Chapter 633: Sword Exalt
Chapter 633: Chapter 633: Sword Exalt
[???’s Pov]
How long had it been?
It didn’t remember.
Ever since it had gained consciousness, countless years had already passed, with years becoming decades, decades becoming centuries, until eventually it had simply stopped counting.
After all, what meaning did time have for something that could neither grow old nor die?
It had witnessed countless people come and go over the years.
Some had treated it as a treasure, some had worshipped it, while others had feared it.
There were also those who had desperately tried to wield it, believing that possessing a powerful sword would allow them to stand at the peak of the world.
But... most of them had failed.
Some had died, while others had eventually given up.
But it remembered them all.
It remembered every hand that had held it, and every person who had once believed they could become its master.
But after failing again and again for so many years, it had slowly begun to doubt itself.
Perhaps it wasn’t as powerful as it had once believed.
Perhaps all those people who had tried to wield it were simply not the right ones.
Or perhaps...
Its creator had been wrong.
Long ago, when it had first gained consciousness, it still remembered the words its creator had spoken while looking at the newly forged blade.
[One day, you will meet the person destined to wield you. He will draw your blade and awaken the power sleeping within you. Together, you shall vanquish the evil that threatens this world and protect it from destruction. Remember this, my child... your destiny is not merely to become a great sword. Your destiny is to save this world!]
Back then, it had believed those words without hesitation.
It had believed that one day, it would meet someone worthy of wielding it, someone who could unleash its true power and stand above all others.
"What a liar you were..."
The sword spirit’s voice carried a trace of bitterness.
For countless years, it had waited.
Deep within a dark and empty space, a faint glow suddenly appeared, and an old man slowly emerged from the darkness.
His body was translucent and glowed faintly, as if his entire figure had been formed from light.
He had long white hair, a long beard, and an aged face that seemed to carry the weight of countless years.
This was the form the sword spirit had taken after gaining consciousness.
As for why it had chosen the appearance of an old man, it no longer remembered.
Perhaps there had been a reason once.
Maybe it had simply chosen the appearance of its creator, or perhaps it had seen an old man somewhere long ago and thought the form suited it.
After living for so many years, even memories that had once seemed important had gradually faded.
But there was one thing it had never forgotten.
The promise its creator had made... the promise that had kept it waiting for all those years.
And yet, no one had ever fulfilled it.
The old man slowly raised his head as the darkness around him shifted.
Through his connection with his main body, his vision returned to the outside world, allowing him to see the bustling auction hall.
Countless people had gathered there, and their voices filled the room as they waited for the item to be presented.
The old man sighed softly.
So, this was where he had ended up this time.
An auction house.
He had long since grown used to being passed around from one person to another.
With another sigh, the old man quietly watched the scene outside through his connection with the sword.
"I hope the one who holds me this time will at least have some talent with the sword."
After all these years, he had come to realize that not everyone could truly become his master.
During the long years he had spent being passed from one person to another, he had carefully observed every person who had wielded him, and eventually, he had noticed something interesting.
Those with greater talent in the sword could cause a reaction from him.
Even if it was only a little, the sheath would slightly part, almost as if the sword itself were acknowledging their talent.
Unfortunately, that had only happened a handful of times throughout all the years he could remember, and even among those people, none had been able to fully draw him.
"Haa... Hopefully, this time will be different. Otherwise, this Sword Exalt will be left in the dust again."
The old man, who had named himself Sword Exalt, waved his hand.
A small wooden table appeared in front of him, followed by a chair and a steaming cup of tea.
He sat down comfortably, picked up the tea, and took a slow sip while continuing to watch the outside world.
After living for so many years, he had learned many things simply by observing.
He had watched people fight, fall in love, betray one another, build kingdoms, destroy them, and repeat the same mistakes over and over again.
He had also learned about countless things that had nothing to do with cultivation or swordsmanship, such as food, tea, stories, gossip, and all the other little things that humans seemed to enjoy.
Somehow, he had gradually grown fond of them.
Perhaps that was one of the few good things about being unable to die.
He could simply sit back, enjoy a cup of tea, and watch the world change before his eyes.
Sword Exalt took another sip and smiled faintly.
"The Springfall Tea is as good as always. Not bad."
He leaned back in his chair, looking like an old man enjoying a good show, and for the moment, he completely forgot that he was currently being auctioned.
_
_
_
Sword Exalt continued sipping his tea as he listened to the conversations outside.
At first, he paid little attention to them.
After all, he had spent countless years listening to humans gossip about one thing or another, and most of the rumors were hardly worth remembering.
However, after hearing a certain name several times, an interested look slowly appeared on his aged face.
"Righteous Sword?"
He put down his teacup and listened more carefully.
"A young and talented cultivator?"
The more he listened, the more interested he became.
"Damn... He can kill Golden Core cultivators while still being in the Foundation Establishment Realm?"
Sword Exalt’s eyes widened slightly.
He had seen countless geniuses throughout the years, and he knew very well how difficult it was to cross such a large gap in cultivation.
Yet the people outside were speaking about this Righteous Sword as if it were something that had actually happened.
Sword Exalt leaned forward, his attention completely focused on the conversations around him.
The more he listened to the gossip spreading throughout the auction hall, the more shocked he became.
"Just what kind of monster is this Righteous Sword?"
But more importantly...
It sounded like he was very skilled with the sword.