Chen Yu looked at the boy who had been deep in thought for a long time and asked, "Xiao'er, do you have any questions about what I just said?"
"Grandfather, I do have a few thoughts."
"Oh? Let's hear them. Grandfather is here to answer all your doubts."
"What exactly is Sword Intent?"
"Sword Intent is the realm of the sword, and also the realm of a swordsman. 'Intent' is the unity of form, spirit, emotion, and reason—the balance of real and illusory, of being and non-being. It exists outside of form, yet is embedded within it. It's a very high realm.
Sword Intent is what a swordsman achieves when their understanding of the sword reaches an unprecedented level. It is an extension of the sword's origin essence—one that belongs only to the sword: its nobility, its cold arrogance, its sharpness, its true nature.
It is the sword's very origin.
For a swordsman, when they truly understand what a sword is, and can express that essence with full sincerity and unity with the sword, then—when you feel your sword has come alive—that is Sword Intent."
"Grandfather, am I able to properly inherit the Chen Clan's five great transmission techniques—heart, body, eyes, will, and skill?"
"You possess a top-grade sword-type martial soul. You're suited for all five of our core techniques.
As for compatibility, I see no issue. Even among the side branches of our Chen Clan, many have managed to cultivate them to varying degrees.
Aside from the Seven Kill Aura Concealment Technique, the other four techniques have broad applicability and scale better with higher martial soul quality. Since yours is top-tier, you needn't worry.
Especially the Zhongzheng Sword Qi Method—it's fully compatible with all sword-type martial souls. The one who created it, Ancestor Chen Xili, didn't even have the Seven Kill Sword as his martial soul."
"What was Ancestor Xili's martial soul, then?"
"Ancestor Xili awakened a mutated top-grade martial soul, one that was the opposite of the Seven Kill Sword. It had no killing intent—solemn and grand, open and balanced. It even had the effect of clarifying the mind and seeing one's true self. He named it the Zhongzheng Sword. Later, it evolved into a super martial soul, majestic and awe-inspiring, and became known as the Sword of Righteous Might.
As I said before, before Ancestor Xili, the world believed that the Seven Kill Sword lineage was bloodthirsty and violent. That wasn't true, but our old Seven Kill Meditation Technique could only absorb and suppress killing intent—never refine or convert it—so our clan members were prone to losing their minds.
It was precisely because of Xili's sword's nature—and the refinements by ancestors before him—that he created the Zhongzheng Sword Qi Method, which suppressed the corrosive effects of killing intent and greatly reduced the number of spiritual breakdowns in our clan. This single act reversed the world's negative perception of us.
Thanks to this achievement and his peerless cultivation, Ancestor Xili broke the ancestral rule left by the second-generation ancestor Chen Qian and was allowed to be honored in the ancestral temple's main shrine alongside the founding patriarch—earning eternal reverence from future generations.
Our Starry Sword Eyes and Sword Shadow Body were both first developed by Chen Qian himself. He was a peak 97th-level Douluo but modestly declined in comparison to our founding patriarch. Because of that benchmark, being enshrined in the main temple requires an extremely high standard. In nearly 2,000 years, only 15th-generation Xili and 22nd-generation Feiyi ancestors were enshrined."
"After that, because the mutated top-grade martial soul was nearly impossible to pass down, Xili's second son inherited the Seven Kill Sword, while his eldest son Chen Duanshe inherited only part of the Zhongzheng Sword's power—a weakened version, essentially a low top-grade martial soul, or a seventh-tier soul.
According to clan rules, that made them a new branch family. To honor their father, his descendants called their martial soul the Xili Sword, changed their surname to Xili, and became a minor house under the Chen Clan—known as the Xili Clan.
Because the Xili Sword is truly balanced and peaceful, the Seven Kill Aura Concealment Technique doesn't work well for them.
However, due to the sword's broad and balanced nature—and its talent for heavy, cleaving attacks—they ended up excelling in construction-related industries. With their honest nature, they've done quite well for themselves."
