One Sword, Instant Kill—You're the Strongest Sequence

If the Spirit Cult had really set its sights on Su Yu, then the closer his protector stayed, the better. If Shen Ruyun had not been a girl, Su Xing, afraid that something might happen, might have simply had the two of them sleep together.

After cleaning up the room,

Su Xing came to Su Yu's door. Just as he was about to push it open and tell Shen Ruyun that the room was ready, he heard her seemingly discussing some confidential information inside. Her voice was quiet, but Su Xing could still hear it clearly.

Shen Ruyun's voice was now firm and crisp, completely unlike the girlish tone she had used when speaking to Su Xing earlier. Su Xing knew that anyone sent by the authorities to protect Su Yu could not be simple. At the very least, she had to be a second-tier Sequence user. So Su Xing immediately held his breath and patiently listened to the sounds within the room.

After all,

although Su Xing had a system,

he only knew how to add points. When it came to the basic state of this world, he was practically blind. Even now, he was still feeling his way forward alone.

Other than Sequence users and the Spirit Cult, he knew nothing at all.

Soon,

Shen Ruyun's voice sounded from inside the room:

"I was sent by Senior Li to protect you."

"I heard from Senior Li that you should be close to the peak of the first tier. It is about time for you to prepare to break through and become a second-tier Sequence user."

"So, let me tell you about a few things here."

"I know you have only been with our department for a little over a month, so there must be plenty you do not understand. Senior Li may have told you some things, but not in enough detail. So let us start from the very beginning."

"Su Yu, do you know that there are other supernatural powers in this world besides us Sequence users?"

"Brother Ming mentioned them before, but I do not know much about them."

Su Yu shook his head.

Although he remembered most of the Sequences on the Sequence Rankings, and knew that his second Sequence, Judgment, was currently the highest-ranked Sequence discovered in Xia Nation, he truly did not know what else existed in this world besides Sequence users.

Shen Ruyun did not intend to keep him in suspense. Sitting on Su Yu's bed, she set down the backpack she had been carrying and said,

"It is normal not to know. Quite a few people in the organization do not know either."

"Through our research, we have discovered that besides Sequence users, there are at least three other supernatural systems."

"In recorded history, Sequence users like us were collectively known as oddities. The reason is simple: every Sequence user's abilities are different. Some are incredibly powerful, while others are purely support-oriented. There is every kind imaginable, all emphasizing the word 'odd.'"

Su Yu silently nodded. "Indeed, that is a very fitting name for Sequence users."

"Besides oddities, there are also qi cultivators, martial artists, and scholars."

"Qi cultivators cultivate a breath of qi in their hearts and wield countless mystical techniques. They are extraordinarily mysterious and can even grant power out of thin air, allowing ordinary people to possess Sequence-like powers for a certain period of time."

"Although our organization has no qi cultivators, after investigation, we reasonably suspect that the 'Spirit' worshipped behind the Spirit Cult may be a qi cultivator."

"Therefore, we collectively refer to qi cultivators as spirit users or the spirit race."

"However, we still have not figured out why those believers blessed by the 'Spirit' so frequently slaughter ordinary people to conduct Dirty Rituals."

Shen Ruyun spoke a long stretch without pause, then picked up the kettle beside her, poured herself a cup of water, and drained it in one gulp. Only then did she continue.

"As for scholars..."

"They are rather rare."

"History records many scholars of remarkable strength, but spiritual energy has been recovering for several years now, and we have never seen anyone embark on the path of becoming a saint through study."

"Many people in the organization have begun to suspect... perhaps the current environment is no longer suitable for scholars to appear. It may also become extremely difficult for one to be born in the future."

Su Yu sat to one side and listened quietly.

He had heard some of it before, but much of it was information he had never encountered. Every time he heard such things, he felt just how vast this world was, and the small trace of pride he held over possessing twin Sequences gradually faded away.

Su Xing also leaned against the door outside, silently committing everything Shen Ruyun said to memory, engraving it into his mind.

What she had described

was likely the basic makeup of this world's supernatural powers:

Sequence users as the main force, supplemented by a small number of hidden spirit users, along with scholars who had yet to appear.

Su Xing pondered it. She had already mentioned Sequence users, qi cultivators, and scholars who had not yet appeared. Only the last kind, martial artists, remained. By that logic, he himself should belong to the martial artist system, so Su Xing listened even more closely.

