"Senior Brother, the martial academy tournament is almost here. We don't have much time."
Chou Wantian raised his wine gourd and took a swig, his voice hoarse.
Lin Jiansan fell silent for a moment. "We still have Qingxian. She..."
Chou Wantian shook his head. "No. Qingxian is the last sword cultivator of Sword Immortal Academy's younger generation, and she is also your closest blood relative. I can't let her take such a risk! You know that those academies share a blood feud with us. If Qingxian competes, she will certainly die!"
Lin Jiansan's body trembled, a flicker of pain flashing through his eyes. After struggling for a long while, he was just about to speak when Lin Qingxian cut in first. "I'm not afraid. I am willing to bear the glory of Sword Immortal Academy!"
Then she turned to look into the distance, her gaze instantly becoming incomparably sharp. "Besides, my mother is still in the Martial Hall's hands. One day, I will fight my way into the Martial Hall and rescue her! Since that is so, I will face those people sooner or later. This battle cannot be avoided!"
Lin Jiansan's old eyes suddenly reddened. He said softly, "Qingxian, the Martial Hall is too powerful. The one who captured your mother is even more terrifying. Stop thinking about revenge!"
Lin Qingxian stubbornly shook her head. "Grandfather, stop trying to persuade me. I am my mother's only daughter. If I do not save her, who will? This is not the time to discuss that. Hurry and stop Xiao Chen from absorbing the Sword Spirit Stone!"
As she spoke, Lin Qingxian turned and pushed open the door, rushing into the secret chamber in a single stride.
A Heaven-Jealous One was cursed by the Heavenly Dao and naturally repelled by the Dao. Even if Xiao Chen possessed a Born King Physique, his chances of entering the Sword Dao were minuscule.
The Sword Spirit Stone was incomparably precious, the final foundation of Sword Immortal Academy. She absolutely could not allow Xiao Chen to waste it for nothing.
Yet just as she moved, waves of vibrations suddenly came from within the secret chamber.
In the next instant, the vibrations grew faster and more violent, until the entire secret chamber began to tremble faintly.
A terrifyingly sharp sword intent surged out of the secret chamber in wave after wave, like an endless tide.
Lin Qingxian halted, horror flashing through her eyes. She turned to Lin Jiansan. "Grandfather, what is this? How could such terrifying sword intent be coming from the secret chamber? Could some peerless sword cultivator have suddenly arrived here?"
Lin Jiansan had also noticed the anomaly and sensed that dreadful sword intent.
He stared fixedly at the secret chamber. "Though this sword intent is terrifying in momentum, it does not actually possess much destructive power. Instead, it contains boundless vitality, like a newborn infant that has just touched the ground! It does not seem like an expert has arrived. Rather, it seems someone is awakening the Sword Dao! Could it be... Xiao Chen has succeeded in awakening?"
"How is that possible? He only began a few dozen breaths ago. Even a peerless seed of sword cultivation could not awaken so quickly!"
Chou Wantian shook his head.
For an ordinary person to become a sword cultivator, the shorter the awakening time, the better. It meant the awakened person was innately compatible with the Sword Dao and could easily awaken and enter the Dao.
Sword Immortal Academy had once produced a Peerless Sword Immortal who had taken only two hours to first enter the Sword Dao. It had shaken the ancient and illuminated the present, creating the history of Great Xia's entire Sword Dao.
After that Peerless Sword Immortal, among the many geniuses of Sword Immortal Academy, the fastest awakening had still taken at least eight hours. That was already considered utterly astonishing.
If one failed to enter the Dao after three days and three nights, it was regarded as an awakening failure, and there would never again be an opportunity to step into the Sword Dao.
Although Xiao Chen possessed a King Physique, he was still a Heaven-Jealous One. It would already be quite good if he could awaken within three days and three nights. A few dozen breaths? How could that be possible?
"Let's go in and take a look."
Lin Jiansan stepped forward, preparing to investigate.
