C1 Golden Heart

On the Ancient Sword Continent, within the borders of the Divine Wind Country, lies a majestic mountain range perpetually shrouded in mist. Among these towering peaks, the Azure Edge Sword Sect is nestled.

At this moment, atop the rear mountain of the sect, a fifteen-year-old boy dressed in black sits quietly. His deep gaze surveys the entire Azure Edge Sword Sect below.

"It's been three days," he murmurs to himself.

Just three days ago, Hua Hsing was an ordinary college student on Earth. But an unexpected event transported him through time and space to this mysterious place.

It was a pitch-black night when Hua Hsing went out with friends. Leaving early due to other commitments, he walked back to campus alone. He vividly recalls how, as he neared the school, the sky suddenly filled with thunder and dark clouds.

In the blink of an eye, rain began to pour. At that moment, whether it was an illusion or reality, Hua Hsing felt a sudden shift. The sky seemed to tear apart, and a golden sword hurtled toward him with incredible speed.

He wanted to dodge, but his body wouldn't move. In his terrified gaze, he watched as the golden sword descended from the heavens and pierced directly into his chest.

The next moment, Hua Hsing lost consciousness.

When he woke up again, he found himself in a completely unfamiliar world, somehow alive once more. It was only then that Hua Hsing realized he had traveled through time and space. His soul had entered the body of a deceased disciple of the Azure Edge Sword Sect, who, coincidentally, shared his name.

In his previous life, Hua Hsing had been an outer sect disciple of the Azure Edge Sword Sect. Unfortunately, due to his low aptitude and slow progress in cultivation, other disciples labeled him a failure.

Hua Hsing's demise occurred three days earlier after a dispute with another outer sect disciple. The confrontation escalated into a fight, and with his inferior skills, Hua Hsing was beaten into a coma and eventually died.

Upon waking in this strange place, Hua Hsing was understandably alarmed. However, over the course of three days, he came to terms with his new reality. He decided not to dwell on his life back on Earth. Since he had crossed time and space to be here, he resolved to live well, hoping that one day he might return.

During these three days, Hua Hsing learned about the Azure Edge Sword Sect. It was located in Azure Cloud County, one of the counties in the Divine Wind Country. Azure Cloud County was home to many sects, and the Azure Edge Sword Sect was among them. However, it was considered the weakest sect in the county.

The Azure Edge Sword Sect had many disciples, divided into Outer Sect and Inner Sect members. Hua Hsing, who had passed away, was killed for offending an Outer Sect disciple named Feng Gan.

"Since I've been reborn using your body, I will definitely avenge you," Hua Hsing thought, clenching his fists and speaking in a low voice.

This world was entirely different from Earth; it was a place where martial prowess was paramount, and all warriors were dedicated to their training. Warriors could absorb cosmic spiritual energy to strengthen their bodies. Once they reached a certain level, they could even wield power beyond nature.

Hua Hsing had also come to understand the training system of this world's warriors. The initial stage for a warrior was the Qi Refining Stage, followed by the Qi Transforming Stage. Each major stage had nine sub-levels.

At this moment, Hua Hsing was merely a Level One Qi Refining Stage warrior, making him the weakest disciple in the Azure Edge Sword Sect. Among the Outer Sect disciples, apart from Hua Hsing, even the weakest were at Level Two Qi Refining Stage.

In the three days since arriving in this world, Hua Hsing had gradually learned some cultivation methods. The first step in a warrior's training was to absorb cosmic spiritual energy to strengthen one's body. A Level One Qi Refining Stage warrior had the strength of one ox, while a Level Two had the strength of two oxen, a significant difference in power.

"Now, I need to get stronger," Hua Hsing decided.

In the Outer Sect, he was labeled a failure. At fifteen, he was only at Qi Refining Stage Level One. If he wanted revenge, he had to become stronger.

After a moment of thought, Hua Hsing slowly stood up and began his training. He closed his eyes slightly, clenched his fists, and punched repeatedly. The cosmic spiritual energy around him gradually seeped into his body, refining it.

Shouts echoed around him. Before long, Hua Hsing was drenched in sweat, breathing heavily.

"This body is really weak. I've only been training for a short while, and I'm already exhausted," Hua Hsing thought, feeling a bit helpless. No wonder this body was previously called useless.

It was too frail; he had trained for less than fifteen minutes and was already this tired. He had to strengthen his body first. Only with a strong body could he support his training.

Hua Hsing continued to focus on refining his body. As he threw another punch and paused to catch his breath, he suddenly heard some particularly grating voices in the distance.

"Isn't that Hua Hsing? He's not dead?"

"He's really lucky. Even after Senior Brother Feng beat him up like that, he survived."

"Three days ago, he was knocked out by Senior Brother Feng. I didn't expect him to recover in just three days. Looks like Senior Brother Feng's attack was too light."

