86: Chapter 86 The Power of the Holy Sword

"Rumble—"

The deafening roar from behind made my scalp tingle. I ran for my life without looking back, clutching the apocalypse holy sword tightly in my hand, terrified that this precious treasure might fall and break.

"Chen Ergou! Hurry up! The entrance is collapsing!" Ye Liuli screamed at the top of her lungs from ahead, her voice cracking.

"I'm running as fast as I can!" I glanced back while running. Good heavens, the entire Tianqi Secret Realm was sinking with a thunderous roar, as if someone had pulled out its foundation from underneath. Those Shadow Pavilion pursuers chasing at our heels were howling in terror; those who ran too slowly had already been buried by falling boulders.

That brat Qin Wuji ran faster than a rabbit, dashing far ahead in a flash. He kept looking back while running, yelling, "Brother Chen, hurry up! If you dawdle any longer, you'll become a meat patty!"

"Damn you!" I cursed, my feet moving like the wind as I exerted every ounce of strength I had.

Finally, just a second before the entrance to the secret realm completely collapsed, the three of us scrambled out. Behind us, with a loud "Boom," dust filled the air, and the entire entrance to the Tianqi Secret Realm vanished, turning into a pile of ruins.

"Cough, cough, cough…" I coughed incessantly, choking on the dust. I scrambled up from the ground, covered in dirt, and patted myself down. "Good grief, I almost lost my life back there."

Ye Liuli was equally disheveled, her hair a mess like a bird's nest and her face covered in gray dust, leaving only her eyes sparkling. She looked at the apocalypse holy sword in my hand, her voice trembling with excitement: "Chen Ergou, did we… did we really get the apocalypse holy sword?"

I raised the sword in my hand. The sunlight hit the blade, refracting into a seven-colored glow that was so dazzling it was hard to keep one's eyes open. "Of course! Is there anything I, your brother, can't accomplish once I set my mind to it?"

Qin Wuji plopped down on the ground, panting heavily: "Brother Chen, you really… you really have a charmed life. In that situation just now, anyone else would have been dead long ago."

"That's right, who do you think I am?" I brandished the sword in my hand triumphantly. "Chen Ergou, the Chosen One, get it?"

As we were speaking, a rush of footsteps came from afar. I looked up and saw Elder Mo Wentian rushing over with a group of people. When the old man saw us, his eyes widened like copper bells. When his gaze fell upon the apocalypse holy sword in my hand, he froze in place as if struck by lightning.

"Th-this is…" Mo Wentian's voice trembled, tears streaming down his aged face. "The apocalypse holy sword! It really is the apocalypse holy sword!"

He walked over shakily, extending his calloused hands. He wanted to touch the holy sword but didn't dare to; he looked as if he had just seen his own father.

"Elder, please don't get so excited, calm down." I quickly steadied him, fearing he might pass out from the excitement.

Mo Wentian wiped his tears, his voice choked with emotion: "Hundreds of years… hundreds of years have passed! The apocalypse holy sword has finally reappeared in the world! Tianqi City is saved! Tianqi City is saved!"

I scratched my head: "Elder, please stop crying for a moment and tell me, what exactly is the origin of this holy sword?"

Mo Wentian took a deep breath, calmed himself, and began to recount: "Hundreds of years ago, Tianqi City was still a barren land. At that time, the first Pavilion Master of the Shadow Pavilion ran rampant, leaving a trail of death and destruction wherever he went. It was the founder of our Tianqi City—the Apocalypse Venerable—who held the apocalypse holy sword and fought that demon for three days and three nights, finally slaying him and sealing the Shadow Pavilion within the Dark Abyss."

"And then?" Ye Liuli asked curiously.

"Afterward, the Apocalypse Venerable exhausted his life's cultivation to seal the apocalypse holy sword within the Tianqi Secret Realm, waiting for a fated person to inherit it." Mo Wentian looked at me, his eyes filled with anticipation. "Now that the holy sword has acknowledged you as its master, it means you are that fated person! Young Hero Chen, the fate of Tianqi City is now in your hands!"

I felt a bit embarrassed by what he said and scratched the back of my head: "Elder, please don't be so serious, you're putting a lot of pressure on me."

