Jonathan and Nathan believed him.
Everything James had told them was true—he'd only altered minor details. His experiences were genuine, and genuinely extraordinary. Even if the story spread beyond these walls, others would simply envy his incredible luck at stumbling upon a treasure that appeared once in a century.
"The Flawless Physique..." Jonathan murmured, his hand still resting on James's wrist. A current of energy flowed between them as he examined his son's meridians. "It seems the legends are true."
Both James and Nathan turned to look at him.
"The Flawless Physique," Jonathan explained. "As the name implies—flawless from birth. A person with this constitution will encounter no bottlenecks below the rank of Master."
He released James's wrist and met his son's eyes. "You truly have been blessed."
There was unmistakable envy in his father's voice—and James understood why. Jonathan had spent his entire life cultivating, never quite breaking through to the Transcendent Realm. And now his nine-year-old son possessed a body that would face no obstacles until reaching the level of a true Master.
Nathan's jaw had dropped. "No bottlenecks below Master? Doesn't that mean reaching the peak of the Transcendent Realm is practically guaranteed for him?"
His voice rose with excitement. "No—perhaps he could even become a Master himself! Our Everett Family could become the one hundred and ninth Master-level power in the Wei Empire!"
A Master-level power. Even across an entire prefecture, such an organization would be a colossus.
"Do not speak those words again." Jonathan's voice was sharp. "James has a bright future—he is the hope of our family. But currently, we do not have the strength to protect him. If word of his talent were to leak, it would not be a blessing for the Everett household."
He fixed Nathan with a stern look until his brother nodded in understanding.
Then Jonathan turned back to James. "Son, I originally intended to teach you everything I know and then hand the family over to you, letting you shoulder the mission of restoring our household to greatness." He paused. "But now that you've received this gift, your talent far exceeds mine, your grandfather's, or even your great-grandfather's. The Everett Family would be a cage for you."
James listened in silence, sensing something significant was coming.
"With your current potential, even the great powers would focus on nurturing you." Jonathan's expression softened slightly. "In my youth, I befriended a genius from the Inverse Blade Sect. We still exchange letters occasionally. I originally planned to mention you to him once you reached the ninth layer of Body Tempering. Now that you've broken through to the Mortal Realm entirely... if you're willing, I can write to recommend you."
*The Inverse Blade Sect.*
James's eyes lit up. That was one of the Five Supreme Blades—a top-tier power with a Grand Master presiding over it. He'd been terrified of the consequences of merely possessing the Mistpeak Sect's outer cultivation manual, yet the Mistpeak Sect was only a Master-level power. They were nothing compared to the Inverse Blade Sect, the foremost of the Five Supreme Blades.
*I didn't expect Father to have such connections. He must have had his own stories during his youth.*
James kept his expression neutral, but his mind was racing. Could the setbacks his future self had experienced have occurred at the Inverse Blade Sect? It seemed Elder James had also walked this path. Unfortunately, while James was considered a genius in Sunvale City, the Inverse Blade Sect would be crawling with geniuses from across the empire.
Jonathan continued. "If you don't wish to study the sword at the Inverse Blade Sect, I have another option. Your grandfather joined the military, just as your great-grandfather did before him. He died on the battlefield, but in that final battle, he risked his life to save a General. That General once promised that if the Everett Family ever needed anything, we could bring a letter to him, and he would do whatever was within his power."
James stared at his father. His grandfather—whom he had never met—had left behind such a connection? No wonder the Everett Family could thrive in Sunvale City, taking the lion's share of local trade without anyone daring to scheme against them. It wasn't just their martial strength. They had backing.
A General, even a minor one, was a great figure by Sunvale City's standards. A life-saving debt was something even a Master-level power would have to consider carefully.
Both choices were undoubtedly paths to greatness. The Inverse Blade Sect stood at the apex of the empire's martial powers. The military, on the other hand, offered limitless potential—as long as one was willing to work hard and accumulate merit.
James didn't hesitate.
"Father, I choose the Inverse Blade Sect."
Jonathan showed no surprise. The military might offer a brilliant future, but it was a future built on merit and hierarchy—on following orders and serving the throne. That kind of life was far from what James wanted. If he had a choice, he would rather roam the martial world freely, experiencing its loves and hatreds, beholden to no one.
Jonathan nodded. "Very well. Either path would be good for you and for our family."
He wrote the letter that same day.
---
Less than half a month later, the reply arrived.
With James's talent, joining the Inverse Blade Sect would not be an issue. And with the care of Jonathan's old friend, his future would be assured.
James set out on the journey.
---
Ten days later, he arrived at the gates of the Inverse Blade Sect.
"What's happening this year? Doesn't the sect recruit disciples on the first day of autumn?"
"Why did they delay it by five full days?"
Outside the sect, dozens of talented youths and young masters from noble families across the region waited for the recruitment to begin. Looking at their impatient expressions and rumpled clothing, it was clear they had been camping in the open for days. For this group of pampered children, it was obviously a form of torture.
On a massive boulder above them stood five figures, all wearing deep ink-blue robes. The garments looked simple at first glance, but when the light hit them at certain angles, the faint outlines of famous swords shimmered across the fabric.
James's attention fixed on the man in the center—a young man who looked less than thirty, carrying a celadon sword casket on his back. Despite his youth, he held the central position. The four elders flanking him were clearly deferential.
When the complaints from below grew too loud, the young man glanced down and gave a cold snort.
"If you can't endure this little bit of hardship, how are you worthy of joining the Inverse Blade Sect?"
His voice carried across the crowd like the crack of a whip.
"My sect does not accept trash. If you want to leave, then get lost."
The arrogance was breathtaking. But as one of the Five Supreme Blades, the Inverse Blade Sect had earned the right to be arrogant.
The young applicants fell instantly silent. All complaints vanished in a heartbeat. Here, they only had to endure a bit of cold and discomfort. If they chose to leave and go home as failures, the consequences would be far worse.
At that moment, a young man in indigo martial attire leaped onto the stage below the boulder and whispered something into the central figure's ear.
The sternness on the young man's face faded. A faint smile appeared, and he nodded to the four elders beside him.
"The examination can begin now," he announced to the crowd below. "Anyone who passes the test may join the Inverse Blade Sect."
His words struck like a boulder crashing into still water, sending ripples of excitement through the waiting applicants.
James, however, wore a strange expression.
*They couldn't have been waiting for me... could they?*
He thought back to his father's letter. Jonathan's old friend clearly held a position of considerable importance within the sect. Important enough to delay the entire recruitment by five days.
*Excellent.*
James allowed himself a small, private smile.
He did love having this kind of backing.
---
**End of Chapter 6**