Chapter 208 – 「Demon Emperor Sword」

Fundamentally speaking, the Three Divine Artifacts are also alchemical weapons.

However, their power transcends the category of “alchemical weapons,” reaching a level unheard of and unimaginable to ordinary people.

They are not sentient Spiritual Artifacts as Su Ming had imagined, and indeed, there are no living weapons in this world.

Yet the power contained within these three weapons is astonishing. As the core Materials—the hands and heart of the terrifying species used in their forging—carry the will of the Spirit Demon Abyss King, these weapons possess not only a vast performance gap compared to ordinary alchemical weapons but also unique characteristics absent in others.

That is, to wield these three weapons, one must either find a way to subdue the will contained within them or gain their recognition.

Otherwise, the wielder will be influenced by the terrifying species’ will carried within the weapon, gradually losing humanity and reason, descending into a power-driven frenzy like a beast, indiscriminately unleashing destruction upon everything in the vicinity.

From this perspective, rather than calling them Divine Artifacts, it would be more fitting to refer to them as demonic or Demonic Weapons.

Yet people still prefer to call them “Divine Artifacts.”

This is because they are overwhelmingly powerful. Even the most ordinary individual, upon obtaining them, can display earth-shattering strength that leaves even Upper-Rank Professionals far behind.

If ordinary alchemical weapons are bullets, then these three weapons are atomic bombs—utterly incomparable.

The name “Divine Artifact” thus spread gradually and unconsciously, not deliberately coined by anyone.

Because of this, the Three Divine Artifacts hold an exalted status in the hearts of all Professionals.

It can be said that some may not even know the history of the terrifying species’ emergence or the origin of the Three Divine Artifacts, yet they are aware of their existence and formidable power.

Unlike the once-sealed terrifying species, the Three Divine Artifacts have consistently generated rumors since their creation, sparking conflicts across eras and serving as the source of numerous upheavals.

Whenever any of the Three Divine Artifacts emerges, it attracts contention from powerful individuals and ambitious figures worldwide.

Consequently, some have fought to the death in the struggle, others have forged generational enmities, and still others, after successfully seizing an artifact, failed to subdue the will within, ultimately succumbing to madness and unleashing catastrophic disasters.

Thus, the Three Divine Artifacts, with their tales and anecdotes spanning eras, are more widely known and circulated than the history of the terrifying species’ rampage.

As a result, the Three Divine Artifacts have become genuine divine weapons in the minds of Professionals and even ordinary people. Everyone who knows of their existence believes that obtaining them grants power comparable to that of a god.

And now, one of these three legendary artifacts has appeared here. How could the Hunters not feel shaken, let alone harbor desires and cravings?

Not to mention the ambitious ones—even someone as seemingly steady and detached as Bai Ruxiang found her gaze fixed intently on the sword darting through the air.

If even Bai Ruxiang reacted this way, one could easily imagine the state of Xu Yanyan, who was ambitious by nature.

She even took an involuntary step forward, as if ready to charge and seize the sword pursuing Su Ming.However, just before Xu Yanyan could make a move, Su Ming, who had been fleeing, abruptly stopped.

Yes.

Su Ming was also tempted.

Even he, upon learning that the Sword before him was one of the Three Divine Artifacts, could not bring himself to evade it.

“Swish!”

The Sword, transformed into a stream of light, shot toward Su Ming without slowing in the slightest.

This time, Su Ming did not hide. Instead, he reached out, preparing to catch the incoming Flying Sword.

Yet, as if guided by some sudden inspiration, Su Ming’s right hand had already extended unconsciously the moment the thought crossed his mind.

“Snap!”

With a crisp sound, Su Ming’s right hand, clad in fingerless gloves, smoothly caught the oncoming Flying Sword.

In the next second, both the Sword and Su Ming’s right hand erupted in a dazzling radiance.

“Clang—!”

It was a brilliance bright enough to dispel all surrounding darkness, illuminating the dim underground in a blinding white light.

The instant Su Ming’s right hand caught the Sword, the fingerless glove tore apart as if ripped by an immense force, shattering instantly.

Because of this, Su Ming’s long-concealed right hand was finally fully exposed in the brilliant light, allowing everyone present to clearly see that strange hand.

“What is that…?”

Bai Ruxiang, Xu Yanyan, Wang Yihan, and everyone else present froze in astonishment, staring blankly at Su Ming’s right hand.

It resembled a cracked stone wrist, its surface covered with fissures.

