Chen Xun

Chen Xiaojun lived a very disciplined, orderly life.

A little after five the next morning, Chen Xiaojun got up and began a full day of training and study.

At five, he warmed up for half an hour, doing stretches, frog jumps, horse stances, and other physical exercises.

At six, he ran ten laps around the village.

At seven, he returned home for breakfast and washed up.

At seven-thirty, he began practicing swordsmanship at the Practice Ground outside the side of the courtyard. Swordsmanship was mainly divided into four categories: Sword Striking, Sword Thrusting, Sword Parrying, and Sword Washing.

Sword Striking included the main moves: chopping, hacking, slashing, wiping, tapping, bouncing, lifting, hooking, sweeping, piercing, drawing, and wrist flourishes.

Sword Thrusting was divided into level thrusts, downward thrusts, upward thrusts, and reverse thrusts.

Sword Parrying was further divided into upper, horizontal, and lower parries. An upper parry was a block, a lower parry was a cut-off, and a horizontal parry was a brace.

As for Sword Washing, it mainly involved twisting, to lock an opponent's weapon and stop its attack.

At this time, their adorable little fatty, Zhu Wuneng, would come over to train with him. But he focused on physical training, Fist Technique, and the Rake Technique passed down by his mother's family. His family had incredible stamina; they were born with it.

Sometimes others came, too, such as Chen Jianjun, his cousin Chen Feng, and the little fatty's older brother, Zhu Wukui.

After finishing the basic sword techniques, he practiced an additional move: the Sword-Drawing Technique. This was the only sword technique from his Previous Life that Chen Xiaojun felt he could manage and practice at present.

In the memories of his Previous Life, there were far too many legends about the Sword-Drawing Technique. It was a basic sword move, but its power was no small matter. Its attacks were extremely fierce, and its focus was on defeating the enemy with a single strike.

One sword shook the heavens; once the sword was drawn, a man died. The Sword-Drawing Technique's attacks were so fierce and swift that a complete sequence of movements was finished before the enemy could even see the sword being drawn.

Even Demon Lord Qiye's Heaven-Slaying Draw Sword Technique in A Chinese Ghost Story was already a Peerless sword art, dazzling and immensely powerful, enough to make people tremble with fear.

Just look at the endless brilliance it had left behind in all kinds of novels.

The Sword-Drawing Technique's essence lay in the word "draw," while the essence of "draw" lay in the word "conceal."

First, he calmed his mind and breath, concentrating his essence, energy, and spirit to the utmost. He was like a venomous snake waiting for its chance to strike, or an Assassin hidden from view. If he did not act, so be it; once he did, he aimed to kill with one blow, swift as thunder.

Well, every day he had to use the Sword-Drawing Technique to chop down a large wooden post. Chen Xiaojun had his father set up not only posts for chopping and hacking, but also Plum Blossom Stakes beside them.

After that, he practiced the family's inherited Sword Step.

Here, it was worth noting that Movement Technique and footwork were different.

Movement Technique referred to a person's natural combination of flexibility and strength, developed through training until the body reached its best possible condition.

Martial artists say, "Practice your fist three thousand times, and Movement Technique will come naturally." This means using martial arts to adjust the body until it reaches its best condition. That condition is Movement Technique.

Footwork was a skill and technique. Sword Step emphasized being unstoppable, standing tall between heaven and earth, pressing bravely forward, and being seasoned and mature.

Using the Plum Blossom Stakes, he trained his body's flexibility, agility, coordination, and lower-body stability, balancing evasive twists and turns with swift forward advances and developing them all together.

As he practiced footwork, he incorporated the basic sword techniques and used the family's Sword Palm Grappling Hand at the same time.

By the time he finished all this, it was nearly eleven. Then the two of them began sparring to gain practical experience.

Whether because the little fatty was honest and simple or because he had a farmer's cunning, when the Young Master told him to fight for real, he really did.

