"Grandmaster Shen’s place isn’t far. It’s Quiet Mountain Villa in the west of the city," Steward Chen said while driving. "The environment there is peaceful and quiet, perfect for recuperating. Grandmaster Shen went straight back after being discharged from the hospital. He said he felt uncomfortable staying there."
Watching the street scenes blur past the window, Xu Wuyi asked, "How is Grandmaster Shen recovering?"
"Very well." Steward Chen’s voice was filled with sincere relief.
"His complexion was much better when he returned yesterday, and this morning he even practiced his saber in the courtyard for a bit."
He glanced at Xu Wuyi in the rearview mirror. "It’s all thanks to you, Martial Artist Xu."
"I only did what I had to do," Xu Wuyi repeated. Regardless of what others might think, this was truly what he believed.
He had always believed his current success stemmed from three things: first, the uniqueness of the [Martial Arts Diligence Record]; second, the systematic support of the Federation; and finally, his own hard work.
Now that his Martial Arts were established, it was only natural for him to do something for the Federation.
The car drove through most of Xingjing City before finally entering a hilly area shrouded in lush greenery.
The density of buildings was noticeably lower here, consisting mostly of detached courtyard homes spaced far apart, offering excellent privacy.
Quiet Mountain Villa was situated halfway up a small hill. It didn’t cover a vast area, but its walls were high, and plainclothes guards stood watch at the entrance.
Xu Wuyi could sense that the guards all had a Life Energy Level of 30 or higher. Their sharp gazes marked them as elites.
Steward Chen presented his credentials, and the main gate slowly swung open.
As the car drove into the courtyard, the first thing Xu Wuyi saw was Shen Jin standing in front of the main building.
The Sword Emperor wasn’t in a hospital gown today. Instead, he wore a simple black training uniform, its sleeves rolled up to his forearms, revealing sturdy wrists.
He was standing under an old pagoda tree with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing up at the canopy, lost in thought.
Hearing the car, Shen Jin turned his head.
Their eyes met.
Xu Wuyi pushed the door open and got out. Shen Jin was already walking over.
"You’re awake?" Shen Jin sized him up, his gaze lingering on Xu Wuyi’s face for a few seconds. "Your complexion is better than yesterday, but you’re still a bit weak. Spiritual Power exhaustion is no small matter; you need to recover slowly."
"Thank you for your concern, Grandmaster Shen," Xu Wuyi said. "I’ve mostly recovered."
"’Mostly’ and ’fully’ are two different things," Shen Jin said, shaking his head. "Come in. Let’s not stand around talking outside."
He turned and walked toward the main building, his steps steady and powerful. It was impossible to tell that just two days ago, he had been lying in a hospital bed, on the verge of collapse from the corrosion of Sword Intention.
Xu Wuyi followed.
The furnishings inside the main building were simple, one might even say austere.
The living room contained only a few solid wood chairs, a coffee table, and a piece of calligraphy on the wall that read, "The Saber: Courage of a Hundred Weapons." Besides that, there were no other decorations.
"Sit." Shen Jin pointed to a chair and took the host’s seat himself. "I don’t stand on ceremony here. Just make yourself comfortable."
Steward Chen silently withdrew to prepare tea.
Only the two of them remained in the living room.
Shen Jin didn’t speak immediately. Instead, he studied Xu Wuyi closely. His gaze wasn’t one of scrutiny, but rather... observation.
"How old are you?" Shen Jin suddenly asked.
"Twenty-three," Xu Wuyi answered.
"Twenty-three years old, and already Level 47." Shen Jin nodded. "When I was your age, I was still struggling desperately to break through to the Innate Realm. Your generation is stronger than mine."
Xu Wuyi didn’t respond.
He knew Shen Jin hadn’t invited him over just to exchange pleasantries.
The two then chatted about Xu Wuyi’s judgment during his battle against the sword shadow. Just then, Steward Chen entered with a tea tray, set down two cups of clear tea, and silently withdrew again.
Shen Jin picked up his teacup and blew on the steam. "Do you know who Ye Yixin is?"
’Finally, he’s getting to the point.’
Xu Wuyi sat up straight. "I only know that he’s from the True Dragon Star Realm and is called ’Sword Sect.’ His Sword Dao is pure to the extreme. As for anything else... the military gave me Grandmaster Level clearance, but I haven’t had a chance to look at the files yet."
Shen Jin took a sip of tea, set down his cup, and said, "Ye Yixin, the True Dragon Star Realm’s Sword Sect of this generation, should be 127 years old this year."
One hundred and twenty-seven years old.
Xu Wuyi’s eyes narrowed slightly. That age wasn’t particularly old for a Grandmaster Level Martial Artist, but Ye Yixin’s image in the virtual battle had clearly been that of a young man around thirty.
"Ye Yixin’s status in the True Dragon Star Realm is equivalent to a Peak Grandmaster in the Federation, but the path he walks is more extreme," Shen Jin continued.
"In the True Dragon Star Realm... there are at least fifty other Martial Artists on the same level as Ye Yixin."
Xu Wuyi was stunned. The power of the True Dragon Star Realm far exceeded his imagination.
’One Ye Yixin was already terrifying enough, and there are fifty more of him in the True Dragon Star Realm?’
Shen Jin smiled and said, "The True Dragon Star Realm is, without a doubt, the number one Star Realm in our Star Realm Battlefield. It has, at a conservative estimate, one to two thousand Grandmaster Level Martial Artists."
"If it weren’t for their backward internal systems and constant infighting between major factions, leaving them far from united, they probably would have swept away all other civilizations long ago."
"I see..." Xu Wuyi murmured, understanding dawning on him. No wonder he felt that Ye Yixin’s Martial Arts were honed to perfection, as if forged through countless life-and-death battles.
’It probably wasn’t just a feeling; Ye Yixin had likely fought countless experts within his own Star Realm.’
’If there were one to two thousand at the Grandmaster Level, then the number of those who hadn’t reached that Realm, as well as those who had died trying, must be even greater.’
’In comparison, even if Federation Martial Artists wanted to walk this path, they simply didn’t have the means. There just weren’t that many opponents.’
’But, since the True Dragon Star Realm has so many experts, will I have a chance to fight them?’
As if reading Xu Wuyi’s mind, Shen Jin chuckled again. "The True Dragon Star Realm is located at the center of the battlefield, while our Star Yuan Federation is in the Northern Domain. There are tens of thousands of planes separating us."
"Even if you wanted to get there through a series of spatial jumps, the energy and time required would be astronomical."
Xu Wuyi opened his mouth, then sighed with a hint of resignation.
Shen Jin patted his shoulder and said, "If you truly want to fight those experts, then just keep getting stronger. Become a top-tier Grandmaster as soon as you can, and when that time comes..."
"You’ll have the chance to represent the Federation in battle, just as I did this time."
"In battle?" Xu Wuyi was confused. He didn’t understand what Shen Jin meant.
’If the Federation and the True Dragon Star Realm are so far apart, how could they possibly fight? And Shen Jin seems to know an awful lot about the True Dragon Star Realm...’
But Shen Jin just shook his head, offering no further explanation.
He simply said, "These things are core secrets of the Star Realm Battlefield. You don’t need to know too much right now."
"I can only tell you that this is a competition..."
"A competition between individuals, between civilizations, and even between different Star Realm Battlefields."
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