Within the cracks, an eerie blue light shimmered, dyeing them into bizarre blue patterns that spread across Su Ming’s entire arm.

An oppressive force pulsed within, making everyone who sensed it feel as though they could hardly breathe.

At this moment, this uncanny right arm seemed to merge completely with the Sword it tightly gripped. Both radiated light, and the fluctuations of their powers gradually synchronized, eventually becoming indistinguishable, fully united.

They truly became one.

Beyond the synchronized power fluctuations and radiance, the Sword itself began to gradually merge into Su Ming’s right hand.

“What?”

Su Ming was startled and immediately tried to throw the Sword away.

Unfortunately, it was already too late to react.

With a flash of flowing light, the Sword completely transformed into a stream and merged into Su Ming’s right hand.

The scene was as if Su Ming’s right hand had absorbed the Sword, the stream of light seeping in through the cracks.

Only after the complete fusion did the brilliant light illuminating the surroundings gradually fade.

All movement ceased.

Everyone could only stare dumbfounded at the scene, utterly stunned.

“Uh… this…”

Even Su Ming, looking at his fully exposed right hand, was dumbstruck.

What… what kind of trick is this?

A Divine Artifact merged with his right hand?

It entered inside him?

What… what is this all about?

Su Ming was completely bewildered.

And if Su Ming was bewildered, the others erupted.

Especially Wang Yihan.

“Ahhhhhhhhh!”

The Young Miss of the Wang Family let out a shriek the moment she processed what had happened, rushing toward Su Ming as she screamed.

Her speed was so fast that even the somewhat dazed Su Ming couldn’t react in time.Before Su Ming could react, Wang Yihan had already thrown herself in front of him, grabbing his right hand tightly.

“Where is it? Where’s my Sword!?”

Wang Yihan pried at Su Ming’s right hand frantically, shouting repeatedly.

“Give my Sword back to me!”

Clearly, Wang Yihan had reached her breaking point.

Seeing this, Su Ming actually felt a bit guilty.

“Th-this has nothing to do with me!” Su Ming quickly clarified, saying, “I have no idea what’s going on!”

“I don’t care! Give it back! Give it back!” Wang Yihan shook Su Ming’s hand, tears welling in her eyes as she cried out, “This is something my father risked his life to seize! Before he died, he repeatedly told me to protect it at all costs and never let it fall into the hands of evil people again! Give it back to me!”

The Young Miss of the Wang Family had truly lost her composure.

Heaven knows how many times she had been wounded for the sake of this Sword. While fleeing with it, she had been pursued relentlessly, to the point that even when the Sword began to fly away, she refused to let go and was dragged along with it.

Now, this very relic—something her father had fought to the death to obtain and entrusted to her, insisting she must never lose it—had somehow ended up in Su Ming’s right hand. How could Wang Yihan not be driven to despair?

In her desperation, Wang Yihan even pulled out a dagger, ready to slash Su Ming’s right hand open and dig out the Sword that had vanished inside.

Su Ming was terrified out of his wits.

“Hey! Stop!”

Su Ming swiftly grabbed Wang Yihan’s hand, which was holding the raised dagger, and stopped her.

“You’re the one who should let go!”

Wang Yihan struggled desperately, seemingly having lost all reason.

Seeing that the Young Miss of the Wang Family had truly lost control and was now in a frenzy, Su Ming dared not release her hand.

Thus, the two began to tussle, waking everyone around them, who hurried over to intervene.

“Both of you, calm down! Calm down!”

Bai Ruxiang tried to mediate while quickly pulling Wang Yihan away.

“Can’t we talk this through properly? Right?”

Meanwhile, the scheming Xu Yanyan quietly approached Su Ming, wrapping her arms around his right hand. At first glance, it seemed like she was trying to break up the fight, but her expression suggested she was even more eager than Wang Yihan to slice open Su Ming’s right hand and retrieve the Sword inside.

“I really don’t know what’s going on!”

Unaware of the cunning woman’s intentions beside him, Su Ming could only emphasize his innocence, feeling utterly helpless.

“I don’t care!”

Wang Yihan sobbed and sniffled, struggling as if to say, “I won’t listen, I won’t listen! I don’t care what you say—I’m going to cut that hand open!”

Poor Young Miss Wang, only sixteen years old, had already been driven to the brink of madness by the shock.

Of course, everyone could understand.

After all, if one of the Three Divine Artifacts, which had been in their possession, inexplicably ended up in someone else’s hands and no longer belonged to them, anyone would be driven to despair.

