Everyone stared at the smoke-shrouded ring, whispering and buzzing with discussion. "Swish!"
Just when everyone thought Xu Chen was doomed, a figure suddenly burst out from the dust and lunged straight at Xiao Geng. Xiao Geng's pupils contracted. He clearly saw the figure charging toward him. It was actually Xu Chen. And he was completely uninjured.
"How is this possible?" he exclaimed inwardly, unable to accept the scene before him.
Xu Chen lunged right up to Xiao Geng. Channeling his accumulated momentum, he threw a lightning-fast punch powered by his forward rush. Xiao Geng hastily crossed his saber horizontally in front of his chest. "Clang!"
Xiao Geng was jolted with numb arms, his figure retreating uncontrollably backward step after step. "Clang!"
Xu Chen stepped forward and delivered yet another punch. Xiao Geng fought desperately to defend himself. "Clang, clang, clang!!"
Xu Chen swung both fists, striking the blade again and again. At first, Xiao Geng managed a stumbling defense, but soon his arms went completely numb from the impact. Finally, with another loud crash, his saber was knocked right out of his hand.
Spiritual power surged wildly over Xu Chen's right leg. With a sharp whish, he unleashed a fierce, whipping roundhouse kick straight into Xiao Geng's waist. "Bang!"
Accompanied by a dull thud, a burst of blood mist erupted from Xiao Geng's waist. Letting out a miserable scream, his body flew backward completely out of control. Amidst the gasps of the crowd, Xiao Geng sailed out of the ring and crashed hard onto the ground. "Whoosh—"
An uproar broke out among the spectators. They stared in shock at the unfolding scene, unable to process it for a long time.
On this day, the name of Xu Chen would forever be etched in everyone's memory. None present would forget this teenager, who appeared to be merely sixteen or seventeen years old, yet had effortlessly defeated Xiao Geng, a rather famous figure in the inner sect.
A moment later, the crowd below the stage finally snapped out of their shock. "Hiss—Good heavens, am I dreaming? Xiao Geng actually lost to Xu Chen."
"This Xu Chen doesn't look very old, yet he defeated Xiao Geng. This boy is extraordinary, truly extraordinary."
"Xiao Geng unleashed his ultimate lethal move and still wasn't a match for Xu Chen. Just how strong is this guy?"
"Is his cultivation really only at the Fourth Layer of Qi Condensation Realm? Could he have concealed his true cultivation?"
"That's entirely possible, otherwise there's no other explanation."
"Another rising star is about to emerge in our inner sect."
"It's just a pity his time in the sect is ultimately too short. In the inner sect competition three months from now, he probably won't make the top thirty."
"Given his age, not making the top thirty is entirely normal. Entering the top one hundred would already catch the attention of the sect's higher-ups."
"Indeed, once favored by the sect's higher-ups and taken in as a disciple..." Countless disciples discussed in disbelief.
"Impossible, how could Xiao Geng lose?" Su Yue also wore an expression of sheer disbelief.
"Trash!" Watching Xu Chen become the center of attention, anger swelled within him, and he spat out a low curse—whether directed at Xu Chen or the defeated Xiao Geng remained unclear.
Amidst the lively discussions, Xu Chen stepped down from the ring. Without even glancing at the unconscious Xiao Geng on the ground, he strode out of Fengyun Gorge.
...
Inner sect. Within Xu Chen's courtyard.
He wore a practiced smile as he saw off yet another visitor. Once the courtyard gate was slammed shut behind them, a hint of exhaustion showed on his face.
Three days had passed since his victory over Xiao Geng. Ever since he defeated Xiao Geng and his reputation spread, visitors had been arriving in a steady stream. Their motives varied: some wanted to befriend this rising inner sect star, some sought to recruit him for their respective families, and others wanted to challenge him to make a name for themselves in the inner sect.
For those who wanted to challenge him and step over him to climb higher, he could coldly send them away. But for those who brought gifts and expressed goodwill, Xu Chen could not just turn them away from his door. After all, nobody hits a smiling face.
Consequently, over these past three days, he had spent almost all his time dealing with various people, leaving him no time whatsoever for cultivation.
