FA WA

Xiao Tian felt warmth as the older man continued channeling his internal energy into him.

The older man frowned, astonished by Xiao Tian's healing ability. Even if he hadn't treated him, Xiao Tian would have healed alone. If he had continued drifting in the river, his body could have been torn apart by the fierce water.

After some time, Xiao Tian woke up and clasped his hands.

"Senior, thank you for saving me."

Xiao Tian didn't call the old man grandpa because he felt that was only appropriate for his relatives, so he just called him senior.

Hearing Xiao Tian's thanks, the older man didn't immediately respond. He was still amazed by the child's healing ability. Moreover, he was perplexed; he couldn't discern the type of bones and specific areas in Xiao Tian's body.

The older man was sure this child was not ordinary. An ordinary child would have indeed died in that great river. Not to mention the ferocious beasts; even the fierce river current and hitting the rocks should have killed him.

Instead of answering Xiao Tian's question, the old man asked, "Child, how did you end up in this river? And where is your home? Let me take you back."

Xiao Tian shook his head until the old man asked again, "Do you not remember what happened?"

Xiao Tian shook his head again. "No, I remember. But I no longer have a home to return to. My village was attacked by bandits who not only looted but also slaughtered all the villagers and burned our houses. Both my parents were killed in that incident. I managed to escape by jumping into this river. Now, I have nowhere to go."

Xiao Tian's face, still that of a child, looked very sad. His sadness was genuine. Although he didn't tell the whole truth, fearing the older man might be a subordinate of the Wang kingdom, the mix of anger and sorrow on his face was not fabricated.

The older man understood Xiao Tian's feelings. Judging by his expression, the child wasn't lying. Besides, he was just a child, unlikely to be good at making up stories. The older man decided to take him. "If you have no home, come with me. I am the head of a Sect not far from here."

"If the senior allows it, I won't refuse." Xiao Tian saw this as an opportunity. If he lived in a Sect, he could train to become strong.

"Hahaha, good. However, in the future, don't call me senior; call me Grandpa Fa Wa. From now on, I'll take you as my grandson. Since you no longer have a family, there's no harm in me becoming your family. Now, tell me, what's your name?"

Initially, Xiao Tian didn't want to call him Grandpa. But Fa Wa's words were true; he no longer had relatives. As for Wang Chong, even though he was a relative, he was someone Xiao Tian wanted to eradicate from the world.

"Thank you, Grandpa. My name is Tian." Xiao Tian didn't want to mention his clan name, fearing the Wang kingdom would discover his identity.

"Hahaha, good, good. How old are you, Tian?" Fa Wa asked, smiling with his wrinkled lips.

"I am six years old." Xiao Tian answered honestly.

Fa Wa didn't expect the child in front of him to be only six years old because Xiao Tian's physical appearance was almost that of a ten-year-old. "This little girl is my granddaughter; her name is Ziyan Rouxi. You can call her sister when you are younger. Now, please wait a moment; Grandpa will catch some fish for us. Tian must be hungry."

While Fa Wa was catching fish in the river, Xiao Tian stared blankly at the blue sky, his fists tightly clenched around painful memories.

Suddenly, tears began to flow from the corners of his eyes, falling to the ground and forming a small puddle. However, these were not ordinary clear tears but tears of blood, deep red, reflecting the depth of his pain. Xiao Tian recalled the moment his parents were killed by enemies from the Wang Kingdom and the Ming Dynasty, who had destroyed his family.

In his heart, he vowed to avenge his parents. “Mother, father. Tian'er swears to avenge you! Tian'er will not let the Wang Kingdom and the Ming Dynasty, who caused your deaths, go unpunished. I will make them pay a hundredfold, and if I cannot, I swear not to live as a human!”

Ziyan Rouxi saw Xiao Tian shedding tears of blood. "Tian, you must calm your emotions. If you want to avenge your parents, there's only one way—you must grow stronger than anyone else!"

Xiao Tian did not respond; he merely nodded his head.

****

Fa Wa arrived with a large fish he had just caught from the river; then, he cooked it over a fire. Once ready, Fa Wa invited Xiao Tian and Ziyan Rouxi to return home.

When they arrived at the sect’s gate, Xiao Tian noticed the large inscription above it. He paused for a moment, reading it carefully. "Supreme Sword Sect," Xiao Tian murmured, trying to recall if he had ever heard of a sect named Supreme Sword. However, he could not remember any Supreme Sword Sect in the Ming Dynasty.

Xiao Tian was surprised to realize he was in the territory of the She Dynasty. "Did the river’s current carry me to the She Dynasty?" he wondered, confused and shocked. Xiao Tian inhaled the cold air that enveloped his body.

Recalling the knowledge he had gained from reading books, Xiao Tian understood the vast distance between the Ming Dynasty and the She Dynasty.

Xiao Tian was an avid reader, and his mother always encouraged him to read books on various subjects. Not just martial arts but general knowledge as well. Although he was still young, Xiao Tian had a broad understanding, especially since he had a unique memory that allowed him to remember everything he saw without forgetting.

