Chu Han sprinted all the way back to a dilapidated old residential complex.
His family lived here.
The buildings were old, but the rent was cheap. Everyone who lived here was poor, from the lowest rungs of society.
He passed through a corridor piled high with miscellaneous belongings and stopped in front of an iron door plastered with all kinds of advertisements.
He inserted the key and opened the door.
His home was tiny, and he could see all the way to the end at a glance.
Part of the living room had been partitioned off as his bedroom. A narrow single bed stood pressed against the wall, with several stacks of books piled at its foot.
The only window faced the wall of another building, giving the room terrible lighting. Even during the day, the lights had to be turned on. The kitchen and bathroom were crammed into a corner, and the facilities were old and worn.
Actually, when he was young, before his father was injured, the whole family had lived in a luxurious warriors' residential complex.
After his father, Chu Zhan, was seriously injured, the sky-high medical expenses quickly drained the family's savings. They sold everything of value, including that apartment.
Over the years, they had moved countless times. Each new home was more run-down than the last, and the surroundings grew worse with every move.
Only in the past year had Chu Han's outstanding potential earned him the school's support, finally giving his family a chance to catch its breath.
But now, even his monthly scholarship was gone.
"Is that Little Han back?" A weak voice came from the inner room.
Chu Han gathered all his emotions and answered, "Dad, it's me."
At that moment, only his father was home. His mother was still working outside.
He pushed open the door to the inner room. A haggard middle-aged man was half-leaning against the bed, covered by a thin, patched quilt.
He held a nearly tattered copy of the Basic Exotic Beast Illustrated Guide, while half a bowl of murky medicinal broth sat on the bedside table.
This was his father, Chu Zhan.
Chu Zhan had once been a fairly well-known warrior in River City. Now, however, his qi and blood had withered until he looked like an old man in his eighties or nineties. His body was riddled with hidden injuries, and he could barely maintain his vitality and prevent his wounds from worsening through the use of expensive treatment fluids.
When Chu Zhan saw his son, a glimmer of light appeared in his cloudy eyes. With undisguised anticipation, he asked, "You're back? Did the awakening ceremony go smoothly today? How was the result?"
His voice was somewhat hoarse, and his breathing was unsteady.
Chu Han poured his father a cup of water and said flatly, "I didn't awaken a talent."
The room instantly fell into complete silence.
The hope in Chu Zhan's eyes went out in an instant, replaced by profound despair.
Without an awakened talent, both his son's future and the future of the entire family had become bleak beyond measure!
But that emotion lasted only for an instant before he forcibly suppressed it.
The muscles on his face twitched, and he quickly pulled out a reassuring smile.
"It's fine. There are plenty of people who don't awaken talents. That doesn't mean they can't live good lives. Don't lose heart, and don't put too much pressure on yourself."
Chu Zhan tried to sound relaxed, but his voice grew even raspier.
He knew that the pain and disappointment his son was enduring were a hundred times heavier than anything he himself had suffered as a father!
He could not add any more pressure to his son.
Chu Zhan took a deep breath and changed the subject. "It's no big deal if you can't become a warrior. You can enlist in the military or get into a liberal arts university. Your grades in the liberal arts aren't bad either."
But Chu Han said with a resolute gaze, "My goal has never changed. I will become a warrior, take the martial arts examination, and get into the best Martial Arts University! In the future, I'll also cure your illness."
He paused and glanced at his father. "I will become strong enough. I will definitely get justice for you!"
At the words "get justice," Chu Zhan's body suddenly trembled.
A complex series of emotions flashed through his eyes—shock, pain, fear...
He hurriedly said, "What nonsense are you talking about! My injuries were an accident. No one else is to blame! Plan your own life properly, and don't dwell on this nonsense! Do you hear me!"
His reaction had precisely confirmed Chu Han's suspicion.
Back then, his father, Chu Zhan, had been an elite member of the Blue Eagle Martial Arts School. During a mission organized by the school, he had been gravely injured by a powerful exotic beast and nearly died.
According to the martial arts school's agreement and federal law, the school was responsible for treatment and compensation.
However, afterward, the Blue Eagle Martial Arts School had refused to pay most of the medical expenses with absurd excuses such as "the father acted without authorization" and "he exceeded the scope of the mission." They had even tried to shift all the blame onto his father!
Their family had had nowhere to appeal. Instead, they had faced threats and suppression from the martial arts school, and in the end, they could only be driven out with a paltry sum of compensation.
He had witnessed all of this with his own eyes as a child. At the time, his parents had thought he was too young to remember it, but for Chu Han, it had been etched into his bones.
"I'll make them pay back every one of these debts, principal and interest!"
Hearing this, Chu Zhan sighed. "Things aren't as simple as you think. Besides, the Blue Eagle Martial Arts School is a colossal force. It's not something you can deal with."
Chu Han suddenly smiled. "Dad, I may not have awakened a talent, but I gained another opportunity. Don't worry. My strength definitely won't be inferior to that of people who awakened talents!"
"You've always had a mind of your own since you were little. I can't change it. Since you want to become a warrior, your mother and I will support you unconditionally."
As he spoke, Chu Zhan pointed at the bedside table. "There's a wooden box in the bottom drawer. Take it out and open it."
Chu Han immediately did as he was told and took out a wooden box about twenty centimeters across.
He opened it. Inside lay a small booklet.
"This is... a martial skill?!"
Chu Han's pupils contracted slightly when he saw the large characters on the booklet: Seven Forms of the Army Breaker!
"That's right. This is a C-rank saber-type martial skill: the Seven Forms of the Army Breaker. It's also the only thing I can leave you." Chu Zhan smiled.
"It's actually C-rank? This martial skill must be expensive, right?"
Chu Han clicked his tongue. As far as he knew, a C-rank martial skill cost at least one million Federal currency.
Martial skills, talents, and cultivation methods were all ranked from high to low: SSS, SS, S, A, B, C, D, E, and F.
To ordinary people, a C-rank martial skill was already an extremely precious treasure—something that could only be encountered by chance and never sought at will!
Its value far exceeded that of any Basic Fist Technique or movement technique he had learned before.
"Of course. I nearly spent all my savings to purchase this saber technique back then."
Chu Zhan continued, "Of course, the basic requirement for cultivating this martial skill is reaching the mastery stage in the Basic Saber Technique. That's why I had you practice the Basic Saber Technique from a young age. Without a mastery-level Basic Saber Technique, it's impossible to cultivate this martial skill."
"The reason this saber technique was rated C-rank is that it's extremely difficult to cultivate and requires the practitioner to possess extraordinary comprehension of saber techniques. That's why very few people can cultivate it to the fifth form. Back then, I only reached the fourth form."
"Once cultivated to the fourth or fifth form, the power of this saber technique is comparable to a B-rank martial skill. The sixth form can stand shoulder to shoulder with an A-rank martial skill, while the seventh form is said to approach an S-rank martial skill—but almost no one can master it."
"S-rank? This saber technique's ceiling is actually that high!"
Chu Han was startled when he heard this, and then he was overwhelmed with delight.
What he lacked least right now was comprehension!
"Don't celebrate too soon. If the later forms of this saber technique were really that easy to practice, it wouldn't have been rated C-rank." Chu Zhan said.
Chu Han was unconcerned. "My Basic Saber Technique has already reached mastery. I can start cultivating it at any time."
"Good. Your talent really is far greater than mine. If you can master the first form of this martial skill, it will be enough to handle battles in the wilderness!" Chu Zhan said with a gratified smile.
What he did not know was that after obtaining the Ten Thousand Times Talent, Chu Han's Basic Saber Technique had long since advanced another step, reaching the perfected realm.
Chu Han simply had not told his father.
Chu Han eagerly flipped open the Seven Forms of the Army Breaker.
After reading it only once, he had memorized the contents by heart.
With the support of the Ten Thousand Times Talent, he completely understood all the essentials of the saber technique.
Although he had yet to formally practice it, his understanding of the saber technique had already surpassed his father's!
The core of the Seven Forms of the Army Breaker was the technique of exerting force. Its moves were broad and sweeping, emphasizing an unstoppable momentum and pursuing overwhelming saber power.
Thus, the power of each form increased exponentially, while the requirements for force exertion and control over the saber grew higher as well.
That was also why the final forms were so difficult to practice.
"Then I'll go practice first."
Chu Han went downstairs. Not far from the residential complex was an abandoned park, which had always been his private training ground.
He planned to practice the Seven Forms of the Army Breaker there.
As it happened, a Fine Steel Long Blade was still stored in the Lottery Space, and he could use it as a weapon.
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