Heavenly Sword Saint
Morning sunlight poured into the small courtyard.
A cool breeze slipped through the gaps in the old wooden windows, carrying with it the distant sounds of the Jian Clan.
Swords clashed.
Disciples shouted.
Instructors called out corrections.
The younger generation had already begun their morning cultivation.
The Jian Clan was full of life.
But inside the old courtyard...
Everything remained peaceful.
Jian Chen slowly opened his eyes.
He had just finished regulating his breathing.
For several moments, he remained completely still.
Then he lowered his gaze toward his hands.
His fingers slowly curled into fists.
Only one meridian had been awakened.
Yet the changes in his body were already noticeable.
His breathing was smoother.
His senses were sharper.
His limbs no longer felt as heavy as they had before.
Even his heartbeat had become stronger.
The transformation was still small.
Almost imperceptible.
But Jian Chen could feel every change.
After all, he had once stood at the peak of the Divine Realm.
His understanding of the human body was far beyond what an ordinary cultivator could possess.
He knew exactly what was happening.
Spiritual energy was entering through the newly awakened meridian and slowly tempering his flesh and bones.
This was the foundation of Body Tempering.
But the current flow of spiritual energy was pitifully weak.
One meridian was simply not enough.
Jian Chen's eyes narrowed slightly.
"If I want to rebuild my strength quickly, I'll need more."
His gaze turned inward.
The single awakened meridian quietly circulated spiritual energy throughout his body.
The process was slow.
Far too slow for his standards.
In his previous life, he had possessed an extraordinary cultivation foundation and had advanced through realms at a speed that had shocked the Divine Realm.
Now, he had returned to the very beginning.
But Jian Chen wasn't disappointed.
He understood better than anyone that cultivation wasn't a race.
A weak foundation built quickly could become a shackle later.
A flawless foundation could carry someone much farther.
He slowly stood.
His feet touched the cold wooden floor.
Yesterday, merely moving his body had caused considerable discomfort.
Today, the pain had already reduced significantly.
Jian Chen stretched his arms.
Crack!
A faint sound came from his joints.
A smile appeared on his face.
"The Heavenly Sword Scripture..."
His expression became thoughtful.
"Just what kind of cultivation method are you?"
He still couldn't see through it.
The scripture had accomplished something that should have been impossible.
It had destroyed the restriction sealing his first meridian.
A meridian that had remained unusable for sixteen years.
A meridian that every physician who had examined him had considered impossible to awaken.
Yet the Heavenly Sword Scripture had broken that conclusion with a single principle.
Sword qi could destroy the restrictions surrounding sealed meridians.
Jian Chen had seen countless cultivation arts during his previous life.
Body-tempering techniques.
Soul-forging methods.
Bloodline cultivation arts.
Secret techniques.
Ancient inheritances.
Even cultivation methods that had once shaken entire regions of the Divine Realm.
But he had never encountered anything like this.
The thought alone made Jian Chen's eyes gleam.
"Interesting."
He wasn't going to rush.
Not now.
His current body was still too weak.
Forcing open another meridian immediately could place unnecessary pressure on his flesh and bones.
Jian Chen had made mistakes in his first life.
He had paid for some of them with blood.
He would not repeat them in this life.
"One step at a time."
He turned toward the wooden table.
The breakfast Xiao Yue had brought earlier was still there.
A simple bowl of porridge.
Several steamed buns.
And a small plate of vegetables.
Jian Chen sat down and began eating.
The food was extremely ordinary.
There wasn't even a trace of spiritual energy within it.
In his previous life, such a meal would never have appeared before him.
Every meal had consisted of spiritual fruits, rare herbs, and the flesh of powerful spirit beasts.
Even the water he drank had been infused with spiritual energy.
But Jian Chen didn't complain.
Food was food.
His circumstances had changed.
His goal had not.
He slowly finished his breakfast.
After putting down the bowl, he looked toward the courtyard.
His expression gradually became colder.
"Everything has to be rebuilt."
"Strength."
"Status."
"Reputation."
His eyes narrowed.
"And eventually..."
"Justice."
The final word lingered in his mind.
Lin Xue'er.
Long Tian.
The Heavenfall Secret Realm.
The sword that had pierced his heart.
The betrayal.
The memories were still vivid.
A thousand years had passed.
Yet to Jian Chen...
It felt like yesterday.
His fingers tightened slightly.
Then relaxed.
Not yet.
Revenge without strength was nothing more than suicide.
He needed power first.
Everything else could wait.
Just as Jian Chen finished cleaning the table himself
Knock!
Knock!
A gentle voice came from outside.
