"Xiao Chen, you really are shamelessly boastful. Under heaven, who can walk against the heavens? And you want to revive the Sword Dao? What a fool's dream! I think you'll have trouble even awakening Yellow Rank Sword Dao talent!"
Lin Qingxian shook her head, feeling that Xiao Chen truly did not know the height of heaven or the depth of earth.
Sword Dao talent, like martial talent, was divided into Yellow, Mysterious, Earth, and Heaven ranks. Those with high talent were exceedingly rare—far rarer than in martial arts.
Even Lin Jiansan and Chou Wantian, the dazzling Sword Dao geniuses of years past, had possessed only superior Earth Rank Sword Dao talent. Over the past few decades, even Earth Rank Sword Dao talent had become increasingly scarce throughout Great Xia.
She did not believe Xiao Chen could possess much Sword Dao talent. As for reviving the Sword Dao, that was even more impossible!
"Facts speak louder than words. Miss Lin, please take me to test my aptitude now."
Xiao Chen did not argue, merely smiling as he spoke.
"Let's go!"
Lin Qingxian led the way.
Soon, under the guidance of Lin Qingxian and the others, Xiao Chen entered the Slaying Heaven Courtyard and arrived before an ancient, simple secret chamber. Above its door were three large black characters: Sword Inquiry Chamber.
Lin Qingxian and the others pushed open the door and entered with Xiao Chen. By the dim light of the candles burning within, Xiao Chen swept his gaze around and found the entire chamber extremely bare.
There was only an offering table and a prayer mat. On the table lay a black stone the size of a thumb. There was nothing else.
Xiao Chen glanced at the black stone emitting faint Sword Qi and asked, "Miss Lin, why is this Sword Spirit Stone only such a tiny piece?"
The system had introduced Sword Spirit Stones to him before. They were indispensable spiritual objects used to guide sword cultivators into the path.
Yet according to the system's description, a Sword Spirit Stone should have been fist-sized, emanating terrifying Sword Qi all around it, its sharpness so extraordinary that ordinary people would not dare look at it directly.
The higher the quality of a Sword Spirit Stone, the larger it was and the sharper its Sword Qi. Only by using a sufficiently high-quality Sword Spirit Stone as a guide could a sword cultivator enter the Dao more easily. Using inferior ones, on the other hand, would greatly increase the difficulty of awakening. No matter how exceptional one's talent was, one would get half the result with twice the effort.
This black stone before him was merely thumb-sized, and its Sword Qi was so weak it was almost imperceptible. Could this thing really be used for awakening?
No wonder that old bastard Chou Wantian had looked so gleeful earlier. Sword Immortal Academy's Sword Spirit Stone had actually dwindled to this little!
With only this much, who could awaken?
And Lin Qingxian had even used this to make a bet with him. How was this any different from fraud?
"You know about Sword Spirit Stones?"
Lin Qingxian shot Xiao Chen a surprised look.
Sword Spirit Stones had nearly gone extinct decades ago. Only certain ancient hidden Sword Dao sects still possessed some. Ordinary people simply had no idea what Sword Spirit Stones were, yet Xiao Chen had recognized one at a glance. That truly surprised her.
Not only her—even Chou Wantian and Lin Jiansan beside them wore astonished expressions.
"I know a little. Miss Lin, isn't it going too far to use such a tiny Sword Spirit Stone fragment to awaken me?"
Xiao Chen looked dissatisfied.
Even with the system's help, he still needed the assistance of a Sword Spirit Stone. He had just asked the system, and it said that with only this tiny amount of Sword Spirit Stone as a spiritual guide, he could at most awaken inferior Heaven Tier Sword Dao talent. If he wished to advance further, he could only find a high-quality Sword Spirit Stone later and undergo another advancement.
But Sword Spirit Stones in Great Xia were already close to extinction. Where was he supposed to find one?
"Young Master Xiao, you do not understand. This is already the last bit of Sword Spirit Stone left to Sword Immortal Academy. Bringing it out for you to use is making this old man's heart bleed."
Lin Jiansan gave a bitter smile.
