490 Ranking the Sword

After a very long time had passed, or so it seemed to Chen Changsheng at anyrate, that head manager from the Pavilion of Divination finally shifted hisgaze away from the sheath, turning to him and chuckling. Chen Changsheng did not know if there was some deeper meaning behind thislaugh, but he could only hope that there was not. The manager's hand caressed the sheath, sighing, "Ah, an excellent object." Tang Thirty-Six naturally knew that this sheath was an excellent object. Any sort of spatial artifact would be able to become the most precioustreasure of an ordinary sect or school. This sheath of Chen Changsheng's had once poured out a mountain of swords inthe library, and that might not have even been everything inside it. From this,one could speculate as to how massive the space within was. In the continent, whether it was for comparing cultivators against each otheror evaluating whether magical artifacts were good or bad, the Pavilion ofDivination was assuredly the best choice, or else those famous Proclamationswould not have such great credibility. Tang Thirty-Six knew that this headmanager had come to see the Stainless Sword, but he also didn't want to pass onthe opportunity to have the sheath evaluated as well. He probed, "How excellentis it?" The head manager solemnly declared, "Extremely excellent." Chen Changsheng almost broke into a laugh at these words, his nervousnesssomewhat relieved. Tang Thirty-Six was rather depressed, thinking to himself,  this head manager's level of shamelessness when speaking is really equal tomine. He said irritatedly, "Is it excellent enough to be listed on the Tier ofLegendary Weapons?" These words were just something he had said in anger, but to his surprise,that head manager put on a solemn expression as he carefully considered thequestion before finally shaking his head. Tang Thirty-Six was somewhat satisfied and also somewhat disappointed. But it was at this moment when the head manager spoke, "I remember that thissheath has always been on the Tier of Legendary Weapons. It naturally doesn'tneed to be listed in it again." The library was exceptionally quiet. Tang Thirty-Six glanced at Chen Changsheng, Mo Yu glanced at the sheath, andChen Changsheng didn't know where he should be glancing. "This is the Vault Sheath." The manager lightly rapped against the sheath,listening to the heavy yet unmuffled noise. He sighed, "It has also beentwenty-some years since I last saw it." Although Mo Yu had her conjectures on this matter, her expression stillflickered. She asked, "This is the Vault Sheath that was once kept in the LiPalace?" The head manager did not immediately answer her question. Instead, with asolemn expression, he pulled the dagger out of the sheath. Staring at the dagger, he slowly spoke, "If it were not the Vault Sheath, howcould it hold such an incomparably sharp double-edged sword?" The evaluation of 'incomparably sharp' was often heard, but when thisevaluation came from the Pavilion of Divination famed for its rigor, it gainedan incredibly extraordinary and distinct flavor. This evaluation indicated that the sharpness of Chen Changsheng's dagger wastruly unrivaled. The Pavilion of Divination believed that solely on thesharpness of this dagger, there was no divine weapon in the world that couldexceed it. This dagger had a very unremarkable appearance. Chen Changsheng had never paidmuch attention maintaining it, barely even wiping it a few times. However, itwas plain to see that there were no stains upon the body of the dagger, noteven a speck of dust. In Chen Changsheng's hands, this sword had killed nosmall number of people, soaked in no small amount of blood, yet no blood couldbe seen. "The sword is called Stainless, and it truly is stainless," the manager sighed. This dagger was far too sharp, so its surface was incomparably smooth. Itcould pass through innumerable flowers and not carry away the slightestfragrance, enter the mortal world and not stir its red dust, pierce through allthings and yet not disturb them! Mo Yu looked at Chen Changsheng and asked, "What is this sword made of?" In order to make a sword so sharp, it didn't just require an incredibly highlevel of forging. Most importantly, the sharpness of a sword depended on whatit was made of. Only the densest and toughest, and simultaneously the most flexible ofmaterials, unafraid of both high and low temperatures, could bear such thoroughtempering. Chen Changsheng shook his head. He truly did not know what this dagger wasmade of. Then he, Mo Yu, and Tang Thirty-Six all turned to that head manager. The head manager shook his head, saying in a chilly voice, "This matter cannotbe spoken, or else the thunder above the nine heavens will crash, and the fatesof both the one who spoke of it and the one who wields the sword will encountera terrible danger." What Tang Thirty-Six loathed the most was this way of using profound mysteryto lord over others. He thought to himself, the Pavilion of Divination justloves to act as gods and play as devils. After viewing the sword, the head manager left before Mo Yu, saying that itwas in order to prepare, after so many years, to change the rankings of theTier of Legendary Weapons. Mo Yu did not leave. She looked at Chen Changsheng and said, "The Vault Sheathis the treasure of the Li Palace. Back then, your master stole it away. Why areyou just carrying it with you? It seems somewhat inappropriate." Chen Changsheng thought to himself, before today, only His Holiness sawthrough the origins of this sheath. As long as you don't spread it around, justwho would think it inappropriate? "Firstly, my master was once Principal of the Orthodox Academy, the seniorbrother of His Holiness, and also a successor to the old school of theOrthodoxy. Even if it was just splitting up family property, he would stillhave the qualifications to take some things from the Li Palace." He continued, "Secondly, if you think it inappropriate, I can go today to theLi Palace and return it to His Holiness and then request that he bestow it backto me, but…don't you think all those actions are unnecessary?" Mo Yu seemed as if she was gazing at a stranger. Arching her brows, she said,"Today, your words are much sharper than your incomparably sharp sword…thisisn't at all like your regular self." Chen Changsheng replied, "Perhaps it's because I've been honing the sword morerecently." Mo Yu knew that he was speaking of those things that had been occurring infront of the Orthodox Academy recently. After examining him for a while, shedeclared, "Not bad, you truly are much stronger than you were a while ago." Given his successive battles with initial level Star Condensation experts andthen his guiding of the new students in fighting opponents who were far abovethem in strength, Chen Changsheng had spoken correctly. This process had beentoo arduous. It was like using countless big stones and small stones, roundstones and square stones, to hone his own sword. As long as this sword did notsnap, it would inevitably become ever sharper. From the Mausoleum of Books to the Garden of Zhou, from Xunyang City to thecapital, all the good fortune he had encountered and all the things he hadcomprehended were being incessantly hammered and burned in this process. Allthe impurities were being squeezed out or heated into smoke to vanish without atrace. Only the purest portion was left behind, ultimately becoming his ownstrength and cultivation, never to be lost. Chen Changsheng truly had gotten much stronger. If he were to battle againwith Divine General Xue He or Liang Hongzhuang, he would be almost certain towin. "But all of this has no meaning." Mo Yu calmly smiled at him, "Because she is about to return." "Everyone is telling me that she is about to return." Chen Changsheng seriously replied, "But in truth, I believe that this also hasno meaning." Mo Yu replied, "You are the future Pope and she has become the Holy Maiden. Ifyou lose at her hand, what sort of voice do you think you will hear from withinthe Orthodoxy?"