Chapter Twenty-Three: Pulling It Out (Please Keep Reading)

“Come on, blockhead, what are you standing there for?”

“Okay, I’m coming.”

With Hang Ri leading the way, the two stepped into the mysterious black hole.

In an instant, a blinding light assaulted them. Xu Xing quickly covered his eyes and clung to Hang Ri’s sleeve as they pressed forward through the darkness.

...

“We’re here, open your eyes.”

Xu Xing opened his eyes and found the scene before him beyond words, one that could not be captured by mere description.

The fierce waves crashed against the heavens, the sound of tsunamis rose and fell endlessly, vast and boundless. The towering mountain he’d glimpsed stood firm in the middle of the inland sea, not far from the shore.

Beneath their feet was a wheat-colored golden beach, loose and moist, sinking slightly underfoot.

“This is the Northern Sea!” Hang Ri turned back, laughing heartily, his spirit soaring.

The Northern Sea surged, its waves majestic and tumultuous, crashing against the rocks with a roar like thousands of horses galloping. Where the sand met the water, countless razor clams were thrown ashore by the waves.

At that moment, the mass of clams swarmed together, stretching nearly a hundred meters, their bodies shifting rapidly. When they fully gathered, they opened their bloody maws and stared at the two, letting out a shriek, then darted toward them like lightning.

Hang Ri’s face turned pale; their combined strength rivaled that of a cultivator at the peak of the Foundation Stage.

“This is bad, where’s our contact? Where is the person supposed to meet us?” Hang Ri panicked.

“Run, Xu Xing!”

Hang Ri bolted, dragging Xu Xing with him as they sprinted south, hoping to return to the muddy road outside the village through the black hole.

Their footprints raced south along the beach. But the black hole was swiftly fading, shrinking to a black dot and vanishing entirely.

“Hang Ri, what do we do?” Xu Xing cried as they ran, terrified. Hang Ri didn’t answer, putting all his strength into fleeing for his life.

The monstrous swarm drew ever closer, only a few dozen meters behind, moving far faster than them.

At that moment, the jade bracelet in Xu Xing’s spatial pouch began to react violently, trying to leap out. Xu Xing quickly grabbed it.

“This is... the jade bracelet Zhou Yuan gave me. Could it be useful?” Xu Xing wondered.

Hang Ri complained as he ran: “This is all your fault, rushing so suddenly—I didn’t bring my guards! Now look, we haven’t even climbed Mount Shu, and we’re about to die here...”

Xu Xing ignored him, focusing instead on the jade bracelet. It surely had a purpose, good or bad, and if he didn’t try it now, he might never get another chance.

The bloody maws drew closer. Some clams broke free from the swarm and latched onto their bodies.

“It’s over, we’re really going to die here. I wanted to show you the pleasures of the Red Mansion, but now there’s no chance, you fool.”

As Xu Xing gripped the bracelet, his soul trembled, his head throbbed, and all time around him seemed to freeze.

---

This was Xu Xing’s soul secret technique. Though it held no lethal power over others, he had to risk it—otherwise, there would be no next time.

The jade bracelet burned like boiling water, as if something paired with it was nearby.

“Xu Xing, what are you doing? Why are you just standing there?” Hang Ri screamed, desperate for his life. Xu Xing stood frozen in place, so Hang Ri left him behind.

He ran, shouting: “Brother, forgive me! I’ll avenge you, I swear!”

Out at sea, a sword burst from the waves, sending up a towering spray.

The sword soared into the heavens, tearing through the air, slicing space, like something from beyond the world. It cut through the wind, its sonic boom echoing everywhere, its power overwhelming. It struck the monstrous swarm.

With a single blow, the giant formed of clams was shattered.

Hang Ri’s jaw dropped, eyes wide in disbelief. The swarm exploded, clams scattering everywhere.

The clams were dead; he cared nothing for their fate. He sprinted toward the sword pit, shouting with all his heart:

“Brother, I truly didn’t want to leave you behind, please don’t let anything happen to you!”

