One Sword Strike Astonished Everyone

Clang!

Xiao Chen brought his sword down, and a strand of Sword Qi dozens of meters long swept across the entire arena. Shi Qiang's fist force vanished in an instant.

Boom!!!

A tremendous crash rang out.

The protective shield from the Vajra Talisman on Shi Qiang shattered instantly. He flew backward like a kite with its string cut and slammed heavily onto the arena.

Thud!

After he landed, Shi Qiang lay motionless on the ground, covered in blood.

Had his constantly darting eyes not still shone with disbelief, everyone would have thought him dead.

Hiss...

The students watching from the sidelines could not help sucking in a breath of cold air at the sight.

"Sword Intent! That's Xiao Chen's own Sword Intent!"

A voice filled with shock echoed through the silence below the arena.

Only then did the stunned students come to their senses.

"It really is Sword Intent!"

"How on earth did Xiao Chen do it? Was the news that his dantian was shattered a lie?"

"He's not an idiot. Why would he make something like that up?"

"..."

In the stands, the institute heads were also startled by what they had just seen.

Comprehending Sword Intent was nothing remarkable to them.

But for a crippled disciple to comprehend Sword Intent was a major event for the Dao-Seeking Academy.

"This... how is this possible?"

The Sword Martial King was dumbfounded.

The surrounding institute heads also wore thoughtful expressions.

The Profound Fire Pill King, meanwhile, turned his gaze to the young Chu Feng.

Chu Feng said nothing. He toyed with the teacup in his hand, appearing utterly composed.

The Profound Fire Pill King asked, "Little Feng, it seems you knew Xiao Chen had comprehended Sword Intent."

"Yes."

Chu Feng admitted it openly.

"No wonder you were so confident that Xiao Chen could take first place in the grand competition."

The Profound Fire Pill King did not speak loudly, but every institute head present could hear him clearly.

When he finished, he gave the Sword Martial King a meaningful look.

The Sword Martial King stood up and fixed his gaze on Chu Feng. "Chu Feng, what exactly is going on?" he asked coldly.

Chu Feng spread his hands. "Surely you don't think I lured your prized disciple away from the Sword Dao Institute, senior? Your Sword Dao Institute was the one that struck Xiao Chen from its rolls."

"Are you saying Xiao Chen never became a cripple in the first place?"

The Sword Martial King's gaze was sharp, as though he meant to see right through Chu Feng.

"Of course not."

Chu Feng smiled. "If Xiao Chen hadn't lost all his cultivation, he would have become a True Fate Realm cultivator long ago. If you don't believe me, senior, you can have Xiao Chen come up for an examination in a little while."

His move was a retreat to advance.

How could a great figure like the Sword Martial King possibly examine Xiao Chen in front of so many people? Wouldn't that plainly put both himself and Xiao Chen in an awkward position?

"Hmph!"

He snorted coldly and sat back down, a thoughtful expression on his face.

While the two were speaking, the referee below announced:

"The winner of this match is Xiao Chen!"

As soon as the words fell, another chorus of astonished cries erupted below.

"Well done, Senior Brother Xiao Chen!"

"Senior Brother Xiao Chen is so strong!"

"..."

Xiao Chen paid no attention to the cheers and walked straight down from the arena.

Tang Feng, who had been watching from a distance, began to panic. "Impossible... there's no way Xiao Chen could have comprehended Sword Intent. There must be some trick to this!" he muttered.

Hearing him, none of the lackeys at his side dared speak up.

Senior Brother Tang had gone mad. Trying to talk to him now would only bring trouble upon themselves.

"Eldest Senior Brother, congratulations!"

Liu Yue'er ran over to congratulate Xiao Chen at once.

"Keep it up too, Junior Sister. I'll be watching you make it into the top hundred."

The corners of Xiao Chen's lips rose in a doting smile.

"Mm, I'll do my best."

Liu Yue'er clenched her delicate fists, her face full of determination.