They were young, so they usually sparred for half an hour. After a flurry of smacks and cracks, they would be bruised and battered, with purple and blue patches all over. That was a common sight.

Overall, Chen Xiaojun usually fared a little better. His Movement Technique and Sword Step played a part in that; his footwork was much better than the little fatty's.

In the afternoon, Grandma Xin or Ye Xiuxin usually taught him and some other children under six, such as the clan's brothers and sisters and children from Retainer Families like the little fatty's.

They taught them to recognize characters and read, basic arithmetic, common knowledge about daily life, stories about heroes, and myths and legends. It was really the clan's kindergarten.

Of course, perhaps because of the Heaven and Earth Rules and the abundant spiritual energy, children here grew faster than the children of Blue Star in his Previous Life.

Their intelligence also developed twenty to thirty percent faster than that of Blue Star children, so the range of knowledge they were taught was much broader.

After four, it was the rest time he had arranged for himself.

What was unusual was that, while other people liked to take a walk after meals, he preferred to take a walk before meals.

Behind the village lay Shaolin Lake. He loved sitting or lying on a little slope and gazing at the lake.

When he saw the rippling, glittering water, his mood brightened along with it.

Lush lotuses grew by the lake. Looking out, he saw them blooming in a riot of color, while dew played hide-and-seek on the lotus leaves.

Sometimes birds flew over to hunt and play: "The sunset clouds and a lone wild duck fly together; the autumn waters merge with the endless sky."

In that quiet and peaceful scene, a sense of ease flowed straight into his heart, bringing him inner calm and tranquility.

After night fell, Chen Xiaojun either soaked in a Medicinal Bath or read books. The Medicinal Baths actually came in more than one kind.

He had seen several kinds: some strengthened the body and its vital energy, some sped up recovery, and some calmed the mind and focused the spirit. They took turns using different formulas.

Chen Xiaojun loved reading. His family had plenty of books.

Although they had few books specifically about Soul Masters, most of them introduced Soul Master knowledge from across the continent, famous mountains and historic sites, local customs, astronomy and geography, historical collections, biographies, and more.

Chen Xiaojun liked these very much. They filled two large houses.

He had been reading for two years since learning to recognize characters at four, and still had not read even a quarter of them. One could see just how extensive the collection was.

He had heard there were even more books in the clan's Ancestral Hall. After awakening his Martial Soul at six, he would be able to go read them. Most of those books were related to Soul Masters.

Occasionally, he practiced swordsmanship beneath the moon to train his ability to fight at night.

That, too, was a pleasure. The night always held a hazy beauty.

The most distinctive thing about Chen Xiaojun, a child of just a few years, was not that he worked hard, nor that he was obedient and well-behaved, nor that he was clever and quick-witted, but that he was disciplined!

His life was extremely orderly, yet he never found it dull.

Disciplined children never fared poorly in their future achievements or lives.

It was a quality with a high floor and a high ceiling.

Three days later, June 17.

"Father, Xiuxin, Jianjun, Xiaojun, I'm back."

A booming voice came from outside the main courtyard. It was the protagonist's father, Chen Xun, the leader of the Chen Clan's Middle Generation. (In the comic, he eventually reached Level 98.)

He was forty-seven years old and already a powerful Level 78 Soul Saint, with hopes of breaking through to Titled Douluo in his sixties.

He had a square, dignified face, thick brows, big eyes, a high nose, and a broad mouth. His hair fluttered in the wind, and his face bore the marks of the elements.

Nearly 1.9 meters tall, he was imposing and powerfully built, with sharply defined features. One look told you he was a resolute man. His gaze carried great authority.

He wore sky-blue Combat Attire with a white cape over it. Though he looked somewhat travel-worn, his powerful presence was impossible to conceal.

Behind him followed a middle-aged, round-faced man, a little shorter than Chen Xun but more solidly built. He was the Chen Clan's steward and the little fatty's father, Zhu Tianhao.

Hearing the voice, Ye Xiuxin and Chen Xiaojun came out to greet him.

