Evan Chu studied the vendor carefully. Though the man looked over forty, he had the air of someone who had weathered countless hardships—and his cultivation was at least Fifth Layer Divine Martial Realm.
For someone so powerful to be running a street stall in a small town was bizarre. Evan Chu wondered if the vendor was waiting for someone—or planning something.
"If your sword is so impressive, then show us! If it’s really a fire-element sword, I’ll buy it," a well-dressed middle-aged man challenged the vendor.
The crowd began to urge the vendor to demonstrate, and even Evan Chu was curious—though what he really wanted to know was how the vendor had gotten the Fire Dragon Stone.
The Dragon Shrine was the most mysterious place in all the Azure Tide Ruins—almost no one knew how to enter, and Evan Chu was determined to go. Any clue would be a huge help.
The vendor saw the expectant looks and smiled. "All right, I'll show you. Hope you won't be disappointed."
He picked up the black longsword and swung it swiftly—the blade slowly turned red, and flames danced along its edge.
Evan Chu instantly recognized the flames as Flarefire, burning at a high temperature—the air around them grew noticeably hotter.
Evan Chu noticed sweat beading on the vendor’s forehead. To sweat like that meant he was expending a lot of Stellar Power—even at Fifth Layer Divine Martial Realm. The crowd probably couldn’t even make the sword turn red.
The vendor stopped and said, "This sword is called the Fire Dragon Sword. I can't reveal its origin, but you should know: to make it glow fiery red, you need powerful Stellar Power. If you're not Divine Martial Realm, forget about it."
In other words, the Fire Dragon Sword is only for sale to cultivators at Divine Martial Realm or higher. If you’re not at that level, don’t bother trying to buy.
Most people felt disappointed—the sword was a genuine fire-element weapon, and its flames were so intense that anyone who wielded it could boost their strength by at least ten percent.
But the vendor's requirement left everyone frustrated. They understood that only a strong cultivator could make the sword flame, and forcing a sale was out of the question.
Someone in the crowd called out, "I’m at Divine Martial Realm! I want to buy your Fire Dragon Sword!"
The man stepped up, and the vendor said, "You can buy the sword—but first, channel your Stellar Power and make it flame. If you succeed, it’s yours; if not, wait for the next candidate."
The man glanced at the black longsword in the vendor’s hand. "Let me try—hand it over," he said.