ped Hao Ren’s arm and sighed in despair.“The student next to me, please come with me to the office,” unexpectedly, Su Han didn’t step out of the classroom when the bell rang. Instead, she raised her d...Chapter 497: Divine Relics

When Zhao Hongyu found Zhao Kuan again, Zhao Kuan and Xie Ming were having a grand conversation at an open-air café on Fifth Avenue.

Hao Zhonghua and Cheng Xi were discussing the latest technological advancements. Zhao Kuan's two sons wanted to chat with Xie Yujia about China, but seeing that she was engrossed in reading an English magazine without any intention of deep conversation, they didn’t bother her and instead started talking about next week’s NBA games.

"What happened Did someone bully you" Zhao Kuan asked worriedly when he saw Zhao Yanzi's red-rimmed eyes.

"Cousin! Who bullied you We’ll beat them up for you!" Zhao Yanzi's two cousins quickly stood up as well.

Although they were a few years younger than their cousin, the little girl was very cute and lovable. As older brothers, even though they didn't often meet her, there was still an innate protective instinct towards her.

"Nothing!" Zhao Yanzi rubbed her eyes and then turned to look at Hao Ren.

Hao Ren was wearing a new shirt that Zhao Hongyu had bought for him while she was finding Zhao Kuan. They had casually stopped by a nearby store.

Indeed, Fifth Avenue was expensive; even an ordinary shirt cost over a thousand dollars. However, when Zhao Hongyu swiped her credit card, there wasn't even a blink of hesitation in her eye.

"Why don’t you stay at our place tonight, Ren" said Zhao Hongyu as she looked at Hao Ren.

Hao Ren glanced at Zhao Yanzi. She pouted but didn't say anything.

“No, I’ll stay with Uncle Xie tonight,” Hao Ren replied.

“You…!” Zhao Yanzi tilted her head and her eyes widened in surprise.

In her heart, she thought that she was especially sad today, her fragile heart still wounded. She expected Hao Ren to accompany her, but who would have known this uncle...

"Haha, okay then. My flight is tomorrow; we’ll meet at the airport as usual," Zhao Hongyu said gently without forcing Hao Ren.

“Alright.” Hao Ren readily agreed.

He wasn’t familiar with Zhao Yanzi’s second uncle and didn't particularly want to spend the night there, but he had no other intentions.

Zhao Kuan and Xie Ming also finished their conversation. They would discuss the remaining details of their cooperation another day.

The two groups parted ways. Zhao Yanzi looked at Hao Ren with a hint of grievance; she had cried multiple times in his arms, developing some inexplicable dependency on him.

Xie Ming felt exceptionally cheerful as he toured New York with Hao Zhonghua and the others. With the assistance of Tomorrow Group, the commercial layout he had envisioned for America would soon be realized.

When they returned home, a sumptuous dinner marked their farewell. Xie Ming felt regretful but also understood that Hao Ren was very busy in China; it was already quite difficult for him to come all the way to America just to catch up with old times.

Xie Yujia found it hard to part with Hao Ren, yet she hoped he would grow stronger. She did not need Hao Ren’s protection, but if he became even more powerful, his own safety would be better ensured.

Considering this, Xie Yujia didn’t want to hold back Hao Ren and wouldn’t force him to stay. After all, having a super expert guide his cultivation was a great opportunity.

Xie Ming reminisced as he drank with Hao Zhonghua; both of them turned red-faced from the alcohol. Xie Wanjun and his parents also joined in, making the atmosphere very lively.

"Let's go for a walk!" Xie Yujia gently pulled Hao Ren’s arm.

“Mm…” Tugged by Xie Yujia, Hao Ren walked outside with her.

The streets in this residential area were very quiet. Two-story houses of the same style lined up along the street like a row of soldiers.

Since it was close to America’s Independence Day, many families had placed American flags on their balconies; they fluttered in the wind.

The two walked down the street silently without speaking.

At the end of the residential area's streets was a bustling thoroughfare. Hao Ren and Xie Yujia turned back, letting the evening breeze blow against them as they remained silent.

