Chapter 422: Choose Your Weapon
Each of the ten stone pillars had worldly natural energy gravitating towards their peak, creating a glorious sight of energy orbs in the air above them.
Li Luo saw that the nimbuses of light were irregularly shaped, each one changing slightly to wrap around the sword or armor or whatever piece of equipment they held inside.
“So these are genuine gold-eye treasured artifacts,” Li Luo thought to himself. These treasured artifacts had energy auras that far surpa.s.sed his Lambent Hawkeye. Moreover, he could sense sentience in the pieces of gear above him. Which meant that they were consciously pulling the worldly natural energy towards them, breathing and absorbing it.
These gold-eye treasured artifacts were, in a sense, alive. Only the First Princess and Gong Shenjun were less awed. Given their status as royalty, gold-eye treasured artifacts were rare but not wonders that would make them gawp. The poor kids like Li Luo, on the other hand, were drooling out both sides of the mouth at the same time.
Even Jiang Qing’e was excited. Although her Imperial Fortress Sword was also a gold-eye treasured artifact, that was the only one she had. Of course she would not mind another.
The others were eying the pillars hungrily as well, with the exception of Zhu Xuan and Ye Qiuding, who knew they would not be getting these treasures. They could only wait for the winners to finish choosing before they humbly accepted what gilded white-eyes the school deigned to provide. Still, a free gilded white-eye was not a bad thing, although it was definitely not on the same level as a gold-eye.
Still, they had contributed nothing at all to the win. If not for the others, they wouldn’t even be in the vault right now.
In other words, Li Luo had given them this gilded white-eye.
Given their petty natures, it wasn’t in either of them to show him any grat.i.tude.
Which Li Luo did not care about. If he had their grat.i.tude and 10 skygold, that just meant he could buy a spirit liquid priced at 10 skygold. Their grat.i.tude? Pfff.
He was more interested in the school’s grat.i.tude, which was worth one gold-eye treasured artifact. Still, he was disappointed when he saw that there were no twin-sword type treasured artifacts among the ten.
It was an outcome to be expected. After all, twin swords had to be forged separately, which meant they technically counted as two gold-eye treasured artifacts. Whether in terms of price or rarity, they were a whole notch higher than other weapons.
Li Luo’s previous pair had just been normal resonant artifacts, not even white-eyes. Of course they were easy to find. But at the gold-eye level, it would be naive to think that they might be lying around in just any armory.
Li Luo had been mentally prepared for this outcome, and he was ready to settle for a single sword instead.
That was much easier to find.
There were two sword-type treasured artifacts among the ten. He squinted at the fine lettering that hung in the air, describing the weapons.
“Frosty Cave Sword, gold-eye treasured artifact. Made from frozen subterranean ore, harnessing the dual powers of frost and metal with a sleek finish. Known as the Ice Cutter.” The sapphire-blue sword winked with cold light that was dulled through the misty, cool air that hung around it like a block of dry ice.
“Ink Scale Sword, gold-eye treasured artifact. Made from the ink scale fishes that roam the depths of the Eastern Sea. Their knife-like bodies are covered in black scales. Usually swarming in hundreds, if not thousands, they move swiftly where the current takes them. Even Dukes hide from their sheer number.”
The Ink Scale Sword was a shorter and thinner blade. At regular frequencies, a flash of light would dart down the blade, creating a thin cut in the s.p.a.ce beyond its point.
Li Luo barely paused on the Frosty Cave Sword, because it was not very compatible with him. He had resonant powers aplenty, but none of them were ice. He would not be able to bring out its powers efficiently. The Ink Scale Sword, however… that one piqued his interest.
The black light almost hurt his eyes when he stared at it.
Such a sharp and powerful edge, it would serve him far better than the pair of sharp sticks that he had been using before.
He liked it more the more he thought about it.
“Do you want these two?” Jiang Qing’e’s voice was by his ear.
“We can take one each,” she said, blinking questioningly at him. He felt his heart skip a beat.
“No, no need,” he said hastily. “You need the gold-eye treasured artifacts here too. There’s no need to waste it on two swords.”
“Don’t you prefer dual swords?”
“Given my cultivation level, I don’t think I could handle two gold-eye treasured artifacts if they weren’t of the same make. Might as well focus my strength on one weapon.”
Jiang Qing’e thought about it and then nodded. Li Luo was right. Gold-eye treasured artifacts were strong, but they wore down on the user’s resonant power significantly as well. At the Evolving Resonance Tier, Li Luo would not be able to power two of them.
“Alright, then. Actually, I’ve always thought of getting you a gold-eye treasured artifact. After all, mine came from Master and Mistress, but you never got one.” She smiled at him.
“That sounds suspiciously like bragging,” Li Luo grumbled.
“Is it?” She opened her golden eyes much wider than usual in feigned innocence. Li Luo rolled his own eyes. “Black-hearted white swan.”
“Found anything you like?” he changed the subject.
She pointed towards a pillar where three golden pearls lay. Each had a small line down the middle, making them look like closed eyes.
He looked at the writing.
“Three Golden Pearl Eyes, gold-eye treasured artifact. Powered by resonant power, and it can weaken or negate resonant power in turn. Once it enters the opponent’s body, their resonant power will be rapidly nullified. The destructive light comes in three hues, and a combination of the three can disable the opponent completely.”
Li Luo admired it for a moment. It was quite a unique treasured artifact, suitable for a unique fighter like Jiang Qing’e. She would become an even greater force to be feared with it.
The school had clearly prepared this room carefully, with an eye on what the students might need for the Holy Grail Meet.
While Li Luo and Jiang Qing’e were admiring weapons, Vice Princ.i.p.al Su Xin walked up to Gong Shenjun and the First Princess. “I know you two don’t lack gold-eye treasured artifacts, but this is a mark of the school’s appreciation. Choose anything.”
Gong Shenjun gave her a sudden, curious smile. “Anything?”
The First Princess’s eyebrows raised up.
Vice Princ.i.p.al Su Xin started, then nodded. “Anything.”
Gong Shenjun grinned more widely. “Well, since the Vice Princ.i.p.al has spoken so generously, then I can’t be blamed for being greedy.”
She nodded knowingly.
They had spoken at a normal volume, and the others were near enough to overhear this conversation. They looked over curiously, wondering what Gong Shenjun meant. Indeed, ten gold-eye treasured artifacts seemed quite little…?
Gong Shenjun strode over to the back of the hall and reached out towards an object protruding from the wall.
It was a long handle, gray and unremarkable. No one had even paid it any attention before Gong Shenjun.
Gong Shenjun eagerly moved towards it.
Li Luo felt his heartbeat quicken.
That long handle… it might be a hilt…
He shared a look of astonishment with Jiang Qing’e.
There was a sword buried in the wall!