25: I have made another breakthrough and am preparing to go to the lower realm for training.

A Family arranged marriage without any affection—others might find it normal, but for Jun Lingxiao, it just felt like a cliché.

But did he have a choice?

Clearly, he did not.

During this time, Jun Lingxiao had been diligently studying the Cultivation Techniques his grandfather had sent.

There were two of them.

The first was the "Lightning Tribulation Spirit Refining Technique" for Spirit Refining. It wasn't the Jun Family's strongest, but it was the most suitable for him. It allowed him to Cultivate his Divine Soul using Lightning Tribulations. Divine Souls are most vulnerable to Lightning Tribulations, but he possessed the heart of an Undying Thunder Dragon, which gave him resistance to them. If he Cultivated it to Major Achievement, a single thought could disperse a Lightning Tribulation!

However, the only drawback was that the Ten Directions Immortal Court had no Lightning Tribulations, so he would have to go to the Dao Provinces below.

The second was a Body Refining Cultivation Technique, "Immortal Beast Body Forging." This was a Body Refining Cultivation Technique that complemented the Jun Family's Supreme Mind-Cultivation Technique, the "Qilin Immortal Scroll." Although its name sounded a bit crude, its actual practice was not. This Cultivation Technique was special, requiring a wisp of Qi from various Immortal Beasts to Cultivate. It was vastly different from traditional Body Refining Cultivation Techniques, but when Cultivated to Major Achievement, its power was immense. Not only did it gather the Luck of thousands of Immortal Beasts into one body, but it also allowed one to break through Realm barriers and travel through the Three Thousand Dao Provinces with just their physical body, like the Immortal Beasts themselves. Its power was undeniable.

It didn't require any physical training; one only needed to borrow a wisp of Qi from an Immortal Beast. There was no upper limit to its growth either; as long as one could borrow Qi, they could infinitely temper their body, which was truly terrifying.

After two full days of Cultivating, Jun Lingxiao finally entered the "Immortal Beast Body Forging." He borrowed a wisp of Qi from the Qilin in the back garden, Cultivating to the first level. His Realm directly increased by two, reaching the eighth stage of the Spirit Dao Realm. Afterward, he Cultivated the "Lightning Tribulation Spirit Refining Technique," and his Realm directly reached the ninth stage of the Spirit Dao Realm, just one step away from entering the Divine Dao Realm.

However, breaking through three Realms in two days was already his limit. He was firmly stuck at the half-step Divine Dao Realm, so he began practicing swordsmanship.

As he practiced, he felt something was off.

"That's not right? Is Old Ancestor messing with me? He said he'd send Cultivation Techniques for me to Cultivate. I have Spirit Refining, and Body Refining, but what about sword Moves? What about Martial Skills?"

"After all this, my only attack method is still just the Heaven Sword?"

"My Divine Soul and body are strong, I have defense, but no attack methods?"

Jun Lingxiao was stunned. Was it really necessary?

Although he knew they treasured him, they shouldn't keep withholding Cultivation Techniques from him like this, right?

"No, I need to think of a way. After all, the best defense is offense."

Jun Lingxiao pondered and eventually decided to try the System again. There was more "wool" to shear here.

"Before, checking in at other places gave me some useless junk. I remember the System said these junk items could be recycled for a lottery..."

Jun Lingxiao said, opening the System's inventory, and indeed saw a recycle button.

He could check in once a day, and as long as it wasn't a high-value location, he could check in an unlimited number of times, though the rewards weren't great. He could even get things like meteoric iron from outside the heavens.

But did the Jun Family lack such things?

Divine Pills and miraculous elixirs—he had initially thought the System's items must be extraordinary. But when he asked about them, he found out they were all low-level items. They might barely be considered treasures in the Upper Thousand Realms, but in the Ten Directions Immortal Court, they were practically worthless!

"Recycle them all, recycle them all. Give me an offensive Martial Skill or something from the lottery."

Jun Lingxiao said, selecting everything and then clicking the recycle button. Recycling one Medicinal Pill gave him one recycle point, and one hundred points were needed for one lottery draw.

However, he had accumulated enough junk over time, exactly one hundred and one points. He decisively pressed the lottery button.

