Sword Training

In a quiet courtyard nestled in the back mountains lay Chen Xin's residence. For most disciples of the Seven Treasure Glazed Sect, this place was a forbidden area.

After bringing Chen Yuan back, Chen Xin turned to face him and spoke in a serious tone. "Yuan'er, though you are still young—only six years old—since you have chosen to become my disciple, I will hold you to strict standards. You may cry, but after crying, you must continue to train according to my demands."

Perhaps sensing that he had been too stern, Chen Xin softened his tone and spoke with a hint of pride about the power of the Seven Kill Sword. "The Seven Kill Sword of the Chen family is the number one attack martial soul on the continent. Its sword intent is innate, capable of directly releasing sword energy. When combined with the 'Kill' technique, which enhances the power of the sword energy, it becomes indestructible and unstoppable. Few on the continent can match it."

Chen Yuan listened with a look of longing, seemingly immersed in Chen Xin's words. He then asked.

"Master, how should I train?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Xin waved his hand, and one after another, black shadows shot out from the storage soul tool in his hand, landing firmly on the ground.

Chen Yuan looked over and saw that the black shadows were iron swords—seven of them, arranged from small to large, all unsharpened.

Chen Xin explained.

"To unleash a truly powerful sword energy, you need at least the soul power of a Soul Elder. Before that, you must train your strength and learn to wield the sword. From now on, you will train with these iron swords."

Chen Xin glanced at the swords and continued.

"These swords weigh one jin, two jin, four jin, eight jin, sixteen jin, thirty-two jin, and sixty-four jin respectively. Start with the one-jin sword and practice swinging it..."

He paused for a moment, then said in a firm voice.

"Three hundred times a day."

At this point, Chen Xin looked directly at Chen Yuan, his gaze growing sharper. "What I want is not casual swinging. I want you to focus all your strength into each swing. This training will take years. The ultimate goal is not to satisfy me but to make you strong. Don't think that a few months of training will make you powerful. True strength comes from persistent effort."

Chen Yuan didn't argue. He didn't need excessive encouragement from Chen Xin. He already had the determination to grow stronger. As long as it was beneficial to him, he was willing to do it. He said. "Master, I understand. I'll start training now."

After speaking, Chen Yuan ran over and pulled out the first sword. The one-jin sword could be considered a short sword, but since he was only six years old, it suited him well.

Standing in an open area, Chen Yuan first adjusted his posture. He stood in a bow stance, one leg in front of the other, gripping the sword with both hands and raising it above his head before swinging it down.

Swing after swing, Chen Yuan remembered Chen Xin's instructions—to focus all his strength into each swing. He was doing his best to achieve that.

Chen Yuan's immediate dedication to training surprised Chen Xin. After the initial surprise came satisfaction, and he nodded imperceptibly.

Chen Xin then maintained a cold expression, constantly pointing out the mistakes in Chen Yuan's swinging technique and helping him correct them.

Chen Yuan adjusted repeatedly. Soon, when he swung the sword again, he clearly felt a difference. His feet planted firmly on the ground, he channeled strength from his calves to his thighs, then to his waist, back, and arms, gathering all his strength into the sword.

Whoosh!

This time, the sensation was noticeably different. The sound of the blade cutting through the air was particularly forceful.

Chen Yuan's spirits lifted as he carefully savored this state. His entire body felt warm, as if it were burning. Seizing the moment, he continued swinging the sword in this state.

Each swing was powerful, and his body grew hotter. The feeling was exhilarating, as if he could cut through anything.

However, this burning state soon seemed to consume him. His body began to feel sluggish, and Chen Yuan's breathing became rapid as he gasped for air.

Even so, he tried his best to regulate his breathing, avoiding letting it become too erratic. To achieve this, he even extended the time between each swing, giving himself enough time to recover.

Later, it took several minutes, or even over ten minutes, before Chen Yuan would swing the sword again. As sweat blurred his vision, he felt as though his arms weighed a thousand pounds.

Because each swing concentrated all his strength, Chen Yuan felt a noticeable numbness throughout his body, making it harder to control.

But as long as his body could still move, Chen Yuan had no intention of stopping. He hadn't yet met Chen Xin's requirements.

"106… 107… 108…"

Chen Yuan counted silently in his mind. When he reached 108, all his exhaustion erupted at once. His body swayed, and he collapsed to the side.

In an instant, Chen Xin appeared beside Chen Yuan, catching him steadily. A faint smile of satisfaction appeared on his face.

For his first sword training session, Chen Yuan had managed to swing the sword 108 times without a single complaint. That was already quite impressive.

The reason he couldn't continue was simply that he had reached his physical limit. Chen Xin didn't plan to be harsh.

Carrying Chen Yuan, Chen Xin headed toward the room prepared for him. Chen Yuan was clearly exhausted, and in this state, he needed mandatory rest.

At the same time, Chen Xin gave orders to quickly prepare the medicinal broth and deliver it. A medicinal bath would speed up Chen Yuan's recovery; otherwise, he would feel weak for the next few days.

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When Chen Yuan woke up, it was already afternoon. Although he still felt somewhat weak, he was much better.

Soaking in the wooden tub, Chen Yuan recalled everything. He had fainted from sword training, and he didn't know what happened after that.

However, the strong medicinal aroma told him what had transpired. Chen Yuan didn't get out immediately but continued to soak in the tub, murmuring softly.

"Simple sword swings can give me such comprehensive training. This is really good. I must keep this up…"

He waited until the medicinal broth cooled before leaving the tub. After drying himself, he changed into the clean clothes prepared for him—soft, comfortable, and breathable.

At the same time, Chen Yuan noticed a note on the table nearby. He walked over and picked it up. The handwriting was bold and powerful, as if imbued with the sharpness of a sword. It was left by his master.

The note said that Chen Xin had gone to accompany Ning Rongrong. He instructed Chen Yuan to eat on his own after waking up and to spend the rest of the day meditating and cultivating. Tomorrow would be the same as today: sword training in the morning, a medicinal bath in the afternoon, and meditation at night.

Chen Yuan let out a long breath. It seemed his life from now on would be very fulfilling.

(End of Chapter)

Word Count : 1,228

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