The old man removed the white cloth, revealing a seemingly ordinary sword. At first glance, it looked unremarkable compared to the many weapons Alex had seen before. Yet the moment the old man handed it to him, Alex was surprised. no notification appeared from the system.
'Huh, it didn't attack…' he wondered. "System, why is that?" he asked.
'What a grand name for such a shabby-looking sword,' Alex thought, his eyes locking onto the name. But as he read the rest of the information, surprise washed over him once again.
"What do you think?" the old man asked, watching Alex with curious eyes.
After swinging the sword a few times, Alex felt an immediate connection. It was as if the blade had been made specifically for him. Every swing felt weightless, and his movements became noticeably lighter and faster.
"I want to buy this," Alex siad. The sword suited him perfectly, and the fact that it was on the verge of evolving made it even more appealing.
"It will be 5 silvers," the old man replied.
Mo Yue's eyes widened in shock.
"Can I pay with monster materials instead? I don't have any money on me right now," Alex asked. He had originally planned to sell his materials in the city first and then return for the things he needed.
"That depends on what you have," Mo Yue said. "Come here. Place the items you wish to sell on this table."
Alex emptied his bag onto the table, keeping only the monster cores he needed for his cultivation.
After carefully examining and calculating the value, Mo Yue announced, "I'll take them for 4 gold and 7 silvers. What do you think?"
Alex was taken aback by the generous amount.
"Okay," he agreed.
She handed him four gold coins and two silvers after deducting the five silvers for the sword. Alex accepted the Sky Splitter along with its sheath, thanked both of them sincerely, and took his leave.
Once Alex had left, Mo Yue turned to her grandfather with a curious expression. She couldn't understand why he had given away such a precious sword.
"Grandpa… are you sure?" she asked.
"I am more than sure," the old man replied calmly.
"If my brothers find out about this, they will surely hunt him down to take the sword back," Mo Yue said, her face turning serious.
The old man remained silent.
After a few moments, Mo Yue returned to her usual demeanor.
"Anyway, Grandpa, why did you sell it so cheaply?" she asked. "That sword is no ordinary weapon — it's a true treasure."
In the past, her grandfather had wielded that very sword to protect their kingdom on the frontier. It was not merely a treasure, but a sacred family heirloom. The Sky Splitter had only ever been passed on to those with the potential to become king.
'This can only mean Grandpa sees him as more worthy of the throne than any of my brothers,' she thought.
However, before she could dwell on it further, she noticed her grandfather had already started walking away without answering her question.
"Hold on!" she called out, rushing after him. Once she caught up, they walked together toward the exit, where a luxurious carriage awaited them.
As they approached, a servant opened the door and bowed deeply.
"Your Highness," he said respectfully.
Before stepping inside, they caught sight of Alex's silhouette in the distance. He looked incredibly happy, almost like an excited child.
'Alex… huh,' the old man thought. 'A monster has been born in such a small city. I can hardly believe it. This must be fate.'
A burning excitement ignited in the old man's heart like a blazing fire.
"Let's leave now," Mo Yue said.
"Yes, my lady."
The carriage began to move. Once it left the city gates, it accelerated to a frightening speed.
*****
In the heart of the city, Alex arrived at the Heaven Palace and stepped inside. After securing his extended stay, he made his way to his assigned room. Upon entering, he chose to sit on the floor rather than on the bed. He didn't want to stain the sheets with the black residue that had appeared during his previous cultivation session.
He retrieved a small pouch filled with monster cores. Without bothering to inspect them, he picked one at random and swallowed it. All the cores he possessed were at or below his current cultivation level, so there was no need to be selective.
He had two First Layer cores, one Second Layer core, and one Fourth Layer Foundation Realm monster core.
A notification instantly appeared before him.
One by one, he consumed every monster core in his possession.
"Status," Alex commanded, wanting to see his current energy reserves.
---[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]
"Can I break through?" he asked.
"Yes," Alex replied without hesitation.
In the next moment, he watched as 3000 Qi energy vanished from his status. Just like before, the breakthrough process began. When he finally opened his eyes, he had successfully advanced to the next stage.
Pleasantly surprised, Alex reopened his status window and noticed that his Qi was now steadily rising by 6 or 7 points every second.
His gaze then drifted to the section labelled 'Undying Energy.' The last time he had inquired about it, the system had simply replied that it was the energy responsible for his immortality. Hoping for more details this time, he asked again. To his disappointment, the answer remained unchanged.
Lost in thought, he pondered the true nature of this mysterious energy. Suddenly, an idea sparked in his mind.
'Can I use it like Qi… just like I did when I fought that monster?'