Chapter 161: Old Huang's Shock!

Huh? It's only been half an incense stick's time, how did Lao Qin come out already?

He must have realized he couldn't harmonize with the blade intent, so he voluntarily gave up, right?

Impossible, Qin Shuo isn't the type to give up easily.

You're overestimating him.

Huang Laotou's expression was wooden, "In the face of the Prince's blade intent, how many can hold true to their original hearts?"

His martial will is about defense, not offense; the mental shock he receives will only be greater than you imagine.

It's like a cultivator who believes his horizontal training makes him invincible, his defense unmatched, yet someone easily breaks his defense with a blade.

Such a blow from the collapse of one's martial conviction is enough to shatter anyone's spirit.

Sigh!

He Mingjing let out a light sigh, "Indeed, Lao Qin is still young in years, exactly the age of high spirits and eager advancement. To suffer such a blow and want to give up is quite normal."

The two stepped forward, and after just a few steps, they keenly noticed a somewhat solemn expression on Qin Shuo's face.

It seems he couldn't withstand the impact of the Heaven-Severing Blade Intent, leaving his spirits low.

"To clash with the Prince's martial will and still keep one's composure at this age is already a sign of decent temperament."

Huang Laotou nodded inwardly, but his face remained unchanged: "How much of the long blade can you draw out?"

All of it!

"Lao Qin, it's fine if you can't draw it out. Every year, the Blade Nurturing Room eliminates blade testers—no fewer than eight or nine hundred… huh? What did you say?"

Just as the comforting words reached his lips, He Mingjing suddenly felt something was off.

Just now…

What did Lao Qin say just now?

All of it?

Can you draw the long blade out completely?

Clang!

A long blade identical to the one in Qin Shuo's hand slipped from He Mingjing's grasp.

In half an incense stick's time, drawing the long blade completely from its sheath—this blade talent…

Isn't that even better than Old Huang?

"What's wrong? Don't believe me?"

Qin Shuo raised an eyebrow, and with a ringing sound, drew his long blade from its sheath.

"You actually drew your blade from the sheath in half an incense stick's time?"

Huang Laotou stared at Qin Shuo's gleaming long blade, feeling only that it was blindingly bright.

Wait, this blade…

Where is the blade intent?

How can I not feel the Heaven-Severing Blade Intent nurtured within this blade?

He snatched Qin Shuo's long blade, turned it left and right, confirmed it had no blade intent, and his face immediately darkened.

"Kid, do you dare cheat in front of me?"

"Cheating? Impossible!"

He Mingjing hurriedly defended Qin Shuo.

"See for yourself."

Huang Laotou threw the test long blade at He Mingjing, his tone cold and hard:

"If it's not cheating, where is the blade intent in this sword?"

"He Mingjing, I've held you in such high regard, yet you conspire with others to deceive me—humph!"

"I… this…"

The moment the long blade entered his hand, He Mingjing also sensed something was wrong, and anxiously looked at Qin Shuo, saying:

"Lao Qin, what on earth is going on? Where is the blade intent?"

"Naturally, I've refined it!"

Qin Shuo knew this couldn't be hidden, so he didn't try to conceal it.

"Refined it?"

He Mingjing was struck as if by lightning, standing there dumbfounded.

Huang Laotou wore a look of contempt, sneering: "Who do you think you are?"

"Even the Divine Blade Guard Commander, the most talented blade wielder under the Prince, took three days to achieve blade-body unity."

"You claim you refined the blade intent in half an incense stick's time—do you really think I'd believe that?"

"More talk is useless!"

Qin Shuo didn't bother arguing, snatched the long blade from He Mingjing's hand, and casually swung it.

In an instant, the long blade seemed to swell to tens of meters, instantly cleaving the large blue stone at the far end of the courtyard in half.

Boom!

As the broken stone hit the ground, the entire small courtyard seemed to be paused, and everyone stood frozen.

Huang Laotou and He Mingjing were like that, and the Demon Suppression Office's new recruits waiting in line for testing far away were likewise stunned.

"Is this the Blade Nurturing Technique?"

Among the new recruits, someone whispered, eyes flashing with astonishing vigor, full of anticipation and even more longing.

"So cool! I will definitely master the Blade Nurturing Technique!"

"I also want to emit a forty-meter-long blade-shaped qi!"

In the courtyard, it suddenly boiled over.

The new soldiers discussed animatedly, all with eyes shining.

Many even began to imagine themselves, after mastering the Blade-Nurturing Technique, wielding a forty-meter-long blade-shaped energy, roaming the martial world.

Just thinking about that scene makes one's blood boil.

Different from the excitement and anticipation the new soldiers felt after being stimulated.

Old Man Huang and He Mingjing were like they had lost their souls, staring blankly at the remaining half of the large blue stone, unable to come to their senses for a long time.

"How...... how is that possible?"

After a long while, Old Man Huang finally recovered from his shock.

In the time it takes to burn half an incense stick, they reached the state of Blade-Body Unity.

In this world, there actually exists such a heaven-defying prodigy?

You should know, this is not some cheap street-side martial art.

