Chapter Eleven: Unrivaled Power

Mo Qian watched as Lin Ruoxi drew her sword, the blade’s cry ringing through the air. He gave a wry smile and unsheathed his own sword.

He hadn’t wanted to deny he was not Lin Shan, but just a few days ago, Lin Feng had suddenly brought some people to his home. Because he resembled the child they’d lost three years ago, they’d seized him, showering him with questions and affection, insisting he was the child of the Mo family.

Watching the excited pair before him, his head throbbed. He had no desire to acknowledge them as his parents; he couldn’t remember ever knowing them. All memories prior to Lin Ruoxi finding him were lost—nothing but a blank.

They didn’t believe his denial, even fumbling around his chest as if searching for proof. He’d wanted to kick them away—what kind of people were these?

But he failed to push them off; he could barely lift his foot, and his kick landed feebly against their legs, like an ant trying to shake a tree—utterly futile.

Their explanations followed: he’d lost his memories due to injuries suffered while traveling, and they’d searched for days, even scouring the Kilimanjaro Mountains, but hadn’t found him.

Their persistent pleas nearly had Lin Shan convinced he truly was their son.

They produced clothes he once wore—now the very garments draped over him—and claimed this sword, the Mo Inquiry Blade, was his former companion, retrieved from the Kilimanjaro Forest.

They explained that the head of the family was too busy to come, and if not for Lin Feng’s report of a child resembling him, they’d never have found their way here.

Before leaving, they said he would recall his past one day. They didn’t take him away immediately, giving both sides time to adjust, and needing to explain the matter to the family.

Fearing he’d be harmed again, they left two guards to protect him.

Mo Qian lowered his head and drew his sword—the Mo Inquiry Blade.

The hilt was a deep russet, while the blade itself was a pure, lustrous black—uncommonly striking.

The instant he unsheathed the sword, a surge of unprecedented power coursed through him, transmitted instantly from the blade. Though he had not cultivated any inner energy, he sensed this force was formidable; every cell in his body seemed to leap and cheer.

Lin Shan reckoned this sword might even rival her own Soul-shocking Sword, whose strikes rang like thunder.

"The Mo Inquiry Blade! They say it was forged by the renowned swordsmith Ou Zhizi, though there is no record in the histories.

It is both long and resilient, its transformations boundless, its techniques unpredictable. The blade carries its own sword aura, rarely killing, but once drawn, it claims souls.

A peerless divine weapon!"

"It’s said Mo Qian obtained this sword at the age of ten; it was because of this blade he set out to temper himself,

seeking the unity of sword and self."

"Both blades are legendary! Now I’m truly eager to watch!"

The person beside him unconsciously reached for their own sword. The scions of these great families were indeed extraordinary.

He himself had already reached the innate realm, yet his sword was merely one that could cleave iron as though it were mud, while this thirteen-year-old already possessed a divine weapon of his own!

When Mo Qian drew his sword, it made no sound at all—smooth and silent. He held the blade in one hand, facing the furious Lin Ruoxi.

The master of ceremonies, seeing the scene before him, smiled and nimbly leapt down from the stage.

He hoped these two would reminisce before fighting, as it would stir the crowd’s emotions to a fever pitch, but Lin Feng seemed unwilling.

"Why won’t you admit it?"

Lin Ruoxi’s lips curled into a cold smile as she flicked a flash of sword light straight at Mo Qian.

In the blink of an eye, the strike was upon him. The Soul-shocking Sword Art was famed for its speed, and paired with the family’s renowned sword, its thunderous strikes were not to be underestimated.

Mo Qian, startled by her words, swayed aside and narrowly dodged the attack.

He forced a bitter smile; he wanted to tell her he was Lin Shan, but reality would not permit it.

Besides, after they left, Lin Feng had told him that entering their family wasn’t as simple as claiming amnesia.

Do you know why you suffered that palm strike upon entering the Lin family? Why did your body change so drastically?

