I was just making up techniques… how did all of you become Emperors? Chapter 615: Xiao Chen — In the Name of the Sword
Previously on I was just making up techniques… how did all of you become Emperors?...
At the testing area, the assembled young people gazed at Er Gouzi with intricate looks on their faces, brimming with envy, jealousy, and awe.
The leaders and shamans from the various clans directed their attention to this lad as well, their feelings just as tangled.
The head of the Famous Sword Holy Land experienced profound ease from choosing to let those slave boys join the trial. If not, the Famous Sword Holy Land might have overlooked such a brilliant young talent, but that wasn't the key issue.
The real concern lay in what might happen if Sword God later learned he hadn't included every possible candidate and then spotted this slave's remarkable gifts on his own—the fallout would be beyond imagining.
Aboard Sword Peak, Xiao Chen observed the nine-chi glow, and a faint smile tugged at his lips. “This must be the wonder of the Hongyuan Continent. Earlier, a boy shone with seven chi of golden light, and now this fellow bursts with nine chi of thunderous brilliance. Should each clan mirror the Famous Sword Holy Land by nurturing a handful of these divine prodigies, how could humanity not thrive? My Wendao Sect could dominate this realm without question.”
The Grand Priest snapped back first and pulled Er Gouzi to one side. “Fine, your trial is over. Starting today, you'll join my Famous Sword Holy Land, and your kin will receive the honors given to hunters.”
Excitement lit up Er Gouzi's features as he bowed deeply. “Thank you, Grand Priest. Er Gouzi vows to train hard without fail.”
“You'll drop the name Er Gouzi from now on. Soon, I'll request Sword God to grant family names to all in my Famous Sword Holy Land. Perhaps you'll get one straight from Sword God himself.”
While the Grand Priest talked, a beam of light shot from his palm and brushed Er Gouzi's pinky finger, making the cut disappear completely.
“Thank you, Grand Priest,” Er Gouzi said with respect.
“The trial goes on,” the Grand Priest announced plainly, pressing forward with the evaluation ceremony.
With Er Gouzi as a shining example, the slave boys who came after brimmed with eagerness, convinced that if he could climb from nothing, they wouldn't lag behind.
Yet harsh truth struck many swiftly. Out of over a hundred slave boys, just a third lit up the sacred orb, a far cry from the Famous Sword Holy Land's own disciples, where over half sparked its light.
This outcome pleased the Grand Priest too. For one, the Famous Sword Holy Land's boys hadn't shamed him in the least.
After a full day, the Grand Priest wrapped up the trial at last. Half of the boys who'd shown up got the orb to shine, but under ten hit seven chi or higher, most managing only one chi.
His voice boomed like a mighty gong as the Grand Priest proclaimed, “The trial for today concludes. Every youth who sparked the sacred orb, come with this old man to the peak and honor Sword God.”
“As you command,” the boys chorused.
The boys trailed the Grand Priest up to Sword Peak, as the others left guided by their clan heads or shamans.
By the time the Grand Priest brought the boys mountainward, darkness had settled in. Strangely, though, they spotted Sword God right away in the gloom.
The sight of Sword God made the boys drop to their knees on instinct, crying out together, “We honor Sword God.”
“Stand,” Xiao Chen instructed evenly.
“Gratitude, Sword God,” they answered, rising but keeping their eyes lowered.
Xiao Chen continued, “Spend the night in these peaks. At dawn tomorrow, I'll teach you cultivation arts myself.”
“Thank you, Sword God,” the boys responded with bows.
Noting his role was done, the Grand Priest added, “Sword God, this old one bids farewell.”
“Go,” Xiao Chen replied coolly.
Before leaving, the Grand Priest glanced at Er Gouzi nearby. Remembering his daytime pledge to the boy, he bowed again to Sword God. “Sword God, since we've shifted from the Wolf Fang Tribe to the Famous Sword Holy Land, please grant us a family name.”
Xiao Chen hadn't foreseen the ask, but it made sense after a moment's thought. This realm stayed so raw that countless folks went nameless.
“Very well.”
After a quick reflection, he rose steadily, drew his prized blade from the storage ring, and declared, “As I've dubbed this spot the Famous Sword Holy Land, henceforth, your family name is Sword.”
With those words, Xiao Chen slashed the blade, etching a huge Sword glyph onto the enormous sword.
In the night's shadows, that Sword glyph blazed with splendor. Soon, the Famous Sword Holy Land's people poured from their homes, staring at the luminous mark on the summit, hearts swelling with emotions beyond words.
Meanwhile, Xiao Chen felt a hint of Sword Dao's essence stirring in the hidden voids. This Sword Dao essence kept strengthening, eager to blend with him, but he held off absorbing the grand Dao's truth, letting it build in silence.
“Thank you, Sword God,” the Grand Priest uttered, eyes on the towering Sword glyph, sensing his stalled cultivation teetering toward a breakthrough.
Xiao Chen stayed silent, shutting his eyes and settling into meditation right there. The Grand Priest took the cue and left at once.
Throughout the Famous Sword Holy Land, cheers erupted among the people, thrilled by the divine name they'd earned. It outshone their old Wolf Fang Tribe label, since the Wolf God had never gifted them names.
The guest clans beheld the spectacle with swirling sentiments. Envy stirred in them, sure, but jealousy they wouldn't dare; they just wondered why Sword God hadn't chosen their own groups.
Joy filled the Famous Sword Holy Land's folk as this night slipped away.
Come morning's first light, with the sun just peeking, the boys on Sword Peak lined up before Xiao Chen in yesterday's sequence.
“We honor Sword God.”
“Rise.”
Xiao Chen had wrapped his session. He opened his eyes gradually and announced, “Starting now, I'll pass down cultivation arts to you. They split into core sword moves and qi training paths. Master the sword moves and clear the trial in six months to claim a spot as my outer disciple.
Awaken a special body in three years to become my inner disciple. Show no gains in three years or flunk the outer trial, and you'll head back to your old clans. Clear?”
“Yes!” the boys shouted as one.
Satisfied, Xiao Chen flicked a finger skyward. A light beam soared, bursting into myriad light drops that showered the group, sinking into their mind seas as his words rang in their ears.
“All sit in meditation near me, clear your thoughts, and grasp the arts and sword forms in your mind seas. Commit them to memory in three days.”
“As ordered.”
After acknowledging, the boys copied Sword God, folding legs and stilling spirits. Quickly, words and diagrams bloomed in their heads.