Heavenly Sword Saint
The pain came like a storm.
Jian Chen sat motionless upon his bed, but his entire body was trembling.
Within his body, the tiny strand of sword qi repeatedly slammed against the sealed meridian.
Boom!
The blockage shook.
A thin crack appeared.
Jian Chen's breathing became heavier.
Cold sweat ran down his face and soaked the collar of his clothes.
Yet his eyes remained calm.
He had expected this.
Opening the first meridian had already shown him how terrifying the process was.
But the second meridian was no easier.
If anything...
It was worse.
The sealed meridian seemed to resist the sword qi with even greater force.
Jian Chen slowly clenched his teeth.
"Break."
Boom!
The sword qi struck again.
Pain shot through his body.
His fingers dug into the mattress.
For an ordinary sixteen-year-old...
Such pain would have been unbearable.
But Jian Chen had experienced far worse.
He remembered the Heavenfall Secret Realm.
The cold expression on Lin Xue'er's face.
The sword that had pierced his chest.
The blood flowing from his body.
The moment he realized that the woman he had trusted had betrayed him.
Compared with that...
This pain was nothing.
"Again."
Boom!
The blockage trembled violently.
Another crack appeared.
Jian Chen's face became pale.
The sword qi was becoming weaker.
He could feel it.
There wasn't much energy left.
If the next few attacks failed...
He would have to stop and recover.
Jian Chen's eyes became sharp.
"One more."
He gathered every remaining trace of sword qi.
Then...
Boom!
The impact shook his entire body.
Crack!
A clear sound echoed within his meridian.
The blockage shattered.
For a moment...
Everything became silent.
Then a faint stream of spiritual energy entered the newly opened meridian.
Jian Chen's body trembled.
The spiritual energy flowed through the second meridian before joining the first.
The sensation was completely different from before.
The flow had increased.
Not by a huge amount...
But enough for Jian Chen to notice immediately.
His lips slowly curved upward.
"The second..."
He closed his eyes.
Instead of immediately celebrating, he carefully guided the spiritual energy through his body.
The energy moved through the two awakened meridians.
One cycle.
Then another.
Warmth spread through his flesh.
His muscles absorbed the energy.
His bones began receiving nourishment.
Even his injured ribs seemed to become slightly stronger.
Jian Chen remained completely focused.
He knew that opening the meridian was only half the process.
The real purpose was to use the spiritual energy to temper his body.
Time passed quietly.
An hour later...
Jian Chen opened his eyes.
His body felt exhausted.
But his expression was satisfied.
"Two meridians."
He slowly raised his hand.
A faint stream of spiritual energy gathered around his fingers.
It disappeared almost immediately.
The amount was pitiful.
Yet Jian Chen smiled.
"This is enough."
At least for now.
He slowly stood.
His body swayed slightly.
He immediately steadied himself.
Opening two meridians within such a short period had placed a considerable burden on his body.
He walked toward the window.
The sunlight outside had already begun fading.
The afternoon had passed without him noticing.
Jian Chen looked at the sky.
The clouds were slowly turning orange.
He had spent most of the day cultivating.
But there was something else on his mind.
The annual examination.
One month.
He had less than a month to prepare.
And his current strength...
Was still far too weak.
Even though his combat experience and Sword Dao comprehension were extraordinary, this body could not yet support them.
A powerful technique required a powerful body.
A sharp sword required someone strong enough to wield it.
He needed time.
Unfortunately...
Time was the one thing he didn't have much of.
Jian Chen's expression became serious.
"I need resources."
The spiritual energy within the Jian Clan was thin.
Cultivating in his courtyard was slow.
If he continued like this...
Opening his remaining meridians would take far too long.
He needed a place where spiritual energy was denser.
A place like the Spirit Gathering Pavilion.
The thought immediately reminded him of what Xiao Yue had told him.
Only the strongest younger disciples could cultivate there.
And tomorrow...
The clan would hold the competition for the cultivation spots.
Jian Chen's eyes narrowed.
"If I can obtain a spot..."
"My cultivation speed will increase considerably."
But there was a problem.
He was still injured.
And he was currently only at the beginning of the Body Tempering Realm.
The disciples competing for the Spirit Gathering Pavilion were much stronger than him.
At least...
That was what everyone believed.
Jian Chen wasn't worried about their cultivation.
His concern was whether this body could withstand an actual battle.
He slowly clenched his fist.
"I'll know tomorrow."
Just then...
Knock!
Knock!
The sound of the courtyard door interrupted his thoughts.
Jian Chen immediately became alert.
Someone had arrived.
He quickly concealed the faint spiritual energy circulating within his body.
"Who?"
A familiar voice answered.
"Youth Master."
"It's me."
Jian Chen relaxed.
"Come in."
The door opened.
