C10 It Shouldnt be Him!

"Why does this sword look so familiar?" Yao Xi murmured under her breath. By then, the seemingly ordinary sword had already made its way into Yao Wanli's hands. While Wu Yong, Yao Xi, and the others couldn't hold a candle to his keen eyesight, Yao Wanli's brow was now deeply furrowed as he scrutinized the blade with a perplexed gaze.

"Grandfather, what's the matter? Is there something special about this sword?" Yao Xi inquired, puzzled.

"Something's off..." Yao Wanli murmured, his eyes widening with astonishment.

"Off? What do you mean?"

"This sword... it's not ordinary..."

"No way. It looks like just a regular sword to me..." Yao Xi insisted.

Yao Wanli didn't respond to her directly. Instead, he projected a sliver of his spiritual consciousness into the inner world of the sword. In a flash, his spirit seemed to enter an entirely different realm—profound and enigmatic, with Law Arrays of unfathomable complexity swirling around. These arrays appeared to be sealing an immensely powerful force.

The more Yao Wanli discovered, the more astounded he became, his excitement causing him to tremble. For a moment, he was at a loss for words...

"Grandfather, are you okay?" Yao Xi asked, growing concerned at her grandfather's self-absorbed muttering.

"A master... Such a master..."

It took a while before Yao Wanli could exclaim out loud, startling Yao Xi and the others. What was making him act so oddly?

"Grandfather, please, calm down. Tell us slowly... What master? What are you trying to say?"

"The swordsmith... The person who forged this blade is a master, a rare talent in this world. Yao Xi... I am nowhere near his level... Who could it be? Who created this sword?" Yao Wanli pressed urgently.

"This sword... There must be some mistake... Grandfather, you're surely mistaken." Yao Xi was still in disbelief, and Wu Yong looked equally baffled. Was this ordinary sword really worth such a commotion?

"I'm not mistaken. Have you ever seen an ordinary sword come out of magma completely unscathed?" Yao Wanli challenged.

"Well..."

"Moreover... Xi, use your divine sense to examine the sword's interior..." Handing over the sword, Yao Wanli entrusted his granddaughter to uncover its secrets.

"Alright..." Yao Xi quickly dispatched a tendril of her consciousness. She shared the same sensation and exclaimed in astonishment, "It's so vast, like a world unto itself. And these strange characters... They're meticulously arranged, almost as if they're forming a Law Array... How is this possible?"

"If I'm seeing this correctly, we're looking at an Inscription Array!" Yao Wanli stated emphatically.

"An Inscription Array!" Yao Xi, a Sword Crafting Master herself, understood the significance of such a thing. She had experienced it once before within the Inner Sect of the Profound Heaven Sect. The intricate and profound Law Array was something she could still recall with crystal clarity, even three years later—a true masterpiece.

But wasn't crafting such an array the domain of only the most exceptional Sword Crafting Masters? It demanded an extraordinary level of precision in controlling spiritual energy. Frankly speaking, even her grandfather had only a rudimentary understanding of the Inscription Array. During sword crafting, he couldn't guarantee a flawless Inscription Array every time. And now, to find such a sophisticated Inscription Array on this unremarkable sword seemed like a dream to Yao Xi.

"Where did this sword come from?" Yao Wanli inquired once more.

"This was Lin Yu's creation from yesterday's contest..." Yao Xi's voice was barely above a whisper, yet Yao Wanli heard every word. He sighed, "We've misjudged. You all have misjudged. That's the work of a master swordsmith. He might even be a prodigy from the Inner Sect of the Profound Heaven Sect!"

"But if Lin Yu is such a genius, why would he eliminate the characteristics of Flame Profound Iron?" Yao Xi countered, her pride stung by the memory of Lin Yu downplaying his own work as worthless.

"Xi, you're not looking at the big picture. Sense it again, more carefully this time..." Yao Wanli urged.

Taking his advice, Yao Xi focused her attention anew. Initially dismissive, she soon let out a piercing scream, her mouth agape wide enough to swallow an egg.

"Do you feel it now? He didn't remove the fundamental properties of the Flame Profound Iron; he concealed them within the array. This prevents the attributes from leaking out and significantly enhances the equipment's durability. Moreover... if I'm not mistaken, this involves a unique technique for accumulating power... Xi, as a fire elemental practitioner, channel your spiritual energy into it and give it your strongest slash..." Yao Wanli suggested with a knowing smile.