As a spinning wheel rapidly rotated on the System panel, he heard the System's prompt the next moment.

"Ding! Obtained a third-tier reward: Mortal Sword."

"Third-tier reward?"

Looking at the unremarkable name, Jun Lingxiao felt a bit disdainful, but he still clicked on the item's panel and was immediately surprised, proving that System-produced items were not junk—of course, Medicinal Pills were an exception.

There are two color schemes today, trying out the effect. Reading background color is better in white.

Mortal Sword

Attribute: Active (Upgradeable) (Proficiency 0%)

Ability: If the host is not in a Cultivating state, sword might will increase every breath. Using it will consume all sword might to unleash two sword lights at an extremely fast speed. If the first sword light misses, the second sword light will definitely hit the target's vital point. Power depends on the host and the number of sword might stacks.

Description: He killed my wife and child, annihilated my entire Family, crippled my Cultivation, left me to live in ignominy, and mocked me. The world laughed at my cowardice, unaware that I had a sword hidden for ten years. Ten years, three hundred and fifteen million three hundred and sixty thousand breaths. Every breath of those ten years was torment. Ten years of nurturing the sword, ten years of concealing the sword. Finally, the sword was drawn. This sword was my strongest, but... it did not hit his vital point. I lost again.

Ten years of seeking revenge, yet I found no peace. I was unwilling. Dragging my broken body, I improved this sword drawing technique, hoping that its inheritor would use this power to protect everything you cherish.

As he read, Jun Lingxiao fell silent.

The brief description seemed to vividly portray a person's life, a Mortal's life. His sword was not as destructive as Old Ancestor's Heaven Sword; rather, as its name suggested, it was merely a sword wielded by a Mortal. And this Mortal did not change his destiny against the heavens.

As a Mortal, he hid his sword for ten years for revenge and unleashed a sword that did not belong to a Mortal, but... he still lost.

However, in his heart, he never admitted defeat. This was the resilience of humanity.

A Mortal's sword, yet it sought to strike down an Immortal.

"This is truly... an extraordinary thing."

Among sword Moves, this "Mortal Sword" might not rank high in the Jun Family, but it was undeniably a Mortal's life.

This was what truly deserved his admiration.

Clicking to learn, countless pieces of knowledge instantly flooded Jun Lingxiao's mind. He absorbed not only the Move but also the life's insights of the creator of these things. It was like the Supreme Dao Heart; the moment he absorbed it, he felt as if he saw a Supreme standing tall between heaven and earth, whose existence no one could ignore.

From the smallest details of Qi control and sword grip to the larger aspects of timing his sword strikes, this person's Dao of the sword insights, and everything he saw and thought at the time, all poured into Jun Lingxiao's mind.

In particular, a voice roared loudly in his mind, refusing to dissipate.

"Draw the sword!"

"I must draw the sword!!"

"I must have revenge!!!"

"Draw the sword!!"

It was a very loud voice, yet it didn't feel noisy. Jun Lingxiao listened to the voice in his mind and inexplicably closed his eyes, then lowered his waist, and slowly reached for the sword at his waist.

Suddenly! Jun Lingxiao's Aura exploded. Unlike his previous Aura, this was a heavy sword might. Just looking at it felt sharp and dazzling, incredibly heavy and impossible to ignore. It was as if his entire being had transformed into a sharp sword brimming with an edge, ready to strike down on you at any moment!

At this moment, an impulse surged from the depths of his mind, an impulse to draw his sword even if it meant being shattered to pieces.

But this sword, Jun Lingxiao ultimately did not draw.

He knew this was the obsession of the person who created the Mortal Sword, but he did not suppress it; instead, he allowed this obsession to collide within his mind. However, this did not mean he was controlled by this obsession.

"He kept, kept urging himself to draw the sword. No one wanted revenge more than him, yet he had to endure, letting this voice scream in his head for ten years. Ten years later, even if he failed, he still wasn't mad; he was still thinking of improving his sword Move."

Suddenly, Jun Lingxiao's entire demeanor retracted, and he couldn't help but sigh from his heart:

"What an incredibly strong will..."

