The Calamity of All Gods!
Watching the young man leave, Yao Ye's expression was complex—hopeful, optimistic, but with a barely noticeable trace of disappointment.
"Grandpa, he won't let us down, will he?"
A figure stepped out from the shadows. Jia Xingtian smiled calmly and replied with certainty, "He won't."
"When I first met him, that kid was very withdrawn, barely interacting with anyone. But after arriving at the royal city, he's changed a lot—more polite, more mature, and kind to everyone. However, he still keeps to himself and hasn't formed close relationships with anyone, not even you, his sister. He's sharp and knows exactly where he stands."
"A person like him, joking with you today, shows that he's truly accepted you in his heart. That's enough. Let things take their natural course. Don't force it. As long as he's here, even if one day this old man is gone, the royal family will remain as steady as a mountain."
"Of course, you're all grown up now, Ye'er, and at an age where marriage is appropriate. If something develops between the two of you, I would be more than happy to see it!" Jia Xingtian laughed.
Yao Ye rolled her eyes at her shameless grandfather, though she was young, she was clear-headed.
Shaking her head slightly, she denied it, "No, things are fine as they are now."
If Chen Guan had any special feelings for her, he wouldn't have joked about calling her 'Mom' earlier. Wouldn't it have been better to say something like 'I'll marry you' instead?
The sharp-minded girl picked up on his attitude from just a few words, which confirmed her suspicions.
Unless... that boy was abnormal.
(T/N: Ahem, excuse me?!)
Meanwhile, on the other side, Chen Guan had already returned to his room.
Locking the door, Chen Guan ignored the training resources Yao Ye had given him and pulled out three scrolls from his storage ring, spreading them out on the table.
Intermediate Black-rank Cultivation Method: Supreme Saint's Heart Refinement
Intermediate Black-rank Combat Skill: Thousand Flame Sword Technique
Intermediate Black-rank Movement Technique: Cloud Step
Without a doubt, these were all excellent. He had carefully selected them from nearly a hundred different techniques. If these were placed in Wutan City, they'd likely spark a deadly battle among the three major clans.
This showed just how deep the empire's foundations ran.
Chen Guan was also sure that the royal family had even higher-ranked techniques, but those were undoubtedly their most guarded secrets.
Receiving intermediate Black-rank techniques showed the royal family's sincerity, and these were more than enough for him to use for now.
There wasn't much to say about the Supreme Saint's Heart Refinement. It sounded impressive, but expecting to achieve sainthood with it was asking too much.
The Cloud Step was perfect for traveling and assassination. Once mastered, Chen Guan's combat ability and survival rate would skyrocket.
As the Evil God of Fire once said, "In the world of martial arts, speed is the only unbreakable advantage," which applied here too.
The Thousand Flame Sword Technique was Chen Guan's favorite.
Although incomplete, containing only three forms, these three were strong enough to rival other High rank Black-rank techniques, which spoke to its value.
More importantly, it was perfect for showing off.
The first form, Ephemeral Radiance, was described in exaggerated terms in the manual, but to Chen Guan, it was essentially a variation of the "Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Origin" technique. It could summon countless sword energies behind him to launch a wide-area attack, a classic AOE skill, perfect for dealing with groups.
The only downside was its relatively low attack power.
Learning this move would ensure he never had to worry about being outnumbered. Against weaker enemies, a single skill would wipe out entire crowds.
The number of sword energies he could summon depended on his strength.
The second form, Boundless Ocean, was a 1v1 god-tier technique. It unleashed wave after wave of attacks, each stronger than the last, with a theoretical maximum of thirty-three waves, as long as his Dou Qi didn't run out.
This move resembled Xiao Yan's Eight Extremities Collapse, though without the hidden force.
The third form, Calamity of All Gods, allowed the user to condense sword wings behind their back, granting a few seconds of incredibly fast flight. The wings were razor-sharp, and if used at the right moment, could deliver a surprise attack.
It was widely known that without a flying combat skill, only a Dou King could achieve flight by transforming their Dou Qi into wings. This ability made it very difficult for a Dou Spirit to defeat a Dou King, no matter how talented they were. The wings gave Dou Kings a huge advantage.
But with Calamity of All Gods, it was different. A Dou Spirit suddenly launching an attack could potentially take down a Dou King.
This technique was perfect for sneak attacks!
Chen Guan's eyes lit up with excitement, and he eagerly wanted to master it. He pinched his leg hard to calm himself down.
With his current amount of Dou Qi, let alone the sword wings, he probably couldn't even gather a few sword energies.
The most urgent priority was to progress step by step—improve his cultivation method, raise his strength, and avoid the embarrassment of bragging but failing when it mattered.
After putting away the movement and combat techniques, Chen Guan focused on the Supreme Saint's Heart Refinement, carefully memorizing the energy channels and hand seals. Only after fully understanding it did he sit cross-legged and start his training.
Right from the start, Chen Guan felt a significant difference between Black-rank and Yellow-rank methods. The speed at which he absorbed and refined Dou Qi was more than twice as fast as before.
After completing one full cycle, Chen Guan paused, took out a first-rank Energy Enhancement Pill, and swallowed it. This royal family-exclusive pill helped in the Dou Practitioner stage's training.
His training speed increased even more. The joy of using such supplements was unimaginable to ordinary people, and it was easy to get lost in it.
A month later.
In a small room, a loud 'boom' sounded, and the young man sitting cross-legged opened his eyes, feeling the abundant Dou Qi within him. He couldn't hide his delight.
"Two-star Dou Practitioner already—right on schedule. Today is the five-year evaluation day. Good, time to stretch a bit."
Today, the training grounds were unusually lively. Almost all those who had joined with Chen Guan were participating in the evaluation, and even the latecomers wouldn't miss such a rare event.
Just as Chen Guan stepped outside, he was met with a solid wall of people crowded around Training Ground, packed tightly.
"Chen Guan! Finally! I thought you wouldn't even be interested in such a big event. Even though Captain Yan excused both of us from the evaluation, it's still fun to watch."
The familiar voice was none other than the first-ranked genius who saw Chen Guan as his lifelong rival—Zhao Gang.
Chen Guan smiled. The royal family's arrangements felt thoughtful. To avoid drawing attention to his special treatment, they'd excused Zhao Gang from the evaluation too, making everything seem fair.
After all, among their peers, the two of them were considered like dragons and phoenixes. If they couldn't pass the test, no one could.
"Just getting some fresh air. You've made progress recently
"Heh, I've reached seven stages of Dou Disciple. My talent isn't just for show. After the evaluation, let's spar again!" Zhao Gang boasted.
Chen Guan had a strong suspicion that Zhao Gang had been waiting outside just to challenge him.
But seven stages of Dou Qi against a two-star Dou Practitioner? Even Xiao Yan wouldn't be that bold!
"Forget it. I've got something to do later. Next time for sure."
Chen Guan declined, not wanting to crush his spirit too much. Zhao Gang was still a young genius after all, and it wouldn't feel right to make him lose his confidence.
"You really have something to do?"
"Really."
"Alright then, next time."
Chen Guan nodded, promising there'd be a next time, and patted Zhao Gang's shoulder as he walked toward the training ground gate. Across the way, he could see Yao Ye waving at him from the city tower.
PS: Just a note, leveling from one-star to two-star Dou Practitioner in one month is the same pace as in the original work, where Xiao Yan had a similar rate. Chen Guan's talent is even better than Xiao Yan's, but the royal family's resources can't compare to Yao Lao's specially prepared aids. So, this speed is just about right.
(End of Chapter)