288 - Elasia Saga

Title: Walking the Path of a Novice in the Art of Swords Chapter 288 With Fu Yan's current capabilities, discerning the quality of celestial weapons was no easy task. It was for this reason she initially assumed, upon seeing Bai Xiong's eyes widen at the sight of the Ling Wei Armor, that it had encountered a worthy adversary. Perhaps even with the prowess of its bow and crossbow, it might struggle to pierce through the celestial defense Han Tong wore. This thought alone caused a slight furrow on her brow. Yet, Fu Yan was taken aback when Bai Xiong, who seemed utterly astonished, abruptly uttered a phrase that left her uncertain of how to respond. However, Bai Xiong appeared oblivious to Fu Yan's presence, its gaze still fixed incredulously on Han Tong's Ling Wei Armor, remarking incredulously, "Surely, in this day and age, no one still uses armor this inferior?" Regaining her composure, Fu Yan's eyelid twitched involuntarily. She turned her glance toward the Ling Wei Armor and offered helpfully, "No matter its state, it's undeniably a genuine celestial weapon." On the continent nowadays, celestial weapons were a rare and precious commodity. Fu Yan had heard tales of the Celestial Sage from Tianji Pavilion who, with the Ling Wei Armor, had indeed left many helpless. Moreover, the Ling Wei Armor was a bonded celestial weapon. Even with it adorning Han Tong, it could wield only a fraction of its power. Nonetheless, breaking through his defenses remained a formidable challenge. This highlighted just how formidable celestial weapons could be to ordinary cultivators. Yet, to Bai Xiong, the Ling Wei Armor suddenly seemed worthless. Bai Xiong clucked disapprovingly and said, "I'm just saying," then turned arrogantly toward Fu Yan, continuing its disdainful critique, "Tens of thousands of years ago, no celestial being would even glance at such second-rate equipment." "So, are you an upper-grade celestial weapon?" Fu Yan asked suddenly. Bai Xiong, merely a mid-grade celestial weapon, was left speechless: "..." "Of course," Bai Xiong replied, face unflushed, generously embellishing its tale, "When I first emerged, I caused a sensation throughout the cultivation world; all the great families vied to possess me. Back then, they..." "Stop," Fu Yan interjected abruptly. Not that Fu Yan held any interest in hearing tales of ancient cultivation world glories. Even if she did, she could easily surmise Bai Xiong's stories lacked authenticity. If it truly were a powerful upper-grade celestial weapon, it could likely have left any time it pleased; it wouldn't have needed Fu Yan to bring it out from the tomb at the heart of Stillwater Lake. "What, you don't believe me?" Bai Xiong grumbled, disgruntled at being cut off. Fu Yan discreetly tugged at the corner of her mouth, raising her gaze to meet Bai Xiong's, and said, "We can discuss that later. You see the situation I'm facing outside? I must deploy an arrow to break through the Ling Wei Armor, so the battle can continue." Her words were earnest and sincere. Bai Xiong paused, then refrained from pressing the matter further. It cast a thoughtful glance at Fu Yan's ongoing fight with Han Tong and contemplated for a moment before speaking, "But without you as my master, you can't wield my true form." Generally speaking, without a bonded master, it was difficult for ordinary cultivators to wield celestial weapons. Han Tong, though, was able to utilize the Ling Wei Armor temporarily due to its bond with his master, allowing him fleeting use once he gained the Celestial Sage's approval. Fu Yan understood this well. However, she was aware that using celestial weapons wasn't as absolute as it seemed, hence why she sought Bai Xiong out. "You are an artifact spirit," Fu Yan remarked calmly at Bai Xiong, "I trust you'll find a way, even if it's just for a single arrow." Otherwise, without Bai Xiong, she could never have brought the celestial weapon out. Bai Xiong hesitated, unwilling to lend its power to Fu Yan, who didn't even qualify as a celestial being in its eyes. “What’s the matter?” Fu Yan questioned innocently. “Are you saying an arrow from your bow can’t penetrate the Ling Wei Armor?” This statement was akin to accusing Bai Xiong of impotence. At her words, Bai Xiong's eyes flared wide, glaring at Fu Yan sharply and retorting, "What did you say? This inferior armor? One arrow would not only breach its defense but could completely shatter it!" Fu Yan opened her mouth, expressing disbelief. Bai Xiong, not foolish, quickly realized the implication and