Chapter 10: Overexertion

Actually, Wang Zhijun had also gone all out. Although his family was prestigious, they certainly wouldn’t equip a student like him with an expensive and strictly prohibited power amplifier. This device was actually something he had secretly borrowed from his older brother, a general. Before this, he had only used it to show off in front of Kevin and Essie, never imagining that he would actually use it in real combat.

Actually, Wang Zhijun was also desperate. Although his family was prestigious, they couldn’t possibly provide him—a mere student—with an expensive and strictly prohibited power amplifier. This device was something Wang Zhijun had stolen from his elder brother, a general. Before this, he had only used it to show off in front of Kevin and Ais, never imagining he would actually have to deploy it in real combat.

But now, Wang Zhijun had no choice but to use it. He was about to unleash a sword technique—one that far exceeded his current strength. Only with the power amplifier could he barely manage to execute it.

Wang Zhijun was confident. Once this move was unleashed, Yang Hao would be dead. No matter how bizarre this guy’s abilities were, there would be no chance of survival.

This sword strike was a true testament to the glory and brilliance of the Wang family.

“Five-Petal Cloud Blossom!!” Wang Zhijun spat the words with venom, and in an instant, the short sword in his hand transformed.

To Yang Hao, it seemed as if the entire sky had darkened, as though his world had been severed from everyone else’s. Before him, only a massive swirl of silver light churned and gathered, like a flower bud on the verge of blooming, accumulating the power to burst forth.

Without needing any warning, Yang Hao sensed the gravity of the situation. He quickly retreated, but soon realized the futility of his action.

Because the light finally erupted—a brilliance so dazzling it was nearly impossible to look at directly. Like a nuclear explosion, it unfurled before Yang Hao, and from within that blinding radiance, five silver petals slowly extended. These petals, formed from Wang Zhijun’s sword energy, descended vertically from the sky.

Yang Hao had nowhere left to run. The five petals enveloped him, trapping him no matter where he tried to dodge. From above, a piercing coldness descended, stinging his skin and filling his heart with the certainty of death.

Yang Hao was truly about to die. Though he didn’t know the history of this sword technique or just how formidable it was, he couldn’t possibly have known that “Five-Petal Cloud Blossom” had once allowed Wang Zhijun’s grandfather to repel the challenges of dozens of master swordsmen, earning him the title of the fifth-ranked swordsman in the empire’s history. Nor would Yang Hao have known that this very move had enabled the Wang family’s generals to claim the heads of countless alien creatures.

But now, the only thing Yang Hao knew was that he was going to die. Faced with this sword strike that seemed to dominate the heavens and earth, he felt utterly insignificant—like a lone meteor in the vast universe, or a single grain of sand in the ocean. He was inconsequential, let alone capable of resisting or escaping.

In that brief, meteor-like clash, a voice suddenly rang out:

“Catch the sword!!!”

A streak of rainbow-like light shot toward him. Dazed, Yang Hao instinctively reached out—and to his surprise, he actually caught the slender blade.

A scorching power surged from within his body, invigorating him as he gripped the sword. Even the previously lethargic voice of Hunyuanzi in his mind grew excited:

“What an excellent sword technique! Let me take over!!!”

Instantly, that burning force flooded Yang Hao’s limbs, turning his body into a puppet as he leaped into the air. Yang Hao had no control over his movements—he only felt the sword in his hand morph into a blue dragon, charging straight toward the silver petals in the sky.

Then, darkness swallowed his vision, and he completely blacked out.

For what felt like an eternity, Yang Hao drifted through a vast galaxy, countless stars passing by his side. His body expanded within a gentle, river-like energy, while strange currents crisscrossed through him.

“Yang Hao!! Yang Hao!!!” Urgent calls echoed, but they failed to wake him.

In the teachers’ lounge, Ais, Amanda, and the swordsmanship instructor huddled together, desperately trying to rouse the unconscious Yang Hao. The scene they had just witnessed had terrified them all.

When Wang Zhijun activated the power amplifier and unleashed “Five-Petal Cloud Blossom,” everyone had assumed Yang Hao was doomed—even the swordsmanship instructor, Jack, who had just happened to pass by and tossed his own sword to Yang Hao in a last-ditch effort.

But Jack never expected Yang Hao to survive. As a first-class swordsman, he knew exactly how devastating Wang Zhijun’s strike was. Though Wang Zhijun’s own skill wasn’t refined enough to unleash its full power, it was more than enough to kill Yang Hao.

