After what felt like an eternity, Ye Xuan slowly opened his eyes. He seemed to sense something, and suddenly sat up, disbelief written across his face. "I've reached the Genuine Qi Realm?"
The Genuine Qi Realm!
At that moment, he could feel the flow of energy inside him. No, it wasn't merely energy—it was sword energy! Not only that, he could also feel a small silver sword suspended in his dantian at the center of his abdomen.
Then, the mysterious woman's voice suddenly echoed, "You've indeed reached the Genuine Qi Realm."
Ye Xuan clenched his fists, his entire body trembling slightly—not in anger, but in excitement. It felt as if he had glimpsed a ray of light from the depths of a dark abyss. To find hope after being in utter despair—how could he not be excited?
Most importantly, he now had a genuine chance to reach the Spiritual Qi Realm and take his sister to the Imperial Capital's Cangmu Academy for treatment.
"What are you so excited about?!" the mysterious woman suddenly scolded, "This is only the beginning."
Ye Xuan gave an awkward laugh. "Forgive me, Senior."
The mysterious woman continued, "Using the sword as your dantian compensates for the defect of lacking one, but there are also drawbacks. Swords can be categorized into ordinary swords, spiritual swords, enlightened swords, true swords, heavenly swords, Dao swords, and immortal swords. The sword in your body was once a true sword, but twelve hundred years of erosion have dissipated its 'truth.' Not only has the 'truth' disappeared, but even its Sword Heart has dimmed. Now, it is merely a spiritual sword."
She paused for a moment, then added, "The spirit of a sword will eventually fade away, and when that day comes, the sword will shatter. You will be the first to die!"
Ye Xuan's face stiffened.
The mysterious woman continued, "You have two options. First, keep seeking new spiritual swords to devour. Devouring them will not only enhance your own power but also replenish the spiritual energy of the sword within you. Second, find a new sword to replace the current one in your dantian. The better the sword, the stronger your dantian, and thus the more terrifying your strength will be. Of course, you seem like a pauper—probably couldn't even afford an ordinary sword."
Ye Xuan seemed to recall something and quickly asked, "Aren't there three swords at the top of the tower? What level are they?"
The mysterious woman replied indifferently, "They have no level."
Ye Xuan: "..."
The mysterious woman added, "Kid, I advise you not to have any funny ideas. If it weren't for those three swords, your world would've been doomed long ago. For now, don't worry about your sword. The one in your body should last about a year. Your priority now is to train in swordsmanship."
Train in swordsmanship!
Ye Xuan quickly asked, "How do I train?"
"By killing people!" the mysterious woman responded.
Ye Xuan: "..."
The mysterious woman continued, "The sword is an instrument of killing. Only by killing can you truly understand its essence. For now, you need to train your speed and strength. Use the sword technique I taught you to summon the sword from within your body!"
Ye Xuan hesitated for a moment, then closed his eyes. He slowly extended his palm, and soon, a wisp of sword energy appeared there. The next moment, a sword materialized, hovering in his palm.
It was the silver Lingxiao Sword from within him!
Ye Xuan was astonished. "Senior, I can actually summon the sword?"
The mysterious woman replied, "Yes, but you'd better avoid using this sword in battle. If it gets destroyed, you're done for. Right now, you still lack an opponent. I'll find one for you!"
As soon as she finished speaking, a shadow appeared before Ye Xuan.
The mysterious woman said, "This shadow is at the Genuine Qi Realm, the same level as you. Begin!"
The moment she spoke, the shadow in front of Ye Xuan vanished.
Ye Xuan's pupils shrank suddenly—the opponent was fast. Instinctively, he shifted sideways, but the sword in the shadow's hand seemed to anticipate his movement and changed its trajectory accordingly.
Before Ye Xuan could steady himself, the sword pierced his chest.
Blood flowed!
Ye Xuan froze for a moment. "Senior, aren't we supposed to be training? Why is this real? And you haven't taught me any sword techniques or skills!"
The mysterious woman's voice turned cold. "Training? The deadliest moves of a sword cultivator are never practiced—they are forged in the heat of battle. The shadow before you is both an enemy and a teacher. If you're smart, it will teach you all the basics of swordsmanship. Pain is the best teacher, understand? As for sword skills and techniques, there's no rush. Lay a solid foundation first."
Ye Xuan pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Understood."
With that, he stomped on the ground and launched himself forward.
Within the tower, Ye Xuan's body accumulated more and more wounds, but his fighting spirit only grew stronger.
Battle?
Ye Xuan had never feared battle. As the former heir of the Ye Clan, he had often represented the clan in life-and-death struggles for its benefit. This was why he could face off against the Great Elder despite being at a lower realm.
His strength had not been nurtured in comfort—it had been forged through countless fights.
Gradually, Ye Xuan began to pick up on some of the shadow's sword techniques. Every time he got injured, he would reflect on why it happened and how he could avoid it next time.
After three days of hard training, Ye Xuan's injuries began to lessen.
Of course, he hadn't learned any fancy sword techniques yet, but he had learned when to strike, when not to, when to block, and when to evade—all paid for in blood.
The sparring, though brutal, was incredibly effective.
Two more days passed.
By now, Ye Xuan was finally able to counterattack. When he started his counterattacks, he found that the shadow's defense was on another level—far superior to his own. It was as if the shadow's defense was impenetrable, no matter how he attacked.
This was actually beneficial to Ye Xuan, as it effectively taught him how to defend.
Time passed slowly. Inside the tower, Ye Xuan practiced tirelessly against the shadow, training day and night. During this time, his strength, speed, and reaction abilities all improved significantly.
