Sacred Awakening: Child of Light (3)

Even within the Knight Temple, fewer than ten people truly knew the secrets of the Child of Light. Long Xingyu was not worried about his son's talent being exposed.

"Haochen, your Sacred Awakening is complete. Do you know that your combined internal and external spiritual power is now already equivalent to that of a true knight?"

"Ah? It was that easy?" Long Haochen was greatly surprised. At that moment, he could also feel a warm current seemingly coursing through his body, pulsing along with his will.

"Easy?" A bitter smile appeared on Long Xingyu's face. He thought to himself, This brat truly doesn't know the hunger of the starving when his own belly is full. For an ordinary knight's awakening, having twenty points of Innate Internal Spiritual Power would already be cause to praise the God of Light.

"Your talent is indeed very good, but this is only what Sacred Awakening has brought you. In your future training, you will still need to put forth tremendous effort if you wish to climb to greater heights. Do you understand? Let's talk after we return."

"Dad, I'll definitely work hard."

Bai Yue stood not far away, silently watching the scene. As she watched Long Xingyu put an arm around Long Haochen and walk back toward the wooden cabin, a faint smile rippled across her face. She did not know martial arts, but she understood her husband. She had seen the shock on Long Xingyu's face clearly just now. Her husband was so powerful, yet even he had been stunned by their son's talent. It seemed Chenchen had made the right choice in taking the path of a knight. But if one day, father and son truly had to face that person...

After returning to the wooden cabin, Long Haochen first changed into the coarse cloth clothes he had brought with him, then continued listening to Long Xingyu's instruction.

Long Xingyu said gravely, "Now, tell me your choice. Guardian or Punishment?"

Long Haochen did not need to think or hesitate. He answered firmly, "Dad, I want to become a Guardian Knight."

"A Guardian Knight?" Long Xingyu froze for a moment. "Are you willing to give up the powerful offense and individual combat strength of a Punishment Knight?"

Long Haochen said stubbornly, "Dad, you said that resisting the Devil Race is the business of all humanity. One person's strength is ultimately insignificant. If I become a Guardian Knight, I'll be able to better protect those I want to protect. At the same time, I'll be able to help more people survive on the battlefield."

Long Xingyu was clearly somewhat disappointed. With a sigh, he said, "But in the end, those truly capable of challenging the Seventy-Two Pillar Demon Gods are all the human powerhouses with the greatest individual combat strength."

Long Haochen asked instinctively, "Then can't Guardian Knights challenge Demon Gods?"

At his question, Long Xingyu's eyes suddenly lit up. "That's right! With ninety-seven points of Innate Internal Spiritual Power, as a Child of Light who has undergone Sacred Awakening, and with sufficient spiritual power to support it, why can't you learn more things? Punishment and Guardian are merely classifications. Perhaps you might even create a miracle. Dual cultivation may be the most correct choice, the only way to truly bring out the Child of Light's talent."

Long Haochen seemed to understand something. His face filled with astonishment. "Dad, are you saying that you want me to cultivate the abilities and techniques of both Punishment Knights and Destruction Knights?"

"That's right. From today onward, I will teach you the cultivation methods of a Punishment Knight. Two years from now, you will go to Haoyue Branch Temple and begin training in the profound principles of a Guardian Knight. Perhaps this will slow the rate at which your spiritual power rises. But as long as you can fuse Punishment and Guardian into a single furnace, you will surely become an unprecedentedly powerful knight in the future."

Day after day passed. The knight's inheritance continued atop the tranquil, cloud-swept summit of Odin Mountain. In the blink of an eye, a year and a half had gone by.

Clang—amid a crisp ring, a layer of golden light suddenly lit up around the youth's body. Immediately afterward, a radiant glow like the sun erupted, condensing into a blade of light that tore through the air.

With a light sweep of a Bamboo Sword, the golden blade of light shattered before that tiny sword.

"Not bad. Your Sun Slash has basically grasped its essence. What you lack is only refinement and greater spiritual power."

The one who had blocked that dazzling blade of light with a Bamboo Sword was none other than Long Xingyu, while the youth who had unleashed it was naturally Long Haochen.

A year and a half had passed. Long Haochen was nearly twelve years old now, and compared to when he had still lived in Odin Town, he had undergone earthshaking changes.

Though only twelve, he was already nearly 1.6 meters tall. He did not look particularly muscular, but his slender body had perfect proportions. His black hair drifted behind him, and his pale golden eyes were so clear and crystalline that they seemed to shine like mirrors. His once pretty little face was gradually becoming handsome, yet it remained so perfect that it was astonishing. Combined with his calm, steady bearing, people would surely believe him if he claimed to be fourteen or fifteen.

At that moment, Long Haochen held a heavy sword in each hand—standard-issue knight weapons, each six feet long, eight inches wide, and an astonishing four inches thick. Each of these knight heavy swords weighed more than fifty jin, yet in his hands, they seemed as light as air.

Over the past year and a half, Long Haochen had learned far too much from his father. His internal spiritual power had not increased much, rising only from his innate ninety-seven to one hundred and twenty. However, his External Spiritual Power had already reached the peak of a Third Order Knight: a full two hundred.

Combined, the two totaled as much as three hundred and twenty. This was already the standard of a Fourth Order Knight, only a hair's breadth away from the three hundred and thirty points of spiritual power required for a Fifth Order Knight.

Had Long Xingyu not wanted to lay the most solid foundation possible for him, his rate of improvement would likely have been even more terrifying.

Even with Long Xingyu's strictness, he revealed a satisfied smile as he looked at his son, who was only eleven and a half yet already possessed the Cultivation Level of a Fourth Order Knight. In the history of the Knight Temple, this was absolutely unprecedented. Even with Long Xingyu's own talent in those days, he had only attained such a Cultivation Level at fifteen.

However, as Long Haochen's External Spiritual Power reached its limit, the pace of his progress in spiritual power also visibly slowed. After all, he could now only strengthen his Cultivation Level by raising his internal spiritual power. Unless he could advance into the realm of a Fourth Order Great Knight, he would have no way to raise his External Spiritual Power again.

Hearing his father's praise, Long Haochen could not help revealing a brilliant smile. "Dad, this Sun Slash is incredibly powerful, but it consumes fifty points of my internal spiritual power. It even consumes External Spiritual Power as well. My spiritual power is still too low."

Long Xingyu smiled. "You are only eleven. Do you know that Sun Slash is originally a skill that should only be mastered at the Great Knight level? Cultivation cannot rush for quick success. It must proceed step by step. All right, prepare to defend. Let's see how long you can last today."

Hearing his father say this, Long Haochen's expression immediately turned solemn. His hands tightened unconsciously around the sword hilts.

Long Xingyu moved. His body seemed to carry no weight at all. With only a flash, the Bamboo Sword in his hand had already thrust toward Long Haochen.

Long Haochen lightly raised the heavy sword in his left hand and quickly stepped back, knocking aside the Bamboo Sword's attack. Clearly, Long Xingyu's Bamboo Sword did not contain any spiritual power.

But in the next instant, countless bamboo shadows had already appeared around Long Haochen, like mercury pouring across the ground.

Long Xingyu had vanished. Only those endless bamboo shadows stabbed toward Long Haochen from all directions and at every tricky angle. Yet Long Haochen seemed thoroughly accustomed to such a situation. The pair of heavy swords in his hands danced before and behind him, their speed not the slightest bit slow. Popping sounds rang out without cease, like rain striking banana leaves.