Octavion stared at the broken hilt in his hand, looking nonplussed. Finally, he could only sigh helplessly and managed a bitter smile. “Your Dragonslayer Sword is indeed powerful. My blade is considered a top-notch spiritual tool, but I never imagined it would crumble so easily under your sword. Could I possibly take a look at your sword?”
“Sure!” Jared casually tossed Dragonslayer Sword over to Octavion.
Octavion received Dragonslayer Sword, his expression serious as he examined it.
He merely infused a touch of his spiritual energy into Dragonslayer Sword, hoping to thoroughly understand the weapon.
Just as the spiritual energy was infused, Dragonslayer Sword began to tremble violently. Immediately after, a blistering sword light surged, heading straight for Octavion’s palm.
Octavion was taken aback, quickly releasing his grip. Dragonslayer Sword then found its way back into Jared’s hand.
“There’s a sword spirit in Dragonslayer Sword?”
Octavion asked in astonishment.
“Of course, your blade has a blade spirit too, doesn’t it?” Jared said.
Octavion, however, shook his head and said, “It’s not the same. Although my blade also possesses a spirit, it’s not like Dragonslayer Sword. It can’t attack on its own. Compared to Dragonslayer Sword, mine is just a broken blade. After so many rounds with me, you’ve only managed to best me by a small margin. You must be going easy on me. Given your strength, I’m afraid I’d surely lose within three moves.”
Jared offered a slight smile, sheathing his Dragon Slayer sword with an air of nonchalance. “You flatter me,” he said calmly. “Victory and defeat are common occurrences. Today’s battle has been quite enlightening for me.”
A flicker of complexity passed through Octavion’s eyes. “No need to console me. I took a gamble and lost; I was simply outmatched. I can’t say my loss this time was undeserved.”
Jared wore a smile without uttering a word yet secretly reveled in his triumph.
He had indeed concealed his true capabilities. After all, when facing other cultivators, the more cards one had up their sleeve, the greater the chances of survival.
Also, he didn’t want to humiliate Octavion. After all, there was no deep-seated grudge between them, and it was merely a friendly competition.
“Since the outcome has been decided, why don’t we find a place to have a drink?” Jared suggested.
Jared found Octavion quite different from the other celestials.
Therefore, Jared wanted to spend more time with the latter, to gain a better understanding of Celestial Palace. He knew that in the future, he would inevitably have to deal with the young scions of Celestial Palace, so it was essential for him to know his potential adversaries well.
Octavion was taken aback for a moment, then broke into hearty laughter. “Good! I must say, you are quite easygoing. I accept my loss. I’m not someone who’s not sporting. Let’s go for a drink then!”
The two shared a laugh, instantly dissipating the tension that filled the air earlier.
Though Ethereal Realm was harsh, it wasn’t devoid of easygoing individuals. Octavion had lost, but he accepted his defeat wholeheartedly.. Instead, he found himself admiring Jared even more.
Jared followed Octavion back to the imperial city of Allardland. Right then, Bernard was in a standoff with the members of the Tenth Hall. The atmosphere was extremely tense. Although no one took the initiative to attack, everyone was on high alert.
But when they saw Jared returning with Octavion, chatting and laughing together, they were all dumbstruck.
“Octavion…”
Quickly, Lorelei came forward, examining Octavion’s body.
Octavion gave a slight smile and said, “Don’t worry, I’m fine. There’s no need to be so anxious.”
Meanwhile, Jared turned to Bernard. “King Bernard, relax. It’s all right…”
Sensing the heightened vigilance of the men from Allardland, Jared hurriedly urged everyone to calm down.
“Mr. Chance, what happened…”
Bernard was utterly baffled, unsure of what exactly had transpired.
“We were just having a casual chat; no need to be so nervous. King Bernard, could you perhaps find us a quiet spot? I’d like to share a couple of drinks with Octavion,” Jared said.
Upon hearing that Jared intended to drink with Octavion, everyone was left dumbfounded.
Nevertheless, Bernard nodded and said, “Alright, I’ll have someone arrange it immediately.”
Octavion then turned to Lorelei and said, “We can’t go back to Tenth Hall anymore, so we need to find a temporary place to stay. I think Allardland is pretty good; let’s settle here for the time being.”
