NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 5 - Shouyang Demon-Slaying Blade
In the marquisate.
The path paved with bluestone meandered like a lively ribbon through the expanse of blooming flowers.
It was only early spring, yet some famous flowers could not wait to burst into bloom, competing for beauty and fragrance. As a gentle breeze passed, the rich and refreshing scent filled the air, invigorating the heart and lungs.
Xia Qian and Cui Mengrou, the couple, suddenly stopped in their tracks and looked back at Xia Chen, their tone filled with surprise.
“You’ve broken through to the eighth rank?”
If it were any other ordinary person breaking through to the eighth rank, they wouldn’t even bat an eyelid.
The eighth rank was indeed commendable, especially considering Xia Chen was only 17 years old this year. Outside the marquisate, he would be considered a genius.
But this was the marquisate, a place teeming with geniuses. Setting aside the few prodigies in the main line, even among the collateral branches, there were several young talents in Xia Chen’s generation who had emerged.
The eighth rank was not particularly astonishing.
However, the fact that Xia Chen had broken through was enough to astonish them.
Especially for Xia Qian and his wife, who knew Xia Chen’s talent situation inside and out.
Over the years, although Xia Chen’s biological parents had not sent any precious medicinal materials from the Eastern Wasteland, Xia Qian had still provided Xia Chen with many good things to temper his flesh and blood and hone his physique.
Yet, despite the consumption of numerous resources from the marquisate, they had only barely managed to help Xia Chen advance from being unranked to the ninth rank of physical refinement.
This had led Xia Qian to sigh in admiration, acknowledging the reputation of a martial waste. And now, Xia Chen had broken through to the eighth rank?
“Over these past few days, I’ve had some insights. While practicing, I experienced a moment of enlightenment. I comprehended something from the basic blade techniques, and my realm unconsciously broke through!”
Xia Chen said truthfully, but he omitted some key details. At this point, there was no need to hide or be too low-profile. He had to quickly gain the support of the marquisate’s resources in order to rise.
“Show it to me!”
Upon hearing this, Xia Qian’s expression turned serious, and he felt a mix of astonishment and doubt. He had practiced basic blade techniques and entered a state of enlightenment?
The basic blade techniques of their marquisate were not ordinary, lowest-tier techniques. They had been refined over 600 years, even drawing from the strongest nine-rank blade techniques of the royal family, to create a method best suited for the ninth-rank physical refinement.
It was most effective for honing the body because it was specifically tailored for ninth-rank warriors to temper their physique, hence the name “basic blade techniques.”
This basic blade technique had long reached a point where it could not be improved. Even in his youth, Xia Qian had learned these techniques.
Now, Xia Chen claimed to have grasped something new from them. In his younger days, Xia Qian had also been ambitious, wanting to contribute to the family by improving these techniques.
But even at his current level, he had not attempted to do so.
Not only him, but also Xia Chen’s biological father, Xia Yuan, and their father, the true master of the marquisate, Marquis of Zhen Dong Xia Chutian, had not succeeded either.
“Get a blade!”
Xia Chen said to the attendant beside him.
“Use this one directly!”
Without hesitation, Xia Qian drew a long blade from his side, emitting an astonishing cold light, entirely pitch black.
The moment this blade was unsheathed, Xia Chen’s eyes seemed to see a black python leaping out from the abyss, its cold scales as if capable of devouring the human heart. This strange phenomenon flickered and then vanished. The pitch-black long blade quickly returned to calmness. Xia Chen knew that what he had just seen was not an illusion.
This was a divine weapon. That black python was at least a third-rank great demon. This pitch-black long blade was born from the blood of a great demon above the third rank, and even the soul of the great demon was suppressed within the blade.
This was one of the foundations of the marquisate.
Xia Chen tightly grasped the long blade with both hands, yet even so, he felt a weight settle into his palms. This pitch-black long blade, despite having subdued its divine aura, remained incredibly heavy just in its blade alone.
