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Chapter 7: Azure Spirit Sword

Laughter echoed all around.

“I knew it, how could this sword acknowledge him?”

“Come down!”

“Let me give it a try!”

Taunts and urges filled the air as everyone eagerly awaited their turn.

Xia Chen Yu glanced at An Ran, seeing the anger on his face. His heart sank. The fourteen-year-old’s mind was still immature, and he felt a bit at a loss.

At this moment, Shen Yong Ning approached and patted Xia Chen Yu’s shoulder. “Let me try?”

This person had helped him in the Sky Tower, so Xia Chen Yu didn’t hesitate to pass the sword to him.

Before Shen Yong Ning could take the sword, someone suddenly flew out from the crowd and landed between the two with a somersault.

“Let me try first.” With that, the person tried to grab the sword.

Shen Yong Ning frowned and immediately slapped his hand away, and they began to fight.

“Senior Brother Shen, do you need help?” Yang Han Rong appeared out of nowhere, grinning.

“No need.” Shen Yong Ning replied without turning his head, performing a flip in mid-air and kicking his opponent’s lower back, sending him flying a dozen feet away.

Xia Chen Yu threw the sword to Yang Han Rong. “Catch!”

The long sword arced through the air, and over a dozen disciples jumped up, scrambling to grab it. After landing, they immediately began to fight over it.

The three of them formed a line and started battling the others.

Not far away, Lu Xiu Yuan saw this and smiled. “Fighting against the odds and not losing ground, truly my disciple.”

Yan Qing Hong sneered. “If not for Yong Ning being extraordinary, where would your disciple have the chance to shine?”

The two exchanged barbs, not giving way to each other.

An Ran sighed beside them, still immersed in frustration about how the timeline had become increasingly chaotic. In the original timeline, the Sword of Extermination would never have been up for grabs.

What should he do? He almost had the urge to drag the sword spirit out and give it a good beating.

He even asked Tian Yan if this was possible, but got a negative response.

Tian Yan: The Extermination Sword spirit is special. Even if its soul is shattered, its choice cannot be changed.

It’s got its own personality, huh? An Ran sneered in his mind.

The dark sword passed through the crowd again and again. Anyone who took it tried but failed to pull it out.

Xia Chen Yu gradually withdrew from the struggle, using the opportunity while everyone was still fighting for the Extermination Sword to look for other options. But no matter which sword he aimed for, someone always snatched it away.

The downside of standing out was finally showing itself. An Ran watched from afar, thinking to himself.

After another failed attempt, before Xia Chen Yu could give up, someone took advantage of his momentary lapse in concentration and grabbed it, pulling the sword out with a ripping sound.

The person laughed loudly. “I see you shouldn’t even try. Even if you try every sword in the Forging Sword Valley, no sword will acknowledge you.”

The surrounding crowd laughed.

“How many swords has he tried?”

“Who knows?”

“Get lost!”

“Exactly! Still trying to take the sword from us, so what if you do? None of them will recognize you anyway.”

The few who had lost to Xia Chen Yu in the previous struggle mocked him relentlessly.

Someone casually picked up a sword from the ground. It was broken and insignificant-looking.

“I think he’s only suited for this kind of junk!” The person said and threw it at Xia Chen Yu.

Seeing the sword fly toward him, Xia Chen Yu quickly sidestepped and caught the hilt, then effortlessly drew it. With a crisp ringing sound, a moon-white long sword came out of the sheath.

The crowd was stunned for a moment, then erupted into laughter.

“He really suits that broken sword!”

“Hahahaha!”

“Take your broken sword and get lost!”

Before they could gloat for long, a loud crash like thunder suddenly sounded from the sky, and the rocks beneath Xia Chen Yu’s feet began to crumble as the ground slightly trembled.

Before the crowd could react, they heard a long, ear-piercing whistle, and a massive phantom of a blue dragon soared into the air, circling above Xia Chen Yu’s head.

The roar was deafening, and some people covered their ears.

In the blink of an eye, the giant dragon descended upon the few who had mocked him. With the huge dragon head looming over them, their small figures looked insignificant. The dragon’s bell-like eyes stared at them for a moment before opening its mouth and letting out a roar.

The few young men were so terrified by the roar that they fell to the ground, some even trembling.

As if mocking them, the dragon exhaled a hot gust of air from its nostrils, then blinked before soaring back into the sky.

Someone, standing farther away, stammered, “Wha… what sword is this?”

The crowd looked toward the person who had thrown the sword, only to see him sitting on the ground, shaking his head in confusion. “I… I don’t know.”

“This is…” Lu Xiu Yuan said in shock, turning to Yan Qing Hong. “Brother Yan, do you know?”

Yan Qing Hong also shook his head. “I’ve never heard of it.”

Even the two of them hadn’t seen it before. It seemed that no one in Ling Xiao Palace knew about it.

An Ran asked Tian Yan in his mind and received the following response: Azure Spirit Sword. The sword spirit is one of the four divine dragons of the heavens, the Azure Dragon.

The shock from missing the Extermination Sword was enough, but now, a random broken sword came flying and turned out to be a divine treasure with a god as its spirit. And it acknowledged Xia Chen Yu as its master!

