Chapter 609: Concept of Frozen Sword
âThis trip is worth it!â Elias couldnât contain his excitement. A wild grin lit up his face as he stood up, the newfound power coursing through him. He clenched his fists and felt the changeâhe was stronger, faster, sharper. More importantly, he had just broken through a bottleneck that wouldâve taken him years otherwise.
He knew what this meant for someone like him. Elias was a one-star genius, and even worse, he wasnât a peak one-star genius. He was at the bottomâbarely considered worth investing resources in.
The peak one-star geniuses⊠they were already standing proudly at the Legend Rankâa realm of power that most could only dream of reaching in a lifetime.
Almost all the top geniuses from the Middle Domain had already stepped into that level, proving themselves as the true prodigies of their generation. In comparison, remaining in the Master Rank as a one-star genius was nothing short of humiliation.
One had to understand the structure of cultivation clearlyâMaster Rank came first, followed by the Champion Rank, and only then came the Legend Rank. Each rank was like a vast ocean, requiring not just strength but comprehension, talent, opportunity, and determination to cross.
To still be in the Master Rank, despite being labeled a one star genius, meant one had long fallen behind the curve.
In the Middle Domain, and especially in families like the Xuan Family of the Four God Nation, such people were considered wastes of potential, the bottom of the barrel among so-called geniuses.
They were the forgotten, the dismissed, the ones barely worth a second glance from elders and ancestors. Resources were never wasted on them. Opportunities were kept away. Even if they were lucky enough to hold some status, they were never truly nurturedânot unless they proved they were worth it.
Elias knew all of this. He had felt it in every family meeting, in every evaluation, in every condescending gaze cast his way. But now⊠after leaping from the 5th to the 7th level of Master Rank in one go, he had broken through that barrierâhe had proven something
He might not be a peak genius yet, but he was no longer the bottom. He was climbing. And soon⊠they would all have to acknowledge him.
âIt seems interesting,â Aria said with a calm smile as she gracefully stepped in front of the black cube, her eyes sharp with focus. Her movements were composed, but something about the air around her instantly shifted.
Elias, who had been basking in his triumph, suddenly grew serious. His casual smirk faded as he watched Aria prepare herself. Max too watched in silence, his expression tightening.
Aria slowly unsheathed her sword, and the moment the blade emerged, a wave of icy intent swept through the hall. The temperature dropped, visible frost beginning to form on the bladeâs surface. The air itself seemed to crystallize around her. It was not just a sword intentâthis was something deeper. Colder. Stronger.
âA perfection stage level 1 Concept of Freezing Sword?â Maxâs thoughts sharpened. He had barely felt any distinct element from Eliasâs sword concept earlier, meaning it lacked that elemental purity, but Ariaâs? It was unmistakable.
Her blade exuded both the piercing sharpness of sword intent and the chilling force of absolute cold, blending them with frightening clarity. She wasnât just using sword intentâshe was commanding it like an extension of her very soul.
Her stance was elegant, almost serene, as she channeled her inheritance and concept into the sword. Then she moved.
âFrozen Sword Dance!â she declared.
The attack wasnât flashy, yet it cut through the air like divine frost. A brilliant white arc shimmered from her sword and struck the black cube, disappearing within it just like the others. For a moment, there was only silenceâthen, golden numbers lit up across the cubeâs surface.
5967
The entire hall went dead quiet.
Everyone was stunned. Commander Shen and Commander Leone exchanged disbelieving glances. Elias, whose pride had been soaring after his own score, clenched his fists unknowingly. It was an overwhelming difference.
Even Maxâs eyes narrowed.
There was an obvious difference between the two commandersâ scores and Eliasâ scoreâand why wouldnât there be? Elias was a recognized one-star genius of the Xuan Family, trained under elite conditions and backed by bloodline inheritance and privileged resources. It was only natural that he would surpass ordinary commanders like Shen and Leone.
But Aria? She hadnât just surpassed the two commandersâshe had crushed Eliasâ score entirely, leaving it far behind in the dust like it was nothing. Her score wasnât just higherâit was a statement. A declaration that among the so-called prodigies of the Four God Nation, there existed a gulf even within the ranks of geniuses.
Elias, for all his pride and background, suddenly looked ordinary in comparison. âI knew she was stronger than meâŠthatâs why I brought her here but I never imagined the gap between is this big.â Eliasâ expression turned solemn.
The weight of her superiority settled heavily in the atmosphere, pressing silently on everyone present.
Even Max couldnât help but reevaluate herâbecause if Elias was already dangerous, then Aria⊠she was a storm waiting to be unleashed.
âThere are all kinds of geniuses in the Middle Domain, one stronger than anotherâŠâ Max finally understood the meaning behind the words the Old Saintess had once told him.
Back then, he had thought it was just a masterâs cryptic warning, something to keep him humble. But now, standing here and witnessing the kind of power that unfolded before him, he realized how true those words were.
As the score flashed on the black cube, a deep red orbâfar denser and heavier in energy than any beforeâfloated slowly in front of Aria. Even Elias, with all his pride and composure, couldnât completely hide the trace of envy in his eyes. That orb wasnât just a rewardâit was a declaration of superiority.
Aria sat cross-legged without a word, and her expression turned focused and calm. Time ticked away, and nearly an hour passed before the red orb finally melted into her body completely. The moment it did, an explosive wave of aura surged from her body.
Her strength, which had been at the 5th level of the Master Rank, immediately broke through. First to the 6th. Then, without even a pause, it surged again to the 7th. And as if that still wasnât enough, her aura climbed one final time and stabilized at the 8th level of the Master Rank.
The silence in the hall was deafening. Even Elias, who had just been praised for his rapid advancement, looked stunned. Aria had gone up three full levels in one goâsomething unheard of for someone already at the Master Rank.
âNow itâs my turn.â Maxâs eyes narrowed as he stepped forward, a quiet flame of curiosity burning in his chest.
âI wonder what score I will getâŠâ he thought, glancing briefly at the black cube standing before him.
Despite his calm expression, there was a flicker of excitement deep within. He was the last to take the test, and though he was clearly the weakest in terms of strengthâstill at the 8th level Seeker Rankâsomething told him this was more than just brute strength.
Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!