C9 A Clever Way to Dispel Doubts

"Young one, step back. This is no place for child's play."

"You naive boy, even Elder Ming can't grasp it, and yet you spout such nonsense?"

The crowd's murmurs swirled with disdain for Shi Luo's abrupt entrance. It was as if he thought himself a spiritual weapon without even trying to look the part.

"Oh? You think you can spot the issue?"

Wang Dahu's anger subsided as he gazed curiously at the youth before him. The young man carried himself with an effortless grace, yet possessed a composure and maturity uncommon among his peers. His deep, dark eyes held an enigmatic depth, inspiring an inexplicable trust in those who met his gaze.

"How can you know it's impossible if you never attempt it?"

Shi Luo replied, his smile unwavering.

Elder Ming looked up at Shi Luo, sensing from the start that there was something extraordinary about the youth. Beyond his commanding presence, which was both regal and gentle, it was his eyes—vast as the ocean—that suggested even the fiercest storms would settle into calmness within their depths.

Who did this young man belong to? Why had he never crossed paths with him before? As Shi Luo stepped forward, Elder Ming's tension eased, and curiosity bubbled up within him. It wasn't surprising, given Shi Luo's past frequenting places of revelry, where he was a stranger to the Treasure Pavilion's esteem. Though not well-known in the Pavilion, he would surely be recognized by all if he strolled down Fireworks Lane.

"Then, young man, please have a look."

Elder Ming's smile was genuine, but his diminutive frame and elderly appearance lent a touch of humor to the gesture, eliciting quiet chuckles from the onlookers. Yet, Elder Ming remained undisturbed by their mirth, his demeanor as serene as ever. Shi Luo observed this and inwardly admired the elder's equanimity. Life was full of sorrows, and few could face them with such unflappable grace.

Shi Luo took the Heaven Splitting Axe in hand, gently stroking its surface as he coaxed the Spiritual Force to life. His eyes closed, he extended his divine sense, silently tracing the flow of energy. The bystanders misunderstood, assuming Shi Luo was merely posturing, and their eyes filled with scorn.

Elder Ming's expression briefly flickered before he regained his composure. There's a saying that laypeople enjoy the spectacle while professionals discern the technique. The moment this young man acted, it was clear whether he had substance. Initially, Elder Ming suspected the youth was merely seeking attention, but now he was beginning to recognize the young man's potential. Still, whether he could address the issue with the Heaven Splitting Axe remained to be seen. After all, the boy had only replicated what Elder Ming himself had done, and he had detected nothing amiss.

A spirit weapon is only as such because it possesses a spirit. Cultivators typically channel Spiritual Force directly into the weapon, triggering the runes within to vibrate and unleash formidable attacks. Every step from the Spiritual Force to the rune vibrations is critical. Shi Luo was now using his soul to trace the pathways of the Spiritual Force, aiming to pinpoint the problem.

"Have you discovered anything amiss, young man?" Elder Ming inquired, his smile tinged with a hint of schadenfreude as Shi Luo withdrew his divine sense.

"Elder Ming speaks the truth; there are no issues with the Heaven Splitting Axe," Shi Luo responded candidly, yet he brought the axe to his nose for a subtle sniff, his expression revealing a sudden realization.

"That goes without saying. Everyone is aware of that."

"Young man, isn't that just blindly following the crowd?" The murmurs of reproach toward Shi Luo began to swell among the onlookers.

"However, there is an issue with the surface of the axe," Shi Luo interjected, instantly quieting the crowd. While the onlookers were puzzled, only Elder Ming's brow furrowed in contemplation.

"Let me ask you," Shi Luo said, turning to face Wang Dahu, "Has your Heaven Splitting Axe ever slain a Seven-Colored Viper, and did it happen to get stained with the black bile from the snake's gall?"

A reflective expression crossed Wang Dahu's face. He had killed more foes than he could count, but now a vague memory surfaced—he had indeed killed a snake, and the black bile from its gallbladder had stained his Heaven Splitting Axe. Had Shi Luo not brought it up, that detail might have slipped his mind entirely.

"That's correct—I have indeed killed a snake, and its gallbladder did come into contact with my axe. Whether it was a Seven-Colored Viper, I'm not certain."

Wang Dahu responded with honesty.

"Let me ask you another question. On that day, the sun blazed fiercely overhead, but then, like clockwork, a sudden downpour ensued. You were soaked to the bone." Shi Luo asked with a slight smile.

"How did you know that? Were you shadowing me back then?" Wang Dahu's face changed abruptly as he recalled the incident with the snake gallbladder, his annoyance resurfacing. The fact that this young man could recount it so accurately was astounding.

"I certainly don't have the leisure to follow a burly man through the Savage Beast Forest. It was your axe that clued me in," Shi Luo explained with a smile.

"How could that be?"

"That's exactly what I'm trying to tell you. There's nothing wrong with your axe, just its surface. The Seven-Colored Viper is naturally cold but loves the sun. It basks in the intense sunlight for two hours daily, and over time, its skin absorbs the sunlight's seven colors, hence its rainbow hue. But sunlight, when broken down, contains more than just seven colors. The colors that the viper can't absorb accumulate in its gallbladder, eventually forming a black liquid."

"Is that so?"

As Shi Luo spoke, everyone's faces lit up with understanding.

"This black liquid is non-toxic, but when it's exposed to the sun and mixed with 'rootless water,' it becomes the most vile substance. If a Spiritual Weapon is even slightly tainted by it, it will lose all its power."

"How can that be? I've never heard of such a thing before."

Clearly, Shi Luo's explanation left the crowd bewildered.

"What, don't you believe me?" Shi Luo chuckled with a hint of mischief. It seemed he would need to demonstrate his true skills, or they would continue to think he was just spinning tales. Shi Luo, undisturbed, posed the question back to them.