After ensuring that Mother Grace was settled in comfortably, Grandpa stepped outside with Eddie for a private talk.
"Eddie, you're a smart kid, but don't meddle in your Uncle's affairs. The deed is done. Standing up for Mother Grace is dutiful, but opposing your Uncle's marriage is foolish. "
"The poison he's suffering from is the Bee Queen's toxin, which requires intense release, but once unleashed, it becomes unstoppable, leading to certain death. "
"Thankfully, the Feng family's young lady was willing to sacrifice herself to save him, otherwise, your Uncle would've been long gone."
Eddie was astounded. A poison so insidious and lethal?
Yet he found it odd.
Why would the Feng family's young lady be so noble to save his Uncle?
Sensing Eddie's confusion, Grandpa coughed lightly, "It's said that your Uncle once saved the Feng family's young lady at the academy. Although he graduated early and started a family, she's never forgotten him, remaining unmarried at thirty, perhaps waiting for him. Why else would a lady of her status sacrifice so much to save your Uncle?"
"Alright, I won't bother with these confounding matters," Eddie replied, feeling a headache coming on. He thought his Uncle's romantic debts were not small.
"As a kid, why worry about adults' affairs? Stay put these days, and join the family for a meal at New Year if you wish, or eat alone in your room. I guess you don't see eye to eye with the first and second branches anyway. Eddie, the more I see you, the more you remind me of your father. Sigh, rest well," Grandpa said with a sigh before leaving.
Eddie was still full of doubts:
Who forged the Cup Guy's annulment letter?
Who poisoned his Uncle? How did the Cup Guy's father, Yew Qiu, die?
Was he still alive?
Who was the Cup Guy's mother?
Given the subtle attitudes of everyone, she seemed to be a powerful female warrior, perhaps not inferior to Yew Qiu. Yet why was she never mentioned?
Eddie wouldn't participate in the ridiculous wedding charade or dine with the scheming Shawn and others. He'd rather count his leg hairs!
Meanwhile, Mother Grace visited the elders daily, often cooking for them and bringing back treats for Eddie and Sophia.
Sophia meditated daily in her room, preparing for the New Year family tournament, eager to deflate the pride of Yehk and Blaze. As for Eddie, besides plotting to sneak into the Yew family's secret Puppet Palace, he either ate, slept, or played with Little Frost.
No one in the Yew family had seen him practicing, baffled by his remarkable skills. Little did they know, Eddie practiced in a mental space with the Sword Spirit, benefiting from more effective training there. Haye Yew's formidable strength had motivated him to train seriously, even in his dreams, and he was on the brink of breaking through the second level of his Innate Invisible Sword Qi to the third.
However, Eddie pondered what kind of opportunity he needed for this breakthrough. Flirting with virtuous women?
Peeping at women bathing?
Stealing treasures from the Puppet Palace?
Or secretly observing Shawn's intimate moments?
That night, unable to sleep, Eddie thought of spiking Shawn's tea and placing a sow in his bed, then setting a fire outside, ensuring a scandalous spectacle. With this plan in mind, he fell asleep, smiling.
In his dream, the long-missed Sword Spirit suddenly appeared, touching Eddie profoundly. She always showed up when he needed and hoped for her the most. What kind of breakthrough opportunity would the Sword Spirit bring this time?
In Eddie's ideal world, the best breakthrough opportunity would undoubtedly be initiated by the Sword Spirit.
Of course, being pursued by her seemed unlikely.
Eddie thought, rather than waiting to be seduced, why not take the initiative?
The difficulty of this task wasn't too great, just slightly less probable than instantly defeating the demon lord Hasin. How slight? Well, just about 99,999 times less likely – not quite a hundred thousand!
The Sword Spirit had a strong personality. Although Eddie yearned to rush over and embrace her legs while taking advantage, she didn't give him that chance. With a flick of her finger, a myriad of lights condensed into a figure. A man!
Had the Sword Spirit conjured any other man, Eddie would have been insanely jealous. Yet, this man made him feel utterly calm, for it was his own doppelganger.
The real Sword Spirit vanished, leaving the energy duplicate of Eddie to rapidly approach and attack with Innate Invisible Sword Qi. "I hate fighting myself!" Eddie muttered in frustration, struggling to cope.
The duplicate possessed the same skills and strength as Eddie, including the Innate Invisible Sword Qi and various techniques, but without any thoughts, only the instinct to defeat Eddie.
Now, Eddie understood the Sword Spirit's training purpose. She wanted him to break through the third layer of the Innate Invisible Sword Qi; otherwise, defeating this equally powerful duplicate was impossible.
"Honey, I know you're doing this for my good," Eddie thought, "but a heads-up next time would be nice so my heart doesn't explode from shock!"
Eddie quickly realized that the duplicate's use of the Innate Invisible Sword Qi and techniques was superior to his own. It was only then that he truly understood his own strength – facing an exact copy of himself was an eye-opener.
The battle between two mental entities was pointless. There was no meaning to it. Whether Eddie injured the duplicate or the duplicate struck him, the damage to both bodies was the same. Connected by energy, if the duplicate consumed energy, Eddie would feel fatigued too. If he overpowered the duplicate, he would also feel a significant drain.
