After dinner, Ye Chen returned to the bamboo forest beside the Sword Hut to rest. Time passed quickly. In a daze, he suddenly heard someone calling his name.
Opening his eyes, he saw the full moon hanging high above. Stars sparkled across the cloudless sky, casting a serene glow over the world.
Sitting quietly beside him was Sword Douluo Chen Xin. When he noticed Ye Chen stretching lazily, Chen Xin frowned and said, "With your talent, you should be working harder. Why are you lying around without even meditating properly?"
Seeing the look of disappointment and sternness in Chen Xin's eyes, Ye Chen felt wronged. He scratched his head and muttered, "Senior Sword, to be honest… if I actually focus on meditation, my soul power ends up progressing even slower."
Chen Xin remained silent, but his calm gaze said everything.
Ye Chen sighed inwardly. He wasn't lying. If he concentrated during cultivation, it would interfere with his system's auto-cultivation function. The two methods would clash, causing his soul power to grow at a snail's pace.
Sometimes, doing absolutely nothing was more effective. He wasn't slacking—he was forced to be a salted fish.
"Senior Sword, you believe me, right? I really—"
Before he could finish, Chen Xin interrupted him.
"Your future is yours to shape. I can only help you avoid walking the wrong path."
With that, Chen Xin extended his hand, revealing the same silver-white longsword Ye Chen had seen earlier.
Ye Chen's eyes lit up. "Is this... for me?"
"In your dreams," Chen Xin replied flatly.
Ye Chen was speechless. Don't pass me the sword then! Just say you're flexing.
Before he could say more, Chen Xin added, "Hold onto it. Let it accompany you for ten days."
Ye Chen blinked, puzzled. Ten days? Just holding a sword? What kind of training is this?
Though confused, he still accepted the sword obediently.
To his surprise, Chen Xin didn't teach him anything else. No swordsmanship lessons, no lectures on the Dao of the sword. He simply turned and left, vanishing into the moonlight, leaving Ye Chen completely bewildered.
What just happened? Ye Chen thought. Is this supposed to be some kind of test?
Lying down on the grass, he stared at the sky, feeling lost. His master, Bone Douluo, had given him a bone pendant and called it a day. Now Sword Douluo handed him a sword and walked off. Is this some secret Douluo ritual or something?
What Ye Chen didn't notice was that the silver-white sword in his hand was glowing softly, pulsing with a faint light like it was breathing—almost alive.
Later that night, Ye Chen returned to the Sword Hut to sleep. His soul power had reached level 10, so he planned to ask his master to help him hunt for a spirit ring in the morning.
Suddenly, a sharp "clang" echoed through the hut.
Before Ye Chen could react, the sword in his hand flew from his grip and hovered above his head. It released gentle ripples of milky-white light that enveloped him like a waterfall of light. Within those lights, tiny figures appeared—miniature sword-wielders practicing elegant forms.
[Ding! Sword technique inheritance detected. Begin automatic cultivation?]
"Start it! Right now!" Ye Chen shouted in his mind.
He could barely contain his excitement. He hadn't expected Chen Xin to pass down his sword techniques so freely. This was the legacy of a Super Douluo—something countless people would kill for!
[System activation successful. Beginning auto-cultivation of inherited sword technique!]
[Comprehension Progress: 5%... 10%... 30%... 70%... 90%...]
[100%! Comprehension complete. Congratulations, host has fully mastered the 'Seven Kill Sword Technique'!]
Ye Chen summoned the Seven-Star Abyssal Sword. As soon as he gripped it, a wave of familiarity washed over him. It felt like he had practiced the technique a billion times already.
"Heavy sword with no edge..."
Unable to resist, he swung the sword outside the hut. Six arcs of sword light burst forth and formed a giant glowing character—Kill—as they tore through the bamboo grove with explosive force.
BOOM!
Several bamboo stalks shattered under the pressure, reduced to splinters.
Ye Chen's eyes lit up with excitement. But the next moment, his body gave out. That one attack had drained almost all his soul power.
The Seven Kill Sword Technique had three forms. Although Ye Chen now understood all of them, the later forms—Seven Emotions and Seven Wounds, and Great Skill Seems Clumsy—consumed massive amounts of soul power. For now, Heavy Sword with No Edge was enough.
He then pulled out the bone pendant his master had given him. "Let's see what secrets you're hiding."
Pouring soul power into it, a wave of black energy erupted and surrounded Ye Chen.
"Gravity?" he muttered, feeling the sudden weight bearing down on him. It felt like twice the normal gravity.
The pendant had seven holes. Currently, only one was faintly glowing. He guessed he could light up more holes by continuing to inject soul power.
Curious and determined, Ye Chen sat down and began channeling more energy into the pendant.
The second hole lit up—gravity doubled again to 4x.
Sweat beading on his forehead, he summoned the Seven-Star Abyssal Sword to help share the burden. Then came the third and fourth holes—6x, 8x gravity.
His knees buckled. He collapsed under the immense pressure.
But something surprising happened: his soul power began growing rapidly under the intense strain. The system's auto-cultivation was running faster than ever.
So this is the true gift of the pendant. Incredible...
"I need more!"
With a wild glint in his eye, Ye Chen activated his trump card: the Twelve-Winged Fallen Angel martial spirit.
The hidden spirit emerged behind him, majestic and terrifying. The Seven-Star Abyssal Sword flew into its hands and fused instantly. A surge of power coursed through Ye Chen's body, letting him rise again even under the crushing 8x gravity.
The fifth hole lit up—gravity jumped to 16x.
Now trembling all over, Ye Chen sat down carefully, using the most efficient pose possible to preserve strength.
"System, it's all you now. Show me what you can do."
---
The next morning, Ning Rongrong came to find Ye Chen. Seeing him cultivating seriously, she also sat beside him to meditate. When she got tired, she rested on the bamboo bed inside the Sword Hut.
Their quiet, harmonious days didn't last long.
A few days later, a group of unwelcome visitors showed up.
"Ye Chen! Your time is up. Come out and fight!"
"Quit hiding, you coward!"
Ye Chen opened the door. As soon as he stepped out, he raised his hand and shot a sword light at the loudest one—a 15th-level Soul Master. The man was instantly blown away.
The gathered sect disciples gasped in shock.
Ye Chen casually raised a finger to his lips. "Shh… Rongrong just fell asleep."
The group collectively gasped again.
Rongrong?! She's still a child! What has this brat been doing?!
Suspicious and dangerous thoughts filled their minds.
Ye Chen stood calmly in the doorway, completely unfazed.