As I was speaking, the apocalypse holy sword in my hand suddenly emitted a faint glow, and a system notification rang in my ears:

[System Notification: The apocalypse holy sword requires a deeper bond with the host to unlock its full power. Current unlock progress: 30%]

I was stunned: "What? Only 30%?"

Mo Wentian also heard the system notification and frowned: "It seems that although the holy sword has acknowledged you as its master, you have not yet fully gained its approval."

"Then what should I do?" I asked.

"You need to complete three trials," Mo Wentian said in a deep voice. "Courage, Wisdom, and Sacrifice. Only by completing these three trials can you truly wield the power of the apocalypse holy sword."

I curled my lip: "That sounds pretty mystical. Fine, trials it is. Who's afraid of whom?"

"The first trial is Courage," Mo Wentian said. "You must defeat a level 30 monster without using any weapons."

"No weapons?" I widened my eyes. "Elder, are you trying to send me to my death?"

"This is the holy sword's test," Mo Wentian said solemnly. "Only those who possess true courage can gain the approval of the holy sword."

I looked at the apocalypse holy sword in my hand, then at Mo Wentian, and gritted my teeth: "Fine! It's just not using a weapon, right? I can still fight with my fists!"

Mo Wentian nodded and waved his hand, having someone bring over a Shadow Leopard. The beast was pitch black, its eyes glowing with red light, fangs bared; it clearly wasn't someone to be trifled with.

"A level 30 Shadow Leopard, extremely high attack power, and incredibly fast," Mo Wentian said. "Young Hero Chen, be careful."

I handed the apocalypse holy sword to Ye Liuli for safekeeping, stretched my limbs, and beckoned to the Shadow Leopard with my finger: "Come on, little kitty, let your brother teach you a lesson on how to behave like a leopard."

The Shadow Leopard seemed provoked by my taunt; it let out a low growl and lunged at me!

"Holy crap! So fast!" I was startled and quickly dodged to the side. The Shadow Leopard's claws grazed my clothes, leaving three deep claw marks.

"Chen Ergou! Watch out!" Ye Liuli shouted nervously from the side.

"Don't worry!" I shouted. Taking advantage of the moment the Shadow Leopard missed its pounce, I smashed a heavy punch into its flank.

"Awoo!" The Shadow Leopard yelped in pain, turned around, and swiped at me again.

I didn't dare to take the hit head-on and could only keep dodging. This beast was too fast; I couldn't catch it at all. After a few rounds, I had added several more wounds to my body, and blood was streaming down.

"Damn it, not using a weapon is really tough." I panted, feeling secretly anxious.

The Shadow Leopard lunged again. This time I learned my lesson; I didn't dodge but instead charged straight at it. The moment it pounced on me, I grabbed its neck and vaulted onto its back.

"Behave yourself!" I choked the Shadow Leopard's neck tightly, refusing to let go no matter how much it struggled.

The Shadow Leopard rolled and jumped frantically, trying to throw me off. I was shaken so hard I felt dizzy, and my internal organs felt like they were shifting, but my hands remained locked tightly around its neck.

"I don't believe I can't kill you!" I went ruthless, veins bulging on my hands as I squeezed with all my might.

The Shadow Leopard's struggles grew weaker and weaker, and finally, with a "thump," it collapsed to the ground, completely still.

[System Notification: Congratulations to player Chen Ergou for completing the first trial—Courage! The apocalypse holy sword unlock progress has increased to 40%!]

I scrambled up from the ground, covered in blood, panting, and grinned: "Done!"

Ye Liuli ran over quickly, looking at the wounds on my body with heartache: "Are you stupid? Do you not want your life anymore?"

"I'm fine, aren't I?" I chuckled and took back the apocalypse holy sword. The glow on the blade was brighter than before, and I could feel that the connection between the holy sword and me had deepened.

Mo Wentian nodded with satisfaction: "Good! The first trial is passed! Young Hero Chen, your courage has gained the approval of the holy sword. Next is the second trial."

I gripped the apocalypse holy sword tightly, a flash of determination in my eyes: "Bring it on, no matter what the trial is, I, your brother, am ready!"