Chapter 1231: Chapter 1228: Burying the Sword
Lin Tian picked up the broken sword from the ground and turned toward the statue, noticing an inconspicuous protrusion on the top of its head. Lin Tian forcefully slapped the statue’s head, and immediately, the sound of gears turning, "clack clack clack," came from the wall behind, opening a stone door to reveal another pitch-black passage.
Before entering the passage, Lin Tian picked up a stone and flicked it at a certain acupoint on Li Wenfeng’s body, then turned and left.
"What did you do just now? Did you kill him?" The protesting voice of the Sword Spirit echoed in Lin Tian’s mind.
"If I, Lin Tian, wanted to kill him, I wouldn’t wait until now, nor would I need to strike while he’s unconscious," Lin Tian said coldly.
"From this, it seems you’re actually a pretty decent person," the Sword Spirit said with satisfaction.
Lin Tian hadn’t been gone long when Li Wenfeng slowly woke up. As soon as he regained consciousness, he immediately jumped up, surveying the area in all directions, but saw nothing except the empty hall.
"Ah... my Sword of the King, who was it? I want to kill him!" Li Wenfeng shouted in grief and anger.
Having just gotten hold of the Sword of the King, it wasn’t even warmed up before it was snatched away in the blink of an eye. Li Wenfeng, who prided himself on being shrewd, had now been outsmarted, suffering a severe loss, and couldn’t accept this reality, going mad enough to want to tear down the temple.
He was anxiously pacing when faint footsteps were heard from outside the passage, and Li Wenfeng’s expression changed, realizing someone had discovered the tree hole.
"Exit, the temple must have another exit." Li Wenfeng didn’t want others to know he had been here and searched for an exit in the hall, first discovering the passage behind the statue.
He glanced back at the hall once more, bit his lip, and begrudgingly left. Soon after he departed, five people entered through the temple’s main door, the very five judges who had sensed the Sword of the King and tracked it here.
"It truly never occurred to me that such an ancient temple is hidden underground in Holy Spirit Town," Mark exclaimed as he studied the hall.
Reina Sword Saint surveyed the area, then walked over to the statue. She looked at the statue’s hands and frowned, "King Arthur’s statue should be holding a sword, but that sword is missing."
"If our sensing was correct, that sword should be the long-lost Sword of the King, but oddly, I can’t sense any aura from the sword now," Dean Lukins said puzzled.
"I can’t sense it either. There are only two reasons: first, the Sword of the King was taken and is beyond our sensing range; second, someone used special means to seal it, isolating the sword’s energy aura," Mark speculated.
"No need to guess. There’s a passage behind the statue, and from the marks, it was opened not long ago; the person who took the sword must have exited through here," Reina Sword Saint said calmly.
The group gathered around, and Lukins said, "If the Sword of the King falls into the hands of someone with ill intentions, it’s not good news for us cultivators. However, the chances of retrieving it are slim."
Worry flickered in Lukins’ eyes as he walked into the passage, followed closely by the others.
Meanwhile, Lin Tian, having been the first to enter the passage, had already reached the surface. The passage’s exit was ingeniously designed into an ancient tree.
The woods around Fairy Lake were very old, with numerous towering ancient trees, such that without a treasure map, finding the entrance to the Underground Temple would be impossible. This time without Li Wenfeng, Lin Tian wouldn’t have gotten the Sword of the King; he could already imagine Li Wenfeng’s frenzy once he awoke.
Lin Tian wasn’t in a hurry to leave; instead, he hid in an ancient tree far from the exit. Just as he finished concealing himself, someone rushed out of the tree hole.
The person was none other than Li Wenfeng, who seemed somewhat anxious. He glanced behind and, seeing no pursuit, jumped down from the ancient tree, fleeing the ancient forest as quickly as possible.
Not long after Li Wenfeng disappeared, several people rushed out of the tree hole — Reina and her four companions. They stood atop the ancient tree, looking around, but no figure could be seen within sight.
"Mentor, it seems the person who took the Sword of the King has completely vanished," Reina Sword Saint said to Lukins, with a tone of regret.
As a Sword Saint Level swordsman, it’s impossible not to desire the Sword of the King. Every cultivator hopes for a handy weapon to unleash their full potential, even exceed expectations.
If a weapon is not handy, it might not even withstand their power, let alone speak of fighting.
Lukins sighed, saying, "Reina, I know you’ve been searching for the Sword of the King for many years, but unfortunately, you’re not the destined one, and you’re bound never to possess the Sword of the King."
Mark opened his mouth to comfort her, but Reina calmly said, "Though I feel some regret, it might not be a bad thing. Without reliance on a treasured sword, I can further stimulate my potential."
Lukins nodded with satisfaction, smiled, and said, "Your mindset is becoming more mature. I believe your future achievements will surely surpass mine. Let’s go; the academy is hosting a selection tournament. Our untimely departure must have caused chaos there."
The five were open-minded people, and though they lost track of the Sword of the King, they didn’t feel overly depressed. Led by Lukins, the five also left the ancient forest.
"These people’s generosity is indeed admirable," Lin Tian said with a smile, jumping down from the ancient tree and returning to Fairy Lake.
Looking at the broken Sword of the King in his hand, Lin Tian was about to toss it into the lake when the Sword Spirit’s voice suddenly echoed in his mind, "Are you really going to throw it into the lake? This is the Sword of the King; can you bear it?"
"What’s there to bear? You’ve been like a parasite, constantly absorbing the Sword of the King’s nutrients over hundreds of years; it’s no longer anything like it used to be," Lin Tian said unceremoniously.
The Sword Spirit felt a bit embarrassed but defended quietly, "It’s not deliberate. In that godforsaken place, what else could I do but this?"
"Heh, why are you anxious? I didn’t blame you. If it were me, I’d have done the same," Lin Tian chuckled lightly, raising his hand to throw the two broken pieces of the sword out.
The Sword of the King traced a parabolic path, landing far into the heart of the lake — a Divine Artifact that created and propelled historical development, witnessing the rise, peak, and fall of a dynasty.
At this moment, it rests in eternal silence within the tranquil Fairy Lake, away from the mundane world, away from the hustle and bustle.
"Legend has it that King Arthur threw the Sword of the King into Fairy Lake, but no one knew it was hidden in an underground temple. Now I bury you in Fairy Lake, living up to the historical legend, making it true to its name. May this tranquility cleanse your lifetime of bloodshed," Lin Tian said calmly, watching the ripples on the lake.