I have a sword

Chapter 3 Once fallen from grace, one is treated worse than a dog.
An indeterminate amount of time passed before Ye Xuan slowly opened his eyes, as if sensing something profound. He abruptly sat up, incredulously exclaiming, "I've reached the Qi Transformation Realm?"
Qi Transformation Realm!
This realization dawned upon him because he could now feel a flow within his body, no—it wasn't qi flow, it was sword qi! Moreover, he sensed a tiny silver sword hovering above his dantian, located in his lower abdomen.
At that moment, the mysterious woman's voice echoed, "You have indeed reached the Qi Transformation Realm."
Confirmed, he had truly attained the Qi Transformation Realm!
Ye Xuan clenched his fists, his entire body trembling, not out of anger but sheer excitement. Like discovering a glimmer of light in the darkest abyss after hitting rock bottom, the prospect of newfound hope left him exhilarated.
Most importantly, he now had a real chance to advance to the Controlling Qi Realm, enabling him to take his sister to the Imperial Capital's Cangmu Academy for medical treatment.
"You're excited about what?" the mysterious woman suddenly interjected. "This is just the beginning."
Feeling sheepish, Ye Xuan chuckled awkwardly, "Apologies if I've embarrassed myself in front of Senior."
The woman explained, "Using a sword as your dantian compensates for your lack of a true dantian, but it comes with drawbacks. Swords can be categorized into mundane swords, spirit swords, bright swords, true swords, heavenly swords, dao swords, and immortal swords. The sword within you was once a true sword, but over a millennium of erosion has caused its essence of 'truth' to dissipate, along with its clarity of sword intent. Now, it's merely a spirit sword."
Pausing for a moment, she continued, "The spirit of a sword has an expiration date; once it fades away, the sword will shatter, and you'll be the first to perish."
Ye Xuan's expression froze.
She then presented two solutions: "First, continually find new spirit swords to devour; doing so will not only strengthen you but also replenish the spiritual energy of the sword within you. Second, replace the sword in your body with a new one. The better the sword, the better your pseudo-dantian will be, thus enhancing your overall strength. However, considering you seem like a pauper who might not even own a mundane sword!"
Recalling something, Ye Xuan hurriedly asked, "What about the three swords at the top of the tower? What level are they?"
The woman coolly replied, "They are level-less."
Ye Xuan: "...."
She went on, "Young man, I advise against entertaining unrealistic notions. Were it not for those three swords, your world would have met its end long ago. The matter of swords can wait; your immediate concern should be practicing swordsmanship."
Swordsmanship!
Eagerly, Ye Xuan inquired, "How do I practice?"
"By killing!" the woman declared.
Ye Xuan: "....."
She elaborated, "The sword is a lethal weapon; only through killing can you truly grasp its subtleties. For now, you need to focus on speed and strength. Use the sword mantra I taught you to summon the sword within your body!"
Momentarily stunned, Ye Xuan closed his eyes slowly. Soon, a strand of sword light flickered in his palm, followed by a sword levitating above it.
It was the silver Ling Xiao Sword from within his body!
Stunned, Ye Xuan asked, "Senior, this sword can be summoned out?"
The woman replied, "Yes, but refrain from using it in battles because if it's destroyed, you'll die. You currently lack a worthy opponent; I'll find one for you!"
With her words, a phantom shadow materialized before Ye Xuan.
She said, "The shadow in front of you is also at the Qi Transformation Realm, matching your current level. Begin!"
As soon as the woman finished speaking, the ethereal shadow vanished from its spot!
Ye Xuan's pupils contracted; the shadow's speed was remarkable. Reacting instinctively, he sidestepped, but the sword seemed to predict his movement, changing direction at the last moment.
Just as Ye Xuan landed, the sword pierced his chest!
Blood spilled!
Ye Xuan stared in disbelief before protesting, "Senior, isn't this supposed to be practice? Why is it for real? Also, you haven't taught me any sword techniques or moves!"
The woman's voice turned icy, "Practice? A sword cultivator's deadliest move is never learned through practice, but honed through actual combat. The shadow in front of you is both an enemy and a teacher. If you're clever, it will teach you all basic sword techniques. Injury is the best teacher; understand that? As for sword skills and moves, there's no rush; building a solid foundation is crucial!"
After pondering for a moment, Ye Xuan nodded decisively, "I understand."
With that, he thrust his right foot against the ground and charged forth.
Inside the tower, Ye Xuan sustained more injuries, but his fighting spirit only intensified.
Over the course of several days, Ye Xuan gradually adapted to learning from the shadow's sword techniques. Each injury he suffered became a lesson in avoiding future harm. After three grueling days of battle, he started getting injured less often. Although he hadn't mastered any specific sword moves, he learned when to strike, when to hold back, when to block, and when to dodge—all lessons hard-earned through blood and sweat.