SUPREME SWORD SECT

“Respect to the patriarch.” The gatekeepers immediately bowed in respect upon seeing Fa Wa.

Fa Wa merely smiled and led Ziyan Rouxi and Xiao Tian inside.

Xiao Tian arrived at Fa Wa’s residence. Fa Wa looked at Xiao Tian. “Tian, you will stay here now. However, although I have adopted you as my grandson, you will not be exempt from duties. Your task is to clean the entire courtyard and the training area. You must also take care of all the books in this house; do not let a single book gather dust! When you turn ten, I will register you as a disciple of this sect. Even though I am the patriarch, I must follow the sect’s rules. Do you understand?”

Xiao Tian clasped his hands together. “Grandfather, I understand.”

****

Every day, Xiao Tian diligently performed his tasks. Every morning, Xiao Tian diligently swept the courtyard, removing the scattered dry leaves. The morning sunlight reflected off the sweat on his innocent face. After that, he moved on to his next task, dusting off the books during the day. His small but nimble hands wiped each book carefully, not wanting to damage the precious pages.

At night, Xiao Tian took advantage of the opportunity without Fa Wa’s knowledge, sneaking into the library. In the silence of the night, he read the books with great interest, absorbing the knowledge within. Despite his young age, his determination and passion for learning never waned.

Three years had passed since Xiao Tian had been living in the Supreme Sword Sect. He was now nine years old.

“Tian, let’s go to the martial arena. There’s an interesting event to watch,” said Ziyan Rouxi. She was now eleven years old. Although she had turned eleven, her beautiful face already looked more mature.

Xiao Tian nodded; he was also very interested in the battles of the talented disciples. He watched the competition to find the strongest disciple in the Supreme Sword Sect.

When they arrived at the martial arena, no one dared to stop them, as everyone knew that the two children were the patriarch’s grandchildren.

“Look! Is that the patriarch’s adopted grandson named Tian?” one disciple asked another.

“Yes, that’s Tian. Unfortunately, he doesn’t like martial arts; he has never been seen training.”

“Maybe he’s waiting until he turns ten to start training.”

“Hahaha, he’s indeed the useless adopted grandson of the patriarch. Unlike Miss Ziyan, even though she hasn’t turned ten yet, her fingers are always busy with training, so when she turns ten, she won’t just start training, but she’ll already be able to defeat disciples older than her.”

“Maybe that’s the difference between a real grandchild and an adopted one. After all, he is adopted, so it’s normal if his martial arts talent is lacking.”

Xiao Tian heard the disciples’ remarks. However, Xiao Tian never took them to heart. He was used to the insults from the sect’s disciples. Despite his status as Fa Wa’s adopted grandson, people did not hesitate to mock him.

Ziyan Rouxi wanted to reprimand them, but Xiao Tian stopped her. “There’s no need to respond to them; let’s go see grandfather.”

“You’re too lenient with them. If you keep this up, they’ll keep mocking you!” Ziyan Rouxi was displeased that her adopted brother was being belittled.

“No need to be angry. Besides, I’m not hurt by their insults.” Xiao Tian smiled slightly. However, behind that smile lay a hidden meaning.

They both sat behind Fa Wa. They listened as Fa Wa laid out the rules for the competition to find the strongest disciple under seventeen years old.

Fa Wa looked at everyone present. “You all know why this competition is being held. It’s to find the strongest talent. Whoever wins will represent the Supreme Sword Sect in the She Empire tournament. So, use all your abilities so I can determine the best resources for you. I will personally train the strongest disciple for a year. By the time the tournament is held, you will be ready to compete with disciples from other sects and kingdoms in the She Dynasty. Do you understand?”

Fa Wa’s voice carried inner energy, so his words were heard by everyone present.

“Patriarch, we understand.” All the disciples answered in unison.

“Good, as long as you understand!” Fa Wa looked at one of the elders. “Liu Qingyun, lead the event!”

Liu Qingyun was an elder with high status in the sect. Although he was not young anymore, his muscles and fierce face showed he was very strong.

“Yes, patriarch.” Liu Qingyun immediately stepped into the martial arena. He began the competition.

Xiao Tian continued to watch the fights. However, his eyes were always drawn to one male disciple. That disciple’s name was Daniel.

Xiao Tian murmured, “Daniel has an internal energy of 230 rings; he’s already a third-class warrior. But he’s sealing his internal energy and showing that he only has 100 rings. This guy is very cautious; it seems he’s the one who will win this competition.”

Circle of Energy

Xiao Tian learned about the warrior realms from the books he read.

The levels of warriors were measured by the number of internal energy circles they possessed.

A first-class warrior: had 30 circles of internal energy.

A second-class warrior: had 100 circles of internal energy.

A third-class warrior: had 200 circles of internal energy.

A fourth-class warrior: had 300 circles of internal energy.

After that, they progressed to the realm of king warriors.

King warriors were divided into earth king warriors, sky king warriors, and martial king warriors.

An earth king warrior had levels from one to nine.

