Chapter 309
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Chapter 309
The headquarters of the Million Sword Vault was hidden among the swirling sands of an exceptionally barren part of the Scorching Mirror Desert. The positive effects of that was that there were few wild beasts to be concerned with but that also meant there were even fewer landmarks to navigate by. If they knew the precise location they were heading to, it still would not have been a problem with a well trained sense of direction augmented with natural energy.
Unfortunately they only had an approximate region, and even if they found the right place they might not be met with open arms. More likely drawn swords, which was why they were hoping to find Chikere first. If they got close enough they might find tracks of hers, but the winds covered up any tracks within a few hours.
Anton, Hoyt, Velvet, and Alva tried to keep up their pace in hopes of minimizing the time they had to spend in the area. If they simply wanted to cover the entire region they could have separated and covered something like a quarter, but it was more important to stay together for safety.L1tLagoon witnessed the first publication of this chapter on Ñøv€l--B1n.
There! Velvet pointed. Tracks.
Anton nodded. He didnt have any sense of whether or not they were Chikeres in particular- an individual cultivators natural energy shifted away with the sands just as easily as footprints- but it was the best theyd found. Heading that way either well follow after Chikere, or one of the disciples of the Million Sword Vault. The only question is whether or not the latter would be heading towards or away from their headquarters. But we might as well follow it and see if it remains in the region.
While the entire area they were traversing could technically be considered Million Sword Vaults territory, nobody came to intercept them. That would give up the whole secrecy thing, after all. Though as they got closer it would be a different story. More than that, the reception had a high probability of leading to violence, so they truly hoped to catch Chikere. While steering her away from an abundance of swords might be difficult, she did have a sense of loyalty to her friends and would almost certainly be glad to assist them.
The heat of midday beat down on the travelers who were pushing through it so as to not waste any time. While continuously pushing themselves would be dangerous, when they were so close to their goal it was a necessity.
The tracks they were following were scattered far and wide, but becoming more regular and substantial. That meant they were catching up, and hopefully they were after the right quarry. Though even if they found a disciple of the Million Sword Vault, they might be able to get them to lead towards where they wanted, one way or another.
Several more hours of travel finally graced Antons senses with something other than endless sand. A structure, barely distinguishable from its surroundings. They were in fact less than a handful of kilometers away, far closer than Anton would have liked. It was only at that point that he began to feel out cultivators and they were a mere two and a half kilometers away before he sensed fighting within the walls of the compound.
The feeling of Chikeres attacks was unmistakable, but he was unable to get a clear enough sense to tell more than that she was fighting with vigor against multiple opponents. Anton was tempted to launch an attack, but giving them away too soon might make it impossible to access the structure, or draw the ire of people they did not wish to face. Even making it to what they could only presume was the headquarters of the Million Sword Vault was further than they wanted to go.
Halt! Who goes there? A figure barely visible against the gates, half revealed and half hidden by the blinding sun reflecting off of the sand and the structure itself, held one hand on his sword, finally sensing the group. There were more guards nearby as well.
That was the point that it might have been most advantageous to attack, or a moment sooner, but Anton stayed his hand- and the others followed his lead. We are travelers, looking for a companion of ours He continued forward, so as to allow Velvet and Hoyt to be at more optimal range should a battle begin. Of course, the same would be true of the sword cultivators.
Does this person have a name? the guard asked.
Something told Anton that subterfuge wouldnt do them much good. Either they would fight now, or they wouldnt. Chikere.
Some of the tension eased from the surrounding guards. Oh. She didnt say she was expecting anyone else. Wait where you are.
-----
As it turned out, their stores were an entire underground reservoir, which actually led to learning some other things about the compound. Though there was a structure on the surface, most of it had been built down into the sands and even dug into the rock below. For the most part they were given free reign to go wherever they pleased, with the notable exception of the disciples' personal quarters and the areas reserved for elders.
Of note was that the vault was not forbidden to them. Vast hallways led to a myriad of rooms filled with swords of all sorts though at one end were the stores of things that were not swords, with a buffer area of things that might be considered swords. Daggers, for example, found themselves in the no-mans land.
Though they were allowed to wander as they pleased through the area, they were watched by the senses of one of the sects elders. Just because everything was available for inspection did not mean they were allowed to walk off with it. That applied to everyone, and the scrutiny on them was no harsher than on the disciples of the Million Sword Vault itself.