But rather, it is the blade art that surpasses ancient and modern, suppressing the martial arts of Great Li for sixty years, the world's number one, the Pacifying Martial King of Great Li, Feng Tianxing's Heaven-Severing Blade Intent.

Even the Chief of the Divine Blade Guard personally selected by the Pacifying Martial King, who is acclaimed as the most likely to inherit the Martial King's will, the 'Little Blade God' Song Qiguang,

When he initially reached the Blade-Body Unity realm, he also actually took three full days.

And this youth before us, could it be that his blade talent is even more terrifying than that of the Little Blade God Song Qiguang?

This is simply too inconceivable!

Compared to Old Man Huang's shock, He Mingjing's mood at this moment can be described in a single word.

That is, his heart is like dead ashes.

Before, he had always felt that Qin Shuo could master the Dragon-Elephant Divine Ability in an extremely short time, his martial talent naturally being extremely high.

But compared to him, the gap shouldn't be very large.

After all, his blade talent had received recognition of the Heaven-Severing Blade Intent from that number one under heaven.

Therefore, although Qin Shuo possessed divine abilities, He Mingjing also felt he had something to rely on, and did not feel inferior.

But at this moment, the talent he was most proud of was easily crushed by someone.

Moreover, it was the kind of crushing that makes one despair, with no possibility of catching up.

Half an incense stick's time……

Let alone refining blade intent, achieving Blade-Body Unity.

Back then, he, in such a short time, could not even fully draw the test blade.

The difference between people is really too great.

At this moment, He Mingjing clearly heard the sound of his own Dao-heart shattering.

That was the honor he had always been proud of, which at this moment was easily shattered.

"Report to the Divine Capital, I must report to the Divine Capital!"

After the great shock came great joy.

Old Man Huang seemed to have discovered an astonishing treasure, his eyes glowing, his gaze fierce, making Qin Shuo feel ill at ease all over.

"Cough cough!"

Qin Shuo gave a light cough and said: "Reporting to the Divine Capital is unnecessary, right!"

"Someone like me, a one-in-ten-thousand Blade Dao prodigy, if the Prince's enemies were to find out, wouldn't they want to eliminate me as soon as possible?"

"Uh......"

Old Man Huang never expected Qin Shuo to have such a thick skin, being completely immodest, and now he starts calling himself a Blade Dao prodigy?

However, if even someone who can refine the Heaven-Severing Blade Intent in half an incense stick's time cannot be called a Blade Dao prodigy,

then what are those who take three months, or even half a year, to refine it?

Moreover, the other side is correct.

Although the Pacifying Martial King is honored as the number one martial artist under heaven, he still has plenty of enemies.

Especially those monsterfolk weird beings who once fled east and west to escape the Pacifying Martial King's pursuit,

if they learned that another person had appeared in this world, a human heavenly talent whose blade talent is not inferior to the Pacifying Martial King, they would surely try every means to eliminate him.

"Little Friend Qin is right, this matter should not be publicized!"

Huang Jiyun nodded heavily and said: "However, the Prince has always been eager for talent, and Little Friend's aptitude is astonishing."

"If you could join the Prince's Divine Blade Guard, your future achievements would be limitless."

Seeing Old Man Huang resolutely determined to report, Qin Shuo also felt somewhat helpless.

It's not that he wants to hide his clumsiness, but his blade intent's origin is not proper; if it truly attracted the attention of the number one martial artist under heaven, it would instead be a trouble.

Fortunately, Cloud Prefecture is located in a remote area.

To try to transmit this place's information to the Divine Capital, relying on Old Man Huang's means, it's likely impossible without a year and a half.

Waiting for the Pacifying Martial King to receive the information and react, whether Qin Shuo will still be in Cloud Prefecture is uncertain.

Leaving the Blade-Nurturing Room, Qin Shuo did not continue to the Armory to collect the superior martial arts that the Cloud Dragon Colonel can study,

but instead brought He Mingjing to a secluded spot and solemnly said:

"Old He, do you know where this Heaven-Severing Blade Intent comes from?"

Unlike Old Man Huang, He Mingjing and Qin Shuo are friends who have gone through life-and-death together.

So, after stabilizing Old Man Huang, the first thing he thought of was to eliminate the hidden danger of that Heaven-Severing Blade Intent for the other party.

After all, according to what he saw when refining the Heaven-Severing Blade Intent in the Taotie Cauldron, the one who transmitted these blade intents, that Pacifying Martial King, is likely as sinister as the Howling Moon Demon King of Blackwater City.

Therefore, he must remind He Mingjing as soon as possible, lest he sink deeper and deeper.

However, He Mingjing's answer was contrary to his expectations.

You know! Isn't it just something peeled off from the Prince's Thunder Tiger Sever-Heaven Blade?

He Ming was low in spirits, his words lacking vigor; obviously he had been hit hard.

"Then do you know, this Sever-Heaven Blade intent is not merely a thread of blade intent,"

"but rather a rootlet rooted in a person's soul and spirit, drawing nourishment from the blade-wielder's mental will?"