Xiao Yue walked inside carrying a food basket.
The moment she saw Jian Chen...
Her eyes widened.
"Youth Master!"
She hurried over.
"Why are you covered in sweat again?"
Jian Chen smiled.
"I was cultivating."
Xiao Yue frowned.
"Didn't Elder Xu tell you to rest?"
"I rested."
"Then why are you still cultivating?"
Jian Chen didn't know how to answer.
He couldn't exactly tell her that he had just forcibly opened another naturally sealed meridian.
So he simply said,
"I don't want to waste time."
Xiao Yue stared at him.
For a moment...
She didn't say anything.
Then she quietly placed the food basket on the table.
"You've changed."
Jian Chen looked at her.
"Everyone keeps saying that."
Xiao Yue smiled faintly.
"Because it's true."
She opened the food basket.
Steam rose from the dishes.
"There isn't much."
"But I asked the kitchen to prepare something more nourishing."
Jian Chen looked at the food.
Then at Xiao Yue.
"Thank you."
She smiled.
"You should eat before it gets cold."
Jian Chen sat down.
As he ate...
Xiao Yue suddenly spoke.
"Youth Master."
"Hmm?"
"Are you really planning to participate in the Spirit Gathering Pavilion competition tomorrow?"
Jian Chen paused.
He looked at her.
"Who told you?"
"You didn't have to tell me."
Xiao Yue sighed.
"I know you."
"At least..."
"I thought I did."
Jian Chen smiled.
"What makes you think I'll participate?"
Xiao Yue hesitated.
"Because of the way you looked earlier."
"You looked like someone who had already made up his mind."
Jian Chen didn't answer.
Xiao Yue lowered her voice.
"The strongest disciples of the younger generation will be there."
"Some of them are already quite powerful."
"Even if you have recovered..."
She bit her lip.
"You're still injured."
Jian Chen placed his chopsticks down.
"Xiao Yue."
She looked at him.
"I won't do anything reckless."
"But..."
He paused.
"I need that cultivation spot."
His voice wasn't loud.
But there was an unquestionable determination within it.
Xiao Yue stared at him.
She wanted to argue.
She wanted to tell him that it was impossible.
But the words wouldn't come out.
Because she had seen the change in him.
The Jian Chen who had once avoided confrontation...
Was gone.
The person before her was calm.
Confident.
And strangely reassuring.
Finally...
She nodded.
"Then..."
"Be careful."
Jian Chen smiled.
"I will."
After Xiao Yue left...
The courtyard once again became quiet.
Jian Chen stood beneath the moonlight.
He looked toward the eastern side of the Jian Clan.
Far away...
The outline of the Spirit Gathering Pavilion could barely be seen.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Tomorrow..."
He whispered.
"I'll take a look at the strongest disciples of this generation."
His eyes became cold.
Not because he wanted to show off.
Not because he wanted revenge.
But because he needed strength.
And the Spirit Gathering Pavilion could give him exactly that.
However...
Jian Chen didn't know that tomorrow's competition would not be as simple as he expected.
Deep within the Jian Clan...
A young man sat inside a luxurious room.
Jian Hu.
His eyes were closed as spiritual energy circulated through his body.
A faint pressure spread through the room.
After several moments...
He opened his eyes.
A sharp light flashed within them.
"Tomorrow..."
He murmured.
"Another month of cultivation in the pavilion..."
"My strength will increase again."
A servant standing nearby immediately smiled.
"Young Master Jian Hu will definitely remain among the strongest."
Jian Hu's expression became proud.
Then...
An image suddenly flashed through his mind.
Jian Chen.
The calm expression.
The fearless eyes.
His smile disappeared.
"That useless brat..."
He remembered the words Jian Chen had spoken before.
"You'd better cherish these next few days."
Jian Hu's eyes became cold.
"He really thinks he has changed?"
A servant hesitated.
"Young Master..."
"What if he actually challenges tomorrow?"
Jian Hu laughed.
"Let him."
"He won't even get past the weakest defender."
His eyes filled with disdain.
"Tomorrow..."
"I'll personally watch him embarrass himself."
But neither Jian Hu nor anyone else knew...
That Jian Chen had already awakened two meridians.
And the person who had once been unable to cultivate...
Was quietly walking a path that no one in the Jian Clan understood.
The night deepened.
Inside the old courtyard...
Jian Chen sat beneath the moonlight.
His eyes were closed.
Two awakened meridians circulated spiritual energy through his body.
Slowly...
His foundation became stronger.
Tomorrow...
He would step into the challenge ground.
And for the first time since his rebirth...
Jian Chen would stand before the entire younger generation of the Jian Clan.
No one knew what would happen.
But one thing was certain.
Tomorrow...
The name Jian Chen would once again enter the sight of those who had long forgotten him.