He felt the urge to retreat, yet gave himself a grand-sounding excuse. So, upon hearing this, his flickering gaze carried a hint of a cold sneer: “That’s right, haha, you’re my genius cousin, aren’t you? Well then, let’s see what remarkable talent you have! If you’re still like this a month from now, I wonder how you’ll have the face to occupy so many cultivation resources!”

Henry Carter spoke, shrugging his shoulders as if to show his own innocence, then swaggered away. Yet those mocking, ridiculing words stabbed deeply into Edward Carter’s heart.

He stood there in silence, but his right hand gripped the hilt of the broken sword tightly, his body trembling slightly!

Inside him, it was as if hot blood was boiling and burning! Endless nascent sword qi seemed to awaken from slumber at this moment, about to erupt with a fury that could shake the heavens and earth!

But he forcefully restrained himself. He did not act, letting that formless sword qi roar within him!

He knew that it was precisely because of his own lack of progress that the family head—Grandfather—seemed somewhat partial to him, which in turn made the other disciples who couldn’t get good resources resent him deeply, and made him feel extremely guilty, feeling unworthy of Grandfather’s nurturing.

Otherwise, at such a young age, why would he push himself so hard, squeezing out his own potential, cultivating in the icy waters of the lake through the tides?

He knew he had talent, a unique and astonishing perception, but he always felt there was a shackle binding him, preventing true clarity.

Now, that shackle pressing on his heart had disappeared. He had cultivated the family’s Bihui Lian Tian Sword Technique all the way to the eighth form in one go—something never achieved before. Even his genius father, Samuel Carter, had not matched him!

He had made history for the Zhou family!

Because of this, now that he knew his talent had fully emerged, he was supremely confident in himself.

……

“Transmission Elder, I kindly went to talk to him, but he’s so full of himself, still thinks he’s a genius, and almost wanted to make a move! But I remembered the family rule that we shouldn’t fight among ourselves, so I backed off and came back.”

Edward Carter had taken a few steps and was approaching the training grounds when he heard Henry Carter’s words still lingering in the air.

He raised an eyebrow, a chill flashing in his eyes—such a petty person was truly repulsive!

He was still feeling displeased when the deep, resonant voice of the Transmission Elder sounded: “Hmm, for someone of your temperament, being able to do this is already quite good. As for this Edward Carter, he’s given up on himself. The family head must be blind to still think he’s another Samuel Carter?

He’s like mud that can’t be shaped into a wall. In the future, you don’t need to worry about him anymore. Focus on your own cultivation and prove that the family head’s favoritism is nothing but a joke!”

As the Transmission Elder spoke, his gaze suddenly swept toward Edward Carter.

That gaze, like a pair of bronze bells, flashed with an indescribable cold light, as if within them lay a deep pool, and in that pool slumbered an inviolable sword spirit.

Almost instinctively, Edward Carter’s heart tightened, and he nearly knelt on the spot to admit his fault under that gaze.

The nascent sword qi within him suddenly went wild. His black hair exploded with a “bang,” flying in all directions. The surging, formless energy burst through the invisible pressure of that gaze, and a wave of invisible blood energy rippled outward.

In that instant, he seemed like a different person. Though he still appeared frail and as insignificant as an ant beneath the vast heavens, the burst of blood energy and the tenacious will he displayed in that moment made him seem like a war god.

“Hm?”

A look of surprise appeared on the deeply wrinkled face of the bearded elder, and his gaze openly showed his astonishment.

“Elder, the family head’s eyes are not blind! The ones who are blind are you self-righteous old fools! Besides, I’ve already advanced to the first level of Sword Initiation. I no longer need to train at the grounds and can cultivate on my own. This doesn’t violate the family rules, and there’s no need for me to kneel and accept punishment!”

Edward Carter’s gaze was sharp, and he no longer feared this Transmission Elder who made others tremble at the mention of his name.

Facing the Transmission Elder’s impassive, oppressive gaze, he felt quite displeased!

In the past, this was a common occurrence, and he didn’t think much of it. But after inheriting the soul and memories of a grandmaster, he understood: a man kneels only to heaven, earth, and his parents—never for mere “five pecks of rice”!

To him now, this was a tremendous insult! He had his pride and dignity!

“Not bad. With your momentum, you are indeed qualified to leave the training grounds! But by overexploiting your potential, you’ve gained your current ability at the cost of ruining yourself! You are certainly not Samuel Carter… Sigh, take care of yourself!”

The Transmission Elder gave Edward Carter a deep look, then offered a rather “regretful” assessment.

Though he was not favored, he was still family. The Transmission Elder only lamented that such remarkable perception and talent had been completely “wasted.”

Sensing the fleeting desolation and regret in the Transmission Elder’s heart, Edward Carter felt a slight pang within.