This realization filled Ye Xuan with immense joy, driving him to train even harder.
Outside, at the Ye Clan.
Ye Ku walked into the Great Elder's room, his face filled with excitement. "Great Elder, I have found out what happened in Nanshan earlier. Although the assassins we sent failed to kill Ye Xuan, a survivor from the Li Clan saw it with their own eyes—Ye Xuan's dantian was destroyed!"
The Great Elder's eyes shot open. "Are you certain?"
Ye Ku nodded. "Absolutely true. I asked the survivor myself. Ye Xuan's dantian is indeed shattered."
"Heaven itself wishes to destroy Ye Xuan! Hahaha..." The Great Elder let out a chilling laugh.
A shattered dantian!
Without a dantian, one was nothing more than a brute. Only with a dantian could one truly be called a martial artist.
With his dantian shattered, Ye Xuan was as good as crippled. Even if he had impressive combat skills, he would be no more than a strong brute. True strength came from mastering Qi.
After a moment, the Great Elder spoke coldly, "Ye Ku, gather everyone and eliminate him—remove any future threat!"
The elder named Ye Ku shook his head. "We cannot."
The Great Elder looked at Ye Ku, who spoke earnestly, "Great Elder, Ye Xuan has contributed much to the clan. Killing him now would dishearten many within the clan. Moreover, Ye Lang has just become the heir, and he has a life-and-death duel with Ye Xuan. If we kill Ye Xuan now, what will outsiders think? They will surely believe it was our doing. Not only that, but if word spreads, the Li Clan will also use this against us."
The Great Elder frowned. "Then what do you suggest?"
Ye Ku smiled. "Doesn't Ye Lang have a life-and-death duel with him? When Ye Lang kills him then, it will be justified, and no one will say anything. Ye Lang will also gain prestige and make a name for himself in Qingcheng. Moreover, once they're on the life-and-death stage, even if the patriarch comes out of seclusion, he won't be able to object, right?"
The Great Elder thought for a moment, then nodded. "That works. Besides, with his dantian shattered, he's no longer a threat."
A cold glint flashed in his eyes. "But we shouldn't let him live comfortably in the meantime. Issue an order: effective immediately, stop the monthly allowance and provisions for Ye Xuan and his sister. All privileges granted to him as the heir are revoked. He is not to enter the Martial Arts Pavilion, nor is he allowed to leave the clan grounds without permission. Also, stop the medicinal meals for his sister. Hmph, her cold ailment has cost us countless medicinal herbs and pills over the years. If he wasn't of some use before, I would have kicked her out long ago!"
Ye Ku smiled. "With his dantian shattered, calling him a cripple wouldn't be an exaggeration."
The Great Elder nodded. "Ye Lang has just awakened. If he needs anything, the clan will provide it. Also, he is free to access the Martial Arts Pavilion and study anything within."
Ye Ku nodded. "Understood. By the way, Ye Ling is getting older. Perhaps we should marry her off to a servant in the clan?"
The Great Elder slowly closed his eyes. "Do as you see fit."
Within the Tower of Jieyu.
Ye Xuan lay on the ground, breathing heavily, his body covered in sword wounds. Fortunately, now that he was in the Genuine Qi Realm, he could use spiritual energy to heal his injuries—though the pain was unavoidable. Despite the physical pain, the gains he had made over the past few days were immense.
Ye Xuan had already been strong among the younger generation of Qingcheng, and after these past few days of training, his strength had reached new heights.
"How do you feel?" the mysterious woman suddenly asked.
Ye Xuan grinned. "I feel great."
The mysterious woman replied, "This is only the beginning. The path ahead will be even harder. Martial cultivation is like walking on the edge of an abyss, and the way of the sword is even more perilous. Moreover, without a dantian, you are walking an unconventional path. Many hardships lie ahead."
Ye Xuan slowly closed his eyes. "I'm not afraid of hardship."
He had lived his entire life with his sister, relying on each other for survival. What hardship had he not faced? He had no background, yet he had become the heir of the Ye Clan through sheer determination. Now, with a chance to reach the Spiritual Qi Realm and a hope for curing his sister's illness, he was willing to endure any suffering.
After resting for a while, Ye Xuan left the Tower of Jieyu.
He hadn't yet cultivated to the point where he could forego eating—he still needed food.
Ye Xuan had just returned to his room when Ye Ling walked in. She approached him, her head lowered, and handed him two steamed buns. "Brother, eat..."
Ye Xuan frowned. "What's wrong? Lift your head."
Ye Ling slowly lifted her head, and Ye Xuan's expression changed instantly. There was a red handprint on her right cheek!
"What happened?!" Ye Xuan's eyes turned icy.
Ye Ling shook her head. "N-no, I accidentally bumped into something."
Ye Xuan pulled Ye Ling closer. "Tell me the truth. Your brother is still alive—he will stand up for you."
Tears welled up in Ye Ling's eyes. She wiped them away and said, "Brother, the kitchen didn't send us any food today, so I went there myself. Steward Wang in the kitchen gave me some food meant for the dogs. It was spoiled, with maggots in it. I got angry and confronted him. He said that since you're no longer the heir, we siblings are only fit to eat dog food. Then... then he said that if I wanted proper food, I had to sleep with him for a night... I cursed him, and he slapped me."
Ye Xuan's face turned cold, his right hand clenching so tightly that his nails dug into his palm. "Once you lose power, you're lower than a dog!"
With that, he took Ye Ling's hand and walked out of the room, heading straight for the Ye Clan's kitchen.