chapter 10 -
the Zhang family village
"Brother Ye's courage is truly admirable. I'm deeply inspired," said Ryujin, pushing through the crowd to stand beside Ye.
Ryujin looked at Ye with newfound determination. "Initially, I hesitated to register due to my low cultivation level. But with Brother Ye leading the way, I will join in the excitement."
Ye smiled, his eyes gleaming with encouragement. "Brother, you speak boldly. Courage is commendable. So what if our cultivations are low? As martial artists, we should have the courage to face challenges and not fear strong opponents."
Ye stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Ryujin, and together they approached the registration desk. The man seated behind the table looked up, his eyes scanning the crowd.
"If we encounter someone with a higher cultivation level, we won't dare to draw our swords. And it will be the same tomorrow, won't it?" Ye asked, his voice carrying across the crowd. "Will we spend our entire lives never daring to unsheathe our swords?"
A murmur of agreement rippled through the crowd. One person shouted, "Young Hero Ye is right! I'm also at the Seventh Heaven Realm of Qi Gathering, and I want to register!" Another voice chimed in, "Hi Lou Rainja feels inspired! It makes sense. I will participate too!" A third person exclaimed, "Count me in!"
Ryujin stretched out his hand, and Ye clasped it in a firm handshake. "Brother Ye, if we join forces, even with our Seventh Heaven Realm of Qi Gathering cultivation, we can surely make a name for ourselves."
But Ryujin's expression turned sheepish. "Ehm, actually... I'm not at the Seventh Heaven Realm. I'm only at the Third Heaven Realm of Qi Gathering."
Ye's eyes widened in shock, and his face darkened with anger.
Someone from the crowd jeered, "You want to participate? If you want to die, there are better ways than needlessly humiliating yourself."
Ryujin stood tall, unfazed. "Don't worry, I have confidence in registering. I have confidence in coming here."
The man seated at the registration desk, surrounded by guards, raised an eyebrow, shocked by Ryujin's cultivational level. Ryujin was handed a bronze card, a participant's pass that would identify him as a contestant.
"My name is Ryujin Kaito," he declared. "I am at the Third Heaven Realm of Qi Gathering, and my real position is as a guard in the Demon Prison."
The registrar looked at Ryujin, his expression skeptical, before writing down his name.
Here's the rewritten version:
The darkness of the forest enveloped Ryujin as he rode his horse along the winding road. The only sound was the soft splashing of water as the horse's hooves hit the puddles on the ground. Ryujin's eyes were fixed on the path ahead, his mind focused on his mission.
"With only a few days left until the martial arts competition, I need a handy spiritual weapon," Ryujin said to himself, recalling the sword the Wood Demon had told him about.
As he rode deeper into the forest, the Wooden King watched from a distance, thinking, "The little Locust Tree Demon's suggestion is the best choice now."
Ryujin's eyes narrowed as he spotted a green ball of light in the distance. He gripped his sword tightly, ready for any unexpected encounter. "I deliberately avoided the official road to find you," he said, addressing the mysterious light.
He suspected that demons might be lurking near the treasure, but Ryujin was not afraid. "Demons are my experience points," he thought, recalling how he grew stronger each time he gets attacked by a demon.
Ryujin leapt off his horse, using his Qi to propel himself upward. He punched through the air, landing softly on the ground. As he opened his hand, a tiny firefly flew out. Ryujin smiled, feeling a fleeting moment of joy.
"Fireflies in this strange world are like ghostly eyes," he mused, taking in the beauty of his surroundings. "Never mind, let's find the spiritual sword first."
Ryujin mounted his horse and rode toward a nearby building, wondering, "I haven't encountered a single demon along the way. Am I lucky or unlucky?
Ryujin stood before a building, recalling the Little Locust Tree Demon's words. "The Wooden King Sword is buried in the backyard of the Mountain Temple in the Zhang family's village," he thought.
He walked through the building, repeating "backyard" to himself until he found a door that led outside. As he opened it, he was met with the sight of a massive tree radiating energy.
Ryujin's eyes narrowed. "So suspicious. This tree is probably going to become another powerful demon like the Little Locust Tree Demon if I let it absorb the sword's energy."
