The Heavens: Man Covers the Heavens, Refines Treasures to Become an Emperor

"Kid, stop dawdling, let us see what you've got!"

Seeing that the two were so insistent, Jiang Xuan no longer declined.

He took a deep breath, gripped the black battle blade "Flowing Light" tightly, and still did not use his spiritual energy. Relying only on his physical strength and precise control of the blade's center of gravity, he swung his arm, and the black blade, with a slight whooshing sound, slashed straight at the Black Spirit Battle Blade in Chu Feng's hand!

There was no ear-piercing loud clang of metal clashing.

There was only a very faint "hiss" sound, like a hot knife cutting through butter.

Under the wide-eyed gazes of Xue Jin and Chu Feng, the supposedly exceptionally sturdy mid-grade human-level Black Spirit Battle Blade, upon contact with the pitch-black blade, was as fragile as paper, easily and smoothly cleaved in two! The break was as smooth as a mirror!
"This……"

Chu Feng stared at the half-finished blade in his hand. Although he was somewhat prepared, he was still stunned by its terrifying sharpness.

Jiang Xuan himself was somewhat surprised; he hadn't expected "Flowing Light" to be so sharp.

"It's not over yet!"

Xue Jin's eyes gleamed even brighter.

"Kid, try injecting your spiritual energy!"

Jiang Xuan nodded, and with a slight thought, he slowly channeled the last of his spiritual energy into the "Flowing Light" battle blade in his hand.

"Om-!!"

The battle blade seemed like an ancient ferocious beast awakened, suddenly emitting a high-pitched and clear blade cry, like the roar of a dragon and the howl of a tiger! On the pitch-black blade, the forty-nine spirit patterns were instantly lit up, and countless intricate and complex runes and symbols, shimmering with various colors of spiritual light, appeared and swirled around like stars!

Immediately afterwards, an intense, impenetrable, pitch-black, malevolent light, like the arrival of eternal night, suddenly erupted from the blade, instantly covering all the spiritual runes! The malevolent light was not static, but flowed and rolled on the surface of the blade like a living thing, emanating a terrifying aura that could annihilate everything and slaughter all living beings!
Wherever the menacing light touched, the air hummed and vibrated under its own weight, as if it were about to be torn apart by its pure ferocity and sharpness at any moment! The temperature in the entire courtyard seemed to drop several degrees!
This power has already surpassed the scope of human-grade spiritual artifacts and is approaching that of earth-grade spiritual artifacts!
"hiss--!"

Chu Feng gasped, staring at the battle blade enveloped in intense, ferocious light, his eyes filled with fervor and awe.

"A spiritual treasure! This is a true spiritual treasure! Blessed by heaven and earth, it possesses its own spirituality! Although this blade is still only of the upper-grade human level, its power probably far surpasses that of ordinary top-grade human level spiritual weapons, and is enough to contend with some lower-grade earth level spiritual weapons!"

His gaze toward Jiang Xuan had completely transformed from appreciation and cooperation to sincere admiration, even tinged with a hint of worship! He sighed inwardly, wishing he could have met such a person sooner and become his true friend!
Xue Jin also clapped his hands and laughed, his eyes sparkling with admiration.

"What a fine blade! What a deadly weapon! Young man, this blade deserves the title of 'spiritual treasure'! It has become one with your mind, its spirit has arisen spontaneously, and its future growth is limitless! How could such a precious blade not have a name?"

Chu Feng quickly echoed.

"Senior Xue Jin is right! This sword is the culmination of your hard work, and it is a spiritual treasure that has triggered extraordinary phenomena in the world. It must have a name worthy of it!"

Jiang Xuan stared at the battle blade in his hand, which hummed and trembled slightly, as if it too were awaiting his name. The dreamlike, ethereal spiritual patterns from the Heavenly Secret Realm flashed through his mind once more. It was that ray of light that had shattered his fixed mindset, allowing him to complete this crucial step and ultimately create this blade.

He spoke slowly, his voice clear and firm.

"This sword was born from a stream of light, so it is called 'Stream of Light'."

"Liu Guang?"

Xue Jin pondered the name and nodded.

"The name is as the blade, and the blade is as the name! Swift as light, fierceness hidden within! Excellent! In the future, the name of this blade will surely resound throughout the land with you!"

Chu Feng murmured the words "Flowing Light" to himself, his gaze towards Jiang Xuan becoming even more complex. He was completely convinced and determined to sincerely befriend Jiang Xuan.

Xue Jin, on the other hand, was filled with even greater anticipation for Jiang Xuan's promise to refine "spirit pattern battle armor" for him in the future.

……

Three days passed in a blink of an eye.

Inside the room, Jiang Xuan slowly opened his eyes from meditation. His eyes were bright and alert, and he was full of energy. He had completely recovered from the severe exhaustion caused by refining "Flowing Light".