"So that's the origin of the Xili Clan," Chen Xiaojun thought with awe. "As expected, there's always a layer of mist behind history."
"What is our relationship with them now?"
Chen Yu smiled. "Very good. Why, did you think the main family and branch hold grudges? You're underestimating the wisdom of our ancestors. The Chen family has lasted nearly 2,000 years. Mutated martial souls have appeared many times, and we've developed mature systems for handling them.
Although there are only around thirty people in the Chen main line, we have many branch families. To avoid repeating past catastrophes, we've relocated and scattered ourselves, avoiding becoming a large, centralized clan. We keep a low profile to avoid hatred—becoming a hidden aristocratic family."
"Large noble houses not only possess powerful martial souls and large populations but also vast territories and massive benefits. They are entangled in countless conflicts and wield unmatched influence in various fields—but they are also always at the center of the storm.
The Chen Clan's highest governing body is the Council of Elders, composed of our main family and the heads of all branch families. We coordinate together, rise and fall together, and share honor and disgrace.
Xiaojun, remember this: Never underestimate any family that's lasted a thousand years. There's no such thing as a simple ancient clan."
Chen Xiaojun looked up in admiration and said, "I understand, Grandfather."
"Any more questions?" Chen Yu asked.
"What exactly is the sword projection that appears behind us when we activate Sword Shadow Body?"
"That's called the Virtual Soul. Normally, it hides deep in the Sea of Consciousness and is hard to detect or manifest. But thanks to our ancestors' wisdom, starting from the second-generation ancestor Chen Qian, and through more than ten generations of refinement—based on how martial souls are awakened using awakening stones—they created the Sword Shadow Body, allowing early access to the Virtual Soul.
This gives us a decades-long head start in understanding and using our Virtual Soul, which helps tremendously when it comes time to open the upper soul core and merge reality with illusion. That's why every generation of the Chen Clan has plenty of Soul Sages and Soul Douluo and a never-ending stream of Titled Douluo."
"Grandfather, as clan leader, you're a Titled Douluo, right? What about Grandpa Hong?"
"Haha, I'm eighty-two this year, a level 95 Titled Douluo, and I inherited the family title: Sword Hero! Old Hong is ninety-two—ten years older than me—and he's level 94, the eldest of our generation. His title is Sword Might."
"Grandpa, you're so cool and powerful—and not even bald!"
"…"
"There must be places for you and Grandpa Hong in the Spirit Hall's Douluo Hall, right?"
"What would we go there for? What's the point of being officially recognized? We're a hidden clan—better to keep a low profile."
"…Our Chen Clan is amazing!" Chen Xiaojun exclaimed in admiration.
"Our top-level strength is decent, but it's just a handful of people—no real influence. We're just a small hidden family. Compared to the major houses, we're nothing. We mostly rely on some allied families for warmth and support." Grandfather replied calmly.
Chen Xiaojun suddenly felt his grandfather was a little annoying and changed the subject: "So what exactly are domain secret techniques?"
"Haha, first you need to understand what a domain is. At its core, a domain is when spiritual power interferes with reality—condensed spiritual energy combining with part of the rules of material reality to affect soul power, energy, and matter.
So it must have a foundation, a base to carry the domain—and that base is the Virtual Soul in the Sea of Consciousness.
That's why, using the Zhongzheng Sword Qi Method, Seven Kill Aura Concealment, and Starry Sword Eyes to refine spiritual power—centered on will, based on the Virtual Soul—we can embed and guide the laws of heaven and earth to form our Seven Kill Sword Domain.
So in the end, domain secret techniques aren't individual skills. They're simply a natural outcome of mastering the clan's great techniques." Chen Yu said proudly.
"That truly is: 'A thousand scrolls may teach in vain, true teaching lies in one sentence.'" Chen Xiaojun exclaimed in awe.
"Now that I've told you the overview of our clan's cultivation, it's time to pass on the official cultivation method to you."
…
(End of Chapter 15)