24: Chapter 24 Burning my remains to express gratitude to my teacher, for we are all heartless!

"This..."

"What is this situation?!"

Terrified voices rang out.

Just as countless people were perplexed and baffled.

The electronic devices in their hands vibrated one after another, and with the appearance of the familiar Gear, a massive amount of data poured down.

Transforming into content that everyone could understand.

[ancient sword covenant]

[Category: Anomalous Object]

[This entity is an eighty-centimeter-long medieval Tang sword. The blade is forged from █ █ █ █, and the hilt is made of ancient wood decorated with colored glaze, featuring a total of eighteen gemstones. Having endured a thousand years, this entity still shows no wear or rust.]

[The sword body is inscribed with ancient seal script reading "Forever Suppressing Chang'an", containing the aura of a king. It was forged by a king using their own hearth fire. When leaving the range of █ █ █ █, the ancient sword will spontaneously combust and disappear, reshaping at the respawn point.]

[The ancient sword has a spirit and chooses its master voluntarily. Those not recognized will experience an outburst of strong light and high temperature upon touching the entity, with an initial temperature of 50 degrees that gradually rises. Recognized Eligibles are unaffected.]

[There is a certain █ █ █ █ inside the sword body, which has an █ █ influence on █ █, preventing █ █ █ █. This covenant is known only to the ancient sword Eligible █ █. The approach of this entity will cause █ █, resulting in █ █ █ █.]

[Flaw: █ █ █ █]

[...]

Staring wide-eyed at the content projected by the Gear.

Having their entire attention occupied by the Falling Thunder Goblin, they only now discovered that Gear Live had been active for a long time.

And they finally knew the reason for Elder Huo's mutation.

——

"Fifty-degree high temperature, and it gradually rises?! How did this old man endure it? Is he really not afraid of being scalded?"

"Forcibly striking while enduring a fifty-degree high temperature? Is this guy a monster?!"

"Fifty degrees? You call the temperature of human spontaneous combustion reducing someone to charcoal fifty degrees? Five hundred degrees is more like it!"

"Hiss, this big shot is way too ruthless to himself!"

"..."

As the popular science information popped up.

The bullet comments in the live broadcast room instantly scrolled across the screen in a blur.

The massive amount of content made people unable to take it all in.

But this time, the shock of the Netizens was not only at the power of the anomalous item, but even more so at Elder Huo's terrifying perseverance.

Being afraid of fire and scalding is practically a human's instinctual reaction.

This big shot was actually able to rely on sheer willpower to fight through the high temperature; this was no different from taking a red-hot branding iron as a weapon to attack enemies, and ultimately being scalded to unconsciousness before spontaneously combusting into charcoal at high temperatures.

After realizing this, everyone couldn't help but gasp.

Inside the arena.

Looking at the long sword lying on the ground flashing with red light, everyone couldn't help but feel a sense of fear in their hearts.

Their restless hearts were completely extinguished, as if a basin of cold water had been poured over them.

What they wanted was power that could lead them to the peak, not high-temperature spontaneous combustion.

If it couldn't bring extraordinary power and could only erupt with terrifying high temperatures, burning people while having to burn oneself first...

How could an egoist endure this!

Divine sword?

This is clearly a demonic sword!

Hum~

Amidst everyone's terrified gazes, the ancient sword suffused with fire ripples caused invisible waves, forcibly pushing the monster back.

The land of kings!

Does not tolerate the stepping of heresy!

Even if the ancient sword lost its wielder, it was not something small fry could offend.

After glaring resentfully at the ancient sword, the Falling Thunder Goblin's sickly green mung-bean-like eyes glared toward Elder Huo on the ground.

Not daring to provoke the power of the sword body didn't mean it didn't dare to look for other trouble.

Daring to attack it? Then pay with flesh and blood!

Although the scrawny body would get stuck in its teeth, to vent its anger, it didn't mind biting it apart to taste.

Just as it was preparing to feast heartily.

"Evildoer!"

"Stop!"

A rough voice rang out.

A burly man with a full beard wearing a black practice uniform rushed out from the high platform.

Clearly another martial artist.

Without hesitation, he pulled out the ancient sword. Judging from the strong light bursting from his palms, he clearly wasn't an Eligible either.

But the bearded man didn't care.

"Old Black? How did Geng Dun go up there?"

"Isn't Sect Master Geng's Xingyiquan as incompatible with Elder Huo's Tai Chi as fire and water? They were still fighting online a few days ago!"

