Heavenly Sword Saint
Seven days later...
Jian Chen slowly opened his eyes.
For a moment, he remained completely still.
Then he took a breath.
His breathing was steady.
His limbs felt lighter.
Even the slightest movement seemed to contain far more strength than before.
Jian Chen slowly clenched his fist.
The muscles beneath his skin tightened.
A faint pressure spread through his arm.
His body had changed.
The violent breakthrough had left behind no trace of the injuries he had suffered during cultivation.
His flesh was denser.
His bones were stronger.
His blood flowed with greater vitality.
Even his internal organs had become more resilient.
Jian Chen stood.
He stretched his arms and rotated his shoulders.
Every movement was smooth.
There was no pain.
No stiffness.
No weakness.
Only strength.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Not bad."
He closed his eyes and examined his body.
The eighth meridian was completely open.
The ninth meridian was also completely open.
Spiritual energy flowed through both without obstruction before merging with the other open meridians.
His circulation was far smoother than before.
Jian Chen had previously opened seven meridians.
Now...
He had opened two more.
His strength had risen accordingly.
He stepped outside.
The courtyard was quiet.
Jian Chen looked around before slowly raising his hand.
He gathered his physical strength into his palm and struck forward.
Boom!
The air trembled.
A powerful gust swept across the courtyard.
Jian Chen lowered his hand.
His expression remained calm.
But his eyes carried a trace of satisfaction.
His physical strength alone had increased considerably.
If he fought Jian Yuan again...
One move would be enough to end the battle.
It was not because Jian Yuan had become weaker.
It was because Jian Chen was no longer the same person who had entered that competition.
His cultivation, physique, combat experience, and understanding of martial techniques had all changed.
More importantly...
He believes that with the heavenly sword scripture he will soon stand at the top of martial world.
Jian Chen looked toward the distant mountains.
His smile slowly disappeared.
Although his strength had increased...
His resources were almost exhausted.
The spirit herbs he had collected were nearly gone.
Only two medicinal pills remained.
The concentrated spiritual liquid had already been completely consumed.
If he continued cultivating at the same pace...
His progress would slow considerably.
Jian Chen frowned slightly.
"Moonriver City is too small."
The words escaped quietly.
To the people living here, Moonriver City was their entire world.
The various clans competed for resources.
Young geniuses fought for recognition.
Merchants fought for wealth.
Cultivators struggled to advance.
But Jian Chen knew better.
Moonriver City was merely an insignificant place compared to the entired continent.
Beyond this city were larger cities.
Powerful sects.
Ancient clans.
Vast cultivation forces.
Secret realms.
Forbidden regions.
Countless opportunities.
And countless dangers.
His previous life had allowed him to stand at the highest levels of the Divine Realm.
He had seen worlds far beyond what the people of Moonriver City could imagine.
Heavenly Sword Saint
He knew exactly how insignificant this place was.
But that did not mean he could leave immediately.
Jian Chen's gaze became thoughtful.
Before leaving Moonriver City...
He needed three things.
Strength.
Wealth.
Information.
His current strength was still insufficient.
His wealth was limited.
And he knew almost nothing about the current power structure of the Azure Cloud Continent.
A thousand years had passed since his previous life.
Many forces had risen.
Many had fallen.
Even familiar names might no longer exist.
He could not simply walk into the outside world without preparation.
Jian Chen turned and returned to his room.
A black wooden case rested quietly in the corner.
His eyes settled on it.
The Starfall Iron.
He walked over and picked up the case.
The weight remained unchanged.
The ancient silver markings covering its surface were still difficult to understand.
Jian Chen carefully examined them.
He had already noticed that the markings reacted whenever his cultivation advanced.
But he still could not determine what they represented.
Whatever was sealed inside...
It was clearly not ordinary.
Jian Chen did not attempt to open it.
His current strength was insufficient.
If the seal contained something dangerous, forcing it open could bring unnecessary trouble.
He placed the case back where it had been.
"Not yet."
There was no need to rush.
He would investigate it when his strength was sufficient.
For now...
There were more important matters.
The Treasure Hall.
Jian Chen's eyes flickered.
He had already established a connection with the Treasure Hall through his previous transaction.
Qiu Han had seen the value of the treasures he could provide.
That gave him an opportunity.
The Treasure Hall dealt with cultivators from across the region.
Naturally, its knowledge extended far beyond Moonriver City.
They would know about nearby sects.
Larger cities.
Ancient ruins.
Cultivation forces.
Perhaps they even possessed detailed maps of the Azure Cloud Continent.
Jian Chen needed that information.
He also needed wealth.
The Gold Coins he had obtained from selling the Dragon Gathering Palm Technique had solved his immediate problems.
But they were far from enough for his future cultivation.
He needed a more reliable source of resources.
Jian Chen looked toward the window.
"I need to understand this world before I leave it."
His eyes became cold and focused.
He had no intention of wandering aimlessly.
When he eventually left Moonriver City...
He would already know where he was going.
By noon, Jian Chen left the courtyard.
He walked through the clan residence without attracting much attention.
Most disciples were occupied with their own cultivation.
Some glanced at him briefly.
Others whispered among themselves.
Jian Chen ignored them.
His mind was already focused on his next step.
The Treasure Hall.
He needed to speak with Qiu Han.
Not about another transaction.
This time...
He wanted information.
As Jian Chen walked through the streets of Moonriver City, he could see people occasionally pointing toward hum but he di not care.
He continues moving toward the treasure hall.
He remembers any time he walk around people will insulted h for his inabilities to cultivate.
He understand humans nature well with both life experience he can even say to have enjoyed extreme fame and shame at the same time.
Jian Chen stopped on a slightly elevated street and looked over the city.
Roofs stretched toward the horizon.
Markets were crowded.
Cultivators moved through the streets.
Merchants shouted from their stalls.
Everything appeared prosperous and lively.
Yet Jian Chen's eyes remained distant.
He remembered the Divine Realm.
The towering ancient cities.
The vast sects.
The geniuses who could shake entire regions.
The experts who could destroy mountains with a single strike.
Compared with those places...
Moonriver City was insignificant.
But Jian Chen did not despise it.
Every journey had to begin somewhere.
And this city...
Was where his second life had begun.
He turned away.
"One day..."
His voice was quiet.
"I'll leave this place."
"But before that..."
"I'll make sure I'm ready."
He continued walking.
His pace was neither hurried nor slow.
He had no reason to rush.
His strength had only just begun to increase he need to cultivate more.
His wealth had begun to accumulate.
And now he had found a way to obtain information about the outside world.
Everything was moving in the right direction.
Jian Chen felt that his future was beginning to take shape.
Behind him, Moonriver City continued as usual.
No one knewn that because of this simply insignificant young man Moonriver city will become prosperous.
And that many of the genius in this city will take him as their role model.
And no one knew...
That one day, the city that currently seemed vast to everyone else would become nothing more than a distant memory beneath his feet.