"Grandfather, why are you telling him so much? I think he is just a coward who only knows how to boast. He said earlier that he wanted to revive the Sword Dao, yet now he shrinks back before such a tiny challenge. He has no courage at all."
Lin Qingxian sneered.
"Miss Lin, I don't like you saying that. Let's begin directly."
Xiao Chen frowned slightly.
He had a system. Why would he be afraid?
He merely felt that a mere Heaven Tier Sword Dao talent did not match his Martial God Physique.
Sword cultivators possessed terrifying attack power, but their bodies were frail. If they encountered an opponent with powerful killing techniques, they could easily die a violent death.
His Martial God Physique was incomparably powerful and happened to make up for that flaw. If he were given a slightly higher sword cultivator talent, he could absolutely become a Sword God.
But if he only had Heaven Tier talent, it would severely limit his achievements in the Sword Dao.
At first, he had thought Sword Immortal Academy was hoarding better Sword Spirit Stones and refusing to let him use them. Now, it seemed they truly had exhausted every last resource. He could only make do with this.
"Keep boasting, then. I doubt you can even awaken Yellow Rank Sword Dao talent."
Lin Qingxian snorted coldly.
Xiao Chen did not argue with her further. He looked directly at Lin Jiansan, and under Lin Jiansan's guidance, Xiao Chen quickly began his Sword Dao talent awakening.
The awakening ritual was very simple. One held the Sword Spirit Stone against one's dantian and absorbed it. If Sword Qi radiated from the body, then Sword Qi had entered the body and the awakening was successful.
Otherwise, the awakening had failed.
Whether it succeeded or failed, the sword soul energy within the Sword Spirit Stone would be depleted.
That was why Lin Jiansan was so distressed. This was the final foundation of Sword Immortal Academy. If it failed again, it would mean Sword Immortal Academy would never have another chance to rise, and would soon vanish into the river of history.
"Senior Brother, Qingxian, come outside for a moment. There is something I forgot to tell you earlier."
Seeing that Xiao Chen had already begun awakening, Chou Wantian called Lin Jiansan and Lin Qingxian outside the chamber.
"What is so mysterious?"
Lin Jiansan gave Chou Wantian a displeased look.
He was about to witness the awakening of Sword Immortal Academy's last hope, only to be interrupted by Chou Wantian. He was extremely unhappy!
"Senior Brother, I left out something about that brat Xiao Chen's talent. Besides being born with a King Physique, he is also a Heaven-Jealous One. He may have at most two years left to live."
After a moment of silence, Chou Wantian spoke.
The moment those words fell, Lin Jiansan's and Lin Qingxian's pupils suddenly contracted, countless traces of shock flashing through their eyes!
"A Heaven-Jealous One? He is only a King Physique. How could he possibly be a Heaven-Jealous One?"
Lin Jiansan said in disbelief.
He had heard a little about Heaven-Jealous Ones. Every single one was an unrivaled prodigy, peerless throughout the ages. Even Emperor Physiques above King Physiques could not provoke heaven's jealous flames.
How terrifying was the Heavenly Dao? It would not even spare an extra glance for ordinary heavenly prodigies.
Yet a King Physique had actually incurred heaven's jealousy. It was simply unbelievable!
Lin Qingxian was thoroughly shocked as well.
A Heaven-Jealous One was both fortunate and tragic. Fortunate, because they possessed supreme talent that might not appear once in ten thousand ages; tragic, because they would suffer suppression from the Heavenly Dao and find it difficult to grow.
"I do not know the reason either, but the verdict given by Saintly Wasteland Academy's Martial Spirit Mirror should not be wrong."
Chou Wantian said in a low voice.
"You knew he was a Heaven-Jealous One, yet you still let him absorb the last bit of Sword Spirit Stone from our Slaying Heaven Courtyard? Don't you know that Heaven-Jealous Ones are destined to have no affinity with the Dao? That they will face obstacle after obstacle when comprehending the Great Dao?"
After recovering from his shock, terrifying fury appeared on Lin Jiansan's face.
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