Darren Fang Easton's smile froze for a moment, instantly realizing that Cole Chong Duan had dug a pit for him to jump into—if he wanted to give something more precious than a seventh-grade spirit weapon, wouldn't he have to give away his eighth-grade spirit weapon?
But as for eighth-grade spirit weapons, he only had one—the Tianyao Sword, his personal companion.
This sword was forged by the renowned human swordsmith Ou Zhizi. Back then, Darren nearly spent all his savings just to have it made.
Now, this sword had accompanied him for over thirty years. He was deeply attached to it. Although he had planned to pass the Tianyao Sword on to Ian someday after accepting him as a disciple, that day was supposed to be at least ten years from now.
But now, under Cole Chong Duan's relentless pressure, he had no choice but to hand the sword over to Ian, and he felt extremely reluctant.
Heartache aside, he was determined not to lose face in front of Cole.
With a flick of his hand, a beautiful long sword appeared, shimmering with a jade-green luster and glinting with icy light.
"Good disciple, this Tianyao Sword has been with me for more than thirty years. Today, I’m giving it to you. Don’t let its reputation down!" Darren said solemnly.
Seeing Darren's pained expression, Ian did not reach out to accept the sword. After all, the sword was named after his master, showing just how much Darren cherished it. Ian respectfully said, "A gentleman does not take what another loves. Master, please keep this sword for yourself!"
Darren's affection for Ian grew at his tact. The pain in his heart faded a bit. "If your master gives you something, you should take it. Besides, at my level, whether I have a sword or not doesn’t make much difference anymore!" he insisted.
After a moment’s hesitation, Ian reached out, took the Tianyao Sword, and instinctively channeled a strand of true qi into it.
Buzz! Buzz!
Immediately, a clear and melodious sword hum rang out, and a breathtakingly beautiful radiance surged from the blade, as if a layer of treasure-light had been added to the sword, dazzling and brilliant.
Even more unbelievably, as Ian gripped the sword handle, he sensed a surge of powerful energy from within the blade—just a casual swing could unleash attacks dozens of times stronger than his own.
"What a sword!" Ian couldn't help but exclaim.
For a moment, he couldn't help but sigh in admiration.
Darren nodded in deep agreement. "Of course it's a good sword!"
Off to the side, Cole Chong Duan was quite surprised—he hadn’t expected Darren to actually hand the sword over to Ian.
Suddenly, Ian cradled the Tianyao Sword and turned to Darren. "Master, your disciple has a small request."
"Speak," Darren replied.
"Master, my cultivation is still low, and this sword is far too powerful. If I receive it now, I’m afraid I’ll become dependent on it. So, I’d like to ask you to keep the sword for me. When my cultivation improves, could you return it to me then?" Ian said earnestly.
Darren was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing. He felt his new disciple was truly considerate, and any lingering reluctance he had vanished after hearing Ian’s words.
"Good child, your concern is justified. But I do have a solution—I can seal most of the sword’s power. That way, you won’t need to worry about becoming dependent on it!" Darren offered.
Ian shook his head. "That’s still not ideal, Master. I actually have another reason. An eighth-grade spirit weapon is a rare treasure. If I walk around with it now, it’s like a child carrying gold through a bustling market—it’s bound to attract jealous eyes and could even bring disaster. Right now, I don’t have the strength to protect myself. Please, Master, keep the sword for me!"
"Er..." Ian hesitated, a little embarrassed.
Hearing Ian’s explanation, Darren found it very reasonable and understood Ian’s good intentions. He looked gratified. "Alright, since you insist, I’ll hold onto it for now!"
"Thank you, Master!" Ian said gratefully.
Ian expressed his gratitude.
Off to the side, Cole Chong Duan watched this touching scene between master and disciple with a pang of jealousy and regret. If he’d known things would turn out like this, he wouldn’t have given up such a good disciple just for a few spirit weapons.
"Old Darren, young Huang, I just remembered something urgent. I won’t stay any longer—goodbye!" Cole Chong Duan said, taking his leave.
Watching Cole Chong Duan leave in a huff, Darren Fang Easton couldn't help but laugh smugly—he knew perfectly well that the old guy was jealous.
After all, good things are best shared—they make the achievement sweeter. So Darren told Ian the whole story: how the two elders fought over him as a disciple, and how he bribed Cole with three seventh-grade spirit weapons to make him give up.
Ian was quite surprised to hear this. He hadn’t expected Darren to pay such a high price to take him on, and he was genuinely moved. He bowed again. "How could I possibly be worthy of such regard, Master!"
"Silly child, it's not about worthiness!" Darren said, delighted. "You’re my disciple now—that’s all that matters!"
Ian was deeply moved and bowed again to Darren.
At the highest seat in the hall sat a man in a famous green robe, with a square, dignified face and large, bright eyes—his presence was commanding even without anger.
"Disciple Leon Huang greets the sect master!"
Ian bowed deeply. The Pristine Way Sect’s master was named Chen Yuanshan, and his cultivation had reached late Grandmaster stage—equivalent to late-stage Jindan.
Even if Ian unleashed all his hidden strength, he wouldn’t be a match for Chen.
"No need for ceremony. Step forward and speak!"
"Yes, sir!"
Ian obediently walked forward.
"Hmm, you really are a fine young man. No wonder Elder Easton and Elder Duan fought over you!" Chen Yuanshan said with a smile.
"I wouldn’t dare!"
Chen Yuanshan pondered for a moment. "I called you here for one thing: in the next two months, you must study hard under Elder Easton. After that, I’ll send you to Sanctum Martial Academy. That academy gathers nearly all the Human Race’s young geniuses and has the best resources. Only there can you grow fastest. Don’t let the sect down!"
"Sanctum Martial Academy?"
Ian couldn’t help but look thoughtful. He remembered that in the original plot, Nate Moore had joined Sanctum Martial Academy, shone brilliantly, and was heavily cultivated by the academy’s top brass, eventually becoming the youngest Martial Saint of the Human Race.