Chapter 24: Unrivaled Strength

Mo Qian heard the ringing of Lin Ruoxi's sword as she drew it, and he gave a bitter smile, pulling out his own sword as well.

He hadn't wanted to admit he wasn't Lin Shan, but just a few days ago, Lin Feng had suddenly brought several people to his home, insisting he was their long-lost child, missing for three years. They fussed over him, claiming he was a child of the Mo family.

Looking at the excited faces before him, he felt a throb of pain in his head. He had no desire to acknowledge them as his parents, for he couldn't recall ever knowing them. All his past memories were lost; the only thing he remembered was Lin Ruoxi finding him.

They didn't believe him and even began patting around on his chest. He'd wanted to kick them away—what kind of people were these!—but he couldn't. Standing on tiptoe, his kick against their legs was as feeble as an ant trying to shake a tree; it did nothing.

After their explanations, they told him the reason for his memory loss was an injury suffered while training outside. They had spent days searching for him, scouring the Kilimanjaro Mountains, but to no avail.

With their persistent pleas, Lin Shan almost started to believe he was truly their son.

They produced some old clothes—his, they said—which were now the very garments he wore. They also claimed that the Mo Wen Sword he carried was once his, found in the Kilimanjaro Forest.

They explained their household head had many affairs to manage, and if Lin Feng hadn't mentioned a child here who resembled him, they'd never have come.

Before leaving, they said he would one day regain his memories. They hadn't taken him away only to give him time to adjust, and they, too, needed to explain things to the family.

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

Mo Qian lowered his head and drew his sword—the Mo Wen Sword.

Its hilt was a deep reddish-brown, while the blade itself was pure black—truly unique.

The moment he unsheathed the Mo Wen Sword, a surge of unprecedented power flooded through him, as if the sword itself had awakened something within. Though he had never cultivated inner strength, he had an instinctive sense of the sword's might. Every cell in his body seemed to tremble with excitement and joy.

Lin Shan surmised this sword might even rival her own Jing Po Sword, famed for its thunderous roar when drawn.

"The Mo Wen Sword! It's said to have been forged by the legendary swordsmith Ou Zhizi, though no historical records remain.

Slender and resilient, endlessly versatile, its moves unpredictable. The blade is shrouded in sword energy, and it rarely kills. But once drawn, it seeks souls—a peerless weapon!"

"It's said Mo Qian received this sword at the age of ten, and it was because of this sword he set out to temper himself, seeking the fabled union of man and sword."

"Both swords are legendary! I'm truly looking forward to this!"

The person beside him unconsciously touched the sword at his own waist. Members of great clans were indeed different—he himself had reached the level of innate power, yet his sword was merely sharp enough to cut iron, while this thirteen-year-old already possessed a peerless weapon of his own!

When the Mo Wen Sword was drawn, it made no sound, slick and noiseless. Single-handed, Mo Qian faced the furious Lin Ruoxi.

The host, seeing the scene, smiled and nimbly leapt down from the platform.

He hoped the two contestants would reminisce before the fight, as that would stir the crowd to a fever pitch, but it seemed Lin Feng had no such intention.

"Why won't you admit it!"

Lin Ruoxi's mouth curled, and in an instant, she slashed a beam of sword light straight at Mo Qian.

It was upon him in the blink of an eye—Jing Po Swordplay was famed for its speed, and paired with the family heirloom sword, its strike resounded like thunder—impossible to take lightly.

Mo Qian was startled by her words, but shifted in an instant, dodging the sword light.

With a wry smile, he wished he could tell her he was Lin Shan, but reality would not allow it.

After they left, Lin Feng had told him that entering the Lin family required more than a claim of amnesia.

Do you know why I struck you when you first entered the Lin family? Why your body changed so drastically?

Because I gave you three trials!

The first was enduring my full-powered palm strike—I channeled a year's worth of inner energy into your body.

My internal force is unique—only those who have never cultivated can withstand it, and surviving is no guarantee. To live through it, with meridians unbroken, marked you as exceptionally gifted.

The second trial was to master our ancestor's original technique, which I spent the night modifying—the Wind and Cloud Breath. Use it, as I taught you, to defeat Lin Ruoxi.

The third trial was improvised: keep Lin Ruoxi from realizing you are Lin Shan!

She taught you part of the Sword-Intercepting Technique within the Wind and Cloud Breath. I won't say more. Only if you defeat her in the arena three days from now will you have a chance to remain in the Lin family—or else admit you are Mo Qian of the Mo family!

Lin Feng hadn't said outright that losing to Lin Ruoxi would mean death, but his true intent was clear—he didn't want him to stay in the Lin family at all. The only one he knew here was Ruoxi, and now he had to make her believe he wasn't Lin Shan! The difficulty was immense.

But he could guess he wouldn't be killed—perhaps because of his Mo family background, for to his left sat more than a dozen Mo family members, there to witness the match.

The real issue was strength. Fortunately, he now had a powerful background—if he were always this strong, would his fate have ever been left to others?

Perhaps "he" would never have gone off to train, never have been injured, never lost his memory.

Though Lin Shan didn't admit to being their son aloud, in his heart, he found the idea surprisingly appealing.

At least he no longer had to worry...

Before Lin Ruoxi, his heart was full, but his words were lost. He could only give a bitter smile—unexpectedly, Ruoxi caught the look.

"Hmph! Let's see if you can still smile once I've beaten you to the ground!"

Ruoxi sneered, raising her sword again, slashing upwards in a move meant to leave a mark across his chest.

Though his mind was in turmoil, reality offered him only a cold glint of steel.

Jing Po Swordplay was famed for its speed. Drawing a sharp breath, he raised the Mo Wen Sword to block before his chest.

But, to his shock, the sword light seemed to pierce through the Mo Wen Sword, a stab of pain rippling through his heart. He staggered back several steps and looked down.

His once pale-blue robe now sported a fresh streak of blood, running from bottom to top, glaringly crimson.

No wonder she had reached the pinnacle of Dark Strength by thirteen and was hailed a genius.

He, too, had once been called a prodigy—but that was "in the past!"

Or perhaps it hadn’t been him at all.

"I see no inner strength flowing within him, and his swordplay isn't the Mo family's heavy sword style, but rather the Lin family's Sword-Intercepting Technique!

Could it be he's not a Mo family member after all?" someone muttered beside Lin Feng, ostensibly Mo Qian's parent.

He had never believed it—after all, it was he who had hunted Mo Qian, finally casting him off a cliff in a remote place, intending to erase all traces. He'd seen with his own eyes that Mo Qian had stopped breathing before hurling him over. Who could believe he'd return alive three years later?

"Just watch! When I touched his chest earlier, I sensed a tremendous reservoir of inner strength—but with his memory lost, he simply can't access it," said someone on Lin Feng's right.

"Mo Qian seems to have no inner strength at all—wounded by a single move. Is this the peak of Dark Strength?" someone else asked.

"This is only the beginning! No need to rush," replied another, with an air of inscrutable wisdom.

"Your Sword-Intercepting Technique was taught by me! Do you think I don't know your strengths and weaknesses?" Lin Ruoxi murmured softly as she wiped her Jing Po Sword, her voice so low only Mo Qian could hear.

Mo Qian's face changed as he heard her—she had indeed taught him most of what he knew, both the Wind and Cloud Breath and the Sword-Intercepting Technique.

The thought made Ruoxi furious. She had exhausted herself trying to raise Lin Shan's skills, and yet here he was, fighting her.

Because of his disappearance, she had endured endless hardship—today, it was time for her to take her revenge.