Become a respected Dragon Knight?
Somehow, Shen Tian felt like this Dragon Lady was pulling a fast one on him.
After studying this Dragon Lady’s silhouette, Shen Tian really felt like asking if he would be riding her or riding this skeleton.
But to be safe, Shen Tian chose not to believe this Dragon Lady that easily.
He gazed at the black-robed Dragon Lady vigilantly as he said in a calm voice, “I heard that the Dragon race is one of the world’s most powerful and arrogant races.
“So I can’t help being shocked that you made such an offer to me. I can hardly dare to believe you.
“What if I was lucky enough to get this divine sword to acknowledge me and release you—but you turn around and kill me thereafter?”
The black-robed lady scoffed. “I am Ao Bing. Tens of thousands of years ago, I was the Black Dragon Island Princess in the Northern Sea.
“The Black Dragons of the Northern Sea have always kept their promises. Otherwise, I will suffer terrible consequences for the rest of my life!
“If you are able to help me escape, I will sign a Dragon God contract with you, to give you the power of the Dragon God.
“You must know that over the past hundreds of thousands of years, the number of humans able to sign a Dragon God contract to become powerful beings can be counted on just one hand.”
Shen Tian stared suspiciously at the black-robed Dragon Lady Ao Bing. “I can sign a Dragon God contract with you if I save your life?”
To be honest, if one could sign a Dragon God contract just by saving her life, there would be no reason that only a handful of humans had been able to become the legendary Black Dragon Knights!
Dragon Lady Ao Bing sized up Shen Tian with a smile.
“Of course not!
“The Black Dragon Island in the Northern Sea contains countless precious treasures. If you save my people, they will definitely give you those treasures in return.
“But only humans with the best looks, demeanor, talent, and character are worthy enough to save my people and gain their acknowledgment. Only these fated humans are worthy enough to sign a Dragon God contract!
“Although you are just a Foundation Establishment cultivator, you were able to climb onto the dragon head despite the oppressive dragon aura. You clearly have an excellent foundation and natural talent.
“Also, you have so many followers that your character must be pretty good too.
“As a result, I am willing to give you a chance to sign a contract with me, to receive the glory of becoming a Dragon Knight!
“If it were some other talentless, despicable, and ugly brute—there’s no way he would be offered a contract!”
When looking at the black-robed Dragon Lady, Shen Tian just felt like she was deliberately glossing over some important point.
Willing to offer me a chance because I am talented and have good character?
Are you sure it’s not just because you saw that I am handsome and dashing, and you are only offering me a contract with lecherous intentions?
Nonetheless, it was still an adequate reason. After all, beautiful damsels in distress behaved the same way after being rescued.
They would pledge their hand in marriage if their savior was handsome. If the savior was ugly, he could only hope to be a servant.
This was a universal truth that should be the same in both ancient and modern times, in both the human and demon races.
Shen Tian relaxed a little at that thought. “Can you please make a vow first? Whether or not I am able to successfully get the sword and save you, you cannot vent your anger on my companions or me.”
The black-robed Dragon Lady glanced mildly at the folks gathered at the feet of the dragon skeleton. “Don’t worry. I have no interest in making things difficult for those pathetic humans.”
Shen Tian insisted. “Can you please swear on it?”
The black-robed Dragon lady stated. “I swear. Happy, now?”
Shen Tian replied in all seriousness, “Please repeat after me: Even if I cannot get hold of the sword and save you, you will not lash out at my companions or me.”
The black-robed dragon lady was annoyed. “You doubt my integrity as a Princess of the Black Dragon race!
“If not for the fact that you are quite handsome, I would have already killed you!”
Shen Tian shrank back a little. He did feel like he was somewhat overstepping the line.
He had barely handled that bad-tempered white tiger, Zhang Yunxi, and was now provoking a Black Dragon lady.
However, he really wouldn’t dare to try releasing this Dragon Lady if she didn’t make that vow!
After all, this was at the Sage realm. He didn’t fancy his chances even if up against some decrepit soul!
Shen Tian said in resignation, “If you insist on refusing—”
Before he could finish his sentence, Dragon Lady Ao Bing cut in sourly.
Ao Bing glared at Shen Tian as she swore. “Upon the name of the Dragon God, even if this punk is unable to successfully save me, I will not lash out against him or his friends.”
Shen Tian breathed a sigh of relief. “Otherwise…?”
Ao Bing looked like she was about to burst into anger. “Otherwise, I will never be able to escape my predicament. Are you happy now?!”
Shen Tian smiled. “That’s all I was asking for!”
Having set his mind at peace, Shen Tian slowly walked toward the huge sword and stroked it.
“How do I remove this sword? Just drip my blood on it?”
Ao Bing nodded. “Mmm, this sword is an Immortal artifact. It already has some form of consciousness of its own. It has been sealed here with me for eons. Its Master died a long time ago. I can feel that this sword is yearning for a new Master now.
