Chapter 7: Xiao Chen Comprehends Sword Intent, Tenfold Reward

Chapter 7: Xiao Chen Comprehends Sword Intent, Tenfold Reward

Time passed quickly.

Two and a half months had already gone by since Xiao Chen began cultivating under Chu Feng.

It was deep into the night.

Beneath the waterfall, Xiao Chen still stood with sword in hand, swinging it tirelessly.

At this moment, he was completely immersed in a strange and wondrous state.

Clang!

With a crisp sword cry—

Xiao Chen's sword slashed forward with a surge of force. The waterfall before him split cleanly in two.

A terrifying burst of sword intent struck the cliff wall nearby.

"I did it!"

"I finally comprehended sword intent!"

Splash!

Before Xiao Chen could finish celebrating, the waterfall came crashing down again, drenching him and throwing him into the pool below.

Pfft...

Xiao Chen spat out the water in his throat, shook the water off his body, and quickly made his way back up the mountain.

Now that he had comprehended sword intent, it meant he could resume cultivation.

He couldn't wait to tell his master the good news.

…

In the Miscellaneous Dao Institute, inside the well-lit chief's residence—

Chu Feng lay on his side on a soft couch, engrossed in a book. The flickering firelight revealed the large characters on the page: Spring and Autumn.

[ Ding! The host's first disciple has comprehended sword intent. Sword intent: beginner stage. Host receives tenfold reward—sword intent: perfected stage! ]

As the voice echoed, an image suddenly surfaced in Chu Feng's mind.

He saw a figure casually swing a sword into the sky—

Clang!

A horrifying wave of sword intent swept through the entire space.

Boom!

With a loud mechanical sound, Chu Feng shot up from the couch.

"This brat Xiao Chen actually comprehended sword intent this quickly? So this is the charm of a son of fate. I'm in love with it."

If I can take in a few more disciples like him, wouldn't I become invincible in no time?

Thinking this, Chu Feng jumped in excitement.

It's time. Tomorrow, I'll pass down Ten Thousand Swords Return to Origin.

I wonder how long it'll take him to comprehend it?

…

The next morning, in a rare display, Chu Feng got up early and sat cross-legged in the courtyard.

He closed his eyes and waited quietly for Xiao Chen's arrival.

By mid-morning, Xiao Chen entered the small courtyard.

"Disciple greets Master."

Chu Feng slowly opened his eyes. "No need for formalities. Judging by your appearance, you must have comprehended sword intent."

Xiao Chen responded excitedly, "Master has sharp eyes. Last night, I finally grasped sword intent."

Chu Feng said, "Not bad. You're a few days faster than I expected. But it's only a few days. Comprehending sword intent is just the first step on the path of the sword."

If anyone else had said that, Xiao Chen would've dismissed it with a sneer.

Out of the hundreds of outer disciples in Wendao Academy, none had even managed to grasp sword intent.

Didn't that mean they hadn't even stepped through the gate of the sword path?

But in Xiao Chen's eyes, his master was reminding him not to grow arrogant or complacent.

"Master is absolutely right. I will continue to train diligently."

Chu Feng was very satisfied with Xiao Chen's attitude. He pulled out a book from his robe and placed it on the table.

"Now you're qualified to cultivate the sword technique I've poured my heart into—Ten Thousand Swords Return to Origin. Once you've mastered it, defeating someone like Qin Rou will be no problem."

"Thank you for the sword art, Master!"

Xiao Chen received the manual Ten Thousand Swords Return to Origin with utmost respect.

He asked curiously, "Master, is there any key point I should pay attention to while cultivating this sword technique?"

"I've written everything clearly in the book. Take it back and study it on your own," Chu Feng replied with a stern expression.

'I've never actually practiced Ten Thousand Swords Return to Origin. How would I know how it's cultivated? I've only seen others use it before.'

"Disciple will not disappoint Master!"

Xiao Chen left with an excited look on his face.

Chu Feng watched his back as he walked away and thought, 'I wonder what kind of surprise you'll bring me this time.'

...

Xiao Chen returned to his courtyard full of confidence and couldn't wait to open the secret manual.

Soon, several small lines of text caught his eye.

Ten thousand breaths arise, the sword pierces broken meridians; origin techniques return, the path grows vast.

Cultivation mantra: Let qi stray from the veins, flow through Tai Chong, reverse heaven and earth, turn softness into steel.

'Hiss...'

Xiao Chen sucked in a sharp breath.

'Master… created a cultivation technique just for me.'

Even in Wendao Academy, one of the top sacred grounds for cultivation on the Xuantian Continent, there had never been a technique usable by someone whose meridians were completely ruined.

And yet Master had one—specifically for sword cultivators.

He kept reading. Aside from a few blank pages, the rest was just basic sword forms that even ordinary disciples could train with.

'This technique feels… a bit too simplistic.'

Pa!

Xiao Chen lightly smacked himself on the head with the book and muttered, "How could I doubt Master? If he gave it to me, there must be a reason."

He immediately began cultivating Ten Thousand Swords Return to Origin following the method described.

At the same time, the Miscellaneous Dao Institute received a visitor.

"Elder Qin, what wind brought you here today?"

Chu Feng was briefly surprised, then greeted him with a smile.

The white-haired, white-bearded elder before him radiated a graceful aura. He was Elder Qin, the Internal Affairs Elder of Wendao Academy, responsible for managing all academy operations. His position was on par with Chu Feng's as a chief.

Elder Qin stroked his beard and said, "Little Feng, I'm here to talk to you about the outer sect tournament that's happening three months from now."

"...?"

Chu Feng looked puzzled. "Didn't the Miscellaneous Dao Institute always skip both the inner and outer tournaments?"

"Sigh..."

Elder Qin let out a long sigh. "That was true before. But now, the chiefs of all the other institutes have agreed—if your Miscellaneous Dao Institute wants resources, you'll need to participate in the tournament. Your resource allocation will be based on your disciple's performance.

If your disciple can't even get past the first round, the academy will stop issuing your institute any resources.

Even the part-time cleaning staff assigned to you will be called back."

'Damn it.'

Chu Feng blurted, "This is just targeted suppression."

Good thing I was quick and picked up Xiao Chen, the son of fate.

Otherwise, I wouldn't even be able to afford food.

"You're right," Elder Qin said, "but this was a joint decision by all institute chiefs. The Dean wants to preserve tradition, but there's not much he can do. You're going to have to bear it, kid."

There was even a hint of sympathy in his eyes.

Little Feng hadn't been at Wendao Academy long, but he was upright, respectful, and righteous—a good kid by all accounts.

Just because he stood up for Xiao Chen and offended the Heavenly Spirit Institute, now they were putting pressure on him like this. Even Elder Qin felt it was excessive.

Chu Feng smiled and said, "Thank you, Elder Qin, for informing me personally. I'll have Xiao Chen participate in the outer sect tournament."

"You're still smiling? Don't you realize someone's trying to crush your institute?"

Elder Qin couldn't help but chide him—he was a bit annoyed at how relaxed Chu Feng seemed.

Chu Feng said casually, "What's done is done. Worrying won't solve anything. The only thing I can do is face it head-on."

"Sigh..."

Elder Qin shook his head. "I really don't know what to do with you. If it ever gets to the point you really can't survive, come to the Internal Affairs Hall. I'll help you get through it."

Chu Feng's heart warmed at that. "Thank you for your kindness, Elder Qin."

"Alright, I'll be heading back. Try to save up as much as you can over the next few days."

With that, Elder Qin turned and left.

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