Whoosh! Under the bright moonlight, two streaks of golden light danced above and below, like sprites of light flitting through the night sky, swirling rapidly around my body. I didn't even need to consciously guide them; the twin Dragon Shadows always materialized in the most opportune location at the precise moment.

The Dragon Shadow Sword in my hand lashed out three times with astonishing speed. Since bonding with the Dragon Shadows, I could distinctly feel that the sword had become an extension of myself. It was no longer a cold, lifeless object, but pulsed with a vital dynamism, becoming an extension of my own life force—a feeling akin to familiar, shared blood. Every thrust felt free of obstruction or hesitation. Although its form was vastly different from a standard fencing foil, I was amazed to find that my drawing speed hadn't slowed; if anything, it had increased. Moreover, because the Dragon Shadow Sword was double-edged, I could incorporate far more variations into my strikes beyond simple thrusts—slashing, sweeping, cleaving, cutting—all executed with fluid ease. The sword was exactly as Lu Tong had described, perfectly merging the strengths of the Hundred Battles Saber and the rapier, diversifying my offense and granting a tangible boost to my power. And the Dragon Shadows, flipping above and below, were incredibly light and swift—a sensation that brought sheer, unadulterated joy. Perhaps this state was what they meant by "acting entirely according to one's will." In this moment, I felt confident I could utterly defeat even Li Xie, were he standing before me.

Clang, clang, clang! A rapid sequence of sharp sounds followed as Senior Brother managed to parry all three of my strikes, yet two subtle gaps appeared—one at his left shoulder and another near his lower stance. An opportunity. With barely a thought, two streaks of light flashed like lightning to the positions I had anticipated.

Boom! Thwack! The instant the streaks appeared, dazzling orbs of light erupted across Senior Brother's body—his formidable protective Dou Qi had activated. Under the force of the shield, the two streaks were blasted skyward like arrows loosed from a powerful bow. Yet, at that precise moment, my sword silently pierced toward Senior Brother's chest, stopping firmly just short. Above him, the two golden Dragon Shadows continued to circle, poised like hunting eagles awaiting the right chance to launch their fatal attack again.

"Junior Brother's quick sword was already hard to defend against, but adding the two Dragon Shadows, plus the Dou Qi energy Master infused into the Dragon Shadow Sword," Senior Brother sighed with a wry smile, "how am I supposed to hold out?"

"Senior Brother, don't be so modest," I laughed. "You haven't even used your own Dragon Shadows; you haven't shown your true skill."

"Heh, forget it. My Dragon Shadows, at the Dragon Taming Realm, stand no chance against yours at the Dragon Transformation Realm," Senior Brother admitted.

"My Dragon Shadows are only showing the power of the second layer right now; they can't even break through your defense," I admitted with a slight pout.

"Even though your Dragon Shadows are currently only at the second level of power, they are so agile and versatile—they strike exactly where you intend them to. They are absolutely more formidable than the ones we control using the Dragon Taming Heart Method," Senior Brother countered.

"Junior Brother, just be content," Second Senior Brother chimed in. "With your current Dou Qi cultivation, being able to freely control the dual phantom dragons is already remarkable. One shouldn't be overly ambitious."

"Heh, well..." I could only laugh dryly and scratch my head.

"While the power of your Dragon Shadows isn't immense yet, as your Dou Qi energy increases, they will undoubtedly grow stronger. Once you reach the mid-stage of the Crimson Moon Dou Qi cultivation, even my protective Dou Qi won't be able to withstand them," Senior Brother said, turning his gaze back to the Dragon Shadow Sword in my hand. "Setting the Dragon Shadows aside, just the sword in your hand, if wielded properly, wouldn't have much difficulty piercing my protective Dou Qi. Without the War God Armor, I suspect I wouldn't be your match either."

"Senior Brother overpraises me," I replied respectfully.

"It's the truth," Senior Brother stated with a grave expression. "But you must never become arrogant because of this. Remember, the greatest peril on the path of martial arts is self-satisfaction."

"Senior Brother instructs wisely," I acknowledged solemnly.

"Keep working hard. Although I don't know how someone built like you managed to reach this level," Third Senior Brother chuckled lightly, "your current skill level, besides extraordinary, relentless training, must have required astonishing comprehension. I believe if you maintain this momentum, you will certainly become the next Sword God."

"The next Sword God," I gasped in shock. "How is that possible?"

"What's possible or impossible?" Jian Chi declared. "A true man must possess the spirit to seize what is his, accepting no substitutes. Of course, don't get cocky, kid. While you truly are monstrously gifted, none of us will let you surpass us easily."

