The journey back from the Spiritwind Gorge was filled with noise. The disciples who had found a few herbs or scraps boasted of their minor gains, while others laughed and jeered at those who had nothing.
Chen Yu walked silently among them, his hands behind his back, expression calm. To the others, it looked like he had come away empty-handed. A few sneers were thrown his way.
"Tch, even in a ruin, Chen Yu finds nothing.""What did you expect? Trash remains trash.""He only knows how to lean on his father's shadow."
Chen Yu gave no reply. He lowered his head just enough to appear humiliated, playing his part. Only Wang Ping, walking nervously at his side, stole anxious glances at him.
But inside Chen Yu's storage pouch, wrapped in layers of cloth, the broken Sword Embryo of the Fallen Immortal hummed faintly — sharp, hungry.
No one else could hear it. No one else could feel the faint killing will that coiled around it like mist.
And Chen Yu intended to keep it that way.
Once back in the sect, Chen Yu resumed his usual mask of laziness. He wandered the courtyards, idled beneath pavilions, and occasionally ordered Wang Ping to fetch him wine.
To the world, he remained the same arrogant, talentless young master who relied on his family's influence.
Only when night fell did the mask drop.
That night, beneath the pale glow of the moon, Chen Yu sat cross-legged in his courtyard. Before him lay the Sword Embryo, its cracked body reflecting silver light. Though broken, it exuded a pressure sharp enough to make the night air heavy.
Chen Yu placed both hands on his knees, steadying his breath.
"System. Guide me."
[Sword Embryo of the Fallen Immortal detected.]
[Analysis complete: Contains fragmented Sword Intent. Resonance possible through qi infusion and comprehension.]
[Warning: Excessive exposure may damage host's meridians. Recommended: Gradual infusion and tempered meditation.]
A slow smile spread across Chen Yu's face. So even the sword itself is dangerous to unworthy wielders. How fitting.
He drew in a breath and slowly channeled his qi into the broken sword.
The Sword Embryo vibrated faintly. A sharp ringing sound echoed in his mind, as if countless blades were unsheathing at once.
In the next moment, his consciousness blurred — and he stood in a vast, endless plain of swords.
Mountains of blades rose in the distance. Rivers of swords flowed endlessly like silver water. The sky itself was filled with suspended sword shadows, each radiating a pressure sharp enough to pierce the heavens.
It was overwhelming. His spirit trembled. His body in reality shook, a trace of blood dripping from the corner of his lips.
But Chen Yu gritted his teeth.
So this is Sword Intent… the will that cuts through all things.
In that world, a single sword stood before him. Broken, yet upright. It pulsed faintly, resonating with the embryo in his hand.
Chen Yu reached for it.
The moment his fingers touched the hilt, pain seared through his mind like countless blades cutting into his soul.
But instead of recoiling, he laughed softly. "Pain is only proof that it is real."
And he gripped tighter.
The sword shadows in the sky trembled faintly, as if acknowledging his defiance.
[Sword Embryo resonance achieved.]
[Minor Sword Intent comprehension unlocked.]
[Passive ability gained: Sharpened Perception – Host perceives flaws, edges, and trajectories with heightened clarity.]
When Chen Yu opened his eyes, the Sword Embryo still lay before him, faintly humming. But now, the world itself looked different.
The leaves in the courtyard trees swayed, and he could see the precise angle at which they would fall. The breeze carried hidden currents of sharpness he had never noticed. Even the silence of the night felt edged, as if the world was filled with unseen blades.
Chen Yu exhaled slowly. His eyes gleamed with sharp light.
"This… is the beginning of the Sword Dao."
He rose and walked to a large boulder at the edge of the courtyard. Drawing the Sword Embryo, he infused a thread of qi into it.
The broken blade flickered faintly.
Chen Yu slashed casually.
No sound came. No flash of power.
But a breath later, the massive boulder split neatly in two, each half sliding apart as if cut by an invisible hand.
Wang Ping, asleep in the servant quarters nearby, jolted awake at the faint tremor. He rushed out, eyes wide — only to see Chen Yu standing calmly with a broken sword in hand, moonlight glinting off his cold smile.
"B-Brother Yu…" Wang Ping stammered, eyes filled with awe and fear.
Chen Yu's gaze flicked toward him. "Forget what you saw."
The servant trembled, bowing deeply. "Y-Yes!"
Satisfied, Chen Yu sheathed the embryo in cloth again and returned to his meditation.
Sitting cross-legged once more, Chen Yu held the sword embryo on his lap and sank into cultivation.
He cycled the Minor Spirit Refining Technique the system had granted him earlier. But now, with the Sword Embryo resonating, the flow of qi sharpened — refined, compressed, like molten steel hammered into a blade.
Hours passed in silence. Sweat dripped down his back. His dantian churned violently as the barrier between stages trembled.
Boom
The bottleneck shattered. His qi surged, filling his meridians with newfound strength.
Congratulations: Host has broken through to the 6th layer of Qi Condensation.]
[Hidden Feature unlocked: Sword Resonance Cultivation – Host's cultivation efficiency increases by 30% when meditating with Sword Embryo.]
Chen Yu opened his eyes. His aura flared — then immediately, he drew it back in, suppressing every trace until not even a wisp escaped.
Outwardly, he remained the same useless disciple at the 4th layer.
Inwardly, he had already stepped far ahead.
Elsewhere in the sect, Lin Tian sat in his humble courtyard, gripping a wooden practice sword. Sweat soaked his back as he swung again and again, calluses forming on his hands. His eyes burned with determination.
"I don't care if Chen Yu stole what was meant for me," he muttered through clenched teeth. "I'll forge my own path. I'll surpass him, no matter what it takes."
Unseen to him, the Villain System in Chen Yu's body stirred.
[Protagonist Lin Tian's hatred value toward host has increased.]
[Future destiny rewards increased by 15%.]
Chen Yu, deep in meditation across the sect, chuckled faintly without knowing why.
On the third night, Chen Yu stood again in his courtyard, the Sword Embryo in hand. The moon hung high, bathing the world in pale light.
He raised the broken blade slowly. Qi surged into it, and for a fleeting moment, a faint arc of light extended beyond the cracked edge — a strand of true Sword Qi.
The sword hummed like thunder. The arc stretched out several feet before fading.
Chen Yu lowered the blade, his eyes reflecting the moon's glow.
"No one must know," he whispered. "Until the day this blade cuts through them all."
The Sword Embryo pulsed faintly, as if agreeing with its new master.