Refuse to trample on the pride of heaven

Perhaps it was due to the protection of the remaining power of the ancient formation, or perhaps this place itself was a forbidden zone for living beings, but surprisingly, apart from the all-consuming darkness and suffocating silence, we did not encounter any monsters or traps along the way.

It was as if all danger and filth were kept out by that invisible force.

I don't know how long I walked in the darkness, so long that I almost lost track of time.

Suddenly, the view ahead opened up—

It was neither sunlight nor bright lights, but a faint, grayish-blue ray of light that seemed to come from nowhere, like moonlight falling from the heavens or a glimmer rising from the deep sea. It was born from nothingness and precisely enveloped the area below from top to bottom.

Within that pillar of light, not a speck of dust was disturbed, except for a lone longsword stuck in the center, amidst a base mixed with broken stones and unidentified skeletons.

The sword is ancient and its posture is serene, as if it has stood here for countless ages.

The source of the light was mysterious and unpredictable, and the way it appeared carried a deliberate, almost blatant guiding meaning—as if there were two invisible hands deliberately shining this light, lest those who came after miss the key to this place and not know what extraordinary this sword was.

However, when everyone approached cautiously and with reverence, none of the expected humming of the formation, strange phenomena, or spontaneous resistance and testing by the divine sword occurred.

The surroundings remained deathly silent, and the sword remained stuck there quietly. Apart from the beam of light of unknown origin, there were no other supernatural phenomena.

The overly calm scene, on the contrary, aroused suspicion, making people wonder if what they saw before them was just an illusion, and that the real divine sword "Huangji" might have already become spiritually connected and was hiding elsewhere, waiting for the true destined one.

[Target energy source core fluctuation detected... Confirmed.] The system's electronic voice rang in Lu Wensheng's mind, carrying a hint of rigorous confirmation.

[You're not mistaken, this is that sword. Why does it look so...unadorned? There might only be one truth: this sword possesses a hidden spirit, rather...adept at concealing its brilliance.]

In short, the divine sword is rather pretentious.

The system's words dispelled Lu Wensheng's last doubts.

Everyone stared intently, and saw that the long sword in the pillar of light was simple and ancient in design, without the dazzling brilliance and splendor that one would expect from a divine weapon.

The sword's color was dull, resembling unpolished dark iron, and even bearing some mottled marks from the passage of time. If it weren't for the special light and its location, and if it weren't mixed with the old weapons in the blacksmith's shop, it would probably be difficult to distinguish it.

Like ordinary iron that has weathered the storms and been buried for a long time, its material subtly reveals a kind of toughness and antiquity that is neither gold nor jade, and is difficult to describe.

The guard and hilt are also simple and unadorned, with smooth and practical lines, without any superfluous carvings or engravings.

What's even more surprising is that no name is engraved on the sword. The two characters "Huang Ji" may just be a code name or a symbol passed down to later generations. It itself has long transcended the constraints of names and titles.

However, although the divine sword appears to be covered in dust, if one calms their mind and carefully perceives it, one can discover that the thick, ink-like demonic energy around it melts and purifies silently, turning into nothingness, once it gets within a foot of the sword.

It stands silently here, its very existence telling of its ancient mission—to suppress evil, purify demons, and uphold righteousness.

By this time, everyone vaguely understood why they had not been affected by the legendary, bone-corroding, and soul-destroying demonic energy when they jumped from the bottomless abyss.

People regard the demonic energy at the bottom of the Demon Abyss as an ironclad rule that "touching it will surely lead to death" and "it is difficult for a nascent soul to survive," but they do not know that at the core of this most filthy place, this supremely holy and pure divine weapon has long been nurtured.

It operates silently, using its supreme divine power to quietly cleanse all the hostility and filth within a certain range—leaving only a terrifying shell and the terrifying legends that circulate outside, keeping those with weak wills and cowardly timid people away from the truth.

Only those who truly possess great courage and perseverance, daring to leap into this abyss considered a "desperate situation," using their fearless faith as an axe to cleave through the shackles constructed by common sense and fear, can see through this illusory fog and reach the other shore.

It turns out that all the intimidating appearances of fear are merely a way to filter out the truly brave who dare to test and persevere. And this divine sword, hidden in the deepest darkness, has only ever revealed its true face to the fearless who have pure hearts and unwavering wills.

Fearless courage and unwavering faith are the only keys to glimpsing the truth and approaching divine objects.

Lu Wensheng stared at the silent ancient sword, and the legend of "Sword in the Stone" that he had heard in modern times inexplicably surfaced in his mind—could it be that this sword also requires a person destined by fate and designated by bloodline to be able to pull it out?

However, as he was still pondering, he looked up and saw that Tang He had somehow climbed up the base made of rubble and bones. Then, under the astonished or stunned gazes of the crowd, he gripped the hilt of the sword with both hands, used his waist and abdomen to pull out the sword with a "hey" sound, effortlessly and naturally!

The process was as smooth as picking up a twig from soft soil.

Lu Wensheng: "...?"

The others were also instantly petrified, their minds going blank.

I thought they had come through countless hardships, prepared to die, which showed their extreme courage and fearlessness. I never expected that they had such a "hidden master" hidden among them! Whose subordinate is this? So... uh, so fierce? Oh, he's one of our own from the Discipline Hall... Well, then... it's not too surprising?

Congratulations, Tang He! In this scenario reminiscent of the "Sword in the Stone" selecting its chosen one, you swiftly drew the divine sword, achieving an astonishing time of 0.01 seconds! Are your friends also itching to try it out? Come and give it a shot!

The system clicks.

Holding the seemingly ordinary longsword, Tang He felt the complex gazes surrounding him, a mixture of shock, confusion, and inquiry. He couldn't help but scratch his head, a simple and somewhat embarrassed smile appearing on his face.

He glanced at the sword in his hand, then at his companion standing there dumbfounded. After hesitating for a moment, he carefully stuck the sword back into the rubble with a "plop," as if he had only accidentally disturbed the object and was quickly putting it back in its place.

Yan Zhaoming, unable to contain his curiosity, leaped onto the base.

When he gripped the hilt, he could feel a slight attraction or resistance between the blade and the base, rather than a completely loose grip.

But when he concentrated his energy and exerted a little force, that resistance was like thin ice breaking, and the divine sword was once again in his grasp, which he raised high above his head—it turned out that this divine sword was so... unrestricted by anyone.

That's too casual.

The one who drew the sword: I will draw my sword.

Divine Sword: No.

The one who drew the sword: I'm going to draw it!

Divine Sword: Okay.

The illusion of divine swordsmanship has suddenly shattered.

I never expected the divine sword to be the Kapibal version.