"I can't keep going like this." Xu Chen sighed. "Since we are all disciples of the Qingling Sect and they come with good intentions, I can't just refuse them entry."
It seems the only option is to head down the mountain to avoid the spotlight for a while. Never had he imagined that the one forcing him to flee the sect in such a sorry state wouldn't be an enemy, but rather guests arriving with gifts in hand.
Having made up his decision, Xu Chen immediately packed his belongings and headed down the mountain.
...
Guangyun City. A medium-sized city located three hundred miles west of the Qingling Sect, with a population of over a million.
Xu Chen walked along the bustling streets, looking to the left and right.
"Young master, I have a thousand-year-old spirit ginseng and a middle-grade spirit artifact here. Would you like to take a look? Great prices, guaranteed satisfaction!"
Seeing that Xu Chen carried an extraordinary demeanor, a grey-haired elder by the roadside spoke up to promote his wares. Hearing this, Xu Chen glanced at the elder's stall. With just a single look, he shook his head slightly. The so-called thousand-year-old spirit ginseng the elder spoke of was merely an ordinary herb emitting a tiny trace of spiritual power. As for that middle-grade spirit artifact, it was even more absurd.
Withdrawing his gaze, Xu Chen walked on.
Wine shops, apothecary shops, teahouses... he visited them one by one.
As the sky grew dark, Xu Chen prepared to find an inn to stay for the night. But as he passed through an alley, he suddenly heard the sounds of painful groans and the dull thuds of fists landing on flesh from within.
Hesitating slightly, Xu Chen stepped into the alley.
"Ye Fan, you son of a stable hand, you base and lowly bastard! I warned you before to know your place and stay away from Song Ya. Did you just treat my words as wind blowing past your ears?"
"Damn it, take a look at yourself in a mirror, you useless piece of trash, a toad trying to eat swan meat!"
In the alley, a group of youths were brutally beating a thin, frail boy dressed in coarse linen. The frail boy appeared to be only thirteen or fourteen years old. He sat on the ground with his head in his arms, enduring the rain of blows and kicks. Low whimpers escaped his lips, yet he never once begged for mercy.
Seeing this, the ringleader of the group grew even more enraged. Frustrated and desperate, he barked, "Beat him! Keep beating him! Let's see how long he can hold out. Beat him to death, I'll take the blame!"
"Just the son of a stable hand, what does it matter if he's killed?"
The gang of youths discarded any remaining hesitation and rained heavy blows down on the frail boy. The horse-faced ringleader stepped on the frail boy's face and said arrogantly, "Ye Fan, as long as you kneel and beg for mercy, pleading for forgiveness, maybe if I'm in a good mood, I'll let you go."
"Dream on!" Ye Fan's voice was weak, but his attitude remained unyielding.
Seeing Ye Fan refuse, a ruthless look flashed across the horse-faced youth's face. "Beat him! Keep beating him to death!"
Sensing the murderous intent radiating from the horse-faced youth, Ye Fan refused to accept being slaughtered like a lamb. With a low roar, he struggled to his feet. "Clang!"
He drew a broken sword from his back, gripped the hilt with both hands, and glared fiercely at the horse-faced youth.
Seeing this, the horse-faced youth paused for a moment before bursting into loud laughter. The others also threw their heads back and laughed.
"Ye Fan, were you kicked in the head?"
"You're trying to scare us with a rusted broken sword?"
"Hahaha, come on, stab me! Right here! Let's see if you can pierce my skin." The horse-faced youth patted his own chest and shouted at Ye Fan.
A conflicted look appeared on Ye Fan's face. "Smack—"
Stepping forward, the horse-faced youth batted the broken sword out of Ye Fan's hand with a slap, then kicked him squarely in the chest. Ye Fan collapsed back to the ground in agony.
"Did you actually think you were going to stab me?" The horse-faced youth spat disdainfully. He picked up the broken sword, walked over to Ye Fan, who was unable to get up, and slowly raised the weapon.
"Since you carry this broken sword around every day, I'll grant your wish and let you die by it."
With that, murderous intent flashed in his eyes, and he thrust the blade fiercely downward.
