Chapter 054: Far Too Heartbreaking

Mu Tianhen and the other two quietly watched as Mu Tianxue closed her eyes and drew her sword. None of them knew what the little girl was feeling at this moment, and none dared to ask.

At this moment, Mu Tianxue instinctively mobilized her spiritual sense, probing the changes within her body. She saw streams of multicolored energy flowing from the blade, dazzling as a rainbow. These currents, fine as threads, wove together and gradually poured into her body, gliding through her meridians and bathing her bones in a refreshing, soothing coolness.

She noticed that, under the influence of these energies, all the blocked intersections of her meridians were being opened one after another, as naturally as opening a door. As each blockage gave way, she felt a surge of strength within herself—so much power she could hardly contain it.

But that was not all. Some of the energy continued upward, gathering at the center of her brow, where it seemed to open up a vast pit—so large it startled her, as if her skull might be broken open. Strangely, despite the gaping void, she felt no discomfort; on the contrary, she felt more powerful than ever.

Once the pit had formed, all the mysterious forces within her body converged along the newly opened meridians, pooling into the pit as streams of radiant, multicolored water. The pit continued to expand rapidly, and she could not tell when it would finally stop.

This process was swift. By the time Mu Tianxue fully drew the sword from its sheath, it was over. She estimated that the pit at her brow was vast as a boundless sea, at least ten thousand miles wide. The rainbow-hued waters filled the space, rippling with beautiful waves. Floating above the waters were clouds of every color, shifting endlessly in the gentle breeze. Above them stretched a cerulean sky, with sun, moon, and stars—an entire world contained within.

This astonished Mu Tianxue, leaving her bewildered at what had happened. All the formerly blocked meridians in her body were now open, forming an unimpeded circuit. With a single thought, she could marshal all her strength to any point she wished.

Sensing all this, even Mu Tianxue, who had never set foot on the path of cultivation, realized she had awakened her martial veins. She was now a martial artist.

Joy—pure, overwhelming joy!

With a swish, Mu Tianxue hurriedly opened her eyes, her face alight with excitement. “Brother! I’ve awakened my martial veins! I finally did it! I’m a martial artist now!”

Hearing this, Mu Qianyuan and Mu Tianxiang exchanged puzzled glances, turning to Mu Tianhen for explanation.

Mu Tianhen was delighted, laughing aloud. “I knew it! Our Xue’er is a genius, an extraordinary genius! Look, she’s already a martial artist.”

“Come, let me see your current cultivation. Open your realm for us—I suspect you’ve reached the Blood Ignition Stage.”

“What?” Mu Qianyuan and Mu Tianxiang were even more incredulous at his words.

If the Xuan Ice Sword was truly a treasure capable of helping Mu Tianxue awaken her martial veins, that was just barely within reason—after all, the unique chill it emitted made clear it was no ordinary weapon. So, Mu Tianhen using it to help his sister was not impossible.

But for her to leap directly to the Blood Ignition Stage—impossible. They were all martial cultivators and knew deeply the hardships of this path. Many spent decades to reach that stage. How could anyone accomplish it instantly? Not even a prodigy could.

They thought Mu Tianhen was joking, perhaps trying too hard to encourage his sister, or simply teasing her.

Mu Tianxue herself had little concept of cultivation realms yet; she simply did as her brother instructed, releasing her power without reservation for them to see.

A low hum resonated as Mu Tianxue’s realm unfolded before them, fully revealed for all to scrutinize. After all, she was now a martial artist. From now on, she could train alongside her brother, grow stronger, and protect herself and him alike—that was what mattered most.

Still, she dared not hope much about her own cultivation. She had heard others say how hard it was to reach the Blood Ignition Stage.

“This is…” Mu Qianyuan’s mouth fell open, eyes wide with disbelief, his entire body trembling, unable to speak further.

Mu Tianxiang was similarly stunned, though slightly less dramatic than Mu Qianyuan.

Mu Tianhen burst into hearty laughter, exclaiming, “Excellent! Far better than I imagined! Xue’er, you are truly a genius!”

“From now on, the number one prodigy in Shun’an City is you—even more gifted than I am!”

“Huh?” Mu Tianxue withdrew her aura and grinned. “Brother, are you just trying to make me happy? Am I really a genius? Did I really reach the Blood Ignition Stage?”

“No, no!” Mu Tianhen waved his hand. “Not the Blood Ignition Stage.”

“Oh.” Mu Tianxue pouted, muttering, “Not even the Blood Ignition Stage, and you call me a genius. Brother, you’re just trying to cheer me up.”

At that, Mu Qianyuan finally recovered from his shock, taking several deep breaths before turning to her. “Little Xue’er, the family head is right—you’re not at the Blood Ignition Stage. You’ve reached the Sky-Gazing Mirror!”

“And not just that,” Mu Tianxiang added, “you’re at the ninth level of the Sky-Gazing Mirror. It’s unbelievable! Xue’er, you’re not just a genius, you’re a prodigy!”

“In Shun’an City, only the Dai Family’s old patriarch has reached this level—and he’s been secluded for fifty years; no one knows if he’s even alive.”

“In other words, right now, our Xue’er is the strongest in Shun’an City! Tell me, isn’t that prodigious?”

Hearing this, even Mu Tianxue was startled, unable to believe it, and she turned to Mu Tianhen as if seeking confirmation.

The Sky-Gazing Mirror was the realm of the truly powerful—there were only a handful in the whole city. And she was not just at that level, but at its ninth tier—who could believe it?

Mu Tianhen nodded emphatically. “Tianxiang is absolutely right—Xue’er, your realm is indeed the ninth level of the Sky-Gazing Mirror!”

“This result truly exceeds all expectations. To call you the strongest in Shun’an City is no exaggeration.”

Upon hearing this, Mu Tianxue was overjoyed. Now she could protect herself, and her brother too. Still, she found it hard to believe that she was truly the city’s strongest.

So she pouted and said, “I don’t believe it. The strongest must be you, Brother. At most I’m second. By the way, what’s your realm? Tell me!”

Both Mu Qianyuan and Mu Tianxiang turned their eyes to Mu Tianhen, eager to know his level—could it be higher than the Sky-Gazing Mirror?

Mu Tianhen smiled. “Well… actually, I’m the same as Xue’er—ninth level of the Sky-Gazing Mirror. Don’t overthink it.”

Mu Qianyuan nearly spat blood.

Only the ninth level of the Sky-Gazing Mirror? Little Hen, do you realize how many hearts you’ll wound with such words? What monstrous siblings!

To break the awkward silence, Mu Tianhen said, “Right, let’s prepare the Icy Detoxification Pill for the old patriarch. Wait here, and don’t let anyone disturb me.”

With that, he strode toward the inner hall.

The other three exchanged glances and sat down to continue their tea, standing guard for Mu Tianhen.

Only Little White remained restless, hopping off the table to follow Mu Tianhen inside.