Lin Tian had clearly not anticipated Gao Zhenhao's sudden collapse into unconsciousness. Nevertheless, the outcome before him could not have been more gratifying.
At this moment, gripping the Coldwater Sword in his hand, he was brimming with excitement and preparing to leave.
However, just as he stepped down from the arena, Zhao Zhenjie moved forward and blocked his path.
"You may leave," Zhao Zhenjie said coldly, his gaze dark and hostile, "but the Coldwater Sword stays."
"The Coldwater Sword stays?" Lin Tian burst out laughing the moment he heard this. "And on what grounds?"
According to the rules of the Artifact Peak, once a spiritual artifact acknowledges a master, it signifies affinity between the two. From that moment on, the artifact rightfully belongs to the one it has recognized.
Now that Gao Zhenhao's Coldwater Sword—thanks to the meddling of the Little Artifact Spirit—had already acknowledged Lin Tian as its master, Lin Tian was fully entitled to take it away. Zhao Zhenjie stepping in to obstruct him at this point was nothing short of shameless.
"This Coldwater Sword is my master's spiritual artifact," Zhao Zhenjie said bluntly, no longer bothering with subtlety, directly invoking Elder Dongfeng's name as a means of intimidation.
"So what you're saying," Lin Tian replied calmly, instantly catching the flaw in his words, "is that Gao Zhenhao brought an elder's artifact into the arena to fight me to the death?"
Zhao Zhenjie's expression darkened at once. He had clearly not expected Lin Tian to be so sharp-tongued. If such an accusation were to spread, Gao Zhenhao's reputation within the Xuanwu Sect would be utterly ruined.
"Of course not," Zhao Zhenjie snapped. "This artifact was refined by Junior Brother Zhenhao himself. It's just that all the materials were lent to him by my master. Strictly speaking, the Coldwater Sword belongs to my master. What—are you planning to walk off with an elder's artifact?"
His face flushed as he finally managed to patch together an explanation.
"And what if it does belong to your master?" Lin Tian lifted his chin proudly. "As long as the artifact hasn't acknowledged a master, anyone can subdue it. Back then, when my Mortal Cannon was fought over by countless fellow disciples and ended up acknowledging my spirit beast instead, I never complained once. So why is it unacceptable now that I make the Coldwater Sword acknowledge me?"
Zhao Zhenjie did have powerful backing, but Lin Tian was hardly without his own support within the Xuanwu Sect. There was no reason for him to fear Zhao Zhenjie at all.
"You merely used some underhanded trick to temporarily control the artifact spirit," Zhao Zhenjie sneered, his face dark with disdain. "Acknowledged you as its master? You? Do you really think you're worthy? My master exhausted countless methods just to awaken the Coldwater Sword's artifact spirit. Now you're relying on a cheap trick to briefly control it and claim it as your own. You might fool others, but you won't fool me."
As these words fell, the surrounding outer disciples erupted in shock. When Zhao Zhenjie first stepped forward, most of them believed he was in the wrong. After all, the rules of the Artifact Peak were explicit: whoever could make a sentient artifact acknowledge them would become its master.
But now, after Zhao Zhenjie's accusation, many began to believe that Lin Tian had not truly achieved recognition. Instead, he had merely used some technique to temporarily suppress the Coldwater Sword.
After all, the Coldwater Sword was a spiritual artifact of the third level of Foundation Establishment. How could such a weapon so easily acknowledge a mere Qi Refinement ninth-layer cultivator?
"Zhao Zhenjie, I truly underestimated your ability to twist black into white," Lin Tian said flatly, utterly speechless. He had not expected an inner disciple to be capable of such blatant shamelessness.
"How am I twisting anything?" Zhao Zhenjie retorted brazenly. "If you insist the artifact has acknowledged you, then call it. Let's see if it answers."
Hearing this, a flicker of surprise flashed through Lin Tian's eyes. He had not expected Zhao Zhenjie to say something so absurd. This was practically delivering help in a snowstorm.
"So if I call out to the Coldwater Sword, and it responds, I'm allowed to take it with me?" Lin Tian asked, staring straight at Zhao Zhenjie.
"That's right," Zhao Zhenjie replied, a hint of hesitation flickering in his heart. But as a disciple of the Artifact Peak, he understood artifact spirits well.
The Coldwater Sword had only been completed a month ago. Even if it had developed an artifact spirit, its intelligence would be exceedingly primitive—barely capable of independent thought.
Such an artifact spirit would not respond no matter how many times Lin Tian called.
"Little Artifact Spirit," Lin Tian said smugly, looking at the Coldwater Sword. "Call me Dad."
At those words, Zhao Zhenjie nearly doubted his own ears. Making an artifact call you Dad? Had Lin Tian finally lost his mind? Did he really believe an artifact spirit would speak, let alone address him as such?
"Lin Tian, you must be an idiot," Zhao Zhenjie laughed, clutching his stomach until he doubled over. "You actually expect an artifact spirit to call you Dad."
"Dad."
In the very next instant, a clear voice rang out from the Coldwater Sword.
Zhao Zhenjie froze, his expression instantly turning blank as he stared in disbelief at the sword in Lin Tian's hand.
"Why did you take so long to answer?" Lin Tian complained unhappily.
"Dad, I'm sorry," the Coldwater Sword replied again.
At that moment, Zhao Zhenjie felt as though he were on the verge of madness. And he was not alone—the same disbelief gripped the countless outer disciples watching from below.
None of them had ever imagined they would one day witness a spiritual artifact speaking aloud—let alone holding a conversation with its master.