At that moment, on the hillside, three outer sect disciples spotted Hua Hsing, their faces full of mockery.

Hua Hsing heard them, a barely noticeable flicker of anger in his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure and focused on practicing his martial arts.

Seeing Hua Hsing ignore them, the three became a bit annoyed.

“Hua Hsing, you loser, just wait until Senior Brother Feng beats you up,” one of them sneered before they all walked away.

“Strength is what truly matters.”

Hua Hsing deeply felt the urgent need to improve his strength; only then would he not be bullied. Since that so-called Senior Brother Feng wanted him dead, if he found out Hua Hsing was still alive, he would surely try again.

Feng Gan was a Level Two Qi Refining Stage warrior, with the strength of about 1,100 pounds. With Hua Hsing’s current physique, he couldn't withstand a punch from Feng Gan.

“I need to keep training,” Hua Hsing gritted his teeth and continued his practice.

Time ticked by, and before he knew it, two hours had passed. During those two hours, Hua Hsing almost gave up several times, but his determination kept him going.

However, after two hours, Hua Hsing finally couldn't hold on any longer.

Breathing heavily, his face covered in sweat, Hua Hsing managed a wry smile. “I can’t keep going.”

Hua Hsing was about to sit down and rest when his heart suddenly raced a few beats. To his surprise, a cool current flowed from his heart, coursing through his entire body in an instant.

In the next moment, Hua Hsing was astonished to find that his fatigue had completely vanished, and his body was suddenly filled with strength.

"What’s happening? What is this current?" Hua Hsing was puzzled, trying to make sense of the situation. He sensed the current emanating from his heart. As a martial artist at the Qi Refining Stage, he had just begun to connect with cosmic spiritual energy to refine his body, but he couldn't yet perceive his internal organs.

He could clearly feel the current within him, leaving him quite confused. However, what happened next made Hua Hsing gasp in disbelief.

As his eyes inadvertently glanced over his body, he was shocked to discover that he could see everything inside himself, even his heart.

But that wasn't the most astonishing part. What left Hua Hsing utterly stunned was that his heart had turned golden.

"My heart... how did it turn golden?" Hua Hsing exclaimed, feeling utterly incredulous. How could a human heart turn golden? He was completely baffled.

"Could it be because of that golden sword?"

Hua Hsing suddenly recalled why he had traveled through time. He glanced at his heart and noticed that the color of the golden sword piercing his chest matched his heart exactly.

What was going on? Was his journey through time due to that golden sword? And why had the golden sword vanished?

"Why has my heart turned golden?"

After the initial shock, Hua Hsing calmed himself and began examining his heart for any changes. However, aside from its golden hue, there was nothing unusual about it.

By now, Hua Hsing was certain that his ability to see inside his body was due to the golden heart.

"When I'm out of breath and my heart beats, a cool stream appears?" Hua Hsing mused softly.

He continued his training. Thanks to that stream of energy, Hua Hsing felt particularly invigorated. This time, he trained for a full four hours before feeling any fatigue.

"It's happening again."

Hua Hsing sensed his heart speeding up once more. He focused inward, determined to understand what was happening.

As his heart quickened, Hua Hsing observed a sudden flow of clear energy emerging from the golden heart, spreading throughout his body, instantly revitalizing him with strength.

“It’s really because of the heart,” Hua Hsing exclaimed.

Hua Hsing experimented three or four times before he finally understood: the golden heart could release a refreshing energy when his body was weak, instantly restoring his strength.

With this discovery, a smile spread across Hua Hsing’s face. Perhaps this was the kind of fortune that follows surviving a great calamity.

Since he couldn’t figure out the connection between the golden sword and the golden heart, he decided not to dwell on it. After all, the golden heart wasn’t causing any discomfort; instead, it provided him with strength.

“With this energy flow, my training will progress much faster,” Hua Hsing said, clenching his fist with a grin.

He then began practicing his martial arts. The set he was working on was the most basic body-strengthening technique of the Azure Edge Sword Sect, something every disciple could train in.

The Body Refining Fist consisted of nine levels. Completing the first three levels granted the strength of a bull, equivalent to a Level One Qi Refining Stage disciple. Mastering the middle three levels gave the strength of two bulls, akin to a Level Two Qi Refining Stage disciple. Those who finished the last three levels achieved the strength of three bulls, comparable to a Level Three Qi Refining Stage disciple.

In the entire outer sect of the Azure Edge Sword Sect, few had managed to reach the final three levels of the Body Refining Fist.

Hua Hsing had mastered the Body Refining Fist to its third level, granting him the strength of an ox and reaching the first level of the Qi Refining Stage.

"Body Refining Fist!"

With a powerful shout, Hua Hsing clenched his fists and launched a punch in an instant. The distant boulder shattered immediately, leaving Hua Hsing a bit surprised.

"How is this possible?"

Unbeknownst to him, Hua Hsing's Body Refining Fist had already reached the fourth level.