Chapter five: The Demon Blade

In the silent training room, Fang Xing's eyes locked onto the wooden sword in the hands of the girl, Gu Yun. The tension in the air was palpable, and even their breathing felt too loud.

"A gravity suit?" Fang Xing muttered to himself, his throat tightening. He had read about this in the archives of the interstellar era. A piece of advanced warrior training equipment, the gravity suit allowed the wearer to adjust the weight on their body, even down to the cellular level, providing far more effective training than ordinary weighted gear.

Gu Yun, a mere fourteen-year-old girl, had already reached such a high level in her training and mastered the B-rank martial art "Demon Blade," which was a precursor to the A-rank technique "Ghost God Blade." Fang Xing couldn't help but feel a sense of self-deprecation. Compared to her, he was like a failure.

He gripped the wooden staff in his hand tightly and took a deep breath. Despite the doubts and self-questioning swirling in his mind, his body responded swiftly and precisely. He swung the wooden staff, positioning it in front of him, ready to defend.

"Whoosh!"

A dark shadow lunged at him in an instant. Gu Yun's wooden sword, with a sharp aura, seemed to carry some kind of eerie force as it sliced downward. Fang Xing's wooden staff vibrated violently, almost flying out of his hands, but he managed to hold on with great difficulty.

"I blocked it!" he thought with a sigh of relief. But he knew the only reason he withstood the blow was because the gravity suit slowed Gu Yun's speed and power.

"Kill! Kill, kill!" Gu Yun's voice was cold and piercing, her eyes glinting with a trace of bloodthirsty red. Her swordsmanship exuded an unspeakable killing intent, with each strike seeming as though she truly aimed to take Fang Xing's life.

Fang Xing found himself retreating step by step, amazed by the power of the "Demon Blade." "So this is the strength of the Demon Blade? It's as dangerous as they say—so full of murderous intent!" His movements gradually failed to keep up with her attacks. The wooden sword left trails of afterimages in the air, as if tearing the very space around them.

"Crack!" Fang Xing's wooden staff finally gave in to the relentless blows, flying from his hand. Gu Yun's sword was already swinging down again, aiming directly for his head.

"Stop!" At that critical moment, a commanding voice echoed through the room. A hand, pale as jade yet astonishingly powerful, caught Gu Yun's wooden sword mid-air.

Fang Xing stared in relief at the tall, imposing middle-aged man who had suddenly appeared—Gu Yun's father.

Gu Yun lifted her gaze, her eyes regaining some clarity as she gasped for breath, shame coloring her expression. "Dad, I lost control again."

The middle-aged man sighed softly and patted her on the shoulder. "Xiao Yun, don't blame yourself too much. The 'Demon Blade' is inherently dangerous, filled with a magic-like aggression that's hard to control. You've already improved a lot today. One day, when you reach the stage of 'wielding the blade without needing the blade,' you'll be able to truly tame this power."

Gu Yun nodded, though a hint of dissatisfaction remained in her expression. But clearly, her impatience had lessened.

"Alright, both of you have worked hard today," the man turned toward Fang Xing and Liu Wei with a smile, "Today's payment will be doubled."

"Thanks, boss!" Liu Wei replied cheerfully, despite the aching pain coursing through his body. Hearing about the double payment instantly lifted his spirits.

**Half an hour later**

As the two left the grand Jiang Manor, Liu Wei rubbed his shoulder and grumbled, "Had I known being a sparring partner was this exhausting, I wouldn't have taken the job. That guy might be rich, but he's stingy."

Fang Xing shook his head, still reflecting on what the middle-aged man had said earlier. "Honestly, compared to the money, hearing the training secrets of the Demon Blade is already a huge reward."

"Training secrets? Hah, I was just a living target out there," Liu Wei grumbled, still upset. "That girl was basically using us as practice dummies—it was dangerous!"

"She's under a lot of pressure too. The Demon Blade is truly fearsome. Her father was actually watching closely from the shadows the whole time, ready to intervene. Without him, we might have really been done for." Fang Xing still felt some lingering fear but also realized that this experience had been a valuable test of his abilities.

Liu Wei nodded thoughtfully, letting out a sigh. "Then the Ghost God Blade must be even more terrifying, right?"

"Definitely." Fang Xing stared at the setting sun, a sense of oppressive weight rising in his heart. The challenges ahead would only get more difficult.