Despite their vast stores, the Million Sword Vault was not hoarding its resources. Everything was on display, and everything had a method to acquire it. Much of that was similar to how the Order of Ninety-Nine Stars did things, with a system of contribution points being used to purchase them. But there were also other methods.
It appeared that they had interrupted Chikere while she was attempting one of those things. It was a trial that straightforwardly required her to face twenty early Essence Collection disciples three at a time and defeat them. After they were welcomed back in, Chikere and the others smoothly returned to that attempt, which resulted in Chikeres victory. Her talent for swords, at least, was nearly unrivaled.
Yes! I got a new number two! Chikere grinned as she held up her new sword. It was still a considerable amount short of her best sword, but swords such as that werent so simple to obtain. Of course, from the number of times attacks had gotten within millimeters of the scars on her neck, it wasnt as if her battle was exactly trivial. She just always rode the edge of victory and defeat.
Though he wasnt particularly interested in swords, Anton still found himself browsing through the vault. It was there that he came across a supreme oddity. It resided in the no-mans land of things that might or might not be swords, and Anton honestly couldnt tell what he thought it was. But something told him it was a bow.
He stepped closer, looking at the piece that was clearly two swords sticking opposite directions out of a single hilt. A double-bladed sword, generally considered too impractical for use compared to simply having two individual weapons. Even for cultivators it rarely came into use. But this one was one step odder, as the blades were flat- of equal width, about two fingers wide its whole length. Even the ends were flat, unable to be used to stab. The holes in them didnt seem to be for weight distribution, but to go along with the string that sat nearby.
Anton was tempted to pick it up and test it, but he could barely wrap his head around it. From the way it looked the blades would have to bend widthwise to function as a bow which couldnt be the most optimal, could it?
Archery contest, said a voice next to him. Anton turned to see the elder in charge of the area, who he hadnt noticed because his energy pervaded everything around to begin with. Was he challenging Anton or? Thats how you can get that. You just need to hit a target at lets see, with your cultivation five thousand meters.
Anton blinked. Was that all? Seemed simple enough. Though he didnt know if he would even want to use it.
Oh yes. You must make use of that bow- and not cut off any of your fingers in the process.
That was a very ominous condition. Anton didnt even need a new bow, really. He just turned to walk away but found himself coming back a few moments later. How many tries do I get?
Each attempt is a single shot from a position we designate to a target you must find, the elder said simply. Should you find yourself with any fingers or portions thereof sliced off, our medics are very capable of stitching you back together, good as new.
That would explain why their sparring was so intense. Though Anton really didnt want to have to find out if it really was good as new. As he considered picking up the string though, he realized how sharp it was. As if it was also meant to cut people. Were there even arrows that could withstand the pressure of that string? That wasnt normally a factor, but this particular thing that might be a bow seemed to have many unusual features.
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Chapter 309
The headquarters of the Million Sword Vault was hidden among the swirling sands of an exceptionally barren part of the Scorching Mirror Desert. The positive effects of that was that there were few wild beasts to be concerned with but that also meant there were even fewer landmarks to navigate by. If they knew the precise location they were heading to, it still would not have been a problem with a well trained sense of direction augmented with natural energy.
Unfortunately they only had an approximate region, and even if they found the right place they might not be met with open arms. More likely drawn swords, which was why they were hoping to find Chikere first. If they got close enough they might find tracks of hers, but the winds covered up any tracks within a few hours.
Anton, Hoyt, Velvet, and Alva tried to keep up their pace in hopes of minimizing the time they had to spend in the area. If they simply wanted to cover the entire region they could have separated and covered something like a quarter, but it was more important to stay together for safety.L1tLagoon witnessed the first publication of this chapter on Ñøv€l--B1n.
There! Velvet pointed. Tracks.
Anton nodded. He didnt have any sense of whether or not they were Chikeres in particular- an individual cultivators natural energy shifted away with the sands just as easily as footprints- but it was the best theyd found. Heading that way either well follow after Chikere, or one of the disciples of the Million Sword Vault. The only question is whether or not the latter would be heading towards or away from their headquarters. But we might as well follow it and see if it remains in the region.