"Well said. The next generation's Sword God can only come from Dragon Shadow Manor, one of the five of us," Second Senior Brother asserted. "No one else needs to even think about it. But you must first surpass the rest of us to even have a chance."

"..." I struggled to articulate my feelings at that moment, but the encouraging and expectant gazes from my Senior Brothers filled me with a deep, warm feeling. Though I had known them for less than a day, they felt as familiar as Big Brother Chen Feng.

However, being observant, I did notice the veiled bitterness and resignation hidden within their eyes. Unquestionably, each of them was a genius among ten thousand, yet the existence of four inhuman figures—Long Yuan Feixue, Ying Zhen Kuangren, Hu Xiao Shan Ye, and Xiong Ba Tianxia—cast even them, geniuses in the eyes of ordinary people, into shadow. This was an unprecedented humiliation for Dragon Shadow Manor in centuries. Over the last eight years, in two separate competitions, disciples from Dragon Shadow Manor had sequentially fallen to these four. In the rankings of the younger generation's masters, not a single disciple from our Manor could be found in the top ten. The glory of the Sword God seemed to be gradually fading. Perhaps by their generation, the title of Sword God would have to be yielded to others. I couldn't fathom the extent of the hardship and sorrow they endured. It is often said that a great reputation is a burden; even Master, a Sword God of his stature, had lost his composure. If Dragon Shadow Manor loses the glory of the Sword God, what is it then?

"The Sword God?" At this instant, I could no longer suppress the surging heroism within me. "Good. The Sword God must be from Dragon Shadow Manor. I absolutely will not disappoint you."

"..." My four Senior Brothers stared at me, dumbfounded.

"Good lad, that's the spirit," Jian Chi exclaimed happily.

"Bold words, perhaps a little unaware of the vastness of the world," Third Senior Brother said, landing a light punch on my chest.

But the observant me noticed that the bitterness in their eyes gradually receded, replaced by a relief-filled joy and smiles.

"Remember your words today," Senior Brother said. "If Master passes, and the title of Sword God is taken by someone else, I will tear you limb from limb."

"En!" I don't know if that promise could ever be fulfilled, but in my mind, if I couldn't achieve the strength of a Sword God, how could I possibly penetrate the lair of the Crimson Moon demons? This objective conflicted in no way with my original purpose. Perhaps this was the only way I could repay Master and my Senior Brothers. The Sword God—must be the Sword God of Dragon Shadow Manor.

On the distant tower!

"Jian Li! Can he really do it?"

"I don't know," Jian Li replied. "But besides him, there is no other suitable candidate. If even he fails, who else in this world can succeed?"

"Isn't Long Yuan Feixue more suitable?" Jian Chu questioned.

"No. While Long Yuan Feixue is an unparalleled prodigy with immense natural talent, compared to him, he is still lacking slightly."

"He reached the initial stage of Crimson Moon before the age of sixteen, half a year earlier than Long Yuan Feixue," Jian Chu stated calmly. "But his current strength is far below Long Yuan Feixue's. Why choose him over the ready-made Long Yuan Feixue?"

"Indeed. Even if he mastered the Raging Fire technique before Long Yuan Feixue, his physical constitution is clearly inferior to Long Yuan Feixue's. In terms of raw power, he is significantly lower than warriors of the same rank," Jian Fei added.

"Based on physical constitution, he ranks low, but in the path of martial arts, aptitude is important, though not absolute. Sometimes, comprehension is more crucial than innate talent," Jian Qiu noted. "Moreover, in terms of physical conditioning, he isn't deficient either."

"What do you mean?" Jian Chu asked.

"Actually, after receiving Lu Tong’s letter, I began investigating his background," Jian Qiu revealed. "Perhaps you won't believe what I discovered."

"..." Jian Chu looked stunned. "Does this boy have something peculiar about him?"

"Peculiar? Heh, I’m afraid you’ll be terrified if I tell you," Jian Qiu chuckled. "This boy’s real name is Ye Xiaoman, a collateral branch member of the Ye Clan in Apricot City."

"A collateral branch of the Ye Clan," Jian Chu scoffed. "What of it?"

"That amounts to nothing, of course," Jian Qiu conceded. "What I mean is, before the age of thirteen, this boy had never even touched a sword. Then, in his thirteenth year, he suddenly changed his mind and wanted to learn swordsmanship, taking three months just to master basic sword techniques. After that, he ran away from home and began his training."

"What? You mean he didn't start learning the sword until he was thirteen?" Jian Chu was aghast. "How is that possible? Don't tell me he mastered the Raging Fire Sword Technique in less than two years."

