Yuzhang Military District Hospital, a person walked into the special care ward where Chen Qingniu was, amidst the swirling smoke one could just make out an old man, somehow his tobacco pipe produced such a large amount of smoke.
He held a box in his hand, a faint bloody smell seeping out, the elders within Chen Qingniu's ward who were meditating remained entirely unaware, not only did they fail to notice the old man's arrival, they didn't even see his silhouette, even though he was right in front of them.
He the Sixth looked at Chen Qingniu within the treatment capsule, reached out, and Chen Qingniu appeared in front of him, despite the capsule being sealed perfectly without a single gap.
A strand of Immortal Source Qi flowed from his hand, infusing into Chen Qingniu's body, circling several times before it withdrew.
In just those few breaths, Chen Qingniu who was severely injured and unconscious opened his eyes, feeling unprecedentedly good, his injuries vanishing without a trace.
Seeing the smoke-enveloped elder, Chen Qingniu's eyes immediately reddened, bowing to the ground: "Master, disciple..."
"Rise." He the Sixth waved his hand, and Chen Qingniu stood up, unable to kneel again as He the Sixth disliked these grand ceremonies.
"I know about your matter, don't be sad, people are born to age, fall sick, and then die, it's the cycle of the Heavenly Dao, we too may turn to dust millennia later, your father simply went before us."
He comforted Chen Qingniu, having lived so long, he had seen much life and death, yet still couldn't see through it, as cultivators, they are not heartless either.
"But, my father's death was truly unjust. How can I call myself his son if I can't avenge him? Every time I think of my father's appearance, my heart aches."
Despite being a grown man, Chen Qingniu's eyes were still red, tears falling. Just a few days ago, his father was still well, they were chatting and drinking tea, enjoying wine together.
In the blink of an eye, father and son were separated by the chasm of life and death.
"If revenge is what you seek, you must pull yourself together, personally kill Zhao Hao in the future to honor your father in heaven, what's the use of weeping here?"
"Master's teaching is correct." Chen Qingniu wiped away his tears.
"Are you still determined to practice your sword skills?" He the Sixth asked.
"Practice, I must continue! Zhao Hao is a Sword Immortal, I too will take his life with a sword one day!" Chen Qingniu's eyes were resolute.
He the Sixth was a bit helpless, why was his disciple so fond of the sword? Clearly Immortal Martial Mountain was for martial cultivators! Conquering the world with fists and palms!
"Practice the fist with me, cultivate earnestly, and you can take your revenge within ten years, a strong physique will only aid your sword practice, the two do not conflict."
"If I focus solely on the sword, how many years would it take to surpass Zhao Hao?" Chen Qingniu asked.
"Fifty years, or a hundred, or maybe never. Zhao Hao is at Celestial Sword Mountain, where he receives guidance and the cultivation environment far exceeds yours.
Abandon your strengths to counter his is foolish, or do you truly look down on the Martial Dao of Immortal Martial Mountain?" He the Sixth pretended to be angry.
Chen Qingniu quickly shook his head: "No, Immortal Martial Mountain is in no way inferior to Celestial Sword Mountain, I just find fist and palm techniques a bit brute force, while the Sword Immortal is more elegant."
"You lack the fortune for that!" He the Sixth said seriously, "Practicing sword, you'll only ever reach Great Sword Immortal at best in this life, never breaking through beyond, what use is that?"
"Oh." Chen Qingniu, hearing his master so critical for the first time, still he had always desired to become a Sword Immortal, flying with the sword seemed so elegant!
"Do you think being a Sword Immortal is truly elegant? In life and death battles, the image goes out the window!" He the Sixth tossed the box he was holding over to him.
"People fought me over the contents of this box, and behold, I broke their rib with one punch, they were so pathetic, what image was left?"
Chen Qingniu opened the box, seeing a head within, it was the very one belonging to Zhao Hao's biological father.
"Master, you..."
"We were in the right, what harm in taking someone's head? Ultimately, it was my fist that decided Zhao Tianxing's life or death, I won, thus he perished, his Primordial Spirit utterly wiped out, not a trace to reincarnate." He the Sixth snorted.
"You still want to practice the sword? The Sword Master you admire couldn't defeat me your master, shouldn't you follow me to practice fists!"
Chen Qingniu said: "For the next ten years, I won't be distracted by the sword, rest assured Master."
Heaven and earth are vast, but the enmity over my father's death is paramount!
"Between you and Zhao Hao, I won't intervene, nor will anyone else, it's up to your own abilities."
He the Sixth waved his sleeve and turned: "I'm going to Meiling for a look, return to the Martial Arts Hall, and perhaps greet your fifth senior brother, he's soon to be your Hall Master."
