C5 My Life's Sword Soul

Despite the Lin siblings being completely baffled by the events that had unfolded, one fact was crystal clear to them.

Qi Xiao was no longer the useless person he once was!

In just a few swift moves, Qi Xiao had sent the hulking brute sprawling, leaving the Lin siblings struggling to snap back to reality. They even wondered if they were experiencing an illusion.

Having seen Qi Xiao's prowess, Lin Cheng immediately scrapped any thoughts of confrontation and instead hatched a new plan.

Turning to Lin Suxin, he said, "Sister Suxin, if he's so eager to call off the engagement, then let's just let him. I'm curious to see how this clueless fool..."

Lin Cheng rubbed his still-throbbing arm and swallowed hard before continuing,

"...will stir up any waves."

Lin Suxin was conflicted. She might despise Qi Xiao, but the decision to cancel the engagement wasn't hers to make. Unlike her brother, she understood that if they failed to annul the engagement now, it could spell trouble for the Lin family.

After much indecision, Lin Suxin found herself at a loss.

Lin Cheng, however, was growing impatient. He recalled that in just seven days, his second uncle would return. Surely, with his second uncle's intervention, dealing with Qi Xiao would be effortless.

In the presence of his second uncle, no matter how skilled you are, you'd better fall in line. If I say kneel, standing isn't an option!

Casting a malevolent glance at Qi Xiao, Lin Cheng leaned in and murmured to Lin Suxin, "Second Uncle will be back in seven days. It's the perfect time to have him meet Second Uncle at our place. Perhaps..."

Lin Suxin clearly misread Lin Cheng's intention, believing their second uncle, the martial arts master, could handle any situation. Surely, Qi Xiao was no match for him.

With resolve, she bit her lip and declared, "Fine, we'll be expecting you at the Lin residence in seven days. We're leaving!"

Before departing, Lin Cheng shot Qi Xiao one last venomous look but restrained himself from any further provocation. He quietly followed Lin Suxin out of the Qi family home.

Everyone had left the dilapidated rental home of the Qi family, leaving Qi Yun to breathe a sigh of relief.

The siblings had much to catch up on, yet hunger was starting to set in. It was nearing noon, and neither had eaten.

Qi Yun dutifully set about preparing a meal for her brother, while Qi Xiao retreated to his room to meditate in a cross-legged position.

As Qi Xiao introspected, he mulled over his recent encounter.

Truth be told, today's victory over Chen Jinbai had been perilously close.

In his past life, Qi Xiao was revered as the Eastern Sword God, but having only just awakened, his Qi Sea was barren.

His current body had languished for years, leaving him with subpar physical condition.

His effortless defeat of the burly man was owed to his profound mastery of martial arts, which far exceeded that of any ordinary master in this world.

He could spot every weakness in Chen Jinbai's stance at a glance.

Yet, recognizing flaws was one thing; his physical limitations prevented him from easily evading attacks.

This brings us to the greatest asset he brought back with him upon his rebirth.

His Intrinsic Sword Soul!

In his transmigration, reversing time and space, he had burned through all his cultivation, and his physical and magical powers had crumbled. But one thing could make the journey back.

His soul.

After three centuries of tempering in his previous life, his soul had evolved into a unique sword soul, infused with his Sword Intent, enabling him to traverse back through time.

Regrettably, the sword soul that returned with him was incomplete, manifesting as an ancient, fragmented little sword that hovered silently in Qi Xiao's sea of consciousness.

The sword's outline was semi-transparent, with nine distinct black voids arranged in a specific pattern at its core.

This was his natal sword soul, known as the Nine Voids. Despite its damaged state, preventing it from taking form outside his body, it could still emit faint traces of sword qi.

The move that caused Chen Jinbai's punch to miss was nothing more than a subtle extraction of sword qi from his natal sword soul, invisibly severing several of Chen Jinbai's arm meridians.

As Chen Jinbai made his move, his meridians were severed, throwing his movements into disarray and rendering his efforts futile.

By now, Chen Jinbai's hands must be throbbing with pain. The invisible sword qi emitted by the sword soul was so sharp that it could sever his delicate meridians without immediate detection.

However, since Qi Xiao had shown restraint and not delivered a fatal blow, the damage to Chen Jinbai's arms wasn't severe. With prompt medical attention, it wouldn't pose a significant issue.

But if Chen Jinbai failed to seek timely treatment and ended up with a disability, he would have no one to blame but himself.

At present, the priority was to enhance his strength. In this dog-eat-dog world, no power was entirely reliable.

The true power within one's own body was the most valuable asset.

As one's strength grew, other things would naturally fall into place.

The primary cultivation technique Qi Xiao's mother had risked her life to leave behind, the Limitless Jade Book, was one of the family's treasures and the defining technique of the once-mighty Immortal Cultivation Sect, Heaven Sect, which had vanished centuries ago.

The most extraordinary aspect of this technique was that it could increase one's cultivation level without the need for spiritual qi!

Given that Earth's spiritual qi was nearly depleted, with spiritual herbs and lands fading away over time, a technique that could enhance a cultivator's abilities without spiritual qi was indeed a priceless treasure.

This technique harnessed a unique energy known as 'mind power,' transforming it into true qi to advance a cultivator's level. This energy could even bolster the intensity of a cultivator's mental power, making it incredibly profound.

The method of acquiring mind power was quite unique; virtually any activity could foster its growth, though some activities accelerated it more than others.

According to the jade book, the deeper one delved into the mortal world, the stronger one's mind power would become.

In essence, the quickest way for Qi Xiao to cultivate was to step out and "stir up trouble."

But not just any trouble would do; theoretically, the more people and events one influenced, the more and purer mind power Qi Xiao could gather.

Take, for example, the recent sequence of events at the Qi family residence, which had yielded some mind power for Qi Xiao.

Regrettably, the amount was minuscule. With a mere flicker of thought, he had already refined it, infusing a sliver of true qi into the barren Qi Sea of his lower dantian.

After assessing his internal condition, Qi Xiao let out a soft sigh and opened his eyes.

He was aware that his prospects were far from bright, yet he hadn't anticipated just how feeble he had become. To say he was as weak as a chicken would be no overstatement.

His victory over Chen Jinbai hinged solely on the insights from his past life and the edge granted by his sword soul. It was his sword soul that he depended on to fortify his physique on the fly, even wielding the intangible sword qi.

This only solidified his resolve to rapidly bolster his strength. Having fought his way to the esteemed title of Sword God in his former life, he was acutely aware that personal power was the most formidable safeguard.

Thus, to enhance his strength swiftly and ensure he had the means to defend himself against being easily manipulated by others, the most expedient strategy was to first mend his core sword soul.

When it came to the restoration of his sword soul, Qi Xiao already had some notions in mind.

At its essence, the sword soul was a variant of the soul itself. With just a trace of yin, or feminine, spirit energy, he could purify it to mend his sword soul.

And among such energies, water spirit energy was supreme.

Lost in thought, Qi Xiao caught the aroma of cooking wafting from the kitchen, prompting an involuntary rumble from his stomach.

When was the last time he had savored the cozy comfort of home? When had his little sister last prepared a meal for him?

"Brother, dinner's ready!"

With a smile, Qi Xiao made his way to the kitchen and took his place at the modest dining table.