Chapter 291: Testing

“Why don’t you want the servants City Lord Yan arranged for you?”

Senior Sister Yu Junyao stood beside him, finding her junior brother somewhat incomprehensible. With the backing of the Founding Ancestor, shouldn’t he be seizing every opportunity to plunder cultivation resources and gather a retinue of lackeys to run errands for him?

“I’m here to cultivate,” Chen Luo replied. “You’ll understand when you reach my level, Senior Sister.”

Chen Luo glanced at Yu Junyao. She was currently at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, with approximately twenty-three spiritual energy dragons within her body. She still had a long way to go before reaching the late stage, let alone the Perfected Foundation Establishment Realm. At her stage, resources were paramount, as they were essential for condensing more spiritual energy dragons.

Great Cultivators in the Perfected Foundation Establishment Realm, however, pursued different goals: Core Formation Seeds, secret methods for Tribulation Transcendence, and treasures to aid in surviving the heavenly trials.

Different realms brought different aspirations and needs.

“The Worldly Immersion Method?” Yu Junyao asked.

As the Grand Void Ancestor’s personal disciple, Yu Junyao had naturally heard of the Worldly Immersion Method. However, she only knew its name; the Grand Void Ancestor had never taught her its specifics. A hint of envy crept onto her face at the thought.

Sometimes, people simply can’t be compared.

“It’s just a method for dealing with the Demonic Heart Tribulation. Once you reach my level, Martial Uncle will undoubtedly teach it to you as well.”

“Perhaps.”

Yu Junyao ended the conversation there.

The courtyard fell silent.

Yu Junyao disliked dealing with people from Medicine King City. She had come to Chen Luo’s place seeking peace and quiet.

The osmanthus tree filled the air with its sweet fragrance. Nearby, a waterwheel turned slowly, water cascading down its blades. Bamboo tubes filled with water, then tipped into the pond with a crisp splash as they struck the stone platform.

“What’s your main cultivation path, Junior Brother?” Yu Junyao asked after a moment.

The Qiong Hua Sect primarily focused on sword cultivation, and Yu Junyao was a rare prodigy in this field. She had mastered Sword Intent before reaching Foundation Establishment and cultivated the same Grand Void Sword Manual as the Grand Void Ancestor. She rarely met her match among her peers. She had always been curious about Chen Luo, who had joined the sect midway through his cultivation journey. Now that they were alone, she decided to test his capabilities.

She had fought many Rogue cultivators at Foundation Establishment Perfection.

Though he couldn’t win outright, even Perfected Realm rogue cultivators couldn’t truly subdue him. Under the pressure of his Sword Intent, these rogue cultivators fought cautiously, afraid to engage him at full strength.

“I know a little about everything,” Chen Luo said.

Yu Junyao had been assigned by the Grand Void Ancestor to be Chen Luo’s attendant, making her an absolute insider. As Chen Luo’s cultivation progressed, he would need to interact with her frequently. After a moment’s consideration, he decided to reveal some of his capabilities to his Senior Sister.

“A Magic Cultivator?” Yu Junyao frowned. “Someone who knows a little about everything must be a Magic Cultivator.” In her understanding, Magic Cultivators were half-baked dabblers, knowing a bit about everything but mastering nothing.

“I also know a little about Sword Cultivation and Body Cultivation,” Chen Luo added, recalling Wang Mingyi’s brain.

The four “Benevolence, Righteousness, Morality, and Virtue” brothers were all disciples of the Qiong Hua Sect. Their inherited knowledge might not match Yu Junyao’s, but it far surpassed that of ordinary rogue cultivators. With Chen Luo’s current cultivation level, borrowing Wang Mingyi’s brain would likely allow him to easily defeat Senior Sister Yu Junyao.

“What do you mean by ‘a little’?” Yu Junyao asked, her displeasure evident. She found her Junior Brother’s evasiveness irritating, reminiscent of the old fogeys who loved playing word games.

Chen Luo rose and walked to a nearby osmanthus tree, snapping off a branch.

The branch was short, only about three inches long. Chen Luo carefully stripped away its twigs, leaving only the central stem.

Buzz!

The moment he grasped the withered branch, a layer of azure light shimmered across its surface. Vibrant life energy surged around it, radiating a sharp, piercing aura.

Holding wood as a sword—this is Sword Intent!

Yu Junyao, a fellow Sword Cultivator, her eyes lit up, instantly recognizing the principle at play. She instinctively wanted to praise him.

“I never expected—”

Crack!

Before she could finish, pale white bone patterns flashed across Chen Luo’s hand. The previously sharp sword qi crumbled into dust. His arm muscles glowed with a dark luster, bulging like a demon beast’s. Blood surged beneath his veins, releasing a torrent of heat.

A Body Cultivator?

Yu Junyao’s words caught in her throat.

Since when could Body Cultivators grasp Sword Intent? Before she could react, spiritual fire materialized on Chen Luo’s bone-patterned arm. The flames burned briefly in his palm before transforming into a spiraling fire dragon that instantly incinerated the withered branch.

The black ash fell to the ground, merging with the soil. A pale green light emerged from the ash, and a seedling sprouted, growing to the height of their calves in an instant.

“The Flame Fire Incantation and Wood Spirit Catalysis?”

Yu Junyao finally understood what Chen Luo meant when he said he knew “a little bit of everything.” He truly knew everything! She couldn’t comprehend how one person could possibly cultivate so many techniques simultaneously.

Could it be that true geniuses really exist in this world?

Or perhaps it was an illusion.

“Let’s spar. I need to see your true strength, Junior Brother,” Yu Junyao said, rising to her feet and drawing the treasured sword from her back.