“You possess a powerful Little Five Elements Yang Divine Lightning Constitution, but your cultivation level is indeed a little lacking.
“If it was hundreds of thousands of years ago, you might not be able to get this divine sword to acknowledge you as its Master.
“But now, as long as you drip some blood on it, I bet that it will immediately acknowledge you!”
Shen Tian mused over this.
Could this be your typical demand versus supply effect?
If there were countless talents coveting this divine sword, it could afford to be picky.
But if it could not attract someone more impressive, it had no choice but to settle for someone more mediocre.
After all, swords had their own needs. They needed to be handled, polished, and kept in good condition.
They also craved the excitement and thrill of battle.
…
Having gained a modicum of confidence, Shen Tian pricked his forefinger.
A drop of pale golden blood seeped out of the tiny wound. It was the golden blood of a person with the Divine Lightning Constitution.
It emitted a faint spiritual hum as it dripped onto the huge blade and was rapidly absorbed.
But the divine sword didn’t acknowledge Shen Tian as its Master after absorbing his blood.
It just glowed faintly before returning to its original state.
Shen Tian was stunned. “It didn’t acknowledge me as its Master.”
The corners of Ao Bing’s lips twitched. “This lousy sword! How dare it remain so fussy! Does it really want to wither away with me in this place!?
“Young man, try dripping more blood on it. I don’t believe that this lousy sword can continue denying itself a Master!
“This is such a remote place. Miss this chance to get a Master like you, and it will have to wait another 10,000 years!
“This lousy sword’s consciousness has yet to fully form. Try again!”
Drip more blood? Try again?
Upon feeling the effects of his much-weakened body, Shen Tian felt rather helpless.
This Dragon Lady didn’t know what his blood meant to him.
He said calmly, “We had an agreement. I would only offer one drop of blood to try and gain acknowledgment.
“Now that I have offered my blood, but this divine sword refuses to acknowledge me, I really have no other solution.
“Why don’t we try this? After I leave this place, I will help you find an even more exceptional genius to come here and rescue you?”
With that, Shen Tian turned and leaped off the dragon’s skeleton. He was all ready to leave, with no lingering regret at all.
Ao Bing had just sworn not to create trouble for them—he had to take this window of opportunity to escape. Otherwise, they would be doomed if she had more time to think of some loophole to her vow!
…
Eunuch Gui and the rest quickly clustered around Shen Tian after he leaped down from the dragon skeleton.
“Senior Brother, who is that woman?”
Qin Yundi narrowed his eyes. Dozens of Yin-Yang Demon-Penetrating Guns behind him were aimed straight at the dragon skeleton, all ready to fire.
Shen Tian shook his head. “That is the remnant of the Holy Dragon’s soul. Let’s leave now!”
At that, Shen Tian sprinted out of the valley without even turning his head.
At that moment, the divine sword lodged in that huge dragon skull suddenly moved.
Countless bright rays shot out of the blade, engulfing the entire valley in a dazzling light!
Clang!
A clear clanging sound echoed far and wide.
Countless skeletons in the surrounding area seemed to be petrified by the sword intent. They all stood frozen to the ground, shivering in fear.
Rays of light shot toward Shen Tian from the sword. They seemed to take on a solid form, merging into a stairway in front of Shen Tian.
This stairway was forged with pure sword light. Each ray of light formed a step, leading from Shen Tian’s feet right to the huge sword.
This strange phenomenon dumbfounded everyone beside Shen Tian!
What made this extraordinary ancient divine weapon take the initiative to welcome Shen Tian?
It was willing to use so much of its own sword aura to form a stairway so that Shen Tian could step upon it and take control of it.
But Shen Tian had actually spurned it and was in the midst of leaving the valley?
Damn, he was indeed their Senior Brother Saint!
He was just that domineering!
Eunuch Gui looked very pleased. “This is such an exceptional divine weapon, and it is willing to pledge loyalty to His Highness!”
Qin Gao’s face was full of admiration. “Concubine Lan would be so happy if she could see this.”
Qin Yundi narrowed his eyes. “The power of this sword is without peer. It is a good match for Senior Brother!”
Shopkeeper Song also chimed in. “Although this sword is not good enough for your status as Master Heavens, since it has shown such sincerity, do accept it!”
…
Shen Tian was inwardly stunned as his companions urged him.
What the hell? I spurned this divine sword? It was clearly the sword that had rejected me earlier!
Now that I was prepared to leave, the sword is now begging to acknowledge me as its Master?
Haha, do you think I would still want you, you lousy sword?
I am the Divine Firmament Saint! I have a reputation to keep up!
At the top of the dragon skeleton, the black-robed Dragon Lady Ao Bing scoffed. “Stubborn sword, you are regretting it now, right?
