Qin Wangchuan did not respond. He merely tapped lightly with his fingertip again, then spoke:
"Stand."
The instant the word left his mouth, the void trembled.
A ten-zhang-tall Spirit Energy Sword tip burst from the ground, pointing straight at Qin Zhaoer!
Qin Zhaoer's pupils abruptly contracted, but she soon sneered. Her figure leaped up as lightly as a swallow, her toes touching the side of the sword tip. Borrowing Strength, she flipped backward and landed steadily several zhang away.
"Heh, Ninth Brother, so what if you're in the Fourth Realm?" A smug curve lifted at her lips. "Your Spirit Art is too slow. It can't even touch the corner of my clothes—"
Before she could finish, Qin Wangchuan's gaze turned cold, and his lips parted slightly.
"Slash!"
The standing Spirit Energy Sword tip suddenly shuddered. Its blade instantly solidified into a complete Giant Sword, then came crashing down with the force of thunder!
"??"
Qin Zhaoer's expression changed drastically. She tried to dodge in haste, only to discover that the sword's momentum had already sealed off every path of retreat.
"Boom—!"
Sword Qi crisscrossed the air, cleaving a bottomless ravine into the ground. Qin Zhaoer was sent flying by the aftermath of the Sword Qi and slammed heavily into the protective barrier at the edge of the Martial Arts Arena, a trace of blood spilling from the corner of her mouth.
An uproar immediately broke out around the arena.
"A five-year-old in the Fourth Realm!?"
The Qin Clan Disciples and elders watching from the sidelines stared wide-eyed, their faces filled with disbelief.
"And he defeated the Eighth Young Master in one move despite being in the same realm!"
"The Eighth Young Master has the support of a Sacred Body!"
Those who did not understand what had happened discussed it heatedly, but those with genuine insight fell into deep thought as they stared at the ravine carved into the ground by the sword.
Law Follows Words?
Sword Intent?
A sword art?
But he was only five years old!
Qin Wenhe was not surprised by this scene. Smiling, he looked at the crowd and said, "See? No matter what happens to him, there's nothing strange about it."
"The Longevity Immortal Body cultivates slowly?" someone said with a bitter laugh. "The Ninth Young Master has shattered that common belief."
"Not only that," another elder added, "don't forget that the Ninth Young Master has Immortal Bones throughout his entire body!"
"Immortal Bones, the Longevity Immortal Body, the ability to foresee the future, and heaven-defying comprehension..." someone murmured. "This can no longer be described as merely having extraordinary talent."
"He's simply..."
"A monster!"
Everyone thought of the same word at once.
In the arena, Qin Wangchuan showed no joy at victory. His childish face carried a calmness utterly unfitting for his age.
He slowly walked over to Qin Zhaoer and looked down at her. "Eighth Sister, thank you for letting me win."
Qin Zhaoer struggled to rise to one knee and looked up at Qin Wangchuan.
Biting her lip, she suddenly burst into tears.
"Waa... Ninth Brother is the worst!"
"Why are you crying? The person who bullied me last time didn't cry." Qin Wangchuan looked at Qin Zhaoer, whose tears resembled pear blossoms in the rain. A faint smile touched his lips. Rather than kick her while she was down, he gently brushed his fingertip over the reddened corner of her eye.
His voice was soft, carrying a hint of teasing, yet somehow making people feel at ease.
"Alright, don't cry."
Qin Zhaoer's sobs caught in her throat. Tears still clung to her eyelashes, but she suddenly raised her head and glared at Qin Wangchuan.
"Who, who needs your fake kindness!" She sniffled as she slapped away his hand, her nails stained with red polish scratching a red mark across the back of Qin Wangchuan's hand. "You were clearly the one who started bullying me!"
She was about to cry again when she suddenly caught sight of the reddened back of his hand. Her sobs immediately stuck in her throat.
She unconsciously twisted her skirt hem. Her blood-stained lips opened and closed several times before she finally squeezed out a nasal mutter:
"...Does it hurt?"
The moment the words left her mouth, she wanted to bite off her own tongue—what kind of stupid question was that? Her own backside was still faintly aching!
With just a few words, the previously heavy duel instantly became cheerful.
[Task completed, Simulation Count +1] [Check-in System activated.]
After helping Qin Zhaoer up, Qin Wangchuan ignored the task completion notification in his mind and instead stared blankly at the ravine cleaved into the arena.
He had comprehended this after witnessing the Sword Seals.
Even without a sword in hand, he could use his body as the sword and his finger as the medium to achieve an effect almost like Law Follows Words.
With a tenfold Origin Source bonus, truths that took others years to comprehend came to him the instant he touched upon them.
And he could draw inferences from one instance to another—simply heaven-defying!
Far from the Martial Arts Arena.
Eldest Brother Qin Wudao and Second Young Master Qin Xuanji stood side by side. Both stared fixedly in this direction, their expressions complicated.
"What do you think of Ninth Brother?" Qin Xuanji asked as he played with an ancient bronze coin in his hand.