But at that moment, a terrifying Sword Qi suddenly shot out from the secret chamber. Immediately afterward, dense, spiderweb-like cracks appeared across the incomparably sturdy walls, and strands of dazzling azure light spilled out through the fissures.
At the sight of this, everyone present was dumbstruck, frozen in place as though turned to stone!
"Heaven... Heaven Tier? How... how is this possible?"
Lin Jiansan's eyes widened as large as bronze bells.
"Not good! That secret chamber cannot withstand that sword intent. It is about to explode! Retreat!"
Chou Wantian hurriedly shouted.
Before his words had even faded, a thunderous boom rang out. The entire secret chamber actually exploded outright, shattered bricks and stones shooting toward them like raindrops, carrying astonishing Sword Qi as they struck at the group.
Lin Jiansan immediately formed a sword with his fingers and unleashed dozens of Sword Qi strikes in succession before reducing the shattered bricks to powder.
For a time, dust and smoke flew everywhere, leaving Lin Qingxian and the others grimy and disheveled.
Yet none of them cared about such details, because at this moment, the shock in their hearts had reached an indescribable level.
This secret chamber had been forged from thousand-year adamantine stone, which Sword Immortal Academy's predecessors had acquired from the far north at an enormous cost. It was incomparably hard and had specifically been used for Sword Immortal Academy's prodigies to awaken the Sword Dao.
Though it had stood for many years, it was still extraordinarily sturdy.
Yet today, someone had actually blown it apart?
Who would dare believe that if it were told?
Not long afterward, Xiao Chen slowly emerged from the ruins. Fierce Sword Qi coiled around his entire body, and he was as sharp as a drawn blade!
The density of Sword Qi around him made Lin Jiansan and the others' pupils constrict.
"Old Man Chou, your secret chamber isn't very sturdy! It collapsed with barely any effort. What if it hurt someone?"
Xiao Chen grumbled as he patted the dust from his body.
Yet at that moment, no one answered him.
Everyone stared fixedly at him, their eyes filled with disbelief.
"Sword Disciple Level Seven!!!"
"His cultivation actually went directly to Sword Disciple Level Seven after entering the Dao? How is that possible?"
"This Xiao Chen not only entered the Sword Dao within a few dozen breaths, he also possesses a terrifying Heaven Tier talent. The instant he entered the Dao, he already had Sword Disciple Level Seven cultivation!"
"This is fucking absurd opening the door for absurdity—absurdity has come home!"
"With talent this heaven-defying, is there still any justice in the heavens?"
The group stood rooted to the spot, a surge of envy, jealousy, and resentment rising within them.
"Are you certain he is a Heaven-Jealous One? Can a Heaven-Jealous One possess comprehension this heaven-defying?"
Lin Jiansan looked toward Chou Wantian.
"He... he should be! The Martial Spirit Realm said so! But it seems the Martial Spirit Mirror had another half of its prophecy concealed. I don't know what it said!"
Chou Wantian recalled it for a moment before replying.
"There was another half? Could it be..."
Lin Jiansan frowned slightly and fell into deep thought.
Entering the Dao in a few dozen breaths—such talent could be said to have no precedent and no successor.
It was not something a person cursed by the Heavenly Dao could possibly possess!
Perhaps there was some secret on Xiao Chen that no one knew about?
But no matter what, Sword Immortal Academy should have the academy tournament three months from now in the bag.
His granddaughter would not need to take the risk!
At that thought, Lin Jiansan could not help laughing heartily. "Hahaha, good, good! A Born King Physique and Heaven Tier Sword Dao talent—Sword Immortal Academy may produce a True Dragon this time!"
"Senior Brother, what cultivation method do you think he should train in? The highest-grade cultivation method Sword Immortal Academy currently has is that Earth Rank Nirvana Nine Swords. Should we let him train in it?"
Chou Wantian looked at Lin Jiansan.
Most of Sword Immortal Academy's Sword Scriptures had long since been lost. Now, the only one it could present was an Earth Rank cultivation method.
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