Ye Fan closed his eyes, resigning himself to his fate. He was merely the son of a stable hand, a servant of the Song family in Guangyun City. Facing the bullying of Song Hui and the other Song family youths, he was completely powerless to fight back. If he died, probably no one would even collect his corpse.
"Huh?!"
The excruciating pain never arrived. Had Song Hui changed his mind and decided not to kill him after all?
His heart sank, devoid of any joy of surviving a disaster. Based on his understanding of Song Hui, if the other party wasn't killing him right now, it meant he intended to keep him alive for wanton torture—to make his life a living hell.
Slowly, he opened his eyes. The scene that greeted him left him slightly dazed. His initial guess had been wrong. Song Hui hadn't changed his mind; someone had saved him.
The person who saved him was a youth with an upright posture, sword-like brows, and starry eyes.
The youth had grabbed Song Hui's wrist, the tip of the broken sword resting a mere three inches from Ye Fan's chest. He had been a hair's breadth from death. A wave of lingering fear washed over Ye Fan.
"A minor friction, yet you want to take a life. Your heart is far too vicious!" Xu Chen caught Song Hui's hand and spoke coldly.
"Kid, this is none of your business. If you don't want to die, get lost immediately!" Song Hui struggled violently. Finding he couldn't break free, he glared viciously at Xu Chen. "I am a disciple of the Song family. If you know what's good for you, let go right now and kneel to apologize to me, or else I'll make sure you find no burial place!"
"The Song family, are they very impressive?" Instead of letting go, Xu Chen slightly increased his grip.
Song Hui shrieked in agony, snot and tears smearing across his face. The broken sword he had been holding dropped to the ground with a clatter.
Seeing this, Xu Chen shook his head in boredom. He disdained killing scum like Song Hui because doing so would dirty his hands!
"Scram!"
Granted a pardon, Song Hui glared resentfully at Xu Chen, then hurriedly fled with his underlings.
Looking at the rusted broken sword lying by his feet, Xu Chen bent down and picked it up.
***
The moment his finger touched the broken sword, "Boom!"
Xu Chen's mind roared. His body froze in place, completely motionless.
Ye Fan crawled up from the ground and stared with a mixture of shock and suspicion at Xu Chen, who stood frozen with the broken sword in hand. He couldn't understand what had happened to Xu Chen, nor why he had suddenly frozen up. Hesitating slightly, he stepped closer to Xu Chen and reached out to touch him.
The very next second, Xu Chen, who had been motionless, slowly opened his eyes.
Ye Fan let out a miserable shriek, clutching his eyes as he scrambled backward. The instant Xu Chen opened his eyes, Ye Fan caught a glimpse of heaven-shaking sword qi in the other's gaze—it stung his eyes so painfully that tears streamed down uncontrollably.
Xu Chen quickly reined in his aura. Seeing Ye Fan weeping tears of pain, he asked with concern, "Are you alright?"
"I-I'm fine." Hearing Xu Chen's words, Ye Fan waved his hands frantically. As he spoke, he forced open his bloodshot eyes.
"Where did you get this broken sword?" Xu Chen asked softly, still gripping the weapon.
Ye Fan answered honestly, "I found it in the mountains."
He felt a deep sense of gratitude toward this savior of his, answering every question without the slightest reservation.
Xu Chen asked, "Can you give it to me, then?"
The broken sword was useful to him; regardless of whether Ye Fan agreed or not, he had no intention of returning it. Fortunately, Ye Fan was a grateful person. Though a pang of reluctance tugged at his heart, he still nodded.
A smile appeared on Xu Chen's face. This kid was sensible, which spared him from having to forcibly seize the sword.
"This broken sword is useful to me, but I won't take your item for free. I noticed you haven't started practicing martial arts yet. Here, take this Yellow Grade Advanced True Fire Manual; it can guide you onto the path of cultivation."
Xu Chen produced the Xu family's founding cultivation technique and handed it to Ye Fan to express his gratitude. The True Fire Manual, a Yellow Grade Advanced martial art, was of no use to him anymore.