Because I gave you three trials!

The first was to withstand the full force of my palm, transferring a year’s worth of my inner power into your body.

My energy is quite unique; only those without inner cultivation can endure it, and even then, survival is uncertain.

If you survived, your meridians must be extraordinarily broad, a sign of great talent.

The second trial is to master our ancestor’s unique technique, which I modified overnight—the Wind and Cloud Breath. Use the Wind and Cloud Breath I taught you to defeat Lin Ruoxi.

The third trial, an impromptu addition: you must keep Lin Ruoxi from realizing you are Lin Shan!

She taught you part of the Intercepting Sword Technique within the Wind and Cloud Breath, but I won’t say more. Only if you defeat her in three days at the martial arena will you have a chance to stay in the Lin family.

Otherwise, you’ll have to acknowledge yourself as Mo Qian of the Mo family!

Lin Feng hadn’t explicitly said he’d kill him if he lost to Lin Ruoxi,

but the underlying meaning was that he was unwelcome in the Lin family. He only knew Ruoxi here; how was he supposed to convince her he wasn’t Lin Shan? What a challenge!

Still, he doubted they’d kill him—perhaps because he was from the Mo family. To his left, a dozen Mo family youths had come to watch the duel.

The main issue was strength. Fortunately, he now had a powerful background. If he had been this strong before, would he have let others dictate his fate?

Maybe "he" would never have gone adventuring, never been wounded, never lost his memory.

Though Lin Shan never admitted he was their son, in his heart he felt it would be good to have parents like them—

at least he wouldn’t have to worry.

Yet, facing Lin Ruoxi, these thoughts stuck in his throat, and he could only offer a rueful smile, which Ruoxi happened to see.

“Hmph! Let’s see if you’re still smiling once I flatten you!”

Ruoxi sneered, raising her sword again in an upward arc, determined to leave a mark across his chest.

For all the turmoil in his mind, reality offered only a cold flash of steel.

The Soul-shocking Sword Art was all about speed; he drew a sharp breath and brought the Mo Inquiry Blade before his chest to block.

To his shock, the sword light seemed to pierce through his blade, a jolt of pain rippling through his heart. He staggered back several steps and looked down.

His pale blue robe now bore a vivid streak of blood, trailing from bottom to top—a glaring sight.

No wonder she was already at the peak of the Dark Force at thirteen, hailed as a peerless prodigy.

He too had once been called a genius, but that was in the “past”—perhaps it had never truly been him.

“I see no trace of inner energy within him, and the sword art he uses isn’t the Mo family’s heavy sword style, but rather the Lin family’s Intercepting Sword Technique!

Could he not be a member of the Mo family after all?”

To Lin Feng’s right, the ones believed to be Mo Qian’s parents murmured their suspicions.

He had never believed it anyway, for he had once tracked Mo Qian relentlessly, finally casting him down a remote cliff in a bid to destroy all evidence.

He’d seen with his own eyes that Mo Qian had stopped breathing before he was thrown from the cliff—how could he have survived to return three years later? It was preposterous!

“Just watch! When I felt his chest earlier, I sensed a formidable inner energy, but he’s lost his memory and can’t access it.”

To Lin Feng’s right—

“This Mo Qian seems entirely without inner power; wounded by a single move—was he really at the peak of the Dark Force?”

“It’s just begun! Don’t be hasty!”

Someone on his right, with an inscrutable expression, commented.

“Your Intercepting Sword Technique was taught by me. Do you think I don’t know your limits?”

Lin Ruoxi quietly wiped her Soul-shocking Sword and spoke softly, her voice so low only Mo Qian could hear.

Mo Qian’s face paled at her words—she had indeed taught him most of the Wind and Cloud Breath and the Intercepting Sword Technique.

The thought angered Lin Ruoxi; she had racked her brains to find ways to improve Lin Shan’s swordsmanship, only to end up dueling him today.

Because she had been discovered, she had suffered so much—and today was her chance for revenge.