Human Clan Defender-Chapter 694 - s 53 to 57: Time Decay, Divine Ability Scroll (Four-in-One, thanks to the "Colorless Void" Silver League)_4

As the words fell, the Holy Slaying Saber unsheathed spontaneously. An unparalleled blade light dispersed all the darkness within the side hall. In an instant, the saber struck the spear shaft. A fearsome power pressed down. The spear shaft trembled violently, unable to withstand the force, and was flung sideways.

The sudden appearance of an ally caught Yi Ning by surprise. By the time he reacted, he saw the very spear that had been overpowering him now being subdued by a long saber.

"Pavilion Master Shen—"

Yi Ning recognized the saber as the one Shen Changqing wore at his waist. However, this realization hit him even harder.

What did this mean? He couldn't defeat the spear, yet that same spear was being suppressed by his opponent's personal saber. Didn't that imply that not only could he not defeat this Great Qin Defender Envoy, but even the Divine Weapon the envoy carried could suppress him at any moment?

Understanding this, Yi Ning's heart turned to ash. Nothing could be more disheartening than this realization.

Shen Changqing cleared his throat. "Pavilion Master Yi," he said, "you may not be aware, but once Dao Arms reach a certain grade, even the weakest are comparable to a Demon Saint—that is, at the Immortal Golden Body Realm. Half-step Dao Arms are already not inferior to the fifth layer of the Heaven Being Realm. It's not easy for ordinary Spirit Arms to make this leap, but once they do, there's a qualitative change. For a Supreme Grade Spirit Arm to grow into half-step Dao Arms, or even full Dao Arms, the difficulty is much greater than for a Body Tempering Realm Martial Artist to ascend to the Heaven Being Realm."

He offered a few words of comfort; otherwise, Shen Changqing suspected Yi Ning might truly become despondent.

Having received the explanation, the Internal Affairs Hall Master finally felt a bit consoled. If half-step Dao Arms were so hard to come by, then it was acceptable. If they were commonly found, his many years of arduous cultivation would truly have been for naught.

Meanwhile, the Holy Slaying Saber was already overpowering the long spear. One was a first-grade Dao Arm in its prime; the other, a half-step Dao Arm not at its peak. The gap between them was immeasurably vast.

Before long, as the Holy Slaying Saber struck the spear shaft once more, the spear emitted a mournful whimper, fell to the ground, and lay still.

The saber returned to its scabbard. The Holy Slaying Saber's voice rang out, "Master, it has been subdued by me."

"Good." Shen Changqing nodded in satisfaction and then turned to Yi Ning. "Pavilion Master Yi, this Divine Weapon has been subdued. If you would like to claim it, please offer your blood to establish ownership!"

"Thank you." Yi Ning took a deep breath. He didn't demur, going directly to the spear and squeezing a drop of blood from his finger onto its shaft.

As the blood fell, the spear initially resisted somewhat. But after the Holy Slaying Saber emitted a pleasing hum, the spear quieted down. Circumstances bow to power; this was true even for Divine Weapons. The Holy Slaying Saber was too strong; even if the spear harbored discontent, it had been thoroughly subdued. Therefore, after resisting for a moment, it allowed the blood to seep in.

Soon enough, Yi Ning felt a connection forming with the Divine Weapon on the ground. With a thought, the Divine Weapon on the ground seemed to sense his intent, rising into the air and landing before him. As he grasped the spear shaft, the connection grew even stronger.

"A half-step Dao Arm!" Yi Ning exclaimed, looking at the incomplete Dao Seal on the spear shaft, hardly able to contain his excitement.

A half-step Dao Arm was equivalent to an Immortal Golden Body Realm expert. This meant that if he properly nurtured it, he would possess power comparable to an Immortal Golden Body Realm existence. An Extreme Realm Warrior with strength comparable to the Immortal Golden Body Realm already enjoyed an enormous advantage; this was exceptionally clear.

Yi Ning then turned to Shen Changqing and bowed deeply. "If not for Pavilion Master Shen's intervention, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to obtain such a Divine Weapon. Any further discoveries within these Ancient Ruins shall belong to you, Pavilion Master Shen. I only hope that when Cultivation Techniques and Martial Arts are found, I might be allowed to copy some."

Having acquired the half-step Dao Arm, he was quite content and saw no reason to vie for anything more.

After this half-step Dao Arm was claimed, there was nothing else of interest in the Armory Hall. After a brief inspection, the two left and proceeded to another side hall.

With the long spear now in hand, Yi Ning typically confronted any Puppets that appeared. Although his own strength was inadequate, the half-step Dao Arm was more than sufficiently powerful. For those Puppets, such a Divine Weapon represented an overwhelming force, making their elimination almost effortless.

Unfortunately, this Ancient Ruin had existed for far too long. Many items left in the side halls had lost their efficacy over the ages. At best, items retained their original appearance but would turn to dust upon touch. At worst, as soon as a side hall's doors opened, everything inside would be reduced to ash. Because of this, despite opening a dozen side halls, the two found nothing of value.

「An unknown amount of time passed.」

The pair once again opened the doors to another hall. Unlike the other side halls, this one was located directly in the middle of the passage; the others were all situated at corners. As the hall doors opened, there was no Puppet attack as they might have imagined. Instead, the interior of this hall was brightly lit, a stark contrast to the dimness of the other areas.

Upon entering, the first thing they saw was a portrait hanging right in the center.

In the portrait, a man in white, his face indistinct, stood atop a mountain peak. One hand was behind his back, while the other pointed towards a Cloud Sea before him. He appeared to be either admiring the magnificent view or perhaps had some other purpose in mind.