"Have you looked enough? Put me down now! How distinguished is this dragon, do you think just anyone can touch me?"
The Hibernating Dragon Soul muttered to itself, rolling its eyes impatiently in secret.
It showed only the tiniest hint of life, imperceptible to others who might think it was just a dragon-shaped engraving on the sword.
Hearing its grumbling, Yang Ji did not put it down. Instead, he chuckled and praised, "This sword is really nice! The lines, the luster, the design, truly dominant. Very good, very good!"
"Hmm? I have to say, boy, your taste isn't bad!" The Hibernating Dragon Soul slightly lifted its gaze, glancing at Yang Ji with pride and continued muttering to itself.
"It's just a pity that, aside from its handsome design, this sword is only a half Dao Device and can't help me win at the Sword Selection Convention." Yang Ji shook his head with regret.
"Hmph! You're wrong about that, lad. I am a mid-grade Dao Artifact; who among the swordsmen here can compare to me?" the Hibernating Dragon Soul thought dissatisfied.
"However... when it comes to choosing swords, I don't care about the level of the sword, only about its looks. This sword is definitely the most handsome of the forty-nine, so majestic and dominant. Even if it can't help me win, I've already chosen you," Yang Ji said as he changed his tone and suddenly showered the sword with more praises.
"You're not as shallow as others, not focusing solely on the level! Later, I'll show you my power, and we'll showcase our might to those superficial people," the Hibernating Dragon Soul declared proudly.
"It seems junior brother has truly chosen this sword," Wang Tianli commented upon noticing Yang Ji's expression, clearly understanding his decision.
"It seems your hopes of ascending Sword Peak have been dashed!" Elder Ji Shen chuckled from the side.
"Maybe not necessarily... something doesn't feel right to me!" Hao Yun observed Yang Ji closely, his gaze flickering as he spoke lightly, "Previously, junior brother clearly recognized 'Celestial Star' as a Dao Device. Why would he not choose it and instead go for the half Dao Device 'Hibernating Dragon'?"
"Is it really just because the design suits his fancy? I don't think so."
"Junior brother doesn't seem like the selfish type; he's representing our Wuji Dao Sect in this sword appraisal. It's unlikely he's acting solely on his preferences. If he chose the Celestial Star, there would've been a chance to rank among the top three. He's not so foolish, he must understand this, I'm sure."
"That's right! Xiao Yang isn't selfish and wouldn't disregard you all for his own sake, but why would he choose this Hibernating Dragon Sword?" Elder Ji Shen expressed his slight confusion. As a leading Mahayana, he had scrutinized the Hibernating Dragon Sword for quite some time without deducing anything, thus not understanding Yang Ji's actions.
All he could do was keep a bit of suspense and anticipation in his heart.
"Eh! Junior brother smiled at us." Suddenly, Wang Tianli saw Yang Ji turn towards them, looking at the Sword Platform with a smile, and he even shook the sword in his hand.
It seemed as though he was saying, Look! Senior brother, I found a great sword.
"Junior brother's demeanor certainly is brimming with confidence. Could it be that his chosen sword truly has some mystery?" Hao Yun smiled slightly, "I'm actually quite looking forward to the outcome of the Sword Selection."
Yang Ji chose the Hibernating Dragon Sword, and soon, the disciples of the other Sects made their choices as well.
Among them, Dao Child Fang Tianzhe of the Xianyi Sect chose Xuanhuang.
Dao Child Li Qiankun of the Chunyang Sect chose Li Hen.
Dao Child Hong Jie Tongzi of the Kuju Palance chose Zhen Yue.
Fairy Linglong from the Divine Ascension Hall didn't select from those three inscrutable swords but prudently chose the Lu Rong Sword.
As for Dao Child Jian Xiaoyao from the Immortal Sword Sect, he also chose Zhen Yue.
The true disciple of Heavenly Dao Sect, like Li Qiankun, picked Xuanhuang.
The true disciple of Changsheng Sect went for the Chi Tian Sword.
The true disciple from Cangkong Temple uttered a safe 'Amitabha' and went with the Celestial Star Sword.
The true disciple from Zangxian Observatory, similar to Jian Xiaoyao, chose Zhen Yue as well.
It seemed that many were betting on luck, which is also a form of ability. Luck is a talent in its own right.
Seeing Yang Ji's choice of the Hibernating Dragon Sword, Elder Jianyun's gaze flickered almost imperceptibly, clearly surprised.
However, he didn't show too much reaction, looked at everyone briefly, and announced with a smile, "Since all of you have made your selections, I will now announce the rankings!"
"The swords ranking in third place are the low-grade Dao Artifacts Celestial Star Sword, Chi Tian Sword, and Lu Rong Sword," Elder Jianyun declared with a smile.
Upon hearing this, the true disciples of Cangkong Temple, Changsheng Sect, and Fairy Linglong from Divine Ascension Hall couldn't help but show a smile on their faces.
Indeed, playing it safe is the best.
Actually, the Immortal Sword Sect placed so many swords of the same grade in order to give everyone a fair chance of qualifying for Sword Peak.
Nonetheless, this sword appraisal was also a different kind of contest among geniuses.
Choosing the cautious route, settling for the ordinary, is in fact a form of concession, a fear of taking risks to compete for the top spot, lacking a bold and invincible spirit; this is mediocrity. Your adventure continues at m v|l-e'-NovelFire.net
The Sword Selection is a competition, and with competition comes a first place. Being able to dominate the geniuses of various Sects and winning first place is a supreme honor, a reflection of one's own strength, and a sign of the prospering fortune of one's Sect.
All present were notable figures, and aside from Yang Ji, who didn't have one or two Dao Devices on them?
Fighting for first place wasn't about ascending to gain a famous sword, but to contend for honor. Sёarᴄh the ηovelFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
This seemingly simple Sword Selection carried deep meanings and was worthy of contemplation.
The higher-ups of the major Sects could derive many insights from the outcomes.
For the third-place finishers, congratulations were offered without much surprise.