"Youth Master."
"The clan physician has arrived."
Jian Chen immediately recognized Xiao Yue's voice.
"Come in."
The wooden door opened.
Xiao Yue stepped inside.
Behind her stood an elderly man.
His hair and beard were completely white.
He wore a simple gray robe, and a worn wooden medicine box hung from his shoulder.
Although the old man looked thin, his footsteps were steady.
His eyes were clear and calm.
The moment he entered the room, his gaze landed on Jian Chen.
A trace of surprise flashed across his face.
"You've already gotten out of bed?"
Jian Chen stood and gave him a respectful greeting.
"Greetings, Elder Xu."
The old man nodded.
"You still remember your manners."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"That's good."
"I was worried yesterday's injuries had affected more than just your body."
Xiao Yue immediately spoke.
"Elder Xu, the Young Master has been awake since early this morning."
"He even said he was cultivating."
Elder Xu's expression changed.
"Cultivating?"
His eyes immediately returned to Jian Chen.
Jian Chen remained calm.
"Only trying."
Elder Xu stared at him for several breaths.
Then he chuckled.
"Very well."
"I'll examine you first."
He placed his medicine box on the table and gestured toward the bed.
"Sit."
Jian Chen sat down.
Elder Xu pulled a stool closer.
Two fingers gently pressed against Jian Chen's wrist.
The room became quiet.
Xiao Yue stood nearby with her hands clasped together.
She looked nervous.
Several breaths passed.
Elder Xu's relaxed expression slowly disappeared.
His eyebrows furrowed.
His fingers shifted slightly.
He checked another pulse point.
Then another.
His expression became increasingly serious.
"This..."
He withdrew his fingers.
Then placed them against Jian Chen's wrist once more.
He examined the pulse carefully.
Xiao Yue could no longer hold herself back.
"Elder Xu..."
"Is something wrong?"
The old man didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he looked directly at Jian Chen.
"Does anything hurt?"
Jian Chen considered the question.
"My ribs are still somewhat painful."
"My muscles are weak."
"Anything else?"
"No."
Elder Xu frowned.
"Strange."
Xiao Yue's heart tightened.
"Has his condition become worse?"
Elder Xu immediately shook his head.
"No."
His expression became even more puzzled.
"That's precisely why I'm confused."
He looked at Jian Chen again.
"Yesterday, several of your ribs were cracked."
"Your internal organs suffered considerable shock."
"And your meridians have been sealed since birth."
"With your condition..."
"You should still be lying in bed."
He paused.
"But your recovery is far faster than it should be."
Jian Chen's expression remained unchanged.
He already knew the reason.
The spiritual energy flowing through his awakened meridian was slowly tempering his body.
It was weak.
But it was real.
And more importantly...
It had already begun changing him.
Elder Xu continued his examination.
"The swelling has already decreased."
"The internal bleeding has stopped."
"Your pulse is much stronger than yesterday."
He looked at Jian Chen with disbelief.
"Did you take some powerful healing pill?"
Jian Chen shook his head.
"No."
"Nothing besides the medicine you prescribed."
Elder Xu fell silent.
He had practiced medicine within the Jian Clan for decades.
He had treated countless injuries.
He knew the human body.
He knew its limits.
Jian Chen's recovery shouldn't have been possible.
Yet the evidence was right in front of him.
After a long moment, Elder Xu finally sighed.
"Perhaps your vitality is stronger than we thought."
Jian Chen smiled faintly.
"Perhaps."
Elder Xu clearly didn't completely believe that explanation.
But he couldn't find another.
After another careful examination, he finally sat back.
"Your condition has stabilized."
"You are no longer in danger."
Xiao Yue immediately released the breath she had been holding.
"But..."
Elder Xu raised one finger.
"You must not become careless."
"Your ribs still need time to heal completely."
"You must avoid strenuous fighting."
"Don't lift heavy objects."
"And absolutely no reckless cultivation."
At the final sentence, his eyes became serious.
He looked directly at Jian Chen.
Jian Chen nodded.
"I understand."
Elder Xu opened his medicine box.
He removed several packets of herbs.
"These need to be boiled."
"Drink the medicine twice a day."
He then took out a small jade bottle.
"This is for your external injuries."
"Apply it every morning and evening."
Xiao Yue quickly accepted everything.
"I'll take care of it."
Elder Xu nodded.
But he didn't immediately leave.
He looked at Jian Chen for a moment.
Then his expression softened.
"Youth Master..."
"I've watched you grow up."
Jian Chen remained silent.
"I know you've suffered."
The old man's voice became gentler.
