Inside the Marquis’s Residence.
The winding path paved with bluestone resembled a nimble ribbon weaving through the vibrant floral scenery.
Though spring had just begun, some famous flowers could not resist blooming, competing in their splendor. A gentle breeze wafted by, spreading a rich fragrance that was refreshing to the heart.
Xia Qian and Cui Mengrou, the couple, suddenly stopped in their tracks, turning back to look at Xia Chen, their voices filled with unconcealed surprise.
“You’ve broken through to the Eight Rank Realm?”
If it were any other person breaking through to the Eight Rank Realm, neither of them would even bat an eyelid.
Although the Eight Rank Realm could be considered good, especially since Xia Chen was only 17 this year, which was enough to be called a Genius in the outside world.
But this was the Marquis’s Residence, where there were many Geniuses. Setting aside the few Prodigies among the direct descendants, even among the collateral branches, in Xia Chen’s generation, there were a few young people with astonishing talent emerging.
Eight Rank was truly not astonishing.
However, the one who broke through to the Eight Rank was Xia Chen, which was enough to be surprising.
Especially for Xia Qian and his wife, who knew Xia Chen’s talent situation inside and out.
Over the years, although Xia Chen’s birth parents had not sent Heaven And Earth Treasure and other medicines from the Eastern Wilderness, Xia Qian had also given Xia Chen many good things to temper his flesh and blood and refine his physique.
But after so many years, even with the expenditure of many resources from the Marquis’s Residence, it only barely allowed Xia Chen to advance from unranked to the Nine Rank Body Refining Realm.
This made Xia Qian sigh, feeling that the Martial Dao Waste Body was indeed well-deserved of its name.
And now, Xia Chen had broken through to the Eighth Rank?
“These past few days, I felt something in my heart. As I Cultivated, I had an Epiphany, comprehending some things from the basic blade technique. My Realm also broke through without me realizing it!”
Xia Chen spoke truthfully, only concealing some key details. There was no need to hide too much or be too low-key now; he had to quickly gain the Marquis’s Residence’s resource support to rise.
“Show me!”
Upon hearing this, Xia Qian’s expression became solemn, his heart filled with doubt and surprise. He entered an Epiphany while practicing a basic blade technique?
Their Marquis’s Residence’s basic blade technique was naturally not the most common, lowest-grade blade technique. Instead, it was a technique that they had researched generation after generation for 600 years, even referencing the royal Family’s strongest Nine Rank blade technique, ultimately comprehending this blade technique most suitable for the Nine Rank Body Refining Realm.
It was most effective for refining the physique, and because it was most suitable for Nine Rank martial artists to temper their bodies, it was named the Basic Blade Technique.
This Basic Blade Technique had long reached a point where it could not be further advanced or improved. Even when he was young, he also learned this Basic Blade Technique.
And now, Xia Chen actually said that he had comprehended some new things from this blade technique.
When he was young, Xia Qian was also arrogant, thinking of contributing to the Family and improving this blade technique. But even at his current Realm, he still had not attempted to improve this blade technique.
Not only him, but Xia Chen’s birth father, Xia Yuan, and their father, the true master of the Marquis’s Residence, Zhendong Marquis Xia Chutian, had also failed to do so.
“Bring a blade!”
Xia Chen said to his attendant beside him.
“Just use mine!”
Without a word, Xia Qian directly drew a long blade from his side, emitting an astonishing cold gleam and entirely dark.
The moment this long blade appeared, Xia Chen’s eyes seemed to see a black flood dragon leaping out of the abyss, its cold scales seemingly capable of devouring human hearts.
This anomaly flashed by in an instant, and the dark long blade quickly returned to calm. Xia Chen knew that the scene just now was not an illusion; this was a Divine Weapon. That black flood dragon was at least a Third Rank great demon. This dark long blade was born bathed in the essence blood of a great demon above Third Rank, and within its blade, a great demon’s soul was even suppressed.
This was one of the Marquis’s Residence’s foundations.