While the entire area they were traversing could technically be considered Million Sword Vaults territory, nobody came to intercept them. That would give up the whole secrecy thing, after all. Though as they got closer it would be a different story. More than that, the reception had a high probability of leading to violence, so they truly hoped to catch Chikere. While steering her away from an abundance of swords might be difficult, she did have a sense of loyalty to her friends and would almost certainly be glad to assist them.
The heat of midday beat down on the travelers who were pushing through it so as to not waste any time. While continuously pushing themselves would be dangerous, when they were so close to their goal it was a necessity.
The tracks they were following were scattered far and wide, but becoming more regular and substantial. That meant they were catching up, and hopefully they were after the right quarry. Though even if they found a disciple of the Million Sword Vault, they might be able to get them to lead towards where they wanted, one way or another.
Several more hours of travel finally graced Antons senses with something other than endless sand. A structure, barely distinguishable from its surroundings. They were in fact less than a handful of kilometers away, far closer than Anton would have liked. It was only at that point that he began to feel out cultivators and they were a mere two and a half kilometers away before he sensed fighting within the walls of the compound.
The feeling of Chikeres attacks was unmistakable, but he was unable to get a clear enough sense to tell more than that she was fighting with vigor against multiple opponents. Anton was tempted to launch an attack, but giving them away too soon might make it impossible to access the structure, or draw the ire of people they did not wish to face. Even making it to what they could only presume was the headquarters of the Million Sword Vault was further than they wanted to go.
Halt! Who goes there? A figure barely visible against the gates, half revealed and half hidden by the blinding sun reflecting off of the sand and the structure itself, held one hand on his sword, finally sensing the group. There were more guards nearby as well.
That was the point that it might have been most advantageous to attack, or a moment sooner, but Anton stayed his hand- and the others followed his lead. We are travelers, looking for a companion of ours He continued forward, so as to allow Velvet and Hoyt to be at more optimal range should a battle begin. Of course, the same would be true of the sword cultivators.
Does this person have a name? the guard asked.
Something told Anton that subterfuge wouldnt do them much good. Either they would fight now, or they wouldnt. Chikere.
Some of the tension eased from the surrounding guards. Oh. She didnt say she was expecting anyone else. Wait where you are.
-----
As it turned out, their stores were an entire underground reservoir, which actually led to learning some other things about the compound. Though there was a structure on the surface, most of it had been built down into the sands and even dug into the rock below. For the most part they were given free reign to go wherever they pleased, with the notable exception of the disciples' personal quarters and the areas reserved for elders.
Of note was that the vault was not forbidden to them. Vast hallways led to a myriad of rooms filled with swords of all sorts though at one end were the stores of things that were not swords, with a buffer area of things that might be considered swords. Daggers, for example, found themselves in the no-mans land.
Though they were allowed to wander as they pleased through the area, they were watched by the senses of one of the sects elders. Just because everything was available for inspection did not mean they were allowed to walk off with it. That applied to everyone, and the scrutiny on them was no harsher than on the disciples of the Million Sword Vault itself.
Despite their vast stores, the Million Sword Vault was not hoarding its resources. Everything was on display, and everything had a method to acquire it. Much of that was similar to how the Order of Ninety-Nine Stars did things, with a system of contribution points being used to purchase them. But there were also other methods.
It appeared that they had interrupted Chikere while she was attempting one of those things. It was a trial that straightforwardly required her to face twenty early Essence Collection disciples three at a time and defeat them. After they were welcomed back in, Chikere and the others smoothly returned to that attempt, which resulted in Chikeres victory. Her talent for swords, at least, was nearly unrivaled.
Yes! I got a new number two! Chikere grinned as she held up her new sword. It was still a considerable amount short of her best sword, but swords such as that werent so simple to obtain. Of course, from the number of times attacks had gotten within millimeters of the scars on her neck, it wasnt as if her battle was exactly trivial. She just always rode the edge of victory and defeat.
Though he wasnt particularly interested in swords, Anton still found himself browsing through the vault. It was there that he came across a supreme oddity. It resided in the no-mans land of things that might or might not be swords, and Anton honestly couldnt tell what he thought it was. But something told him it was a bow.
