Chapter 173. Spiritual Weapon
Southern region of the Earth Kingdom. Quarry.
Nestled among a picturesque landscape of towering cliffs, tiered terraces, and oddly shaped rocks lay one of the bases tasked with guarding the world against unexpected intruders. For years, a metallic fortress had stood on a flat plain surrounding a light-distorting rift.
In a small dormitory room for soldiers, a man in his early thirties sat cross-legged with his eyes closed. His sturdy hands gripped a sword, its edge glowing faintly green. Occasionally, the blade seemed to breathe, filling with a beautiful emerald light. It appeared as though the weapon and the man were two parts of a single whole.
"You've grown stronger again, my friend," the man said, opening his eyes and lightly running his fingers along the blade. Conversing with one's sword was a common habit among those who dedicated their lives to swordsmanship, as the blade became a true companion or even a brother.
Over the past few years, the popularity of various bladed weapons had seen a resurgence. Nearly every practitioner had acquired some form of killing tool, mostly swords, thanks to his teacher.
He, Hasuk, had joined the teacher's school of the sword after witnessing a duel at a tournament. Though his mentor had lost to his opponent, the fame of Bey the Slasher still spread like wildfire through the nearby provinces. Young Hasuk had pushed himself to the limit to pass the rigorous selection among hundreds of other hopefuls vying to enter Bey's school.
As far as he knew, the teacher never stopped searching for materials with greater durability. After years of exploration and hundreds of different materials, he discovered meteoritic iron—now called "spiritual iron." Another year passed before the first results emerged. The dark color of the spiritual iron shifted slightly, and the blade gained dark green flecks.
Experiments with other materials were immediately abandoned, and all focus turned to spiritual iron. Through further research and continuously infusing the sword with life energy, the entire blade took on a green hue. It's worth noting that early on, the sword gained devastating cutting power and increased durability. The more the blade changed color, the deadlier it became. At one point, Bey began to truly feel his sword. From fifteen to twenty meters away, he could sense exactly where his weapon was.
It didn't stop there. By filling his weapon with life energy, he unlocked a previously unexplored world of techniques. Within a twenty-meter radius, he could levitate his blade using his mind, striking opponents from a distance. A powerful swing of the sword created an energy wave that dealt significant damage.