The old man slowly removed the white cloth wrapped around the sword, revealing a seemingly ordinary blade that looked rather unimpressive compared to the many weapons Alex had seen inside the shop.
At first glance, there was nothing special about it. Its appearance was simple, and there were no dazzling patterns, glowing runes, or strange decorations that would immediately make someone believe it was a valuable weapon.
However, the moment the old man placed the sword into Alex's hands, something unexpected happened. Unlike the previous weapons, there was no notification from the system, and Alex immediately noticed the difference.
'Huh, it didn't attack me…' Alex thought, looking at the sword with slight confusion before asking, "System, why is that?"
The system responded almost immediately, its familiar voice appearing inside his mind as information formed before his eyes.
Alex stared at the information for several seconds, then looked down at the shabby-looking sword in his hands.
'What a grand name for such a shabby-looking sword,' he thought, finding the contrast between its name and appearance rather amusing. Yet, after reading the rest of the information, his expression became noticeably more serious.
The old man watched Alex carefully, his eyes filled with curiosity as he waited to see what the young man would do with the sword.
"What do you think?" the old man asked, his voice calm as he observed Alex's reaction.
Alex did not answer immediately. Instead, he swung the sword several times, testing its weight, balance, and movement before slowly becoming more surprised with every swing.
The sword felt incredibly comfortable in his hands. It was almost as if the weapon had been created specifically for him, perfectly matching the way he naturally moved his body.
Every swing felt light and smooth, while his movements seemed faster than before. Even without using Qi, Alex could clearly feel that the sword suited him far better than any of the previous weapons.
"I want to buy this," Alex said firmly, his eyes remaining fixed on the sword because he genuinely liked how naturally it moved in his hands.
The old man nodded slightly before casually giving him the price. "It will be five silver coins."
Mo Yue's eyes immediately widened when she heard the price, and the surprise on her face made it obvious that she had not expected her grandfather to sell the sword for such a small amount.
Alex, however, was more than happy with the price, although there was one problem that immediately came to his mind.
"Can I pay with monster materials instead?" Alex asked somewhat awkwardly, remembering that he currently had no money on him. "I don't have any money with me right now."
He had originally planned to sell his monster materials after entering the city and then return to purchase whatever he needed, but things had turned out differently.
Mo Yue looked at him for a moment before nodding. "That depends on what you have. Come here and place the items you wish to sell on this table."
Alex followed her instructions and emptied his bag onto the nearby table, making sure to keep the monster cores he wanted to use for his cultivation.
Mo Yue carefully examined everything he had placed before her, checking each material and calculating their combined value with considerable accuracy.
After finishing her calculations, she looked at Alex and calmly announced the final amount. "I'll take them for four gold and seven silver coins. What do you think?"
Alex's eyes widened slightly when he heard the amount because he had expected considerably less for the materials he had gathered.
"Okay," Alex agreed without hesitation, accepting the offer because he had no reason to refuse such a generous price.
Mo Yue took four gold coins and two silver coins from the shop's money before handing them to Alex, having already deducted the five silver coins required for the sword.
Alex accepted the money before receiving Sky Splitter along with its sheath. He looked at both Mo Yue and the old man and sincerely thanked them for helping him.
After placing the sword safely inside its sheath, Alex turned around and left the shop, completely unaware that the two people behind him were still watching his departing figure.
Once Alex had disappeared from the shop, Mo Yue turned toward her grandfather with a curious expression, clearly unable to understand his decision.
"Grandpa… are you sure?" she asked, her voice carrying a mixture of confusion and concern because she knew exactly what kind of sword he had just sold.
The old man remained calm as he answered without hesitation, "I am more than sure."
Mo Yue's expression became serious as she thought about what could happen if the other members of their family discovered what had just happened.
"If my brothers find out about this, they will surely hunt him down to take the sword back," Mo Yue said, her voice becoming heavier as she imagined the trouble that could follow.
The old man did not answer her immediately. Instead, he remained silent, his eyes carrying a complicated emotion as he looked toward the direction in which Alex had left.
After several moments, Mo Yue returned to her usual expression and asked another question that had been bothering her.
"Anyway, Grandpa, why did you sell it so cheaply?" she asked, unable to hold back her curiosity. "That sword is no ordinary weapon. It's a true treasure."
In the past, her grandfather had personally wielded that very sword while protecting their kingdom on the frontier, where countless battles had tested both his strength and determination.
The Sky Splitter was not simply a valuable weapon. It was a sacred family heirloom that carried enormous significance within their royal family.
The sword had only ever been passed down to someone who possessed the potential to eventually become king, making its value far greater than its appearance suggested.
'This can only mean Grandpa sees him as more worthy of the throne than any of my brothers,' Mo Yue thought, her eyes narrowing slightly as she considered the meaning behind her grandfather's actions.
However, before she could ask anything else, she noticed that her grandfather had already started walking away without giving her the explanation she wanted.
"Hold on!" Mo Yue called out immediately, rushing after him before he could get too far ahead.
Once she caught up, the two of them continued walking together toward the shop's exit, where a luxurious carriage was already waiting outside for them.