"Although I hesitate to believe it myself, it is the truth," Jian Qiu affirmed.

"Did he encounter some marvelous fortune during his training?" Jian Chu surmised.

"No. I investigated everyone who trained alongside him. The three youths were all from the Long family of Beichuan, and the other was a girl from the Fan Di Jin family, plus Old Lu's nephew. Do you suspect those five youngsters are hidden, peerless masters?"

"Then what is the explanation? Is that all you found?" Jian Chu pressed.

"Certainly not!" Jian Qiu insisted. "His progress in cultivation, even describing it as 'advancing a thousand miles a day,' would be an understatement. But the reason for this result lies in a terrifying saber technique and sword style he has mastered."

"The Hundred Battles Saber Technique and the Lightning Sword Technique," Jian Chu questioned, puzzled.

"Precisely. The Hundred Battles Saber and Lightning Sword. Although, that boy calls the Lightning Sword Style the Fencing Sword Style."

"Are the Hundred Battles Saber and the Lightning Sword truly that miraculous?" Jian Chu asked.

"According to Lu Zhao's description, the Hundred Battles Saber Technique is undoubtedly the fiercest and most aggressive saber style in the world today. It’s almost exclusively offensive, with no retreating moves, and the speed of the strike is more than double that of conventional saber techniques, while the power is more than doubled. In actual combat, the speed at which the Hundred Battles Saber Technique allows one to kill monsters and cultivate is astonishingly fast—at least ten times faster than standard saber styles."

"What? Ten times?" Jian Chu was horrified.

"Incredible. Are you sure you haven't mistaken something?" Jian Fei was equally alarmed.

"It is fact," Jian Qiu confirmed.

"Then did you find out which sect the Hundred Battles Saber Technique belongs to?" Jian Chu could no longer remain calm.

"Not yet," Jian Qiu admitted with a hint of helplessness. "No matter how much I investigate and probe, I cannot trace who exactly taught that boy these sword and saber skills."

"No way," Jian Fei exclaimed in shock. "There's someone even the Dragon Shadow Pigeon Group can't trace?"

"Yes," Jian Qiu confirmed. "Although we cannot identify the man, his name is Huang Yi. That is the only clue we have uncovered so far."

"Huang Yi," Jian Chu mused. "That surname doesn't exist in the Bi Qi Empire. Could he be from another continent?"

"We'll discuss that later," Jian Qiu dismissed. "If it were only the Hundred Battles Saber Technique, then with this boy, he wouldn't yet compare to Long Yuan Feixue. In fact, compared to the Hundred Battles Saber Technique, the Lightning Sword Style he wields is even more terrifying. To this day, no one has been able to directly block the Lightning Sword. Even Jian Chi, who excels in quick swordsmanship here at Dragon Shadow Manor, could only barely deflect his attacks from a while ago—he didn't even get a chance to counterattack."

"Is that true?" Jian Fei subconsciously glanced at Jian Li.

"I witnessed it personally," Jian Li confirmed. "If his Dou Qi could reach the mid-stage of Crimson Moon, then Jian Chi would have been the one defeated."

"This... is it faster than the quick sword of the Eagle True Sect?" Jian Fei was horrified.

"That is unknown," Jian Li replied. "While the Eagle True Sect's quick sword is fast, its lethality cannot compare to the Lightning Sword. What use is a mere label of 'fast'? " Jian Li's expression was grave. "Star Child's Lightning Sword is not only fast, but every move is fatal. It can even defeat opponents significantly stronger than him. Against opponents at the level of Long Yuan Huayu, even Jian Chi might not win decisively, yet Star Child ultimately killed him. Furthermore, Li Xie—while unable to defeat Li Xie, Li Xie was equally helpless against him."

"This," Jian Chu murmured, "this boy is indeed peculiar. To defeat opponents two full levels above him..."

"So far, our understanding of the Lightning Sword is limited to its incredible speed and piercing power. How he achieves this requires further investigation," Jian Qiu explained. "Theoretically, with Huayu's Dou Qi intensity, plus the protection of the War God Armor, Star Child's strength should not have been able to pierce and kill him. But the fact remains: Huayu's chest plate was pierced, and he was killed directly." Jian Qiu frowned. "No one knows how he accomplished it."

"So, if one masters this sword style, one can remain undefeated even against opponents two levels higher?" Jian Chu asked, aghast.

"Yes," Jian Qiu confirmed. "Up to now, Long Yuan Feixue, Xiong Ba Tianxia, Hu Xiao Shan Ye, and Ying Zhen Kuangren are the predetermined candidates. I believe the only remaining contender who can join them is Star Child."