The Sword Spirit didn't create the duplicate to thrash Eddie, but to force a breakthrough. The duplicate couldn't progress, being a temporary energy construct without consciousness. As soon as Eddie broke through to the third layer, defeating the duplicate would become easy.
"Oh no, I can't live like this anymore!" Eddie lamented internally. When he became stronger, he vowed to find the Sword Spirit and sternly spank her – her training method was just too cruel. If only the Sword Spirit had conjured a duplicate of herself, Eddie believed he would have been much more motivated.
Eddie, caught off guard in his daydreams, was seized upon by his ever-attentive duplicate. The duplicate lunged at him with punches, kicks, knee strikes, and headbutts.
Although Eddie was only a spirit in the dream and wouldn't be harmed as in reality, the sight of the duplicate's face hurtling towards him, just inches away, startled him into yelling. He'd never seen his own face so close before.
"Sophia, Sophia, what's wrong?" Eddie heard the tender voice of Mother Grace calling him and awoke from his dream to find her sitting beside his bed, looking at him with concern.
"Are you having a nightmare, Sophia?" she asked gently.
Eddie quickly shook his head, not wanting to admit he was startled awake by himself - or rather, by his handsomeness! Little Frost, playful as ever, stretched out her delicate hand to pinch Eddie's nose.
Mother Grace quickly pulled her hand away, but the little girl climbed into Eddie's bed, entwining around him like an octopus, innocently saying, "Big brother, I dreamt of a big sour plum tree with delicious sour plums. Can you help me pick them?"
"Let's leave the sour plums in your dream to ripen a bit more. Remember to water them well!" Eddie soothed her, making Mother Grace smile secretly.
However, Little Frost's antics gave Eddie an idea on how to handle his duplicate. Since it was just a dream and he wouldn't really die, why not simply ignore the duplicate? With his mind made up, Eddie fell asleep again, only to find the energy duplicate gone upon reentering the dream. He laughed heartily, thinking the duplicate would disappear if ignored. He could just exit the dream whenever the Sword Spirit created another duplicate. As long as he didn't fight, she couldn't do anything to him!
But just three seconds into his laughter, he swallowed hard in surprise. A perfect white jade arm extended from the void, and with a touch, myriad rainbow lights instantly condensed into a figure. This time, it wasn't Eddie's duplicate, but a big loli beauty resembling the Sword Spirit.
Dressed in a tight-fitting warrior outfit, her youthful innocence and purity captured Eddie's heart, making him gulp. The sight of her petite, adorable figure, especially her slender waist and long legs, fueled his imagination.
"Hello, little sister, the perverted uncle is here!" Eddie lunged forward shamelessly with his "Dragon Claw Hand" technique.
"Ahh!" The cute loli kicked him away. Like the previous duplicate, she possessed the same strength as Eddie, but her appearance was altered by the Sword Spirit. Instead of Eddie's wolfish form, she now resembled a big loli!
Eddie initially had no intention of fighting, but how could he resist teasing such an adorable loli? As for his plan to exit the dream? That was quickly forgotten. With a loli in front of him, everything else was insignificant!
"Experiencing pain and joy at the same time, that's life!" Eddie, despite being beaten nearly senseless by the loli, managed to cop a feel of her chest, moved to tears by the fleeting, wonderful sensation. If the Sword Spirit was secretly watching, she'd probably be speechless at Eddie's antics.
After being relentlessly beaten by the formidable loli in his dreams, Eddie finally broke through to the third level of his Innate Formless Sword Qi.
However, he still couldn't get his revenge on the loli; she improved alongside him, maintaining equal strength.
Her relentless attacks left Eddie disoriented and humbled. The loli's skillful use of Innate Sword Qi amazed Eddie, exposing him to advanced techniques and perspectives he had never considered before. As a result, his own Sword Qi improved from three strikes to six.
Eddie guessed that each level of his skill might add an additional strike, but that was just his speculation.
Despite only reaching six strikes, Eddie felt quite content with his progress. He had broken through a new realm, enhanced his Sword Qi, and had the pleasure of training with an adorable loli every day.
"Eddie, you seem to be in good spirits," observed Sophia, noticing the perpetual smirk on her brother's face. She thought he was excited about dominating his opponents in the upcoming New Year's family tournament, unaware that his mind was occupied with the bizarre games he played with the loli in his dreams.
"Of course," Eddie exclaimed, waving his hands like a war-hungry Hitler, rallying Sophia's fighting spirit. "We must work hard to defeat our enemies, reclaim our family's honor, and regain our happiness!" Sophia looked up to her brother with admiration and nodded firmly, "Yes, I won't let you down!"
Eddie shared his new insights and techniques with the eager Sophia, tailoring his teachings to her abilities and needs. Sophia made remarkable progress, especially in controlling her Bronze Level Five Centennial Tree Guardian, reaching a level of mastery that far surpassed her previous capabilities.