He stepped closer, looking at the piece that was clearly two swords sticking opposite directions out of a single hilt. A double-bladed sword, generally considered too impractical for use compared to simply having two individual weapons. Even for cultivators it rarely came into use. But this one was one step odder, as the blades were flat- of equal width, about two fingers wide its whole length. Even the ends were flat, unable to be used to stab. The holes in them didnt seem to be for weight distribution, but to go along with the string that sat nearby.
Anton was tempted to pick it up and test it, but he could barely wrap his head around it. From the way it looked the blades would have to bend widthwise to function as a bow which couldnt be the most optimal, could it?
Archery contest, said a voice next to him. Anton turned to see the elder in charge of the area, who he hadnt noticed because his energy pervaded everything around to begin with. Was he challenging Anton or? Thats how you can get that. You just need to hit a target at lets see, with your cultivation five thousand meters.
Anton blinked. Was that all? Seemed simple enough. Though he didnt know if he would even want to use it.
Oh yes. You must make use of that bow- and not cut off any of your fingers in the process.
That was a very ominous condition. Anton didnt even need a new bow, really. He just turned to walk away but found himself coming back a few moments later. How many tries do I get?
Each attempt is a single shot from a position we designate to a target you must find, the elder said simply. Should you find yourself with any fingers or portions thereof sliced off, our medics are very capable of stitching you back together, good as new.
That would explain why their sparring was so intense. Though Anton really didnt want to have to find out if it really was good as new. As he considered picking up the string though, he realized how sharp it was. As if it was also meant to cut people. Were there even arrows that could withstand the pressure of that string? That wasnt normally a factor, but this particular thing that might be a bow seemed to have many unusual features.
Chapter 309The headquarters of the Million Sword Vault was hidden among the swirling sands of an exceptionally barren part of the Scorching Mirror Desert. The positive effects of that was that there were few wild beasts to be concerned with but that also meant there were even fewer landmarks to navigate by. If they knew the precise location they were heading to, it still would not have been a problem with a well trained sense of direction augmented with natural energy. Unfortunately they only had an approximate region, and even if they found the right place they might not be met with open arms. More likely drawn swords, which was why they were hoping to find Chikere first. If they got close enough they might find tracks of hers, but the winds covered up any tracks within a few hours.Anton, Hoyt, Velvet, and Alva tried to keep up their pace in hopes of minimizing the time they had to spend in the area. If they simply wanted to cover the entire region they could have separated and covered something like a quarter, but it was more important to stay together for safety.L1tLagoon witnessed the first publication of this chapter on Nvl--B1n.There! Velvet pointed. Tracks.Anton nodded. He didnt have any sense of whether or not they were Chikeres in particular- an individual cultivators natural energy shifted away with the sands just as easily as footprints- but it was the best theyd found. Heading that way either well follow after Chikere, or one of the disciples of the Million Sword Vault. The only question is whether or not the latter would be heading towards or away from their headquarters. But we might as well follow it and see if it remains in the region.While the entire area they were traversing could technically be considered Million Sword Vaults territory, nobody came to intercept them. That would give up the whole secrecy thing, after all. Though as they got closer it would be a different story. More than that, the reception had a high probability of leading to violence, so they truly hoped to catch Chikere. While steering her away from an abundance of swords might be difficult, she did have a sense of loyalty to her friends and would almost certainly be glad to assist them.The heat of midday beat down on the travelers who were pushing through it so as to not waste any time. While continuously pushing themselves would be dangerous, when they were so close to their goal it was a necessity.The tracks they were following were scattered far and wide, but becoming more regular and substantial. That meant they were catching up, and hopefully they were after the right quarry. Though even if they found a disciple of the Million Sword Vault, they might be able to get them to lead towards where they wanted, one way or another.Several more hours of travel finally graced Antons senses with something other than endless sand. A structure, barely distinguishable from its surroundings. They were in fact less than a handful of kilometers away, far closer than Anton would have liked. It was only at that point that he began to feel out cultivators and they were a mere two and a half kilometers away before he sensed fighting within the walls of the compound.The feeling of Chikeres attacks was unmistakable, but he was unable to get a clear enough sense to tell more than that she was fighting with vigor against multiple opponents. Anton was tempted to launch an attack, but giving them away too soon might make it impossible to access the structure, or draw the ire of people they did not wish to face. Even making it to what