Xiao Chen peered through the flames, looking past them. What he focused on more was the sword blade giving off scarlet light.
The sword blade looked alive as it pulsated with a scarlet light that looked like blood flowing in the veins, giving the impression that the sword was alive rather than an inanimate object.
Xiao Chen could not help thinking about the previous owner of this sword, the Blood Sword Sovereign, the legendary Martial Emperor who was even more illustrious than the Thunder Fire Sovereign in the Black Sea.
The ritual had already begun. Many swordsmiths with bared torsos and grave expressions gathered around the large formation. Clumps of golden flame danced around in all of their hands.
These were the flames that these grandmaster forgers had nurtured throughout their lives, extremely precious flames that were used specially to forge Spirit Weapons.
At Fei Lengyi’s command, every swordsmith formed profound hand seals and sent in their flames into the nodes of the formation.
In that instant, the colorful luminous formation, made of all sorts of divine materials and built on a foundation of Black Patterned Gold, quickly took flame, accompanied by a lot of crackling noise.
Given the divine materials’ toughness, only such flames could ignite them. Several of the quasi-Emperors watching could not help feeling a pang in their hearts.
The light from the flames looked very pleasing to the eye. However, the things burning up were not waste paper but divine materials worth a humongous amount of Black Astral Coins, equivalent to the wealth of an ordinary Martial Emperor.
Even Xiao Chen felt heartache for this Manor Lord. Even he did not have the courage to watch with an unflinching expression as these divine materials burned.
As the flames raged, the divine materials melted into a crystalline liquid that flowed around in the formation, following a path laid out long ago, surging towards the flaming altar in the middle.
Expressions of anxiety showed clearly on the grandmaster swordsmiths. They did not dare to be careless when controlling their flames.
“Boom!”
When all the liquified divine materials infused into the altar, the flames suddenly flared. A pillar of fire soared into the clouds, instantly scattering the dark overcast that normally hid the sky.
As the flames blazed, even the dark clouds started burning. Without the clouds blocking it, sunlight shone down.
In the dark Black Water City, the Jadeite Mountain Manor bathed in sunlight. It looked as dazzling as holy light, attracting the attention of the one hundred million cultivators there.
The Black Sea quasi-Emperors who had not seen actual sunlight for a long time already stared greedily heavenwards, peering at the eternal sun that lay beyond the barrier of the sky.
“Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!”
After a while, a Divine Might spread out from the altar. The Heavenly Cloud Jadeite Sword started trembling, and everyone immediately looked back, focusing on the altar. They all seemed very anxious, not even daring to breathe heavily.
However, at this moment, Xiao Chen focused on two people.
One was Yue Bingyun beside him. She had been very calm and did not show any changes in expression before this. Now, however, she could not help betraying some anxiety as she stared at the Heptagold Origin in Fei Lengyi’s hands.
There was nothing surprising about this, as her anxiety was genuine. If she was not anxious at all by now, it would really be strange. Xiao Chen would even start to doubt whether she was from the Lunar Palace.
However, Fei Lengyi surprised Xiao Chen. Although the Manor Lord was facing the altar, Xiao Chen noticed that his gaze was actually wandering around as if he was eagerly looking for something.
After Fei Lengyi glanced around for a long time without finding what he sought, clear disappointment appeared on his face, which astounded Xiao Chen. Xiao Chen wondered whether he saw wrong.
Fei Lengyi had not reached the final step yet, so why was he already disappointed?
However, this look of disappointment vanished in a flash. Xiao Chen did not see it after that.
Fei Lengyi laughed mockingly to himself. Then, he mouthed something as he unhesitatingly tossed the Heptagold Origin in his hand to the altar.
His actions seemed somewhat resentful, even enraged. If not for his careful control, given his half-step Martial Emperor cultivation, his aura would be extremely horrifying.
After seeing Fei Lengyi toss out the Heptagold Origin, unlike the extremely anxious quasi-Emperors around, Yue Bingyun relaxed entirely.
Xiao Chen frowned, speculation stirring in his heart. He managed to figure out what Fei Lengyi mouthed.
After fifteen years of preparations, I tore open this sky, yet I still can’t get you to look at me. In that case, let a bloody storm descend on the entire Black Sea!
However, everyone’s gazes were focused on the Heptagold Origin, and no one else noticed Fei Lengyi mouthing anything. Only Xiao Chen saw it.
“Whoosh! Whoosh!”
The tumbling Heptagold Origin flew to the altar. Whether the Heavenly Cloud Jadeite Sword would successfully become a Transcendent Divine Weapon and kick up a bloody storm would be known in a few breaths.
The thousands of quasi-Emperors focused their gazes on the bright Heptagold Origin. To these quasi-Emperors, every rotation of the Heptagold Origin was very clear.
Everyone held their breath as they watched in anticipation.
However, a bad feeling appeared in Xiao Chen’s heart. He glanced at Yue Bingyun, who was beside him. He saw her quickly driving the power of the world and summoning a formless gust. A terrifying aura roiled continuously.
