The First Glimpse of His Edge

Chapter 3: The First Glimpse of His Edge. After stepping into the mysterious Spirit Road, Mu Chen was like a gem gradually gaining its luster through polishing, beginning to shine with a brilliance uniquely his own. In this realm filled with opportunities and dangers at every turn, he relied on his exceptional talent for spiritual energy and his unyielding will to overcome one minor challenge after another. When the doors of the ancient ruins were slowly pushed open, an ancient, mysterious aura washed over them. The interior was dim, with faintly glowing gems embedded in the walls barely illuminating the path ahead. Mu Chen and his companions walked carefully, keeping a wary eye on their surroundings. They first entered a great hall with an enormous stone platform at its center. A crystal orb radiating a strange light rested on the platform. Spiritual energy seemed to flow within it, its dreamlike radiance drawing everyone's gaze. Yet just as they approached the platform, the air around them suddenly rippled. Phantoms formed from spiritual energy surged out from every direction, taking various shapes and wielding weapons as they launched their assault. Mu Chen's gaze sharpened. He instantly sensed how powerful these phantoms were, but he felt no fear. Spiritual energy circulated swiftly through his body, forming a faint shield over his skin. With a sweep of his longsword, he engaged the leading phantom. He discovered that although the phantoms seemed powerful, their attack patterns were rather predictable. Relying on his agile movements, he slipped between their attacks, searching for openings. As the battle unfolded, Mu Chen's unique talent for spiritual energy began to reveal itself. His spiritual energy seemed more nimble than that of ordinary people, allowing him to respond more swiftly to his opponents' attacks. He channeled it into his longsword, each slash carrying fierce fluctuations of spiritual energy. Whenever his blade collided with a phantom's weapon, showers of spiritual sparks flew. His companions also unleashed their respective abilities, but some soon found themselves locked in desperate struggles. Seeing this, Mu Chen kept watch over them even as he fought the phantoms surrounding him. He spotted one companion encircled by several phantoms and in grave danger. Without hesitation, he darted toward them. He unleashed a fierce sequence of sword strikes, spiritual energy forming streaks of light along his blade that darted like spirit serpents, instantly driving back the phantoms attacking his companion. After a fierce battle, they finally destroyed all the phantoms. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, but Mu Chen knew this had only been the first minor challenge within the ruins. More dangers awaited them ahead. Leaving the hall, they proceeded along a narrow passage. Its walls were covered in ancient murals depicting battles from long ago and mysterious cultivation methods. Mu Chen studied the murals as he walked, discovering that they seemed to conceal secrets about the use of spiritual energy. He stopped to examine them closely. Drawing on his keen perception and distinctive understanding of spiritual energy, he gradually grasped several new ways to wield it. Just as Mu Chen became absorbed in the murals' mysteries, a howling sound suddenly echoed through the passage. A swarm of black wind blades swept toward them from its depths. The blades contained powerful spiritual energy, gouging deep marks into the walls wherever they passed. His companions panicked and scrambled for shelter, but Mu Chen remained composed. He put the spiritual energy techniques he had just learned from the murals into practice. Forming seals with both hands, he gathered spiritual energy before him, creating a spinning vortex. Its suction was immense. As the black wind blades drew near, the vortex actually began absorbing them. His companions stared at him in astonishment. They had never expected him to handle the crisis so easily. Mu Chen inwardly felt fortunate to possess such an aptitude for understanding spiritual energy. He knew that in a place like the Spirit Road, every new insight into spiritual energy could become the key to staying alive. Continuing onward, they reached a room filled with traps. Spikes gleaming with cold light and intricate gear mechanisms lay everywhere. The slightest carelessness could trigger a trap and plunge them into eternal ruin. Mu Chen carefully examined the room's layout and noticed markings on the floor that appeared haphazard but actually followed a pattern. He suspected these markings might hold the key to overcoming the traps. He cautiously followed them, reminding his companions to stay close. However, one companion was so nervous that they accidentally stepped on a nearby stone slab, triggering a mechanism. At once, the spikes began moving, thrusting toward them, while the gears spun faster with an ear-piercing screech. Mu Chen frowned and reacted swiftly. Gathering spiritual energy beneath his feet, he leaped high into the air toward an area with fewer spikes and gears. While airborne, he used his spiritual energy to pull his companions to his side one by one, helping them evade the spikes. After landing, they discovered a stone platform ahead, with several medicinal pills resting on it and radiating rich spiritual energy. These pills were clearly precious treasures capable of increasing a cultivator's spiritual energy. However, a transparent barrier of spiritual energy surrounded the platform. Mu Chen stepped forward and tried to break through it with his own spiritual energy. Slowly feeding his energy into the barrier, he discovered that its fluctuations were tied to a particular frequency. He began adjusting the frequency of his own spiritual energy. After repeated attempts, he finally found one that matched the barrier. Under the impact of his spiritual energy, the barrier gradually dissipated, allowing him to retrieve the pills. After distributing the pills among his companions, they continued exploring the ruins. Around a corner, they encountered a guardian beast. It was enormous and lionlike, its entire body covered in hard scales, each gleaming with a metallic sheen. Its eyes resembled two masses of burning flame, and it exuded a savage aura. Upon seeing them, the guardian beast let out a heaven-shaking roar. Its sound waves carried a powerful surge of spiritual energy that left everyone dizzy. Mu Chen steadied himself and was the first to attack. Gathering spiritual energy in his longsword, he unleashed his strongest sword technique. Each slash carried fierce spiritual energy, sending showers of sparks flying as it struck the beast's scales. Enraged, the guardian beast swung its enormous claws at him. Mu Chen nimbly dodged its blows and discovered that the scales on its belly were relatively thin. That was its weak point. After communicating with his companions, he put a strategy into action. He drew the guardian beast's attention while his companions attacked its belly from the sides. Through their coordinated efforts, openings gradually appeared in the beast's defenses. Seizing the right moment, Mu Chen unleashed an all-out strike, his spiritual energy surging toward its belly like raging waves. The blow broke through the guardian beast's defenses and inflicted a grievous wound. His companions also launched their attacks, and together they finally defeated it. After this series of challenges, Mu Chen's reputation began to spread through the Spirit Road. Other young people undergoing trials there heard about a boy from the Mu Domain with an exceptional talent for spiritual energy who could deftly handle all manner of dangers. Mu Chen continued to grow through these challenges as well. His control over spiritual energy became more practiced, and he faced danger with greater composure. He knew this was only the beginning of his journey through the Spirit Road. More challenges and opportunities awaited him ahead, and he was already prepared to keep advancing along the path toward becoming strong.