"Hmm..." Qin Wudao stood with his hands behind his back, his white robes fluttering despite the absence of wind. Looking at the two stick figures on the arena, he spoke calmly.
"That sword was beautiful. Ninth Brother did not lose unfairly."
As he spoke, he raised a finger slightly, and invisible Sword Qi gathered around him. "But if I had made a move—I could have made it even more beautiful!"
"Stop, stop, stop!" Qin Xuanji suddenly pressed a hand onto his shoulder, pointing toward the distant Martial Arts Arena with the other. Barely contained laughter colored his voice. "Look carefully! Ninth Brother won, and Eighth Sister lost!"
Qin Wudao's sword-like brows furrowed slightly as he focused his gaze—
He really could not see any difference. All he could see were two stick figures standing on the arena.
"..."
The air suddenly fell silent.
Qin Xuanji sighed and took a Jade Box from his sleeve, stuffing it into his hand. "Didn't you eat the Innate Divine Source I gave you last time? Use it already!"
"You really ought to nourish yourself properly. Otherwise, if you ask me, those eyes of yours might as well be dug out."
"We clearly raised you so well from childhood... sigh!"
"How did you end up growing crooked?"
That was right. The Divine Source given to Qin Wangchuan last time had merely been incidental; it had mainly been found for Qin Wudao.
With a deep sigh, Qin Xuanji turned his gaze toward the distant Qin Wangchuan again.
Recent accounts of his deeds flashed through his mind.
"Ninth Brother, Ninth Brother..." he murmured softly, a meaningful smile curving his lips. "Just how many secrets are you still hiding?"
Eldest Brother had grown crooked. Perhaps he could raise Ninth Brother instead?
The bronze coin flipped through the air before landing steadily back in his palm.
The front faced up.
"Great fortune." Qin Xuanji narrowed his eyes. "Interesting."
"Grow stronger. The brighter the light, the larger the shadow, and the easier it will be for me to hide."
Before he could finish, a mocking laugh came from beside him—
"Hiding and skulking about—the way of rats."
"You've got the nerve to say that when you're blind?"
Meanwhile, Cloud Sea of the Ten Directions Immortal Court.
Heavenly Emperor Li held a green bamboo fishing rod as he sat quietly atop the clouds. The fishing line descended ten thousand zhang, reaching deep into the Cloud Sea.
Suddenly, his fingertips paused slightly, and the fishing line trembled as though a fish had taken the bait.
But the next moment, his brows rose. His gaze pierced through endless void and looked toward the Qin Clan.
"Interesting."
He chuckled, casually setting the fishing rod aside before turning toward the person beside him—
"Old Man Qin, that little grandson of yours really is heaven-defying."
There was a hint of admiration in Heavenly Emperor Li's voice. With a light tap of his finger against the void, the rolling Cloud Sea revealed the scene of Qin Wangchuan in the Martial Arts Arena.
"In just a few days, he not only mastered the sword art thoroughly, but even went on to comprehend the rudiments of Sword Seals."
"Given time, he will surely truly comprehend the Sword Seals and may even comprehend the Eighth Seal."
Qin Taiyi stood with his hands behind his back. Hearing this, he sneered. "What he comprehended is his own. What does it have to do with you?"
Heavenly Emperor Li was not angered. Instead, his smile became even more meaningful. "How does it have nothing to do with me?"
"What yours and mine? Won't we all be one family in the future?"
"Hmph!" Qin Taiyi sneered. "You wish."
"You old Li... owe me a huge favor."
Upon hearing this, Heavenly Emperor Li immediately glared, blowing his beard and widening his eyes. With a sweep of his hand, he said, "Don't start this! I gave you the most talented girl the Li Clan has produced in nearly ten thousand years. What more do you want?"
"Not enough."
As those two words fell, the Cloud Sea suddenly churned as invisible Sword Intent surged.
But the next moment, that Sword Intent dispersed as though it had run out of steam.
"Sigh, forget it." Heavenly Emperor Li waved a hand, picked up his fishing rod again, and looked into the distance. "No choice, no choice."
"If I can't do it, and the Li Clan Disciples can't do it, then we can only think of another way."
"Otherwise... the Li Clan will be destroyed."
As the only Imperial Clan that regarded a cultivation technique as a Sacred Relic, the Li Clan's circumstances were not particularly good.
Cultivation techniques would ultimately grow weaker and weaker under the constraints of the era. If they stagnated and their moves could not be renewed, they would be surpassed in the blink of an eye.
When that time came, even a vast Imperial Clan could be wiped out with a flip of the hand.
"Then we shall wait and see."
After Qin Taiyi said this, his figure had already transformed into a wisp of clear breeze and vanished amid the Cloud Sea.
Heavenly Emperor Li watched the direction in which he had departed, then shook his head again. "Old fox... he really can't suffer the slightest loss."
"Giving away people and giving away cultivation techniques."
"You'd better comprehend the Eighth Seal. Otherwise, this time, my Li Clan will truly have suffered a loss all the way to grandmother's house."
Before you continue