The others were still in a state of shock and confusion, completely unaware of what had just happened.

Why had the legendary Divine Artifact suddenly flown into Su Ming’s right hand?

Why did Su Ming’s right hand look so strange?

Moreover, why had the Divine Artifact pursued Su Ming relentlessly, to the point of merging with his right hand?

These were all questions that left everyone utterly perplexed.And so, with everyone harboring their own thoughts and doubts, they managed to temporarily stop Wang Yihan’s rampage and calm the situation.

“Wah… my sword…”

Wang Yihan had already buried herself in Bai Ruxiang’s embrace, crying as if her heart would break.

“There, there.”

Bai Ruxiang had no choice but to pat Wang Yihan’s head, comforting her.

“Finally…” Su Ming also breathed a sigh of relief, then turned to look beside him and said, “By the way, have you had enough of touching me?”

“Ahaha…” Xu Yanyan gave a dry laugh and, under Su Ming’s threatening gaze, reluctantly and very unwillingly released his right hand.

This action gave Xu Yanyan a slight understanding of Wang Yihan’s feelings.

That feeling of a Divine Artifact slipping away from her grasp was truly heartbreaking and empty.

But at this moment, Xu Yanyan finally realized something.

“So you’re a Hunter with a mutation ability?” Xu Yanyan’s gaze toward Su Ming’s right hand changed, and she blurted out without thinking, “That unreasonable, terrifying power is the ability of this mutated right hand, right?”

Xu Yanyan had thus gained this crucial piece of information.

Su Ming really wanted to deny it, but he knew that the matter of his right hand was something he couldn’t hide no matter what.

This put Su Ming in a bad mood, and his gaze toward Xu Yanyan became noticeably irritated.

“What? Is there a problem?”

Su Ming’s tone was sharp.

“No.” Xu Yanyan certainly didn’t want to provoke Su Ming further and immediately changed the subject, saying, “It’s just, why did the Divine Artifact go into your right hand?”

This was something Xu Yanyan absolutely wanted to understand.

Knowing that the Divine Artifact was right before her eyes, so close yet so far, even though she knew she couldn’t do anything to Su Ming, Xu Yanyan couldn’t help but want to figure out what exactly was going on.

Unfortunately, Su Ming wanted to know what was happening even more than Xu Yanyan did.

“I already told you, I don’t know.”

Su Ming also found it hard to explain what he was feeling right now.

Joy at obtaining a Divine Artifact?

No.

All he had was a head full of question marks. Compared to the joy of obtaining a Divine Artifact, he wanted to know why it had gone into his right hand.

He was truly bewildered and had no idea what to do.

Instead, it was Bai Ruxiang, who was comforting Wang Yihan nearby, who suddenly spoke up.

“I think the reason the Divine Artifact went into Lord Ming Wang’s right hand probably has to do with its own nature.”

Bai Ruxiang’s words made everyone pause in surprise.

“Its own nature?”

Su Ming, after a moment of surprise, suddenly began to understand.

“What do you mean by that?”

Xu Yanyan quickly asked.

Bai Ruxiang didn’t answer Xu Yanyan’s question right away but instead turned to Wang Yihan in her arms.

“That sword should be the Demon Emperor Sword, one of the Three Divine Artifacts, right?”

Bai Ruxiang sought confirmation from Wang Yihan.

“Mhm…”

Wang Yihan was still crying, but she nodded, confirming Bai Ruxiang’s statement.

“That’s it, then.”

After confirming this, Bai Ruxiang turned to everyone and, under their collective gaze, explained as follows:

“Among the Three Divine Artifacts, the Demon Emperor Sword is the Divine Artifact that symbolizes power. It was forged from the right hand of the Spirit Demon Abyss King.””And Lord Ming Wang’s right hand has clearly undergone mutation, possessing a power that is undeniably formidable, as we have all witnessed.”

“So, I was thinking, Lord Ming Wang’s right hand, which contains such immense power, and the Divine Artifact forged from the right hand of the Spirit Demon Abyss King, symbolizing strength, might have an exceptionally high compatibility. This could have caused the will within the Demon Emperor Sword to be drawn to Lord Ming Wang’s right hand, thus triggering this phenomenon.”

Bai Ruxiang’s explanation brought clarity to everyone present.

Especially Su Ming, who finally began to understand the series of strange phenomena occurring in his right hand and what they truly meant.

(End of Chapter)