"You want this sword? Do you have enough Spirit Stones?" This time, the old man didn't let Ye Tian leave, his eyes carefully sizing him up.
'This is bad,' Ye Tian thought. 'This scruffy old man is definitely going to ask for a fortune. It looks like this sword and I aren't meant to be.'
"I'm just an ordinary Outer Disciple with a meager monthly stipend. I certainly don't have as many Spirit Stones as you might think, sir," Ye Tian said with a sigh of resignation.
'It's impossible anyway, so there's no point in dragging this out.' After speaking, he prepared to leave. For one, he truly couldn't afford it. For another, the old man's stench was just too overwhelming.
'If I stay here any longer,' he thought, 'I doubt I could wash this stench off even if I soaked in a river for three days and three nights.'
Seeing that Ye Tian was about to leave, the old man spoke again. "This Black Glaze Sword can be a priceless treasure to me, or it can be a piece of junk. For some, it's unobtainable at any price. For others, I would give it away for free."
Ye Tian, who had already started to walk away, couldn't help but lower his foot. He looked at the old man, his expression a mixture of hope and confusion.
"Senior, what do you mean? I'm a bit slow, so please, enlighten me," Ye Tian couldn't help but ask. 'If he's really giving it away for free, I'll have hit the jackpot.'
'Could it be that he's taking pity on me for enduring his foul odor for so long?'
'Or maybe he gets no customers at all, and now that he's finally found one, he doesn't want to let me get away?'
"Only a fated person can obtain this Black Glaze Sword. It may look plain, but it is anything but! Whoever can draw this sword from its sheath, I will give it to them for free. If you cannot, then you've lost your chance.
Lad, if you want this sword, you can give it a try. But not just anyone is worthy of even attempting to draw it.
If you truly become the sword's master, perhaps I can tell you the reason behind all this. If you are not fated to have it, I can still give you something else. After all, very few people your age can endure the Foul Spirit Powder for this long," the old man said slowly.
Ye Tian finally understood. The old man hadn't set up a stall to actually sell anything; he was looking for a fated person to draw the sword.
'He must have been here for a very long time. I just don't understand why he would choose a small town like Lisha City to set up his stall. Lisha City might have a lot of foot traffic...'
'...but compared to the Imperial City or a Level 1 City, it's like comparing a sesame seed to a watermelon. There's no comparison at all. It's just bizarre.'
'Ye Tian had another doubt. Since the old man was set up here, plenty of people must have tried to draw the sword, including many powerful experts. I'm just a mere Fourth Stage Martial Artist with a single Dragon Vein. My chances are just as slim.'
Seeing Ye Tian lost in thought, the old man spoke again. "Just give it a try. To draw the sword, you need to circulate the Spiritual Power within your body, channel all of it into your arms, and then swiftly pull the sword from its sheath.
Everyone who tries gets three chances. I hope you are fortunate enough to become the master of this Black Glaze Sword."
Ye Tian snapped back to his senses and said respectfully to the old man, "Since you've put it that way, Senior, I'll give it a try. Even if I'm not fated to have this sword, I'll have no regrets."
Ye Tian glanced at the black longsword on the ground, took a deep breath, and prepared to snatch it up. But as he tried to lift it, he discovered the sword felt as if it weighed over a thousand pounds.
He was shocked to find that even with his Fourth Stage strength, he could barely lift it. 'It's hard enough just to pick up a sword this heavy,' he thought, 'drawing it is going to be even harder.'
'No wonder no one has been able to draw this sword. It's probably because the Black Glaze Sword is so heavy that just lifting it nearly drains all your strength.'
'I have no idea what material a sword this heavy could be made of, but one thing is for sure: it must be incredibly valuable.'
On his first attempt, Ye Tian only managed to lift the Black Glaze Sword halfway before setting it back down. He prepared for his second try.
"You've used your first chance! Two more to go!" the old man's voice cut in.
"That counted as an attempt to draw the sword?" Ye Tian asked in frustration.
The old man just shot Ye Tian a look and said nothing more. Frustration and helplessness filled Ye Tian's heart, but at the same time, a stubborn refusal to admit defeat spurred him on.
This time, Ye Tian didn't rush to pick up the Black Glaze Sword. Instead, he slowly began to circulate the Spiritual Power within his body.
'His Spiritual Power was completely different now. It was Spiritual Power infused with the Energy of the Dragon Pearl—what one might call Dragon Spiritual Power, unlike anyone else's.'
The Dragon Spiritual Power coursed rapidly through his wide meridians. After a full circulation, Ye Tian channeled it into his arms, his entire being focused and cautious.
"Look, another idiot's about to try and pull the sword! That kid definitely got conned by that old coot!" someone in the crowd of passersby suddenly shouted.
"What's there to see? He's here every day, and every day someone tries to draw the sword, but has anyone ever succeeded? I bet you can't even draw that old man's piece-of-junk sword," another person chimed in.
Perhaps because their voices were so loud, a small crowd quickly gathered to watch. However, everyone kept their distance; not just anyone could stand the stench that rolled off the old man.
A murmur of discussion rippled through the crowd. They all thought Ye Tian was on a fool's errand, torturing himself in that putrid stench for no reason.
Had Ye Tian turned around at that moment, he might have seen a pair of clear, sparkling eyes watching him, and he would have been astonished by her presence.
Ye Tian finished gathering his Dragon Spiritual Power. Steeling his resolve, he instantly bent down and grabbed the Black Glaze Sword.
His movements were incredibly fast. Though the Black Glaze Sword was heavy, this time Ye Tian lifted it smoothly.
But just lifting it wasn't enough. Many people were capable of that. Now came the true test: drawing the sword. If he couldn't pull the Black Glaze Sword from its sheath, everything he'd done would be for naught.
Ye Tian knew this was a rare opportunity. Though sounds of ridicule and mockery filled the air around him, he paid them no mind.
One hand gripped the hilt, the other the sheath. He channeled his Dragon Spiritual Power and swiftly tried to draw the blade.
As Ye Tian's hand closed around the hilt, a sense of déjà vu washed over him. The feeling was faint and hazy, and for a moment, he couldn't place it.
He pulled with all his might. The blade moved. Miraculously, it moved! But to his dismay, he only managed to draw it about a foot from the sheath before his strength gave out.
The heavy Black Glaze Sword fell to the ground with a thud. Disappointment was etched all over Ye Tian's face.
The distant onlookers, however, were staring at Ye Tian as if he were a monster. That someone had actually managed to budge that bizarre longsword was simply unbelievable.
But the person most shocked of all was the scruffy old man. His face was a mask of excitement and terror, his eyes fixed on Ye Tian, staring without blinking, rendered speechless for a long moment…