CHAPTER 655: HIS LIFE AS A DISCIPLE

Sword intent was the ability of a sword cultivator to become one with the sword, manifesting the power of the sword into a force that amplified their strength.

It was an ability that every swordmaster had to possess, as it was directly tied to their comprehension. The deeper their understanding, the greater their unity with the sword. The deeper this unity, the stronger their sword intent became. The stronger the sword intent, the more powerful they became.

However, creating sword intent was not easy. Cultivators not only needed a profound comprehension of the sword, but also had to manifest that comprehension into a force known as sword intent. In addition, they required a rich flow of heaven and earth energy to support the creation process.

Normally, this phase could be achieved by a cultivator at the Marquess stage, as their comprehension would be deep enough to trigger sword intent. In some rare cases, there were geniuses at the Earl stage who could shape their own sword intent.

But for someone at the Viscount stage to create sword intent? Aside from a singularity like Aldrian, who had even formed his own sword will, there was no one.

That was why, the moment everyone witnessed Zander forming his own sword intent, they were truly shocked. And it was not just an ordinary sword intent, it was powerful enough to cause a phenomenon among the nearby swords, showing that all the swords around were resonating with the strength of his sword intent.

His sword intent grew clearer and clearer, causing the disciples near him to feel a piercing sensation that prompted them to move away. It even began physically affecting Zander’s surroundings, as slash marks appeared on the nearby seats and floor.

This made many of them shudder, Zander’s sword intent was strong enough to affect his surroundings physically.

But their shock didn’t end there. Zander’s cultivation suddenly rose as he broke through to the peak of the Viscount stage. Yet it didn’t stop. The surrounding energy kept being absorbed into his body without him realizing it, and his cultivation continued to rise, nearing the Low Earl stage.

After more than twenty minutes, he finally had another breakthrough to the Low Earl stage!

At this moment, both the disciples and the teachers were already looking at him as if he were a monster. Something like this had never happened in their lives.

To have consecutive breakthroughs in such a short time, what kind of sorcery was this? But then they remembered someone like Aldrian existed and stopped thinking further. From their perspective, a new era had truly arrived. With Aldrian’s appearance, situations like this might no longer be impossible, and in the future, more unbelievable things might happen.

After a few more minutes, Zander finally opened his eyes. A yellow hue flickered across them for a split second before vanishing. Once he fully opened his eyes, he was stunned to find himself alone on his seat. The surrounding disciples had all moved away, and they were looking at him as if he were some otherworldly being.

He felt confused, then was stunned once more when he saw the damage around him. Slash marks were scattered across the floor and nearby seats.

He widened his eyes. What was going on while he was in that strange state?

What he had just experienced was truly magnificent. It felt like entering a dream where he could perceive everything smoothly and effortlessly. He felt as if he were in a new body, and then, he finally sensed something within himself.

When he focused inward, he was utterly shocked to find that he had already reached the Low Earl stage. His senses had become sharper, and his body completely refreshed.

He genuinely wondered what had happened, prompting him to part his lips.

"Uhm, what is going on here?" he asked with slight hesitation.

But no one answered him immediately. Instead, Aldrian’s voice resounded.

"What is your name?"

The moment Aldrian asked the question, Zander looked in his direction. Aldrian was smiling at him, but Zander was astonished. The emperor himself was speaking to him!

He didn’t wait any longer and quickly bowed.

"Answering Your Majesty, my name is Zander Alvrich," he replied hurriedly.

Aldrian kept smiling, then turned to Headmaster Wang.

"Headmaster, it looks like I’ve found someone interesting," he said aloud, but after that, he sent a voice transmission to the headmaster.

"Headmaster Wang, tell me, how did Zander enter the academy, and what has his life here been like?"

Headmaster Wang let out a slight sigh and began telling Aldrian about Zander.

The young man had joined the academy fifteen years ago. At that time, he came as a genius from a commoner background, and even Headmaster Wang had been shocked by his cultivation talent.

His swordsmanship was also exceptional, and he passed the entrance test with flying colors, immediately earning a place as a disciple of the academy.

But as time went on, problems began to appear. Zander’s cultivation progress gradually slowed. Those who had entered alongside him that once behind, caught up and eventually surpassed him. Worse still, juniors from later entrance batches began overtaking him as well.