The harsh sparring sessions were brutal but incredibly effective. In another couple of days, Ye Xuen began mounting counterattacks. He found the shadow's defensive capabilities to be exceptional, far surpassing his own previous efforts. Its defense seemed impenetrable; every one of his strikes was deftly countered. Despite the challenge, this provided him with valuable insights into how to improve his defense.
In the passage of time, Ye Xuan devoted himself almost entirely to training within the tower, day and night, relentlessly dueling with the shadow. Consequently, his power, speed, and reaction time grew exponentially stronger than before.
Meanwhile, outside the tower in the Ye Estate...
Ye Ku entered the Elder's quarters, his face brimming with excitement. "Elder," he reported, "I have investigated the incident at Nanshan. Though our dispatched assassins failed to kill Ye Xuan, survivors from the Li family witnessed that Ye Xuan's dantian was shattered!"
Upon hearing this, the Elder's eyes snapped open. "Are you sure?"
Ye Ku nodded affirmatively. "Absolutely certain. I personally questioned the survivor; Ye Xuan's dantian has indeed been destroyed beyond repair."
The Elder cackled coldly. "It seems fate itself seeks to bring down Ye Xuan. Without a dantian, one is no more than a brute. Only those with intact dantians can be considered martial artists. With his dantian broken, Ye Xuan is effectively a cripple—powerful though he may be, he lacks the essential control over qi that defines a true powerhouse."
Moments later, the Elder commanded sternly, "Ye Ku, gather everyone to eliminate him, to prevent future troubles!"
But Ye Ku demurred, shaking his head. "That wouldn't be wise. Ye Xuan has made significant contributions to the Ye Family. Killing him now would cause internal strife and disillusionment among many within the estate. Furthermore, since Ye Lang has recently taken the position of heir and holds a life-and-death agreement with Ye Xuan, eliminating him now would raise suspicions among outsiders. It could also give rise to conspiracy theories from the Li family and others."
The Elder furrowed his brows. "So, what's your suggestion?"
Ye Ku smiled slyly. "Since Ye Lang has that life-and-death duel with Ye Xuan, let Ye Lang defeat him legally. This way, there won't be any accusations, and Ye Lang can establish his dominance while earning fame in Qingcheng City. Besides, once they step onto the Life-and-Death Platform, even if the Clan Master returns, he won't be able to intervene."
The Elder pondered this and agreed, "Alright, since he's now powerless without a dantian, he poses no real threat anyway."
However, the Elder's eyes darkened with malice as he ordered further measures against Ye Xuan: "From now on, cut off their monthly allowance and meals. Revoke all privileges and special treatment Ye Xuan enjoyed as the former heir. Prohibit him from entering the Ye Family's Martial Arts Library, forbid him from leaving the Ye Estate unaccompanied. And stop providing medicinal food for his sister, Ye Ling, due to her chronic illness. If not for his past usefulness, she too would have been expelled long ago."
Ye Ku added with a sneer, "Without his dantian, he's practically useless now."
Back inside the Boundless Prison Tower, Ye Xuan lay panting heavily on the ground, his body covered in sword wounds. Although painful, he could use his newly acquired qi to heal these injuries to some extent. Despite the pain, his growth over these few days was immense; his already formidable combat prowess had improved significantly.
The mysterious woman's voice sounded again, asking, "How do you feel?"
With a grin, Ye Xuan replied, "Great!"
She warned him, "This is just the start. The path ahead will be much harder, especially for someone walking the sword path without a dantian. There will be countless hardships."
Closing his eyes, Ye Xuan answered firmly, "I'm not afraid of hardships. Growing up in the Ye Family with my sister, we've faced numerous challenges together. Becoming the heir without any backing meant I had to fight tooth and nail. And now, with the opportunity to reach the Controlling Qi Realm and the hope to cure my sister's condition, I'd endure any suffering."
After a brief rest, Ye Xuan exited the Boundless Prison Tower. He wasn't yet at the level where he didn't need to eat, so he returned to his room for sustenance.
When Ye Xuan arrived back, Ye Ling came in, timidly holding two white steamed buns. She offered them to him, saying softly, "Brother, eat..."
Perceiving something amiss, Ye Xuan's brow furrowed. Upon lifting her head, he noticed a red handprint on Ye Ling's right cheek.
"What happened?!" Ye Xuan's gaze instantly turned icy.
Ye Ling shook her head, trying to hide the truth. When pressed, she admitted tearfully that the kitchen steward had refused to provide them with proper meals today, instead offering spoiled food fit for dogs. When she confronted him, the steward insulted Ye Xuan, claiming that now that he was no longer the heir, they deserved nothing more than scraps. He demanded an indecent favor from her in exchange for decent food, and when she resisted, he struck her.
Filled with rage, Ye Xuan clenched his fist tightly, vowing revenge. Holding Ye Ling's hand, he strode purposefully toward the Ye Family's kitchen, determined to confront the injustice head-on.