The First Sword of the Universe

Chapter 425 Breakthrough, Silent and Unnoticed!
Today, the sky was covered with heavy clouds, obscuring the sun's brilliance, and it looked like it was about to rain but was hesitant.

However, many people still left Suzhou city and went to the grassy area by the lake to admire the peerless Jade Fairy.

Of course, just in case, they also carried several oil-paper umbrellas with them.

Some ordinary people even put on raincoats and straw hats.

The reason they wanted to go out and see the Jade Fairy even though spring rain was approaching was partly due to their own longing and partly due to their curiosity about never having seen her before.

According to those who have seen the Jade Fairy.

"No matter how many portraits we have, or how lifelike they are, they can't capture even one percent of the Jade Fairy's true appearance and aura."

This statement naturally aroused great interest and sparked intense curiosity.

If one has to travel thousands of miles to see it, that's fine; the place where the Jade Fairy appeared is just outside the city, a place that can be reached in a few steps.

So close at hand
Aside from ordinary people who are busy making a living in the shop, anyone with free time and money will be unable to resist their curiosity and go to see it.

Deng Baichuan, Gongye Qian, Bao Butong, and Feng Bo'e, mingled in the bustling crowd, left the city together and headed towards the lakeside meadow.

On the grassy area by the lake.

The top of the pyramid, which is about ten feet high, is made up of several large stones.

A statue completely covered in black cloth stood there.

On the next step, Xu Xingchen, tall and upright, sat cross-legged, meditating with his eyes closed.

He had nothing to do today, so he arrived very early.

Before noon, I sat in meditation as usual.

I have been in this world for some time now.

His internal strength didn't increase much, but the spirituality within it grew considerably.

In this world, there are more mysterious auras, which are easier to detect; therefore, the spirituality of internal energy is also stronger.

Anyone with decent talent, martial arts skills, and diligence can generally condense a talisman of extraordinary techniques and enter the realm of the earth.

In recent days.
Xu Xingchen felt the spiritual energy within his inner strength begin to stir, as if it were about to take shape.

Therefore, I have been particularly diligent in my practice these past few days.

This morning, the spiritual energy within the vast inner force became increasingly active.

He knew then that today was the time to condense the talisman of extraordinary arts and step into the realm of the earth.

When others practice internal cultivation techniques and break through to a higher level, they often need a safe and quiet place where they can be undisturbed by outsiders.

Take a bath and change clothes, purify your mind and spirit, then sit in meditation and strive for a breakthrough!

Xu Xingchen doesn't need to do that!

Once he has enough skill, his breakthrough will be a natural and inevitable outcome; even if outsiders disturb, speak, or even try to stop him, it will not matter.

After all, his power had shone brightly in other worlds; now it was simply a matter of readjusting to the rules of this new world and regaining his power.

Time passed slowly, and noon was drawing ever closer.

More and more people gathered on the lakeside meadow, densely packed together, shoulder to shoulder.

The crowd gathered around the pyramid, pointing and gesturing at the jade statue at the top of the pyramid, which was covered by a black cloth, explaining the situation to their friends and family, but not daring to make a loud noise.

Jade Fairy's terrifying and hateful "guardian" is still there, protecting her in her meditation.
They didn't want to hear that thunderous reprimand again by making a scene!

Deng Baichuan and his three companions mingled in the crowd, relying on their martial arts skills to silently push past the passersby in front of them, and amidst the cursing and swearing of others, they gradually approached the innermost circle.

The four men stared intently at the jade statue wrapped in black cloth for a long time before turning their attention to the young man at the foot of the statue.

The young man was tall and had a straight back. He sat cross-legged, resting with his eyes closed.

A magnanimous spirit, as firm as a mountain and as deep as a pool!
Posture: Confident and calm!

Aside from that, the four of them couldn't discern any further details.

The four exchanged glances, their lips barely moving as they used a secret method of sound transmission to send their voices to each other's ears.

"Brother, should we make a move now? Or..."

"Let's wait and see. Let him lift that tattered cloth and see if the Jade Fairy is truly as others say, radiant and extraordinary."

"The boss is right. We must have a legitimate reason for doing things, and we absolutely cannot act rashly."

"No! No! That's not recklessness; that's called careful planning, and we'll get it done in no time."

"I wonder where this thief came from, what kind of martial arts he practices, and which sect he's affiliated with?"

"How can we tell the difference just by looking? Everything will become clear when we take action later."

"Second Brother is right. Although the four of us are not as proficient in the martial arts of all schools as Young Master, we often spar with him, so we have gained some knowledge and experience. As soon as he makes a move, we can recognize his martial arts style."

Murong Fu's four retainers were whispering and discussing amongst themselves.

Here
On the second step atop the small pyramid, Xu Xingchen's cultivation had reached a crucial moment.

Internal energy circulated rapidly through the meridians; its spirituality surged and leaped violently like flames.

When the spiritual power rises and surges to its most intense point, black and white lightning flashes and darts through the dantian, finally circling and rotating.

