Although Sun Bing was quite excited about being able to Cultivate, he knew his strength didn't come easily, so he rested early.
The next day, he woke up before the sun had even risen.
The experiences of the past ten years made him crave strength immensely. Even when he was deemed unable to Cultivate, he practiced his sword daily. Now that he could Cultivate, he wouldn't waste a single moment.
One must know that Sun Bing was already sixteen years old. The Geniuses of the Sun Family had even reached the eighth layer of Body Tempering Realm, just a step away from the Peak of Body Tempering, and a further step would be the Qi Training Realm. What right did he have to be complacent?
It was this self-motivation that made Sun Bing full of fighting spirit, even to the point of forgetting to eat and sleep.
Since he didn't have any other Cultivation Technique, he only practiced a simple set of Basic Swordplay. However, ever since he Cultivated the "Sword Grinding Art", although every sword strike looked ordinary, a sharp edge was hidden within.
Just like an ancient poem: Ten years to grind a sword, its frosty blade yet untried.
The set of Basic Swordplay in Sun Bing's hands, which was once executed with practiced fluidity, gradually became slower and slower. It lost the showiness that came from familiarity and became even more simple and grand. Outsiders would mock it, thinking it was just Basic Swordplay.
But if one observed for a long time, they would feel their mind sinking into the swordplay, and even their heartbeat would follow its rhythm. The pressure within this swordplay also grew stronger and stronger. Anyone whose swordplay was not as profound as Sun Bing's, if they observed for too long, would suffer from Qi and blood reversal and sudden death.
This was the wonder of the "Sword Grinding Art": it could temper one's mind and sharpen their edge, or conversely, it could refine the body and dull the sword's point. Although the swordplay seemed unremarkable, its power was greatly enhanced.
Although Sun Bing, who was practicing his sword, didn't notice all of this, he did feel some obvious differences in his body. His heart quietly experienced it, engrossed in the swordplay. A leaf slowly drifted down, was gently touched by his wooden sword, and then fell to the ground.
If one observed carefully, they would find that the leaf had split into two halves upon reaching the ground, with no connection whatsoever between them, not even a single fiber.
One must know that even a sharp iron sword could not achieve such a feat in this situation, yet it was easily done by a wooden sword. One can imagine the sharpness contained within.
After a long while, a set of swordplay was completed. Sun Bing exhaled a long breath of white mist. Although he had some sweat on his body, he felt extremely refreshed and even a sense of surging passion.
"Cultivation is truly extraordinary," Sun Bing couldn't help but exclaim in his heart.
One must know that previously, even with this simplest Basic Swordplay, he would need to rest for a long time after one practice session, and even feel a sense of being drained.
"It seems your body has recovered a lot," a clear, cold voice suddenly spoke.
Sun Bing turned his head to look and saw Sun Yanran's graceful figure standing there, quietly looking at him.
"Thank you for your concern, I am well." Sun Bing was actually quite grateful to Sun Yanran. Only he knew that this seemingly cold beauty in front of him was actually warm-hearted.
Although that adoptive father was not good, she, as a sister, was quite competent. Although outsiders saw no connection between them, she always helped Sun Bing in her own way.
When collecting his monthly allowance, everything went smoothly if she was present. Even if she wasn't, he would usually receive a certain amount of gold and silver for living expenses the next day.
Over all these years, because Sun Bing would recklessly Cultivate and get injured, Sun Yanran had taken care of him many times. It could even be said that if it weren't for her, Sun Bing might have died prematurely.
Looking at that face, a blend of aloofness and charm, even Sun Bing's resolute heart couldn't help but exclaim, "Perfect."
At the same time, there was a stirring in his heart. Before, it was due to his low status and the vast difference in their identities that he didn't dare to think of it, but now he truly had some thoughts. However, it was still too early to speak of it. Since he already had the opportunity, Sun Bing firmly believed he could make a name for himself.
Sun Yanran felt a bit shy under Sun Bing's fiery gaze. Fortunately, she was naturally aloof, so no hint of it was visible.
There was an awkward silence between the two for a moment. After a long while, Sun Bing softly said, "I am well now, you should go back first. It's not good for others to see us." After all, the disparity between them was too great, and if outsiders saw them, rumors would spread.
Sun Bing wouldn't be affected much, as his reputation was already bad enough, but Sun Yanran couldn't afford it. Moreover, Sun Bing's pride wouldn't allow the title of 'waste' to be associated with such a graceful figure.
Sun Yanran nodded gently, then turned and left. There was an unspoken understanding between the two.
Looking at her distant figure, Sun Bing's eyes gleamed with determination.
However, before he could resume his sword practice, a crisp sound suddenly came from the nearby woods.
"Who?" Sun Bing frowned instantly. He was quite familiar with the surrounding environment and naturally knew there wouldn't be any large animals, so the sound was clearly made by a person.