Seeing the cultivation manual in Xu Chen's hands, Ye Fan was overcome with excitement. His body trembled, and hot tears welled up in his eyes. This was a scene he wouldn't even dare to dream of in his wildest fantasies.
With trembling hands, he received the True Fire Manual from Xu Chen, cradling it as carefully as if it were a priceless treasure.
"Disciple Ye Fan pays respects to Master!" He suddenly dropped to his knees and kowtowed three times to Xu Chen.
Hearing Ye Fan call him Master, Xu Chen furrowed his brow slightly, but then relaxed it. Ye Fan came from a humble background yet lacked cowardice; he possessed a firm mindset and astonishing perseverance. Though his martial talent remained unknown, based solely on his character, his future achievements wouldn't be low. Taking him in as an honorary disciple wasn't a bad idea. Besides, it was just a flick of the finger. Whether Ye Fan lived or died in the future had nothing to do with him.
"Get up," Xu Chen said indifferently.
"Thank you, Master."
Seeing that Xu Chen tacitly accepted him as his master, Ye Fan breathed a sigh of relief, uncontainable joy surging in his heart.
Xu Chen instructed, "Don't get too happy just yet. Though I've taken you as a disciple, you are only an honorary disciple, and I won't be staying behind to personally guide your cultivation." Hearing this, a trace of disappointment flickered in Ye Fan's heart.
"Since you called me Master, I cannot be stingy. Take these spirit stones and use them." Xu Chen tossed a pouch of spirit stones to Ye Fan. "I can tell that mob of people earlier are no good sorts; they likely won't let you off easily. For safety's sake, you shouldn't go back. It's best if you leave Guangyun City."
With that final instruction, Xu Chen's figure flashed and vanished from the spot.
Feeling the heavy pouch of spirit stones in his hand, Ye Fan bowed heavily and kowtowed three times toward the direction where Xu Chen had departed.
***
Outside Guangyun City. A nameless small mountain.
Xu Chen took out the broken sword and carefully stroked the rust on the blade. "Who would have thought that a seemingly ordinary broken sword is actually the personal weapon of a Sword Emperor in his youth?"
"Primordial Sword Emperor!"
The moment he touched the broken sword, the statue of the Primordial Sword Emperor within the Heavenly Emperor Palace had undergone a strange reaction and eventually shattered, allowing Xu Chen to receive his inheritance.
Primordial Sword Technique! Imperial Grade Martial Art! Ten forms in total. Strictly speaking, the tenth form was merely a conceptual idea of the Primordial Sword Emperor. He had deduced the tenth sword stance, but died before he could ever execute it.
Primordial Sword Technique:
First form: Moving Mountains
Second form: Parting Rivers
Third form: Destroying Cities
Fourth form: Overturning Seas
...
The inheritance of the Primordial Sword Emperor went far beyond the Primordial Sword Technique; it also included his insights into the sword. However, the Sword Emperor's insights were far too profound for Xu Chen to comprehend in a short period.
With a thought, the Qingchi Sword appeared in his hand. He thrust forward with a single sword strike. "Swish!" The air emitted a sharp, piercing shriek.
Xu Chen withdrew his sword, pondered in place for a moment, and then thrust again. "Scree!" A sonic boom resonated.
This sword strike was faster and possessed greater power.
***
Over the next few days, Xu Chen practiced his swordsman while on the road. His destination this time was the Tianyuan Mountain Range.
The Tianyuan Mountain Range was the premier mountain range in Taishang Country, stretching thousands of miles from east to west. It teemed with countless monster beasts and was packed everywhere with spiritual herbs—a veritable paradise for adventurers.
Xu Chen's journey to the Tianyuan Mountain Range wasn't to forage for spiritual herbs, but rather to hone his swordsmanship and combat skills. Polishing swordsmanship and improving combat prowess required continuous battle, hovering constantly on the brink of life and death. Yet, since he was not a bloodthirsty person who would slaughter the innocent indiscriminately, after much deliberation, he decided to focus his attention on monster beasts.
Thus, the Tianyuan Mountain Range became his primary choice for trial by combat.
***
Liuguang City. A medium-sized city with a population exceeding one million.
