Volume One: The Demon God's Young Master Chapter 5: The Enchanted Pool Encounter

Before long, a disciple at the fifth level of the Initial Profound Realm stepped out from the crowd, his face full of arrogance.

Liu Rouxue’s lips curled into a faint smile. In the blink of an eye, with a single thrust, she pierced through the disciple’s topknot.

"Senior Brother, had I aimed for your throat, you would be a corpse by now!"

Liu Rouxue’s expression was as cold as frost.

The senior brother’s face flushed red, cold sweat sliding down his forehead. He swallowed hard and retreated slowly, only letting out a breath of relief once the tip of the sword was withdrawn from his hair.

This strike was so fast that the onlookers saw only a flash of light. By the time they reacted, the disciple of the fifth level of the Initial Profound Realm had been easily defeated by Liu Rouxue, who was only at the third level. He hadn't even had the chance to form a sword seal or draw his own blade.

Qi Yu, who had been practicing thrusts nearby without pause, merely said, "Xue'er, you’ve grown lazy. I punish you with one hundred extra thrusts today!"

Liu Rouxue sheathed her sword, stuck out her tongue, and nodded obediently. "I know, Brother Qi Yu. But you’ll keep me company for those hundred extra thrusts, won't you?"

Qi Yu smiled helplessly.

From that day on, no one dared to mock the two for their repetitive, tedious daily practice of sword thrusts.

Recalling these memories, Qi Yu stood up, gripped his sword, Hanchan, and thrust it forward.

"Therefore, I cannot be lazy today either. I am still a million thrusts away from the ten-million mark!"

Yaoyao rested her chin in her hands, watching Qi Yu thrust repeatedly. Her head bobbed as she nearly drifted off to sleep. "Truly boring, dull, and tedious."

Qi Yu practiced for two hours, his sweat falling to the ground in crystalline droplets with every movement.

For the final strike, Qi Yu gathered his momentum, a thin layer of spiritual energy coating the blade of Hanchan.

"Swish!"

A silver sword aura bloomed, though it dissipated into nothingness almost immediately.

Qi Yu panted, an irrepressible smile on his face. His cultivation had reached the fifth level of the Initial Profound Realm, and he could vaguely feel the threshold of the sixth.

"I want to participate in next year’s Sword Sect Grand Competition."

Hearing this, Yaoyao’s eyes lit up. "Is the Grand Competition very lively?"

Qi Yu nodded. "Yes, the triennial Grand Competition is the most grand festival of the Sword Sect. All disciples can participate, and many people from outside regions come to watch. Whoever takes the top spot can compete for the position of Saint or Saintess of the sect."

It was in her second year at the sect that Liu Rouxue, through diligent cultivation, reached the Entering Profound Realm and qualified for the competition. Through talent and perseverance, she defeated all opponents to become the Sword Sect’s Saintess.

Yaoyao pondered for a moment. "Do you want to compete for the title of Saint?"

Qi Yu fell silent for a moment before shaking his head decisively. "No. I only want to prove to everyone that my father was no coward, and that I am no wastrel. I want to be worthy of Sister Liu Rouxue!"

Yaoyao giggled. "Then you must work hard!"

Qi Yu nodded with unwavering determination.

Half a year passed in the blink of an eye. One day, Qi Yu walked to the waterfall and peered into the deep pool.

After staring for a while, he asked with confusion, "Sister Yaoyao, you said my destiny lies within this pool, but I’ve been here for over half a year. Why haven't I found it yet?"

Yaoyao appeared on a large rock behind him, feigning mystery. "True destiny is not so easily found."

Qi Yu sighed heavily. There was logic in her words, so he stripped off his clothes and jumped into the pool to catch fish.

A moment later, he emerged with a plump carp and headed toward the cave, feeling cheerful. He did not notice that, in the deepest part of the pool, a massive eye had suddenly snapped open.

