What Realm Are You, Exactly?

"Damn... you're way too fierce, Shen Zhou. Two sword strikes crippled a Transformation Yuan Fifth Realm, one kick sent another flying... be honest, have you really only been training for half a month?"

"And also, is the Qin Family ancestral divine weapon really that miraculous? Did it give you that power?"

"Shen Zhou, can you let me try the Taixuan Sword too? Maybe I'm actually that destined one..."

Before entering the city, the group was three people.

On the way back, there was one more—Dongfang Pangpang!

This guy, after seeing Shen Zhou's overwhelming display on Martial Hall Street, crushing the Xu and Yang families, insisted on going to White Deer Academy to train too.

Pei Dahai had no way to deal with him, and figured since the Flying Bird First Martial Hall was also run by the academy, it wouldn't be wrong for Dongfang Pangpang to study there.

Besides, after what happened earlier, the martial hall was likely to be turbulent for a long time, so he planned to close it down and take a break for a while.

As for Shen Zhou and the others...

After leaving Flying Bird City, Tan Tong fell into deep thought.

Everything that happened today was a bit beyond his understanding.

And there was one question he couldn't figure out.

With Shen Zhou Junior Brother being so strong, why did he even come to White Deer Academy to train?

Even stranger, since his sword technique was so powerful, why was he so set on body training instead of sword training?

He decided to go back and ask his teacher.

On the way back, Qin Mingyue didn't say a word. On the surface, it was as if nothing had happened, as calm as when they came.

But no one knew what storms and madness were hidden in her heart.

As for Shen Zhou, he ignored Dongfang Pangpang's endless chatter beside him, spending the whole journey comparing in his mind the difference between using his Entry before body training and after.

"It seems that after body training, the power of the 'Entry' flows more smoothly and operates more freely."

"And this time cutting down a 'Transformation Yuan Fifth Realm' was even easier than when I cut down that group of Transformation Yuan Initial Realms at the Qin family earlier."

"Looks like body training was the right call!"

When they finally returned to the academy, Tan Tong looked at Shen Zhou with a complicated expression and said, "Junior Brother, you've had a long day. Go back and rest well first. Starting tomorrow, I'll teach you the 'Golden Body Art'."

Shen Zhou didn't take anything that happened today seriously at all. He nodded and replied, "Alright, Senior Brother. See you tomorrow."

Qin Mingyue still didn't say a word. She just nodded at Shen Zhou and turned to go back to her own quarters.

Shen Zhou watched her retreating figure, his eyes slowly narrowing. "This little girl's behavior today is very unusual. She's definitely approaching me with a purpose. Maybe I need to find a chance to test her and see what she's really after."

This day was destined to be unsettled.

After Shen Zhou and the others returned to White Deer Academy, a series of 'hot topic' messages spread rapidly through Flying Bird City.

The Xu and Yang families publicly insulted—what was the reason?

A young martial artist, two sword strikes crippling a 'Transformation Yuan Fifth Realm' expert!

The Qin Family Sword Drawer made his first appearance, displaying great power, challenging the Five Great Families with his sword!

As soon as these messages spread, they exploded across Flying Bird City, and countless people began frantically digging for details and inside stories.

Amid these discussions, the identity of 'Shen Zhou, the Qin Family Sword Drawer' quickly reached the ears of the city's masses and was firmly remembered.

Meanwhile.

At the Xu family, one of Flying Bird City's Five Great Families, after learning of the day's events on Martial Hall Street, many of the Xu family's important figures flew into a rage on the spot.

"Useless! Can't even handle a Qin family sponger, and you call yourself a Xu family disciple?"

"Shen Zhou? What kind of nobody is he, daring to stroke my Xu family's whiskers? Is he tired of living?"

"Sword Drawer? Fine, fine, fine... If I get the chance, I'd like to see if his Qin family ancestral divine weapon is really as powerful as the rumors say!"

"Isn't our negotiation with the Qin family over the 'Fire Crystal' mine share coming up soon? Since the Qin family is stirring trouble, we might as well move it up. It'll be a good chance to settle accounts with them all at once."

"Call Baxia back. Tell him to put his training on hold for now. For this negotiation, I want him to hit the Qin family hard. Otherwise, outsiders might really think the Xu family is a sick cat!"

The Yang family.

"The Qin Family Sword Drawer? Shen Zhou?"

"Is the Qin family divine weapon really that powerful, able to instantly boost the wielder's strength?"

"Could the prophecy that's been passed down in the Qin family for years actually come true?"

"Keep a close eye on the Xu family's movements. See how they respond."

"The negotiation period for the 'Fire Crystal' mine between the Xu and Qin families is coming up soon. Who knows, maybe this time our Yang family can join in the fun too..."

White Deer Academy.

The next morning, the sun rose as usual, and Shen Zhou got up as usual, heading to the yellow earth training ground to practice his fists.

Normally, he would arrive first, then the others would trickle in, Old Man Ji would come last, and the dean and the rest would be nowhere to be seen.

But today, when Shen Zhou arrived at the training ground, Dean Wang Fugui, Old Man Ji with his long pipe, sword cultivator Li Taohua, blade cultivator Ouyang Zhen, medical cultivator Bai Feizhan, and their disciples Tan Tong, A Dai, Xi Mei, San Mazi, and even Qin Mingyue... even Dongfang Hongyu, who had just joined the academy, were all already there.

They stood neatly on the yellow earth, all eyes fixed on Shen Zhou as he approached.

"Zhou-gege!"

"Boss Zhou!"

The Three Little Ones and Shen Zhou hadn't seen each other in a while, and they greeted one another upon meeting.