"Oh, I didn't expect you to find me? You're quite sharp. From your appearance, your injuries are mostly healed. I didn't expect your body to be quite good." Before long, Sun Yang slowly walked out.
Because he could Cultivate, his physical condition had instantly improved several times, so Sun Bing's wounds had basically healed overnight. However, at this moment, he had no intention of answering the other party's question.
Sun Yang, however, didn't care about Sun Bing's attitude and instead mocked, "I didn't expect a waste like you to be so familiar with Young Miss. This is a huge secret. I only needed some money and came to rob you, but now it seems I can sell some information."
After speaking, he burst into laughter.
One must know that Sun Yanran's beauty was renowned throughout Luoyun Town. Countless people secretly admired her. Once this news spread, those admirers would surely give Sun Bing a good beating.
This made Sun Bing's eyes narrow into slits. He hadn't expected such a coincidence. Thinking of the one hundred and twenty humiliations he had suffered, a cold light flashed in his eyes, and he said coldly, "Since that's the case, let's settle our new and old grudges together. I can't let you live."
"Oh, you, a waste, actually want to kill me? Do you have the right? Since you've spoken today, I'm going to hit you hard." After speaking, Sun Yang grinned ferociously, "What do you think would happen if I killed you?"
A cold light flashed, and a finely crafted iron sword appeared in Sun Yang's hand. It emitted a chilling glow under the morning sun as he lunged towards Sun Bing. "I am at the third layer of Body Tempering. To kill a small fry like you, I actually need to use a sword. You should be proud, shouldn't you?"
But Sun Bing remained calm, simply looking at the other party. At this moment, only he knew that his sword, which had been sharpened for a full ten years, had finally achieved Soul Emergence. It had been brewing for ten years, containing not only Sun Bing's resentment but also his hardship. This move was the embodiment of his spirit.
Containing so much will, the power of this sword strike was simply not something Sun Yang, who was at the third layer of Body Tempering Realm, could withstand. Only a cold light flashed through the forest, and then a scream was heard.
Looking again, an arm holding an iron sword had appeared on the ground. Drops of fresh blood flowed, staining the surrounding soil crimson. Even a tree not far away was affected by this sword light, cut in half at the waist.
At this moment, Sun Yang clutched his wound with his left hand, his eyes filled with intense fear. "You, you, when could you Cultivate? Why are you so strong?" He couldn't understand why Sun Bing, who had always been a cripple, could unleash such a powerful move.
Sun Bing still stood there, holding his sword, his face somewhat pale, seemingly because this one sword strike had consumed too much of his spirit. However, he remained standing quietly, like a sharp sword that had left its sheath.
"It's not that I'm too strong, it's that you're too weak." Sun Bing showed no mercy to his former greatest enemy, and there was even a faint sense of disappointment in his heart.
This made Sun Yang completely collapse. He had been full of confidence when he arrived, but reality had dealt him a huge blow, one he couldn't accept at all. "No, impossible. Even if you can Cultivate, the difference between us can't be this great. This was just one sword strike."
Sun Bing sighed softly, seemingly with a hint of sorrow: "Do you know? I waited a full ten years for this day. In these ten years, you hit me one hundred and twenty times. Fifty-one times were superficial wounds, twenty-five times broken hands, thirty-six times broken legs, and eight times internal injuries, even life-threatening ones.
You will never know that in these ten years, regardless of wind or rain, cold or scorching heat, I never stopped practicing my sword.
Although this is just one sword strike, I have been brewing this sword for ten years, enduring ten years of scorching heat and ten years of bitter cold. It contains all of my spirit. You simply do not understand."
Sun Bing's voice was calm, as if he wasn't talking about his own situation at all. Yet, it was this calm voice that made Sun Yang even more terrified, and he shrieked, "Please let me go! At first, I just wanted to rob some money. Later, Sun Long made me do it. Let me go!"
These words made a cold light flash in Sun Bing's eyes. Sun Long was known as the Sun Family's number one Genius and was quite infatuated with Sun Yanran. However, he once discovered Sun Yanran taking care of Sun Bing, and Sun Bing hadn't expected such retaliation. What a deep scheme.
Having received the information, Sun Bing sneered, "Don't worry, they'll come down to accompany you." With that, he prepared to swing his sword.
This made Sun Yang even more terrified. He kept moving backward, mumbling, "I am a Sun Family member, you can't murder..."
Before he could finish his sentence, he had already breathed his last. Drops of blood dripped from the inky wooden sword. Sun Bing lightly flicked the wooden sword, and a buzzing sound immediately echoed through the forest. The blood on the wooden sword was instantly shaken off, leaving no trace.
Although this was Sun Bing's first kill, he felt an unprecedented sense of ease, as if the pent-up frustration in his heart had been released. He looked at the corpse on the ground and said indifferently:
"A Sun Family member? You're just a servant. Strictly speaking, I'm still a Young Master! Just wait on the Yellow Springs Road; someone will come to keep you company."
With that, he cleaned up the corpse and bloodstains on the ground.