Nine Nether Heavenly Emperor
Chapter 22 Refining the Blood Sword

Chapter 22: Chapter 22 Refining the Blood Sword

What kind of person was it, exactly? And what kind of era was it, exactly?

Shi Feng’s frown deepened as he stared at the Blood Sword in his hands.

The blade was covered with dense, tiny runes as small as ants, profoundly ancient and unlike any runes currently known on the Tianheng Continent. These were runes that Shi Feng had never seen, even in the oldest of books he had read, and undoubtedly originated from an ancient period tens of thousands of years ago.

This man-made passage, judging by its traces, could not be more than a few thousand years old at most. Shi Feng wondered why the Blood Skull and this Blood Sword ended up here.

In life, was that Blood Skeleton the man manifesting in his own mind? Or was it a clan member or descendant with the same bloodline?

Shi Feng felt their aura was extremely similar, and even the aura of the Blood Sword was strikingly alike.

These things, probably buried by the endless years, could no longer be known.

But Shi Feng was merely curious about this information, just curious, without the intent to trace the roots and clarify or restore any historical truth.

He only pursued the ultimate in Martial Arts in his life, to step into that legendary God Realm.

"What a pity, what a pity!" Sighing in his heart as he looked at the Blood-colored Longsword, Shi Feng lamented, "I originally thought I had obtained a Divine Grade Mysterious Artifact, but it turns out to be merely a damaged relic, equivalent to a Second Grade Mysterious Artifact."

Shi Feng also understood why, at the beginning, this Blood Sword gave him a feeling akin to the Source of All Things, yet it was easily bound by it.

Its strength had become a thing of the past.

"Alas, I thought I had struck it lucky, dropping a Divine Artifact from the heavens, but who would have thought I’d get a damaged item? Well, a damaged item is still a damaged item. I’ll make do with it for now, especially since there’s an Artifact Spirit from the ancient period. Who knows, there might still be a possibility to repair it in the future." Shi Feng said, and with a careful movement of his right hand through the void, he cast a Prohibition into the sword, beginning the refinement process.

"Hm?" Shi Feng suddenly sensed something amiss. Even if the sword’s Artifact Spirit had become weakened, he should have encountered resistance in trying to refine it, and he could have been backlashed as he was before.

He had thought it would take a considerable effort, yet the Prohibition entered the sword effortlessly, without any resistance, and was quickly successful in the refining.

"The Artifact Spirit within this sword no longer exists!" After a careful induction, Shi Feng realized the Blood Sword he had refined was now one with his mind and spirit. The Artifact Spirit on the sword had indeed disappeared, whether it was destroyed by the Source of All Things or was originally a candle in the wind, barely alight, had become yet another mystery.

However, Shi Feng guessed that the Artifact Spirit was most likely destroyed by the Source of All Things.

One golden, the other blood-red; upon contact, they attacked each other, clearly having a feud.

"Hm?" Shi Feng frowned suddenly, hearing several sets of footsteps approaching from the corridor.

He turned around and looked toward the corridor, which was only a few dozen meters away from him. At the stairway, Shi Feng saw three pairs of legs.

As six feet stepped down the stone staircase, three figures gradually came into Shi Feng’s view.

The three approaching men were middle-aged, clad in brocade robes of purple, yellow, and red, evidently from affluent and influential families.

Three Martial Spirit Practitioners!

Shi Feng could tell their Martial Arts Cultivation Level at a glance.

These three men were also taken aback upon seeing Shi Feng.

In Moon City, upon encountering three Martial Spirit Practitioners, Shi Feng immediately surmised their identities.

Meeting their gaze, Shi Feng spoke leisurely, "Today really is my lucky day. Within a single day, all of Moon City’s big shots have come into my view."

Shi Feng believed that with the residual might from killing Hai Batian, these three wouldn’t dare make a move against him.

Moon City was divided into four regions: East City, South City, Western City, and North City, each governed by the Zhao Family, Wang Family, Lei Family, and Hai Family of the Four Great Families.

Among the three, the man standing on the right, wearing a purple robe and of a stature as burly as the late Hai Batian, was Lei Yi, the Lei Family Patriarch who controlled Western City.

On the surface, the Four Great Families appeared harmonious, but in reality, they often clashed over various interests. The Lei Family and Hai Family, being closer with intermarriages, had formed an alliance to resist the combined forces of the Wang and Zhao Families.

With Hai Batian’s death, apart from members of the Hai Family, the most outraged would be Lei Yi. From now on, the balance within Moon City had been disrupted, and their Lei Family would have to withstand the blows from both the Wang and Zhao Families alone.

Lei Yi, seeing Shi Feng and then the Blood Sword in his hands, said sternly, "Young man, you can leave now and we will not stop you. But this sword is a treasured heirloom of the Hai Family, and you must leave it behind."

Lei Yi intentionally added an "us" after "I," wanting Shi Feng to understand that the three of them were together.

If he were alone, he truly wouldn’t dare to confront Shi Feng with the imposing manner of a superior.

Knowing that his own power was but a match for Hai Batian, who had been blasted to death by this man.

However, Lei Yi felt that the other two would not contradict him at this moment because they came here for a common purpose.

A mysterious Blood Sword in the subterranean passage of the Hai Family, and now their greatest competitor was that young man standing before them.

The Hai Family had discovered this passage and though Hai Batian ordered the news to be sealed, there were no walls that could keep secrets forever; the other three of the Four Great Families eventually obtained the news.

"Clang!" Shi Feng flicked the Blood Sword with his finger, producing a clear ring of sword chime.

Looking at Lei Yi, he had an expression as if regarding a fool, "The Hai Family has been almost wiped out by me; everything from them, starting now, is my spoils of war. Moreover, since it’s something from the Hai Family, what does it have to do with you?"

"You! You!"

Shi Feng’s words were frankly merciless, and Lei Yi, being revered as the Lei Family Patriarch, when had anyone dared to speak to him in such manner, especially when the speaker was just a fourteen or fifteen-year-old youth.

Lei Yi’s face turned red with anger, but he could only stammer "You! You!", unable to retort.

The awkwardness of Lei Yi made the Family Heads from the Zhao and Wang Families exchange a smile, secretly taking pleasure inside.

Wang Yao, the Head of the Wang Family standing in the middle, wore a bright red robe, looking only about one meter sixty tall, short and pudgy, more like a country rich man than any Martial Artist or Family Head.

Wang Yao watched Shi Feng with a smile, his round face blooming like a chrysanthemum, "Young brother, that Martial Skill of yours is indeed powerful. I, myself, am not confident in withstanding it, but such a skill, how many times can you use it? On our side, there are three of us, you know."

"Hmph!" Shi Feng faced the three men, laughed, and replied, "If you’re interested, by all means, give it a try!"