A Dai, after some time apart, had grown much sturdier, his aura steadier and more composed. Word had it that when he studied the blade under Ouyang Zhen, his first lesson wasn't about coagulating blood or channeling qi, but about forging iron. As Ouyang Zhen put it, a formidable blade cultivator must first craft a blade with their own hands—only then could they achieve unity of man and sword. So A Dai was still hammering iron every day to this day.

Xi Mei had also entered the realm, and was already at the second level of Coagulation Blood—a fairly fast cultivation speed. According to Li Taohua herself, Xi Mei had great talent in cultivation and was a promising sword cultivator, with boundless potential ahead. This put Shen Zhou's mind at ease about Xi Mei.

As for San Mazi, the guy had put on quite a bit of weight in the half-month since they'd last met, looking more cheerful than before. By his own account, he was astonishingly gifted in the path of medical cultivation, claiming he would surely one day earn the title of a generation's Medical Immortal. Shen Zhou nodded approvingly at this and urged San Mazi to work hard and realize his dream soon. But inwardly, he sighed: "Ah, San Mazi's probably a lost cause. In just half a month, he hasn't even learned medicine properly yet, but he's already mastered bullshitting. What's going to become of him?"

As they chatted, Old Man Ji interrupted: "Alright, alright... You kids can catch up later. Shen boy, come over here. We have something to ask you."

Shen Zhou looked up at Old Man Ji and the others. Wang Fugui, Li Taohua, and Ouyang Zhen were all watching him with scrutinizing gazes. Beside them, Tan Tong scratched his head awkwardly, not daring to meet Shen Zhou's eyes.

Reading the signs.

Shen Zhou immediately understood what was going on. He stepped forward, feigning ignorance, and asked: "What's up, old man? What do you want to ask?"

Old Man Ji exchanged glances with Wang Fugui and the others, communicating silently before deciding that Old Man Ji would do the questioning. He cleared his throat first, then cut straight to the point: "We heard about yesterday's events. We're asking you now to confirm. Did you really pull the Qin Family Iron Sword?"

Shen Zhou answered casually: "Yes."

Old Man Ji asked again: "And you used that Qin Family Iron Sword to cut down two 'Transformation Yuan Fifth Realm' cultivators in one go?"

Shen Zhou said: "Not two—one. The other one I kicked."

"What realm are you, kid, really?"

"Coagulation Blood Third Realm!"

"And a 'Coagulation Blood Third Realm' can take down two 'Transformation Yuan Fifth Realm'?"

"Let me repeat: I cut down one, and kicked the other."

"I don't care how many you cut down! Is that the point? The point is, can a 'Coagulation Blood Third Realm' beat a 'Transformation Yuan Fifth Realm'? Or is the Qin Family Iron Sword really as the rumors say—able to instantly boost the wielder's strength?"

At that moment, Wang Fugui, Li Taohua, Ouyang Zhen, and Qin Mingyue all pricked up their ears. So the earlier questions weren't the point—this one was what they were truly curious about.

Shen Zhou thought it over. Using the 'Taixuan Sword' to mask the existence of the 'Entry' was just right—at least it was easier to believe and better at misleading outsiders. So he nodded: "Pretty much."

"Tsk... It's really that broken?"

Old Man Ji's eyes went wide. Wang Fugui and the others also found it hard to believe.

Wang Fugui then followed up: "Then what's the highest realm you can reach with it?"

Shen Zhou said: "Not sure exactly, but I think I could take a 'Celestial Firmament Realm' without much trouble."

"..."

Wang Fugui and the others were stunned again.

Boosting someone from just 'Coagulation Blood Third Realm' to being able to fight a 'Celestial Firmament Realm'?

That was way too ridiculous!

How could something like that even exist?

Tan Tong, Dongfang Hongyu, and the other junior disciples all wore identical shocked expressions. Qin Mingyue had already seen it, so she wasn't surprised. Only the Three Little Ones exchanged glances, then silently kept their mouths shut. Because only they knew that Boss Zhou wasn't this ridiculous because he'd gotten the Taixuan Sword—he'd already been this ridiculous before he got it!

After the shock passed, Wang Fugui let out a long breath and said: "Ridiculous is good. At least now we don't have to fear retaliation from the Xu and Yang families. Otherwise, just us old geezers wouldn't be able to hold off two major clans." Old Man Ji, Li Taohua, and Ouyang Zhen all visibly relaxed at that.

Hearing this, Shen Zhou's body jolted violently.

Wha... What?

Old Man Ji and the others had asked about the Qin Family Iron Sword not out of curiosity about how miraculous it was, but because they were worried whether the entire White Deer Academy together could withstand retaliation from the Xu and Yang families?

"They want to help me bear this together?"

Regardless of whether Shen Zhou cared about retaliation from the Xu and Yang families, the fact that White Deer Academy hadn't abandoned him moved him somewhat.

This showed that White Deer Academy truly considered him one of their own.

And after asking about the iron sword, Old Man Ji and the others seemed to have a great weight lifted from their hearts, their expressions returning to normal.

Old Man Ji then walked up with keen interest and said, "Come on, come on... Shen boy, since the Qin Family Iron Sword is so formidable, let's have a go and see if you're just blowing smoke. Saying 'no problem against a Celestial Firmament Realm'—I'm afraid you're getting a bit cocky!"

Watching Old Man Ji's battle-hungry stance, Shen Zhou raised an eyebrow, also intrigued. He wanted to see just how capable Old Man Ji really was.

He deliberately teased, "Hey old man, when we start swinging, I might not be able to hold back. Don't go getting yourself accidentally chopped down by me."

Old Man Ji snorted coldly and said, "Boy, who do you think you're looking down on? That pathetic skill of yours was all taught by me. Could you actually hurt me? I'll let you have three strikes first, no harm done."

"Fine, you said it. Watch my sword!"

"Eh... such a thick Sword Qi? Hold on a second... wait... aaaah~~~~"