As Hang Ri approached, he saw the golden beach had formed a sword pit nearly ten meters across, filled with endless sword intent, staining the sand crimson.

Sword energy surged within the pit. He considered jumping in, but thought better of it—if he did, the sword intent would surely slice him to ribbons.

The sword’s aura was overwhelming, seeming able to pierce anything.

At the bottom of the pit, Xu Xing lay motionless, as if he had stopped breathing altogether.

“You bastard, leaving me behind! If you dare, bring me along next time!”

Hang Ri felt sorrow in his heart, quietly sobbing.

“Hey, why are you crying?”

Suddenly Xu Xing’s eyes snapped open, and he smiled.

“Shut up, are you pretending to be dead just to mess with me?”

Hang Ri rolled his eyes, a faint smile tugging at his lips, but he was clearly displeased.

Who could stand being mocked like this? Though, if it were someone of the opposite sex, perhaps it wouldn’t matter.

Hang Ri’s eyes lit up as he gazed at the sword at the bottom of the pit. Excited, he said:

“You’re actually okay! That sword looks like a real treasure—try pulling it out.”

The sword was five feet long. Its hilt was like dragon scales, its blade so sharp one could hardly look straight at it. The sword energy it emitted made Xu Xing’s breathing difficult.

Xu Xing placed his hand on the hilt, the blade buried deep in the earth. He strained with all his might, but it didn’t budge.

“Try again!” Hang Ri urged, impatient.

Xu Xing gripped the hilt with both hands, stood, braced his feet, and with a roar and every ounce of strength cried:

“Come out!”

The sword slowly began to emerge.

---

The earth tore open, sword energy surged from the pit. The sand on the beach trembled, tossed up by the sword’s aura. At the shore, a tsunami ten meters high rose, waves pounding mercilessly against the beach.

“Xu Xing, stop! Don’t pull the sword! If you keep going, we’ll both die!” Hang Ri shouted, terrified by the spectacle.

“What? Pull the sword faster? I can’t hear you! Come out!”

Xu Xing was oblivious, locked in struggle with the sword.

As the blade rose, the commotion at sea grew. Suddenly, an old man flew from the mountain, hovering above them, invisible. When his gaze fell on the pit, he smiled, satisfied.

The old man waved his hand, wind and clouds roared, and the tsunami vanished in an instant. The calm sea now seemed unnervingly peaceful.

The old man looked down at Xu Xing in the pit, smiling warmly, stroking his white beard with pride.

“Boy, I’ve finally waited for you to arrive.”

On the sand beneath his feet, all signs of the earlier phenomenon disappeared. Hang Ri hadn’t yet recovered from the shock—it all happened so quickly.

“This sword is buried so deep, I can’t pull it out. It won’t come out. It’s stuck fast. What do I do?” Xu Xing still struggled, anxious, asking Hang Ri.

“It’s not buried that deep. Keep going! Wait, with a sword this powerful, it must have a spirit. Try to make it recognize you as its master.”

Sword energy echoed in the pit, dampening sound from outside.

“What master? Maid? What are you talking about? You want the sword to wear a maid outfit?” Xu Xing roared.

Hang Ri was desperate. He wanted to jump in himself, but the sword’s aura was so sharp—it would surely kill him.

Then Hang Ri thought of a solution.

Seeing Xu Xing’s bulging veins, Hang Ri asked, “Do you drink?”

“What? Endurance? I’ve got plenty, how’d you know?”

“Idiot.”

Hang Ri took out a jar of wine from his spatial pouch, hesitated as he glanced at it, then smashed it over Xu Xing’s head, hoping to use blood recognition to tame the sword.

Bang.

The wine jar struck Xu Xing’s head, and blood flowed.

The phenomenon erupted again, stronger than before. The sword was now mostly out of the ground.

“Come on, Xu Xing, don’t let this sword stay buried under the sand—pull it out! It belongs to you!”

“What? Buried? Why’d you hit me? I feel awful, like all my life’s blood is draining away.”

The sword continued to rise, inch by inch.