Night falls.
A full moon rose in the sky.
On the back mountain of the outer peak of the Heavenly Sword Sect, two boys, around thirteen or fourteen years old, were practicing their swordsmanship.
The older ones have bright, piercing eyes and their swordplay is agile; the younger ones are slightly out of breath and their swordplay is light and unsteady.
The older one was named Xuan Tian, and the younger one was named Huang Shi; both were outer disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect.
The two practiced the same sword technique, a mid-grade Yellow Rank sword skill called "Chasing Wind Sword Technique".
A short while later, the two finished practicing a set of sword techniques and stopped.
Young Huang Shi took a few breaths and adjusted his breathing slightly before saying, "Brother Tian, practicing the 'Chasing Wind Sword Technique' with you feels completely different. Your swordsmanship is much more agile than mine."
Xuan Tian sheathed his sword, his aura balancing, and said, "You are just beginning to learn, your foundation is not stable, and you entered the sect a year later than me. By next year, you will be able to reach my level, or even surpass it."
Huang Shi chuckled and said, "Brother Tian, you're only at the fourth level of Martial Artist, yet you can fight Zhang Hu, who's at the fifth level. I wish I were as good as you. It's getting dark, Brother Tian, let's call it a night and go back!"
Xuan Tian paused slightly with his sword, and said, "You should go back first. Today, I only managed eleven moves against Zhang Hu in the sword competition. There's still a long way to go between us. I'll practice some more."
"Alright! Brother Tian, don't stay up too late, I'm going back to sleep now." Huang Shi waved to Xuan Tian and went down the mountain.
"The sword rises like the wind..."
"The wind moves, the sword follows..."
...
"The Sword That Chases the Wind..."
...
After Huang Shi left, Xuan Tian continued practicing.
Once, twice, three times... five times... ten times...
Xuantian stopped practicing his swordsmanship only when sweat poured down his forehead and his hands gripped the sword as if it weighed a ton.
At this moment, the full moon climbed into the sky, and the entire night sky was twinkling with countless stars.
Xuan Tian placed his sword beside him, lay down on the grass, and looked at the starry night sky. His eyes held a wealth of human emotions.
Helplessness, melancholy, vicissitudes, resentment, joy, sorrow...
Such eyes shouldn't belong on a fourteen-year-old boy.
"I have been in this world for fourteen years. The road I have walked in these fourteen years is longer than the entirety of my previous life; the hardships I have endured in these fourteen years are more than the entirety of my previous life; and the life experiences I have had in these fourteen years are more complex than the entirety of my previous life."
Looking at the stars in the sky, Xuan Tian once again reflected on his experiences over the past fourteen years, after countless recollections.
Xuan Tian never imagined that time travel would happen to him, and that after his life ended, he would be reborn in the land of Shenzhou.
Fourteen years ago, Xuan Tian was born into the Xuan family, one of the five super powers in Shenzhou. From the moment of his birth, he was the focus of attention throughout Shenzhou.
His father, Xuan Hong, was the eldest son of Xuan Xiong, the head of the Xuan family. He was also the number one genius and the strongest member of the second generation of the Xuan family, and the successor to the head of the Xuan family.
"My grandson, Xuanxiong, is destined to roam the vast land of China, dominating the world and shaking all directions. He is a chosen one of heaven, and should be named 'Xuantian'." From the moment he was born, his grandfather Xuanxiong decided on the name for Xuantian.
As the eldest grandson of the Xuan family, Xuan Tian was showered with love, admired, and envied by thousands from the moment he was born.
In his previous life, he was an orphan who never experienced the love and affection of family. In this life, he became the heir of the Xuan family. Xuan Tian thought that the heavens had finally opened their eyes and that his suffering had finally come to an end.
However, all this happiness came quickly and went quickly.
