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Chapter 29: Gifted with the Sword, Yet Lacking the Heart of a Swordsman
🕑 Added 2025-07-22 09:51:26 +0000 UTC"Grandpa Jack, where's my dad?"
"Dad—"
Tang San walked toward the inner room but found no trace of Tang Hao. Old Jack handed Tang San a letter instead.
"Little San, this is what your father left for you. Why don't you come eat at my place tonight? Tang Hao's never given you a decent meal, not once in all these years."
Thinking of Tang San's previously frail appearance, Old Jack's heart ached with sympathy. Apart from occasionally helping the village with blacksmithing, Tang Hao had never properly cared for Tang San. Fortunately, this past year at the Nuoding City Spirit Master Academy had helped the boy grow somewhat stronger.
"No, thank you, Grandpa Jack. Xiao Wu and I will just eat at home."
With that, Old Jack reluctantly walked outside. After Tang San read the letter, his mood plummeted. Later, with Xiao Wu's comfort, his spirits lifted considerably. Under the witness of a field of flowers, the two pledged their hearts to each other, becoming sworn siblings from that day forward.
At this moment, Ignaz, who was in the Western Stone Kingdom, had no idea that a 100,000-year spirit beast named Xiao Wu had become sworn siblings with Tang San.
Honestly, a mighty 100,000-year spirit beast in human form, willingly following the words of a seven- or eight-year-old human child? Had she forgotten that the Soft Bone Rabbit died at human hands? Shouldn't she be building her strength to avenge her mother? Even if her power wasn't enough, shouldn't she at least try? Yet she still trusted humans so completely?
Sure enough, the Soft Bone Rabbit was nothing but a lovesick, rogue rabbit who'd thrown all other important matters to the back of her mind!
At this very moment, in the heart of the Western Stone Kingdom, all the villagers had gathered around bonfires, feasting on meat and drinking wine, having the time of their lives. Ignaz was telling them about everything he'd seen and experienced, letting them know about the exciting life on the mainland. It wasn't until deep into the night that the crowd dispersed and Ignaz finally returned to his stone dwelling.
The next day, Ignaz was awakened early by a commotion. Opening his door, he saw thirty-some children following behind the two village chiefs, Dali and the old village chief.
"Chief Ji, you're awake! Today is the children's weapon awakening day. Would you like to come watch?"
Dali, supporting the old village chief, warmly invited him.
"Sure!"
Apart from his own spirit awakening day, this would be Ignaz's second time witnessing a spirit awakening. Out of curiosity about the Western Stone Kingdom villagers' spirit awakening, he gladly went along.
They came to an enormous stone altar. Ignaz and Dali stood to one side while the old village chief looked happily at the village's next generation of children.
"Feel carefully for the weapon within your bodies! Focus your minds and try to split the wooden blocks placed before you."
Soon, a sturdy boy manifested an iron sword in his right hand. As his eyes opened, he swung his right hand toward a 50-centimeter-tall cubic wooden block in front of him. The block split cleanly in two, the cut perfectly smooth.
"Village chief! Old village chief! I did it! I have the ability to build houses and hunt!"
Looking around and realizing he was the first to manifest a weapon, the child grew even more excited.
"Awesome! I'm first! From now on, I'll help the village chiefs make our village even better!"
Ignaz stared at the child in stunned disbelief. No way—a six-year-old who'd just awakened his spirit, without gaining a single spirit ring, could split thick ironheart wood? Ironheart wood was as hard as the softest iron, and the cut surface was incredibly smooth and complete—you could even see the internal grain of the ironheart wood clearly.
No wonder these spirits were feared by the Spirit Hall. This Western Stone Kingdom was like an uncivilized realm living in primitive times, populated by master swordsmen. Even a child who'd just awakened his spirit could match a one-ring Spirit Master in combat. What if they added spirit rings? Then, Spirit Kings fighting Spirit Emperors and Spirit Sages would be routine.
While Ignaz marveled, the children on the altar awakened sword-type spirits one after another, splitting the wooden blocks before them. However, very few could split the ironheart wood in half like the first child, showing that the degree to which they could split the wood symbolized their talent.
"Excellent, very excellent!"
The old village chief watched the last child to split wood—who had only managed to leave a two- or three-centimeter notch in the ironheart wood—with great satisfaction. At least this year's children were all quite good.
"Children, go home now!"
Hearing this, the children excitedly ran toward their respective homes, eager to make their parents proud.
Walking slowly down from the altar, Ignaz looked sincerely at the two village chiefs and asked, "Village chiefs, why don't you add spirit rings yourselves and become Spirit Masters?"
"Chief Ji, Chief Chen once said the same thing to us. We don't want to live the kind of violent, kill-or-be-killed life that Spirit Masters lead. We're used to this carefree life without all those complications and troubles."
Dali patiently explained to Ignaz. However, Ignaz's words still reminded him of when Chief Chen had helped them fight against invaders from the distant mainland—the Spirit Hall's Angel Sword wielders—saving their homeland.
It was from that time that Dali began training hard in martial arts, spending twenty to thirty years developing his eight techniques for splitting stone, building houses, and hunting.
Ignaz shook his head at this, feeling quite regretful. As carefree citizens of the Western Stone Kingdom who had experienced a brutal invasion war, they still didn't understand the need for collective transformation. They possessed such excellent sword-type spirits yet lacked the heart of a swordsman.
A sword has two edges—it's meant for killing. Yet they used theirs to split mountains and stones, chop trees, and hunt. What a waste of natural talent.
"Chief Ji, you're a Spirit Master. I'm sure the things Chief Chen left behind will be helpful to you. Let me take you there."
After spending more than a day together, Dali and all the citizens of Western Stone Kingdom had already accepted Ignaz as a friend—not only because he wasn't from the Spirit Hall, but also because his presence had caused the sea spirit beasts to riot early, allowing them to capture no fewer than twenty to thirty large sea spirit beasts every day.
This was a rare opportunity for the villagers to obtain prey without having to trek over mountains and ridges.
The things Chief Chen left behind weren't far from the altar—just about 300 steps away. However, at this moment, a young boy was sitting in front of a stone tablet, staring intently at its contents.
"This child is..."
Dali sighed and replied, "Ah, this child was the slowest to awaken among his batch of weapon awakeners. He's eleven years old now, but still can't split even a single stone—he can only chop small pieces of wood. Yet he's always greatly admired Chief Chen, so..."
Ignaz sighed upon hearing this. It seemed the Western Stone Kingdom villagers didn't all have Spirit King-level talent potential—there were some weaker ones among them, too.