"Young Master!" Jun Lingxiao's abnormal Aura attracted An Luoxin's concern. She opened the door, first poking her head in, then her expression changed when she saw Jun Lingxiao's appearance. She quickly walked to Jun Lingxiao, knelt down, and at fifteen years old, her height allowed her to look at Jun Lingxiao eye-to-eye. She hugged him tightly, gently patting his back.

Like coaxing a child, she softly asked what was wrong.

"I'm fine."

Jun Lingxiao shook his head, indicating he was fine, but An Luoxin hugged him even tighter. The expression on her pretty face hesitated for a moment, then her red lips parted twice before she spoke: "How could you be fine?"

"Because... Young Master, your eyes..."

"Are very sad..."

Sad?

Jun Lingxiao sighed, thinking to himself, 'Perhaps.'

After all, the obsession in his mind was screaming so heartbreakingly.

"I haven't taken revenge yet! Damn it, I'm so unwilling!"

"So unwilling, truly so unwilling. I endured so much mockery, endured for ten years. My wife in my dreams tried to persuade me for ten years."

"But I'm still so unwilling! Why am I so weak! If I wasn't so weak, my wife and child wouldn't have died!"

"Why! Why is Heaven so unfair, why does it let such evil people live!"

"I hate so much! I'm so unwilling! But I can't die! I can't die now! I must leave behind my Legacy! I cannot make the same mistake twice. If I had more time..."

"I'm truly so unwilling, but I'm all alone. If I die in this unknown corner, who will receive my Legacy?"

"Whoever it is, if someone receives my Legacy, I beg you, please, you must... help me strike that sword..."

"Wife... I'm coming for you..."

Jun Lingxiao listened to the gradually fading obsession in his mind, closed his eyes, and once again realized the cruelty of this world, and also marveled at the incredible potential of humans.

What kind of obsession could possibly pass through three thousand layers of Dao Provinces, through the System, and into his ears?

Strictly speaking, this was merely a wisp of obsession from a person in the Lower Realm, completely unnecessary to heed. But for some reason, Jun Lingxiao wanted to see that world. Anyway, he was going to leave the Jun Family for training, and he had also learned the name of that world from this wisp of obsession.

'Qing Tian Realm, huh...'

'I have received the fruit, so I must go and settle the cause. In that case, the place for my Lower Realm training seems to have been chosen.'

Jun Lingxiao thought this to himself.

He had learned the Heaven Sword of the Heavenly Emperor and the Mortal Sword of a Mortal. Through the insights from both, his comprehension of the Dao of the sword had reached a new height.

After all, it is precisely because one understands weakness that one yearns for strength. This was something other Prodigies did not possess.

In fact, Jun Lingxiao had always considered himself a Mortal. His previous life was that of a Mortal. Now, seeing the fate of Mortals without strength in the Cultivation world, he felt a certain emotion. If he were an ordinary person, he would most likely suffer the same fate.

But he was not.

Thinking of this, Jun Lingxiao shook off those useless emotions in his mind, and his eyes became even more resolute.

He was not a Mortal; he was Jun Lingxiao, born noble, above ten thousand others!

"It's alright, it's alright, Young Master, I'm here."

Jun Lingxiao was thinking about the first place he would go for training, while An Luoxin continuously patted Jun Lingxiao's back.

It had to be said, when she wasn't being mischievous, she really did act like a maid.

Although her cunning and methods were instincts for self-preservation, her feelings for Jun Lingxiao were genuine, completely like a childhood fiancée.

What she was thinking, however, were some strange things.

"This is the first time Young Master has shown such a sad expression..."

Jun Lingxiao stood too high; he had always been lofty, cold, ruthless, and incredibly rational. But he was still a child!

No matter how much of a Prodigy he was, he was ultimately a child, yet this child had always been competing with people ten years older than him, or even more. It wasn't right.

Standing at a height unsuited for his age, enjoying a life unsuitable for his age—even if he himself didn't notice, all of this was ultimately wrong.

And now, although Jun Lingxiao's domineering appearance was also cute, it had to be said, the expression he was showing now made people feel even more heartache.

It was a look that had seen through everything in the world, experienced all its hardships, and was completely numb and longing for liberation.

She didn't know why Jun Lingxiao would show such an expression.

But she knew one thing.

"I will always be with you."

"My Young Master..."