Strangely enough, this silence felt gentle and soothing; everything seemed to be conveyed without words.

When they returned indoors, Hao Zhonghua and the others were still drinking and chatting. Xie Yujia and Hao Ren went upstairs. Hao Ren took out Little White from his spatial pocket and placed him beside Xie Yujia: "For the next month or so, I’ll leave Little White in your care."

“Okay.” Xie Yujia cradled Little White in her arms.

The little creature that had been struggling when Hao Ren caught it immediately calmed down once inside Xie Yujia’s embrace.

"There are many who will ask for pills on the Fifth Heavens. Do your best, but remember to take care of yourself." Hao Ren said.

“I understand.” Xie Yujia put Little White into her bracelet.

The bracelet had been modified by Zhen Cunming from an original jade material purchased at a trade fair in the Fifth Heavens. Although it couldn’t compare to the space capacity of Hao Ren’s necklace, it was still spacious enough for Little White.

Hao Ren smiled slightly and walked toward his room.

He obtained the jade slip left to him by Zhao Haoran today but had not yet thoroughly studied it. Concerned that his father might come to check on his room again, Hao Ren did not plan to go to the fifth floor tonight and instead decided to stay in his room to puzzle over this jade slip.

Locking the well door of his room, Hao Ren sat on the bed frame, quietly adjusting his breathing to calm his body before slowly releasing his divine consciousness.

The Sword Art of Splitting Light and Shadow was characterized by its cultivation of all five elements and control over myriad swords, which required a high demand for spiritual awareness. Thus, the breadth and depth of Hao Ren's released divine consciousness exceeded that of cultivators at the same level by several times.

His divine consciousness slowly permeated the jade slip, passing through dozens of already broken seals to enter the core content of the cultivation method within this tiny jade slip. Within it were densely packed words and patterns; Hao Ren could gradually discern them through his divine consciousness.

This profound water sword technique had no introduction at all at its beginning and directly entered the practice section, making it a straightforward practical cultivation method with no unnecessary explanations.

The sword techniques comprised 32 stances, each having 18 variations for a total of 576 subtle changes in sword moves.

Hao Ren had practiced the basic fist style from the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace before, which was rudimentary compared to this "Profound Water Sword Technique."

Although the basic fist style also involved movements and rhythms using spiritual energy, it fell far short of the subtlety in any single move within this set of sword techniques.

The "Big Dipper Sword Art" that Zhao Yanzi practiced had been studied by Hao Ren before. It was a cultivation method combined with sword practice, cleverly matching sword postures to cultivation methods. As Zhao Yanzi performed the sword moves, she could enhance her realm, making it both a physical and mental technique; upon reaching the last "Dipper Star" posture, she would achieve the seventh level of perfection.

However, Hao Ren's這套《玄水劍法》裡絲毫冇有提到如何積蓄靈力，如何提高境界，全篇都是劍招的使用之法。

其中的劍招變化，比趙焰紫的那本《北鬥劍訣》裡的七招劍式，要精妙百倍千倍！

郝仁凝神去看第一個劍式裡的第一種變化，根據圖案去解讀文字，雙手虛握，忍不住就比劃起來。

裡麵對於靈力的移動位置，精確到穴位，郝仁慢慢練習，忽然間，全身乏力。

他的那點神識，被玉簡抽的一乾二淨，玉簡強行把郝仁的神念從裡麵彈出來。

郝仁摸摸自己的前胸後背，發現全身都己經濕透了。

檢視這個玉簡，就比打幾十遍基礎拳法還累，更不用說要修煉這套劍法！

外麵已經是一片寂靜，郝仁看看時間，發現已經是半夜。

趙紅玉見多識廣，知道這種玉簡型的功法，非常珍貴，因此交代郝仁自己琢磨，不要向外提起。

青龍在莊園裡把玉簡給郝仁，就是因為這塊趙浩然的莊園，是龍神殿的審查官都無法查探的地方。

The這套 "Profound Water Sword Technique" did not mention anything about accumulating spiritual energy or improving realms; it was solely focused on the techniques of sword moves.

