Chapter 33: Never Bet Against Luck

Chapter 33: Never Bet Against Luck

33

Never Bet Against Luck

I

That sword

Hao Zhen turned toward Tian Jin, who was staring at the sword as if in a trance. Hao Zhen returned his attention to the weapon. It appeared to be a little under three feet in length, with a double-edged, pristine white blade with faint, light gray symbols running across its middle. The hilt was golden, with elaborate circular patterns on the guard.

Hao Zhen wasnt a sword enthusiast, but he had to admit it was a beautifulif not elegantweapon.

Judging by the way transfixed Tian Jin was looking at it, it was doubtlessly what had led them to this casewhat Tian Jin had somehow sensed.

If Im not wrong, Lan Yue said, taking a step forward, her eyes also on the sword, that should be the Radiant Light Sword. She wasnt transfixed like Tian Jin, but there was a certain reverence to her voice. And that man should be Protector Na Rena member of the previous generation of protectors of the sect who went missing about a hundred years ago, taking the Radiant Light Sword with him. Grandfather always wondered where he disappeared to

Her words broke Tian Jin out of his trance. The sword its a named magical artifact?

Some magical artifacts had names, whereas others, considered common artifacts, didnt. Named magical artifacts were specialthey were given a name for a reason, after alland were generally superior to common magical artifacts of the same rank. Unlike common magical artifacts, named ones also had special magical abilities.

Hao Zhen wasnt particularly surprised by that revelation. He doubted that a weapon that had somehow attracted a protagonist would be a common magical artifact.

Yes. And an eleventh-order one, Lan Yue said. Its one of the sects two treasure swords, the other being the Blazing Sun Blade. She narrowed her eyes at Tian Jin. Is this sword what was calling out to you?

I believe so.

Ive never heard of something like that happening. Lan Yue kept staring at Tian Jin. It was as if he were some kind of puzzle she couldnt make heads or tails of. She did seem to believe himthat he had somehow been drawn to the swordbut it didnt look like she could make sense of how that had happened.

Hao Zhen wasnt so certain himself. He knew why it had happened. The world considered Tian Jin a protagonist, and right now he needed something to deal with the elder after them, so fate arranged for him to get this sword. Or something along those lines.

What Tian Jin had felt wasnt some vague positive feeling about an item in an auction, however. He had somehow felt the sword from dozens of miles away. Even in the most contrived of cultivation novels, there was usually a reason for something like this.

I also dont know what is happening, Tian Jin admitted. Ive never felt this way before. Theres just something drawing me to it.

Lan Yue didnt reply. Instead, she kept staring at Tian Jin intensely, still trying to solve the puzzle. Hao Zhen wondered whether hed have to step in and remind them that they were rather short on time. Lan Yue then looked away and shrugged.

Well, its not like the sword will be of much use, anyway, she said.

That was not exactly what Hao Zhen wanted to hear right now. What do you mean? he asked, narrowing his eyes. Lan Yues words elicited a similar reaction from Tian Jin, who was now also fully focused on her.

Its an eleventh-order magical artifact, she said matter-of-factly. Youd need to be an eleventh-level redsoul to properly make use of it. Or at least a tenth-level. Any lower than that, and its abilities cost too much spiritual power to activate. She looked at the sword thoughtfully. Right now, it can only be used as a common magical artifactalthough, admittedly, an eleventh-order one. This means that all its good for would be cutting through the elders spiritual aura. But what use is that when he can move so fast we wont even able to land an attack?

Just like cultivators were divided into six realms, each with eleven levels, magical artifacts were divided into six grades, each with eleven orders. The swords in Hao Zhens spatial ring were all first-order ones. They could easily cut through the magical aura of a first-level redsoul and could, to a certain extent, deal some damage to a second-level. Against a third-level, however, the most theyd be able to do would be to scratch them. An eleventh-order red-grade sword, on the other hand, would be able to pretty much cut any cultivator at the Red Spiritual Realm the same way a mundane sword could cut a graysoul.

As Lan Yue said, the Radiant Light Sword gave them a way to wound the elder after them. Unfortunately, she was also right that that meant nothing if they couldnt even get a hit in.

Hao Zhen thought about using the other Radiant Light Imprisonment Talisman on the elder but dismissed the idea. There was still more than enough space inside the dome-shaped barrier of light formed by the talisman for the man to dodge any attacks. Still, maybe they could

And its not like wed even be able to use it that way, Lan Yue continued, drawing his attention back to her. Theres a restriction on the sword. It can only be used by a descendant of the founder of the sect. In the hands of anyone else, it has no magical properties save for its enhanced durability. A first-order red-grade common sword would be more useful than it.

