Chapter 216 - 33: Abyss
Lin Mingxi smiled sweetly as she looked at Lin Yan. She had guessed that he would come to the Martial Arts Vault to choose his Spiritual Weapon reward first thing.
For a Powerhouse in the Blood Exchange Realm, a Spiritual Weapon was essential.
"Sister Xi, were you waiting for me? Is something the matter?"
Lin Yan’s attitude toward Lin Mingxi was very proper. She could be described as a true daughter of heaven.
Her father was the clan’s number one Sword Dao Powerhouse, and her own talent in the Sword Dao was also high.
He wasn’t narcissistic enough to think that the strength he had displayed in the branch competition had caused this daughter of heaven to take an interest in him.
’No, wait!’
’It’s possible she *has* taken an interest, but it’s because of the Four-Phase Condensed Steel Sword I used. That must be what caught her attention.’
"I would like to spar with you..."
"Sister Xi, you must be joking. How could I possibly be your match?"
Lin Yan rejected her outright before Lin Mingxi could even finish speaking.
Thanks to the Fourth Branch’s scheming, he had already revealed too many of his trump cards in this competition. The only ones he had left were his Silk Binding Sword Intent and the Stone Waist Thunder Ridge.
’Sparring was out of the question.’
"If there’s nothing else, Sister Xi, I’ll be heading in."
...
Lin Mingxi stood where she was, watching Lin Yan’s back as he walked toward the Martial Arts Vault. Her eyes, as clear as autumn pools, narrowed slightly.
She rarely challenged anyone to a duel. She wasn’t even very invested in the clan competition, giving up after securing a spot in the top ten.
She hadn’t expected to be rejected the very first time she took the initiative to ask.
She recalled the expression on Lin Yan’s face as he spoke just now. His eyes had been sincere, and his tone had been earnest.
’Lin Yan must genuinely believe he’s no match for me, which is why he refused so directly.’
’After all, a Swordsman would have no reason to refuse a spar with a Sword Dao Powerhouse, unless the other person’s strength far exceeded their own.’
But for some reason, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.
Lin Yan’s expression had been a little too earnest, a little too perfect.
It was like a copper mirror polished so smooth that you couldn’t find a single flaw.
"Mingxi, are you here to pick a Spiritual Weapon? No, that can’t be right. The one you have is already the best."
Just as Lin Mingxi was pondering what felt so off, a voice called out. A middle-aged man at the entrance spoke with a warm smile.
"Uncle Zhuo, I was just seeing if the Spiritual Weapon Vault had any good forging materials to reforge my sword."
"I see. Did you find any?"
"No. I’ll be going now, Uncle Zhuo."
...
...
Lin Yan continued forward. He had refused to spar with Lin Mingxi not only because he didn’t want to expose too much of his strength, but also because he knew his own situation best.
’Others might not know how this "Sword Dao genius" came to be, but how could he not?’
’What if he really displayed his Sword Dao abilities and his secret was exposed?’
At this thought, Lin Yan used Introspection to look at the Martial Arts Tree in his mind. Of the two-hundred-plus years’ worth of Martial Arts Fruit sponsored by Qingfeng Stockade, he had used all but one hundred years. However, after the incidents with the three Assassins, the encounter in the Yantian Mountain Range, and the matter with Lin Wang, his total sponsored time from Martial Arts Fruits was back up to one hundred fifty-two years.
’That’s enough time to cultivate another swordsmanship technique to Perfection.’
Pulling his thoughts back to the present, he saw that the Spiritual Weapon Vault was right before him.
There was no one guarding the entrance. Two heavy stone doors were fitted seamlessly into the mountainside, their surfaces bare of any ornamentation. Above the doors was exposed rock face. The entire Martial Arts Vault was built into the mountain, and the Spiritual Weapon Vault was hidden in its deepest recesses.
Lin Yan stopped before the doors, clasped his fist, and announced his identity and purpose.
After he finished speaking, there was a moment of silence from within.
Then, an ancient voice drifted out from deep behind the stone doors. It was neither high nor low, but it reached his ears with perfect clarity. "Come in."
As soon as the voice faded, the two stone doors slid inward without a sound. There was no grinding or creaking, as if they had been gently pushed open by an invisible hand.
’The vault’s guardian Powerhouse?’
Lin Yan wasn’t too surprised. It was only natural for a Lin Family Powerhouse to be guarding the Spiritual Weapon Treasure Vault.
He stepped inside, and the space opened up before him. When he got a clear look at the Spiritual Weapon Vault’s interior, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.
The Spiritual Weapon Vault was much larger than he had imagined. It wasn’t some stone chamber in a mountain, but a circular plaza carved directly out of the mountain’s interior.
The dome high above was at least a hundred feet tall. The stone walls on three sides were dotted with numerous grottoes, each one about ten feet from the next, resembling Buddhist shrines. A translucent Glazed Light Shield covered the surface of each grotto, and within each shield rested a Spiritual Weapon.
Sabers, spears, swords, halberds, axes, battle-axes, hooks, forks... They were laid out horizontally, thrust at an angle, or suspended in mid-air.
The fine hairs on Lin Yan’s body slowly stood on end beneath his clothes. His heightened five senses allowed him to feel the sharp aura—and even the killing intent—radiating from these Spiritual Weapons.
’No wonder they use those light shields to block it. If these Spiritual Weapons were just displayed out in the open, no one could withstand the killing intent they release.’
A single Spiritual Weapon might only exude a wisp of killing intent, but it was impossible to withstand the sheer number of them here. A single glance revealed at least a hundred of them.
Pulling his gaze away from the Spiritual Weapons, Lin Yan looked back at the plaza. Besides him, there were four other young people there, all Blood Exchange Realm Martial Artists. They were scattered in front of various Spiritual Weapon grottoes, and their eyes all turned to him as he entered.
They looked at Lin Yan with confusion and curiosity. Even if they didn’t know every single person in the clan who had stepped into the Blood Exchange Realm, they would at least recognize them. But the person before them was a complete stranger.
’Who is this person?’
The group exchanged glances. Then, the slightly heavyset young man on the far left seemed to recall something and suddenly let out a cold snort.