Chapter 52: Sword Dao Genius (2) |
Ten years later.
Su Chen was now thirteen. Over the past decade, he had finally understood why Shen Tianyi went to such extreme lengths to torment him.
"Whoever created the Imperial Sword Body Forging Method was quite the talent," Su Chen couldn't help but remark sarcastically. If not for the unyielding martial heart he had forged across lifetime after lifetime, he might have buckled under the pressure and died long ago. The Imperial Sword Body Forging Method carried a mortality rate of...99%.
No wonder Shen Lianxin had been so desperate to keep him from training under Shen Tianyi. It was essentially a path of no return. Thin layers of sword aura now coiled around Su Chen's body. With a casual wave of his hand, he unleashed hundreds of sword qi in an instant. This was the Imperial Sword Body—an acquired martial physique.
"Well done! As expected of my grandson, Shen Tianyi's bloodline! The Imperial Sword Body—our Imperial Sword Manor has finally produced another cultivator who succeeded in mastering it!"
Shen Tianyi's gaze burned with such intensity it seemed he might devour Su Chen alive. The corners of his mouth pulled wide as he threw his head back and laughed heartily.
At thirteen, Su Chen had already reached the peak of the Spirit Sea realm. He was undoubtedly the greatest genius in the history of Imperial Sword Manor.
"Good grandson, to become a true sword cultivator, it's not enough to simply train in seclusion. You must also defeat powerful opponents of every kind! Every person in the world can serve as your whetstone!"
Su Chen: "?"
Shen Tianyi took Su Chen with him to challenge the younger generation of every major power in the region. Before long, a new name appeared on the Southern Barbarian Prodigy Ranking—one that had never been seen before.
Imperial Sword Young Master, Shen Chen. Ranked one hundredth. A fourteen-year-old Spirit Soul realm genius whose talent rivaled even the true disciples of sacred lands.
With the enhancement of the Imperial Sword Body, Su Chen could effortlessly wield any famous sword in the world. His combat power far surpassed that of ordinary martial physique prodigies.
Four more years passed in the blink of an eye.
At eighteen, Su Chen's fame had spread far and wide. Every power in the Southern Barbarian Lands knew that Imperial Sword Manor had given birth to an extraordinary genius. He now ranked sixty-third on the Prodigy Ranking. In those four years, his cultivation had advanced to the fifth layer of the Spirit Soul realm.
Su Chen finally returned to Imperial Sword Manor.
Shen Lianxin and Xue Rou embraced him, tears of joy streaming down their faces. Beside them stood a boy of six or seven, his features bearing a faint resemblance to Su Chen.
"This is your younger brother, Shen Ping'an," Shen Lianxin said, gently patting the boy's head. A trace of shame colored his voice. Both he and Xue Rou had believed Su Chen was long dead.
Su Chen didn't mind having a biological younger brother at all. He crouched down, looked into the timid eyes of Shen Ping'an, and gently pinched the boy's soft cheek. Smiling warmly, he said, "Little Ping'an, I'm your big brother, Shen Chen."
Shen Ping'an blinked his large eyes. After a moment, he edged closer and whispered shyly, "Big Brother."
Su Chen's smile widened. He reached out and ruffled the boy's hair.
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"From now on, if anyone dares to bully you, your big brother will use the sword in his hand to kill them for you."
Shen Ping'an stared up at him with those wide, innocent eyes. In that moment, the young man before him felt impossibly close and comforting.
Seeing the two brothers get along so naturally, Shen Lianxin and Xue Rou finally breathed sighs of relief.
Standing off to the side, Shen Tianyi watched the scene with clear disdain.
"He'll never amount to anything."
That was Shen Tianyi's blunt assessment of Shen Ping'an. The child was too soft. He wasn't suited for the sword. He could never compare to Su Chen, who possessed the Imperial Sword Body.
Su Chen began to cultivate in earnest within Imperial Sword Manor. Every so often, he would play with Shen Ping'an.
The boy had no interest in swords. He disliked sword training. So Su Chen taught him other cultivation methods instead.
