George Adams, that is the cradle of all the strongest cultivators in Kaiming Kingdom. It is said that no disciple who comes from there has a cultivation level lower than the Innate Realm. Moreover, it’s rumored that there are even swordmasters in the Nascent Soul Realm who are in tune with their swords, presiding over the sect.

He glanced at the somewhat envious Emily Thompson beside him and hurriedly asked, “Master, can you let Emily go with me too?”

The hesitation on Michael Bolton’s face flashed by in an instant. Thinking of the miracle she created by advancing to the third level of Qi Refining in just half a month, he immediately smiled again. “Of course. As long as when you reach the fourth level of Qi Refining, Little Emily can also reach that level, I’ll find a way to let her go with you.”

“Yay, that’s great!”

“Don’t get too happy just yet. The first three levels of Qi Refining are only considered the foundation stage. As long as you’re willing to put in the effort, you’ll reach them sooner or later. But the fourth level is already an advancement in Qi Refining. Some people can’t cross the threshold from the third to the fourth level their entire lives and are stuck before the fourth level. You must not take it lightly.”

“Yes, Master.”

Seeing the two of them become serious, Michael Bolton nodded in satisfaction and gave Emily Thompson another look.

Breaking through from the second to the third level of Qi Refining in half a month—was it the result of long accumulation? A coincidence? Or… innate talent!?

All of this remains unknown; no one can say for sure!

Volume One Chad Sullivan Chapter Five: Sword Spirit

Time flies; spring passes and autumn comes. Three years have gone by. The youthful innocence of the past has transformed into the freshness of youth.

“Little Zhan’er, you’re talking nonsense again. Master has checked you twice personally. True Qi has searched every corner of your body and found nothing wrong.”

In the clearing behind Shunhe City, surrounded by lush greenery, came the silvery bell-like voice of Emily Thompson.

In three years, she, who was once pretty and adorable, sparkling and lively, had grown even more beautiful. A light blue long dress perfectly accentuated her slender figure. Though not yet at the age of maturity, her light red lips and rosy cheeks already radiated youthful vitality. Two shallow dimples on her cheeks made her look clever and lively, and her snow-white skin was so smooth and delicate it seemed you could wring water from it. Especially at this moment, her playful pout made Chad Sullivan’s heart flutter.

Emily Thompson had been with him for more than ten years. They understood each other very well, so she naturally knew his feelings. She didn’t mind the way he looked at her at all; in fact, it made her happy.

Chad Sullivan pulled her to sit down on the grass beside him and said seriously, “I’m telling the truth. Why does no one believe me? Master doesn’t believe me, and neither do you, Emily. It really is that stone that’s severely draining my spirit. I have no energy to do anything else every day.”

Emily Thompson giggled and played along, “Alright, alright, I get it. That stone ran into your body and now you have to sleep more than twelve hours a day. Is that good enough?”

This obviously perfunctory tone made Chad Sullivan a little dejected.

He knew, too, that this kind of thing sounded unbelievable. But the mysterious ore that had disappeared before was indeed inside his body, constantly absorbing his spiritual energy, forcing him to spend a lot of time every day replenishing what was lost.

Seeing that he was in low spirits, Emily Thompson leaned back slightly into his arms, pulled his hands around her, and gently comforted him, “Little Zhan’er, don’t worry. You’ve almost recovered now, and your cultivation has reached the peak of the third level of Qi Refining. Master said that in at most two years, you’ll be able to break through smoothly. Then we can enter George Adams to cultivate together.”

Chad Sullivan nodded.

“If I didn’t actually feel my spiritual energy being absorbed by that stone, I wouldn’t believe there was a stone in my body either. After all, even someone as knowledgeable as Master said there’s no stone in me… Forget it. Anyway, I’ve gradually figured out a way to recover my spirit. Although I have to spend an extra four hours every night running this method, at least I won’t be unable to cultivate the next day due to severe spiritual depletion.” Thinking of this, he decided not to dwell on the issue and add to his worries. He closed his eyes, relaxed his mind, and breathed in the faint fragrance of the young girl, enjoying this warm moment.

This was just an ordinary mountainous area outside Shunhe City. Since it was early summer, the woods were lush, birds sang, flowers bloomed, and the southern wind blew through the forest, making people feel relaxed and drowsy.

“Ah, right!” Leaning lightly in his arms, Emily Thompson suddenly remembered something, cried out, and quickly slipped out of his embrace, saying happily, “Little Zhan’er, I almost forgot the real reason I called you here today.”

As her soft body left, Chad Sullivan felt a little disappointed, but quickly composed himself and looked up to ask, “Business? What business?”

“I want to introduce you to a very important friend of mine.”

“Friend?” Chad Sullivan was a little puzzled. Emily Thompson had played with him since childhood, and among their peers, he was her only friend. Where would another come from? And looking around, it didn’t seem like anyone else was nearby.

“Yes, my best friend!” As she spoke, she immediately took off the beautifully decorated sword she wore at her waist.