When Xuan Tian was three years old, a woman named Yin Ji came to his house and mocked Xuan Hong's swordsmanship, saying it was like a child trying to lift a lamp. Xuan Hong was naturally furious and challenged Yin Ji to a duel. As a result, he was defeated by Yin Ji with a single sword strike. That was Xuan Hong's first defeat in his life.
After the war, Yin Ji and Xuan Hong had a long private conversation, but they disagreed, and Yin Ji left the mansion in a huff.
Things seemed to have calmed down, but that wasn't actually the case.
When Xuan Tian was five years old, his second uncle Xuan Ji challenged Xuan Hong during the family competition, demanding the title of the number one person of the second generation and the position of the successor to the Xuan family head.
Xuanji's cultivation level had always been three realms lower than Xuanhong's, a vast difference. However, this time, without anyone noticing, Xuanji's cultivation level had caught up with Xuanhong's, and he even used an unknown sword technique that the Xuan family did not possess, severely injuring Xuanhong.
At that time, the patriarch Xuanxiong was furious and rebuked his second son Xuanji for disregarding brotherly affection and injuring his elder brother. He said that Xuanji was ruthless and that even if he defeated Xuanhong, he would not pass the position of patriarch to him.
Furthermore, he took out the best elixirs he had treasured at home to heal Xuan Hong's injuries.
However, the matter did not end there. A few days later, the patriarch Xuanxiong suddenly ordered the removal of his eldest son Xuanhong from the position of patriarch and the appointment of his second son Xuanji as the patriarch. He also said that Xuanhong had committed treason and was expelled from the family.
When his father suffered misfortune, Xuan Tian suffered misfortune along with him. He and his parents were expelled from the Xuan family, and suddenly, he fell from the heights of success to the depths of despair.
They thought the ordeal was over, but little did they know, it was just the beginning.
After being expelled from the family, Xuan Tian, along with his father Xuan Hong and mother Huang Yue, returned to his maternal grandfather Huang Yuancheng's house for a temporary stay.
A years-long manhunt ensued.
The Huang family was only a mid-sized family with limited strength. The enemy they were pursuing was extremely powerful, and even Xuan Hong was seriously injured. The Huang family collapsed instantly, with nine out of ten dying. Of those who escaped, less than one out of ten remained, and the family was scattered and fragmented.
During their escape, Xuan Tian was only five years old and had no power to fight back. In a moment of crisis, his maternal grandfather, Huang Yuancheng, took a sword for him and was seriously injured.
Despite his severe injuries, the father, Xuan Hong, led Huang Yue, Xuan Tian, and the main branch of the Huang family, fighting their way through to escape.
This escape lasted for five years, from the Xuan family's sphere of influence in the west all the way to the sphere of influence of the super power, the Overlord Sword Sect, in the north. The distance traveled was hundreds of thousands of miles, equivalent to circling the Earth's equator several times in my previous life.
They fled all the way to the far north of Shenzhou, far away from the Xuan family's sphere of influence, and shook off their pursuers before finally stopping in a place called Beimo County.
The main branch of the Huang family has taken root here.
A medium-sized family with more than a thousand members, less than twenty of them fled to Beimo County, including Xuan Hong, Xuan Tian, and Huang Yue.
Furthermore, Huang Yuancheng, the head of the Huang family, was seriously injured. Although he survived, his cultivation level dropped significantly, falling to the third level of the Innate Realm.
Xuan Hong, in particular, was already severely injured by Xuan Ji. During the pursuit, he was repeatedly injured and barely managed to fight his way out by sheer willpower. After escaping, he was nearly exhausted, with all his meridians broken, and he became a cripple.
The rest of the Huang family members were all seriously injured, suffering irreparable damage, and their strength was greatly reduced.
The Huang family, a medium-sized family, has less remaining strength than several small families in Beimo County.
Since settling in Beimo County, the Huang family has been ostracized by the three dominant families in the county—the Niu family, the Cheng family, and the Zhang family.