Eddie believed that among the younger generation he knew, aside from the three notorious killers and the formidable Sword Spirit, Sophia was becoming a force to be reckoned with.
As for the New Year's family dinner, Eddie had no interest in attending. Despite the pretense of concern from Shawn, the acting family head, Eddie declined under the guise of feeling unwell. The servant sent by Shawn blushed at Eddie's unconvincing excuse, thinking it was a poor attempt at lying.
On the second day of the new year, the Yew family's New Year's tournament was set to begin, and Eddie could hardly wait. He was eager to enter the arena with Sophia and showcase their prowess.
Eddie was sweating bullets when Uncle Daniel, who often rode a deer, informed him about the upcoming Yew family's New Year's tournament. Not only was it a family affair, but representatives from the other three major families would also attend to gather intelligence. Even the Daxia royal family wouldn't miss out, with rumors suggesting that Emperor Junsion himself might join the spectators this year.
This news put Eddie on alert. Was Emperor Junsion onto him, suspecting he was the newly ascended innate expert? If it weren't for the Emperor's frequent visits to the Yew family events, Eddie would have seriously considered withdrawing from the competition.
"Work hard, Eddie, and fight for our family's pride. But remember, no reckless killings," Uncle Daniel advised, "You know what to do, so I won't say more. Get ready and head to the main square later. If you need anything, just ask the servants. I'll take Mother Grace and Little Frost with me. Hey, Little Frost, let me carry you—ouch, don't pull my beard; it's going to fall off!" Uncle Daniel seemed to adore the children, even enduring Little Frost's playful tugs at his beard with a chuckle.
"Prepare?" Eddie thought of preparing some potions to use against Yehky and Blaze during the fight, followed by a merciless public humiliation.
"Brother, I'm a bit nervous," Sophia confessed, wringing her hands before eventually seeking comfort in Eddie's embrace. "Ah, don't worry, there's nothing to fear. I mean, they aren't that scary!" Eddie immediately raised his hands high as Sophia hugged him, reassuring her while internally chanting, "I'm not a siscon, I'm not a siscon, I'm not a siscon." His nervous mantra only made him sweat more profusely.
"Thanks, brother, I feel much better now. Hey, why are you sweating?" Sophia asked innocently, unaware of the turmoil her hug had caused.
"It's just really hot today!" Eddie hastily wiped his sweat, even as cold north winds blew outside, covering the ground in snow.
To all the readers out there, "Summoning the Holy Sword" is just a few votes away from breaking into the top ten in the monthly ticket rankings. I've never had a book reach this high before, and your support has brought this pleasant surprise. Just a few more votes, and we'll surpass several great authors to claim a spot in the top ten. What are you waiting for?
Eddie's turn to compete arrived after the grand opening ceremony of the Yew family's New Year's tournament, where Emperor Junsion and the family patriarch, Old Master Haye Yew, delivered brief speeches.
Representatives from various families also conveyed symbolic congratulations. Given Eddie's reputation as a troublemaker, even Uncle Daniel and Mother Grace were wary of him causing a scene during the ceremony, so they intentionally left him and Sophia waiting in the rest room.
Bored, Eddie dozed off, teasing a dreamy giant Lolita. When he woke up, the first round of preliminaries had already concluded. Sophia had her turn but chose not to summon her Centennial Tree Guardian.
Instead, she employed the shameless tactics Eddie taught her, charging at her opponent during their summoning and delivering a kick to the face.
This surprise attack, while dangerous against skilled summoners, worked flawlessly against novices, earning Sophia an easy victory.
While Sophia wasn't blamed, Eddie, known as the 'Abnormal Wastrel', was criticized for teaching her such tactics. Facing an opponent drawn from another family in the next round, Eddie's competitor forfeited, not daring to challenge the devilish freak. Uncle Daniel didn't bother to wake Eddie, and the family agreed to advance him to the next round by default.
In the subsequent draw, a coincidence pitted Eddie against Little Nine Yew Feng, the prodigy child.
The showdown between the super talent and the abnormal wastrel was highly anticipated.
Despite being only seven years old, Feng had an astonishing success rate in beast summoning and was rumored to have contracted eight powerful beasts in less than six months. He was now a key trainee of the Nanling MysticWind Sect, one of the four major factions. In contrast, the original Eddie, whom our Eddie replaced, was a certified wastrel. If not for the transmigration, the original Eddie wouldn't stand a chance against Yew Feng even after a decade of training.
Emerging into the vast square of the Yew family castle, larger than a football field and surrounded by the clan's members, Eddie noticed the distinct attire of the Feng, Xue, and Yan families' disciples. The most striking figure in the northern high seat, aside from Old Master Haye Yew, Yew Shan, Yew Ling, and other strong family members, was a refined-looking middle-aged man dressed in white warrior robes, with a jade headband. Despite his gentle smile, his demeanor exuded an unspoken authority. Eddie recognized him as Emperor Junsion of the Daxia Kingdom, who, despite looking in his forties, was actually 180 years old and a renowned seven-level 'Overlord' powerhouse.
Seated beside the Emperor was Old Master Haye Yew.