grumbled, "Fine, you can have one shot—don't think for a moment it’s because I fell for your trickery. I just want to show you what a real celestial weapon can do!" Fu Yan was indifferent; as long as it dispelled her immediate predicament, that was enough. On the dueling platform outside, Fu Yan had been locked in combat with Han Tong, wielding her Celestial Sword for quite some time, leaving the surrounding cultivators utterly astounded. "I must admit, the prowess of this Palace Master of Shuanghua Palace is impressive. Even when facing Han Tong in the Ling Wei Armor, she shows no signs of conceding." Yet, there were skeptics who responded, "Call it courage, but it could just be foolhardy bravery. Unless she can produce a celestial weapon of her own, this battle is surely lost and a waste of time." "But haven’t you noticed? Despite such prolonged confrontation, the true essence within Fu Yan seems inexhaustible—it's terrifying!" Even Han Tong on the platform found himself surprised at the profound reservoir of true essence within Fu Yan. Undoubtedly, without the celestial Ling Wei Armor, he might have been utterly overpowered. Such thoughts infuriated him further. Though Fu Yan lacked the power to strike back, her calm demeanor vexed him endlessly. Without much deliberation, he moved swiftly to engage Fu Yan in close combat. Confident he wouldn’t be harmed, he was certain he'd seize an opportunity to defeat her with a single blow. Envisioning Fu Yan's defeat at his hands, excitement swelled within him, and his breathing grew ragged. As Han Tong charged close, Fu Yan remained unfazed, seemingly without any intention of retreating. Sword in hand, each strike against Han Tong seemed to vanish into thin air, stirring no ripple. Observers around couldn't help shaking their heads, thinking Fu Yan was overestimating herself. Given the advantage she faced, instead of not conceding readily, she should have preserved her strength and sought other opportunities. Yet amid the skirmish, Fu Yan's gaze remained fixed on the Ling Wei Armor covering Han Tong. Bai Xiong's voice suddenly echoed in her mind, "You see the silver bead below his abdominal crest? That's the focal point of its power." At this, Fu Yan quickly glanced over. Though the milk-white Ling Wei Armor was adorned with many small beads, indistinguishable on the whole, the one Bai Xiong indicated was just a shade deeper—a subtle silvery white. "When attacking, the armor shimmers. You must fire your arrow in the third instant after it repels your attack; this subpar armor will downgrade to mere spiritual equipment," Bai Xiong instructed, keen to prove its worth. Fu Yan seemed taken aback as she replied, "Didn't you say the arrow would shatter it?" Bai Xiong was silent. Indeed, as Fu Yan mentioned, despite its inferiority, the Ling Wei Armor remained a true celestial weapon. Completely shattering it with one arrow was, realistically, a stretch. With a light cough, Bai Xiong played down its boast, wise and stately it said, "Not because you lack mastery, limiting the full extent of my power. And disabling it to such a degree is sufficient—repair would be nearly impossible." "Besides, with so many celestial beings here, if I truly demolished it in one shot, you couldn't keep me safe." Fu Yan only twisted her mouth slightly. If Fu Yan dared to wield a celestial weapon during the grand ceremony, naturally she wasn't afraid of attracting attention. She was confident she'd soon ascend to immortality. Opting not to expose Bai Xiong's little stratagem, Fu Yan in midair focused intently on Han Tong. The contesting match had dragged on long enough; it was high time for a definitive conclusion. With that thought, Fu Yan unleashed a surge of powerful true essence in a burst, her sword pointing toward the four corners, momentarily restraining Han Tong. She then deftly distanced herself in the void. Clutching her Celestial Sword tightly, Fu Yan hesitated no longer. The fervent true essence erupted instantly once more. At once, the air around Fu Yan began to quiver violently. With a graceful swipe of her hand, the Celestial Sword before her multiplied into a flurry of countless sword shadows. Even as he felt the terrifying power surrounding him, Han Tong remained indifferent, letting out a cold laugh. Breaking through the Ling Wei Armor was simply impossible. Undaunted, Han Tong quickly reversed his grip on his sword, his gaze fixed on the shifting space around him. He boldly advanced head-on, paying no heed to Fu Yan's overwhelming attack. In response, Fu Yan swiftly pressed her hand downward. The once-chaotic swarm of sword shadows instantly transformed into a massive stream of swords, plunging straight downward. Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Origin! "Humm..." In the blink of an eye, all the sword shadows converged on Han Tong's figure. Just as his body connected with them, the Ling Wei Armor glimmered as usual. Instantly, the sword shadows began to disintegrate from tip to tail. As a burst of light flashed past, Han Tong emerged unscathed from the center of the power surge, as if Fu Yan's efforts were futile. Yet, just as everyone watched Fu Yan's Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Origin dissipate, she flipped mid-air, and the Star Sword vanished from her grip. In its place appeared a transparent bow and crossbow. In an instant, overwhelming power gathered on the crossbow, and in moments, this energy forged a light arrow. Amidst the fragments of light, a cataclysmic power flickered. Fu Yan calmly held the bow steady, her frosty eyes locking onto Han Tong's Ling Wei Armor. Whoosh! A sound tore through the sky as the arrow flew forth, ripping the surrounding space into myriad fissures. It was a sight to behold. From the moment the Ten Thousand Swords were obliterated, all this occurred within a single breath. By the time Han Tong realized, the light arrow had already pierced through the silver bead below his abdominals. "Crack!" For a brief moment, it seemed as if all existence paused. Han Tong's eyes widened in disbelief as fragments of his armor began to flicker before his eyes, followed by the shattering sound of something breaking. Like an exquisite jade crashing to the ground, the sound was particularly resonant. Han Tong felt his entire body dragged down by an immense force, watching as Fu Yan's figure in his pupils grew ever smaller. The figure in the sky leaned slightly, a hand gripping an enigmatic bow and crossbow, the hem of her long dress billowing in the wind—a stark contrast to the fractured space around her. "Boom!" Han Tong slammed heavily into the ground. Unlike previous occasions, this time his strength was utterly drained, leaving him unable to move even a finger. Were it not for the Ling Wei Armor, he would have been obliterated by now. In that instant, aside from the continuing clashes from other duel platforms, Yun Ni Platform fell into a hushed silence as everyone focused intently on Fu Yan and Han Tong's arena, filled with astonishment. For a long moment, they remained speechless. Amidst the momentary silence, Bai Xiong's self-aggrandizing voice boomed, "Did you see that? Now do you understand the true extent of my power?" Even Fu Yan found herself momentarily stunned. At the moment of using the celestial weapon, she'd truly felt a world-ending power; even with just one shot, it left her feeling invigorated. The sensation was somewhat intoxicating. But she quickly regained her composure. She glanced down at Han Tong, then with a casual wave, the bow and crossbow vanished from her hand. Instantly, the quiet Yun Ni Platform erupted into thunderous applause and gasps of awe. "Can someone explain what just happened? I glanced at another duel, and now Han Tong's Ling Wei Armor is in pieces?!" "This is terrifying! Shattering a celestial weapon—is this real?!" "Were you not watching? Fu Yan pulled out an even mightier celestial weapon just now, shooting straight through Han Tong in Ling Wei Armor. Unbelievable—she really has a celestial weapon!" "We forget sometimes, she's the Palace Master of Shuanghua Palace. Being in possession of a celestial weapon seems... not that unexpected, actually!" The sudden twist had everyone buzzing with excitement. Instantly, the crowd erupted into fervent discussions, akin to boiling water, their enthusiasm refusing to simmer down. Even the cultivators from Shuanghua Palace displayed incredulous expressions at the scene, but soon their faces lit with joy. "Sob, our Palace Master really has a celestial weapon! And it's clearly better than Tianji Pavilion's—she's amazing!" Ming Xi covered her mouth, nearly moved to tears of joy. There was no need to mention Yi Tu and others, who were absolutely thrilled, more so than if they'd won the duel themselves. The other disciples and elders watched Fu Yan with newfound admiration, convinced more than ever that joining Shuanghua Palace had been the best decision. Lu Xiao Wen found himself surprised as well, but quickly vanished into the puppet ship. Amid cheers, only Bai Yue Li in the corner smiled quietly. She always knew Fu Yan would never