The disciples' cheers did not last long.

The next fight soon began, and everyone's attention returned to the arena.

But the big shots in the stands had no heart to watch.

The talent and combat strength Xiao Chen had just displayed were simply too unbelievable.

A cripple had comprehended Sword Intent in just a few months.

They had never heard of such a thing, not just at the Dao-Seeking Academy, but anywhere on the entire continent.

The Profound Fire Pill King could not resist asking, "Little Feng, was Xiao Chen able to comprehend Sword Intent because of your guidance?"

The moment the words left his mouth, the Profound Fire Pill King felt an urge to slap himself in the face.

If Chu Feng had that kind of ability, would the Miscellaneous Dao Institute have fallen to the point of facing dissolution?

"Senior, you really know how to judge a person."

Chu Feng gave the Profound Fire Pill King a thumbs-up, his expression seeming to say, I'm done pretending. I'm laying my cards on the table. I did all of it.

"..."

The Profound Fire Pill King froze. He had only made a casual remark, yet he had actually guessed right.

"How on earth did you do it, boy?"

The seven big shots beside him also pricked up their ears, hoping to secretly learn from Chu Feng.

I can't very well say I made it up, can I?

The thought flashed through Chu Feng's mind. Putting on a perfectly serious expression, he said, "Doesn't our Miscellaneous Dao Institute have lots of miscellaneous books?

"I used those books to work out a special cultivation method and had Xiao Chen practice it.

"He was already a cripple anyway, so we might as well treat a dead horse as if it were alive.

"And in less than three months, he comprehended Sword Intent."

Silence. The stands were unusually quiet.

None of the big shots had expected that answer.

Looking at Chu Feng's perfectly serious expression, they felt their faces burn.

A problem we big shots were all helpless to solve was actually solved by a youngster who doesn't understand cultivation.

If word of this gets out, won't we lose face all the way to our grandmothers' houses?

"Young man, why haven't you handed such a cultivation method over to the academy?"

The head of the Dharma Cultivation Institute was the first to break the silence. He looked at Chu Feng with an imposing expression, radiating pressure.

Chu Feng was not afraid in the slightest. He smiled and said, "Senior, if I had dared to give it to you before, would you have dared to accept it?"

That single question left the head of the Dharma Cultivation Institute speechless.

Just as he was about to lose his temper, the Carefree Sword King, seated in the main seat, suddenly spoke.

"Little Feng is right. Besides, our Dao-Seeking Academy has no custom of requiring the institutes to hand over their cultivation methods."

With that, the institute heads who had coveted Chu Feng's cultivation method could only lower their banners and still their drums.

The Carefree Sword King then changed the subject. "However, the Miscellaneous Dao Institute has no inner sect. We should first discuss which institute Xiao Chen should go to for his cultivation from now on."

Everyone's eyes lit up at his words, and the gloom in their hearts was swept away.

The cultivation method was important, certainly, but as long as Xiao Chen became their disciple, the method would naturally become theirs as well.

Hearing this, Chu Feng's lips curled up slightly, but he did not speak up in objection.

The Carefree Sword King was an old fox, making snatching the peaches sound so natural and justified.

The Sword Martial King was the first to speak. "Xiao Chen is a sword dao prodigy. Naturally, he should enter our Sword Dao Institute to cultivate."

As soon as he finished, someone immediately objected.

"Old Jianwu, have you no shame? You threw him out of the Sword Dao Institute, and you still have the nerve to call him back?"

"Exactly. I've seen thick-skinned people before, but never anyone as thick-skinned as you."

"..."

The institute heads all talked at once, each arguing his own point, none willing to give way.

Only the Carefree Sword King, the Profound Fire Pill King, and Chu Feng offered no opinion.

Once they had nearly finished arguing, the Carefree Sword King spoke again. "Chu Feng, Xiao Chen is your disciple. As his master, which institute do you think he should go to?"

At his words, everyone turned to look at Chu Feng in unison...