As dawn broke, the area outside Liuguang City was already bustling with a sea of people.
"The Blazing Fire Team is heading into the Tianyuan Mountain Range to gather herbs! Eleven slots total, eight already filled, three more needed! Must be at or above the Seventh Layer of Qi Condensation. Anyone willing, come sign up immediately!"
"Hunting a First-Grade Advanced monster beast, White Marsh Elephant! Team requirements: strength must be at the Seventh Layer of Qi Condensation or above. This trip is dangerous, make your decision carefully!"
"The Chasing Wind Team is heading into the Tianyuan Mountain Range for training! Team leader Hong Yi is leading the expedition, seven members with two spots left! Anyone wanting to join, hurry up!"
Walking out from the city gates, Xu Chen stopped in his tracks upon hearing the continuous shouts rising from the crowd, a thoughtful look crossing his face.
His destination was the Tianyuan Mountain Range, and so were these people gathered outside the city. Being a newcomer, he wasn't very familiar with the Tianyuan Mountain Range. Venturing in alone and rashly would inevitably lead him straight into a forbidden zone, resulting in a miserable death with no burial site.
While the people before him might not possess extraordinary strength, their greatest advantage lay in their thorough familiarity with the Tianyuan Mountain Range. They knew where danger lurked, where not to go, understood the terrain, and mastered survival methods and techniques in the wild.
After a moment of contemplation, he walked toward the crowd.
"The Chasing Wind Team is heading into the Tianyuan Mountain Range! Team leader Hong Yi is leading, seven members with one spot left! Anyone wanting to join, hurry up!"
Xu Chen looked toward the source of the voice. The caller was a pockmarked youth, flanked by five others. The six of them seemed to take a scarred man as their leader.
"One spot left, we depart as soon as it's filled!" the pockmarked youth shouted loudly.
Xu Chen walked over and said in a clear voice, "Big brother, I want to join your team. Do I qualify?"
"You?!"
The horse-faced youth followed the voice, looking over to see a somewhat tender and youthful face. He froze slightly before laughing. "Kid, are you joking with me? Get going, get going, don't bother me, or I won't be polite!"
Facing the horse-faced youth's dismissal, Xu Chen didn't get angry at all. Pointing to his own face, he said, "Big brother, do I look like I'm joking? I really want to join."
"Our requirements are not low. To join us, you must have at least the Third Layer of Qi Condensation Realm cultivation." The pockmarked youth deliberately emphasized the Third Layer of Qi Condensation Realm, clearly not believing Xu Chen met the criteria. "Besides that, you need rich combat experience. Our mission entering the Tianyuan Mountain Range this time is arduous, and things certainly won't be easy."
Aside from cultivation requirements, the pockmarked youth also valued combat experience.
Xu Chen smiled, released a trace of his aura, and said, "I am at the Fourth Layer of Qi Condensation Realm, which just happens to meet your recruitment conditions, big brother."
The pockmarked youth was slightly taken aback. Then, he sized Xu Chen up and down in astonishment.
Xu Chen looked only sixteen or seventeen years old, yet he had already reached the Fourth Layer of Qi Condensation Realm. A Fourth Layer of Qi Condensation cultivator at sixteen or seventeen was something unheard of in Liuguang City.
"How old are you?" The pockmarked youth swallowed hard and asked. Perhaps the person before him just possessed a youthful face and was actually in his mid-twenties.
"Twenty-two," Xu Chen fabricated an age.
A Fourth Layer of Qi Condensation cultivator at seventeen was too shocking for ordinary people and drew too much attention, so he deliberately exaggerated his age.
Hearing this, the pockmarked youth breathed a sigh of relief. He had guessed right after all; the person before him just happened to look young. Still, a twenty-two-year-old at the Fourth Layer of Qi Condensation was also a genius, far stronger than himself.
The pockmarked youth said, "Having cultivation alone isn't enough; you also need practical combat experience. To tell you the truth, our trip into the Tianyuan Mountain Range comes with a mission, and clashes with monster beasts are inevitable. Therefore, I still need to test your practical combat capabilities."
"How will you test it?" Interest sparked in Xu Chen's eyes.