Not only were the Huang family members weakened, but the Xuan family, a super-powerful force, was also watching them from above. Faced with the provocations of the Niu, Cheng, and Zhang families, the Huang family had been tolerating them. In order to make the three families wary, the Huang family sent their younger disciples to several major sects of the Divine Blade Dynasty.
Xuan Tian came from a family of sword masters, so he naturally joined the only sword sect in the Divine Blade Dynasty—the Heavenly Sword Sect.
Xuan Hong dared not teach him the family's sword techniques and cultivation methods, lest his whereabouts be revealed. Furthermore, within the Heavenly Sword Sect, he had Xuan Tian adopt the alias Huang Tian.
He entered the Heavenly Sword Sect at the age of ten and a half and became an outer disciple of the Heavenly Sword Sect. Time flies, and another three and a half years have passed.
Xuan Tian is now fourteen years old, at the fourth level of martial arts cultivation, and is an ordinary outer disciple of the Heavenly Sword Sect.
Originally, Xuan Tian was a direct descendant of the Xuan family. His grandfather, Xuan Xiong, and father, Xuan Hong, were both rare geniuses in China. How could their talents be any different?
Unfortunately, Xuan Tian suffered a minor injury during a chase when he was young. Although it was not fatal, it caused some damage to his meridians. While it was not serious enough to turn him into a cripple, it did affect his cultivation speed, turning him from a genius into an ordinary person.
The only fortunate thing is that Xuan Tian has lived two lives, so his soul power is strong and his comprehension is not bad. He can practice swordsmanship much faster than ordinary people. Therefore, he is qualified to compete with disciples of the fifth level of martial arts despite his fourth level of martial arts cultivation.
Few disciples at the fifth level of martial arts are a match for Xuan Tian. Zhang Hu is from the Zhang family of Beimo City. Because of his family background, he always bullies Xuan Tian and Huang Shi. He has the cultivation of the peak of the fifth level of martial arts, which is why Xuan Tian was defeated by him.
"Xuanji…you despicable villain! You kidnapped my grandfather, wreaked havoc on the family, and caused my father to be seriously injured, his meridians to be severed, leaving him a cripple. You chased me for tens of thousands of miles, damaging my meridians. If it weren't for my maternal grandfather saving me, I would have died in childhood. Such an irreconcilable hatred is etched in my heart, and I will repay it tenfold in the future!"
"One day, I will use my sword to behead you and take your dog's life. And that vile woman 'Yin Ji,' who else could have caused all this? No matter where you come from or what kind of monster you are, one day I will surely kill you and uproot all the forces behind you, wiping them out in one fell swoop!"
Each time he recalled it, Xuan Tian's hatred for Xuan Ji and Yin Ji deepened. He pointed to the sky, gritted his teeth, and made a solemn vow.
Although Xuan Tian was only guessing, he was absolutely certain in his heart that Xuan Ji had kidnapped his grandfather Xuan Xiong. Otherwise, Xuan Hong was his most satisfied son, and Xuan Tian was his most beloved eldest grandson. How could he suddenly and inexplicably change his mind, abolish Xuan Hong's position as the heir to the family head, and then ruthlessly kill Xuan Tian and his son?
Who else in the world could have kidnapped Xuan Xiong and caused Xuan Ji's strength to increase dramatically, besides the mysterious 'Yin Ji' who came from an unknown place and defeated Xuan Hong with a single sword?
clang...
A melodious bell rang out from the foot of the mountain.
Xuan Tian looked at the sky; the moon had risen directly above his head.
The hour of midnight has arrived. The bell tolls for the last time today, reminding disciples who are still awake that it's time to go to sleep. In half an hour, outer sect stewards will begin their night patrols.
Xuan Tian touched the sweat on his forehead, which was left from practicing his sword just now. Later, recalling what he had experienced over the past fourteen years, he felt a surge of anger towards Xuan Ji, his body became hot, and his sweat increased instead of decreasing.