He dropped his slope, revealing a shovel, sword, and umbrella inside. Ryujin picked up the shovel, raising it above his head. "Let's get to work!" he exclaimed.
With his immense strength, Ryujin dug into the ground, sending stones and dirt flying. His shovel soon struck something, producing a ringing sound. Ryujin's face lit up with excitement.
He slammed his shovel down again, making another sound. "Jackpot!" he cried, revealing a chest buried underground.
Ryujin crouched down in the dugged crater, his eyes fixed on the chest as he opened it. Inside, he found a sword - a wooden sword, to be precise. He was dumbstruck. "Is this not a self-made sword by the Tree Demon?" he wondered, examining the sword's rough texture. It looked like a practice sword.
Let me give it a try, he thought, swinging the sword at the shovel with a loud clang. But to his surprise, the sword broke, its top half spinning through the air. Ryujin stood there, holding the remaining broken half, his face frozen in shock. "Tree Demon, you're dead if I don't chop you up when I get back!" he exclaimed.
But as he looked at the sword, something miraculous happened. The broken sword began to magically grow back, restoring itself to its former state. Ryujin's eyes widened in amazement.
Meanwhile, the broken piece of the sword sank into the ground, causing cracks to form. Vines began to emerge from the earth, wrapping themselves around the tree and emitting a strange energy. The vines absorbed the entire tree, and Ryujin could feel the energy emanating from them.
As he looked at the sword again, the vines tried to drag it from his hand. But Ryujin used his Qi to raise the sword, cutting off the vines with a swift motion. The sword was now emitting powerful Qi energy.
Ryujin spun the sword, feeling its energy coursing through him. He used the sword to cut the tree, making a circular motion with a swift, powerful strike. The tree trunk exploded, sending a chunk of wood flying. Ryujin stabbed the sword into the tree, and another chunk was blasted off.
Ryujin beamed with joy. "So this is the correct way to use the Wooden King Sword!" he exclaimed, feeling a sense of accomplishment and wonder.
Ryujin carefully wrapped his shovel, umbrella, and former sword in his luggage, preparing to leave the crater where he had discovered the Wooden King Sword. According to the Tree Demon, the sword recognized its master by dripping blood, a ritual that seemed both ominous and intriguing. Ryujin's eyes sparkled with curiosity as he tried to cut his finger to draw blood, but the sword broke, its wooden blade shattering into splinters.
Ryujin's face contorted in anger as he attempted to cut his finger again, but the sword shattered once more, leaving him frustrated and bewildered. He dropped the sword, and to his surprise, vines began to grow from it, snaking upward like tentacles. The vines grew higher than Ryujin's head as he knelt beside the sword, their green skin glistening with dew.
Suddenly, a vine pierced Ryujin's chest, and he groaned in pain, feeling a searing sensation as the thorn-like tip dug deep into his flesh. "Oh damn," he muttered, his voice strained, as he felt his energy being drained and his blood being siphoned away. Ryujin's consciousness began to fade, and his blood flowed into the sword, which started to emit a strange, thumping sound - "tumb, tumb, turd."
The sword seemed to be absorbing Ryujin's blood, and its power began to stir. Ryujin's vision blurred, and he felt himself being pulled into a state of semi-consciousness, unsure of what would happen next. The last thing he remembered was the feeling of the vine still lodged in his chest, pumping his blood into the sword, and the sound of the sword's power growing stronger with each passing moments,
The Wooden King Sword's vines wrapped tighter around Ryujin, holding him in place as his body began to emit a faint, red aura. The sword continued to drain blood from him, its power coursing through his veins as it sought to form a connection with its new master.
According to the Tree Demon, this ritual was necessary for the sword to recognize Ryujin's honor and acknowledge him as its rightful wielder. Ryujin recalled the demon's words: "The Wooden King Sword demands sacrifice and loyalty. Only by offering your blood and demonstrating your unwavering dedication can you hope to wield its power."
As the sword's energy resonated with Ryujin's, he felt his life force ebbing away, replaced by an intense, burning sensation. The red aura surrounding his body grew brighter, illuminating the darkening landscape. Ryujin's vision began to blur, but he remained aware of the sword's power coursing through him, forging an unbreakable bond between them.