James learned the truth from Lucas Ashford—a story unknown to the martial world, kept secret to protect both Lucas and the Everett Family.
It turned out that Lucas had not been born a genius of the Inverse Blade Sect. His origins were far humbler.
Years ago, a disaster had struck a distant region, sparking riots and chaos. Five-year-old Lucas had lost his parents in the upheaval and become a refugee. What could a child that age do? Whatever it took to survive.
Being beaten and insulted had been commonplace.
James's father, Jonathan Everett, had been born into wealth—the Everett Family was considered prosperous by Sunvale City's standards. By chance, young Jonathan had encountered Lucas being beaten over two stolen steamed buns. Instead of walking past like everyone else, Jonathan had thrown down a few copper coins to help the boy out of the situation.
Later, he'd given Lucas a few taels of silver.
For Jonathan, it was pocket change. For Lucas, it was the difference between life and death.
Because of that silver, Lucas had survived long enough to encounter a dying elder of the Inverse Blade Sect. He'd received the elder's legacy, entered the sect, and begun his extraordinary rise.
Lucas had never forgotten. After achieving success, he'd wanted to repay the favor. Jonathan hadn't expected the little beggar he'd helped on a whim to become a disciple of one of the Five Supreme Blades. But when Lucas offered repayment—whether divine weapons, spirit medicines, or cultivation manuals—Jonathan refused everything.
He asked for nothing. He didn't use the connection as capital for boasting. The only people in the entire martial world who knew the truth were Jonathan and Lucas. Even James's uncle, Nathan, was unaware.
"Later..." Lucas's voice was soft as he walked alongside James. "I had more steamed buns than I could eat. I was no longer a low-status beggar. I became someone everyone looked up to."
He smiled, but there was something melancholy in his expression.
"Many people changed how they treated me. Some flattered me. Some respected me. Some admired me. Some tried to use my name to throw their weight around."
"But Big Brother Jonathan is different. He doesn't need anything from me. We are friends. Family. Confidants. And this relationship has never been made public."
Lucas looked at James, and his eyes shone with genuine warmth.
"Do you know how happy I was the moment I received your father's letter?"
James was speechless.
No wonder the assessment had felt completely tailored for him. It truly had been—designed to serve him in every possible way.
*Father, oh Father. You really paved the way.*
Lucas had wanted to repay his debt for years, but Jonathan had never given him the opportunity. Now, because James was joining the Inverse Blade Sect, Jonathan had finally written that letter. James could only imagine how Lucas must have felt receiving it. Even if James hadn't obtained the spirit fruit—even if he'd been completely talentless—Lucas would have opened every door at any cost to ensure he could join the sect.
"The Inverse Blade Sect has its rules," Lucas continued, his tone shifting to something more practical. "If you want to enter the Inner Pavilion, you need Transcendent Realm cultivation. Going there prematurely won't benefit you."
He glanced at James appraisingly.
"But you have an advantage. You've reshaped your bone structure and obtained the Flawless Physique. The threshold of the Transcendent Realm will not be difficult for you."
"I've already spoken to the Outer Pavilion Elder. If you encounter difficulties and I cannot be reached, he will handle things."
They had arrived at a small chamber—James's new quarters in the Outer Pavilion. Lucas reached for the celadon sword casket on his back.
"Here are some medicinal pills that can help you cultivate quickly. There are also some secret techniques I've collected during my travels. You can choose some to learn, but don't spread your focus too thin—quality is better than quantity."
He paused.
"And here is a sword I used in my youth. It will serve you for self-defense."
Lucas opened the sword casket. It unfolded like a flower blooming, revealing nine swords arranged in a careful row. Each was a different color, and each emitted a soft humming cry, as if sentient. They shone with brilliant radiance, and James felt his breath catch.
Any single one of these swords was worth hundreds—thousands—of times more than the Everett Family's ancestral Rippling Wave Saber. Placing even one of them in the open martial world would be enough to cause a bloody storm.
Lucas selected the first sword. Its blade flashed with gentle green light, incredibly sharp yet somehow soft in its presence.
"This sword is named Verdant Edge," Lucas said, stroking the blade with obvious affection. "It was specially forged for me by a master smith within the sect. All the materials used are top-tier. Although it cannot compare to the famous swords on the Hundred Blades Registry, its advantage is its gentle nature—easy to control, and it won't fight against your will."
His expression grew serious.
"The famous swords on the registry all have profound histories. They choose their masters, and those with unstable wills may even become sword slaves—tools of the blade rather than its wielder. For you right now, such weapons would cause a hundred harms and offer no benefit."
James's eyes drifted to the other eight swords in the casket. The Hundred Blades Registry recorded the one hundred and twenty-eight most legendary swords in the world. And aside from the Verdant Edge, every other blade Lucas carried was on that list.
Eight famous swords.
James had thought himself lucky for intercepting the spirit fruit based on knowledge from his future self. Now, meeting Lucas, he understood what true fortune looked like.
"Thank you, Uncle Lucas." James accepted the Verdant Edge with both hands, holding it reverently. "I will never allow this sword to gather dust or tarnish your prestige."
He didn't refuse the gift. Only a fool would turn down such a weapon when it was offered freely.
Lucas laughed—a full, genuine laugh. "Good! You truly are Big Brother Jonathan's son." His eyes sparkled. "Tell you what—if you can enter the Inner Pavilion before you turn twenty, Uncle Lucas will give you another opportunity."
His gaze held no distance now, only warmth.
James blinked. Anything Lucas called an "opportunity" was definitely not ordinary.
"I'll do it," James said firmly. "I will enter the Inner Pavilion before I turn twenty."
Breaking through to the Transcendent Realm before the age of twenty wasn't impossible for someone with his constitution—he just needed to work hard. Lucas understood this; the challenge was merely encouragement. Even if James failed to meet the deadline, Lucas would still find a way to help him.
He couldn't repay Big Brother Jonathan directly. So he would treat Big Brother Jonathan's son as his own blood.
With that promise made, Lucas finished explaining everything and departed.
---
James examined the items Lucas had left behind.
A small bag contained more than a dozen bottles of medicinal pills. There were Essence Pills for cultivation, Healing Pills for injuries, and—most remarkably—Breakthrough Pills. These medicines alone were enough to sustain his cultivation for years.
James suspected Lucas hadn't merely given him a generous portion. This was probably every pill Lucas had been carrying on his person.
Essence Pills were used by both Mortal and Transcendent Realm experts. A single pill was expensive enough that back home, only his father and uncle could occasionally afford one. Healing Pills needed no explanation. But the most precious were the Breakthrough Pills—items that increased the probability of breaking through to the Transcendent Realm. Only a few powers in the empire could refine them. They were priceless and nearly impossible to obtain on the open market.
*Uncle Lucas is thoughtful indeed.*
James smiled to himself. He didn't need Breakthrough Pills to reach the Transcendent Realm—his Flawless Physique guaranteed he would face no bottlenecks. So who were these pills actually intended for?
It wasn't hard to guess.
If Lucas gave them directly to Jonathan, Jonathan would refuse. But if James gave them to his father as a gift from a filial son...
There would be no issue at all.
Beyond the pills, there were also cultivation manuals—all Transcendent-grade techniques without exception. Anything Lucas had preserved would have genuine merit.
James looked at the small fortune spread before him and felt, for the first time, the true weight of his father's quiet kindness.
A few copper coins. A few taels of silver.
And decades later, it had returned a thousandfold.
---
**End of Chapter 8**