Xia Chen gripped the long blade with both hands, but even so, he felt his hands sink. Even though this dark long blade had restrained its divine power, the blade itself was still incredibly heavy. If he had still been in the Nine Rank Realm before, he would at most be able to barely lift it, but he would not be able to swing it at all.
This long blade was itself a test, testing his Realm level.
Seeing Xia Chen steadily take the long blade, Xia Qian nodded approvingly.
This boy had truly broken through to the Eight Rank Realm.
Thinking of this, Xia Qian couldn’t help but have some expectations for the Epiphany Xia Chen mentioned.
Xia Chen held the dark long blade, and in his eyes, a blazing light surged. His entire body’s flesh and blood seemed to be boiling violently, and wisps of Qi and blood power permeated through his physique. A phantom of a great sun rose behind Xia Chen.
“There’s a slight change in the energy in the sky!”
Cui Mengrou’s eyes also shone at this moment. She came from the prestigious Cui Family and followed the system of a sorcerer, making her extremely sensitive to the energy in the heavens and earth.
A surge of extreme Yang Qi was drawn into Xia Chen’s body, finally injecting into the dark long blade in his palm.
“Shouyang Demon-Piercing Blade!”
With a loud shout, Xia Chen stood in the garden, yet it was as if he was facing a thousand troops and ten thousand demons. He turned his back to the crowd, holding his blade horizontally towards the abyss!
This was his Aura reaching its peak. His entire body’s Qi and blood were boiling, his spirit and essence reaching their pinnacle. With one strike, heaven and earth changed color.
…
Xia Qian looked at his palm, where a great sun flashed by. That brilliant blade light was caught by his palm. Although it didn’t even break the surface of his skin, Xia Qian couldn’t hide his joy and couldn’t calm down.
“You really improved the Basic Blade Technique?”
Although it was a questioning tone, Xia Qian already believed it. He had seen it with his own eyes. Although this blade technique was completely different from the Basic Blade Technique, its essence was no different.
It definitely belonged to an advanced version of the Basic Blade Technique.
“It hooks the essence of the sun, condenses the Qi of killing, repels all evil, and is both a method to kill enemies and a foundation for tempering flesh and blood!”
Cui Mengrou revealed the fundamental nature of the Shouyang Demon-Piercing Blade with one sentence. In her opinion, killing enemies with this blade technique was secondary. More importantly, this blade technique could actually communicate with heaven and earth, absorbing the essence of the sun to temper flesh and blood.
Could crude martial artists achieve this?
“This blade technique is somewhat similar to a combination of a martial artist and a sorcerer. There is actually such a strange blade technique in this world!”
Cui Mengrou’s heart was unable to calm down.
Although Xia Qian was not a sorcerer, he quickly realized the key point: the Nine Rank Body Refining Realm, the Eight Rank Spirit Refining Realm, and even the Seven Rank Spirit Refining Realm, all focused on strengthening the physique and tempering flesh and blood.
However, martial artists could not communicate with heaven and earth energy. They either had to work hard and accumulate over time, or consume Heaven And Earth Treasure. But now, this blade technique could actively communicate with heaven and earth energy to temper flesh and blood, which could definitely greatly accelerate the Cultivation speed from Nine Rank to Seven Rank.
Xia Qian quickly realized the preciousness of this blade technique.
“Keep the matter of your comprehension of the blade technique a secret, and do not spread this blade technique.”
Xia Qian said with a serious expression, while looking around at the few attendants and maidservants behind him.
Fortunately, these attendants and maidservants were all trusted Family members; otherwise, there would have been some killing today…
“Are you willing to present this blade technique to the Family?”
“All up to Uncle!”
Xia Chen didn’t hesitate at all. The reason he exposed the blade technique was originally to exchange it for advanced resources.
Moreover, the Family had indeed spent a lot of resources on him over the years, so 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 meritorious service to the Merit Tower and inform the clan elders. At the same time, you may go to the Cultivation Technique Tower and select another Cultivation Technique. Additionally, you said you wanted to find a position outside; I will plan this matter well for you.”
Xia Qian said with conviction. The Family has been prosperous for six hundred years without decline because it has a complete merit system that will not neglect anyone who has made great contributions to the Family.