Come, Hit Me!

Under the big tree.

Shen Zhou sat in his recliner, a faint, knowing smile playing on his lips as he watched Qin Mingyue.

Qin Mingyue turned back to look at Shen Zhou, her expression complicated. "You really were testing me. When did you start suspecting me?"

Shen Zhou said flatly, "If I told you I've suspected you from the very beginning, would you believe me?"

Qin Mingyue's pupils contracted. Her gaze flickered through several changes, but she quickly steadied herself and said, "It doesn't matter. Whenever you started suspecting me, it's irrelevant now... because the sword is already in my hand. I don't need to fear you anymore!"

Shen Zhou gave a noncommittal smile. "You think just because you're holding the Taixuan Sword, I can't do anything to you?"

Qin Mingyue's heart tightened.

Just then, the Sword Spirit's voice rang out again, huffing angrily at Shen Zhou. "You jerk, you big meanie... back when I was still sealed, you yanked me out by force. Sister, hit him, hit him for me!"

"..."

Shen Zhou's forehead darkened.

This Sword Spirit had been playing dead ever since he pulled her out, just to avoid being commanded by him. Now, of all times, she suddenly popped up again.

After hearing the Sword Spirit's words, Qin Mingyue was stunned. "Forcibly pulled out? Do you mean the Taixuan Sword never acknowledged you from the start?"

Shen Zhou looked up at the sky, pretending not to hear.

The Sword Spirit continued her accusations, spilling everything—how Shen Zhou had threatened on the arena to suppress her in a latrine pit if she didn't submit, forcing her to yield.

Finally, the Sword Spirit said pitifully, "Sister, I never acknowledged him as my master. He's not my master at all. If you can rescue me from his hands, I'll teach you the ancient cultivation techniques of the Qin Family, and I'll give you so many good things. Hurry up and teach him a lesson!"

After hearing the Sword Spirit's words, Qin Mingyue was dumbfounded.

She never imagined the truth could be like this.

The Sword Spirit had never acknowledged Shen Zhou as her master.

He had only pulled out the Taixuan Sword through threats.

So, Shen Zhou wasn't the Qin Family's Chosen One at all?

Once she sorted out this logic, Qin Mingyue glared at him, furious. "So you were never the Chosen One from my Qin Family's ancestral prophecy, and you've been fooling us all this time."

Shen Zhou spread his hands. "Come on, I never said I was your Qin Family's Chosen One. You all assumed that yourselves. What was I supposed to do?"

"..."

Qin Mingyue faltered, then said, "Fine. Since you're not my Qin Family's Chosen One, then today, on behalf of my family, I'm taking back the Taixuan Sword."

Shen Zhou shook his head. "This sword suits me well. Maybe after I find a suitable replacement, I'll return it to you. But for now? No."

Qin Mingyue's brows arched sharply. "I'm not negotiating with you."

"Neither am I."

"The Taixuan Sword is in my hand now. Do you really think you're in any position to bargain?"

"I'm not bargaining. I'm giving you a chance. If you hand over the Taixuan Sword right now, I'll pretend none of this happened."

Qin Mingyue had no idea where his confidence came from. She snapped, "Dream on!"

The Sword Spirit fanned the flames again. "Sister, don't waste words on him. Hit him, hit him!"

Shen Zhou laughed, then shook his head as if in resignation. "Fine. A tree won't grow straight without pruning, and a person won't behave without a beating. Since you two little traitors are so eager to jump around today, I'll loosen up my muscles and play with you."

Shen Zhou reached up to his head, and a wooden, palm-sized miniature Little Wooden Sword hairpin appeared in his hand.

This was something he had prepared in advance, anticipating the need to 'test' Qin Mingyue and guard against exactly this kind of situation.

With the wooden sword in hand, the Entry activated.

Shen Zhou then aimed the Little Wooden Sword at Qin Mingyue and flicked its tip. "Come on, hit me!"

Qin Mingyue: "..."

Staring at the tiny wooden sword in his hand, her gaze went blank.

Was he... serious?

The Sword Spirit seized the moment. "Sister, don't be afraid. I'll help you. Beat him up!"

Those words gave Qin Mingyue the reassurance she needed. Her eyes sharpened. "Fine. You asked for this!"

Qin Mingyue shook her longsword, Yuan power erupting as she unleashed the full peak strength of the Transformation Yuan Second Realm. Her figure blurred into a phantom as she charged straight at Shen Zhou.

Swish, swish, swish...

True to her reputation as the current top prodigy of the Qin Family's younger generation, Qin Mingyue thrust out thirteen strikes in the blink of an eye. Every move was exquisite, every stroke swift, Sword Qi flooding the air. Her strength had improved considerably since the day Shen Zhou swept through the Qin Family.

Yet a trace of goodwill lingered in her heart. She held back, none of her strikes were lethal, and she aimed for no vital points.

Perhaps in her mind, Shen Zhou wasn't truly evil, so she didn't go for the kill.

Seeing this, Shen Zhou curled his lips. He stood motionless, casually waving the Little Wooden Sword twice, yet it perfectly deflected every one of Qin Mingyue's attacks. He said, "Since you still have a bit of conscience, I'll go easy on you too!"

