The afternoon sun streamed through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows of Cloudtop Manor, bathing the interior in warm light.
Su Wu had just finished his meal and was comfortably leaning back on the genuine leather sofa, picking his teeth with a toothpick.
Su Yu, on the other hand, was diligently clearing the table. Since moving into this grand villa in District A, the boy hadn't fully adjusted to the life of luxury where everything was done for him. He always sought out chores to keep busy, as if only by working could he feel grounded.
Ding-dong!
The crisp, melodious doorbell shattered the afternoon's tranquility.
Su Wu raised an eyebrow, a knowing glint in his eyes.
Looks like that old fox Pan Hong works efficiently after all.
"I'll get the door," Su Wu said, rising and walking to the three-meter-tall carved gate. He pressed the release button.
Two men in custom-tailored black suits stood outside.
They weren't ordinary deliverymen but elite guards from the City Lord's Manor, each radiating the aura of an Innate Realm martial artist.
Yet now, these experts who could swagger through any crowd outside were holding their breath cautiously in Su Wu's presence.
"Senior Su..." One of the black-clad men, his voice trembling slightly, presented an antique sandalwood box with both hands. "The city lord ordered us to deliver this urgently. He said it's the first batch of compensation. If you're not satisfied, he'll personally search the treasury for more."
Su Wu glanced indifferently at the box.
That single glance sent chills down the spines of the two men, as if they were being stared down by a primordial beast.
"Alright, leave the box. Tell Pan Hong this matter is closed."
Su Wu casually accepted the box, as if it were a takeout order.
"Yes! Thank you, Senior! Thank you, Senior!" The two men, feeling as if they'd been granted a pardon, bowed deeply to Su Wu before fleeing Cloudtop Manor.
Su Wu closed the door, turned, and returned to the living room, placing the box on the marble coffee table.
"Dad, who was that?" Su Yu asked, wiping his hands as he approached, his eyes fixed on the ornate wooden box.
"Just a delivery guy," Su Wu replied casually, flicking his finger to unlock the combination lock.
Click.
The box sprang open, releasing a rich medicinal fragrance that instantly filled the living room.
Inside the box, nestled in a thick bed of golden velvet, lay three thumb-thick test tubes.
The tubes contained a shimmering jade-green liquid, like flowing emeralds, occasionally releasing tiny bubbles that seemed to pulse with vibrant life force.
Beside the tubes rested a thread-bound ancient book, its cover inscribed with three powerful, calligraphic characters: Sky-Piercing Blade.
"B-grade qi-blood potion—Azure Sea Dragon's Saliva," Su Wu recognized instantly. He had only glimpsed such things in his youth.
Pan Hong had truly spared no expense. Each of these potions could fetch over five million federal credits on the black market, and even then, they were rarely available.
"This is for you," Su Wu said, pushing the box toward his son.
"For me?" Su Yu froze, instinctively waving his hands. "Dad, this is too precious! And now that you're a Martial King, wouldn't these be better for you?"
"Silly boy," Su Wu chuckled softly, picking up a tube and holding it up to the light. "At the Martial King Realm, drinking a B-grade potion is no different from drinking sugar water—it won't enhance my cultivation even slightly. But for you, this is a miraculous elixir that will transform your very being."
With that, he pressed the box into Su Yu's arms, his gaze radiating unwavering encouragement.
"You're currently at the early stage of the Qi Blood Realm. Your foundation is solid, but you've only just broken through. These three potions are enough to stabilize your realm and even push you to the mid-stage. As for this Sky-Piercing Blade..."
Su Wu pointed to the ancient manual. "It's a hundred times more powerful than that common Wild Bull Fist I taught you before. The Wild Bull Fist trains brute strength, but the Sky-Piercing Blade cultivates killing intent. In this world, how can you protect yourself without a blade in your hand?" Read this novel at novelping . com for the best experience.
Su Yu clutched the heavy box, the potent medicinal aroma filling his senses. His eyes began to sting with emotion.
He wasn't foolish; he understood the value of these treasures.
This wasn't just about resources; it was his father paving a path to the heavens for him.
"Dad, I..."
"Enough with the sentimentality," Su Wu waved his hand, cutting off his son's emotional outburst. "I've only gotten you three days off. Spend them in the gravity chamber, completely absorbing everything."
"Yes! I understand!"
Su Yu took a deep breath, cradled the box, and turned toward the gravity training chamber on the first basement level.
The next three days were both hell and heaven for Su Yu.
The door to the gravity chamber remained tightly sealed.
Day 1
Su Yu sat cross-legged on the specially designed alloy floor, swallowing the first vial of Azure Sea Dragon's Saliva in one gulp.
