Cyclebreaker: Rise of the Martial Emperor

Chapter 22 – Shadow Sword

"Smash!"

In the Zhang Family Estate of Qingyun City, a delicate teacup was shattered into pieces, and the face of Zhang Shaoxiong, the Patriarch of the Zhang Clan, was dark and terrifying.

"Chen Hu failed? Isn't he a Qi Sea Realm Martial Artist? How could he not kill a mere Body Refining level seven?" Zhang Shaoxiong angrily questioned the people below.

"Patriarch, not only did Chen Hu fail, but he also died. His Windpiercing Spear was sold, and part of his remains were found in Yaqi Mountain," a steward-like servant respectfully reported.

"Useless!" Zhang Shaoxiong snorted coldly and asked in a deep voice, "Has this matter been leaked?"

"There's no movement from the Martial Hall, so it seems there shouldn't be any problem," the steward replied.

Meanwhile, a Yellow-Maned Horse galloped into Qingyun City.

After returning to the city, Luo Xiu changed his outfit and headed to the Martial Hall, preparing to go to the Library Pavilion to select a Grade-Three Martial Technique.

According to the Martial Hall's rules, a student at Body Refining level seven can choose one Grade-Three Martial Art, and the same applies for levels eight and nine.

Walking through the Martial Hall, many students who knew Luo Xiu could sense a noticeable change in him.

"Luo Xiu seems stronger. As he walked past me, I even felt a sense of oppression."

"Could he have reached Body Refining level eight? It's said that only when a Martial Apprentice at level eight condenses Vital Blood does such an oppressive aura appear."

"Impossible, right? Just a month ago, he was at level seven. How could he reach level eight so quickly?"

Many people were discussing, and since the last annual assessment ended, it had been a month since Luo Xiu went to Yaqi Mountain for training.

In fact, it wasn't just the breakthrough in cultivation that caused changes in Luo Xiu. No one understood his transformation over these days better than he did.

Since merging with the Life and Death Pearl, his physique and bloodline had been influenced by the Power of Life and Death, entering a slow transformation.

Coupled with his recent rapid improvement in strength and the tempering of his state of mind through life-and-death battles, his entire demeanor had undergone a dramatic change.

On his way to the Library Pavilion, a figure suddenly appeared in front of Luo Xiu.

It was an elderly man with white hair and beard, dressed in white, smiling, with his hands behind his back, looking like an ordinary old man without any aura fluctuations.

But in Luo Xiu's eyes, the old man's Vital Meridians were clearly visible, and the power surging through his Meridians and Acupoints was far stronger than any Qi Sea Realm Martial Artist he had seen.

Innate Realm!

Luo Xiu could completely determine that this white-robed elder was an Innate Realm Martial Master!

Moreover, this elder looked familiar; he was the one who had assessed him at the Hunter Guild.

Clearly, this elder not only held a position in the Hunter Guild but was also an Elder of the Qingyun Martial Hall.

"Student Luo Xiu, greets the Elder."

The Martial Hall had five elders, and Luo Xiu had only met the one responsible for assessments and the one guarding the Library Pavilion. He had never seen the other three elders.

"Luo Xiu, come with me," Zhuang Nantian nodded and said with a smile.

With that, Zhuang Nantian turned and walked away. Luo Xiu, curious, followed, not knowing why this Martial Hall Elder was looking for him.

Following the white-robed elder, Luo Xiu arrived at a pavilion in the depths of the Martial Hall.

"Sit," Zhuang Nantian said with a smile.

Luo Xiu didn't refuse and sat opposite the elder.

"I am Zhuang Nantian, an Elder of the Martial Hall. We've met before," Zhuang Nantian began, "I heard you chose the Pure Yang Technique as your Grade-Three Internal Cultivation in the Library Pavilion?"

Every Martial Hall student's chosen martial arts were recorded, so Luo Xiu wasn't surprised that the elder knew about his choice.

"Yes, Elder," Luo Xiu replied.

Zhuang Nantian's expression showed a slight change, and he said, "I see your cultivation has reached Body Refining level eight. Breaking through again in just a month is not something that can be achieved by talent alone. It seems you've mastered the Pure Yang Technique?"

Seeing Luo Xiu nod again, Zhuang Nantian suddenly laughed heartily.

"Good, good, good! To master the Pure Yang Technique in such a short time, no student in the entire Martial Hall can match your martial talent. Even in the entire Yunlong Prefecture, your talent ranks in the top ten!"

Zhuang Nantian seemed very pleased, looking at Luo Xiu, "In two months, it's the Grand Martial Tournament of our Qingyun City Martial Hall. Do you have confidence?"

Luo Xiu naturally knew about the Grand Martial Tournament, which the Qingyun City Martial Hall held every year, mainly for ranking the elites in the advanced class who were at Body Refining levels eight and nine.

The higher the rank, the better the rewards and treatment.

"I've just been promoted to the intermediate class, and my cultivation is only at the initial stage of Body Refining level eight. I'm afraid I can't compete with those senior brothers in the advanced class," Luo Xiu said modestly.

Zhuang Nantian smiled, "You shouldn't underestimate yourself. With your talent, you're already outstanding in the Martial Hall. But to obtain better martial arts and more cultivation resources, you need to fight for them with your own strength!"

...

After the conversation with Elder Zhuang Nantian, Luo Xiu felt much more motivated.

As Elder Zhuang said, better cultivation conditions require strength to fight for, and the annual Grand Martial Tournament is an opportunity to do so.

As for those students who don't even qualify to participate in the tournament, the Martial Hall won't provide them with any resources.

This is the law of survival of the fittest!

Taking a deep breath, Luo Xiu was confident that with his strength, achieving a good rank in the tournament wouldn't be difficult, and if he wished, even taking first place was within reach.