"There is a pool of water a hundred meters to the east. Wash yourself clean, go down the mountain to sleep, and continue practicing swordsmanship tomorrow night, striving to surpass Zhang Hu as soon as possible."
Xuan Tian headed east, passed through a grove of small trees, and soon arrived at a pool of water.
At this moment, the moon hangs above the pool, forming a perfect reflection in the water. The round and large moon sinks right in the center of the pool.
"Alas--?"
Xuan Tian frowned and exclaimed in surprise, "How come there's something inside the moon?"
Looking up, the full moon in the sky was pure white.
Xuan Tian looked down at the moon's reflection in the pool again and indeed saw a dark shadow embedded in the moon.
"That is…" Xuan Tian stared intently for a long time before saying, "A sword?"
Indeed, the surface of the pool was calm and undisturbed. Xuan Tian could see clearly that a sword was indeed stuck in the reflection of the moon in the pool.
---
There was a sword in the pool?
Xuan Tian had been to this pool many times. Every time he practiced swordsmanship and sweated, he would take a bath in this pool before going down the mountain to sleep.
His meridians were damaged, and his talent was similar to that of an ordinary person. If he wanted to stand out from the crowd and avenge himself, he had to practice diligently and assiduously. Only in this way could he surpass others and have any hope of revenge.
The other disciples only saw that Xuan Tian, with his cultivation at the fourth level of martial arts, possessed the strength to challenge disciples at the fifth level of martial arts, but they did not see the hardship Xuan Tian endured by spending an extra hour or two practicing swordsmanship every day.
"Is the sword in the pool just an ordinary sword that someone casually threw away, or a precious sword that someone lost?"
The thought of exploring the bottom of the pool instantly arose in Xuan Tian's mind.
If it's just an ordinary sword, it's nothing special. But if it's a precious sword, then you've struck gold.
The weapons of Shenzhou are divided into four ranks: Heaven, Earth, Black, and Yellow. Each rank has three grades: Upper, Middle, and Lower, for a total of four ranks and twelve grades.
Yellow-rank weapons are all ordinary weapons, while Heaven, Earth, and Profound-rank weapons are treasures.
The reason is simple: Yellow-rank weapons are forged by blacksmiths, while Heaven, Earth, and Profound-rank weapons are forged by the most prestigious weapon refiners in the Divine Continent.
A weapon refiner is always a blacksmith, but a blacksmith is not necessarily a weapon refiner. Blacksmiths are as numerous as hairs on a cow in China, but weapon refiners are as rare as phoenix feathers.
A low-grade Xuan-level sword can greatly enhance a swordsman's strength and is worth at least hundreds of thousands of taels of gold, equivalent to millions of taels of silver.
The Huang family settled in Beimo City with little wealth. More than three years have passed, and they are still in dire straits. If they had several million taels of silver, they could quickly grow and prosper.
Even an ordinary sword, a low-grade Yellow Rank sword is worth tens of taels of silver, a mid-grade Yellow Rank sword is worth hundreds of taels of silver, and a high-grade Yellow Rank sword is worth several thousand taels of silver. If the sword contains special metals, it is a famous sword second only to a treasure sword, and may even be worth tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of taels of silver.
'thump...'
Xuan Tian leaped into the pool.
"It's so cold..."
Xuan Tian couldn't help but shiver; the water in this pool was incredibly cold.
It was August, and the weather was incredibly hot. Xuan Tian had been swimming in this pool almost every night. A few nights ago, he had felt incredibly comfortable in the pool, but tonight, he felt a chilling cold.
but...
"For the sword... for the silver... we'll risk it all...!"
Xuan Tian gritted his trembling teeth, made up his mind, held his breath, and immediately dived into the depths of the pool.
The pool was quite deep, and Xuan Tian had never dived to the bottom.
At this moment, the pool water was not only extremely cold, but holding one's breath for too long was also very uncomfortable.
