Liu Feng, the Student Council Executive, moved with the grace of a fencer and the arrogance of a king.
"Cut him down," Liu Feng ordered, pointing his rapier at Jiang Chen.
Two of his lackeys—Qi Gathering 5th Stage elites—charged. One wielded dual daggers, the other a heavy battle axe.
"I'll take the big guy!" the axe-wielder roared, leaping into the air. "Sky Splitter!"
Jiang Chen stood still. He looked exhausted. His chest was heaving, blood dripping from his nose. To the seniors, he looked like easy prey.
"Cover me," Jiang Chen whispered.
"Always," Bai Xi replied.
Snap.
Bai Xi flicked her wrist. The moisture in the air condensed instantly.
A sheet of ice formed right under the axe-wielder's landing spot.
Slip.
The senior landed, lost his footing, and flailed. His axe swing went wide, smashing into the ground instead of Jiang Chen.
"What the—?!"
Jiang Chen stepped forward.
"Gravity is a bitch."
He swung his heavy sword.
THWACK.
He hit the axe-wielder in the side like a golf ball. The senior's ribs shattered. He flew sideways, crashing into the dagger user. Both went down in a tangle of limbs.
"Two down," Jiang Chen counted.
"Useless!" Liu Feng snarled. "Formation B!"
The remaining two lackeys flanked them. Liu Feng himself dashed forward, his rapier glowing with Wind Qi.
"You're fast," Liu Feng sneered, thrusting at Jiang Chen's eyes. "But can you block this?"
Wind Style: Thousand Needle Thrust.
The rapier blurred, becoming a dozen phantom blades.
Jiang Chen couldn't block them all.
"Bai Xi!"
"I know!"
Bai Xi stepped in front of Jiang Chen. She didn't block. She spun.
Ice Art: Mirror Reflection.
She created a wall of smooth ice.
Liu Feng's rapier hit the ice. It didn't pierce; it skidded off the slick surface.
"Now!" Bai Xi shouted.
Jiang Chen lunged from behind the ice wall.
"Peekaboo."
He didn't use his sword. It was too slow for Liu Feng.
He used his Demon Arm.
He grabbed Liu Feng's rapier blade.
Sizzle.
The wind Qi cut his palm, but his grip was iron.
"Let go!" Liu Feng panicked, trying to pull back.
"You want it back?" Jiang Chen grinned, blood staining his teeth. "Here."
He headbutted Liu Feng.
CRACK.
Liu Feng's nose broke. He stumbled back, dazed.
"My nose! Do you know how much surgery costs?!"
Jiang Chen didn't stop. He kicked Liu Feng in the stomach, sending him sprawling.
He walked over to the fallen "Prince" of the Student Council. He placed his boot on Liu Feng's chest.
The other lackeys froze. Their leader was down.
"You..." Liu Feng wheezed, terror finally replacing arrogance. "If you hurt me, the President will—"
"Confiscation," Jiang Chen interrupted.
He reached down and ripped the storage ring off Liu Feng's finger.
"You said it yourself. All loot belongs to the strong."
He looked at the other lackeys.
"Rings. Now. Or I break his other leg."
The lackeys scrambled to throw their rings onto the floor.
Jiang Chen kicked Liu Feng away. "Get lost. Before I change my mind."
The Student Council members picked up their groaning leader and fled, leaving their dignity (and their wealth) behind.
The Aftermath.
The tomb was silent again.
Jiang Chen picked up the rings. He tossed two to Bai Xi.
"Your share."
Bai Xi caught them. She looked at him, then at the Scroll Case on the pedestal.
"And the scroll?" she asked.
Jiang Chen walked to the pedestal. He picked up the case.
He opened it.
Inside was an ancient scroll: The Star-Splitter Sword Art.
But hidden inside the hollow roller of the scroll was something else.
A small, jagged shard of white metal.
[System Alert: Sword Sovereign's Fragment (Tip of the Blade) Detected.]
Jiang Chen took the shard. He handed the scroll to Bai Xi.
"I want the metal," Jiang Chen said. "You take the manual. That's fair, right?"
Bai Xi blinked. "You're giving me an Earth-Tier technique for a piece of scrap metal?"
"It's shiny," Jiang Chen shrugged. "I like shiny things."
In reality, the Fragment was worth ten manuals to him. It was the key to upgrading his System access.
Bai Xi stared at him for a long moment. A faint blush colored her pale cheeks.
"You are... strange," she muttered, tucking the scroll away. "But acceptable."
"Let's go," Jiang Chen turned to leave. "I'm starving."
Dorm 303.
Jiang Chen returned to his room late at night. Lu Feng wasn't there.
He sat on his bed and held the White Fragment.
"System. Absorb."
Hum.
The shard dissolved into white light and shot into his forehead.
[Sword Sovereign Inheritance: 20% Unlocked.]
[Reward: Sword Intent Upgrade.]
[Heavy Sword Intent -> Chaos Sword Intent (Level 1).]
Information flooded his brain. It wasn't just about weight anymore. It was about Destruction. Chaos Sword Intent didn't just crush; it disintegrated.
He checked his stats.
[Realm: Body Tempering 10th Stage (Perfect).]
[Ready for Qi Gathering Breakthrough.]
"I have the foundation," Jiang Chen whispered. "I have the resources."
He looked at the Beast King Core and the Sentinel Core he had looted.
"Time to become a Cultivator."
He swallowed the Beast King Core.
BOOM.
His body exploded with red light.
But just as he began to meditate, his phone buzzed.
[Public Announcement: Student Council Decree.]
[Target: Jiang Chen (Freshman).]
[Crime: Assaulting an Officer.]
[Penalty: Public Execution in the Arena tomorrow at noon.]
Jiang Chen looked at the message.
He didn't panic. He smiled.
"Public Execution?"
He closed his eyes, the red light of the breakthrough swirling around him.
"Perfect. I need an audience for my debut."