An Ran was too tired to comment.

The Azure Dragon circled for a while before its roar finally calmed down. Then it turned and dove toward the sword body.

A flash of light passed, and the Azure Dragon disappeared. The moon-white sword glowed brilliantly, lighting up the entire Forging Sword Valley. The crowd raised their hands to shield their eyes. After a moment, the light receded.

Xia Chen Yu stood in stunned silence, and when he saw that everyone else was equally shocked, he took a moment to examine the sword. It bore the words “Azure Spirit.”

He noticed the broken sheath on the ground, still covered in stains. Slowly, he picked up the sword and began to wipe it clean.

As if responding to his touch, the stains on the sheath began to fall away, revealing its true form.

The sheath was now radiating multicolored spiritual light. The crowd had been misled by its broken appearance and failed to realize that the sword had been here for who knows how long without anyone caring about it.

The crowd fell silent as they watched Xia Chen Yu excitedly pick up the sword and fly over to An Ran.

The young man, smiling brightly, cupped his fists and said, “Master, although the Extermination Sword doesn’t acknowledge me, I think this one is great.”

An Ran chuckled inwardly. Of course, it’s great—the Creator Dragon is your sword spirit!

Yan Qing Hong smiled. “A young child, but perhaps no sword in the world can compare to the one in your hands.”

With recognition from the Azure Cloud Immortal, everyone was stunned.

Someone gave the sword-thrower a heavy punch. “I told you not to throw it around!”

“That kid is so lucky!”

Shen Yong Ning and Yang Han Rong flew over, admiring the sword and marveling.

“Xia Chen Yu, what kind of luck do you have?” Yang Han Rong said, a bit envious.

“I think his fate is extraordinary,” Shen Yong Ning added.

The two discussed this, completely forgetting that they had yet to obtain their own swords.

Xia Chen Yu reminded them, “Stop staring at me. Hurry and get your swords, or someone else will take them!”

They snapped back to reality and immediately flew off.

Soon, Shen Yong Ning returned with a green long sword inscribed with the words “Yu Li.”

Yan Qing Hong nodded. “Yu Li, a noble sword among bamboos. It suits you well.”

At this time, Yang Han Rong also returned, carrying a dark long sword named “Kun Wu.”

The three exchanged their swords, and other disciples soon found their own.

The Extermination Sword remained in its usual place, radiating a domineering spiritual pressure, attracting people to fight over it, but no one ever succeeded in pulling it out.

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The Azure Spirit Sword became famous throughout the entire mountain gate, and everyone wanted to come and observe it.

After another dragon’s roar, Xu Wen Min spoke with jealousy. “I really don’t know what he’s showing off every day.”

The whole Ling Yun Peak was in a bad mood, and An Ran especially felt gloomy.

The disciples thought Master was upset that Xia Chen Yu was too proud, so someone shouted, “Don’t get too cocky.”

Xia Chen Yu didn’t mind, but when he saw An Ran’s downcast expression, he hesitated and asked, “Master… is it because I didn’t get the Extermination Sword…”

An Ran interrupted him decisively. “No.” After thinking for a moment, he added, “You can’t control this sword.”

The sword spirit was too powerful and would gradually consume its master. Xia Chen Yu had fallen into darkness in the past because of the Extermination Sword’s evil influence for this very reason.

If he were controlled by the Azure Dragon, An Ran couldn’t even imagine what would happen.

An Ran snatched the Azure Spirit Sword from him, unsheathing it in an instant. Before anyone could react, An Ran’s hand emitted a spiritual flow, quickly wrapping around the sword like a ribbon before disappearing.

“This will suppress the sword spirit for seven days. During this time, find a place to keep it out of sight. Don’t carry it with you.” With a crisp sound, the sword was sheathed again.

Xia Chen Yu wasn’t surprised that Master wouldn’t let him use the sword, but he stared at him in a daze. “Master… why can you draw the sword?”

Once a sword recognizes its master, only the master can draw it. An Ran forgot about this for a moment. For high-dimensional life forms, drawing a sword was as simple as cracking a code.

When he saw the shocked expressions of the disciples, An Ran smacked his forehead. What was wrong with him? Was he so angry that he forgot basic knowledge?

He cleared his throat. “I… have a special gift. I can use any sword.”

He thought no one would believe him, but the disciples were astonished.

“Of course, Master is extraordinary.”

“Right, maybe Xia Chen Yu should just give the Azure Spirit to Master. After all, you can’t use it.”

An Ran was getting a headache from the noise and rubbed his temples. “Not necessary.”

Xia Chen Yu asked with some grievance, “Master, does this mean I can never use this sword again?”

“Wait until your cultivation improves and you can resist the sword spirit.”

An Ran regretted saying that right after. Why did it sound like he was encouraging the kid to cultivate? This wasn’t what he meant.

Sure enough, the boy’s expression answered him, so he helplessly said, “Your spiritual pulse is still damaged. If you don’t recover it first and rush your cultivation, it will lead to endless harm.”

The child nodded seriously. “I will heed Master’s advice.”

Just as they left the Crane Dream Hall, a voice transmission came from a thousand miles away. Xia Chen Yu happily called out, “Senior!”

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