easily give up, that no matter the obstacles, she would return triumphant. Shui Liu Qing felt this deeply too. Fu Yan was like an abyss; thinking you understood her depth was always an illusion. She recalled their time at North Region's Shui Ling Sect, always feeling Fu Yan's presence was a bright star destined to shine across the continent. Today, Bai Yue Li knew her instincts hadn't been wrong. Fu Yan had indeed achieved it. Despite the excitement all around, Fu Yan was unfazed. She drifted down and stood firmly upon the duel platform. In the crater ahead, Han Tong lay in a pool of blood, eyes crimson with rage. Though he struggled to speak, his efforts were in vain against the blood filling his mouth. Fu Yan frowned slightly, aware that although Ling Wei Armor protected him from death, his body was gravely injured. His foundations were weakened, making ascension in this lifetime a far-off dream. However, it was hard to feel sympathy. Han Tong brought this upon himself. A peaceful duel would have merely cost him a round and some pride; now, he had ruined his foundation and lost a celestial weapon. With the outcome settled, the protective barrier over the platform faded away. As Fu Yan prepared to leave for Shuanghua Palace, a group suddenly appeared across from her, composed of disciples and elders from Tianji Pavilion, blocking her path. Fu Yan paused, raising an eyebrow, calmly meeting their gaze. Two hastily checked on Han Tong, and Fu Yan noticed they first lamented the damaged Ling Wei Armor before briefly tending to him. "What do you mean by this?" Fu Yan asked nonchalantly, addressing the elder ahead. "Shouldn't the Palace Master of Shuanghua Palace provide us an explanation?" an elder stepped forward, staring intently at Fu Yan. "An explanation?" Fu Yan laughed, somewhat amused, "In duels, injury is commonplace—isn't that expected?" As soon as she spoke, Shui Liu Qing and Ming Xi quickly appeared beside her. Seeing Fu Yan surrounded by Tianji Pavilion elders, Yi Tu and others hurried over to support her. "For such a renowned clan of Zhongdu, Tianji Pavilion can't handle losing a match this way?" Yi Tu's voice preceded his arrival. The elder replied, "Accidents in duels are normal, our defeat is undisputed; even if Han Tong were killed today, we would have no complaints. However, the damage to our celestial weapon seems unreasonable." Yi Tu scoffed, "It's not our master's fault your celestial weapon was ineffective." On the spacious platform, Fu Yan echoed a light chuckle, a hint of frost in her eyes as she gazed at them, "Surely when you decided to entrust your celestial weapon to a disciple, you anticipated such a possibility." "You..." the Tianji Pavilion elder choked. The sudden impasse puzzled the surrounding cultivators. "Is Tianji Pavilion really so domineering? Their disciples can use celestial weapons, but others cannot?" "I have to admit, witnessing a duel between celestial weapons even before the finals is worth it." The members of Tianji Pavilion on stage were hesitant to directly confront Shuanghua Palace, not wanting to start a public skirmish, but they weren't ready to let Fu Yan and her group leave easily. The damage to a celestial weapon was a significant issue. "Doesn't the Palace Master Fu realize that celestial weapons are exceedingly rare on the continent today? With the Corpse Ghost Sect and Demon Domain eyeing us greedily, damaging a celestial weapon is equivalent to weakening the strength of the righteous factions," the elder stubbornly insisted. Hearing those words, Bai Xiong seemed slightly exasperated and muttered to itself, "Are all cultivators this unreasonable now? Treating a second-rate armor as a treasure." Fu Yan, uninterested in further entanglement, was just about to lead everyone away when several immortal auras suddenly descended from above. Regardless, it was hard to hold Fu Yan accountable, as it was the Tianji Pavilion who had brought out the celestial weapon first. Feeling humiliated and defeated, Tianji Pavilion had no choice but to swallow their pride. In the end, with the intervention of a few celestial beings, the head of Tianji Pavilion had to personally apologize to Fu Yan, before taking his disciples and elders back. Moreover, they formally announced a new rule: Celestial weapons were henceforth banned from duels. Soon, the remaining matches resumed. On an isolated peak within Tianji Pavilion, the Pilgrim Immortal's gaze was intensely fixed on the image of Fu Yan reflected in a crystal sphere. "Crash!" A teacup suddenly shattered in his grasp.