Chapter 1191: So That Puts My Mind at Ease

For the other great nobles, acquiring their favored divine weapons in the Sword Pavilion was also an opportunity to enhance their power. This was especially true for the top-tier guards accompanying them, who also hoped to secure some personal benefits from this event.

After all, there was no reason to refuse a free gain; taking an extra sword would only strengthen their respective factions' foundations. For a swordsman, acquiring a top-tier divine artifact would undeniably elevate their strength to the next level. Furthermore, every swordsman cultivating the Way of the Sword in the central region of the entire Yingzhou Continent held the weapons forged by the Sword Sect in high regard.

None of them wanted to miss such a rare opportunity. Finally, when the mysterious ninja swordsman under the Second Prince made the first move, the top experts serving the other great nobles also became eager, each entering the 'Sword Seeking' phase and achieving various levels of success.

As they watched the number of divine artifacts still emitting sword energy fluctuations in the blood pool below dwindle, the higher-tier experts finally began to act.

After all, within the Sword Pavilion, divine artifacts that resonated with spiritual energy earlier were generally of lower quality. Consequently, the ancient divine weapons remaining until the very end were often the highest quality ones, and gaining their recognition naturally demanded a higher level of spiritual energy from the seeker.

During this period, Xu Yang continuously directed members of his Eight Gates team to their respective platforms to seek swords. Although very few among them, like Arno, specialized in swordsmanship, acquiring a top-tier divine weapon for free, even if they couldn't use it themselves, would be a valuable asset to sell later, certainly better than leaving empty-handed.

As the sword-seeking process neared its final stages, with almost ninety percent of the top experts having completed their attempts, very few divine artifacts still vibrated with resonance in the central blood pool of the Sword Pavilion. At this moment, Xu Yang finally revealed a slight smile. He slowly stepped forward and calmly addressed the Fifth Prince in front of all the other nobles.

"My Lord," Xu Yang began, "it just so happens that I've been in need of a suitable divine weapon lately. I wonder if I might be permitted to attempt the sword-seeking process as well?"

The Fifth Prince finally witnessed the scene he had hoped for, and an irrepressible smile spread across his face. "Your strength is considerable," he replied, "but I worry that the spiritual energy you unleash might be too immense, leading to a situation similar to what my Seventh Brother just experienced. Please, be extremely careful; I wouldn't wish for any accidents to befall you."

Upon hearing the Fifth Prince's words, the top-tier attendants and experts accompanying the other nobles all turned their attention to the inconspicuous Xu Yang, who was disguised.

As Xu Yang stepped into the air and gracefully landed on the highest platform, everyone instinctively turned their gaze towards him.

Although this individual appeared unremarkable and the aura emanating from him was almost negligible, for some inexplicable reason, as he ascended to the highest point, everyone instinctively felt compelled to look at him. It was as if the innate aura emanating from Xu Yang's true self could not be concealed.

In that moment, Xu Yang seemed like a true, supreme monarch. Even before he made a move, the aura he exuded had completely subdued everyone present. Even the Fourth Prince and Jian Yunqing, the Sword Sect Master by his side, couldn't help but feel a hint of wariness towards this obscure individual.

"Who is this person?" the Fourth Prince asked, his brow tightly furrowed, his hands clasped behind his back as he addressed his master. "I can't even sense his true strength."

"His identity?" Jian Yunqing pondered. "Based on my understanding of my fifth brother, he appears to have had no previous interaction with this individual. My informants placed around him have him also never provided any information about this person's identity. This suggests that he must have only recently joined the Fifth Prince. I wonder what his true intentions are."

Jian Yunqing seemed to anticipate something. After a moment of contemplation, he secretly gave an order to his disciple, the Fourth Prince: "In my opinion, it would be wise to strike him during his sword-seeking process, just in case. I have a strong feeling that this person harbors secrets we cannot contend with. For some reason, the moment I first saw him, a deep unease settled in my heart."

This time, however, the Fourth Prince chose to refuse his master. "Although I am reluctant to defy your command," he said, "it seems unnecessary to stop him right now. No matter how powerful he is, I don't believe he will significantly alter the situation."

Jian Yunqing ignored the Fourth Prince. This time, he chose to trust his instinct, for as the Sword Sect Master within this very Sword Pavilion, it had been many years since he had been so profoundly shaken by anyone.

Without further thought or hesitation, Jian Yunqing secretly unleashed an incredibly powerful burst of sword energy, silently channeling it through two of his fingers deep into the blood pool. He was deliberately using this action to awaken some of the top-tier divine artifacts slumbering at the deepest reaches of the pool, aiming to create a powerful aura resonance among them.

This was intended to cause an extremely powerful backlash of spiritual energy to Xu Yang during his sword-seeking process. In any case, most of the heroes from various factions had already completed their sword seeking, so even if another accident occurred, it wouldn't impact the fundamental interests of the Fourth Prince and the Sword Sect, even if it might create some external pressure on the Sword Sect.

However, given their influence, the accidental death of a cultivator who came to seek a sword would not be considered a significant consequence. As expected, although Xu Yang stood on a platform nearly a hundred meters high, his spiritual perception never left the observing crowd below. He was perfectly aware of everyone's recent actions, especially those of Jian Yunqing and the other top-tier experts.

Any fluctuation in aura could not escape Xu Yang's control. After sensing Jian Yunqing's move, the smile on Xu Yang's face deepened further. At the same time, he gently touched his glabella, causing the Jade Bone Divine Sword within him to release its purest Sword Dao essence, while also perfectly concealing the outline of the divine sword's actual form.

By simply releasing a strand of Sword Dao aura derived from his purest, original Sword Dao into the blood pool below, Xu Yang could attempt to seek a sword without revealing his true identity. If he were to unleash the Jade Bone Divine Sword's actual form, it would be difficult to guarantee that these powerful figures had not witnessed his profound strength before.

If his identity were exposed, their subsequent plan, involving both him and the Fifth Prince, would become extremely difficult to execute. Yet, it must be said that given Xu Yang's incredibly profound power, no matter how much he tried to conceal it, any action he took would undoubtedly trigger a world-shattering wave of shock.