The duel upon the arena stage against Huo Tianlu marked a turning point—
Wei Yi's name resounded throughout the outer sect.
Just as he had anticipated, within mere days, news of his victory spread like wildfire.
After all, Huo Tianlu was no nameless figure. To distinguish himself among thousands of outer sect disciples spoke volumes of his strength. Coupled with his status as one of the Black Tiger Society's three Tiger Generals, his notoriety was considerable.
For a newcomer to rise by defeating such an opponent was, inevitably, a sensational event.
Wei Yi's triumph nearly broke the record for the fastest ascent to fame by an outer sect novice in the entire history of the Tyrant Sect.
His name became widely known overnight.
Countless junior disciples began to idolize him, while many senior disciples extended invitations, eager for Wei Yi to join their respective factions.
Naturally, the Black Tiger Society was not among them.
If their conflict with Wei Yi could once have been reconciled, that possibility had now vanished. Their relationship had plunged to absolute frost.
Wei Yi had not merely stepped over Huo Tianlu—
He had trampled the prestige of the Black Tiger Society.
And for that alone, there was no path to reconciliation.
To do so would be tantamount to admitting fear of a mere newcomer.
As one of the outer sect's most powerful organizations, the Black Tiger Society could not afford such disgrace.
…
What surprised Wei Yi, however, was the silence that followed.
Days passed, and not a shadow of retaliation appeared.
Had they abandoned their plans? Or were they plotting something more insidious?
For the moment, he could not say. Nor did he care to dwell on it.
Deep down, he had never taken the Black Tiger Society seriously.
In truth, he had no intention of remaining long in the outer sect's annex. His true ambition lay within the Tyrant Sect's inner sanctum—and far beyond.
Naturally, he had little regard for petty outer sect squabbles.
"The Black Tiger Society's three Tiger Generals—Huo Tianlu is a second-tier Martial Master. The Smiling Tiger, Xu Pingzheng, and the Sick Tiger, Lei Yuan, should be of similar caliber."
"As for their leader, Zhao Yuanji, he might be a touch stronger than Huo Tianlu… but not by much."
"Given that, I've nothing to worry about."
With such comparisons drawn, all unease in Wei Yi's heart faded entirely.
After all, this was the Tyrant Sect's outer court. Even the Black Tiger Society would have to play by the rules if they sought revenge.
Since they hadn't moved against him, Wei Yi saw no reason to waste thought on them.
He swiftly adjusted to the rhythms of life in the outer court.
As an outer disciple, he was not burdened with menial duties. His only task was cultivation—day in and day out.
The annex existed as a training ground for formal disciples. Outer sect members were simply expected to train diligently and vie for advancement to the inner sect.
Every disciple was striving toward that singular goal.
At that moment, however, Wei Yi was preoccupied with a different dilemma.
…
Inside a private sword-training chamber, Wei Yi sat cross-legged on the floor, drenched in sweat from a full morning of intense practice.
Yet he paid no mind to his exhaustion.
His gaze was fixed intently on the Azuresteel Sword in his hands, a faint trace of helplessness playing at his lips.
"It's finally giving out, huh?"
"As expected… it was only a mortal weapon."
Hairline cracks now laced the edges of the Azuresteel Sword—subtle, but unmistakable to one attuned to its every nuance.
Though invisible to the casual eye, Wei Yi knew the truth: the sword's days were numbered.
At his current cultivation stage as a Martial Warrior, this shouldn't have been the case.
However, unlike others at his level, Wei Yi also wielded a silver-tier bloodline power—and the Crimson Crystal Trueflame.
While the bloodline force was manageable, the Crimson Crystal Trueflame—ranked 108th on the Heavenfire List—was a fearsome elemental fire, among the most volatile energies in existence.
The Azuresteel Sword could withstand ordinary true energy, but not repeated infusions of that savage flame.
It was only a matter of time before the sword succumbed.
And now that time had come.
A sigh stirred within him.
This sword had been his first. It had served him faithfully.
But in the end, it was still a mortal weapon.
"No avoiding it now… I'll have to find a replacement."
With that, Wei Yi opened the game system interface and entered the virtual shop.
This time, the selection available to him had expanded significantly.
Partly due to his increased cultivation, which granted him higher-level access—
Partly due to the fact that he now possessed over 700,000 silver taels.
With both status and wealth, his options were vastly greater.
This time, Wei Yi had no intention of settling for another mundane weapon.
He was determined to acquire a treasure weapon.
Unlike ordinary weapons—which, no matter how sharp or refined, remained bound by their materials—treasure weapons were forged from rare minerals, inscribed with Daoist sigils, infused with arrays and runes, and often imbued with a sliver of sentience.
In truth, only Martial Masters could begin to wield the true potential of treasure weapons.
In the hands of lesser cultivators, their power remained largely dormant.
Wei Yi had originally planned to wait until he advanced to Martial Master before acquiring one.
But plans rarely survive contact with reality.
He had no choice now but to act early.
"Treasure weapons are indeed far more expensive…"
Glancing over the prices, Wei Yi felt a mix of satisfaction and regret.
Pleased—because weapons that were vanishingly rare in the outside world were readily available in the system shop.
Regretful—because many of them were still beyond his financial reach, or locked behind higher permissions.
At present, most available options were low-grade treasure weapons.
Still, there were over a hundred choices, and he soon found himself overwhelmed by the sheer variety.
"So many… I want them all…"
He chuckled. "Forget it. This one will do."
"100,000 silver taels—it should be more than sufficient."
"Especially given that it's system-forged."
As soon as he made his selection, a flash of light shimmered—and a sword appeared before him.
Its scabbard was pitch black, etched with dense, archaic patterns.
A mysterious energy pulsed from its surface.
When Wei Yi drew the blade, a burst of radiant white light erupted.
A chilling aura surged outward, and an inscrutable sensation flooded his mind.
The Heroic Sword.
Origin: the World of Wind and Cloud.
Originally wielded by the nameless swordsman, later passed to his disciple, Jian Chen.
The Heroic Sword was, without question, a weapon of the highest caliber.
Wei Yi activated it with a thought—
And then, a wondrous scene unfolded:
The Heroic Sword rose of its own accord, whirling through the air, orbiting Wei Yi's form in dazzling arcs of pure light.
It exuded an awe-inspiring, indescribable mystique.
"Treasure weapon… with awakened spirit."
"No doubt about it. This is the real thing."
Joy surged in Wei Yi's heart.
In this moment, he truly felt the power and mystery of the Heroic Sword.
With such a weapon in hand, his strength had once again ascended to new heights.
If he were to face Huo Tianlu now—
The man would not last ten exchanges.