The variations in these sword moves were hundreds to thousands of times more intricate than the seven stances in Zhao Yanzi's "Big Dipper Sword Art."

Hao Ren concentrated on interpreting the first variation within the first stance, using the patterns to decipher the text. He couldn't help but mimic the movements with his hands.

The technique specified precise locations for the movement of spiritual energy down to acupoints; as Hao Ren slowly practiced it, he suddenly felt utterly exhausted.

His divine consciousness had been drained by the jade slip, which forcefully expelled Hao Ren's mental awareness from it.

Hao Ren touched his chest and back, finding himself drenched in sweat.

Studying this jade slip was even more exhausting than practicing the basic fist style dozens of times; let alone cultivating this sword technique!

The outside had become silent; Hao Ren checked the time and found it to be midnight already.

Zhao Hongyu, having seen many things, knew how precious jade slip-based cultivation methods were. Therefore, she instructed Hao Ren to figure them out on his own without mentioning anything to others.

The Azure Dragon had given this jade slip to Hao Ren within Zhao Haoran's estate because the place was beyond the reach of even the Divine Dragon Temple’s inspectors.

The saying goes that one invites trouble by possessing something valuable. The jade slip that Hao Ren obtained might attract the attention of the Dragon God Temple.

In fact, Qinglong didn't elaborate on some aspects regarding this jade slip. Over 20 years ago, Zhao Haoran acquired it from somewhere and chose to go into hiding in America, completely entrusting the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace to Zhao Guang.

This tiny jade slip contained dozens of restrictions. Feeling that breaking through these would be his last chance to ascend to the Heavenly Dragon Realm, Zhao Haoran spent an entire 20 years carefully dismantling each restriction one by one.

The intricate and complex sword techniques within made Zhao Haoran realize this was something from the realm of immortals, probably passed down from above. He dedicated himself to studying it deeply.

However, his energy was limited; breaking these restrictions had already cost him 20 years. Only halfway through deciphering the sword technique, his body neared collapse.

At this point, news of the Western Sea Dragon Palace attacking the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace arrived, prompting Zhao Haoran to decide to abandon studying the jade slip and fight one last battle for the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace.

The reason he passed on the jade slip to Hao Ren was that seeing Hao Ren use the Sword Illusion Technique made him realize Hao Ren was a sword cultivator. Whether Hao Ren would come to his estate became Zhao Haoran's final test of fate.

If Zhao Haoran had known in the past that he would receive an immortal sword technique in his later years, he should have switched to studying the Sword Illusion Technique back then when quelling the war among cultivators.

The unfulfilled wishes he left behind could only be completed by Hao Ren. He transmitted all of his thousand-year cultivation essence to Hao Ren based on this consideration.

There is a certain destiny between people.

Zhao Haoran knew upon seeing Hao Ren that despite the young man's low realm, he was someone trustworthy.

Faithfulness, trustworthiness, righteousness, benevolence, and courage were the five qualities Zhao Haoran valued most. Hao Ren possessed almost all of them; as long as one wasn't disloyal or ungrateful, even giving a thousand years' worth of cultivation essence wouldn't be too much!

Whish... whish...

The evening breeze blew outside, and Hao Ren got up to close the window.

Suddenly, with a thought, he picked up a feather duster by the window, channeling spiritual energy through it. Qingling, Shaohai, Dalíng, Laogong...

The feather duster drew a subtle arc and glimmered faintly.

Hao Ren slightly turned his body; with a light flick of his finger, the feathers on the feather duster stood straight up, as sharp as blades.

When Hao Ren tried to turn again, he found himself unable to move. In this brief moment, all his spiritual energy was depleted.nd but snow, indeed a truly bitter and cold place. Hao Ren gathered his spirit to resist the chill while observing various heavenly treasures encased in huge ice blocks, each two or three meters high....