This caused many rumors to spread, affecting his life as a disciple. Many began underestimating him, and with his commoner background, he became an easy target among the noble disciples. He couldn’t avoid being scorned or looked down upon, and the academy had no real power to control the opinions of its students.

Although those disciples kept their hands tied in front of the teachers, the instructors were well aware that something must have been happening behind the scenes. Even so, they couldn’t possibly guard Zander twenty-four hours a day, and whatever happened to him when they weren’t watching gradually turned him into a more withdrawn and silent person.

The academy had actually considered expelling Zander before things got any worse. They didn’t want anything to happen to him, and his performance had been lacking for years anyway, so it seemed like the most reasonable course of action.

But Zander was adamant. He requested one more chance, asking for time until next year to prove that he still deserved his place.

From the academy’s understanding, he chose to stay because he wanted to graduate properly. He hoped to raise his family’s status, which they found admirable.

Aldrian, after hearing the explanation, nodded in understanding. But then he spoke to Headmaster Wang through voice transmission.

"To be honest, after hearing his story, I’m quite disappointed with how the academy handled this situation. I expected more from the most prestigious academy. You need to be more decisive, headmaster Wang. These brats have grown arrogant and are exploiting the loopholes in the academy’s rules."

"If this is meant to be one of the so-called lessons of the harsh cultivation world, then no. This is simply bullying."

Headmaster Wang knew that Aldrian was displeased. From his tone alone, it was clear he was truly disappointed. Without hesitation, Headmaster Wang bowed deeply to Aldrian, leaving the onlookers stunned.

They understood that the headmaster and the emperor were communicating through voice transmission, but none of them knew what had been said to make the headmaster bow so suddenly.

"My apologies, Your Majesty. I was not decisive enough, and I failed to handle this problem fairly and justly. I deserve to be punished for my negligence and lack of judgment," Headmaster Wang said. The happiness he had felt over the breakthrough was swept away by Aldrian’s words.

The academy had clearly disappointed the emperor, and their mishandling of the situation had damaged the academy’s image in his eyes.

"I’m not going so far as to punish you," Aldrian replied calmly, "but I hope there will never be a situation like this again. I imagine something similar may have happened before, with someone else."

"I understand, Your Majesty. It won’t happen again,"

the headmaster responded immediately.

Aldrian nodded, then turned his gaze back to Zander.

"Zander, could you come with me for a moment?" he said with a smile.

Zander was stunned, but quickly bowed.

"Of course, Your Majesty."

The other disciples, seeing Zander personally invited by the emperor, could only feel envious, but they kept those feelings buried in their hearts. Some of those who had bullied him gritted their teeth. At this moment, they felt not only envy, but anger. After all the miserable years Zander had spent in the academy, it was him the emperor had noticed.

Zander followed Aldrian to the backstage area, where Aldrian requested a private room for the two of them to speak. Baek Jimin also followed, intending to hear what Aldrian wanted to discuss with Zander.

The private room, still located within a part of the grand auditorium, was quickly prepared. Aldrian sat face to face with Zander, who kept his head slightly lowered, his nervousness clearly showing.

How could he not be? He was now alone in a room with the emperor and his fiancée.

Aldrian smiled, trying to ease the tension, then began to speak.

"Zander, huh? I didn’t expect to meet someone like you here. Do you know that you’re special?"

Hearing those words, Zander froze. He lowered his head more, as if weighed down by shame.

"No, Your Majesty... I’m not someone great like that. I don’t think I deserve to be called special," he replied, his voice filled with disappointment and sadness.

"Is that so?" Aldrian smiled. "Then how could someone not be special after achieving what you just did? Is a person who can break through twice in a short time, and comprehend sword intent not considered special?"

Zander’s eyes widened. Sword intent? He had comprehended sword intent?

He suddenly remembered the sword marks around him, and how the other disciples had distanced themselves. In that moment, everything clicked, and his shock deepened.

"Anyway, Zander, I have a few questions for you. I hope you can answer them."

Zander quickly pushed aside his shock and nodded.

"Please ask, Your Majesty. I will gladly answer to the best of my ability."

"Alright. My first question, where did you get your cultivation technique? Was it passed down from your family, or did you find it elsewhere?" Aldrian asked.

"To be honest, I obtained my cultivation technique through a fortunate encounter, Your Majesty. I was actually trapped inside a secret realm in the Everlasting Silent Forest, and I found the technique there," Zander replied without hesitation.

His answer made Aldrian raise his eyebrows.

"A secret realm?"