After a long while, Shen Ruyun finally sorted through her thoughts and continued,

"The final cultivation system is that of martial artists."

"In ancient times, it was the most popular cultivation system. There were martial artists everywhere in the world; you could scatter a handful of beans from the sky and hit a whole crowd of them. Of course, the reason there were so many martial artists was precisely because they were powerful enough. At the same level, they were nearly invincible."

"Because martial artists are different from Sequence users, the spirit race, and scholars."

"Their entire purpose in cultivation is to kill. Their bodies are powerful, their moves direct. With one swing of a blade, heaven and earth tremble. That is why so many people flocked to them."

Hearing this, Su Yu suddenly asked,

"If that is the case, then why does our organization only have the Sequence user system now?"

"The reason is actually very simple. Systems other than Sequence users are difficult to cultivate in our era. Most people cannot even reach the first tier, so everyone our organization has gathered is a Sequence user."

Shen Ruyun shook her head, then changed the subject.

"However, we have discovered some traces of martial artists. Do you remember the dozen or so white lines you encountered last night?"

"After studying them repeatedly, we believe... those white lines may not be some new Sequence, but rather an unregistered martial artist."

When Su Xing heard that,

his heart skipped a beat.

Just say what you have to say. Why did you have to point me out for no reason...? Those dozen white lines were not they the result of my single sword strike?!

"So that was a martial artist's method?"

Su Yu was also stunned as he stared at Shen Ruyun in confusion.

"Most likely."

"He should be a martial artist hiding somewhere nearby."

Shen Ruyun propped her cheek with one hand. Her sleeve slid down slightly, exposing her fair forearm as if she were pondering something.

"Then... could it possibly be my brother?"

After a long silence, Su Yu suddenly spoke.

He had always wanted his brother to gain supernatural powers, because only by becoming strong could one survive on one's own in such a dangerous world. Before, he only knew about Sequence users. After Li Yu told him that Su Xing was definitely not a Sequence user, he had given up on that thought. But now, the idea had begun burning again.

His brother had also been practicing swordsmanship for over a month.

What if?

"That is probably unlikely."

Shen Ruyun shook her head. Raising her right hand over her head, she untied her hairband, and her jet-black hair spilled down like a waterfall. She slowly said,

"I saw your brother when I arrived."

"His physique is indeed quite strong, but you said earlier that he has only been practicing swordsmanship for a little over a month. Even ancient martial artists required a great deal of time to cultivate. The odds of your brother having that kind of strength are too low."

"Compared to him, I am more suspicious of the master of this sword school."

"If that martial artist truly is someone from this sword school, then the master has a far better chance of being one than your brother."

"Alright."

Su Yu nodded.

He also knew the odds of it being his brother were low.

A martial artist that others could not become, yet Su Xing had only trained for a little over a month and could already instantly kill a first-tier Sequence user? That was far too fantastical.

It really was unlikely.

Seeing Su Yu's disappointed expression, Shen Ruyun patted his shoulder, rose to her feet, and comforted him.

"Spiritual energy has only just begun to recover. It will definitely grow denser in the future. Perhaps your brother will also embark on a supernatural path."

"Alright, I have talked about so many cultivation systems only so that you can gain a basic understanding of this world."

"You do not need to think too much about it."

"Because you will almost never encounter the other cultivation systems."

"You will usually deal more with Sequence users, so you should focus on improving your strength and memorize the advantages and weaknesses of all currently discovered Sequences. That will give you a greater advantage in battle."

"Next, I will talk about realms."

Su Yu nodded and immediately listened attentively. Everything before this had merely filled in his understanding of the world, but what came next was the most important.

"Although the four cultivation systems differ from one another, their realm structures are more or less the same. Nearly every realm has similarities."

"For example, the first tier you are currently at is called the Ordinary Realm, meaning ordinary. The only difference between you and ordinary people may be that your bodies are stronger, and that you possess an additional Sequence."

"The second tier is called the Reflection Realm. Once you reach the second tier, your Sequence will manifest in your dantian. From then on, you will possess unique Sequence energy. This is the same for every system. A martial artist manifests his weapon, while a scholar manifests the book he is most proficient in..."

After hearing this from outside the door,

Su Xing finally looked at the section of sword hilt protruding from his abdomen and muttered: