Chapter 258 - 220: Sword Box Puppet, Long Blade Puppet, Power of a Martial Artist

Chapter 258: Chapter 220: Sword Box Puppet, Long Blade Puppet, Power of a Martial Artist

A day later, in a spacious clearing outside Broken River Castle, more than ten people had gathered.

Standing on the outermost edge were seven or eight sturdy men dressed in coarse, short-fitting clothes. Their muscles were knotted, their gazes either shrewd or dull. Though their auras were heavy, they showed no obvious signs of Qi and Blood phenomena; they were just the most ordinary Martial Artists.

They stood somewhat uneasily, their gazes sweeping with reverence over Zhao Xiaoshu and Xiang Kui in the center of the field. They dared not even look directly at the distant Lu Zhao, who stood with his hands behind his back, his aura profound and deep.

A little closer in were three men with significantly fiercer auras. Their temples bulged, their eyes were sharp, and an invisible wave of heat seemed to radiate from their bodies. These were the "Martial Artists" who had stimulated their Qi Blood Power.

Though they were also reserved, their eyes held a trace of suppressed excitement in addition to reverence.

And beside Zhao Xiaoshu stood an elderly man who was not tall, but rather lean and wiry.

The old man’s hair and beard were gray, his face deeply wrinkled. He wore a faded gray martial uniform. The joints of his hands were thick and covered in calluses. With his slightly hunched posture and cloudy eyes, he looked utterly unremarkable.

But upon closer inspection, one could see that when he stood, his feet were planted like the roots of an old tree, completely motionless. His breathing was long and deep, and with each inhalation and exhalation, the very air around him seemed to ripple faintly.

This man was the Grand Martial Artist, Liu Zhenshan, whom Xiang Kui had "borrowed" from a small nearby family with a Token.

"Senior, the men have been brought," Zhao Xiaoshu said, stepping forward to report to Lu Zhao, who stood silently to the side.

Lu Zhao nodded slightly, his calm gaze sweeping over everyone present. It lingered on Liu Zhenshan for a moment before he looked away.

He waved his hand, and two Puppets materialized out of thin air on a stone platform in the center of the clearing—they were the Sword Box and the Long Saber.

"I’ve summoned you all today to test these two items." Lu Zhao’s voice wasn’t loud, but it reached every person’s ears clearly. "These are Non-Tiered Puppets. You don’t need Magical Power or Divine Sense; you can use them simply by following my instructions."

He first pointed to the seven or eight ordinary Martial Artists. "You, step forward one by one and try to activate this Sword Box." He then motioned for them to approach and explained the activation method—press a finger into the groove and push down hard.

The first to step forward was a burly man. He rubbed his hands together nervously, then did as instructed, gripping the Sword Box and pressing his finger hard into the groove.

CLICK!

The box vibrated slightly, and three jet-black iron pellets shot out with a piercing shriek. THUD! THUD! THUD! They slammed into a thick wooden target standing over a hundred feet away. The impact instantly blew the target apart, sending splinters flying everywhere! Its power far surpassed that of any mortal’s heavy bow or crossbow!

The burly man jumped in fright, but his expression quickly turned to one of ecstasy and disbelief. Seeing this, the eyes of the other Martial Artists lit up with a burning desire, and they were all eager to try it for themselves.

The results of the test were as expected. Every ordinary Martial Artist, provided they had enough finger strength to depress the groove, could successfully activate the Sword Box and fire the iron pellets.

The power was constant, equivalent to a single strike from a Qi Cultivation First Layer magic. The only limitation was that one had to wait for several breaths after each use, allowing the internal mechanism to reset and the Spiritual Sand’s energy to be replenished.

But for mortal Martial Artists who could only rely on their fists, feet, and conventional weapons, this was an earth-shattering change!

Next, Lu Zhao had the three more powerful Martial Artists take turns using the Long Saber Puppet.

One of the Martial Artists gripped the hilt of the Long Saber and, following instructions, stimulated his own Qi Blood Power.

HUMMM!

The dark red patterns on the blade suddenly lit up like a red-hot branding iron, and a wave of scorching heat washed over them! A crimson blade glow, about a foot long and as condensed as blood, pulsed from the tip of the saber.

A sharp glint flashed in the Martial Artist’s eyes. He let out a low shout and, empowered by his Qi and Blood, swung the saber at another target—a thicker block of hardwood wrapped in an iron sheet!

SCHLICK!

Like a hot knife through butter, the crimson blade glow sliced through the iron sheet without any resistance, splitting the half-foot-thick hardwood behind it in two!

The cut surface was scorched black, emitting wisps of smoke! Its sharpness far surpassed that of their usual Hundred-refined Steel Treasure Sabers!

The three Martial Artists took turns, and the results were just as thrilling. By holding this saber and channeling their Qi Blood Power, their close-combat lethality increased tenfold—enough to threaten some of the weaker Tier One Lower Grade Demon Beasts!

Finally, all eyes focused on the seemingly unremarkable, gray-clothed old man: the Grand Martial Artist, Liu Zhenshan.

At a signal from Lu Zhao, Liu Zhenshan’s cloudy old eyes slowly lifted and fell upon the Long Saber Puppet. He walked to the stone platform with steady steps, extended his calloused right hand, and grasped the cold hilt.

No hesitation, no probing. The instant his five fingers closed around the hilt, a majestic Qi Blood Power erupted from his wiry frame!

It wasn’t the Magical Power or Spiritual Pressure of a Cultivator, but it carried a sense of physical power so pure it was tangible, making the very air seem to grow heavy.

He gripped the hilt.

VREEEENG!

A saber’s cry, far louder and higher-pitched than any before, rang throughout the clearing! A crimson blade glow, so condensed it was almost tangible, roared from the tip like an angry dragon.

Sharp light now radiated from Liu Zhenshan’s once-cloudy eyes. He felt the terrifying power emanating from the Long Saber, a feeling that it could cut through anything. With a low roar, he executed not a fancy technique, but the simplest, most direct vertical slash!

BOOM!

The crimson saber glow tore through the air with a dreadful shriek, viciously striking a hard, half-man-high bluestone boulder at the edge of the clearing!

There was no Clashing of Gold and Iron, only a dull boom!

The massive boulder cracked on impact! No, it wasn’t just cracked—it was blown to smithereens by the ferocious, scorching blade aura! The fragments, glowing with a dark red hue as if seared by intense flames, scattered in all directions!