Xiao Chen thought to himself that this was not good. Then, he quickly looked at the Heptagold Origin. However, all he saw was a scarlet light bursting out.
Beneath thousands of gazes, the Heptagold Origin that entered the altar did not merge into the Heavenly Cloud Jadeite Sword as expected.
Instead, the instant the Heptagold Origin entered the altar, it exploded violently, destroying the altar and setting off loud continuous rumblings in the entire formation.
The Heavenly Cloud Jadeite Sword stabbed into the altar shook intensely, flaring with an eye-catching scarlet light. A horrifying Divine Might spread out from the sword’s blade.
The scarlet light increasingly brightened to a piercing and dazzling brilliance. The sword blade, which had absorbed the hundreds of divine materials, seemed to reach its limit, no longer able to maintain a balance.
Everyone’s expression changed drastically. By now, everyone knew that something was wrong with the Heptagold Origin and that this Heavenly Cloud Jadeite Sword was going to explode.
How strong would the destructive force be if the Divine Weapon exploded? Just thinking about it made everyone tremble in fear, feeling a cold shiver race down their spine.
“Quick, run! The Divine Weapon is going to explode!”
Bathed in the scarlet light, everyone panicked and did not hesitate to fall back. However, how could they retreat in time when they moved only now? Shortly after the Heptagold Origin landed on the altar, the Heavenly Cloud Jadeite Sword exploded.
A scarlet shock wave containing Divine Might surged out in all directions.
Without much warning, the shock wave sent many cultivators—including quasi-Emperors—flying. Cultivators with lower cultivations sustained severe injuries; they turned pale and vomited blood continuously.
Quasi-Emperors were people who could stir up clouds and winds with the lift of their hand. However, they appeared incredibly weak before this scarlet light.
The instant the scarlet light rushed over, in a thousandth of a heartbeat, Xiao Chen activated three thousand Heavenly Laws with a thought and drove a massive amount of the power of the world, forming a dense circular shield before him.
Even though he already reacted very quickly, he still could not help his Qi and blood churning. After vomiting out some blood, he felt more comfortable.
Xiao Chen took in the surroundings. Now, not a single Small Perfection quasi-Emperor remained standing. Even the Great Perfection quasi-Emperors still on their feet were mostly in sorry states, riddled with wounds.
Only Consummation quasi-Emperors managed to escape with minor injuries.
“Are you alright?” Yue Bingyun asked after she calmly scattered the power of the world she drove earlier.
Xiao Chen noticed that she was unscathed. She appeared to have had a much easier time defending herself than those Consummation quasi-Emperors.
He laughed coldly in his heart. Naturally, it was not that she was more powerful than those Consummation quasi-Emperors. Instead, she was unharmed because she had anticipated this outcome long ago.
The one that tampered with the Heptagold Origin and put it on auction was her, Yue Bingyun, all so that she could trick Fei Lengyi.
No wonder this girl had not shown any fear from the very start; she had not looked anxious at all. It turned out that everything was already in the bag.
This girl was really incredible. She was extremely audacious as well, flabbergastingly so. To think that she thought up of such a ruthless method, directly blowing up a Divine Weapon.
If one considered the details from start to end, it truly felt terrifying.
Xiao Chen wiped off the blood at a corner of his lips. Then, he said indifferently, “No wonder Miss Bingyun was not afraid at all. This Xiao really underestimated you. You are indeed excellent, worthy of being the Lunar Palace’s Holy Daughter. I’m awed!”
“Are you mocking me?”
“I wouldn’t dare!”
Yue Bingyun smiled faintly and said calmly, “You are still somewhat naive. At this moment, the peak factions of the oceanic world have a delicate balance. This Fei Lengyi simply does not know the consequences of my Lunar Palace losing the Startling Wind Zither.
“There are several factions that are stronger than his Jadeite Mountain Manor. But they do not dare to refine a Transcendent Divine Weapon. They feared inciting the large factions into action and causing chaos. No one can bear such consequences.”
This statement stunned Xiao Chen when he heard it. However, after he calmed down, he found that he did not object to her actions. If he were in her position, he probably would have done the same thing.
These two were in different positions and had different viewpoints. In the end, Xiao Chen was upset because Yue Bingyun did not warn him.
Then, he looked at Fei Lengyi, who was the closest to the altar and had borne the brunt of the blast from the Divine Weapon’s explosion.
Fei Lengyi lay on the ground in a puddle of blood, his fate unknown.
Where the altar had previously been, the broken sword had turned into a blood cocoon floating in the air, its contents unknown. A crystalline jadeite floated above the blood cocoon, giving off a jade-green light.
This was a jadeite forged from an entire star. It possessed a unique charm, tempting several quasi-Emperors present and causing them to reveal covetous gazes.
“Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!”
Three Great Perfection quasi-Emperors who saw Fei Lengyi lying on the ground could not help flying into the air, wanting to snatch the jadeite.
“Scram!”
Fei Lengyi suddenly soared up from the ground and roared. He threw three palm strikes in rapid succession. The mountains and rivers of the Jadeite Mountain Manor seemed to move with his palm strikes, and he merged with them.