The eye, with a vertical pupil, rolled twice before quietly closing again.

Yaoyao sat on the rock by the water, her eyes fixed on the depths, her lips curling slightly.

"Sister Yaoyao, we should head back!"

Only when Qi Yu called out did she turn around and stand up.

Inside the cave, Qi Yu set the carp over the fire and summoned Hanchan to practice thrusts against the bare stone wall.

Yaoyao sat on the wooden bed, noticing that every time Qi Yu thrust his sword, a few stone fragments fell from the wall, and he struck the exact same spot with perfect precision.

Qi Yu was naturally a persistent person. Now that he had cultivation, he was more convinced than ever that Chen Qingming, a fellow sword cultivator, had not lied to him.

An hour later, a sword-shaped groove had appeared in the bare rock.

"Hmm, what is that smell?"

Qi Yu stopped and turned to the fire, only to find the fish charred beyond recognition.

Yaoyao hopped off the bed, placed the burnt fish on the table, and tapped Qi Yu’s shoulder. "Qi Yu, while diligence can compensate for lack of talent, rigidity will lead to fixed thinking. Sometimes, you need to be flexible."

She took Hanchan from his hand. As she held the blade, her entire aura turned chillingly cold, her temperament undergoing a radical transformation.

"It is time to teach you a sword technique. It is called 'God-Slayer'! It consists of nine strikes. It is ferociously intense; there is no victory or defeat, only life or death! It focuses on intent, not the moves themselves!"

"Watch the techniques first, then memorize the mental formula!"

Yaoyao performed a flourish, and suddenly, sword shadows flickered within the cave. The sound of air being torn filled the space. In her hands, Hanchan chopped, hacked, parried, and thrust—the movements were fluid, like flowing water, completed in one breath.

Hanchan hummed, seemingly resonating with Yaoyao, ringing with a sharp, metallic sound.

Yaoyao finished with a heavy stomp, and the cave shook as if the earth itself were trembling.

Qi Yu stood stunned, dumbfounded.

Yaoyao sheathed the sword and turned to him. "Well? Did you see clearly?"

Qi Yu, his mouth agape, shook his head blankly.

Yaoyao chuckled. "Like a block of wood!"

Qi Yu scratched his head and took the sword, attempting to mimic her. However, his chops and parries were incredibly clumsy, and his footwork was unsteady.

Yaoyao frowned, critiquing him without mercy: "Aside from the thrust, which is decent, the rest of your moves look like those of a cripple!"

Qi Yu pressed his lips together and practiced again. After five attempts, Yaoyao’s expression softened slightly, though it remained grim.

"Sigh, there is plenty of time. Go catch more fish."

Suppressing her anger, she threw the charred fish into the fire. She had hoped that if he could release sword aura, he might be a genius, but it turned out he was still a rough, unpolished stone.

"Oh."

Qi Yu responded, sheathed his sword, and jogged out of the cave.

The practice had left him covered in sweat, his clothes clinging to him. He dove into the water. As he swam to the bank with a fish in hand, he caught sight of a figure on the shore.

It was a small figure in red—definitely not Yaoyao. Qi Yu quickly turned to look and saw a little girl.

She looked about seven or eight years old, with round cheeks, bright black eyes, and a long braid. She sat on a rock by the pool, dangling her pale, delicate feet in the water, watching Qi Yu with curiosity.

Qi Yu paused. "Huh?"

The little girl smiled faintly, revealing two dimples.

Qi Yu looked around, but there was no one else. "Little sister, how did you get here?"

This was deep in the mountains; no one usually came here. How had she appeared out of thin air?

The girl stood up, walked toward him barefoot, and pointed at the fish in his hand. Her voice was childish and sweet. "Big Brother, can I eat your fish?"

Qi Yu was surprised she asked for food so directly, but he nodded. "Sure, but it needs to be roasted first. Come with me."

The girl smiled, took his hand with practiced ease, and walked toward the cave.