Yet, to everyone’s astonishment, the moment Yang Hao caught the sword, his aura surged. He soared upward, his entire body and blade transforming into a blue dragon that shattered the “Five-Petal Cloud Blossom” and sent Wang Zhijun flying several meters back.

Wang Zhijun was promptly carried off to the infirmary by a group of noble students, while Jack brought Yang Hao back to his lounge. But ever since breaking that sword strike, Yang Hao had remained unconscious, unresponsive to any attempts to wake him.

Amanda watched wide-eyed as Ais frantically patted Yang Hao’s cheeks, her tears nearly spilling over. Amanda was utterly baffled—how had Ais, the school’s beauty queen, suddenly become so concerned about Yang Hao?

Amanda had no patience for such sentimentality. Seeing that Yang Hao still hadn’t woken, she grabbed a nearby basin of cold water and dumped it straight onto his head.

“WAAAHHH!!!” Yang Hao screamed, bolting upright from the floor. One moment, he had been peacefully drifting through the galaxy; the next, he was drenched and miserable.

Jack, seeing that Amanda’s rough method had worked, chuckled slyly and gave her a covert thumbs-up.

“What are you guys doing?” Yang Hao groaned, accepting the towel Ais handed him and patting his face pitifully.

“We should be asking you that,” Jack said, sitting in a chair and eyeing Yang Hao with a strange expression. “Since when did you learn such an advanced sword technique?”

Jack was a lanky middle-aged man with a hooked nose and piercing blue eyes. On the planet Remon, he was considered a first-rate swordsman—though not yet a master, his achievements were remarkable for someone not born into a swordsmanship lineage.

Though Jack didn’t recognize the technique Yang Hao had just used, he could tell it was no ordinary swordplay—and his curiosity was piqued.

Yang Hao pressed the towel to his forehead, recalling the earlier events. He knew full well that he couldn’t have won on his own—Hunyuanzi must have intervened to save his life. But he didn’t dare reveal that a celestial being was sleeping inside him. If the empire’s mad scientists found out, they’d dissect him in a heartbeat.

“I don’t know any sword techniques,” Yang Hao lied. “I just channeled all my energy into the sword and then passed out.”

“Into the sword?” Jack mused, stroking his own blade thoughtfully. “Could it be that this sword has some hidden power?”

Wang Zhijun was confident. Once this move was unleashed, Yang Hao was as good as dead. No matter how strange or powerful Yang Hao’s abilities might be, he wouldn’t have the slightest chance of survival.

This sword strike truly embodied the glory and splendor of the Wang family.

“Five-Petal Cloud Blossom!!” Wang Zhijun hissed viciously. In an instant, the short sword in his hand transformed.

From Yang Hao’s perspective, the entire sky seemed to darken, as if his world had been torn apart from everyone else’s. Before him, only a massive swirling silver glow began to gather and build up, like a flower bud waiting to bloom, accumulating the power to burst open.

He didn’t need anyone to warn him—Yang Hao immediately sensed the severity of the situation. He quickly tried to retreat, but soon realized that the action was completely useless.

The radiant glow finally erupted, dazzlingly brilliant like a nuclear explosion before his eyes. From this blinding light slowly extended five silver petals. These petals were formed from Wang Zhijun’s sword energy, descending slowly and vertically from high above the sky.

Yang Hao had nowhere left to run. He was completely enveloped by these five petals. No matter where he tried to dodge, he couldn’t escape this cage. From the heavens above, a piercing chill descended onto his skin, making Yang Hao feel the breath of death deep in his soul.

Yang Hao was really going to die. Although he didn’t know the history of this sword strike or understand how powerful it truly was, he couldn’t possibly know that this very move—”Five-Petal Cloud Blossom”—had once enabled Wang Zhijun’s grandfather to defeat dozens of sword masters, earning him the fifth place among sword experts in the empire’s history. Yang Hao naturally also had no idea that this technique had helped countless generals from the Wang family collect the heads of countless alien monsters.

But now, the only thing Yang Hao knew was that he was going to die. Facing this supreme sword strike that dominated heaven and earth, Yang Hao seemed incredibly insignificant—like a mere meteor in the vast universe, like a single grain of sand in the endless ocean, completely powerless to resist or even flee.