they could only presume was the headquarters of the Million Sword Vault was further than they wanted to go.Halt! Who goes there? A figure barely visible against the gates, half revealed and half hidden by the blinding sun reflecting off of the sand and the structure itself, held one hand on his sword, finally sensing the group. There were more guards nearby as well.That was the point that it might have been most advantageous to attack, or a moment sooner, but Anton stayed his hand- and the others followed his lead. We are travelers, looking for a companion of ours He continued forward, so as to allow Velvet and Hoyt to be at more optimal range should a battle begin. Of course, the same would be true of the sword cultivators.Does this person have a name? the guard asked.Something told Anton that subterfuge wouldnt do them much good. Either they would fight now, or they wouldnt. Chikere.Some of the tension eased from the surrounding guards. Oh. She didnt say she was expecting anyone else. Wait where you are.-----As it turned out, their stores were an entire underground reservoir, which actually led to learning some other things about the compound. Though there was a structure on the surface, most of it had been built down into the sands and even dug into the rock below. For the most part they were given free reign to go wherever they pleased, with the notable exception of the disciples' personal quarters and the areas reserved for elders. Of note was that the vault was not forbidden to them. Vast hallways led to a myriad of rooms filled with swords of all sorts though at one end were the stores of things that were not swords, with a buffer area of things that might be considered swords. Daggers, for example, found themselves in the no-mans land.Though they were allowed to wander as they pleased through the area, they were watched by the senses of one of the sects elders. Just because everything was available for inspection did not mean they were allowed to walk off with it. That applied to everyone, and the scrutiny on them was no harsher than on the disciples of the Million Sword Vault itself.Despite their vast stores, the Million Sword Vault was not hoarding its resources. Everything was on display, and everything had a method to acquire it. Much of that was similar to how the Order of Ninety-Nine Stars did things, with a system of contribution points being used to purchase them. But there were also other methods. It appeared that they had interrupted Chikere while she was attempting one of those things. It was a trial that straightforwardly required her to face twenty early Essence Collection disciples three at a time and defeat them. After they were welcomed back in, Chikere and the others smoothly returned to that attempt, which resulted in Chikeres victory. Her talent for swords, at least, was nearly unrivaled.Yes! I got a new number two! Chikere grinned as she held up her new sword. It was still a considerable amount short of her best sword, but swords such as that werent so simple to obtain. Of course, from the number of times attacks had gotten within millimeters of the scars on her neck, it wasnt as if her battle was exactly trivial. She just always rode the edge of victory and defeat.Though he wasnt particularly interested in swords, Anton still found himself browsing through the vault. It was there that he came across a supreme oddity. It resided in the no-mans land of things that might or might not be swords, and Anton honestly couldnt tell what he thought it was. But something told him it was a bow.He stepped closer, looking at the piece that was clearly two swords sticking opposite directions out of a single hilt. A double-bladed sword, generally considered too impractical for use compared to simply having two individual weapons. Even for cultivators it rarely came into use. But this one was one step odder, as the blades were flat- of equal width, about two fingers wide its whole length. Even the ends were flat, unable to be used to stab. The holes in them didnt seem to be for weight distribution, but to go along with the string that sat nearby.Anton was tempted to pick it up and test it, but he could barely wrap his head around it. From the way it looked the blades would have to bend widthwise to function as a bow which couldnt be the most optimal, could it? Archery contest, said a voice next to him. Anton turned to see the elder in charge of the area, who he hadnt noticed because his energy pervaded everything around to begin with. Was he challenging Anton or? Thats how you can get that. You just need to hit a target at lets see, with your cultivation five thousand meters.Anton blinked. Was that all? Seemed simple enough. Though he didnt know if he would even want to use it.Oh yes. You must make use of that bow- and not cut off any of your fingers in the process.That was a very ominous condition. Anton didnt even need a new bow, really. He just turned to walk away but found himself coming back a few moments later. How many tries do I get?Each attempt is a single shot from a position we designate to a target you must find, the elder said simply. Should you find yourself with any fingers or portions thereof sliced off, our medics are very capable of stitching you back together, good as new.That would explain why their sparring was so intense. Though Anton really didnt want to have to find out if it really was good as new. As he considered picking up the string though, he realized how sharp it was. As if it was also meant to cut people. Were there even arrows that could withstand the pressure of that string? That wasnt normally a factor, but this particular thing that might be a bow seemed to have many unusual features.