He stood up, feeling the abundant spiritual energy within his body and the increasingly refined soul power, and couldn't help but sigh. The consumption of refining "Flowing Light" far exceeded his expectations, almost draining him of everything.

But it was precisely this extreme pressure that allowed his cultivation and soul to make some progress.

More importantly, without the spiritual light brought by the "Flowing Light Spirit Pattern" obtained from the Tongtian Secret Realm, this sword would have been extremely difficult to forge.

"Misfortune and fortune are intertwined, and opportunities are unpredictable."

Jiang Xuan gently stroked the black battle sword "Flowing Light" that floated quietly beside him, and a wave of affection emanated from the blade.

Stepping out of the room, I saw Xue Jin carrying a wine jar, teasing the chick jumping on the stone table, and even trying to pour wine into it with a small cup.

"Chirp! Chirp chirp!"

Chirp seemed both curious and afraid of the spicy liquid, and it kept dodging it.

Jiang Xuan frowned, stepped forward, snatched the wine glass from Xue Jin, and glared at her.

"Senior! I told you not to teach it to drink!"

Xue Jin awkwardly touched his nose and muttered to himself.

"You're stingy, just want to try something new."

Jiang Xuan ignored him, picked up Qiuqiu to check it over, and was relieved to see that it was full of energy.

Xue Jin took a swig of wine, looked at Jiang Xuan, and spoke with a hint of teasing.

"Kid, Xie Yutang is coming to deliver a 'challenge' tomorrow. How are your preparations going? Don't let the people sent by the Huang family beat you up and make you cry for your parents, and embarrass me."

Jiang Xuan remained calm, his gaze fixed on the "Flowing Light" in his hand, and said indifferently.

"Preparations are almost complete, only the final step remains—to thoroughly familiarize ourselves with the power of 'Flowing Light'."

He paused, looked up at Xue Jin, and a smile curved his lips.

"So, I still need your help, senior... to give me some pointers."

Upon hearing this, Xue Jin was taken aback at first, then a smile of excitement and danger appeared on her face.

"Hehe, finally you've spoken up! Don't worry, I'll definitely help you familiarize yourself with it properly! I won't hold back at all!"

Jiang Xuan looked at his malicious smile and added a sentence.

"I just turned fourteen this year."

Xue Jin's smile froze, and she cursed irritably.

"Get lost! Stop using your age as an excuse! Do you think I'd really kill you? At most, I'll leave you in bed for a few days! You cunning brat!"

That night, the sound of weapons slicing through the air, the clash of fists and feet, and a suppressed groan could be heard from time to time in the courtyard.

Although Xue Jin did hold back and did not use her full strength, the overwhelming combat experience and skills, as well as the punches that deliberately targeted the thickest parts of the body, still caused Jiang Xuan a lot of trouble.

As the moon set, Jiang Xuan practically had to lean against the wall to walk back to his room, his body aching and swollen in many places, grimacing in pain. While circulating his spiritual energy to heal the bruises, he silently vowed to himself that once he was stronger, he would definitely get his revenge!

The next day, Jiang Xuan fought Xue Jin for a full day.

Although he was still miserably abused, the effect was significant.

Jiang Xuan's control over "Flowing Light" became increasingly adept, and the tacit understanding between man and sword reached a new level.

Whether it's the explosive power of "Star Gathering" or the application of the basic "Six-Character Saber Technique," combined with the terrifying sharpness and spirituality of "Flowing Light," the power has increased by more than tenfold! He felt that he was only one step away from perfecting the "Six-Character Saber Technique."

Xue Jin looked at Jiang Xuan, who was panting but had bright eyes, and gave a rare serious comment.

"Young man, your swordsmanship is very solid, and your combat awareness is also good, especially that ruthlessness. However, your fighting style is too one-dimensional, relying too much on your sword. Once you lose your weapon, or encounter an opponent who counters your swordsmanship, you will be at a great disadvantage."

He paused and continued.

"A true strongman can kill enemies with his physical body, spiritual energy, soul, martial arts, and weapons. You have a good foundation, so don't waste it."

Besides swordsmanship, you should also learn some close-quarters combat techniques like fist and foot techniques. This will help you save your life in crucial moments and also allow you to better unlock your potential.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xuan nodded in deep agreement.

The basic marching fist techniques he had previously practiced were no longer sufficient for his current cultivation level and combat prowess. He definitely needed to find a fist or palm technique that suited him.

He kept Xue Jin's words in mind.

"Senior, could you please..."

"Don't even think about it!"

Xue Jin interrupted him directly, rolling her eyes.

"My skills aren't something just anyone can learn. We'll talk when you're more pleasing to my eye!"

Jiang Xuan had no choice but to temporarily suppress the idea.

……

The next day, early in the morning.

Jiang Xuan arrived at the Spirit Pattern Master Commune alone.

