Chapter 125: The Essence of Hongmao

"But the capital wants to exchange resources from other areas; the final outcome is still uncertain, but I think Jiangcheng won’t give up."

"After all, while the mammoth fruit isn’t a Devil Fruit, it’s still an ancient species, and with Captain’s strength, it’s quite valuable."

"Reaching the fourth tier isn’t difficult."

Su Mengyao took the fruit and said casually, then stared at it—no matter how she looked, she couldn’t see any trace of a mammoth.

"By the way, how are you sure this is a mammoth fruit?"

She swore it was just a random thought.

"I killed its eater."

Ye Xuan said calmly.

"What?"

Su Mengyao’s hand jerked, nearly dropping the fruit.

"It’s just a mutated creature—why are you so shocked?"

Ye Xuan looked at her in confusion.

"That has nothing to do with whether it’s a mutated creature or a person."

Su Mengyao’s lips twitched slightly—didn’t a Devil Fruit vanish when its eater died?

Was reality different here? Or did Ye Xuan possess an ability like the Dark-Dark Fruit, capable of stealing the Devil Fruit’s power from the dead and transferring it to a new fruit?

Ye Xuan didn’t answer Su Mengyao’s question; he simply reached out and opened the sandalwood box holding the Changhong Sword.

Inside lay a long sword, entirely crimson.

Its blade was slender, its edge like autumn frost, its core glowing blood-red, shimmering with flame-like radiance under the light; intricate cloud patterns were engraved along its spine, its edge so thin it seemed nearly transparent—just a glance made one feel as if their skin were being sliced.

"Good."

Ye Xuan’s face showed satisfaction as he reached for the sword’s hilt.

"Zheng—"

In an instant, the Changhong Sword emitted a clear, resonant sword chant; its body blazed with rainbow light, erupting in scorching sword qi.

Seeing this, Su Mengyao, who had been slumped on the sofa, shot to her feet, staring in disbelief at the Changhong Sword in Ye Xuan’s hand.

Even from a distance, she felt the searing heat radiating from the blade—as if this weren’t a sword, but a flame bound in steel.

But that wasn’t the main point—why had the Changhong Sword remained inert in her hands, yet exploded with such power the moment Ye Xuan touched it?

"It happened—"

She was about to ask Ye Xuan, but before she could finish, a crimson pillar erupted from the Changhong Sword, flooding Ye Xuan’s mind with an endless torrent of information.

The Feihong Heart Method, the Changhong Sword Art, the Fire Dance Whirlwind Sword Art, the Fire Dance Whirlwind Heart Method, the Sword Control Technique, the Snow-Treading Plum-Seeking Step—all of Hongmao’s lifetime martial arts and techniques flooded into Ye Xuan’s mind.

Su Mengyao’s eyes widened as she watched the crimson pillar illuminate the entire living room like a furnace.

When the light gradually faded, Ye Xuan opened his eyes; deep within his pupils, flickers of flame swirled. He gently stroked the blade, absorbing the sudden influx of knowledge, lost in thought.

The Feihong Heart Method could draw celestial fire spirits into the body; the Changhong Sword Art and Fire Dance Whirlwind Sword Art were devastatingly fierce sword techniques—no less refined than Wang Quan’s Sword Art, and moves like "Heaven and Earth Share Longevity" and "Changhong Great Method" rivaled "Heaven and Earth One Sword."

It seemed the world of Hongmao and Lan Tu was higher in tier than he’d imagined.

Ye Xuan flicked the blade with his fingertip, producing a clear, ringing chime.

Tonight, he could try practicing the Feihong Heart Method and the Fire Dance Whirlwind Heart Method—the former hailed as the most yang of all, the latter created to complement the sword art, yet equally viable as a standalone cultivation method.

Perhaps its efficiency in absorbing Qi surpasses even the default method of the Wang Quan Hegemony template.

After all, since acquiring the "Fire Shadow Stone," something new had emerged within him—his affinity for fire-based techniques should now be far greater.

"Um, so this is..."

Su Mengyao opened her mouth, suspecting something, but hadn’t fully confirmed it.

"Yes, I’m now the master of the Changhong Sword."

Ye Xuan nodded.

"So you were just thinking about—"

"The Changhong Sword contains all of Hongmao’s martial arts, sword techniques, and accumulated experience."

Ye Xuan didn’t wait for Su Mengyao to finish—he answered the question she was about to ask.

"."

Su Mengyao stood frozen, her gaze dazed, her mind blank.

She’d only come to trade the mammoth fruit for a relic no one else could possibly claim—but what was happening now?

Had the Changhong Sword chosen its master? Instantly, the moment Ye Xuan touched it?

No, wasn’t Hongmao supposed to be the only one eligible?

Are Ye Xuan and Hongmao even the same kind of person?

Su Mengyao felt her worldview shatter.

Though she’d been shaken before, this time it was the greatest blow yet.

Flame Dragon Armor, Changhong Sword—

Was Ye Xuan, in truth, a man who cared for the world, valued loyalty and righteousness, and saw saving all living beings as his duty? Had her entire perception of him been wrong? So wrong it bordered on prejudice?

As she sank into self-doubt, Ye Xuan seemed to sense her thoughts and spoke:

"You’ve misunderstood something."

"I became the master of the Changhong Sword only because I am the master of the Flame Dragon Armor."

"I have a natural affinity for, and dominance over, all things related to fire."

As he spoke, the Changhong Sword hummed in submission in his hand, its central red glow blindingly bright.

Su Mengyao: "."

She silently picked up the mammoth fruit, which had fallen to the floor sometime ago, and wiped it expressionlessly.

Fine, let’s just assume that’s how it is.

But the Changhong Sword truly contained all of Hongmao’s martial arts, sword techniques, and experience—with accompanying knowledge.

If the Changhong Sword is like this, what about the other six swords? If one gains their recognition and becomes their master, could one also inherit Lan Tu, Tiao Tiao, and Da Ben’s techniques?

Though their martial arts aren’t as powerful as Hongmao’s, they should still reach the third tier without issue—and their true potential may far exceed what they’ve shown.

With sufficient talent, reaching the fourth tier might even be possible.

Suddenly, she realized the trade wasn’t so disadvantageous for Ye Xuan—if they did this again, perhaps—

Well, they’d still trade.

Even if Hongmao’s legacy was tempting, without the Changhong Sword’s recognition, it was useless—better to give the mammoth fruit to a talented adept who could consume it.

After all, both lead to the fourth tier; one isn’t necessarily stronger than the other.

But the Fire Shadow Stone’s bestowed Fire Element bloodline had influenced the Changhong Sword—and according to Ye Xuan, it affected anything related to fire.

Was this suppression stemming from the Flame Dragon Armor?

The title "Master of the Fire Armor of This Age" was gaining even greater weight!

Su Mengyao took a deep breath and placed the mammoth fruit into her space ring.

"Then I’ll be going—if anything—"

Before she finished speaking,

"Yin!"

A flash of emerald light appeared—a long, emerald-green sword shot through the air like a flying dragon, circling Ye Xuan and emitting a clear, dragon-like chant; its hilt gently tapped the Changhong Sword, as if curious.

Su Mengyao fell silent once more.

(End of Chapter)