In a short while, it quickly condensed into a strange talisman surrounded by black and white.

The strange talisman carried a mysterious power, closely related to Xu Xingchen's internal strength, spirit, and the five internal organs and five vital energies.

It seems that with his thoughts, he can control everything, launching it out and manipulating it freely in countless ways.

The talisman of extraordinary arts is quite mysterious!
"Hmm! Just as I expected, the first magical talisman I condensed was indeed my Yuan Magnetic Ring."

"With this extraordinary technique, my next plans will be much more advantageous."

"Wouldn't you say this is a wish fulfilled by heaven?!"

A thought flashed through Xu Xingchen's mind, but her outward appearance remained unchanged.

The momentum did not rise or surge.
The clothes did not ripple or sway.
Her hair didn't dance wildly in the air.
His complexion remained unchanged.
Not to mention other bizarre and inexplicable phenomena!

All the dramatic changes were hidden and restrained within his powerful physique, as deep and boundless as the ocean.

Although the sun in the sky was obscured by thick clouds, people always found a way to keep track of time.

It was noon.

Someone couldn't wait any longer and shouted loudly, "It's noon! It's noon!"

"Yes, it's noon! Quickly lift the black cloth and let us see the Jade Fairy!"

"We want to see the Jade Fairy! We want to see the Jade Fairy!"

Xu Xingchen, who was meditating on the pyramid, slowly opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as lightning, and looked around.

The surrounding noise seemed to have been paused, and immediately subsided!
When Deng Baichuan and his companions saw the sharp gaze of the young man on the pyramid, their expressions changed slightly, and they all thought to themselves, "This boy's internal strength is not weak!"

Xu Xingchen stood up, turned around, and casually grabbed the black cloth strip.

With a slight shake of his arm, the black cloth strip immediately shed its skin like a dragon or snake, becoming loose and expanding from a taut state. It then rose into the air, spinning rapidly as it fell into Xu Xingchen's hand.

The jade statue was once again brought to the attention of everyone around it.

Even if the sun overhead is obscured by dark clouds.
Even if the jade statue cannot bask in the sunlight and refract the seven colors of light.
Yet it still retains its magical beauty!

The hazy light shone on it, and every corner, every curve, every inch of it was bathed in a layer of divine light.

Under this hazy divine light, the clothes on the jade statue seemed to be gently swaying in the wind.

Two clear, black-and-white eyes, as if brought to life, shimmering with light, deep and expressive.

Deprived of sunlight, the jade sculpture loses its divine aura of radiant light, but under the hazy, shimmering glow, it becomes lifelike and vivid.

"Heavens! The Jade Fairy is alive!"

May the Jade Fairy protect you.

"Jade Fairy"

It is unknown who shouted out, or who was the first to kneel down.

There was a series of "thump-thump" sounds.

The vast majority of people around immediately shrunk in rank and knelt down in worship.

Only a few people remained, standing there, conspicuous like cranes among chickens!
This included Deng Baichuan and his three companions, who stared in astonishment at the jade statue.

Xu Xingchen ignored the crowd kneeling on the ground around him, muttering things like "Jade Fairy" and "Bless us"; his gaze swept lightly over Deng Baichuan and the other three, and he said loudly, "Everyone, please watch quietly and do not make a sound!"

Having said that, he turned and walked down the pyramid.

The four people, including Deng Baichuan, who were stunned by the strange phenomena on the jade statue, finally came to their senses.

The four exchanged glances, and Feng Bo'e said softly, "This jade statue is indeed strange."

Gongye Qian carefully examined the jade statue shrouded in a hazy, misty light, and murmured, "The quality of this jade alone is worth a thousand gold pieces; coupled with this superb carving technique, it is absolutely priceless."

Bao Butong said impatiently, "I don't care how much it's worth, I want to see who this person is."

As soon as he finished speaking, he leaped up and landed in front of Xu Xingchen like the wind. His eyes widened and he shouted, "Boy, how dare you swindle and cheat the people in the territory of Gusu City! You have some nerve!"

Whoosh!Whoosh!Whoosh!
Deng Baichuan, Gongye Qian, and Feng Bo'e also quickly appeared in front of Xu Xingchen, staring at him coldly with rising and changing auras, looking as if they were ready to make a move at any moment.

Feng Bo'e, in cahoots with his third brother, said loudly, "Boy, state your name; and tell me where you got this jade statue from; or don't blame me for being ruthless."

Bao Butong and Feng Bo'e played the bad cop, so Deng Baichuan stepped in to play the good cop. He clasped his hands in a fist salute to Xu Xingchen and said in a deep voice, "May I ask your name, sir? Where do you come from? And why are you doing this strange thing outside Suzhou?"

Gongye Qian's gaze swept back and forth across the calm face of the young man before him, his voice slightly gentle: "What is the name of this Jade Fairy? I wonder if you could tell me?"

(End of this chapter)