A spark of fire flickered in Qin Mingyue's eyes. "Even now, you're still running your mouth!"

The next moment, her sword sped up by another notch.

The Taixuan Sword flickered with a dark gleam, radiating the might of a Divine Weapon, making Qin Mingyue's attacks even sharper and fiercer, her Sword Qi surging.

Yet, even so, Qin Mingyue could not force Shen Zhou to move even a single step; every one of her strikes was effortlessly blocked by him.

He even had the leisure to pick his earwax, his attitude utterly infuriating.

"Why? Why is this happening?"

"Clearly, the Taixuan Sword is no longer in your hands, so why can you still easily block my attacks?"

"How are you doing this?"

Qin Mingyue retreated in shock, standing still for a long time, unable to believe it.

Why, now that the sword was in her hands, was she still no match for that guy?

Shen Zhou flicked away the earwax he had dug out, then said with a smug expression, "You want to know? Hand over the Taixuan Sword, give me a sincere apology, and I'll tell you!"

"You..."

Qin Mingyue was speechless. She looked down at the Taixuan Sword glowing darkly in her hand and said seriously, "Sword Spirit, I need your help."

The Sword Spirit agreed readily, "Alright!"

Then, the dark gleam on the Taixuan Sword brightened a bit more, and the Divine Weapon's aura emanating from the blade grew stronger.

Qin Mingyue frowned after seeing this. "Sword Spirit, that alone isn't enough. I need you to help me raise my strength, ideally all the way to the Celestial Firmament Realm!"

The dark gleam on the Taixuan Sword flickered, as if the Sword Spirit couldn't believe what she had just heard. Then she confirmed in a small voice, "You mean, you want me to help you raise your strength to the Celestial Firmament Realm?"

Qin Mingyue felt something was off but still nodded. "Mm!"

The Sword Spirit paused, then asked, "How do I do that?"

Qin Mingyue: "???"

You're asking me that?

Qin Mingyue stared at the Taixuan Sword in bewilderment.

The Sword Spirit of the Taixuan Sword was probably staring back at Qin Mingyue in bewilderment from within the blade.

The atmosphere grew awkward for a moment.

Shen Zhou, overhearing their conversation, almost lost his composure.

Until now, Qin Mingyue and everyone else had been kept in the dark by Shen Zhou.

They all thought Shen Zhou had become so strong, even able to unleash the power of the Celestial Firmament Realm, because of the Taixuan Sword. Little did they know, his strength had nothing to do with the sword at all.

Shen Zhou's power was purely the result of cheating.

After a long silence, Qin Mingyue seemed to finally realize something. She looked up at Shen Zhou in disbelief and said, "So, the Taixuan Sword can't actually raise the wielder's strength to the Celestial Firmament Realm, can it? Then how did you do it?"

Shen Zhou replied smugly again, "You guess!"

Qin Mingyue clutched the Taixuan Sword in her hand, her emotions a tangled mess.

The reason she had wanted the Taixuan Sword so badly before was because of the overwhelming power Shen Zhou had displayed while wielding it. This had led Qin Mingyue, who was desperate to grow stronger, to mistakenly believe that she could become just as powerful if she obtained it.

But now, with the sword finally in her hands, she sadly realized that the true strength wasn't in the sword at all—it was in the person wielding it.

It was like someone desperately wanting a new piece of clothing, thinking they'd look beautiful and perfect in it before buying it, only to find after putting it on that it wasn't as good as they had imagined.

That kind of letdown left Qin Mingyue feeling lost, powerless, resentful, conflicted... All sorts of emotions mixed together, eventually turning into a nameless rage.

Qin Mingyue, somewhat losing her composure, raised the sword again and looked at Shen Zhou, suppressing her voice. "Since things have come to this, then make your move. I want to see with my own eyes whether you're really still that strong without relying on the Taixuan Sword."

Hearing this, Shen Zhou slowly turned serious. "Since that's the case, I'll grant your wish!"

With that, Shen Zhou raised the Little Wooden Sword in his hand.

A blazing sword light gradually gathered on the wooden blade, then swelled, transforming into a giant sword over ten meters long.

In that moment, it was the only color in heaven and earth.

"So he really is that strong."

Staring at the descending giant sword, Qin Mingyue's heart turned to ash in an instant. She stood there resignedly, closing her eyes as the giant sword fell toward her head.

Shwoosh...

After a long while.

Qin Mingyue slowly opened her eyes. She found herself still standing there completely unharmed, the Taixuan Sword still in her hand.

She looked up at that person in astonishment.

He was fiddling with the Little Wooden Sword, lying back down in his recliner, and said casually, "I told you, once I find a suitable sword in the future, I'll return the Taixuan Sword to you. But until then, this sword still belongs to me.

However... I can lend it to you temporarily every day.

If you manage to dig up any martial arts manuals, secret treasures, or divine pills from that little Sword Spirit girl, remember to split half with me.

Also, borrow and return, and borrowing again won't be hard. And the sword can't leave my sight.

Got it?"

Hearing this, Qin Mingyue opened her mouth wide in disbelief, several times on the verge of speaking but stopping.

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