Chen Xiaojun grinned. "Dad, you and Uncle Tianhao are back."

Ye Xiuxin asked with concern, "How did things go over the past six months? Did everything go smoothly?"

Zhu Tianhao took his leave. "Eldest Master, Matriarch, Second Young Master, please talk. I'll head back first."

Chen Xun first replied to Zhu Tianhao, "All right, Old Zhu. You've had a hard journey, too. Head back quickly. Your wife and child are waiting."

Then Chen Xun answered Ye Xiuxin, "Xiuxin, things mostly went smoothly. There were a few minor setbacks, but overall, they went rather well."

He continued, "Xiaojun, your dad rushed back as fast as he could and arrived a few days early. Your awakening day is three days from now, right?"

"Haha, we used up the Awakening Stones last time, but your dad wouldn't forget about them. Look!"

As he spoke, Chen Xun opened his bundle on a nearby table and took out six round, pitch-black stones.

Awakening Stones were man-made, with Soul Guidance Stone as their main material.

Soul Guidance Stone was fairly common across the continent.

And the principles behind its manufacture were not complicated. One could say that anyone with a little influence knew how to make it.

It was just that the manufacturing process was somewhat complicated, so generally only medium and large forces made and sold them.

The Spirit Hall in particular made and sold them itself, and its branches in cities at Commandery City level and above all sold them, provided one presented the relevant documents.

Of course, Chen Xun had not gone through the Spirit Hall to get them.

"Mm, what about Father and Jianjun?" Chen Xun suddenly came back to his senses. "Did they go to Uncle Hong's house?"

Chen Xun was already used to the two old men's longstanding habit of squaring off against each other like fighting cocks.

Old children, old children... When people were that close, they stopped being reasonable.

Ye Xiuxin explained gently, "Not quite. Jianjun broke through to Level 30, so Father took him to Shaolin Mountain to hunt a Thousand-Year Soul Beast for his Third Soul Ring."

Chen Xun grinned. "Haha, so soon? He's gone up more than two levels in half a year. He's my son, all right."

"Did they say when they'd be back?"

Ye Xiuxin replied, "Father said they'll be back in a couple of days. They'll return before Xiaojun's awakening on June 20."

Now, why was Chen Xiaojun's awakening being taken so seriously?

First, it was the most important event in the life of people on Douluo Continent, bar none.

Which parent wouldn't take their own son's or grandson's awakening seriously?

It could be said that one glimpse of a Martial Soul determined a person's whole life.

It determined one's fate even more than the college entrance exam had in Chen Xiaojun's Previous Life on Blue Star.

Second, Chen Xiaojun's physical condition was excellent.

Although he did not look particularly strong, his body was dense and he had plenty of strength.

His arms were long, and his explosive power was exceptional.

His Life Force was also very active, and he absorbed the Hereditary Medicinal Bath's Secret Art very effectively.

He was better suited to practicing swordsmanship than tall, imposing men like Chen Xun and Chen Jianjun, and even more so than a refined man like Chen Yu.

Third, Chen Xiaojun had great Wuxing.

He was the only one Chen Yu and Chen Xun had ever seen like him: he learned sword techniques as soon as they taught him.

His comprehension of sword principles was terrifying.

Sometimes, in their conversations, both of them could draw connections and gain a great deal from them.

What that meant for a swordsmanship clan like the Chen Clan was self-evident.

Not to mention that half a year ago, Chen Xiaojun had dazzled two top Soul Masters with a "self-created" Sword-Drawing Technique.

Back when Chen Xun was sparring with him, he hadn't taken it seriously for a moment and had nearly failed to dodge.

Of course, even if he hadn't dodged, nothing would have happened.

But a glimpse of the small revealed the larger picture.

Taken together, the second and third points showed that his talent for swordsmanship was formidable.

A child so exceptionally gifted, diligent and disciplined, clever and precocious naturally inspired deep hopes in the whole family.