Such a disciple who is inattentive in practicing fists, yet prefers to practice the sword, truly makes Elder He worry.
...
After a little treatment, stopping the bleeding, Wang Xuan changed into clean clothes, disassembled the sniper rifle and locked it in the safe, keeping some essential items stored well.
Now that he has displayed his strength, many have noticed, naturally he must exercise caution and care.
After today's events, likely the entire community will change their view of him, the past tranquility and leisure will no longer exist.
No matter how amiable he is, others will ultimately keep their distance, avoiding danger is human instinct, when the wolf disguised in sheep's clothing is exposed, the flock will only scatter.
"Personal panel." Wang Xuan silently thought, the personal panel of the accelerator appeared.
Name: Wang Xuan
Age: Twenty-four
Height: 1.8 meters
Weight: 95 kg
...
Cultivation Skills: Overlord Saber Perfection (acceleratable), Mixed Element Stance Great Success (acceleratable), Fierce Bull Fist Great Success (acceleratable), Life Generating Technique Second Layer (acceleratable), Bow Pulling Technique Great Success (acceleratable) Golden Bell Shield Minor Achievement (acceleratable)...
Source Point: One thousand two hundred sixty-five
Seeing the words "Overlord Saber Perfection" appearing above, Wang Xuan's mind felt somewhat empty, past memories surged forth, but were immediately suppressed.
The past twelve years, for him, were not a time of great joy, it was more of pain and endurance, but thankfully he endured.
At this moment, seeing the Overlord Saber Technique again, Wang Xuan knew he could face everything from the past directly now, face it calmly, that vibrant and infinitely radiant self had returned.
"As a bladesman, how can one be without a blade."
Wang Xuan logged into the online store through his personal terminal, browsing for weapons, beginning to search for a suitable blade, not needing a pricey one, just appropriate.
It wasn't long before he set his sights on one, the blade was four feet long, with a handle roughly twenty centimeters in length, the entire blade was crafted from specialized metal Star Gold, a metal frequently used within the military.
In the introduction video, with one slash, the blade cut through tree trunks as thick as the mouth of a bowl, splitting rebar as thick as a thumb effortlessly.
This model of blade was somewhat classic, able to withstand a limit force of ten thousand pounds, usually, in battles involving organ refining cultivators, it wouldn't break.
Of course, this blade was also heavy, weighing over forty pounds, with the back of the blade being two centimeters thick, without sufficient strength one couldn't even unleash its power, and might even get it stuck in objects upon impact.
It was a blade meant for cultivators, for martial artists, one which ordinary people couldn't use or afford to buy, as it required four million Star Yuan.
"It's expensive, but today I'm in a good mood, everything about this blade pleases me, some things are worth their price, what does four million matter."
As long as it could boost his strength, especially in this period before his rise to power, some money meant to keep him alive he was willing to spend.
After clicking purchase, he selected five bottles of Hundred Herbs Essence Liquid, watching as his Star Yuan flowed out like water, in the past few days, one-fifth of those fifty million Star Yuan were already gone.
Staring at the bloodstain on his chest, Wang Xuan took a sip of Nutrient Liquid, then chose a unit of Source Power, targeting the Life Generating Technique, activating the accelerator to speed it up.
Visible even to the naked eye, the wound on his body began to wriggle, rapidly healing the damaged flesh, soon that nearly foot-long, half-centimeter-deep wound was reduced to just a red line.
"Mixed Element Stance Great Success (acceleratable)," after Wang Xuan's wound healed, he accelerated Mixed Element Stance, and soon five units were consumed, during the condensing of energy and blood, even the wound's single red line disappeared without a trace.
Having lost quite a bit of blood from his wounds, through the Mixed Element Stance, refining his energy and blood, he quickly replenished, his physique once again reaching its peak.
The next morning, after practicing his posture stance until half past seven, Wang Xuan promptly headed out, carrying a long blade, and made his way to the Martial Arts Hall.
The energetic Wang Xuan, the position of teaching assistant in his eyes was already within reach, as long as he stayed within the rules, he could certainly achieve this goal.
Who was an opponent to him with mastery over the perfect realm of the Overlord Saber?
Yet just before reaching the Martial Arts Hall entrance, Wang Xuan encountered a smoke-swaddled old man, he was quite peculiar, producing so much smoke with just a tobacco pipe.
The old man glanced at him, revealing a mouthful of white teeth, slightly raising an eyebrow: "Young man, you are filled with demonic aura and demon intent, be careful with your spiritual cultivation, or you'll eventually run into big problems."
Wang Xuan smiled, clasped his hands, and said: "Then may I ask, old sir, how can I improve my spiritual cultivation?"