"Alright, I'll give it a try…" Yao Xi rapidly infused her spiritual power into the long sword. In that instant, she could distinctly sense her strength blending into an entirely different realm. The once dim Law Array began to glow, intricately forming a complex pattern.

Such an intense sensation. Yao Xi marveled internally as she brought her sword down in a swift motion. Without needing to gather her energy, an arc of radiant sword light burst forth...

Whoosh!

The Unparalleled Sword Light astonishingly cleaved the magma pool in two, sending molten rock flying in all directions, causing the entire hall to tremble. Yao Xi, however, was too astounded to take note of her surroundings. She understood her own capabilities all too well; at Yellow Rank Level Six, a single strike from her sword should not possess such formidable might!

"Grandfather, what's happening? Is it the work of the Inscription Array?" Yao Xi inquired, her voice tinged with disbelief.

"Yes, the Law Array within this sword is extraordinary. That young man, Lin Yu, must have concealed the Sword Skill inside it. The Sword Master can channel their spiritual energy to unleash it against foes!" explained Yao Wanli.

"So, does this mean Lin Yu is truly a remarkable Sword Crafting Master?"

"Without a doubt... Xi, do you have any idea where this Lin Yu resides? We must pay him a visit. To be in the presence of such a preeminent Sword Crafting Master is a blessing you cannot afford to miss!" Yao Wanli urged, his enthusiasm palpable.

"I'm not sure where he lives. He was with Ms. Xiangyue yesterday, but she later mentioned that their meeting was a brief encounter. Asking her would likely yield no answers," Yao Xi replied, her brows knitting together in concern.

"Does he have any distinguishing features?" Yao Wanli pressed, determined to seek out the elusive master, no matter how daunting the task.

"Features? He appears to be around 15 or 16 years old, wears a green robe, and has a somewhat pale complexion. His cultivation level is only at the Fourth Level of the Yellow Rank…" Yao Xi described, her expression troubled. What she left unsaid was that Lin Yu seemed to exude an air of hardship, lacking the aura one would expect from a master of his craft.

"Really? Could he be a member of the Profound Heaven Sect's Outer Sect at his age?" Yao Wanli speculated.

"That's highly likely..." Yao Xi agreed with a nod.

"We shouldn't delay... Let's go find Hong Lin right away. A sword-crafting prodigy can't be unknown. As an instructor, he's bound to know something," Yao Wanli declared. Neither of them were ones to drag their feet. Once they decided on a course of action, they headed straight for the Profound Heaven Sect's Outer Sect.

The distance between the Myriad Mile Sword Crafting Pavilion and the Outer Sect wasn't much. In no time at all, they arrived.

As a man of status, Yao Wanli had no trouble gaining entry to the Outer Sect. Skirting a secluded path and crossing three spacious artificial lakes, they reached a Martial Training Field bustling with people honing their martial skills. Dominating the scene was a towering man with eyes as fierce as a tiger's, exuding an air of authority.

"Xiao Hong..." Yao Wanli called out from a distance.

Hong Lin, hearing his name, turned and was taken aback to see the elder and his grandson approaching. "Uncle Yao, Xiao Xi, what brings you here?" he asked, pleasantly surprised.

"Greetings, Uncle Hong..." Yao Xi bowed with respect.

"I'm here to inquire about a young man named Lin Yu. Is he here?" Yao Wanli cut straight to the chase.

"Lin Yu? I think there is someone by that name. What do you need him for, Uncle Yao?" Hong Lin inquired.

Yao Wanli laid out his reasoning succinctly.

"I see... A sword-crafting master of such caliber couldn't possibly be our Lin Yu," Hong Lin concluded. As an instructor of the Outer Sect, he was well-acquainted with the name Lin Yu. Naturally... Lin Yu was a name known to nearly everyone in the Outer Sect—a nobody who had embarrassingly confessed his feelings to the Inner Sect's prodigy, Mo Yunxi. This 'illustrious' act had become the talk of the entire Sect. The Lin Yu that Yao Wanli spoke of, a sword-crafting genius, couldn't possibly be the same Lin Yu known as the Outer Sect's failure.

That simply couldn't be!