Leaving the pavilion, Luo Xiu headed straight to the second floor of the Library Pavilion to select a sword technique he had longed for, the Thunderstorm Sword Art!

This sword technique focuses on speed, as the saying goes, "In martial arts, speed is invincible." When the sword is drawn, it's as swift as a thunderstorm, like a flash of lightning, leaving the opponent defenseless and without any chance to react.

With 1,300 Low-Grade Yuan Qi Stones in his Storage Bracer, after choosing the sword technique, Luo Xiu first went to the Weapon Shop.

During the battle with Chen Hu, his Azure Edge Sword broke because ordinary weapons couldn't withstand the power of a War Armament.

In the Weapon Shop, Luo Xiu looked around. A Human-Grade Low-Tier War Armament, due to differences in material and forging techniques, varied in power, with prices ranging from 300 to 800 Low-Grade Yuan Qi Stones.

Moreover, among War Armaments, weapons like swords and knives were priced higher because most martial artists used them.

A completely black long sword forged from tungsten iron caught Luo Xiu's attention.

This sword didn't have any elaborate or exquisite design; both the blade and the hilt were black, giving it an ancient and primitive feel.

Luo Xiu picked up the sword; the blade was slightly heavy, much heavier than an ordinary long sword. The hilt was engraved with a single character, 'Shadow.'

Then, Luo Xiu infused it with Inner Qi and swung it a few times, finding it quite handy.

"Shopkeeper, how much for this sword?" Luo Xiu casually asked.

"Sir, you have a good eye. This sword was obtained by other hunters from ancient ruins. After being appraised by a Forging Master, its material is special, and even a Human-Grade High-Tier War Armament cannot damage it," the shopkeeper said with a smile.

"Oh?" Luo Xiu wasn't sure if the shopkeeper was exaggerating. The grades of War Armaments are strictly defined, and generally, lower-grade War Armaments can't withstand the strikes of higher-grade ones. Even if they don't break, they would still be damaged.

"However, the power of this sword is somewhat ordinary. Among Human-Grade Low-Tier War Armaments, it's quite average. If you want it, sir, it's only 800 Low-Grade Yuan Qi Stones," the shopkeeper continued.

"Eight hundred?" Luo Xiu widened his eyes and said angrily, "How can an ordinary Low-Grade Battle Sword be so expensive? I've seen some with power comparable to Human-Grade Mid-Tier swords priced around eight hundred."

Eight hundred Low-Grade Yuan Qi Stones is no small amount; many Qi Sea Realm Martial Artists have a wealth of just over a thousand Low-Grade Yuan Stones.

"Although its power is ordinary, this sword's special material can withstand the strikes of a Human-Grade High-Tier War Armament, so the price is naturally a bit higher," the shopkeeper explained with a smile.

In fact, this sword had been sitting there for years. It was initially acquired for 300 Low-Grade Yuan Qi Stones, mainly for its special material.

However, many Forging Masters couldn't identify the exact material, and it couldn't be melted for reforging, so it had been left there, gathering dust. After all, for martial artists, the power of a War Armament is more important.

But the Forging Master behind the Weapon Shop thought this sword might have an extraordinary origin, so it was priced at six hundred.

The reason for selling it at eight hundred was that the shopkeeper saw Luo Xiu was young and thought he might really buy it, which would mean an extra two hundred Yuan Qi Stones in profit.

"Too expensive, I don't want it," Luo Xiu said, about to put the sword back.

"Sir, we can negotiate the price," the shopkeeper quickly said, his eyelid twitching.

"How about seven hundred? This is the lowest I can go," the shopkeeper said, gritting his teeth as if making a difficult decision.

Though young, Luo Xiu wasn't completely naive. Seeing the shopkeeper's demeanor, he knew the shopkeeper was trying to cheat him.

"It seems the shopkeeper isn't sincere at all. There are many other weapon shops on this street. I'll just check another one," Luo Xiu snorted coldly, pretending to leave.

Seeing this, the shopkeeper panicked. If this customer left, he wouldn't get any commission.

"Six hundred! Sir, this is really the lowest price. If you're still not satisfied, there's nothing I can do."

Six hundred was slightly more than an ordinary Human-Grade Low-Tier Battle Sword, but given its special material that could withstand high-tier strikes, the price wasn't unreasonable.

Luo Xiu did feel the sword was special, so after a moment's thought, he took out the Yuan Qi Stones and bought it.

Seeing Luo Xiu make the purchase, the shopkeeper's face lit up with a smile.

"Completely black, with the character 'Shadow' on the hilt, I'll call you Shadow Sword!" Luo Xiu was quite satisfied, sheathing the sword and carrying it on his back.

This was the first War Armament of his life, and he was quite excited.

Leaving the Weapon Shop, Luo Xiu headed to the Pill Shop to buy some pills to aid in speeding up his cultivation.

The pills sold in Qingyun City were mostly Grade-One and Grade-Two. Qi Nourishing Pills were ordinary Grade-One pills, best suited for Body Refining Realm martial artists, as they accelerated the absorption of Yuan Qi and the condensation of Inner Qi.

There were also other pills for various stages, like Muscle Refining Pills, Bone Tempering Pills, and Vital Blood Pills.

Luo Xiu came to buy Vital Blood Pills, a Grade-One pill most suitable for Martial Apprentices at Body Refining level eight to condense Vital Blood.

While Luo Xiu was selecting pills, a fragrant breeze wafted to his nose, and a voice sounded, "Shopkeeper, do you have Ice Spirit Pills?"

Luo Xiu turned to see a woman in a simple white dress standing beside him, her graceful curves faintly visible.

"Teacher Lu?" Luo Xiu immediately recognized the woman with the faint fragrance, who was none other than Lu Mengyao, a teacher at the Martial Hall.