"He actually makes a move at a time like this? Once the high temperature ruins his tendons and bones, his Xingyiquan will be done for!"

"Has he gone mad?"

"..."

Rustling discussions continuously rang out around them; the grievances between the two were clearly no secret.

But Geng Dun didn't care about these.

Because the temperature rise had begun.

While the hilt transmitted the high temperature, he also felt the power surging within the ancient sword.

He finally knew why Old Huo's combat achievements had suddenly become so fierce.

With the long sword in hand, capable of slashing the heavens and shattering the earth, even a frail body could erupt with unimaginable power.

After exquisite techniques were amplified by power.

Geng Dun was reborn, pressing down on the monster with a fierce beating and leaving scorching scars on its body.

Seeing that he could tear this flesh-swallowing guy to shreds.

Sizzle~

Flames soared into the sky.

In the end, he still couldn't escape being burned by the high temperature.

"Pfft."

His right hand burned beyond recognition, and his body was even more exhausted. Unable to hold on, he could only let the ancient sword slip from his hand.

The tip of the sword pointed downward, inserting into the earth.

Hum~

Invisible ripples spread out.

Heatwaves swept outward, sending the white-skinned monster flying three feet.

"Two-legged sheep!"

"I will definitely eat you!"

A gruesome killing intent rose in its heart.

Having just endured the heatwave impact and about to attack Geng Dun, the scimitar seemed to tear through the air.

Just at this moment, another figure blocked in front of him.

"Pavilion Master Geng is a martial arts master after all; how can you let a monster like you desecrate him!"

A man with a tripartite mustache, wearing a practice uniform, leapt up.

After a brief battle.

Clang——

The ancient sword dropped, and heatwaves erupted.

However, before the monster rushed out of the heatwave, another low shout rang out.

"Ziran Sect, Zhou Li, please enlighten me!"

...

Figure after figure charged like moths to a flame. When the ancient sword dropped, kicking up heatwaves and repelling the monster, they stepped up wave after wave, tacitly filling the gaps and stubbornly holding the boundary line of the exhibition platform, preventing it from crossing even a fraction of an inch.

Sacrificing one's life to go to the nation's disaster... viewing death as returning home...

Relying on the high temperature of the ancient sword, enduring the pain, and burning themselves, they attempted to perish together with the monster.

"Madmen!"

"They're all madmen!"

The Falling Thunder Goblin wailed wildly, its small mung-bean eyes transformed from greed to being tortured until only terror remained.

Seeing that fewer and fewer people could endure the high temperature, just when it thought it was finally over and it could feast heartily.

From the crowd of spectators below, Stubby suddenly darted out.

——

"Who is this master? I've never seen him before!"

"It's Liang Xing, it seems he practices the Iron Sand Palm. It's said that the practice process is too torturous, and almost no one is willing to learn it, leaving it on the verge of being lost. I didn't expect him to come to the martial arts hall opening, and he even took the initiative to strike!"

"But if something happens to him, won't the Iron Sand Palm be completely lost?"

"..."

The rustling sound rang out once more.

Stubby, wearing casual clothes, didn't care in the least, simply grinning,

revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth, "Old Charcoal Head and Old Huo didn't get along for a lifetime, yet both could make a move at a time like this. If I don't budge at all, it would look too unbrotherly!"

"Besides~"

"My Iron Sand Palm is resistant to high temperatures, maybe this thing was prepared just for me!"

Stubby shook off his coat.

Carrying the determination of viewing death as returning home.

He drew the nearby ancient sword, taking over the battle from the previous colleague.

Originally, he had only heard about the martial arts hall opening.

Wanting to ride the coattails to see if he could find some good saplings in here to trick an apprentice into inheriting what he learned, he hadn't expected to run into this matter.

In fact, turning around and leaving would fit his style; after all, better a dead fellow Taoist than oneself.

But watching these 'idiots' charging like moths to a flame one by one, he ultimately couldn't hold back.

Burning the remnants to thank the master's grace, we are all heartless people!

Master, oh Master.

Don't blame my impulsiveness for cutting off the inheritance.

Being unfeeling and unrighteous is not me betraying the sect's inheritance, it's just that our paths are different, nothing more. I have to walk my own path!

Stubby sighed faintly in his heart.

The sword rang with a clang.

The ancient sword!

Unsheathed once more!