Dragon Shaped Sword
Zhao Wuji roared, "You think you're a genius, so I wouldn't dare touch you, right?" The air around him became turbulent due to his fury.
He had once been a ruthless killer, earning a notorious reputation in the Spirit Master world. He was known as the Motionless Bright King, Zhao Wuji. When had he ever been subjected to such humiliation? Again and again, he was provoked by a few young brats.
"Teacher Zhao, please calm down," Tang San called out.
"Teacher Zhao, please don't act rashly," Oscar bravely stood between Zhao Wuji and Ao Tian.
"Teacher Zhao, we've all come this far. If you throw them out, they won't be safe outside either. There are too many Spirit Masters passing by nearby. Let's not even mention the sausage incident for now. If they get hurt, I'll make it up to them later," Oscar advised.
He glanced at Ning Rongrong quietly, noticing her firm stance behind Xiao Wu. He thought that if Xiao Wu were thrown out of the forest, Ning Rongrong would surely follow, and he wouldn't have a chance to be with her.
Zhao Wuji was on the verge of exploding with rage, but Oscar's words made some sense. He had no choice but to abandon the idea of teaching Ao Tian and the others a lesson.
He let out a low growl, and his soul power surged in his palm. He struck to the side, and a torrent of soul power burst out, slamming into a tree trunk about the width of a waist.
Boom! Splinters flew as the large tree was shattered by the impact. The section hit by the force broke off and fell to the side, stopped by other large trees.
Some Spirit Masters who happened to pass by wore expressions of fear and quickly detoured away. At this moment, Zhao Wuji exuded a suffocating aura; he was truly terrifying.
Zhao Wuji snorted coldly and returned to the rear of the group. He barked, "Move forward."
Tang San patted Ao Tian's shoulder and said, "Let's go."
Ao Tian turned around and went back to the front of the group, continuing their advance.
"Who is he trying to scare?" Xiao Wu muttered, rolling her eyes.
"Do you want to give him a beating?" Ao Tian's voice came back.
"Of course, I do," Xiao Wu nodded without hesitation.
"Good, I'll make sure you're satisfied," Ao Tian said.
The conversation between him and Xiao Wu was only heard by the first two rows. Oscar, Ning Rongrong, and Zhao Wuji behind them looked strangely unaware.
Tang San was alarmed and quickly said, "Ao Tian, don't provoke Teacher Zhao anymore. He held back this time, but he might not next time. The fury of a Spirit Saint isn't something you can withstand. I only won against him last time by sheer luck. If he goes all out, even the two of us together won't be his match."
Seeing Ao Tian remaining silent, Tang San continued to advise, "Moreover, we're in the perilous Star Dou Forest. Any random 10,000-year spirit beast charging out could tear us apart. We should stick together and avoid internal conflicts if possible."
Zhu Zhuqing, who had been silent, also spoke up, "Ao Tian, Sister Xiao Wu, let's not argue with Teacher Zhao for now. After all, this is the Star Dou Forest."
Ao Tian turned to look at Zhu Zhuqing and said, "Don't worry, I know what to do."
"What are you murmuring about up there? Stay alert to your surroundings," Zhao Wuji shouted.
Ao Tian and the others fell silent and focused on their surroundings.
The majority of Spirit Masters entering the Star Dou Forest are in level thirties and forties. As one reaches levels above fifty, their numbers start to dwindle. Spirit Emperors, above sixty, become relatively rare, and Spirit Saints, above seventy, are nearly unheard of. Powerful Spirit Masters generally choose to align themselves with major forces and rarely join adventure teams. This is why those Spirit Masters who felt Zhao Wuji's formidable aura earlier hastily avoided him.
The outermost region of the Star Dou Forest is where hundred-year spirit beasts roam, and going further in leads to the territory of thousand-year spirit beasts.
Adventurer teams formed by these Spirit Masters in their thirties and forties can still contend with some thousand-year spirit beasts in this area, which is why it sees the most adventurers.
However, the Star Dou Forest is vast, and once a Spirit Master enters, it's like a pebble lost in the sea, making it very rare to encounter other Spirit Masters.
The further one goes in, the tougher it becomes. Eventually, thorny shrubs dominate the landscape, with barely any gaps to pass through. The trees grow taller, casting scarce rays of sunlight.
"Ao Tian, Tang San, you two find a way to clear a path," Zhao Wuji called out from behind.
Tang San's martial soul was Blue Silver Grass, not suited for clearing a path. Even if he used his concealed Clear Sky Hammer, it wouldn't be convenient.
Ao Tian's hand glinted with gold as he summoned a longsword. The entire sword was golden, as if forged from pure gold. The hilt resembled a dragon's head, and the blade was covered in small nail-sized scales, giving it the appearance of a golden dragon.
Tang San's eyes widened in shock. He was very familiar with the image of this dragon; it was the legendary divine dragon from his previous life.
He had learned a lot about spirit beasts and martial souls related to dragons while studying under his master in the Douluo Continent. However, in this world, most dragon-like spirit beasts and martial soul forms were more akin to lizard-like creatures. The most famous one was the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul, depicted on the badge in the Spirit Hall; it was the image of a monstrous creature.
Now, in Ao Tian's hand, he saw the divine dragon from his previous life. How could Tang San not be astonished!
"Ao Tian, where did you get this sword?" Tang San quickly realized, his emotions becoming somewhat excited.
Ao Tian swung the sword effortlessly, cutting through the obstructing thorns like they were tofu. Then, he expelled energy from his palm, pushing the thorns aside.
"I crafted this myself, what's the matter?" Ao Tian replied, turning to look at Tang San.
He knew Tang San must have been astonished by the dragon on the sword.
"This is a divine dragon. How did you know what this creature looks like?" Tang San's emotions grew even more intense, leaving everyone except Gu Yuena and Xiao Wu staring at him in bewilderment.
It's just a golden sword, why such a big reaction?
However, this sword was indeed sharp. Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, Zhao Wuji, and others watched in amazement as Ao Tian effortlessly cut through the obstructing thorns. Even tree trunks as thick as thighs were sliced with ease. Just how sharp was this sword? It could probably rival a Spirit Master's soul skill with a single strike.
Ning Rongrong looked at the sword in Ao Tian's hand, her eyes shining brighter and her heart growing more excited. If she had a sword like this for self-defense, she wouldn't be just a support-type Spirit Master anymore. She could transform into a combat Spirit Master at any moment.
Ao Tian smiled and said, "I crafted it on a whim."
Tang San furrowed his brows, internally assessing the veracity of Ao Tian's words. However, he was quickly captivated by the sword's sharpness.
"Can I take a closer look at your sword?" Tang San asked eagerly.
His father, Tang Hao, was an outstanding master of forging, and Tang San himself was skilled in the craft. Yet, he couldn't discern the exact metal this sword was made of. It was entirely golden, but definitely not gold, as gold wouldn't be this hard. This type of metal was something Tang San had never heard of.
Ao Tian wiped a part of the sword with his hand, sealing most of the sword's inherent power, and then tossed it to Tang San.
Tang San held the sword, examining it closely. The sharpness emanating from the blade left him secretly shocked. He attempted to infuse it with his soul power.
Swoosh!
A three-meter-long sword qi shot out from the tip, easily piercing through a large tree five meters away, leaving behind a thin gap.
Hisssss. Several gasps of awe resounded simultaneously.