Just as this brief clash unfolded like a shooting star, a voice suddenly rang out: “Catch the sword!!!”

Then, a rainbow-like beam of light shot toward him. Already dazed, Yang Hao instinctively reached out—and actually managed to grab the slender sword.

A scorching surge of energy surged up from his abdomen, making Yang Hao, now holding the long sword, suddenly feel refreshed. The previously half-asleep Hun Yuan Zi’s voice became excited: “What an amazing sword technique! Let me take over!!”

In an instant, that searing energy surged through Yang Hao’s limbs and bones, making him leap into the air like a puppet on strings. Yang Hao had absolutely no control over his own body. He only felt the long sword in his hand suddenly transform into a green dragon, which then crashed headlong into the silver petals descending from the sky.

Then, everything before Yang Hao turned pitch black—he had completely fainted.

For a long time afterward, Yang Hao felt as though he were drifting through the Milky Way, with countless stars passing by his side. His body floated in a gentle, river-like energy flow, expanding and growing. Strange currents weaved through his body in all directions.

“Yang Hao!! Yang Hao!!!” The urgent calls echoed, but failed to wake Yang Hao.

In the teacher’s lounge, Essie, Amanda, and the swordsmanship instructor gathered around, desperately trying to rouse the unconscious Yang Hao. The scene from earlier had nearly scared them to death.

When Wang Zhijun activated the power amplifier and unleashed the “Five-Petal Cloud Blossom,” everyone thought Yang Hao was doomed. Even the swordsmanship teacher, Jack, believed so. At that moment, Jack had just happened to be passing by and, seeing Yang Hao in mortal danger, threw his own sword toward him.

However, Jack didn’t believe that this act would actually save Yang Hao’s life. As a top-level swordsman, Jack naturally understood the devastating power of Wang Zhijun’s sword strike. Although Wang Zhijun himself hadn’t yet fully mastered the technique and couldn’t unleash its full might, it was more than enough to kill Yang Hao.

Yet, to everyone’s shock and disbelief, after catching the sword, Yang Hao suddenly surged with power, leaping upward. His entire body and sword transformed into a green dragon, shattering the “Five-Petal Cloud Blossom” into pieces and sending Wang Zhijun flying several meters away.

Wang Zhijun was hastily carried off to the infirmary by a group of noble students, while Jack brought Yang Hao back to his lounge. But after breaking that sword strike, Yang Hao had remained unconscious, unresponsive no matter how loudly others called his name.

Amanda watched with wide eyes as Essie anxiously patted Yang Hao’s face, nearly in tears. Amanda was probably so shocked she could hardly believe it—never in her wildest dreams had she imagined that Essie, known as the school beauty, would suddenly show such concern for Yang Hao.

Amanda, who had never been kind to men, seeing Yang Hao still unconscious for so long, grabbed a basin of cold water from the side and poured it all over Yang Hao in one swift motion.

“Whoa!!!” Yang Hao screamed in shock, springing up from the ground. Just moments ago, he had been soaring through the Milky Way, and now he was rudely awakened by a bucket of cold water—definitely not a pleasant experience.

Seeing Amanda’s rough method actually work, Teacher Jack grinned slyly and secretly gave her a thumbs-up.

“What are you guys doing?” Yang Hao took the towel Essie handed him, pitifully wiping his face.

“It’s us who should be asking you that,” Jack said, sitting in the chair and eyeing Yang Hao with curiosity. “When did you learn such an incredible sword technique?”

Jack was a tall, thin middle-aged man with a hooked nose and piercing blue eyes. On the planet Raymon, he was considered a top-tier swordsman—although not yet a master, his achievements were already remarkable for someone not born into a sword-fighting family.

Though Jack didn’t recognize the sword technique Yang Hao had used, he could clearly tell it was no ordinary sword art, and his curiosity was piqued.

Yang Hao pressed the towel against his forehead, recalling what had happened. Naturally, he knew that with his own abilities, there was no way he could have won. It must have been Hun Yuan Zi doing something again to save his life. However, Yang Hao dared not reveal the fact that there was a sleeping immortal inside his body—otherwise, he’d surely be captured and dissected by the empire’s mad scientists.

“I don’t know any sword techniques. I just focused all my energy on the sword and then passed out,” Yang Hao casually made up an excuse.

“On the sword??” Jack stroked his own blade thoughtfully, “Could it be that my sword has some hidden power inside?”