; how can I let you steal it!!"

Jian Donglai was fiercely imposing. He swung his sword to block, refusing to believe that with his fifth-grade cultivation, he could not defeat these two brats! But he had underestimated that sword energy!

*Clang!*

The sword energy he released dissipated! The Heavenly Sword’s energy was unstoppable, and in the next instant, the sword in Jian Donglai’s hand shattered!

Then, the sword energy split in two again!

The red light swept through his body, and he trembled violently, unable to believe it! The blue light swept through him as well, and he trembled once more, collapsing onto one knee!

Having spent his entire life chasing the Heavenly Sword, only to be pierced by its power, he laughed in resignation and shook his head.

"Is this the power of the Heavenly Sword? Good... good... very good!"

In the next moment, he exploded into a mist of blood, mixing into the swirling white fog, the scent of blood lingering in the air.

The surroundings were deathly silent. Jian Donglai had schemed against everyone, only to die by the very Heavenly Sword he had dreamed of!

Seeing more and more imperial troops arriving—this was, after all, under the feet of the Emperor—the martial arts experts immediately found opportunities to flee. The number of people in the Sword Casting Bureau dwindled.

Long Zhan, seeing this, turned his cold gaze toward Zhao Wujiang while holding the Hegemon’s Sword. He turned his wrist, his sword energy rising sharply, shrouding the area around Zhao Wujiang.

"This sword should belong to me in its entirety. Hand over the blade in your hand!"