Chapter 153: Blade’s Strange Behavior

The group didn’t notice that the two swords Blade had been carrying on his back were now reduced to just one. This small detail went completely unnoticed by everyone.

Black Dragon turned to Jing Xin and asked, “I heard that kid had a conflict with Blade earlier.”

Jing Xin was a little surprised. From Black Dragon’s tone, it seemed like he knew Shi Ji.

“You know him?”

“What do you think? Didn’t we talk about him before? I’ve met him a few times because of Xinyan. That kid may not be a hero, but he has a kind of courage that many heroes lack. Daring to clash head-on with Blade? Not bad, not bad. I like that kid.”

Jing Xin let out a sigh, her expression showing a bit of exasperation.

“Yeah, he’s not bad, but he’s just too reckless.”

“Haha! It’s rare for you to think highly of a student. Shi Ji must be quite the promising talent, huh?”

As the two talked, Wind Fether, who was sitting across from them, joined the conversation.

He turned to Jing Xin and said, “Speaking of your student, he really is bold to always stir things up. Seems like any guy he doesn’t like, he wants to step in and take action. Just recently, he got into a spat with Devine Hunter, and now he’s taking on Blade. You were there, right? Judging by Blade’s reaction, don’t tell me he actually lost? Haha!”

Hearing this, Rayger cracked his knuckles in amusement.

“Oh? From the way you’re talking, you’ve piqued my interest now.”

Black Dragon, noticing the curiosity from the two of them, snapped back with a retort.

“Both of you should take this more seriously. Especially you, Wind Fether. You’re an S-rank hero, act like it for once. As for Blade, you both know how strong he is.”

The meeting concluded, and after some casual conversation, Jing Xin and the others eventually left.

Blade walked away, deep in thought, continuously replaying the fight he had with Shi Ji in his mind.

The more he thought about his carefully crafted sword turning into iron sand, the more shocked he felt. He knew better than anyone how much pressure his blade could withstand. But this sword hadn’t just snapped or shattered—it had been pulverized, reduced to nothing but iron sand. 

What could possibly cause something like that?

“Could it be because of that kid?”

During his battle with Shi Ji, Blade had remarked that Shi Ji’s attacks couldn’t touch him, and he had dismissed them because they were easily blocked. 

But now…

“Could it be that it wasn’t because he couldn’t hit me? What if he never intended to attack me at all, and his real target was my sword? But how’s that possible? There’s no way intense collisions could reduce a perfectly fine sword to iron sand, only to have it crumble completely some time later.”

Suddenly, Blade stopped in his tracks, a realization dawning on him.

“It’s her!!!”

By “her,” Blade was referring to none other than Jing Xin. He reasoned that because his sword shattered when she was nearby, she must have been involved somehow.

“Jing Xin’s strength is undeniable. If it was her, this sort of thing wouldn’t be too difficult. That kid is her student. Was this her way of sending me a warning?”

Blade smiled, the corners of his mouth curling up, and his fists clenched slightly.

“Today’s fight was my doing, so I’ll give you some respect. But once this whole situation is over, we’ll settle things once and for all. Heh!”

Blade left, still carrying one sword. In his mind, he had found an answer to the mystery that had been bothering him. But little did he know, that answer was completely wrong.