Chapter 144: The Trials of Xyl (Part-9)

Rest Zone;

In the Command Center, which looked like a fortress of glass, steel, and screens, nearly a hundred monitors covered the walls, each flickering with night-vision feeds from the wilderness sectors—streams, forests, caves, and ruined structures all under watch. A couple of dozen staff members worked in rows before computers, each paying attention to 5-6 drones, making sure to keep an eye on each and every hunter that entered the trial.

In the center of the room, standing before the largest panoramic display, were several Commanders, including Feng Xiu. His expression remained calm, his eyes sharp as he watched the live feeds.

On one wall, heat signatures glowed red and orange as drones traced every motion in the field. Almost half of the screens showed fierce clashes, implying that hunters were thinking exactly the same as Lin Fang, too. They were battling beasts right off the bat instead of finding a safehouse to rest.

“Mr. Feng,” said Commander Albert, his tone carrying both admiration and concern as he leaned forward, adjusting his headset. “Look at Cam 34. The Dark Warrior Guild’s elites just took down another Lord-tier monster.”

The screen shifted to a wide view: Bu Mokong, Li Ying, and the white-haired prodigy, Ryan Zhao, stood beside the burning corpse of a colossal Thunder Girrafon monster. Their familiars/monster companions—the Mantis and the Shadow Wyvern—hovered behind them, emanating deadly pressure.

Albert exhaled. “How many have they slain so far?”

From the far end of the table, Commander Nie Rougang, a tall man with dark eyes and a trimmed beard, crossed his arms and replied flatly, “Three Lord Tiers. Seventeen Commander Tiers. Forty-nine Elites. And well over a hundred Normals so far—those they didn’t even bother to collect the cores from.”

A murmur ran through the staff at his precision.

Feng Xiu’s lips curved slightly. “You’re keeping a rather close eye on them, Commander Nie.”

Nie Rougang shrugged. “Not by choice. It’s hard not to. Especially when one of them is a fifteen-year-old holding an A-Rank Hunter License.”

Albert blinked, surprised. “A fifteen-year-old? You mean that white-haired boy—Ryan Zhao?”

Nie Rougang nodded. “That’s him. Rumor says he’s got a special identity… though even the Guild kept the details sealed.”

Feng Xiu’s gaze lingered on the screen, where Ryan’s silver hair gleamed under the moonlight. He clasped his hands behind his back and said calmly. “He’s the grandson of Jiang Chen.”

At that name, several heads turned. Even the background chatter in the room faltered for a moment.

“Jiang Chen?” Albert muttered.

“Which Jiang Chen?” Commander Nie Rougang asked after a long pause, his brows drawn together.

Feng Xiu turned his head toward him slowly, his expression unreadable. The faint glow of the holographic screens reflected in his dark eyes.

For a moment, he said nothing. Then, he simply replied, “Who else could it be?”

Nie Rougang froze, his pupils dilating slightly. “The… Sword God Jiang Chen?”

Feng Xiu gave a small nod.

Even Commander Albert, who had been sipping from a cup of coffee, nearly spilled it. “Wait, wait… that Jiang Chen? The Sword God of Tianlu Mountains? The man who single-handedly fought the demigod class being, Dragon Emperor, two days straight?”

Feng Xiu didn’t answer; he didn’t have to. The confirmation was written all over his calm, grim face.

Albert let out a low whistle. “But… wasn’t he confirmed dead? Fifteen years ago, during that battle in the Northern Rift?”

Nie Rougang nodded. “He was, indeed. Everyone knows this fact. Even his funeral was telecast live, all over the world.”

Albert leaned forward, intrigued. “Then… did the kid inherit his grandfather’s legacy?”

At that, Feng Xiu shook his head slightly. “No. It’s not that simple. You know as well as I do—it’s not recommended for a legacy to be inherited across different genders, especially before the successor becomes a full-fledged adult.”

“Eh?” Nie Rougang and Albert said almost together, both looking genuinely baffled.

“Different gender?” Albert frowned. “But both are males, though. Was Ryan a female in disguise?”

Feng Xiu clasped his hands behind his back, pacing slowly in front of the large central screen as he explained. “No, he is a male. You see… You both know that legacies aren’t objects. They’re fragments of will and soul essence. An inheritance happens when a cultivator’s innate soul synchronizes with another’s. The higher the resonance, the purer the transfer. That’s why most legacies pass from master to disciple of the same path. From fighter to fighter, mage to mage, swordsman to swordsman. That’s why legacies are so rare, even in the Hunter world. They can’t be just transferred from one to another, just because one is a descendant…”

Albert raised a brow. “So then… what’s so peculiar about Jiang Chen’s case? And what does it have to do with different genders?”

Before Feng Xiu could answer, Nie Rougang spoke up, his voice low but thoughtful. “If I remember correctly,” he said, “Grandmaster Jiang Chen’s master wasn’t just anyone. It was the late Sword Immortal Song Yue—the first woman in history to reach the state of One with the Sword.”

The entire control room fell silent for a moment.

Even the hum of the monitors seemed to quiet down.

Feng Xiu finally stopped walking and turned his gaze toward the main screen showing Ryan Zhao’s calm, collected figure standing amidst the slain monsters while the other two were severing the heads of the monsters and collecting their spirit cores.

“So you think…” Commander Albert trailed off, but Feng Xiu didn’t let him finish. He simply nodded gravely, folding his hands behind his back as his gaze remained on the screen. “Yes, we too highly suspect that Jiang Chen inherited the legacy left by Sword Immortal Song Yue before she passed away.”

He turned toward the others, now his voice turning firmer as if he was confident in his speculations. “The best example that can prove it is Jiang Chen’s progress. Before her death, he was only a sword master. But just a year after her death, Jiang Chen made a breakthrough and became a grandmaster. Within another three years, he became the Sword Emperor. From the 70s to the late 90s, he practically ruled this continent alongside Li Chengfeng and Hua Mulan, gaining the title of Sword God. Unfortunately, it is a pity that he died early. Had he been alive to date, he could have transcended the mortal limit to become the Sword Immortal.”

A hush spread through the control room. Even the younger staff members—those who’d only heard legends of that era—looked up from their monitors, eyes wide.

Nie Rougang exhaled deeply, shaking his head. “The Golden Trio… I guess people no longer remember those legends that we idolized in our younger days…”

Feng Xiu sighed quietly, “Anyway, because the essence of that legacy still belongs to the Sword Immortal—a woman, if the inheritor’s body is still in the developmental stage—before full maturation—the legacy’s energy will reshape his internal structure to match the original source.”

Nie Rougang blinked. “Meaning…?”

Albert finished the thought grimly, “Meaning the boy’s body could… change. His DNA could force a partial gender shift.”

There was a heavy silence. Even the younger staff stopped typing.

Feng Xiu gave a short nod. “Exactly.”

The commanders exchanged uneasy glances.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep