Chapter 7: The Top Five

After much discussion, evening had arrived. With injuries all over their bodies, the group went their separate ways back to their homes. By the time they returned, it was already dark. Looking at their familiar houses, they couldn’t help but smile bitterly—knowing that entering those homes would likely mean another argument with the old man.
“Still know your way back? I thought you died out there!” Sure enough, moments later, Rod heard the old man’s familiar voice.
As soon as the words faded, the old man stepped out of the old wooden house and stood in front of him, staring coldly before continuing, “Hmph? Lost? If you don’t have the strength, don’t try to do such things. You even imitate others and go out to cause trouble. Someone like you doesn’t even know when they’ll die! This time you’re lucky to be back alive!”
“Are you done? If so, I’m going in—I’m exhausted!” Rod glared at the old man. After a long silence, he spoke in a low voice. He really didn’t have the energy to deal with more nonsense. The physical injuries and mental stress left him utterly drained. With that, he headed toward his own house.
“Go take a bath first. There are medicines in your room—treat yourself!”
Surprisingly, the old man didn’t press further. After a sigh, he said indifferently.
Rod paused, feeling an indescribable emotion—was it gratitude? Or something else? Taking a deep breath, he continued walking, though his steps now seemed a bit heavier.
Watching Rod enter the room and close the door, the old man stood there, sighing repeatedly, his expression complex. After a moment, he took a deep breath and looked up at the sky, unsure of what was on his mind.
……
“Ouch… Damn bastard! What the hell is this?” Rod cursed, letting out a pained cry.
His injuries hurt even more after being washed with that strange water. Especially those ointments of unknown origin—applying them to his wounds felt like ants biting him.
After what seemed like an endless series of groans, everything finally returned to calm.
Looking at himself, Rod couldn’t help but smile bitterly. His wounds, covered with that disgusting substance, made him look like a mummy—utterly grotesque. The pain seemed to have disappeared as well; all he could feel at the wounds was a faint chill.

“Damn, it seems to work quite well!” Rod muttered to himself in confusion at the results. Indeed, the effects of this medicine were absolutely amazing.
“Vidoc, wait for it—I’ll be back soon. Next time I return, I’ll blow you away!” After dealing with everything, Rod struggled to lie back on his bed and vowed fiercely to himself.
At that moment, his gaze became extremely sharp, shining like two beams of light in the dark room.
“Xuanyuan… are you there?” After a period of silence, Rod called out softly. For the first time in this world, he took the initiative to search for Xuanyuan. Today’s events had taught him a lot, and he now urgently needed the help of the Sword Spirit of Xuanyuan.
The strength of his enemies made him realize his own insignificance, especially that damned Walker—even a high-level warrior could so easily take control of the situation and leave him in a mess. This showed just how important strength really was.
There was also that mysterious person—his formidable power made Rod secretly envious! His invisible aura and elusive movement were truly admirable.
The behavior of Vidoc and the others after meeting that old man made Rod realize even more how crucial strength was in a world where the strong ruled. Only with great strength as a backing could one stand above others. Rod knew that to gain strength, he had to train, and the only way might be to find the Sword Spirit of Xuanyuan—only he could help him!
He stared intently at the sword pattern on his abdomen, watching carefully for any changes, fearing he might miss something. Unfortunately, the expected changes never appeared.
“Mm-hmm… I’m here, I’m here. Seriously, why do you keep calling me? I’m exhausted today—I used all my strength to help you!” Just as Rod was about to give up in despair, the Sword Spirit’s clear voice suddenly rang out, pulling him back from despair and filling him with excitement.
“Hey, boss, don’t you even understand your own situation? You don’t train properly yet you still dare to cause trouble. Seriously, if it weren’t for me today, who knows when you’d be dead? That’s why I used all my strength!
And as for what happened later—if that old guy hadn’t shown up, huh… would you even still be standing here?”
Without waiting for Rod to speak, the Sword Spirit continued to complain.

Shamed, Rod was utterly embarrassed by the Sword Spirit’s words. His face turned red, but he couldn’t utter a word! He never expected it to be the Sword Spirit who helped him at the most critical moment; otherwise, he would have been doomed back then.
“Cough, cough… I know I was wrong. By the way, could you see that person who appeared later? Do you know how strong he is?”
The Sword Spirit’s words once again stirred Rod’s emotions, and he eagerly asked.
“Very strong. I can’t gauge his strength precisely, but among everyone I’ve seen, he’s definitely in the top five!”
After a brief silence, the Sword Spirit’s answer shocked Rod! Even without knowing much about the Xuanyuan Sword Spirit’s experiences, one could guess that he had encountered tens of millions of people and countless strong warriors. Legends like the Yellow Emperor were all peerless powerhouses! To be on par with them showed just how formidable the mysterious man was! At that moment, Rod’s heart was filled with turmoil.
According to Rod’s original memories, warriors in this world were divided into three tiers and nine ranks: beginner warriors, intermediate warriors, advanced warriors, Bronze Warriors, Silver Warriors, Gold Warriors, and above that, Martial Emperors, Martial Saints, and finally, the god-like Martial Gods! So which rank did that old man belong to? The martial arts in this world far surpassed those of his original world. Perhaps that mysterious man was at least above a Martial Emperor! Rod thought to himself.
“You don’t need to envy him. I believe one day you’ll reach that level, and maybe even stronger!”
Seeming to sense Rod’s feelings, the Sword Spirit comforted him after a brief silence.
“Yeah! Definitely. There’s always something I’ll surpass him in—reaching the pinnacle of the world!” The Sword Spirit’s words resonated with Rod. Suddenly, a glint appeared in his eyes as he spoke solemnly. It was then he realized just how eager he was for strength.
“By the way, you mentioned finding a cultivation method suitable for me last time. So now…”
After a moment, Rod asked with anticipation. He hadn’t forgotten what the Xuanyuan Sword Spirit had said last time; he had remembered it firmly. During this period, he had been too busy cultivating “Self-Cultivation” to pay much attention, but now was different. Everything that had happened today made him impatient. He wanted to have his own cultivation method right away and start practicing as soon as possible! He desperately desired great strength.

“Cough, cough, cough… This isn’t ready yet. The martial arts in this world are a bit strange. I’m studying them by combining that mysterious information—don’t worry! You can’t imagine how important a suitable cultivation method is for a martial artist. Haven’t I given you ‘Self-Cultivation’? Practice it first; it will help you and you won’t regret it! Well, I’ll come to you once I’ve finished!”
After hearing Rod’s words, the Sword Spirit remained silent for a moment before speaking awkwardly.
The Sword Spirit’s words clearly left Rod feeling a bit disappointed. But he also knew that a suitable cultivation method could at least make things more efficient, so he couldn’t rush things. It seemed he could only continue to take care of his health for now. He believed that strengthening his body would bring great benefits in the future! There was also Qi cultivation—no matter what, it would surely have a significant impact on his training! Rod comforted himself secretly, finding excuses for himself.
“My mental energy is insufficient now, so I can’t communicate with you for too long. If there’s nothing urgent, don’t come to me. I’ll come to you if there’s something important! Oh, and remember—life is the most important. Don’t be reckless again! Also, from now on, you just need to think silently to communicate with me; there’s no need to speak, to avoid unnecessary trouble!”
A hint of fatigue was evident in the Sword Spirit’s voice as he spoke softly.
With no further movement, Rod could sense that the Sword Spirit had disappeared once again.
With a sigh of resignation, he thought, “Well, I’d better focus on self-cultivation!”
After sighing, he endured the pain and sat in seiza position. Even now, he didn’t slack off and continued with his daily routine—cultivation.
He slowly calmed down and devoted himself entirely to the ‘Self-Cultivation’ method, following the techniques in the third chapter. In just a short while, Rod felt a faint energy within his abdomen.
A faint smile appeared on his lips. He knew that this energy was the result of his recent cultivation efforts—it was also the same energy that had saved him several times today. Using his mental energy, he carefully controlled this energy and began guiding it slowly. Following the simplest meridians outlined in the third chapter of ‘Self-Cultivation,’ he let the energy move slowly through those basic meridians. At the same time, he opened all the pores in his body, trying to sense the energy in the world around him!
As his pores opened, Rod immediately felt a coolness—yes, the coolness of the night!

Suddenly, a hint of joy appeared on Rod’s lips! His brows raised slightly, and at that moment, he could even hear his heart pounding violently. He felt a coolness seeping slowly into his body through his open pores as he inhaled using the method described in the third chapter of “Self-Cultivation”! Though slow, he could sense it clearly. An external energy gradually merged into his body. The next moment, he felt the energy within him start moving rapidly along the meridians, as if drawn there. After absorbing it for what seemed like an eternity, he noticed the original energy in his body growing slightly stronger. After circulating three full rounds through the meridians, it had doubled in size—clearly growing stronger. Wherever the internal energy passed, the meridians absorbed it greedily, like dried riverbeds being rehydrated! After three rounds, the meridians became extremely smooth. Most of the external energy merged into his meridians. His whole body felt refreshed and joyful—a rare and pleasant sensation that made him smile broadly. Having tasted success, how could Rod give up now? Feeling exhilarated, he intensified his efforts to absorb, integrate, and circulate the internal energy, repeatedly cleansing his meridians and nourishing his body. The color returned to his face, no longer pale as before! However, there was one thing Rod couldn’t figure out: why did the energy seem to be drawn inward every time it passed through his lower abdomen, losing almost all the progress made after one round before having to start over again? But after experiencing this several times, he simply accepted it as a habit. Perhaps that’s how it was, he thought to himself, so he paid no further attention. It felt like a long time had passed before his body reached saturation. Then he exhaled a puff of stale air, slowly opened his eyes, and was surprised to find that a whole night had already passed since he began practicing! By now, dawn was breaking, marking the start of a new day.

Exhaling a puff of breath, he stretched lazily and felt a slight pain in his body. Rod smiled bitterly; time passed so quickly during cultivation. Although he hadn’t slept all night, he found that after a night of practicing, he wasn’t feeling tired at all—his energy was incredibly high! Realizing this, a hint of excitement appeared on his lips as he naturally understood why. At that moment, he realized he truly loved cultivation.