The life of a genius needs no explanation.

A week later, Wang Ben once again ran into Chen Longshi at the apartment.

“Old Chen, where have you been this past week? You’ve been completely off the grid.”

“I replied to your messages, didn’t I? I was cultivating.”

“No way! That guy who stayed in the gravity chamber all week, leaving every day drenched in blood—don’t tell me that was you.”

Chen Longshi looked puzzled at first, but then shook his head in exasperation. “People really pay attention to such things? If there wasn’t a second person, then I suppose it must have been me.”

Wang Ben was shocked. “With such insane training, you’re not trying to break through your gene lock, are you?”

“Almost.”

“Almost…” Wang Ben paused. “Where are you headed now? The training hall?”

“That’s right.”

Wang Ben immediately perked up, dashed back to his room to grab his gear, and hurried to join him.

Early in the morning, the training grounds were sparsely populated. Spotting an open dueling platform, Wang Ben’s heart raced with excitement. “Hey Chen, want to spar?”

“You?” Chen Longshi hesitated.

Wang Ben bristled at once. “What, you’re underestimating me? We were both top of our military academies—who’s to say who’s stronger?”

Chen Longshi smiled. “Very well, it won’t take too much time.”

Wang Ben grew even more indignant at that, thinking to himself that he’d soon show Chen Longshi what he was capable of. The two of them stepped onto the dueling platform, and not far off, a handful of staff members cast their gazes in their direction, pretending to be uninterested.

Although this cohort of military academy geniuses hadn’t been with the Heavenly Sword Bureau for long, their performance in the few missions they’d taken part in across various departments had already far outstripped their peers. They weren’t ones for ostentation, yet they had, without realizing it, become figures of note within the Haidu Branch.

In private, the regular staff and covert officers gossiped constantly about them. “All the top graduates from the Ten Great Military Academies have gathered here in Haidu; who among them will prove strongest?” This had become a hot topic.

Now, it seemed the initial rankings between two of them were about to be settled.

A female staffer quietly activated her smart camera, aiming it at the platform.

For the first time, Chen Longshi saw Wang Ben’s main weapon: a Grade Four Star Device, the Dark Destruction Sword. The blade was broad and imposing, embodying a brutal yet noble beauty. Its single-edged, thick-backed form was more akin to a saber, wild and free, yet not lacking in grandeur, especially with the golden wings on the hilt symbolizing liberty.

Seeing Wang Ben readying himself as if facing a mortal enemy, Chen Longshi couldn’t help but find it amusing, shaking his head silently.

But since his opponent was going all-out, Chen Longshi knew he couldn’t afford to be careless either. He drew his own Deer-Slaying Sword. Coincidentally, though technically a sword, its shape also resembled a long saber.

The sword’s scabbard was ancient and elegant, its name renowned throughout the land. The blade itself was just over four feet in length, crystal-bright as autumn water, with a single-edged, curved tip, no blood groove, and a radiant, pristine body that seemed incapable of being stained.

When Chen Longshi had chosen this sword, he hadn’t deliberated too long—he’d simply been drawn to its extraordinary sharpness within its grade. The blade exuded a murderous aura that chilled the soul.

“Excellent! Here we go!” Wang Ben bared his teeth in excitement, like a battle-hungry wolf.

“Let’s see what you’ve got,” Chen Longshi replied, calmly taking his stance.

Wang Ben struck first, his aura fierce as a tiger. His movements appeared unhurried, but in truth, he was blindingly fast. The Star Device flared, the blade glowing red-hot, unleashing a wave of searing heat at Chen Longshi.

Star Skill—“Ninefold Blazing Sword”!

Chen Longshi smiled faintly and responded with a light, flowing thrust.

His sword was pale blue, its aura just as gentle—neither dazzling nor ostentatious. The blade arced like a celestial rainbow, unstained by blood, yet as it left the scabbard, an ineffable menace pressed in on all sides. The pale blue sword light rose like a dragon’s cry, soaring into the heavens.

Stars flared along the blade as he unleashed his newly learned technique—“Eight-Flashes of the Open Sky.”

Clang! Clang! Clang! A rapid succession of sword strikes rang out, making the arena’s floor tremble. Waves of sword energy swept out in all directions.

Wang Ben’s arm went numb; his star skill was famed for its force, each strike layered atop the last, yet the power behind Chen Longshi’s sword was not only equal to his, but even stronger. By the fifth layer, Wang Ben’s attack had been scattered, forcing him back three steps. Instead of dismay, he grinned. “You really are a worthy opponent. Now I won’t need to hold back.”

“I’ve been looking forward to seeing the famed General Wang’s skills,” Chen Longshi replied, as unruffled as ever.

Wang Ben had every right to be arrogant—at just nineteen, he was unmatched at the Northern Frontier Academy. Gifted, perceptive, and hardworking, he’d been proclaimed a future legend by the headmaster at graduation. Yet in battle, he never underestimated an opponent. He gathered his star power to the limit, keeping it in reserve, waiting for the perfect moment to unleash it.

Suddenly, starlight erupted behind him; Wang Ben activated his Star Chart. A nine-headed lion, wreathed in flames, strode forth, roaring in silence at the sky.

His whole body blazed with fire, the Dark Destruction Sword glowing red-hot like a brand. Both hands gripping the hilt, he drew and released, sending a torrent of fiery sword energy surging forward, searing the very arena floor.

“Mountain-Crushing Current—take this!”

The sword swept toward Chen Longshi with the force of a collapsing volcano, impossibly fast.

