Chapter Forty-Six: The Top Expert in Our Class

When the sword was handed to him, Xiao Nan felt his arm sink slightly, secretly marveling that it must weigh seven or eight pounds—a heavy sword compared to the usual light, elegant blades. The scabbard was a dark green, appearing rigid, but when held, it felt soft and thick, likely made from the hide of some fierce beast.

The sword itself had a somewhat archaic look, reminiscent of the designs from the ancient Han dynasty. Gripping the hilt, Xiao Nan slowly drew the blade, revealing a stream of autumn water shimmering with brilliance.

How to describe this radiance? It was gentle, like the crescent moon hanging in the night sky—not glaring, yet impossible to ignore.

More remarkably, through his spiritual sense, he perceived countless tiny veins within the blade, channels for energy that resonated subtly with his own vital force.

“I’ve long heard that the weapons used by martial artists are different—they channel blood and energy, cut through iron as if it were mud, and are the best tools against beasts and other warriors. It seems that’s not a lie.” He remembered Tang Zhixuan’s sword strike, the misty surge of blood energy forming the “Wave Moon Slash,” powerful beyond measure.

It wasn’t merely her strength and abundant energy; the weapon itself played a part. A truly fine sword conducts one’s energy superbly, and even without an affinity for swordsmanship, it fits naturally in the hand, amplifying its wielder’s power.

Xiao Nan plucked a strand of hair and placed it atop the blade’s edge. It parted silently into two, his eyes shining brighter.

He glanced around and spotted an iron plaque hanging from a sapling by the lakeside. Extending the sword, he gently swept it across…

The motion was effortless, leaving no sensation in his hand, yet the iron plaque was already sliced clean in two.

“Cutting hair with a breath, slicing iron as if it were mud—what a sword! I’ve heard that the modern special alloy steel swords created by today’s technology have unique virtues, rivaling the famed blades of old. It’s clearly no exaggeration.”

He sheathed the sword, unable to suppress a smile.

Judging by Tang Zhixuan’s expression earlier, he’d wondered if he’d received a fake. But after testing it, he realized it wasn’t a matter of the sword being worthless—others simply didn’t care about such a sum.

A top student at Qingning Academy, a fourth-rank martial artist—it must be easy for her to earn money, and besides, her family likely has considerable influence.

“Although special alloys aren’t too rare these days, a sword like this would fetch at least three hundred thousand on the market. As a fourth-rank practitioner, she wouldn’t use a blade incapable of slicing through the bones of her peers… so the price must be even higher.”

He’d asked for Tang Zhixuan’s sword partly because he couldn’t afford it, and partly because of what she had said.

He would soon need a first-rate weapon to carry out his plans.

This world places great emphasis on spiritual cultivation and the method of forging the body through divine intent—a highly efficient practice, but not the only path.

Those whose spiritual power isn’t strong enough, who fail to enter martial academies, and who aren’t favored by any sect, still have options if they aren’t inclined towards scholarly pursuits.

They resort to hard work and persistence: venturing into the wild to seek medicinal herbs, slaying beasts, acquiring resources to sustain themselves, and supplementing their efforts with rigorous training to hone their vital energy.

If their bodies suffer injuries, there are concoctions and tonics to heal and restore them.

This approach closely resembles the traditional martial arts training of Xiao Nan’s previous life.

Extreme conditioning, gradual transformation of the body…

All to achieve transcendence.

Of course, compared to orthodox divine intent forging—which directly channels energy and vital force to unlock potential—this method is foolish, and its achievements are far more modest.

Few can persist.

Those who seek quick results easily ruin their bodies, suffering from myriad ailments.

But for Xiao Nan now, it is actually the most suitable path.

He only needs to increase his vital energy to a certain level, pass the exam, and then he can switch to divine intent forging—the brute method is good enough for transition.

“In essence, it’s weighted training, toughening exercises, and extreme methods—train as if I were a corpse.”

“Then I can go into the mountains to hunt, gather medicinal herbs, nourish the body—my vital energy will surely increase. I practiced this for ten years in my previous life, I know it well.”

Thinking of hunting, he realized he might encounter fierce beasts, and without a good weapon, failing to cut down prey would be laughable.

No matter how skilled his swordplay or agile his footwork, if he couldn’t break through defenses, it would be useless.

He was keenly aware of his current strength, knowing he would likely need to rely on cleverness to win.

So, he tried to obtain a fine sword—whether successful or not, he would see.

As for Tang Zhixuan’s earlier suggestion to pull strings and let him enter Yanghe Martial University directly, he felt no temptation.

It wasn’t because of some vague concern for reputation that he rejected the opportunity.

If it had been an academy like Imperial Capital Qingning or Heluo Academy, he would have agreed without hesitation, whatever the conditions.

A second-rate university simply didn’t appeal to him.

Small sects and minor schools can hardly compare to the great, renowned ones.

When disciples from the Black Tiger Gang and Emei Mountain of Shu travel the world, truly facing off in battle, they realize how foolish they once were.

A poor start means lagging behind forever.

Well, this was obtained by selling out a wife…

But he never intended to pursue Qin Shuang or rely on a woman to advance.

A man should stand on his own—what, am I supposed to live off a woman, become a kept man? If that were the case, Xiao Nan would never forgive himself.

Everyone knows Xiao Nan is a true man of iron and steel, a stalwart straight shooter.

…

“The radiance is like a stream of moonlight—this sword shall bear my family name, and be called ‘Moonlight’.”

With a casual name for the sword, Xiao Nan felt delighted and walked toward the classroom.

The exam was over, and the homeroom teacher would soon discuss the upcoming curriculum and perhaps permit some leave.

Before he’d gotten close, a burly figure approached with a roguish grin—it was Xiong Bing.

Beside him were several classmates, clustered together, their gazes at Xiao Nan full of curiosity and oddity.

“I never realized it, Xiao Nan—you’re actually the top expert in our class, hiding your skills so well.” Xiong Bing half-jested, half-serious, staring at the sword in Xiao Nan’s hand, unable to look away.

Wasn’t this Teacher Tang’s sword?

Wei Yun-yun, Dong Cheng, and others came forward to offer congratulations, their expressions somewhat complicated.

Especially Wei Yun-yun—her former aloofness vanished, replaced by a hint of admiration in her words. “Xiao Nan, your basic sword technique is excellent. I learned a lot watching you. Let’s spar sometime… Don’t keep your secrets to yourself, classmates are supposed to help each other.”

Wow, that change in demeanor was fast.

Xiao Nan was surprised, but after a moment, understood.

Wei Yun-yun was always like this.

She rarely joked with others, preferring to train diligently alone.

Perhaps due to family circumstances, her desire to improve her skills, gain admission to a good martial university, and change her situation was almost pathological.

As such, some admiration for the strong was inevitable.

Just as in his previous life, top students always had female classmates flocking around them—the reasoning is similar.

Previously, Lin Hao was strong and she treated him warmly. Now, seeing Xiao Nan’s prowess, she came to show friendliness.

Dong Cheng, however, spoke sourly from the side, “I didn’t expect your Four Seasons Sword to have reached true mastery, Xiao Nan. What a surprise—even Lin Hao wasn’t your match.”

“Just lucky. I just tried casually, never expected to win—it was pure luck,” Xiao Nan replied modestly.

Casually tried and won?

Everyone was speechless.