Before he even got close, he noticed that a large number of cultivators had already gathered in front of the commune. The crowd was bustling with people, and they were all talking excitedly. Among them, there were many young girls, and each of them had excitement and anticipation on their faces as they kept looking towards the end of the street.

"Have you heard? Little Sword Master Xie Yutang is coming here today!"

"Really? Oh my god! I'll finally get to see Young Master Xie in person!"

"Young Master Xie is not only exceptionally talented and from a distinguished family, but he is also said to be exceptionally handsome, the dream lover of countless noble ladies in the Forbidden City!"

"Why would he come to a place like our Yanxia City? And even to the Spirit Pattern Master Commune?"

Listening to the surrounding discussions, Jiang Xuan suddenly realized that Xie Yutang had such a high reputation and charm among the younger generation of the empire.

His gaze swept across the crowd, and he saw a solitary figure standing alone in front of the Spirit Pattern Master's Commune gate.

The man was dressed in a well-tailored cyan jade robe, with a brocade belt around his waist, and his posture was as upright as a pine tree.

He had a handsome face with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, but his expression was too indifferent, as if he didn't care about anything around him.

Behind him, a long sword, entirely blue and with an ancient design, was slung across his back. Even without being drawn, it naturally exuded an incomparably sharp sword intent.

It was none other than Little Swordsman, Xie Yutang.

He stood there quietly, as if he were an independent world, out of place with the noisy crowd around him, yet so dazzling that he could not be ignored, attracting countless gazes of admiration, love, or awe.

Jiang Xuan frowned slightly as he looked at the man's demeanor. He felt that this man seemed to be deliberately putting on airs today, which was different from when he saw him in the inner courtyard that day, and not like his true nature. Although he didn't understand why, he still stepped forward.

Seemingly sensing his arrival, Xie Yutang's indifferent gaze locked onto him from afar.

Jiang Xuan pushed through the crowd and walked up to Xie Yutang, but before he could speak, he was still standing there.

Xie Yutang simply raised his hand and tossed over a seemingly ordinary storage bag, his voice cold and devoid of any emotion.

"The items that Granny Feng entrusted to me to deliver, both spiritual materials and payment, are included."

Jiang Xuan reached out and took it, scanned it briefly with his divine sense to confirm it was correct, then nodded and put it away.

"Thank you for your trouble, young master."

Only then did the onlookers realize that the person Little Sword Lord was waiting for was actually this seemingly ordinary young man? In an instant, countless curious, inquisitive, and even slightly jealous gazes focused on Jiang Xuan.

In front of the Spirit Pattern Master Commune, after Xie Yutang handed the storage bag to Jiang Xuan, the crowd saw that he did not leave immediately. Instead, he took out a letter with an antique style and embossed with flowing cloud sword patterns and handed it to Jiang Xuan.

This scene sparked a great deal of discussion among the crowd.

"What's that? A challenge?"

"Little Swordsman personally delivered the challenge? What's the background of this young man?"

"Judging from this atmosphere, it doesn't seem like they have a friendly relationship; it seems more like... seeking revenge?"

"For Little Sword Master to take this so seriously, this boy is probably no ordinary person!"

Xie Yutang ignored the surrounding discussions, his expression remaining indifferent. He handed the letter, which exuded a sharp sword intent, to Jiang Xuan, his voice cold and clear.

"Three days from now, at noon, at the Yanxia City Arena. Huang Jianchen of the Huang family will fight you to settle our grudges."

His words were concise, yet as cold as ice falling to the ground, clearly reaching the ears of everyone present.

Jiang Xuan remained calm as he reached out and took the challenge letter. It was slightly cool to the touch, the paper was sturdy, and the time and place were written on it in bold, powerful strokes. The words exuded a sharp and piercing quality, as if the writer had infused his own sword intent into the ink, which was Xie Yutang's style.

"Jiang Xuan, receive the invitation."

Jiang Xuan responded calmly and put away the challenge letter.

Only then did Xie Yutang stop talking, not even glancing at Jiang Xuan. He turned and left, the azure longsword swaying slightly behind him. Soon his figure disappeared at the end of the street, leaving behind countless ambiguous gazes and even more heated discussions.

Jiang Xuan could clearly sense the strangeness in those gazes, and he understood immediately. Xie Yutang's ostentatious display today, personally delivering the challenge in full view of everyone, was by no means unintentional.

This is an open conspiracy; it's meant to expose this matter to the public and put Jiang Xuan in a very difficult position!

Once this matter becomes common knowledge, the arena battle three days later will undoubtedly attract the attention of the entire city. If he wins, he might gain some fame; but if he loses, under the gaze of tens of thousands, he will be utterly disgraced, all his previous prestige will vanish, and he will even become a laughingstock! This is the art of killing with praise! (End of Chapter)