Li Luo’s suggestion turned the atmosphere from awkward to super awkward. The others stared at him strangely. Gong Shenjun was trying to step back gracefully, and you just had to kick him off the stage.
Sorry for interrupting?
Even Gong Shenjun was tripped up by the sudden comment. “Junior Li Luo, very humorous,” he said dryly.
“Vice Princ.i.p.al,” he said to Su Xin, “I am not destined for this weapon.”
His tone was light, but of course there really was nothing else he could do about it.
Vice Princ.i.p.al Su Xin simply nodded. She was not surprised by the outcome. The Golden-Jade Onyx-Elephant Blade had been here for many years already. Past students had come here before as well, before Gong Shenjun. No one had managed to pull the sword out.
She knew the reason well. The Golden-Jade Onyx-Elephant Blade had followed the Princ.i.p.al for many years. With its improved sentience came a strong sense of pride. After tasting a King’s power, how could it acknowledge anyone else? And given how long it had remained in the treasure vault, it was already well integrated with the hall. Trying to take it out with brute strength alone was like trying to uproot the entire vault. As if the school would ever construct a vault so flimsy that even non-Dukes could take it down.
So even though Gong Shenjun was the strongest student in the Astral Sage currently, he was never going to be successful in taking the sword out by force.
“Anyone else want to try?” Su Xin asked the others. Since Gong Shenjun had already opened the proceedings, it was only fair that everyone be allowed a chance.
The First Princess stepped forward as if on cue. “I know it’s unlikely for me,” she said with a sweet smile. “But it looked quite fun. And it can’t hurt.”
Su Xin smiled and gestured her forward.
The First Princess laid a slim hand on the sword, and a large, green Luan avatar appeared behind her.
Beating its wings furiously, it gathered worldly natural energy to it.
The power flowed down her slim, pale hand, and she gritted her teeth.
A heroic pull!
Nothing.
The hilt had yet to budge an inch.
The First Princess did not seem discouraged, turning away and shaking her head. “I’m not destined for this weapon either.”
Now that both Gong Shenjun and the First Princess had failed, the others felt even more hopeless. Clearly, the sword had remained here for many years because it was too strong to be plucked.
Mentally, they were ready to give up on it now. Powerful, yes. Unattainable, also yes.
However, Jiang Qing’e was not daunted. On the contrary, the failures of Gong Shenjun and the First Princess tickled her interest. There was a rare flair of excitement in her golden eyes.
“Qing’e, going to try? We’ve never had a ninth-grade light resonance user before. Perhaps the Princ.i.p.al’s partner weapon will consent to bend its pride for you,” Vice Princ.i.p.al Su Xin urged her.
It almost seemed like Vice Princ.i.p.al Su Xin wanted to see Jiang Qing’e try. Perhaps she stood a chance.
Li Luo puckered his lips up sourly. Was a ninth-grade light resonance that awesome? d.a.m.n, he was jealous.
Jiang Qing’e nodded slightly, then turned to Li Luo. “I’ll give it a try. If I can take the sword, it’s yours.”
Everyone stared at her.
The First Princess smiled vaguely.
Duze Honglian snorted, while Zhu Xuan and Ye Qiuding screwed up their eyes in frustration. This f*cking Li Luo was carried to victory on a daily basis. Li Luo fought to keep his face straight. After all these years, the golden train to victory was as reliable and speedy as ever. He ignored the others. It was just jealousy, pure and simple.
“Come on, Sister Qing’e!” he yelled in encouragement.
Jiang Qing’e laid her own hand on the sword, and her ninth-grade light resonant power flowed out of her, brighter and brighter as she shot it down her hand.
Weng!
There was a high-pitched keening sound in the air. The blade, which had not budged an inch during the last two attempts, was responding. And they could see that it was gradually sliding out. There was a new inch of blade that was exposed to the air.
It was working!
Another inch, and with it a burnished-golden light. The blade grated against the wall with a dull rumble like an ancient elephant’s.
Everyone held their breath. Could it be?
But suddenly, Jiang Qing’e felt a new force. The hilt came to a halt again. No matter how much resonant power she poured on it, it would not budge again.
“Still not willing, hmm?” Jiang Qing’e whispered softly.
This Golden-Jade Onyx-Elephant Blade was indeed intelligent and stubborn. It pined for its previous owner, and was too reluctant to switch allegiances.
The ninth-grade light resonance had tempted it, but it made its choice to stand firm in the end.
“As you wish, then.” Jiang Qing’e gave up gracefully, letting her hand fall. She let the sword slide back into the wall, until only the hilt could be seen.
She backed away, shaking her head. “Vice Princ.i.p.al, this blade is too strong-willed. The s.h.i.+ning jewel of the Princ.i.p.al is still bright in its memory. Perhaps no other owner will do.”
“Stubborn,” Vice Princ.i.p.al Su Xin said. “Like weapon, like owner,” she added with dry humor.
With Jiang Qing’e’s failure, the others gave up completely now. Those like Duze Honglian lost all interest in trying.
Their thoughts were already turning back to the ten gold-eye treasured artifacts on the stone pillars.
Li Luo was of a like mind. The failure of those three had proven the difficulty. Even a madman like him gave up hope. Sighing deeply, he turned his thoughts back to the Ink Scale Sword.
Perhaps that was his only choice today.
Suddenly, he felt a surge of flaming pain on his wrist. He looked down in surprise. It was the dark-red bracelet on his skin…
Inside it was the three-tailed heavenly wolf.
What was going on?
Weng!
At the same time, Li Luo heard a high-pitched keening from the sword in his ear.
His eyes widened as he whirled back to the sword in the wall. Had he imagined it? He thought he saw the sword hilt vibrate…
Surely he had imagined it.
The heat on his wrist flared again, searing hot.
A flash of inspiration.
The Princ.i.p.al had left him this bracelet… and the Golden-Jade Onyx-Elephant Blade was simping for its owner… could it be that the two were connecting?
Had the blade acknowledged him as the Princ.i.p.al?
Li Luo almost laughed at himself. What madness was this?
He raised his palm from a good distance away, pointing it at the wall.
Jiang Qing’e, the First Princess, and Duze Honglian stared at this bizarre moment.
What on earth was this madman doing?
Li Luo flushed a little out of embarra.s.sment, but he could only follow through with it now. Half-baked strategies only led to injury. “Blade, come!”