2025-01-01 16:37:06"Wind Sword Slash!" exclaimed an 8-year-old boy, encouraging himself amid sword practice.
He trains in a mini bamboo forest behind the Wudang Sect.
The little boy was named Eadric Rong.
The mini bamboo forest is part of the territory of the Wudang Sect, one of the strongest sects in the Wriston Kingdom.
Since this morning, Eadric Rong had been engrossed in practicing the sword technique known as the Nine Steps of the Wind Sword, a basic technique that all disciples in the Wudang Sect must master. However, Eadric Rong's physical condition was pitiful.
Since childhood, he never had any power in his body. Eadric Rong was born without the Pearl Core, the energy-gathering source at the center of the human body that is necessary for anyone who wants to pursue the path of cultivation and martial arts.
Without the Pearl Core, even if he had practiced the sword for a thousand years, all those moves would only have looked beautiful but would have been powerless.
Eadric Rong can be said to have been born with a congenital disability and was destined to be an ordinary person for the rest of his life.
By now, the sun was overhead. Sweat had drenched Eadric Rong's body, yet he had not stopped training.
"I have to keep trying. Even if I don't have pure air, at least practicing swordplay like this will have benefits later on!" thought Eadric Rong with determination.
Suddenly, a voice interrupted his training. "You're wasting your time practicing that kind of sword training. You'll only be wasting time swinging your sword, consuming the sect's resources while your body produces no pure air! Your movements are beautiful but meaningless!"
Eadric Rong was startled. He didn't want to look back to find out who was speaking. Without looking, he knew it must be Malakai Yan's voice. Malakai Yan was the only child of the deputy leader of the Wudang Sect, older than Eadric Rong.
Despite being 11 years old, he loved to bully Eadric Rong. In addition to the abuse and ridicule he had been subjected to, Eadric Rong had also been beaten to a pulp several times by Malakai Yan, all because of his inability to gather pure air while practicing martial arts.
Continuing to swing his sword in beautiful movements, Eadric Rong pretended not to care. "Hey, Eadric Rong, are you deaf? I've called you several times, but you pretend not to listen!" shouted Malakai Yan angrily. At this moment, Malakai Yan was sitting on the numerous rocky boulders at the back of the sect.
The Wudang Sect is located in Wudang Mountain, a mountain range on the Western side of the Wriston Kingdom. Seeing the unconcerned Eadric Rong practicing swordplay down there, an 8-year-old girl named Judith Tang heated Malakai Yan.
"Alright, Big Brother Wei, why don't you hit him? This Eadric Rong has no shame, still insisting on practicing swordplay when he doesn't have a Pearl Core. All the sect's resources are just going to waste!"
At that moment, Malakai Yan jumped off the rock he was sitting on, now about ten steps away from where Eadric Rong was practicing the sword. The swishing sound of the wooden sword could still be heard as Eadric Rong swung the wooden sword.
"Alright, let's beat him up as usual!" Another little boy's voice joined in, following the crowd. His name was Teddy Huo, and he was 10 years old. Malakai Yan, Judith Tang, and Teddy Huo were three friends. They loved to bully Eadric Rong.
As Eadric Rong continued to engage in sword practice, there was a sudden whistle, followed by a fist attack from Malakai Yan. "Fool! I'm still insisting on practicing martial arts! Today, I'll break your hand!"
According to the Swallow Striking Technique, Malakai Yan appeared to leap beautifully in a body-lightening motion. His hands formed a fist called the Lightning Fist. Although he was still young, Malakai Yan's fists were already capable of crushing goat-sized rocks.
"Feel the blow!" shouted Judith Tang without pity when she saw Malakai Yan's body flashing with the sound of fists like running water. "He's dead, at least maimed for life!" hissed Teddy Huo with sparkling eyes.
For some reason, this group of three children hated Eadric Rong so much. Eadric Rong had never done anything wrong to them—the desire to oppress the weak seeped into the children's souls.
The principle may have influenced this in the Kingdom of Wriston: "Stay strong and mighty, for the strong will oppress the weak!"
As the four pairs of eyes waited for Eadric Rong to be knocked down by Malakai Yan's Lightning Fist, suddenly, something strange happened. Eadric Rong spun the wooden sword in his hand with an agile and highly nimble movement. The sound of the sword squeaked as if it possessed the power of pure air.
"This - this... how did it happen? Isn't he unable to gather pure air?" cried Judith Tang and Teddy Huo simultaneously.
However, something interesting happened to Malakai Yan. When the tip of Eadric Rong's sword turned, magically like the style of a swordplay expert, Eadric Rong shifted the direction of the wooden blade. Suddenly, the sword's movement locked onto Malakai Yan's chest.
"Wretch! How can he be this strong?" Malakai Yan complained softly.
Boxing and swords are two different techniques. Fists rely on short distances, while swords from longer distances. Of course, before the Lightning Fist struck Eadric Rong, the tip of the wooden sword had first stabbed into Malakai Yan's chest.
Boom!
Malakai Yan was pushed back and fell, rolling over from losing balance. Judith Tang and Teddy Huo were wide-eyed in disbelief. "Could it be that this Eadric Rong has the movement speed of a swordsman who has practiced for decades?"