Level 1: had 500 circles of internal energy.

Level 2: had 700 circles of internal energy.

Level 3: had 900 circles of internal energy.

Level 4: had 1,100 circles.

Level 5: had 1,300 circles.

Level 6: had 1,500 circles.

Level 7: had 1,700 circles.

Level 8: had 1,900 circles.

Level 9: had 2,100 circles.

Sky king warriors also had levels from 1 to 9.

Level 1: had 2,400 circles of internal energy, and each level added 300 circles.

Martial king warriors also had 9 levels. However, they no longer referred to it as internal energy; those who managed to become martial king warriors had transformed their internal energy into Qi.

‘My uncle Wang Chong is at the level of a sixth-rank martial king warrior. Rumor has it that even people in the empire have achieved the level of a half-martial emperor. My journey is still long. Right now, I only have 430 circles of internal energy; I need 70 more circles to break through to an earth king warrior. Currently, I’m still a fourth-class warrior. It seems I no longer need to hide my strength, as the best resources of the sect are only given to the strongest disciples. After this event, I’ll speak to Grandfather so I can start training with the other disciples!’

While Xiao Tian was contemplating various things, Liu Qingyun announced the final match. “Now, we enter the final round. Whoever wins will be the best disciple of our Supreme Sword Sect. Use all your abilities, but killing each other is forbidden. Daniel, Lu Xuan, step forward and show your strength!”

Daniel and Lu Xuan were the disciples who had made it to the final; they were the most talented disciples under the age of 17 in the Supreme Sword Sect.

Both immediately entered the martial arena.

Daniel cupped his hands towards Lu Xuan. “Brother Lu Xuan, please guide me.”

“Hahaha, I will.”

Bhuzz—

Xiao Tian noticed that the disciple named Lu Xuan was also hiding his true strength; he had 210 circles of internal energy but only showed 140 circles. “Hmm, this is really interesting.”

Xiao Tian’s murmur was heard by Ziyan Rouxi. “Brother Tian, are you now interested in becoming a warrior?”

Hearing Ziyan Rouxi’s question, Xiao Tian smiled slightly. “Sister, you must train diligently! Otherwise, when I start training, I will surpass you immediately.”

“Hahaha, I look forward to it. Start training soon.” Ziyan Rouxi did not get angry; instead, she smiled sweetly.

Fa Wa felt happy seeing his biological granddaughter so close to his adopted grandson. He hoped both would grow and become pillars for the Supreme Sword Sect in the future.

****

In the center of the vast martial arena, Lu Xuan and Daniel stood facing each other with their swords drawn, ready to fight. The audience around the arena held their breath, waiting for the exciting duel between these two warriors to begin.

"BEGIN!" shouted Liu Qingyun. As soon as his voice was heard, Lu Xuan and Daniel immediately launched their attacks.

Both warriors moved swiftly, their swordplay displaying high skill and cunning. The sound of clashing swords between Lu Xuan and Daniel echoed through the arena, captivating the audience even more.

After several exchanges of blows, Lu Xuan began to feel something was wrong. Daniel’s internal energy seemed endless, and each of his attacks grew stronger. Lu Xuan realized he had to use his full strength if he wanted to defeat his opponent.

“I can’t hide my power any longer!” Lu Xuan murmured to himself. With resolute determination, he unleashed his internal energy that he had been holding back. A strong aura enveloped his body, surprising the audience and eliciting cheers of admiration.

Now ready to face Daniel with his full strength, the battle between these two warriors grew fiercer. They fought tirelessly, each trying to prove their prowess in front of the cheering spectators.

When the people felt Lu Xuan’s internal energy, the elders began to praise him.

“Brother Lu Xuan, defeat Daniel. Only brother Lu Xuan deserves to win this competition.”

Many disciples cheered for Lu Xuan, especially the female disciples. Lu Xuan, at 15 years old, was very handsome, causing many of the female disciples to idolize him.

Daniel was not as handsome as Lu Xuan, but he had a firm face and the aura of an expert. His face always looked relaxed, and a slight smile always adorned his lips.

Hearing the praise he received, Lu Xuan’s spirit burned even brighter. He swiftly enveloped his sword with a bright yellow energy. Meanwhile, Daniel enveloped his sword with a mysterious purple energy. They exchanged fierce glances, ready to unleash their best abilities in this fight.

This time, Daniel decided to take the initiative to attack. With quick movements, he launched a slash of his sword towards Lu Xuan. However, Lu Xuan deftly avoided the attack and immediately countered with a retaliatory strike. But, who would have thought, Daniel had another plan. When his sword slash missed Lu Xuan, Daniel immediately took advantage of the momentum to spin his body nimbly. In an instant, he delivered a powerful kick that hit its target accurately. Lu Xuan was taken aback; he didn’t expect Daniel to attack in such a manner.

Bang—

“Aah…” Lu Xuan screamed in pain. He clutched his ribs, which felt broken.

He looked at Daniel approaching him. However, he was very puzzled because now Daniel’s aura felt different.