"But sometimes, enduring humiliation is wiser than fighting when you don't possess the strength to win."
Jian Chen's eyes flickered.
He understood exactly what Elder Xu meant.
The old man continued.
"Jian Hu has become increasingly arrogant."
"His father is the Great Elder."
"Because of that position, many people in the clan are unwilling to provoke him."
Elder Xu's expression became solemn.
"If you clash with him again, the consequences may not fall on you alone."
He glanced toward Xiao Yue.
"Your mother could become involved."
The room became silent.
Jian Chen's fingers slowly tightened.
Liu Ruyan.
His mother in this life.
For sixteen years, she had protected him.
She had spent nearly everything she possessed searching for ways to cure his sealed meridians.
She had endured the ridicule of the clan.
She had even stood between him and Jian Hu when others bullied him.
Jian Chen would never allow anyone to hurt her because of him.
After a moment, he calmly nodded.
"Thank you, Elder Xu."
"I understand."
Elder Xu studied him.
Something felt different.
The Jian Chen he remembered would become frightened whenever Jian Hu was mentioned.
Or angry.
Sometimes both.
But today...
There was none of that.
No fear.
No impulsiveness.
Only calm.
And beneath that calmness...
Something Elder Xu couldn't identify.
A faint pressure.
Not the pressure of cultivation.
Something deeper.
The pressure of someone who had already experienced things far beyond his years.
Elder Xu's eyes narrowed.
"You truly have changed."
Jian Chen smiled faintly.
"Perhaps nearly dying changes a person."
The old man stared at him for another moment.
Then chuckled.
"Perhaps."
He closed his medicine box.
He stood and walked toward the door.
But just as his hand reached the wooden handle, he suddenly stopped.
"That's right."
He turned around.
"The annual junior examination is approaching."
Xiao Yue's expression immediately changed.
"The examination?"
Elder Xu nodded.
"One month from now."
"According to the clan rules, every direct descendant who reaches the required age must participate."
"Those who demonstrate sufficient cultivation aptitude will receive greater resources."
He paused.
"But those who fail to meet the clan's requirements..."
His gaze shifted toward Jian Chen.
"They will lose their status as core disciples."
Xiao Yue's face became pale.
For sixteen years, Jian Chen had been unable to cultivate.
Everyone in the clan knew it.
The examination had once been little more than a distant formality for him.
Now...
It had become a deadline.
One month.
That was all he had.
Elder Xu sighed.
"In your current condition..."
"It will be difficult."
Xiao Yue lowered her head.
She knew he was right.
Even if Jian Chen had truly begun cultivating, one month was an extremely short period.
"Don't think about it too much," Elder Xu said.
"Recover first."
"Your health matters more."
He turned to leave.
Then he stopped once more.
"There is still a month."
His voice softened.
"Perhaps..."
"Something unexpected may happen."
With that, he left the courtyard.
The wooden door slowly closed behind him.
Silence returned.
Xiao Yue looked at Jian Chen.
Her expression was filled with worry.
"Youth Master..."
"You don't need to prove anything to those people."
Jian Chen looked at her.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Why do you think I can't?"
Xiao Yue froze.
"I..."
She didn't know how to answer.
Jian Chen walked toward the courtyard entrance.
Sunlight fell across his figure.
A month.
For an ordinary cultivator, it was short.
For someone starting from nothing, it was almost insignificant.
But Jian Chen wasn't starting from nothing.
He possessed the memories of a thousand years.
He possessed comprehension that had once allowed him to stand among the greatest geniuses of the Divine Realm.
And now...
He possessed the Heavenly Sword Scripture.
A cultivation method capable of breaking restrictions that the cultivators of this world believed could never be broken.
His first meridian had already awakened.
The foundation of his cultivation had finally begun.
Jian Chen looked toward the distant training grounds.
His gaze was calm.
"One month..."
He softly repeated.
Then a faint smile appeared.
"That's enough."
Xiao Yue stared at him.
She didn't understand.
How could one month possibly be enough?
But Jian Chen knew something she didn't.
He didn't need to become powerful enough to dominate the clan in one month.
He only needed to prove one thing.
That the path everyone had declared impossible...
Was no longer impossible.
Jian Chen slowly looked inward.
The single awakened meridian quietly circulated spiritual energy through his body.
The flow was tiny.
Weak.
But it was growing.
His eyes became firm.
"Before the examination..."
"I'll make this body strong enough to stand on its own."
He turned toward the old courtyard.
There was still much work to do.
And for the first time in sixteen years...
The road ahead was no longer sealed.
It had finally opened.
And Jian Chen intended to walk it.
One step at a time.