For Chinese people without a defined faith, all gods and spirits are mere illusions. In contrast, foreigners often hold clear religious beliefs, such as Allah in the Middle East, God in the West, or the Supreme Being in Africa. Because of their faith, they tend to connect unexplainable phenomena with their religious beliefs. These five foreigners, believers in God, saw Li Nianlong, who couldn't be killed, as a 'devil' opposing their deity.
Observing the five foreigners paralyzed with fear, Li Nianlong sheathed his watermelon knife and exclaimed, "Frenzied Fists!"
It would be a waste to kill such incapacitated prey outright; using them to hone his skills was much more beneficial.
These unfortunate five thus inadvertently contributed 1% proficiency to Li Nianlong's Frenzied Fists before meeting their bloody end.
"Experience +100, Experience +100, Experience +100, Experience +100, Experience +120. Bonus 5x experience for killing extremely evil targets: Experience +500, Experience +500, Experience +500, Experience +500, Experience +600."
"Items Obtained: M500 Revolver x5, Serpent-Slaying Sword x1. Money Obtained: $5000."
"Huh?" Li Nianlong paused, Serpent-Slaying Sword?
Unversed in firearms, the M500 did not catch his attention. Instead, the mysterious appearance of the Serpent-Slaying Sword left him astonished.
Immediately opening his inventory, he saw a gracefully antique longsword floating within. The sword was exceptionally long, measuring over five feet, adorned with seven-colored pearls and nine-jeweled decorations on its scabbard. Drawing the blade revealed a gleaming edge like frost and snow, its radiance striking. Clearly, it was a divine weapon, a fact confirmed by the system's description.
Serpent-Slaying Sword (Durability: ???) - Damage +999. Can cut through all things in the world. The sword of Emperor Gaozu of Han, alongside the Imperial Seal, served as the treasure safeguarding the state during the Han Dynasty. When wielded, it measured seven feet; when worn, it shortened to three feet. It possesses the mystical ability to stabilize the fortune of a nation. Uniting it with the Imperial Seal ensures the conquest of the world.
"Good heavens!" Li Nianlong stared, dumbfounded.
How could such a divine artifact drop from these worthless foreigners? It defied logic!
"Dragonfly, come out quickly!" His thoughts in disarray, Li Nianlong immediately sought Dragonfly's help.
Summoned, Dragonfly appeared with a playful smile. "How can I assist you, Host?"
"What's the deal with this Serpent-Slaying Sword?" Li Nianlong removed the sword from his inventory, revealing a snowy-white blade stretching over five feet, exuding a chilling aura that intimidated the heart.
Dragonfly's eyes flashed with surprise upon seeing the sword, her form pausing momentarily. In the blink of an eye, she understood everything.
"You're truly fortunate, Host," Dragonfly said, a hint of astonishment in her eyes. "This Serpent-Slaying Sword was the sword wielded by Emperor Gaozu when he initiated his uprising and eventually unified the land. In 61 BC, when the Jin Armory caught fire, the sword, having developed a spirit, flew out of the burning building on its own, traveling to the mountains of Tianfu and hiding itself."
"You're sure the Serpent-Slaying Sword flew here on its own!?" Atheist Li Nianlong found this explanation absurd and interrupted her.
"It truly flew here of its own accord," Dragonfly said with a 'believe-it-or-not' look, leaving Li Nianlong speechless.
"It's just a pity..." Gazing at the sword, Dragonfly wore a regretful expression. "The Serpent-Slaying Sword exhausted its spiritual energy during its flight. Despite resting for over two millennia, it hasn't recovered. Otherwise, it would possess even more wondrous abilities."
Li Nianlong listened as if hearing a fairy tale, his head spinning. "A sword can develop spirituality?"
"Of course," Dragonfly replied. "In this world, even a stone can gain spirituality if living beings admire or worship it, absorbing faith that gradually imbues the inanimate object with life. While it won't transform into a demon like in mythical tales, it gains incredible abilities. Take this Serpent-Slaying Sword, for instance. Try wearing it on your waist."
"Alright." Intrigued by the explanation, Li Nianlong lifted the golden cord attached to the scabbard, examining his pants for a place to hang it. Finding none, he undid his belt, threading it through the golden cord and securing it tightly.