As they approached the carriage, one of the servants immediately stepped forward and opened the door before lowering his head respectfully.
"Your Highness," the servant said with deep respect, remaining bowed as he waited for them to enter.
Before stepping inside, the old man and Mo Yue happened to notice Alex's silhouette in the distance as he walked through the city.
Alex looked incredibly happy, almost like an excited child who had just received his favorite gift, and the sight caused a faint smile to appear on Mo Yue's face.
The old man quietly watched Alex for several moments before thinking, 'Alex… huh. A monster has been born in such a small city. I can hardly believe it. This must be fate.'
A burning excitement suddenly ignited within the old man's heart, and for the first time in a long while, he felt genuinely interested in what the future might bring.
"Let's leave now," Mo Yue said, stepping toward the carriage after briefly watching Alex disappear into the distance.
"Yes, my lady," the servant replied respectfully before closing the carriage door after them.
The carriage soon began moving through the streets, and once it passed through the city gates, its speed suddenly increased to a frightening level.
The luxurious carriage disappeared into the distance, leaving Greenheart City behind as it rapidly traveled toward its destination.
***
Meanwhile, in the heart of Greenheart City, Alex finally arrived at the Heaven Palace and stepped inside, still carrying the sword he had just purchased.
After securing an extension for his stay, he made his way toward his assigned room and entered without wasting any time.
Once inside, Alex looked at the bed for a moment before deciding to sit directly on the floor instead of using it.
He remembered the black residue that had covered his body during his previous cultivation session, and he definitely did not want to stain the clean sheets with something similar again.
Alex sat comfortably on the floor before taking out the small pouch containing the monster cores he had collected during his time in the forest.
Without bothering to inspect the cores individually, he picked one at random because every core he possessed was at or below his current cultivation level.
There was no reason to be selective when he already knew that consuming a core from a stronger monster could be harmful.
He currently possessed two First Layer Foundation Realm cores, one Second Layer Foundation Realm core, and two Fourth Layer Foundation Realm monster core.
Alex picked up one of the cores and swallowed it without hesitation, immediately feeling energy spread through his body.
A notification appeared before him almost instantly.
Alex's eyes brightened slightly at the amount of energy he had gained from a single core, making him even more eager to consume the remaining ones.
One by one, he consumed every monster core in his possession except one 4th layer monster core.
After consuming the final core, Alex looked toward the empty space in front of him and decided to check his current energy reserves.
"Status," Alex commanded, wanting to know exactly how much Qi he had accumulated after consuming all the monster cores.
The familiar blue screen appeared in front of him.
---[Status]---
[Name: Alex Morgan]
[Race: Undying]
[Body: Human Body]
[Physique: Primal Origin Physique]
[Bloodline: Eternal Genesis Bloodline]
[Total Energy: 5454]
[Undying Energy: 72]
[Qi Energy: 5382]
Alex carefully looked through the information before focusing on his current Qi energy.
"Can I break through?" he asked, already having a rough idea that he possessed more than enough energy for another breakthrough.
The system responded immediately with the exact requirement.
"Yes," Alex replied without hesitation because there was no reason for him to delay his cultivation when he already possessed enough energy.
In the next moment, Alex watched as three thousand Qi energy vanished from his status, and the familiar breakthrough process began inside his body.
The powerful energy moved through his meridians and gathered within his dantian, causing his entire body to undergo another transformation as his cultivation steadily increased.
Unlike his earlier breakthroughs, Alex was already becoming more familiar with the process, allowing him to remain calm while waiting for the energy to settle.
After some time, Alex finally opened his eyes and realized that he had successfully advanced to the next layer of the Foundation Realm.
Another notification appeared immediately afterward, catching Alex slightly off guard because it contained information he had not expected.
Alex was pleasantly surprised by the additional benefits and immediately reopened his status window to examine his condition.
He quickly noticed something interesting. His Qi energy was now steadily increasing on its own, gaining roughly six or seven points every second.
'My absorption speed has increased quite a lot,' Alex thought, watching the number rise and realizing how useful the system's notification actually was.
His gaze then moved toward the section labeled Undying Energy, the mysterious energy that had been present within his soul since the beginning.
The last time Alex had asked about it, the system had only told him that Undying Energy was responsible for his immortality, but it had never explained what the energy actually was.
Hoping that his increased strength and authority might allow him to learn something new, Alex decided to ask about it once again.
"System, can you tell me more about Undying Energy?" Alex asked, staring at the status window while waiting for a more detailed explanation.
To his disappointment, the answer remained exactly the same as before, leaving him with no additional information about the strange energy.
Alex became lost in thought as he stared at the Undying Energy value, wondering what kind of power could be responsible for making him truly immortal.
He remembered the battle with the powerful monster from the forest and how his injuries had healed rapidly after he had been struck down.
That memory suddenly gave him an idea, and his expression changed slightly as he considered a possibility he had never seriously thought about before.
'Can I use it like Qi… just like I did when I fought that monster?'
Alex looked at his status once again, his curiosity growing as he wondered whether the mysterious Undying Energy could become another source of power.