Free Web NovelChapter 194: Chapter 194: It... Broke?
Ye Zhiyao was full of cunning little schemes. She knew she needed witnesses at a time like this, so Yang Cheng and the others had arrived at the perfect moment.
All she had to do was tell them she was being controlled by the Muxian Sword, then have the sword kill Lu Sangjiu in front of them. That way, the matter would have nothing to do with her.
With Bai Heng running interference for her, she could get away completely unscathed.
Yang Cheng and Zhang Jiu Yi were stunned for a moment. Taking a closer look, they saw that it did indeed seem like Ye Zhiyao was being dragged along by the Muxian Sword, so they were mostly convinced by her words.
"Cultivator Lu, I’ll help you!"
The first to speak was Zhang Jiu Yi. He felt a little ashamed about deliberately losing to Lu Sangjiu in the tournament.
Now, seeing Lu Sangjiu in danger, his first instinct was to rush up and help.
Then, Yang Cheng also came to his senses. "I’ll help you too!"
In truth, there wasn’t much time left, and they should have been rushing to find their own swords.
But neither of them was a bad person; they couldn’t just stand by and watch Lu Sangjiu die here.
Ye Zhiyao hadn’t expected the two of them to actually help Lu Sangjiu. She was furious, but there was nothing she could do.
The Muxian Sword in her hand was clearly wary of them as well. It subconsciously retreated a few steps, shifting some of its attention to Zhang Jiu Yi and Yang Cheng.
Lu Sangjiu finally had a moment to catch her breath. She pressed down hard on her bleeding arm, her mind racing. ’What on earth should I do?’
But before she could figure anything out, something unexpected happened.
Everyone saw a sudden, crisp CRACK from the deep pit not far away. Immediately after, a completely jet-black blade flew out of the pit!
The long blade flew several circles in the air at an incredible speed, as if it had been trapped for a long time and had suddenly found its freedom.
Zhang Jiu Yi, Yang Cheng, and even Ye Zhiyao were all shocked. They couldn’t understand it. ’Why would there be a blade in the Sword Tomb?’
But before they could give it any more thought, they suddenly made a horrifying discovery: the energy radiating from the blade was Demonic Qi!
Zhang Jiu Yi was the first to react, his face paling. "This is bad! It’s the Demon Blade Dominator!"
"Everyone, get back!"
To Cultivators, Demonic Qi was a deadly poison. With the waves of Demonic Qi now pouring from the Domination Map Blade, anyone who accidentally touched it would be in for a world of trouble.
When Ye Zhiyao heard the words "Demonic Qi," she shuddered from head to toe.
It couldn’t be helped. She had suffered immensely the last time Demonic Qi entered her body, and now she was terrified at the mere mention of it.
She wanted to retreat, but the Muxian Sword in her hand had clearly grown even more excited after seeing the Domination Map Blade.
The Muxian Sword let out a loud hum. Ignoring Lu Sangjiu, it dragged Ye Zhiyao along as it charged straight for the Domination Map Blade!
Ye Zhiyao was so scared she almost burst into tears, but she couldn’t break free. She could even feel her Spiritual Energy draining away faster.
But before they could reach it, the Domination Map Blade suddenly shot off with a WHOOSH, flying far away... straight toward Lu Sangjiu!
Ye Zhiyao was stunned for a second, then overjoyed.
’Even a Demon Blade wants to kill Lu Sangjiu. That woman really does deserve to die!’
But she never would have imagined that the Domination Map Blade wasn’t trying to kill Lu Sangjiu at all. Instead, it flew over and pushed its hilt right into her hand!
Lu Sangjiu was already injured, so her fresh blood touched the Domination Map Blade directly. With a flash of golden light, they had... formed a bond?
Now, not only Ye Zhiyao, but also Zhang Jiu Yi and Yang Cheng were staring, utterly dumbfounded.
Lu Sangjiu hadn’t expected the Domination Map Blade to break its seal on its own, much less come to her side.