With a gentle smile, Su Chen said, "There are countless great paths in this world. The sword dao is only one of them. If you don't like practicing the sword, then leave that path to your big brother. You can pursue whatever you enjoy and walk whatever road makes you happy."
Shen Ping'an nodded seriously. He didn't understand the concept of three thousand great daos. All he knew was that not being forced to practice the sword made him happy.
At twenty years old. A major event shook the Southern Barbarian Lands. The Heavenly Void Tomb had appeared in the world.
Su Chen's eyes lit up. Back in the Eastern Wasteland, he had already heard tales of the Heavenly Void Tomb. It was the resting place left behind by a supreme powerhouse, accessible only with a special key. Most of those keys were held firmly in the hands of the top-tier great powers. Still, a small number had been scattered across various corners of the Southern Barbarian Lands. Imperial Sword Manor naturally had no claim to any key.
Su Chen could only mobilize the manor's forces to search for one. Inside the Heavenly Void Tomb lay not only the supreme powerhouse's inheritance but also countless treasures—even sacred lands coveted them. Undercurrents stirred everywhere.
After two months of careful investigation, Su Chen finally learned the whereabouts of one key. It had fallen into the hands of a demon race kingdom. Geniuses from both the human and demon races had gathered there.
"It's him! The human race's Imperial Sword Young Master, Shen Chen!"
Many demon prodigies spotted a white-robed youth stepping through the air. Sword qi tore through the heavens like an axe splitting the sky, parting the clouds to either side. Rings of sword light shimmered and revolved behind him. Just one glance was enough to fill the demon prodigies with deep wariness.
Su Chen raised an eyebrow. He hadn't expected his name to have reached even the demon race.
"Young Master Shen has arrived. It seems there's no doubt—this Heavenly Void Key will end up in his hands."
The human prodigies sighed inwardly at the sight of him. Su Chen had already climbed to fifty-fourth place on the Prodigy Ranking. In the current era, with true disciples of sacred lands and heirs of ancient noble families staying out of sight, Su Chen stood as the foremost prodigy. Those true disciples and ancient heirs already possessed their own keys; they had no need to compete for these scattered few.
"Human race Prodigy Ranking fifty-third—the Imperial Sword Young Master. I wonder how he tastes."
A demon youth with green vertical pupils extended a forked tongue and licked his lips. His entire body gleamed pitch-black as he stared at Su Chen with cold, serpentine menace.
"Giggle, Little Demon King Three-Headed Serpent is right. Human prodigies have the most tender flesh. This lady has been starving for ages—I can't wait to devour Young Master whole."
A young girl in a pale cyan dress hovered in the air. Patterns of feathers shimmered across her body, lending her an air of elegant mystery. Wisps of light trailed gently behind her like drifting silk. Both were renowned prodigies among the demon race. They intended to join forces and feast on Su Chen together.
Su Chen shook his head. "That won't do. My meat is very tough and stringy—you really can't eat me."
His expression was completely serious. He wasn't lying. Every word was true.
"Haha, is Young Master Shen afraid? Don't worry, this lady will be gentle. I'll eat you bite by bite."
The girl in the long dress gazed at him tenderly. Then she transformed into a massive azure bird, jaws gaping wide to swallow him in one gulp.
Beside her, the three-headed serpent cursed furiously. "Wait for me, you greedy thing! Trying to hog him all to yourself!"
All three heads opened their bloody maws at once, spewing flames, hail, and lightning.
Su Chen rubbed his nose, utterly exasperated. Did he really look that weak? He drew his sword in a single smooth motion. The phenomena behind him converged at the sword tip.
"This sword—Subdue Demons."
Vast sword qi blotted out the sun. Every cultivator present felt as though countless sharp blades were slicing across their skin. Two anguished screams rang out. Both demon prodigies fell in an instant, slain by that single strike.
Record: The Imperial Sword Young Master slew two great demon prodigies with one sword. His fame shook the three thousand kingdoms of the South.