However, Xuan Tian was not one to back down easily. Enduring the cold and gritting his teeth, he continued to dive to the bottom of the pool.
After diving dozens of meters deep, Xuan Tian finally reached the bottom of the pool. He could no longer see the moon's reflection in the water. In the center of the pool, there seemed to be a sword shadow, slanted into the water.
The sword shadow was like a dream, twisting and turning with the ripples of the pool water, unlike a real object, extremely strange.
Just as Xuan Tian arrived beside the sword, the sword's shadow suddenly shone brightly, and a dazzling white light pierced into Xuan Tian's brow.
"ah..."
Xuan Tian instinctively cried out in alarm, pressed his hands to his forehead, and forgot that he was at the bottom of the pool, twisting his body.
Strangely, the pool water did not seem to affect Xuantian's breathing.
At this moment, Xuan Tian did not notice the strange phenomenon of breathing in the water; his attention was drawn to the dazzling white light.
A white light pierced Xuan Tian's brow, transforming into a small, jade-like sword, hovering between his brows. Suddenly, a powerful force surged from the pure white sword, instantly enveloping Xuan Tian's entire body.
"Such powerful strength!"
At this moment, Xuan Tian's gaze seemed to penetrate his body, clearly seeing the pure white sword between his brows, emitting pure white light that flowed into his meridians, greatly increasing his power.
In an instant, his bones grew rapidly, and the bone tissue changed, becoming shiny and smooth like jade. His meridians also changed, becoming more resilient. Clumps of black impurities were expelled from his pores, and his skin became incredibly supple and full of explosive power. A new membrane grew beneath his skin, which was even more resilient than his skin, giving it a solid feel.
More importantly, countless streams of vital energy surged from the pure white sword and flowed into Xuan Tian's entire body's meridians.
In an instant, Xuan Tian's cultivation level surged, breaking through from the fourth level of Martial Artist to the fifth level. The meridians in his body expanded by a full circle, filled with vital energy, and he felt his whole body brimming with power.
The pure primordial energy surging from the white sword did not stop, but continued to pour out, cleansing the meridians throughout Xuan Tian's body. As the primordial energy became more and more abundant, Xuan Tian's meridians expanded again, his power instantly increased several times, and his cultivation broke through once more.
Six Realms of Martial Arts!
In a short period of time, Xuan Tian's cultivation level rose by two realms, from the fourth level of martial artist to the sixth level of martial artist.
Furthermore, his entire body underwent a complete transformation, with all his meridians reshaped and all previous injuries vanished like clouds. The power within his body surged, rivaling even the strength of a seventh-level martial artist.
"What...what exactly is going on?"
Xuan Tian was utterly shocked. Suddenly, he remembered the fantasy novels he had read in his previous life and thought to himself, "Have I stumbled upon a treasure?"
Upon reflection, Xuan Tian's initial shock transformed into pure delight.
However, before Xuan Tian could fully savor this surprise, a violent vibration came from between his eyebrows, causing his entire brain to buzz loudly. In an instant, he lost consciousness and fainted.
I was in a daze and didn't know how much time had passed.
When Xuan Tian woke up again, it was already dawn. He had returned to the sect and was lying in his bed.
"Senior Brother Huang, you're awake?" A boy of about twelve or thirteen years old asked, standing by Xuan Tian's bedside.
There are many families with the surname Huang in Shenzhou, but only one family with the surname Xuan. Xuan Tian joined the Heavenly Sword Sect and used the name 'Huang Tian'. In the Heavenly Sword Sect, only his cousin Huang Shi knew his real name.
This young man, named Lin Dong, was a disciple who joined the Heavenly Sword Sect at the same time as Huang Shi. He was of average talent and had a very good relationship with Huang Shi.