But from the moment she grasped it and felt its joy and closeness, Lu Sangjiu knew it had recognized her.
She didn’t know how it had recognized her, but... it remembered.
In that instant, a wave of warmth washed over Lu Sangjiu’s heart, followed by guilt and self-reproach toward the Domination Map Blade.
It had been her partner, and back then, she’d had no choice but to trade it to save Xie Ningyuan’s life.
She had thought the worst that could happen was it getting a new master. She never imagined it would be suppressed in the Sword Tomb, trapped for hundreds of years.
’...You’ve suffered.’
Lu Sangjiu whispered the words to the Domination Map Blade in her heart.
The Domination Map Blade seemed to sense her thoughts. The body of the blade trembled, as if in aggrieved protest.
But there was no time for them to enjoy this heartwarming reunion, because the Muxian Sword was already charging at Lu Sangjiu once again!
Lu Sangjiu did a quick mental calculation. Time was almost up, so she felt there was no need to fight the Muxian Sword to the death.
Her plan was to simply parry its attacks and stall for time.
But to her great surprise, the Domination Map Blade, seemingly full of pent-up rage from being suppressed for so long, completely ignored her attempts to hold it back and rushed to meet the Muxian Sword’s charge!
Although Lu Sangjiu and the Domination Map Blade had formed a new bond, her cultivation was too low. When the blade’s will was strong, she found she couldn’t completely control it.
And so, no different from Ye Zhiyao, she was dragged along by the Domination Map Blade!
"CLANG!" A piercing shriek of metal on metal echoed throughout the entire Sword Tomb.
Lu Sangjiu’s ears rang, and the web of her hand was split open by the shock, sending waves of pain through her.
But she had no time to worry about any of that, because she was stunned to discover that the Domination Map Blade’s all-out strike had actually snapped the Muxian Sword in two!
Lu Sangjiu was completely frozen. ’Are... are Immortal Swords really this fragile?’
’That can’t be right. Normally, the power difference between an Immortal Artifact and a Demon Artifact shouldn’t be this huge!’
But regardless of what should have been, the scene playing out before her eyes was undeniable... The Muxian Sword had really been broken by the Domination Map Blade!
The breaking of the Immortal Sword caused all the other swords in the Sword Tomb to hum, as if they were weeping.
In that moment, Lu Sangjiu felt the deep hostility of the entire Sword Tomb directed at her... ’I’m completely numb. How on earth did things end up like this?’
Ye Zhiyao also stared blankly at the broken sword in her hand, unable to believe what she was seeing.
After a moment, she suddenly crouched down and snatched up the other half of the Muxian Sword, her eyes red as she took on the appearance of a madwoman.
"Impossible... This isn’t real! This isn’t real!"
"How could the Muxian Sword break? An Immortal Sword can’t possibly break!"
The scene fell deathly silent. Zhang Jiu Yi and Yang Cheng were completely stupefied, with no idea how to react.
Meanwhile, Xie Ningyuan had, at some point, walked over to Lu Sangjiu’s side.
He took a deep look at the Domination Map Blade, a hint of gentleness in his eyes.
He raised a hand and lightly touched the body of the blade, then slowly smiled. "I’ve finally found you."
It was as if a great weight had been lifted from his mind.
Then, he gripped Lu Sangjiu’s wrist firmly and said in an unshakably resolute tone, "No matter what happens in a moment, don’t be afraid. I will protect you."
Lu Sangjiu froze. She opened her mouth to say something, but was suddenly overcome by a feeling of weightlessness... Time was up. They were being ejected from the Sword Tomb!
Their figures reappeared at the entrance to the Sword Tomb.
But the once-quiet place was now surrounded by people.
The moment they materialized, an elder from the Gold and Silver Gate eagerly stepped forward. "What happened in the Sword Tomb? Why was there a sudden—"
He stopped mid-sentence, because... he had gotten a clear look at the Domination Map Blade in Lu Sangjiu’s hand!
