’Heh, they brainwash me every day... I’m just trying to have a little fun...’

「October 12th」

Yu Fei had been in the Tianchen Third Military Hospital for a month and a half. His injuries were gradually improving, and after a routine check-up, Chen Yu nodded repeatedly as he looked at the report.

"Not bad. The fractured bones have all healed, and the injuries to your chest and abdomen are almost better, too. This is a bit faster than I expected."

Modern medical martial arts possessed incredibly potent healing capabilities. As long as there was no complete loss of vital organs or total destruction of limbs, most external injuries could be repaired without any lasting side effects.

The only exceptions were cases where something went wrong with one’s Cultivation Technique, leading to a backlash—a situation that was extremely difficult to handle. Otherwise, as long as a patient was still breathing and their body was mostly intact, they could be saved without any long-term consequences.

Yan Sea chimed in from the side, "He has already entered the threshold for the second-realm pillar technique, which also aids in recovery."

As his practice of the Taiwei Profound Origin Pillar progressed, the way the Five Elements’ qi tempered and strengthened his internal organs also had a positive effect on his recovery.

Chen Yu nodded. "Let’s keep you under observation for another week. If there are no issues, you can be discharged then."

Yu Fei was immediately overjoyed. His time in the hospital had been driving him crazy; being unable to communicate with the outside world was unbearable.

In the recovery room, Yan Sea took out a new storage device and handed it to him.

"This contains the two fundamental Cultivation Techniques of the Tribulation Sword lineage. I am now passing them down to you."

Yan Sea’s tone was gentle, filled with boundless hope.

"These two Cultivation Techniques are the Tribulation Sea Sword Lotus Transformation Skill and the Tribulation Sea Formless Cutting Intent Scripture. First, let me share what I know about them. The detailed cultivation steps are all included, so you’ll need to study them on your own. As of now, you are the only Tribulation Sword Cultivator, so you will have to forge your own path forward."

Yu Fei took the storage device and suddenly felt its weight. ’From now on, I’m the only one who can cultivate the fundamental techniques of the Tribulation Sword.’

"After checking with my Senior Brother, we realized that two Secret Techniques are still missing. I will try to find them later. For now, just focus on cultivating step by step."

"Was this Cultivation Technique created by the eighth-realm patriarch himself?"

"Yes. My master’s entire set of skills is collectively known as the Tribulation Sea Formless Sword Manual. It includes the three Dao Foundation methods you have already cultivated, the two fundamental Cultivation Techniques, and two Secret Techniques."

Yu Fei listened attentively. He suddenly grew very curious about this deceased eighth-realm Grandmaster and couldn’t help but ask, "Teacher, could you tell me our Grandmaster’s story?" 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Yan Sea recalled with a hint of sorrow, "My master’s name was Sima Hong. I was only at the third realm when I became his disciple, and I was already 25 years old at the time."

"I was serving in the army back then. I was recommended to him for my bravery in battle and was subsequently accepted as his disciple. Master was already a Grandmaster by then..."

Yan Sea’s story was truly inspirational. He was an ordinary man of average talent who, through his passion and diligence for the Martial Dao, had managed to reach the third realm step by step. Ordinarily, the third realm would have likely been the peak of his life’s cultivation journey, but one day he caught the eye of a Grandmaster, and his destiny was transformed.

According to Yan Sea, Sima Hong had also been a man of ordinary talent. He hadn’t even been accepted into a Martial Arts University; relying on the knowledge and resources from martial arts dojos and his own indomitable will, he eventually became a Grandmaster.

Due to the unique nature of the Tribulation Sword, Sima Hong’s combat prowess was exceptionally formidable. He later made a name for himself on the battlefield, stunning everyone.

He started a trend of arduous cultivation, gaining countless followers and becoming respectfully known as Mr. Lanren.

At that time, Mr. Lanren began accepting disciples. People flocked to him, seeking his tutelage, but very few were actually accepted.

Those who managed to establish the Tribulation Sword Dao Foundation were considered Inner Sect Disciples. At its peak, there were thirteen of them. The others were known as outer sect disciples, and there were only five.

According to Yan Sea’s recollection, at the peak of the Tribulation Sword lineage, there were seven Grandmasters. The rest were all Gang Qi Martial Artists, and every one of them possessed extraordinary combat strength, making them an incredibly formidable force.

All of these people were of mediocre talent, yet they displayed power on par with the prodigies of the same realm. Later, under Mr. Lanren’s leadership, they even managed to change the Yu Kingdom’s merit system, redirecting a massive amount of resources toward ordinary Martial Artists. This action put the Tribulation Sword lineage in opposition to countless prodigy Martial Artists, earning them innumerable enemies, both overt and hidden.

Then, war broke out suddenly. The Tribulation Sword lineage was tragically wiped out on the battlefield. Not even Mr. Lanren’s own son—their youngest junior brother and the last to establish the Tribulation Sword Dao Foundation—was spared.

Yan Sea was one of the lucky survivors of that war. The senior outer sect brother at the time, Chen Yu, did not participate in the battle for personal reasons. Since then, the Tribulation Sword lineage has fallen into complete decline.

Yan Sea felt an immense debt of gratitude to Sima Hong for discovering and nurturing his talent. Unable to face the tremendous pain of losing all his masters and friends, he teetered on the brink of qi deviation.

To prevent him from taking his own life, Mr. Lanren left him with an impossible mission: to pass on the legacy of the Tribulation Sword.

And so, Yan Sea’s cultivation realm fell, he became a martial arts teacher, and the series of events leading to his encounter with Yu Fei was set in motion.

Yu Fei looked at the sorrowful Yan Sea as the blue gem above his head slowly rotated. ’I can’t even imagine how much effort it must have taken for someone with that kind of talent to become a Grandmaster, step by step. No wonder Yan Sea always prioritizes willpower above everything else.’

’It makes sense that Sima Hong is the most important person in Yan Sea’s life. How could he ever repay such a benevolent master?’

After hearing the story, Yu Fei was filled with admiration for the grandmaster he had never met, Sima Hong. ’If not for the tragic ending, his life story would be like that of a protagonist in a novel—a classic underdog who rose from nothing and nearly reached the very peak of the Martial Dao.’

"Teacher, that’s all in the past now. I have inherited the Tribulation Sword, and I promise you, I will find a way to make the lineage flourish once more."