In the Heavenly Sword Sect, Xuan Tian's strength surpassed that of many outer disciples at the fifth level of martial arts. Huang Shi was spared much oppression thanks to Xuan Tian's care. Lin Dong, by following Huang Shi, also benefited from Xuan Tian's influence and avoided many calamities.
Therefore, Lin Dong respected Xuan Tian from the bottom of his heart.
Xuan Tian looked at Lin Dong with a puzzled expression and asked, "How did I get here?"
Lin Dong said, "Senior Brother Huang, you were unconscious in the Hidden Sword Pool in the back mountain last night. When the night watchman noticed that you hadn't returned, he asked Huang Shi and found out that you were practicing swordsmanship in the back mountain. It was the night watchman who rescued you."
"The back mountain? Hidden Sword Pool...?"
Suddenly, memories of last night flashed through Xuan Tian's mind. He dived to the bottom of the pool to search for the sword shadow within.
result...
The sword shadow pierced into his brow, unleashing a surge of vital energy that caused his cultivation to skyrocket, advancing him two realms to the sixth level of the Martial Artist realm.
"Is this... just a dream, or is it real?" Xuan Tian wondered inwardly.
He wanted to check again to see if there was a small white sword between his eyebrows, but no matter what he did, he could not achieve the same effect as when he looked into the space between his eyebrows last night.
Unable to see the space between his eyebrows, Xuan Tian could only judge whether everything that happened last night was real based on his cultivation level.
With a burst of energy, Xuan Tian was overjoyed.
Six Realms of Martial Arts!
He has truly entered the sixth level of martial arts!
Everything that happened last night did actually happen; it wasn't a dream.
So, the small, white sword in the space between the eyebrows does indeed exist. What exactly is that sword? How could it enter the space between a person's eyebrows?
Xuan Tian was puzzled. In the Divine Continent, even the most top-tier Heavenly Rank swords had never been heard of being able to merge into the space between the eyebrows.
Although he was pleased, Xuan Tian did not show it on his face. He knew that this was definitely a major event, and it would not do him any good to expose it.
Quickly suppressing his joy, Xuan Tian asked, "How did you know that the pool behind the mountain is called 'Hidden Sword Pool'?"
Xuan Tian had been in the Heavenly Sword Sect for more than three years, a year earlier than Lin Dong, and he believed that he knew far more than Lin Dong.
Xuan Tian didn't even know that the pool behind the mountain had a name, but Lin Dong knew it, which puzzled him.
Lin Dong said, "It was the steward who rescued you last night who told me. He said that every year on the night of the full moon on the fifteenth of August, a sword shadow would appear in that pool, but when people went down to look, there was nothing there. That's why it's called 'Hidden Sword Pool'. It existed decades ago when they entered the Heavenly Sword Sect. Even the inner sect elders and the sect leader went down into 'Hidden Sword Pool' to investigate, but they didn't find anything. This strange phenomenon caused quite a stir back then, but later, because there really was nothing in 'Hidden Sword Pool', it was gradually forgotten."
In previous years, Xuan Tian had not gone to the Hidden Sword Pool on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival. This year was the first time he had encountered the full moon night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, and he happened to be there.
"No one else found the sword when they went down, but I did, and the sword even went into the space between my eyebrows. Is there something special about me compared to others?"
Xuan Tian pondered for a moment, then a thought struck him: "That's it! I've merged the souls of two lifetimes, so my spiritual power far surpasses that of others. Spiritual power is innate; even Heaven-rank techniques can't cultivate it. Perhaps it's my powerful spiritual power that triggered the sword hidden in the 'Hidden Sword Pool'?"
"The moment that pure white sword entered my brow, my cultivation level increased by two realms. It must be an extraordinary treasure. I wonder if my cultivation will continue at this speed? Xuanji, Yinji... you two scoundrels, just wait! It won't be long before I come to settle my score with you. I'll make you pay tenfold for the past grievances!"
At this moment, Xuan Tian's heart was filled with power.
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