"How is this possible? This Flame Dragon Sword can actually devour fire elements—how bizarre!" the old man suddenly exclaimed.
The crowd was equally astonished—a sword that could absorb fire elements was truly a treasure. Whoever obtained it would surely gain a tremendous boost in strength.
"Since the Flame Dragon Sword possesses fire, of course it can absorb it. Your little tricks won't work; only by channeling Stellar Power can you make the blade turn red and ignite. Gathering fire elements is pointless—you've tried once, but you have two more chances, so go ahead!" the peddler said coolly, explaining the phenomenon to the crowd and warning the next challenger.
The old man, a cultivator who had mastered fire elements, naturally coveted the Flame Dragon Sword. He quickly circulated his Stellar Power and poured it all into the blade. After a while, the sword began to change, slowly shifting from black to dark red.
Cheers erupted from the crowd, hoping he would succeed. Many encouraged him, but Evan Chu thought the old man was just wasting his effort.
Seeing this, the old man tried even harder, veins bulging on his face as sweat dripped down. But the sword remained dark red, refusing to turn fully red or ignite flames.
By now, his Stellar Power was nearly exhausted, and he couldn't attempt a third try. Disappointed, he looked at the Flame Dragon Sword in his hands and said, "It seems I have no fate with this sword—I can't make it produce flames."
After handing the Flame Dragon Sword back to the peddler, he turned and left the crowd, feeling too embarrassed to stay and watch others try.
The peddler then announced, "That old man was just a step away from making the Flame Dragon Sword ignite. Who else wants to try? If you can make flames appear on the blade, the sword is yours. Don't miss this chance—I'm only offering the Flame Dragon Sword today. After today, there won't be another opportunity!"
Many people had already given up on trying, but the peddler's last words made those who were about to quit reconsider—they couldn't let this chance slip away.
Evan Chu secretly laughed to himself: "This guy really knows how to do business—he can read people's hearts. He's not simple at all; his background is definitely suspicious."
A few more people tried, but after handing over a hundred high-grade Starstones, they gained nothing and left with disappointment written all over their faces.
The crowd was already murmuring, with many believing it was a scam and that the sword couldn't possibly ignite. But the peddler had really made flames appear on the Flame Dragon Sword, and the heat was obvious to everyone—so people weren't sure what to believe.
After a while, no one else stepped up to try. The peddler said, "Looks like no one wants to try today. I'll be closing up shop now—thanks for stopping by, everyone."
"Evan, you should give it a try. The Flame Dragon Sword could be really useful for you. Your Frostbane Sword can't show its true power right now, but this sword could help you a lot," said Luna, the Sword Spirit.
"Didn't you say the Flame Dragon Sword was sealed too? What's the point of getting it—just another useless sword? I've already got one useless sword, I don't want another," Evan complained.
Thinking about the materials needed to unseal the Frostbane Sword gave Evan a headache. Now, with another Flame Dragon Sword, he really felt powerless.
"The Flame Dragon Sword's seal isn't difficult—you might even be able to break it yourself. I just checked with my divine sense and found a secret inside the sword. If you get it, it'll only benefit you, not harm you. Trust me," Luna said confidently.
Evan always trusted Luna. She was like a mentor to him, teaching him everything he didn't understand. Over time, Evan had come to trust her completely.
"Wait, I want to try this sword!" Evan immediately called out.
The crowd that had started to disperse now gathered again. But when they saw it was a young girl who wanted to try the Flame Dragon Sword, they were disappointed—just another fool giving Starstones to the peddler.
Someone in the crowd said to Evan, "Young one, if you don't have the strength, don't bother. So many have tried and failed to ignite the sword—why waste a hundred Starstones?"
Evan looked at the speaker—a white-haired old woman with a kindly face—and smiled, "Grandma, it's enough to give it my best shot. Even if I can't make the sword ignite, I still want to try. How will I know if I don't try? Besides, a hundred Starstones isn't much—it's worth testing my strength!"
"That's a good attitude. Don't force things; know when to stop," the old lady said.
Evan nodded and walked to the peddler's side, saying, "Can I still try now?"
"Of course! If you can make the Flame Dragon Sword ignite, it's yours," the peddler said happily.
Evan took out a hundred high-grade Starstones from his storage ring and received the Flame Dragon Sword from the peddler, studying it carefully.
The blade was pitch black, like ink, but faint patterns could be seen on its surface—vaguely resembling a dragon, though the design was blurry and hard to make out.
Evan found the sword very heavy—much heavier than his Frostbane Sword. It felt weighty in his hand.
No one expected Evan to succeed; most just watched for amusement, their eyes mocking. Evan ignored their looks completely.
Instead, he slowly closed his eyes and tried to sense the secrets within the Flame Dragon Sword. As his divine sense touched the blade, a gruff, old voice suddenly echoed: "Kid, who are you? Why do you have Dragon Clan aura?"
Evan was startled, but quickly calmed down and said, "Fire Dragon King, have you really been sealed in the Flame Dragon Sword all these years? Can't believe you don't recognize an old friend!"
"Who exactly are you? How do you know me? I don't remember anyone like you—and why do you have my Dragon Clan aura?" the voice demanded in his mind.
"Still so hot-tempered! I'm Frostbane—surprised? During the Divine Battlefield war, everyone was wounded, some died, some were sealed. I reincarnated. Want me to help you out, old friend?" Evan said.
He remembered that the Fire Dragon he met before was hot-tempered, so he figured the Fire Dragon King would be the same.
"Frostbane? You're the Frostbane Sect Master? That's impossible!" The Fire Dragon King was clearly shocked.
"Why not? If you can be sealed in the Flame Dragon Sword, why can't I reincarnate? Do you want my help or not? If you don't, I'll leave—you should appreciate an old friend's kindness," Evan said.
"Of course I do! I can't believe I met you here after ten thousand years—maybe my fate isn't doomed after all..."