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Chapter 168: Adding One More
"You want to borrow the power of the ’Divine Sword’? What kind of catastrophe are you referring to? Is it the prophecy from the Heavenly Direction Church?" King Douwin asked, frowning.
"Yes, that’s correct," Aldrian said seriously. "And I must say, if the entire continent doesn’t unite to face the coming prophecy, this continent will fall into the devils’ hands—just as Duke Badin said."
King Douwin pondered for a moment, then looked at Aldrian.
"Even if that’s true, do you really need to use the ’Divine Sword’? Are you certain you can withstand its power? Look, I’m not underestimating you, Aldrian, but this ’Divine Sword’ is unlike any other divine-grade artifact. We’re talking about the peak of the divine grade here—it’s not like the Eternal Spirit."
However, he noticed the strange expressions of Duke Valiard, Mardred, and Xin Haotian. When he looked at Duke Valiard, he saw him raise his hand.
"Your Majesty, may I add my own opinion?" Duke Valiard asked, to which King Douwin responded with a nod.
"If someone must wield the peak divine-grade sword, I believe there is no one more worthy than him, Your Majesty," Duke Valiard said.
"And why do you think that?" King Douwin asked.
"Uhmm, Your Majesty, he is the one who caused the phenomenon not long ago." King Douwin listened, but froze at the realization.
"Sorry? Do you mean he is the mysterious swordmaster?" King Douwin asked, to which the three men responded with repeated nods. King Douwin looked at Aldrian with wide eyes. This young man, whom Duke Valiard held in such high regard, was the great swordmaster? The one who had stirred up the entire continent for the last three years?
"You... you... you’re that swordsman?" King Douwin asked, his voice trembling.
Aldrian didn’t answer; he simply stood there and released his sword intent. Suddenly, King Douwin felt a chill as he sensed the sharp sensation of Aldrian’s sword intent. He was shocked that even as an Emperor-stage cultivator, he could vividly feel the sensation of being cut by the sword intent of a peak Earl-stage cultivator.
He also sensed that all the swords in the palace area were trembling. When Aldrian released a hint of his sword will, the tremors intensified, but he quickly restrained it, not wanting to attract unnecessary attention. He simply wanted to show King Douwin that he was the real deal.
Many royal guards were confused by the sudden phenomenon. Although it lasted only a few seconds, it was enough for them to sense the powerful sword intent. King Douwin looked at Aldrian, his face filled with shock, as the sword intent and sword will he had felt were extraordinary. He could still vividly feel his skin tingling with the sensation of cuts and his soul standing before a deadly blade. With such sword intent and will, every technique of Aldrian’s was a powerful, decisive strike that could end any battle in an instant.
He looked at Aldrian with newfound respect. Aldrian had already proven himself to be a master blacksmith, but now he had also shown himself to be a remarkable swordsman. King Douwin recalled how the mysterious swordsman had caused a sensation across the continent with a powerful technique that split an entire mountain. From Aldrian’s account of his battle with Greed Devil and the recent phenomenon of the flying sword, it was clear that he had grown much stronger since his time in Balin three years ago.
King Douwin sighed at this twist in the story. To think that this young man was the very person many swordsmen of the continent wished to meet.
"I apologize for my anger, Aldrian, but you must understand that this sword is a matter of great importance to us."
"It’s okay, Your Majesty. I understand how you feel. However, it was necessary for me to demonstrate just how dire the situation is. I need the power of the ’Divine’ Sword, and I believe I can help you finish it. The sword will be a significant asset for the challenges ahead."
King Douwin pondered for a moment before speaking to Aldrian.
"Do you know what kind of catastrophe will befall this continent that requires the power of the Divine Sword? Do you possess a technique that allows you to see the future, like clairvoyance?"
"No, I don’t have that kind of technique. However, I received this information and visualization from Duke Badin. Based on my own sources, I can assure you 100% that all the information about the impending catastrophe is true. The Heavenly Direction Church prophecy does not explain the details of the event, but I witnessed it through Duke Badin’s memories and saw how the devils influenced him to become their accomplice."
"Can you show me that event? I’m curious about what kind of darkness will cover the land," King Douwin asked.
"No offense, Your Majesty, but if you saw what I saw, the only feeling you would have is despair. It’s better for you or anyone else not to witness this creature. I know you are very strong, but the being that will bring destruction to this continent is beyond your comprehension—beyond anyone’s comprehension. It’s only thanks to my experience that I can remain sane and not succumb to despair and fear after seeing that creature," Aldrian said, glancing not only at King Douwin but also at Duke Valiard, Mardred, and Xin Haotian.
"However, if you insist, I will show you the appearance of the creature that will bring darkness across this land. But know this, Your Majesty: you will be a different person once you see it. Do you really want to witness it?"
King Douwin gulped as he sensed the seriousness of Aldrian’s words. He realized that if he insisted on witnessing the vision, he would likely be overwhelmed. Although curiosity tugged at him, he decided to set it aside for his own good.
"So, what are you going to do now? Do you want to rush to finish the sword?" King Douwin asked.
"Not right now, Your Majesty. I have some business to attend to, but I can start working on it tomorrow or the day after," Aldrian replied.
"However, may I visit the sword now, Your Majesty? This time, I want to examine it more thoroughly, as we didn’t have time last time," he added.
"Sure." They walked to the place where the Divine Sword was stored, and upon their arrival, Aldrian finally used his Eyes of the Heaven to examine the sword. He searched for any parts that could be perfected or anything that could help perfected the sword. To his astonishment, the sword’s outer appearance was almost flawless, matching exactly what he had envisioned. The fact that it had been crafted with so few mistakes, relying solely on the blueprint, spoke volumes about the genius of each generation of the Forgeheart Kingdom who had worked to finish this sword.
From Aldrian’s observation, the sword needed only a few minor adjustments, and he would simply need to add a mixture of Divine Iron to it. Another essential element for this sword was the existence of ’encompassing all’ energy, which Aldrian understood referred to his own energy. His golden energy embodied this concept, perfectly aligning with the description he had gathered from the symbol.
He wondered why they hadn’t simply named this energy when he acquired the knowledge from the symbol, so he wouldn’t have to refer to it only as ’golden energy.’
"Maybe even learning the name of this energy would bring about significant change for me?" he thought.
After he finished inspecting the sword, he attempted to establish this place as his domain. This was the most crucial part of his visit. Why did he want to make this place his domain? Because the moment Aldrian successfully created his domain, he felt a sudden surge of energy—much stronger than before—and he felt more powerful than ever.
When he looked at his own information, he felt satisfied.
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Aldrian Aster
Domain : The secret realm, The Ivory empire, The Demon Territory of Barisan continent, The Forgeheart Kingdom
Age : 15 years
Cultivation : Peak Earl
Current energy : 620,236 (+3.6 /15m)
Energy needed for the next stage : 720.001
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He successfully made the entire Forgeheart Kingdom his domain. After learning about the kind of creature that wanted to destroy this land, he felt an urge to become stronger by the fastest means possible. For him, adding his domain was clearly the quickest way to grow stronger, so he decided to make the entire kingdom his domain.
He wondered where the faith of the people of this kingdom would converge, and his thoughts turned to the place where the blueprint and the Divine sword that the Forgeheart Kingdom was striving to create were kept. It made sense, as this sword represented the long-held dream of the royal family and the nobles of the kingdom. He also sensed a significant concentration of energy and karma in that place.
The people of this kingdom still placed their trust in the royal family, making the karma in this place particularly strong. With that, his purpose here was complete, next he only needed to work on finishing the sword. But now he had something else to do.
"It’s time I see Father, and maybe I can see Mother too."