“Your consciousness has yet to fully mature, yet you want to be as picky as that flat-chested Master of yours. Serves you right to be rejected!”
Ao Bing’s words seemed to provoke the sword.
It suddenly emitted an unprecedented burst of light, dissolving its remaining eight Sword Tree Hearts into dust before transforming it into the most basic form of power.
Like a sharp blade, this power shot right into Shen Tian’s body.
Shen Tian thought the sword wanted to kill him in a fit of rage.
But after the power merged into his body, his Tinder Sutra became even more vibrant and energetic than ever before. He never expected this.
It swallowed this power ravenously, refining this power and infusing it across his entire body, his dantian, and his mind.
At this point, Shen Tian felt a deep sense of wonder.
He felt like his understanding of the sword was increasing exponentially.
Every single inch of flesh seemed to be emitting a sharp sword light and sword aura.
At that moment, Shen Tian felt like the sword was him, and he was the sword. Man and sword united as one as if he were a Sword Immortal!
A terrifying sword intent radiated from his body, creating an unearthly mirage like tens of thousands of sharp blades extending out for miles on end, forcing everyone to step back.
In that mirage, one could vaguely see True Dragons being beheaded, bloodied demons and deities, tears trickling down Buddha’s face, and other such alarming images.
Shen Ao stared at his thirteenth brother from a distance away. He had heard his Master talk about such a phenomenon before. It was completely out of this world.
Only a person with the Divine Sword Constitution or that possessed the highest level of understanding of the way of the sword could form such a mirage.
Since ancient times, any time such a phenomenon happened, it meant that one had become an unparalleled Sword Immortal!
In the Grand White Grotto-Heaven, how many young talents had struggled their entire lives but still failed to attain even a fraction of such a level?
But Shen Tian just happened to bumble into this valley and was so warmly welcomed by this divine weapon. Using its sword intent to cultivate a Sword Tree Heart for Shen Tian, to help him attain this Divine Sword Constitution.
To be honest, this was another major blow to Shen Ao.
Was this the difference between him and Shen Tian?
This cultivation world was so cruel!
…
Atop the dragon head, Dragon Lady Ao Bing’s face still bore her mocking grin.
But as Shen Tian emitted that intense sword aura and the unearthly mirage formed behind him, the smile on her face froze.
“My goodness, who is this kid? The legendary Divine Sword Constitution can be so easily attained?
“If those freaky Sword Dao aficionados from the past saw this kid now, they would all choke on their envy!
“Just who is this kid? It looks like he’s not just another pretty face!”
At this thought, the smile on Ao Bing’s face turned smug.
“That’s good. In this way, my people can’t object too much to my Dragon God contract with him.
“No… So many years have passed, and those oldies at the Black Dragon Island should already all be dead!
“That’s to say if I manage to escape, I can rule over Black Dragon Island?
“Hahahaha, I have not suffered these 10,000 years in vain then!”
As time passed by the minute and second, Shen Tian finally felt the sword energy inside him become completely absorbed.
He slowly lifted his lids, and a beam of sword energy shot out of his eyes, burning a deep hole in the ground before him.
Damn, so terrifying!
At that moment, Shen Tian was confident of glaring to death anyone at the 9th Firmament of Qi Refinement.
If he wasn’t worried about tiring his eyes out, he might even be able to glare to death a somewhat weaker Foundation Establishment cultivator.
More importantly, Shen Tian now felt like he could radiate powerful sword energy from any part of his body.
Think about it. You were fighting a powerful opponent who was on par with you in every way.
He suddenly breathed out a gust of air at you. He didn’t have bad breath, but a powerful burst of sword energy was rushing at you. Wouldn’t you be in a panic?
The two of you were just facing off each other to stand your ground. But you end up withering from your opponent’s glare. Wouldn’t that be so embarrassing?
With this Divine Sword Constitution, Shen Tian felt like he was able to pit himself against the Sages who had gone through the Tribulation Transcendence stage!
Of course, he could only last for one breath.
…
Shen Tian opened his eyes and stood up.
That huge sword vibrated slightly, the dark red rust starting to fall off, revealing the ruby-like body of the blade.
This sword was beyond extraordinary. It was forged from pure Immortal Metal and completely priceless!
No matter where in the great sacred ground, it would be regarded as an esteemed treasure that could enhance the foundation of the area.
It could be said that if Sword Venerable Qian Yang had attained such a divine sword back then, he could have easily annihilated the Mother Vine, Lu Ji!
After all, to a powerful swordsman, the type of sword they had in hand would be even more important than who they took as their spouse!
In front of everyone’s astonished eyes, the huge sword drew itself out of the dragon’s head and floated in mid-air, blocking out half the valley.
Following that, it charged straight toward Shen Tian!
As if it wanted to hug its new Master…