If it had been before, when he was still at the ninth rank, he could barely lift it, let alone swing it around. This very blade was a test, a measure of his cultivation level.
Seeing Xia Chen steadily take hold of the blade, Xia Qian nodded in approval.
The boy had truly broken through to the eighth rank. Thinking of this, Xia Qian couldn’t help but feel a bit of anticipation for the enlightenment Xia Chen had spoken of.
Holding the dark long blade, a fervent light welled up in Xia Chen’s eyes. It seemed as if all the flesh and blood in his body was boiling violently, with threads of vital energy seeping through his physique, and a grand solar illusion rose behind Xia Chen.
“There’s a change in the energy in the sky!” Cui Mengrou’s eyes also sparkled at this moment. She came from the prestigious Cui family and followed the path of a sorcerer, being extremely sensitive to the energy in the world.
A burst of extremely yang energy was absorbed by Xia Chen into his body and finally injected into the dark long blade in his palm.
“Shouyang Demon-Slaying Blade!”
With a loud shout, Xia Chen stood in the garden, yet it seemed as if he was facing a thousand troops and ten thousand demons. He turned his back to everyone and swung his blade towards the abyss!
His momentum had reached its peak, his entire body’s blood was boiling, his spirit and energy had reached the summit, and with a single slash of his blade, the world changed color.
Xia Qian watched as a grand sun flickered in his palm, and he caught that brilliant blade light with a single palm. Although it didn’t even break the surface of his skin, Xia Qian couldn’t hide his joy and was unable to calm down.
“Did you really improve the basic blade technique?”
Although it was a questioning tone, Xia Qian already believed it. He had seen it with his own eyes. This blade technique, although completely different from the basic blade technique, was essentially the same. It was definitely an advanced version of the basic blade technique.
“It draws on the essence of the sun, condenses the aura of slaughter, and drives away all evils. It is both a method of killing enemies and a foundation for tempering flesh and blood!”
Cui Mengrou hit the nail on the head about the essence of the Shouyang Demon-Slaying Blade.
In her view, killing enemies was secondary for this blade technique. More importantly, this blade technique could actually communicate with the world and draw on the essence of the sun to temper flesh and blood.
Could a vulgar warrior do this?
“This blade technique is a bit like a combination of a warrior and a sorcerer. There is actually such a strange blade technique in this world!” Cui Mengrou was unable to calm down.
Although Xia Qian was not a sorcerer, he quickly saw the key point. For the ninth rank of physical refinement and the eighth rank of refining essence, and even the seventh rank of refining the spirit, the most important thing was to temper the body and refine flesh and blood.
Warriors could not communicate with the world’s energy. They either had to work hard and accumulate over time or consume heavenly materials and treasures.
But now this blade technique could actively communicate with the world’s energy to refine flesh and blood, which could greatly accelerate the cultivation speed from the ninth rank to the seventh rank.
Xia Qian quickly realized the preciousness of this blade technique.
“Keep the enlightenment of the blade technique a secret first, and don’t spread this blade technique around.” Xia Qian said seriously, looking around at the attendants and maids behind him.
Fortunately, these attendants and maids were all trusted family members. Otherwise, there would have been some more bloodshed today…
“Are you willing to dedicate this blade technique to the family?”
“It’s up to Uncle to decide!”
Xia Chen did not hesitate at all. The reason for revealing the blade technique was originally to exchange for the resources to advance.
Moreover, the family had indeed spent a lot of resources on him over the years. Even if he gave it to the family for free, he had nothing to say.
“Good, Chen’er, your improvement of the blade technique is a great contribution to the family. I will report your merit to the Merit Building and inform the clan elders. At the same time, you can go to the Merit Building and choose another merit method. In addition, you said you wanted to find a job outside. I will help you plan this.”
Xia Qian said firmly. The family has been prosperous for six hundred years without decline because it has a complete merit system and will not neglect anyone who has made great contributions to the family.