Before coming here, the Grand Void Ancestor had entrusted her with a mission: to guide Chen Luo’s cultivation and help him fill in the foundational knowledge gaps left by his rogue cultivator background. Initially confident in her abilities, Yu Junyao now realized that everyone on the mountain—including her own Master, the Grand Void Ancestor—had underestimated this junior brother from the rogue cultivator path.

“Very well,” Chen Luo nodded. He knew Yu Junyao had a mission to fulfill. Once this was settled, he should have some peace for a while.

The two left the courtyard and flew to a deserted wilderness outside the city.

This secluded place, far from prying eyes, allowed them to unleash their full potential.

“Be careful,” Yu Junyao warned.

Gripping her sword with one hand, her expression turned solemn. A ring of swirling energy materialized around her, her long black hair dancing wildly in the air. The moment falling leaves touched this energy, they were instantly shredded into dust.

Chen Luo stood opposite her, retrieving a Magic Sword from his Pouch of Holding.

As soon as the sword was in his hand, the Greenwood Sword Intent surged forth. Bathed in this intent, a faint cyan glow enveloped Chen Luo. The spiritual energy swirling around him transformed into layers of unfolded Sword-toothed Leaves, radiating a razor-sharp aura.

Yu Junyao’s face grew grave.

She had observed Chen Luo’s demonstration earlier, but facing it directly now, the sensation was far more visceral. In the shadows, Xuan Ji, the Blackbird Clan Core Formation cultivator tasked with protecting Chen Luo, also noticed the commotion. Due to the distance, he hadn’t heard their earlier conversation.

He assumed Chen Luo, like Yu Junyao, was a Sword Cultivator.

“Truly worthy of the Qiong Hua Sect’s True Inheritance,” Xuan Ji mused, his eyes flickering with interest. “These two juniors far surpass our Blackbird Clan’s descendants.”

If the Blackbird Clan had access to the same resources as the Qiong Hua Sect, their younger generation would undoubtedly rival these human talents.

“Great Void Sword Art Ninth—Mountain-Cleaving.”

Yu Junyao’s figure flickered, leaving behind an afterimage. A maelstrom of sword qi erupted from her position, coalescing into a nine-meter-long crescent blade that arced toward Chen Luo.

The sword qi hummed, its passage accompanied by a whistling wind. The razor-sharp Sword Intent threatened to cleave mountains in two.

Fast!

The woman was fast, but her sword was faster.

In the blink of an eye, the sword qi reached Chen Luo. He rotated his Magic Sword and swept out his own arc of sword qi, the two forces colliding in mid-air.

A thunderous explosion shook the arena as both sword qi shattered.

The impact sent fragments of stone swirling into a cloud of dust.

“Great Void Sword Art Eighth—Falling Rain.”

Yu Junyao reappeared behind Chen Luo, moving with the speed of a drawn blade, as if teleporting. She had abandoned any thought of holding back. Two realms below her opponent, restraint would be suicidal.

A web of sword qi crisscrossed the air as dozens of identical Magic Swords materialized around Yu Junyao. Like a torrential downpour, they shot toward Chen Luo.

Chen Luo shifted his stance, vanishing from his position in an instant.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Dozens of illusory magic swords crashed into the ground, erupting in a series of deafening explosions. Yu Junyao, suspended in mid-air, paled slightly and swiftly raised her hand. The magic sword, imbued with sentience, flew from her grasp and instantly positioned itself behind her, radiating a circle of azure spiritual light.

Clang!

A magic sword descended vertically, striking Yu Junyao’s defensive blade with brutal force.

Such a heavy sword!

Yu Junyao grunted, unable to even turn before the blow swept her downward. A shockwave rippled through the air.

No sword techniques, just raw, overwhelming power.

She slammed into the ground, sending dirt and gravel flying as she carved a deep crater into the earth.

“Great Void Sword Seventh.”

As the dust settled, Yu Junyao, now in the crater, raised her sword with her left hand. A dense array of sword shadows materialized around her. Within her body, over thirty spiritual energy dragons surged to their limits, the friction between sword qi and the air producing a piercing screech.

How humiliating.

As a True Inheritance disciple of Grand Void Peak, Yu Junyao had considered the possibility of defeat, but she never imagined it would be so swift. She hadn’t even managed to gauge Chen Luo’s true strength, completely undermining her initial plan.

Chen Luo, still airborne, sheathed his magic sword and gently pressed his right hand downward toward Yu Junyao.

Yu Junyao’s spiritual energy ignited like tinder. Just as she was about to unleash her full power, a sharp pain pierced her chest, disrupting her spiritual energy. The illusory Magic Swords that had gathered around her shattered, and she staggered before collapsing to the ground, a wisp of black miasma rising from her pale face.

“A curse? You know how to do that too?!”

Yu Junyao looked up to see Chen Luo standing before her, his index finger slowly descending to tap her forehead.

If this had been a life-or-death battle, she would already be dead.

“Want to continue?” Chen Luo offered no explanation, smiling calmly at Yu Junyao.

He possessed countless skills and methods to defeat her. Using the Demonseed Sect Leader’s power had simply seemed convenient.

“Continue my ass!” Yu Junyao cursed through gritted teeth.

She had never encountered a cultivator like Chen Luo before. Fighting him felt like battling multiple opponents simultaneously, his constantly shifting tactics creating the illusion of facing different enemies.

“I merely took advantage of my higher cultivation realm,” Chen Luo said, withdrawing his finger and extracting a wisp of gray energy.

“Spare me the consolation. I can still tell the difference between strength and weakness.” With the curse’s suppression lifted, Yu Junyao sighed in relief, picked up her fallen Magic Sword, and sheathed it.

She had intended to leave immediately, but Chen Luo’s relaxed demeanor compelled her to ask, “When did you curse me?”

“When did you curse me?”

“The moment you drew your sword.”