Evan Chu sucked in a cold breath—damn, this guy really is something else. No wonder it was a life-or-death struggle back then.
"So, what's the deal with that iron sword?"
Gabe Goldstone just grinned. "Funny story, actually. Maybe I was just lucky, but when the cave collapsed, that giant serpent got hit hard too—buried under a pile of falling rocks just like me.
I was close to the entrance, so the rocks that fell on me weren’t too big or too many. But that snake wasn’t so lucky—a few massive boulders crashed right onto its body, and one landed smack on its weak spot.
It took everything I had to crawl out of that rock pile—maybe the heavens took pity on me. That beast was stone dead! Fifth-rank magical beasts always have a magic crystal, so even though I was hurting all over, I forced myself to crack open its skull. But there was no magic crystal inside.
But I did find something else. Want to guess what it was?"
Evan had never heard anything so unbelievable—it was like the Sword Spirit suddenly showing up in his own head. He was stunned for a long moment, unable to snap back to reality.
"Bet you never saw this coming—I found a sword inside its skull! A sword, all eaten up by rust!" Gabe laughed when he saw Evan’s dumbstruck face.
"A sword? How could there possibly be a sword inside its head?" Evan blurted out, unable to believe it.
"Weird, right? I can’t explain it either. At first, I thought the sword was something special, but it turned out to be just a broken blade—couldn’t even cut butter."
The vendor pulled out a three-foot sword from his storage belt and handed it over.
Evan Chu saw the sword was covered in rust, and felt a twinge of disappointment. Just then, Luna’s voice rang out in his mind: "Kid, you must get this sword no matter what! This is none other than Frostbane, one of the Seven Prime Relics of antiquity!"
Luna’s words left Evan completely stunned. One of the Seven Prime Relics? Seriously? Was this for real?
Evan steadied himself, pretending not to know anything. "So, bro, how much for this sword? I feel like it’s just right for me!"
The vendor saw Evan’s sincerity and replied, "My name’s Gabe Goldstone. What’s yours?"
"Evan Chu!"
Gabe laughed, "It’s fate that we met here today. I’ll just give you this sword. If I’m not mistaken, you’re from the Chu Family, right?"
"Thanks, Gabe! I’ll toast you with tea instead of wine!" Evan raised his cup and downed it in one go.
Seeing Evan’s enthusiasm, Gabe lifted his own cup and drank, "You’re a straightforward guy, brother!
"
With that, Gabe handed Evan the iron sword. "This blade is far more than it seems on the surface. I hope you can unlock its secrets—so my near-death struggle wasn’t for nothing."
"Don’t worry, Gabe. I promise I will!" Evan took the sword, his hands trembling slightly.
Gabe suddenly changed the subject: "The Heavenly Dragon Academy’s recruitment is coming up soon. Got any plans, Evan?"
"I really want to get in too, but the requirements are crazy strict. All I can do is try my best. What about you, Gabe?" Evan asked.
"I’m planning to give it a shot too—see if I can make it into the weapon-smith class…"
The two chatted for most of the day. By the time Evan got home, it was already afternoon. He shut his door and started carefully examining the iron sword in his hands.
After staring at it for ages, he still couldn’t figure out anything special. Aside from all the rust, the only unusual thing was a blurry pattern on the hilt—it kind of looked like a legendary dragon.
"Luna, is this really the ancient relic you mentioned? I don’t see anything special! Are you messing with me or what?" Evan muttered to himself.
He knew Luna could hear him perfectly. Sure enough, her voice came right away: "You country bumpkin, what do you know? This Frostbane Sword is ranked third among the Seven Prime Relics! You’ve picked up a treasure and don’t even realize it."
Evan had always known Luna was knowledgeable, so he didn’t mind her teasing at all. "Just tell me what’s going on! Why does the sword look like this?"
"Can you stop calling me ‘Sword Spirit’? I have a name!" Luna’s voice echoed.
"So, what should I call you? Cat? Dog?"
"Shut up! My last master called me Luna, and you can too. But you’d better add ‘Sister’ to it!"
"You’re a girl? Sword Spirits have genders?" Evan nearly choked, thinking the world was full of crazy surprises.
A black line seemed to crawl up Evan’s forehead. Wait, that night with Roxanne Lin—did Luna see everything? Damn, being watched by a girl is just embarrassing. Did she react at all?
"Kid, what are you daydreaming about? I’m pure, you know! Don’t judge me with your dirty thoughts. I know everything you’re thinking, so don’t try to fool me." Luna sounded a little annoyed.
Evan was shocked—she could even read his mind? That was terrifying. He’d better treat her well, or he’d be in for a rough time.
"Surprised? Back in the day, I was glorious alongside my master. Too bad…"
"Too bad what? Can you just finish your story in one go? I hate people who leave me hanging. By the way, why does your voice sound so androgynous?" Evan was losing his patience.
"I’ll tell you later. There are things you’re not ready for yet. Just remember one thing: I’ve been searching for you for a thousand years. You have an incredibly important mission." Luna said softly.
This time, Luna’s voice was as sweet as a songbird—so beautiful it sounded like a goddess was singing.
Evan was utterly shaken. He was starting to accept that Luna really was female.
"Sister Luna, just tell me why the Frostbane Sword looks like this!" Evan was desperate to know. The idea of wielding a legendary divine weapon was terrifying.
"Since you called me Sister Luna, I’ll be merciful and tell you. Ancient relics are heaven-defying existences—anyone who owns one is a peerless powerhouse."
"There are seven ancient relics in total. Ranked first is the Blood Emperor’s Demonscourge Blade, second is the Nether Lord’s Hellreaver Axe, and third is this Frostbane Sword—the personal weapon of the Lord of Frostbane." Luna paused.
Evan waited forever but never heard what the fourth was. "Why’d you stop? The Lord of Frostbane sounds like a woman—was she really that powerful?"
"Not that powerful. At most, one sword strike could turn your Flowing Cloud City into rubble. And you got it wrong—the Lord of Frostbane was a man, a man all the top experts feared."
Hearing about ancient times for the first time, Evan was thrilled. "Give me the details!"
"You’re not at that level yet. When you reach the Azure Tide Ruins, you’ll find out. Right now, the Frostbane Sword is clearly sealed. Only by breaking the seal can its true form and power be revealed—and that power can destroy heaven and earth!
But breaking the seal is insanely difficult. The Frostbane Sword has slaughtered countless people; its murderous aura is overwhelming. Unless you find the Sacred Snow Lotus and Heavenward Spirit Water, it’s almost impossible.
Luna mentioned things Evan had never even heard of. Not even the Chu Family’s Book Repository had records of them. He really felt like he’d lived in ignorance.