Star-Sea University was not a school. It was a city-state floating in the sky, governed by the rule of the strong.
The campus was divided into four massive floating islands: North (Alchemists), East (Mages), West (Beast Tamers), and South (Combat Cultivators).
Jiang Chen was assigned to the South Block.
"Freshmen! Listen up!"
A senior student, wearing a red armband and holding a spiked club, stood on a podium in the South Block Plaza. Behind him, dozens of other seniors grinned maliciously.
"Welcome to the Tradition of Entry!" The senior roared. "In South Block, we don't care about your grades. We care about your fists. Every freshman must pay a 'Protection Fee' of 100 Contribution Points to the Student Council. If you don't have points... we take your limbs."
The crowd of hundreds of freshmen murmured in fear. Most had zero points.
"This is extortion!" One brave boy shouted. "I'm reporting you to the instructors!"
The senior laughed. "The instructors? They're betting on how long you last."
He jumped down.
CRACK.
He smashed his club into the brave boy's knee. The boy screamed, collapsing.
"Anyone else want to complain?" The senior sneered.
Silence.
Then, footsteps.
Clack. Clack. Clack.
Jiang Chen walked out of the crowd. He wore his torn, bloodstained clothes. His heavy sword was wrapped in bandages on his back.
He walked past the screaming boy. He didn't look at him. He looked at the Senior.
"You," Jiang Chen said.
The Senior frowned. "What? You want to pay first?"
"No," Jiang Chen unslung his sword. "I want to know where the Mission Hall is."
The Senior blinked. "The Mission Hall? You think you can just walk past me?"
"I'm in a hurry," Jiang Chen said honestly. "I need points to buy food."
"Arrogant trash!" The Senior swung his spiked club at Jiang Chen's head.
Jiang Chen didn't draw his sword.
He caught the club.
With his bare hand.
THUD.
The spikes dug into his palm, but they didn't pierce the skin. His 10th Stage skin was tougher than iron.
"What..." The Senior's eyes bulged.
Jiang Chen squeezed.
CRUNCH.
The metal handle of the club crumpled like a soda can.
"You're weak," Jiang Chen said boredly.
He pulled the senior forward and headbutted him.
SPLAT.
The Senior's nose exploded in a shower of blood. He flew backward, crashing into the podium.
"Next?" Jiang Chen looked at the other seniors.
They stepped back, terrified. This freshman smelled like a slaughterhouse.
"The Mission Hall," Jiang Chen repeated. "Where is it?"
A trembling senior pointed North.
"Thanks."
Jiang Chen walked away. The freshmen stared at his back in awe.
"Who is that?"
"That's the guy with the 1 Million Bounty..."
The Mission Hall.
The hall was a cavernous building filled with holographic screens listing tasks.
[Rank F: Clean the Beast Stables - 10 Points]
[Rank D: Gather Spirit Herbs - 50 Points]
[Rank C: Hunt Iron-Boar - 100 Points]
"Too slow," Jiang Chen scrolled past them. "I need thousands."
He scrolled to the Rank S section. These missions were marked with skulls.
[Rank S: Explore the 'Sword Tomb' Ruins.]
[Objective: Retrieve an Ancient Sword Fragment.]
[Reward: 5,000 Points + Access to the Spirit Library.]
[Warning: High Mortality Rate. Sword Intent kills instantly.]
"Sword Tomb," Jiang Chen's eyes lit up. "Perfect."
He walked to the counter. The receptionist was a bored-looking girl chewing gum.
"I want to take the Sword Tomb mission."
The girl laughed. "Freshman? You can't. You need to be Qi Gathering 3rd Stage minimum."
"I insist."
"Look, kid, I don't want to clean up your corpse—"
SLAM.
Jiang Chen slammed his Cold-Iron Heavy Sword onto the counter. The marble cracked.
"I insist," Jiang Chen repeated.
The girl swallowed her gum. She looked at the sword, then at his eyes.
"Fine. Sign the death waiver."
Sector 7: The Sword Tomb.
The Tomb wasn't a building. It was a canyon scarred by ancient battles. The cliffs were riddled with thousands of swords—some rusted, some broken, some glowing with faint, undying light.
The air here was sharp. Literally.
Jiang Chen stood at the entrance. A gust of wind blew past him, and a thin cut appeared on his cheek.
"Sword Intent," Jiang Chen wiped the blood. "The lingering will of warriors dead for five hundred years."
Most students were meditating at the entrance, afraid to go deeper.
Jiang Chen walked past them.
"Hey! Don't go in there!" A student shouted. "The pressure will crush your organs!"
Jiang Chen ignored him. He walked into the Zone of Death.
The pressure descended. It felt like walking through a storm of razor blades.
Slash. Slash.
His clothes were shredded. Cuts appeared on his arms.
But Jiang Chen smiled.
His Void Body was waking up. It wasn't hurt by the intent. It was drinking it.
[System: Sword Intent Absorbed.]
[XP +50.]
"More," Jiang Chen whispered.
He walked deeper. 100 meters. 200 meters.
At 500 meters, he saw a skeleton sitting in a lotus position. It held a rusty sword.
[Remnant Will Detected.]
The skeleton stood up. Blue fire burned in its eyes.
"Intruder," the skeleton hissed.
Jiang Chen drew his heavy sword.
"Finally," he grinned, blood running down his face. "Sparring partner."
CLANG.
He clashed with the skeleton.
The skeleton was fast. It used a technique Jiang Chen had never seen—Flowing Water Sword. It deflected Jiang Chen's heavy blows effortlessly.
Cut.
A deep gash appeared on Jiang Chen's shoulder.
"Again!" Jiang Chen roared.
He didn't retreat. He attacked like a madman. He let the skeleton cut him just so he could get close enough to punch it.
Smash.
He shattered the skeleton's ribs.
Cut.
The skeleton sliced his leg.
It was a brutal, bloody exchange. Jiang Chen was learning. With every cut, his body adapted. With every clash, his heavy sword absorbed the intent.
One hour later.
Jiang Chen stood over the pile of shattered bones. He was covered in wounds, but he was glowing.
[Skill Unlocked: Heavy Sword Intent (Level 1).]
[Effect: Attacks carry the weight of a mountain.]
"Level 1," Jiang Chen panted. "Not enough."
He looked deeper into the canyon. At the end, he saw a massive, glowing sword stuck in a stone.
The True Inheritance.
"I'm coming for you."
But as he stepped forward, a shadow blocked his path.
A girl.
She had silver hair and wore a white dress that was untouched by the dust. She floated slightly off the ground.
She looked at Jiang Chen's bloody form with cold, indifferent eyes.
[Name: ???]
[Rank: ???]
"You're noisy," she said softly. "Go away. You're disturbing my nap."
Jiang Chen gripped his sword. His instincts screamed DANGER.
"This is a public ruin," Jiang Chen rasped.
"Not anymore," the girl raised a finger. "It's mine now."
A wave of Ice Sword Intent erupted from her. It was ten times stronger than the skeleton's.
Jiang Chen's knees buckled. The ground froze instantly.
"Kneel," she commanded.
Jiang Chen looked up. His eyes turned black. Demonification.
"I don't kneel."
He charged.
The girl's eyes widened slightly. "Oh? A rabid dog?"
She drew a translucent ice sword.
"Let's see if you can bite."