Display of Arrogance

The silence was heavy. It settled over the hall, pressing down on every disciple, elder, and onlooker who had just witnessed Jiang Shen say the unthinkable.

Eyes widened. A few mouths hung slightly open. Even the usually composed Hall Master Wei seemed momentarily thrown off, as if questioning whether he had truly heard those words leave his mouth.

Jiang blinked.

...Did I just say that out loud?

He kept his gaze locked onto the woman standing beside Wei.

Well, that's even better…

Another one—another so-called villain stepping into the fray, playing their part in the endless cycle: challenge, defeat, revenge, repeat.

How f**king Predictable…

Irritation surged within him.

The silence in the room only broke when Hall Master Wei coughed. "Ahem."

"Disciple Jiang Shen, let's start the trial."

The woman's eye twitched. "Haha~ Young Master Jiang, if you joke like that, my heart will bre—"

[Personality Speech Activated]

Jiang interrupted her. "Qian Wei, will the trial happen here or elsewhere?"

His arrogant tone returned, but this time, he didn't cringe. In fact, he felt completely unbothered. His posture straightened, exuding the presence of a high-status figure, the air of an untouchable noble.

With Hall Master Wei's signal, the disciples instinctively parted, creating a clear path toward the trial chamber. The air remained thick with unspoken tension as Jiang Shen moved forward, his steps unhurried, his expression unreadable.

Wei and the woman followed. At first, the woman gave Jiang a lingering glance. After a few moments, she stepped closer.

"Oh my~" She gave a faint smile, adjusting the sleeve of her robe. "Where are my manners? I should have introduced myself first. Even though you've lived here for a year, I hardly believe you've ever visited my hall."

Her words were polite—playful even—but beneath them was a dagger, an indirect mockery.

"My Hall is about—"

Jiang raised a hand, nearly brushing against her nose—a clear command to stop.

"I do not care about your hall." He lowered his hand. "Nor am I interested in your useless introduction."

Qian Yue chuckled. Bai remained passive, but a small smile flickered across her lips for a brief moment.

As they entered the chamber, the shift in atmosphere was immediate. The Sword hall's open grandeur gave way to a more confined, almost suffocating space. Towering incense burners lined the edges of the room, their thin streams of smoke curling toward the ceiling. Intricate jade carvings adorned the walls, depicting long-forgotten legends of the sect.

Bai stepped closer, her sword held out with both hands. "Young Master, please use my sword."

Jiang reached for it instinctively. "Oh! Than—"

His words cut off as his gaze shifted past Bai to Yue. Her expression was unsettling—eyes distant, lips moving in a silent murmur. He couldn't hear her, but he understood immediately.

Jealousy.

A chill crept up his spine.

Without hesitation, he took the sword quickly and gave Bai a slight wave, signaling her to step back.

Hall Master Wei strode to the center and faced Jiang Shen. "Since you are a Senior Disciple of the Divine Dragon Sect, you will perform a martial demonstration to validate your qualifications. Show us your sword technique."

Jiang rested a hand on the sword's hilt, his expression indifferent. "And what exactly am I supposed to demonstrate?"

Wei gave a knowing smile. "Anything you deem appropriate."

Jiang scoffed. If that's all, then let's get this over with.

He slowly unsheathed his sword.

"The Ascending Dragon Sword Arts," Jiang said, his voice even. "An improved version."

The words dropped like a stone into a still pond.

The disciples stirred in shock. Murmurs rippled through the hall.

The Ascending Dragon Sword Arts—a high-tier technique, reserved for only the finest disciples of the Sword Hall. Yet Jiang Shen spoke of it like it was nothing.

He was from the Jiang Clan, a family overflowing with even greater treasures. So perhaps it wasn't surprising that he had access to it. But Jiang—or rather, the old Jiang—actually knowing the technique? That was a hard fact to swallow.

Hall Master Wei's expression darkened slightly. "I won't ask whether you've truly learned the Ascending Dragon Sword Arts or not. But if you tarnish the name of the Divine Dragon Sect by treating it lightly, then remember—even the Sect Leader won't be lenient."

Jiang didn't respond.

Bai remained silent.

Qian Yue's gaze wavered, concern flickering across her face.

The crowd braced themselves, anticipation thick in the air.

The woman beside Wei was smiling.

Jiang exhaled slowly.

Right now, I feel like I'm a clown in a circus.

A spectacle. A mere performer for their entertainment.

...Then let's give them a show.

A sharp burst of qi erupted, followed by a forceful gust sweeping through the chamber.

A surge of red qi erupted around him, wrapping around his sword like a living entity. It coiled and twisted, tendrils of crimson energy pulsing with untamed power. The air trembled, the floor beneath his feet subtly vibrating under the pressure.

Gasps filled the chamber.

"That qi… it's red?"

"Isn't that…"

Before their murmurs could continue, Jiang moved.

First Technique: Rising Fang.

His sword flashed upward, a crimson arc splitting the air as if carving through space itself. A gust of force followed in its wake, sharp and precise.

Second Technique: Soaring Scales.

Jiang shifted his stance effortlessly, his blade flowing like water, tracing the image of a coiling dragon mid-flight. The air around him shimmered under the sheer intensity of his movements.

Third Technique: Draconic Descent.

He stepped forward, his sword plummeting like a meteor. The floor cracked beneath the weight of his strike, sending small fissures crawling outward.

Fourth Technique: Divine Claw.

A blur. A step. Then a flick of his wrist—his sword lashed out, too fast for the untrained eye to follow. The afterimage of a dragon's claw lingered in the air for a brief moment before vanishing into nothingness.

And then… silence.

Jiang lowered his sword.

He had executed the first four techniques of the Ascending Dragon Sword Arts—effortlessly. No wasted movement. No hesitation.

Just pure, refined mastery.

The hall remained frozen, stunned by what they had just witnessed.

Jiang glanced at his own hands.

I wanted to do more… but this body—Old Jiang's martial foundation is shittier than I thought.

Even with his improved version, his techniques felt incomplete, restrained by the limitations of the past owner's cultivation.

Even so, the effect was undeniable.

Everyone was in shock.

Jiang flicked his wrist, sheathing his sword with a casual motion. He turned to Wei.

"Well? Did I pass or not?"

Hall Master Wei remained silent for a moment, his gaze unreadable. Then, finally, he spoke.

"You.. passed."

Jiang smirked.

I wonder what they'll do next. 

His gaze flicked to the translucent white screen.

This system may not be so bad.