For ordinary martial artists, even those at the late Qi Blood Realm, such a potent potion would require dilution with water and consumption in three separate doses.
But Su Yu remembered his father's words about his "special constitution." Steel in his resolve, he drained the entire vial in a single gulp.
Boom!
The liquid surged down his throat, instantly transforming into molten lava that coursed through his limbs and bones.
Agony!
It felt as if every blood vessel in his body was about to burst.
Just as Su Yu gritted his teeth, enduring the pain until he was on the verge of unconsciousness, the mysterious "black hole" in his dantian stirred once more.
This was the innate greed of the Chaos Body.
Buzz!
A miniature vortex of energy formed around Su Yu's body. The violently surging medicinal power, which had been rampaging through his veins, suddenly became docile, as if encountering its natural predator. The black hole devoured it with the voracity of a whale swallowing the sea.
In just half an hour, Su Yu had completely absorbed what would normally take an ordinary person a week to digest!
"This... this is what they mean by a special constitution?" Su Yu murmured, his face filled with shock as he felt his qi and blood surge with newfound vitality.
Without pausing, a ruthless glint flashed in his eyes as he reached for the second vial...
The next day, Su Yu had fully adapted to his surging power.
Stripped to the waist, he wielded a training alloy warblade, slashing wildly under twice the normal gravity.
The Sky-Piercing Blade technique emphasized speed and ferocity. Each strike aimed to cleave through the air, leaving nothing unscathed.
At first, his movements were clumsy, nearly slicing himself several times. But he persisted tirelessly, practicing once, twice, a thousand times...
Sweat poured down like rain, instantly evaporating from his overheated body.
Third day, dusk.
Inside the underground training chamber, Su Yu's eyes were bloodshot, yet his aura had reached its peak. He had exhausted all three B-grade potions.
The qi and blood within him surged like a raging river, its roar audible even outside his body, like muffled thunder.
"Break... through!!"
With a furious roar, Su Yu unleashed a devastating strike.
Shriek!
The air tore like fabric, emitting a piercing wail.
A visible, pale-white shockwave erupted from the blade, carving a half-inch-deep white gash into the alloy wall.
Simultaneously, a critical bottleneck within his body shattered open with a thunderous boom!
In the living room on the first floor, Su Wu sat with one leg crossed over the other, watching the evening news on the holographic television. He held a freshly brewed cup of premium Da Hong Pao tea, enjoying his leisurely moment.
Suddenly, a notification chimed:
Ding!
Detected: Offspring Su Yu has diligently cultivated, fully absorbing three B-grade potions and successfully advancing to the mid-stage of the Qi Blood Realm!
Father-Son Glory System: Offspring's realm advancement triggers amplified feedback for the host!
Synchronizing host's realm...
Boom!
The teacup in Su Wu's hand trembled slightly, but not a drop spilled. Yet within him, his power surged to new heights.
Mid-stage Martial King Realm!
Ding! Detected: Offspring Su Yu has practiced the Sky-Piercing Blade technique over a thousand times, achieving minor success...
Critical feedback triggered! Host's Sky-Piercing Blade technique automatically evolves to the Perfect Realm!
Congratulations, Host! You have comprehended the Sky-Piercing Blade Intent!
Buzz!
In an instant, an incomparably sharp aura flashed through Su Wu's body and vanished.
The genuine leather sofa in the living room, untouched by any external force, suddenly cracked with countless fine fissures, as if sliced by invisible blade energy.
Su Wu slowly closed his eyes, countless insights about swordsmanship flooding his mind like a surging tide.
What had once been just an ordinary secret manual, the Sky-Piercing Blade, now felt as if he had immersed himself in it for a century. He didn't even need to hold a blade; with a mere thought, the air itself could become his blade, wherever his gaze fell!
Huff...
This feeling... it's truly remarkable.
Su Wu set down his teacup, savoring the ocean-like power surging within him. A smug smile curled his lips, the satisfaction of effortless gain.
My son is sweating buckets downstairs while I'm upstairs sipping tea and leveling up.
Is this the joy of raising a son? Looks like I'll need to find Xiao Yu some more high-grade resources in the future.
Just then, the basement door burst open.
Su Yu, drenched in sweat but brimming with energy, charged upstairs, his face flushed with excitement.
"Dad! I broke through! Mid-stage Qi Blood Realm! And I've mastered the basics of the Sky-Piercing Blade too!"
Su Wu suppressed his overwhelming Sky-Piercing Blade Intent, reverting to his usual benevolent fatherly demeanor. He turned with a warm smile.
"Oh? Not bad, not bad at all."