Continued
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After rolling for six rounds, Malakai Yan stopped as his body hit a rock. He tried to stand up, but his head felt dizzy, and everything in front of his eyes appeared as mere shadows.Although there was no pain from the stab in his chest, the attack left a shocking mark. What's more, he felt incredibly embarrassed. It had never occurred to him that Eadric Rong, who had always been the victim of bullies, had enough sword skills to take him down.With his two best friends, who had always faithfully followed his orders, standing by and witnessing his defeat, Malakai Yan's mind was worried about his reputation being ruined if word got out.In his rage, Malakai Yan pulled out a sword. Unlike the wooden sword Eadric Rong was using, this was a real sword and looked dangerous. The sword's light glittered in the sunlight as Malakai Yan pointed it at Eadric Rong with a trembling voice."It turns out you have a little ability," Malakai Yan said, shivering angrily. His voice rose even higher. "You
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At that crucial moment, when the tip of Malakai Yan's sword seemed about to split Eadric Rong's body in two, there was suddenly a loud noise.KRAK!With unbelievable speed, a pebble bounced off and struck his sword."Ouch!" Malakai Yan winced in pain.When the stone touched his sword, he felt electricity sting his hand, jolting his heartbeat. His sword slipped out and fell, clinking to the ground.A moment later, Malakai Yan raised his head and looked for who did that. "Who dares to stand in my way? Come out and show yourself! We'll fight to the finish!" His voice was full of arrogance.Malakai Yan dared to act as he pleased all this time because he relied on his father, the deputy leader of the Wudang Sect. So, no one dared to challenge him.The atmosphere became quiet, with only the wind rustling.Not long after, a man around thirty-two years old emerged from behind a rock. His face was solemn, and he was wearing the clothes and robes commonly worn by elders in the Wudang Sect.His
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If his actions were reported to his father, then Malakai Yan was sure that his father would not hesitate to expel him from the Wudang Sect."We have to go!" snapped Malakai Yan harshly as he pulled his two friends, Judith Tang and Teddy Huo, to leave the place. The two of them followed Malakai Yan back to the residences of the inner court disciples in the Wudang Sect.Since Elder Juric Teng's arrival, the audience of Wudang Sect's outer court disciples had immediately dispersed. No one dared comment after this stern elder's arrival.After things quietened, Elder Juric Teng flicked his sleeves and disappeared in a light movement.At that moment, Millie Xiao immediately ran towards Eadric Rong, who was still on the ground from the blow. Malakai Yan's sword had almost taken his life."Eadric Rong, are you okay?" the girl asked as she scrutinized Eadric Rong's body, looking for signs of injury."Ah, they're all just minor scratches. They'll heal over time," Eadric Rong replied as he took
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The sky was dark that night, with black clouds rolling over the horizon. The moonlight failed to penetrate through the gaps in the clouds, leaving silence in the secluded outer courtyard of the student village.However, the silence was interrupted by whispers and the bustle of three small children."Let's drag him to the Bamboo Forest near here. It's impossible to arouse suspicion!" a boy whispered."Shouldn't we wrap him up to avoid suspicion?" a girl's voice was heard."Can't you two shut up? You've been arguing with each other with no action at all! Now, let's drag this cheap kid away. There's no need to wrap him up in anything. It's too much of a waste of resources for a talentless kid who doesn't have a Pearl Core at the center of his life!" snapped the other boy, making the two boys who were previously arguing instantly fall silent.Two boys immediately dragged Eadric Rong's body while the girl swept away the footprints using leaves. Their demeanor looked like that of profession
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He was trying to stand up from the pile of leaves arranged like a mattress, feeling and becoming increasingly convinced that he was indeed at the bottom of the ravine when a voice startled him."Good! You've come to your senses?" the voice said, making Eadric Rong realize he wasn't alone. The voice echoed, sounding close but as if it came from far away.Eadric Rong initially thought he was alone at the bottom of this abyss. From feeling shocked, he now felt happy. "S-who is it?"Silence.The sound of someone coughing was heard next.Uhuk!The coughing sound came from a small crack in the abyss wall. While enduring the pain in his body, Eadric Rong hobbled toward the sound's direction, which was precisely at the cave-shaped rock crevice.The cave was dark and gloomy, probably due to the lack of sunlight entering it. However, Eadric Rong's eyes quickly adapted, and he could see clearly inside the cave.Gasp!An older man sat with his eyes closed. His body was very thin, similar to a liv
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Although it was cramped, it provided the peace and quiet that Eadric Rong needed.Right now, the moon hangs over the horizon, and the air feels very cold.Winter is here, and although snow has not yet covered the ground, the air is already cold enough to make many people choose to stay indoors, reducing their outdoor activities.So, don't be surprised when it's the Hai Shi period, or 21:00 - 23:00, the streets of Tangye City are very quiet. No one is wandering around. Even traveling food vendors who usually use carts or carrying poles are nowhere to be seen on the streets.However, on that dark night, a shadowy figure seemed to dart from within the temple. It leapt from the railing of the Sanqing Temple wall, its movements quick and agile, like an eagle flying high in the sky.The figure moved powerfully, not making the slightest sound as his feet hit the ground. If you look closely, he is our hero - Eadric Rong.Eadric Rong, with his keen eyes and trained sensibilities, felt every gu
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