Chapter 5: Heavenly Palace Sword 

After leaving the Peace Pavilion, Frank followed the directions and arrived at the Weapon Pavilion.

The guardian of the place was a portly elder with eyes so small they seemed to require prying open to see. His whole body jiggled with fat, and his chest was bare.

The disciples of the Alps Sect called him Kidd.

"Hi." Seeing Kidd Showyer lying leisurely on a recliner, Frank stepped forward and respectfully bowed.

"Hey, why haven't I seen you before?" Kidd glanced at Frank, then sat up. His small eyes sparkled as he looked Frank up and down.

"I'm a new probationary disciple." Frank handed over his jade token. "The elder in green robes told me to choose a Spiritual Weapon."

Kidd took the jade token, examined it, and then casually tossed it back to Frank, lazily reclining once more. He waved his hand and said, "Go in and pick for yourself! Probationary disciples can only choose from the first floor. Don't sneak up to the second."

Frank kept the jade token and walked into the Weapon Pavilion.

The first floor of the pavilion was vast, spanning several thousand feet, with an assortment of weapons of all types. It indeed had every kind of weapon imaginable, and each one gleamed as if it were a flower vying for attention.

"As expected, they're all low-grade." Frank was slightly disappointed after looking through them. As a probationary disciple, he could only choose from the weapons on the first floor.

With this thought, Frank picked up a massive saber but immediately shook his head. "Too light."

Putting it down, he picked up a sword. Although the sword was sharp, Frank returned it to its place.

He went on picking and choosing, like someone shopping at a market. Despite the wide variety of Spiritual Weapons here, he couldn't find anything that caught his eye after circling most of the floor. In the past, he would have overlooked these low-grade Spiritual Weapons completely, but now he had to search through this pile of basic weapons.

After walking around for quite a while, Frank still found nothing.

But at that moment, the True Fire within his Elixir Sea quivered and a thin flame flew out of it.

Frank was stunned. He hurriedly followed it until he reached a stone platform. On the platform was a black iron sword, covered in dust as if it hadn't been moved in ages. The strand of True Fire coiled around this iron sword.

Startled, Frank gripped the hilt of the iron sword, curious about the Spiritual Weapon that had attracted his True Fire.

However, he underestimated the weight of this sword, and he couldn't lift it at all.

"It must be at least two hundred pounds." Frank estimated the sword's weight. No wonder it lay here alone; it wasn't just for show. Ordinary disciples couldn't lift it, and even if they could, they'd need to channel a lot of true energy. Using it in a fight would either result in being killed or exhausting oneself first.

But this only intensified Frank's interest in the iron sword.

"Just a bit more true energy," he lifted the sword and gently blew off the dust.

Immediately, he sensed an ancient aura and saw two archaic characters engraved on the hilt: Heavenly Palace.

"Heavenly Palace," he murmured, carefully examining the iron sword.

The iron sword had no edge, and it was much wider than a typical sword. Its material was unknown. It was extremely heavy, and its blade was engraved with numerous symbols that Frank couldn't understand, giving it a very ancient look.

"What a strange sword," Frank mumbled. A heavy, unsharpened iron sword like this wouldn't be good for slashing, but it would make an excellent weapon for bashing.

"You're the one." Frank hoisted the iron sword onto his shoulder and walked outside.

Hm?

From a distance, Kidd said in a puzzled tone, "With that scrawny body of yours. you ended up choosing that iron sword."

Clang!

Frank approached and dropped the iron sword. The sword was so heavy that half its blade sank into the ground.

"What's the story behind this sword?" Frank pointed to the Heavenly Palace Sword and stated, "It's so heavy."

"Well..." Kidd stroked his beard. After a moment's thought, he said, "It was already here when I took over this place. It's been lying here for at least a hundred years, but I don't know its origin."

"I see."

"I suggest you pick another Spiritual Weapon. It's too heavy. You should pick something lighter."

"No need, this one will do." Frank smiled, gently stroking the iron sword, and finding it increasingly pleasing to the eye.

"Oh, you're stubborn, aren't you? Take it and go!"

"Thank you." Frank bowed respectfully and left the pavilion carrying the Heavenly Palace Sword.

As he stepped outside, he drew curious glances. Disciples passed by in groups of three or four, glancing first at Frank and then at the heavy Heavenly Palace Sword he was carrying, pointing and whispering.

"Who is this guy? Never seen him before. Is he a new probationary disciple?"

"The sword he's carrying looks like the Heavenly Palace Sword, doesn't it?"

"Seems like it. He's got some strength, but he's a bit weak in cultivation. Not sure he's all that bright, either."

Frank ignored their chatter. He had a feeling this Heavenly Palace Sword was far from ordinary. Compared to those low-grade Spiritual Weapons, he'd rather choose this sword, carrying it daily to help with his training.

"Look, people from the Sunrise Sect!" Someone let out a low exclamation, and everyone looked up at the sky.

Another massive flying sword passed by with three people standing on it—an elegant middle-aged woman, a beautiful young woman, and a handsome young man.

"What are people from the Sunrise Sect doing here at Alps Sect?" someone asked in confusion.

"You don't know? In three months, the triennial competition between the Sunrise Sect, Cloudverde Sect, and Alps Sects will take place. They must be here to discuss matters for the event."

"That female disciple is beautiful. She looks like a goddess."

The surrounding discussions went unheard by Frank, whose eyes were already fixed on the sky. More precisely, the beautiful woman standing on the flying sword, her robes fluttering as though she were a celestial goddess.

It was Eleanora.

"I didn't expect to see you so soon," Frank murmured, his dark, deep eyes filled with complexity and coldness. "One day, I'll show what I've got."

Sensing someone watching her, Eleanora looked down, but by then, Frank had already disappeared into the crowd.

"What a familiar feeling," Eleanora murmured.

"What's wrong, Eleanora?"

"Nothing."