A restriction. Hao Zhen had no idea that was a thing. It wasnt as if Lan Yue had any reason to lie, however. The situation was getting more complicated by the second. He waited a bit more, but Lan Yue didnt appear to have anything else to say. The more she spoke, the less attractive the Radiant Light Sword became. For a moment there, he had been afraid that shed go on to reveal that the sword could destroy the soul of its wielder if it didnt like them, or something along those lines.

Lan Yue glared at him, once again giving him a look of suspicion, but she ultimately nodded her head. All right. Later, then. That still doesnt change the fact that the sword isnt of much use to us unless we can somehow find a way to land an attack, however.

I know.

The sword wasnt the solutionjust part of it. They still needed to figure out a way to land an attack on the elder. Maybe they could find a way to distract the elder so that one of them could use the sword in a surprise attack, but Hao Zhen didnt put much stock into such a plan. It was too risky. Hed rather simply use a Radiant Light Imprisonment Talisman on the elder again and then escape to the inner disciples section of the forest and go with their original plan.

He didnt believe that was the right course of action, however. Something about this situation didnt add up. It didnt make sense for Tian Jin to be drawn over here and get this sword when it couldnt be used to deal with the enemy after them.

Hao Zhen started pacing around the cave, immersed in his thoughts.

If this world did, indeed, treat Tian Jin as a protagonist, then there had to be some way Tian Jin could defeat the elder. Unless his theory was wrong, there had to be something they were missing.

Maybe Maybe he was thinking about this the wrong way. Hao Zhen came to an abrupt stop. He turned to look at Lan Yue and Tian Jin, who were looking back at him in a mix of confusion and expectation.

What if, originally, Tian Jin had been supposed to have found the cave by himself? Not just that, but what if Tian Jin had been supposed to fight Du Jian and his cronies on his own? What if he and Lan Yue hadnt been there?

This alternate reality suddenly unraveled itself before Hao Zhens eyes.

Tian Jin would have managed to beat Du Qing and his helpers, but there was a chance he could have been injured or driven to exhaustion. Then, the inner elder would have arrived, and hed have somehow found a way to escape on his magical cloud, the inner elder in hot pursuit.

Tian Jin would then have been drawn to the cave, probably launching himself straight through the waterfall in his hurry, broken the barrier with his spiritual skill, and rushed into the cave. Next, hed have picked up the Radiant Light Sword, realized it wasnt enough, and looked around the cave desperately, looking for a way out of this situationsome sort of

Hao Zhens gaze fell on the inscriptions on the walls of the cave.

Maybe

Tian Jin, Hao Zhen said. Can you decipher whether there are any other matrixes or schemas set up here?

Tian Jins eyes widened. He hurriedly walked over to one of the walls, Lan Yue a step behind him. A moment later, he said, There are some warding schemas here. Powerful ones.

What exactly can they do?

Give me a moment, Tian Jin said as he walked over to the back of the cave, studying the inscriptions there. Finally, he came to a stop beside the pile of spiritual stones. There is a restraining schema. It should be able to seal the movements of any cultivators in the cave at the seventh level of the Red Spiritual Realm and below that arent keyed into it. He glanced back at Hao Zhen. I dont believe I can key us into the array, but it seems that it wont affect anyone holding the Radiant Light Sword.

There we go.

Can you activate it?

Yes, Tian Jin said, crouching down in front of the spiritual stones. But itll take about all the spiritual stones I have in my spatial ring to keep it activated for even a minute.

One minutethey could work with that. Hao Zhen didnt have any spiritual stones to contribute, but Lan Yue should have some, so they could probably get a bit more than that. Still, it wasnt an ideal solution. There were questions he wanted to ask the elder, and one minute wouldnt be nearly enough for that.

And then he recalled: they had some new loot. What about in Du Jians?

There were also the magical pouches of the lackeys, which probably had some spiritual stones inside.

Tian Jin blinked. His spatial ring flashed, and another spatial ring appeared in his hand. A moment later, Tian Jins eyes widened. It has more than enough to keep the array activated for about ten minutes.

With that, Hao Zhen turned to Lan Yue, who was staring at the two of them blankly, and said, It seems like well be able to put the sword to use after all.

And just like that, they had a plan.