Just as he finished securing it, something miraculous happened. The five-foot-long Serpent-Slaying Sword instantly shortened to less than two and a half feet, transforming from a longsword into a short one.
"Holy sh**!" The astonishing sight left Li Nianlong gasping. "This world is too insane. Were there really sword immortals in the past? How else could such a sentient treasure exist?"
"This question cannot be answered due to the host's insufficient level and permissions," Dragonfly buzzed her wings, landing lightly on Li Nianlong's shoulder as she spoke with profound meaning, "Only by gaining enough strength can one acquire corresponding information. Host, don't overthink it; focus on enhancing your capabilities."
Li Nianlong regarded her thoughtfully.
After some contemplation, Li Nianlong untied his belt, and the short sword transformed back into its seven-foot-long form instantly. He had no doubts about the sword's variable length. During the Qin Dynasty, when Emperor Qin Shi Huang united the six states, he standardized the measurement to 23.1 cm per chi. The Han Dynasty, which followed, continued to use this standard. Given that Emperor Gaozu of Han was originally a subject under the Qin rule and used the Serpent-Slaying Sword during the Qin era, the three-foot sword would have been 69.3 cm, while the seven-foot version would measure 161.7 cm, perfectly aligning with historical measurements.
"Why would these foreigners drop the Serpent-Slaying Sword?" Li Nianlong asked as he put the sword back into his inventory space, squatting down to search the bodies of the foreigners.
"They were geologists and archaeologists from abroad," Dragonfly explained, "Or so they claimed publicly. In reality, they were foreign agents. They accidentally discovered the resting place of the Serpent-Slaying Sword and realized its uniqueness. They planned to leave Chengdu overnight and cross the border into Dali, aiming to smuggle the sword back to their country."
Here, Dragonfly chuckled with a hint of schadenfreude, "But their luck ran out when they encountered you, Host. Ultimately, they served as the messenger delivering the sword to you."
"So that's how it is. It was quite a close call," Li Nianlong muttered, finding passports on the foreigners that identified them as citizens of the notorious United States.
Currently, there were two internationally recognized superpowers: China and the United States. China, in comparison, held a slightly stronger comprehensive national power. About two decades ago, the strengths of China and the U.S. were relatively equal, with the U.S. even holding a slight advantage. However, everything changed with the dissolution of the Soviet Union around that time.
Due to various reasons, the Soviet Union had dissolved two decades earlier. Seizing the geographical advantage, China had absorbed a large number of high-level talents from the collapsing Soviet Union. Although the U.S. also took the opportunity to recruit some, the quantity was insignificant compared to China's intake.
Thanks to this virtually cost-free acquisition after the Soviet collapse, China's national strength surged, closing the gap with the U.S. within a decade. After another fifteen years of development, China firmly surpassed the U.S. in terms of national power. Nevertheless, with China's population being eight times that of the U.S., its per capita GDP was still half that of the U.S.
Even so, China was universally acknowledged as the global hegemon, and despite its discontent, the U.S. could only bear being overshadowed. In recent years, however, the U.S. seemed to be collaborating with other nations against China, creating an underlying turbulence beneath the seemingly calm international situation, where a war might break out at any misstep.
China's military hadn't engaged in warfare since the Southeast Asia Unification War years ago, while the U.S. frequently conducted military exercises in the western hemisphere. If a conflict were to erupt, the outcome would be unpredictable.
The Serpent-Slaying Sword possessed the power to stabilize national fortune, and combined with the Imperial Seal, it could determine the fate of a nation. Over a century ago, the Long family obtained the Imperial Seal, leading to their prosperous reign. Had the Serpent-Slaying Sword fallen into the hands of the U.S., complementing their existing national strength with the sword's fortifying effect, the U.S. might have been all too eager to declare war on China.
Fortunately, Heaven favored China, and the Serpent-Slaying Sword fell into Li Nianlong's hands before it could leave the country. Now safely stored in his inventory, no one else could claim the sword.
As for whether Li Nianlong would use the Serpent-Slaying Sword to seize the throne, he would say, "Why give up on treatment?" — a playful response suggesting he had no intention of pursuing such a path.