Chen Longshi, eager to test the fruits of his recent training, unleashed the star skill “Sword Reversal.” He blocked the cataclysmic blow with ease, even reflecting the molten sword energy back at Wang Ben, who had to swing his sword to disperse it.

In the next instant, Chen Longshi seized the initiative, launching into “Nine Extremes Swordplay”—every strike, slash, and feint executed to perfection.

Wang Ben responded in kind, unleashing star skills in quick succession. Though every clash with Chen Longshi’s sword left his arms tingling with numbness, he only grew more ferocious; the nine-headed lion in his star chart seemed to come alive, amplifying his dominance.

But Chen Longshi’s array of sword techniques was even more varied and unpredictable. “Nine Extremes Swordplay” was now second nature—he felt he could match Wang Ben evenly with that alone.

Yet he had come to test his sword skills.

Switching to “Sword Severance,” he brought down a thunderous arc of sword energy like a heavenly mandate.

Wang Ben’s expression changed drastically. He shouted, “Break!” This star skill, “Vajra Infinity,” originally a fist technique adapted to the sword, was famed for its overwhelming might. But it wasn’t just brute force—Wang Ben had trained it to blend hardness with flexibility. Now, combined with his mounting battle fervor, it reached an extraordinary level.

The moment “Sword Severance” met Wang Ben’s defense, Chen Longshi heard the faint crackle of energy shattering along the sword’s edge—a gentle force tearing at the technique’s ferocity. Reacting instantly, he shifted to “Nebula Swordplay.” The sky seemed to darken, starlike sword energy raining down with lethal intent.

Wang Ben was taken aback. He’d never before seen anyone mobilize star energy so swiftly. “How can he switch star techniques so fast?” Forced to use a defensive star skill for the first time, he braced himself against the oncoming onslaught.

The arena echoed with the cacophony of sword energy clashing and colliding.

The onlookers were stunned, their own training forgotten. Was this really a Bronze-tier duel? Where was the supposed amateurish flailing? This was blindingly intense. Were all the new recruits this formidable? No wonder they were all top graduates.

Chen Longshi, for his part, had never felt more in his element.

The new star skills he’d learned did not disappoint. “Sword Severance” was sheer force, “Nebula Swordplay” was unfathomably crafty, “Birdflight Sword Technique” was ever-changing, “Eight-Flashes of the Open Sky” devastating, while “Sword Reversal” balanced offense and defense. With every passing moment, his understanding of star skills deepened, building on his mastery of “Nine Extremes Swordplay.” That meant he now commanded six Bronze-level sword star skills.

“Nine Stars Swordmastery”:
Rank: Bronze (Upgradeable Star Skill) (6/10)

Just four more, and the swordmastery could advance again.

But by this point, the match had run its course.

Chen Longshi’s swordplay abruptly shifted. With “Instant Step,” his form flickered and blurred, closing in on Wang Ben in a heartbeat. In that instant, he unleashed a flurry of star skills. Wang Ben’s star power faltered, breaking his flow. Seizing the opening, Chen Longshi sheathed his sword and drove a fist forward.

“Starquake Strike.”

The blow landed squarely on Wang Ben’s chest, sending him flying a dozen meters to crash against the edge of the platform.

He staggered, but managed to stay on his feet, bracing against the wall, face filled with disbelief.

Chen Longshi sheathed his sword and walked over. “Ah, that was a close one—almost had you blocked. Are you alright?” he asked with a smiling face.

Wang Ben wasn’t a sore loser. Though half his body was numb and his sword hand trembled uncontrollably, he still felt a trace of reluctance. “You… This is the first time I’ve lost to someone my own age!”

“A narrow victory, truly—I nearly got blocked by you.”

“Pft—” Wang Ben nearly coughed up blood. “Fine, you win this round. It’s one to zero. I’ll get it back next time.”

“I look forward to it.”

Watching Chen Longshi’s relaxed demeanor, Wang Ben grew uncertain. “Did you… really use your full strength?”

“Of course,” Chen Longshi replied with a reassuring smile. “Believe in yourself. I’ve used up most of my star power too.”

“That’s true—defeating me shouldn’t be too easy,” Wang Ben nodded, relieved. Suddenly, he recalled, “Wait… Back at the subway, you used a sword-flying technique. That must be a legacy star skill you gained from the Sword Tomb. Why didn’t you use it?”

Chen Longshi smiled. “Legacy star skills aren’t so easily mastered. The time hasn’t come—you’ll see it one day.”

He changed the subject. “After all that, I’m starving. Want to grab something to eat?”

“Wait up, let me catch my breath and we’ll go together.”

After a simple meal, the two headed back to the training hall, shutting out the world once more. But their morning duel was soon uploaded to the base’s internal network, drawing widespread attention.

Meanwhile, Chu Tianshu, Luo Tianlan, Yan Chixing, Xiu Tiance, Huyan Zhuo, Lin Zhiyu, Han Ying, Hailong, and others received the footage immediately. Though the camera’s angle was a bit narrow, high-tech equipment ensured the battle was captured clearly from start to finish.

Each viewer had their own opinions. The two seemed evenly matched, their fight blazing with intensity. Yet from any perspective, Chen Longshi had the edge. The only question was how much of his true strength he’d revealed.

Moreover, Wang Ben had unleashed his Star Chart from the outset, but Chen Longshi’s own Star Chart remained an enigma.

For the first time, even those like Chu Tianshu and Xiu Tiance, who’d taken pride in their local advantage, felt the pressure. They all knew, sooner or later, the ten of them would have to settle who was truly the strongest.