"However, based on this alone, Star Child is not the best candidate among those four," Jian Qiu continued. "The reason we choose him is because he possesses another inherent advantage that none of the others possess."

"An inherent advantage?" Jian Chu looked confused.

"Precisely. This boy is a born Demon Devourer Body." Jian Qiu stated.

..........................

Jian Qiu and Jian Fei froze simultaneously.

"De-mon... De-vo-u-rer Body," Jian Qiu managed to articulate the three words with difficulty after a long pause.

"And it is an absolute, complete, all-element magic-immune Demon Devourer Body," Jian Li stated calmly. "This means that no matter how powerful the sealing mage's magic is, it cannot harm Star Child. Therefore, for the next session to contend for the Holy Word Demon Luo's spot in the Holy Hall, if we pit Star Child against the strongest mage of the Demon Luo, we are guaranteed victory."

"Heavens, how is this possible?" Jian Fei stammered.

"Yes, he is a complete Demon Devourer Body, just like the Founding Manor Lord," Jian Li confirmed solemnly. "Now you understand why I chose him and even broke tradition to pass on the Dragon Shadow art to him. As for the title of Sword God, I still have plenty of time—enough to train Star Child into the next generation's Sword God."

"No wonder there were rumors that the Blue Lightning carried some treasure that resisted magic attacks," Jian Fei murmured. "It turns out he is the treasure."

"We're rich," Jian Chu muttered. "If Dragon Shadow Manor possesses this treasure, recreating the glory of the Founding Dragon Shadow Manor is no longer impossible."

"No, we must arrange this quickly!" Jian Fei grew impatient. "Jian Qiu, isn't your girl already eighteen?"

"Uh, isn't that a bit too soon to arrange things? After all, the boy hasn't even turned sixteen yet," Jian Qiu said awkwardly.

"Then, Manor Lord, if I recall correctly, Jian Rou must be around twenty-five?" Jian Fei immediately turned to Jian Li, his expression resolute.

"I already wrote a letter asking her to return," Jian Li admitted, his old face flushing, but he forced himself to face the situation.

"Good heavens, you're quick!" Jian Chu remarked irritably. "It's a pity my Jian Shan girl is barely thirteen."

"You shameless old fools!" Jian Qiu snapped back.

"We are at such a critical juncture, why worry about appearances?" Jian Fei argued. "Once Dragon Shadow Manor has the bloodline of the Demon Devourer Body, the title of the world's foremost warrior for the next four generations will be locked in!"

"Damn it, have you thoroughly investigated his direct relatives?" Jian Chu seemed to recall something. "Are there any omissions?"

"Do I need to say? I've investigated eighteen generations of his ancestors clearly; not a single one was missed," Jian Qiu assured him. "His Demon Devourer Body bloodline likely comes from his mother's side. Investigations show that his mother, Su Lan's, ancestors had a strong connection with our Dragon Shadow Manor—they branched off as a collateral line in the seventh generation and separated over six hundred years ago. However, everyone else in that line is unremarkable."

"Heh, the ancestors are blessing us!" Jian Fei exclaimed. "It's time for Dragon Shadow Manor to command the world!"

"Damn it! The Demon Devourer Body exists purely for warriors! No wonder this boy’s martial arts cultivation is ridiculously fast."

"What’s even rarer is that he is a natural Body of Dragon Transformation, making him the absolute best candidate for mastering the Dragon Shadow Sword Art," Jian Qiu added.

"This... this is too damn perfect!" Jian Chu was beside himself with excitement, pacing back and forth relentlessly. Those who knew him understood that Jian Chu was currently teetering on the brink of explosion. "No, we can't wait! He'll be fifteen soon, and he should be ready. Immediately summon Old Six's girl! Damn it, she gets the first turn!"

"..............."

Everyone felt an urge to collapse in a sweat.

"Calm down first," Jian Li instructed, looking at the agitated Jian Fei. "The boy isn't even sixteen yet, and besides, we don't know if she’ll agree."

"Exactly," Jian Qiu worried. "That girl from the Divine Moon Palace who is with him seems to have an entanglement with him. If we brazenly push our way in and they ignore us, we’ll lose all face."

"Hmph! That won't be up to him," Jian Chu said, his face darkening. "This concerns the eternal prosperity of Dragon Shadow Manor. Even if we have to tie him up, we'll make him produce an entire litter! I will handle this matter!"

"............."

Jian Li, Jian Qiu, and Jian Fei stood frozen on the spot.

"My dear disciple Xingchen, it's not that Master won't protect you," Jian Li thought to himself. "It's just that I can't even if I wanted to. You'll have to fend for yourself."