Imperial Scepter

Gao Chun's steps were like the wind as he rushed towards the training ground.

On the training ground, a dozen or so young cultivators were practicing their fighting techniques with great vigor and speed. The crisp sounds of fists and elbows colliding echoed one after another, and the thin layer of sweat on their foreheads glistened in the morning light.

"The young man from Gaojia Village is truly remarkable!" he exclaimed inwardly, his gaze sweeping across the entire scene before instantly locking onto a particular figure.

My nephew Gao Chengzhi was practicing his boxing in a horse stance. Various colors of mysterious energy flowed freely between his elbows, legs, and fists. Every move was steady, accurate, and ruthless. His skills were so proficient that they were unbelievable.

Gao Chun nodded repeatedly, full of approval.

Although this kid spends his days reading stories and seems carefree, he never misses a single training task assigned by his sister and brother-in-law. He truly deserves to be recognized as a little genius in the village.

Too lazy to warm up, he strode forward, his voice clear and bright: "Chengzhi, play a real game with your uncle!"

These words were like a thunderclap. The young cultivators on the field immediately stopped fighting and swarmed around, their eyes burning like fire!

Both are renowned young geniuses from Gaojia Village, and both possess three-colored Dao Seeds. Now that Gao Chun has taken the initiative to challenge them, he has clearly reached the second-star Bronze level. Neither of them wants to miss this duel of geniuses.

"Gao Chun will definitely win! After all, he's two years older, and his fighting skills have always been the best in our village!"

"Not necessarily! Gao Chengzhi advanced to the second star early; he might have already reached the middle stage of the third realm!"

"What nonsense! Without perfect mastery of the conception, it's utterly useless for combat power! Only after advancing to the third level does your profound energy undergo a qualitative change, causing a surge in attack, defense, and other attributes!"

"Tch, stop pretending to know everything. Shall we bet? If Gao Chun wins, I'll give you ten Xuanjing; if Cheng Zhi wins, you give me..."

The boys chattered excitedly as they started gambling, but Gao Chun ignored them, his gaze fixed on Gao Chengzhi, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit.

To everyone's surprise, Gao Chengzhi didn't even lift his eyelids, coldly uttering three words: "Not interested."

His mind was full of the novels he hadn't finished reading.

What's the point of a contest if it's not as appealing as a story?

The protagonists' dramatic rise to power, the long-legged woman's unwavering loyalty to love... all of these stories thrilled him and brought tears to his eyes.

His biggest dream in life was to have an endless supply of new storybooks to read.

Gao Chun smiled knowingly and threw out the bait: "If you win, your uncle will give you ten new novels you've never read before."

"Really?!" Gao Chengzhi looked up suddenly, his eyes shining like two stars, his excitement impossible to hide, his previous indifference vanishing instantly.

Gao Chun chuckled inwardly. With this kid's weakness in his grasp, it would be a piece of cake to capture him.

"A man's word is his bond!" He raised an eyebrow and smiled, and before he finished speaking, he had already sprung into action.

A flying kick, carrying a sharp gust of wind, was aimed straight at Gao Chengzhi's face!

Gao Chengzhi's eyes sharpened, and he activated the yellow attribute of his Dao Seed. The pale yellow defensive Xuan power instantly enveloped his arms, and with a "bang," he took the kick head-on.

The bluestone bricks beneath his feet cracked with a sound, and he swayed slightly, but remained firmly in place.

He was determined to win this competition for the sake of ten new novels.

Even if the other party is your own uncle, you will never show mercy!

He is a super genius who possesses four Dao Seeds of red, yellow, blue, and purple!

The two instantly engaged in a fierce battle!

The clash of fists and elbows produced a dull thud, while the shadows of legs flew like lightning.

The side kicks that came like a counterattack, the elbow strikes that were as fast as a meteor, were all ruthless and vicious, all close-quarters combat clashes, making it difficult to determine who was the winner.

The boys on the sidelines cheered and applauded.

"Holy crap! Gao Chun's fighting skills are still top-notch, so fast you can't even see his afterimages!"

"Gao Chengzhi was hiding his true abilities too well! He actually managed to hold his own against Gao Chun, that's incredible!"

"Only Gao Chun can overpower him; the rest of us would be instantly killed!"

The two clashed head-on for dozens of rounds, their pale red offensive and pale yellow defensive energy continuously attaching to their fists, elbows, and legs. They fought back and forth, attacking and defending, locked in a fierce and evenly matched battle, with the sounds of their collisions echoing outwards.

After exchanging a punch, the two were each knocked back several steps, creating distance between them.

Gao Chengzhi's eyes darted around rapidly as he began to make plans in his mind.

He wasn't competing for fame; he just wanted to win the storybook!

A head-on confrontation would be evenly matched, but being two years younger than his uncle puts him at a physical disadvantage, and a protracted battle would surely result in defeat. He needs to use strategy!

He hadn't figured out his uncle's true nature yet, so he decided to test him one by one, immediately employing a close-combat version of kite tactics—keeping close at hand and avoiding direct confrontation.

He activated the purple attribute of his Dao Seed, and instantly, a pale purple assassin's profound energy flowed into his feet, causing his speed to increase dramatically.

Like a blur, it circled around Gao Chun, its eyes fixed on its prey like a hungry wolf, searching for an opportunity. Each time it approached, it only made a tentative punch, striking and then retreating.

Upon seeing this, Gao Chun smiled.

He knew this tactic inside and out!

During the year or so that he was confined to his home, he read through all sorts of close combat tactics books, and even dissected and studied the close-quarters combat techniques of the protagonists in novels.

He was already thoroughly familiar with close combat tactics such as attack, defense, control, and assassination, and could apply them in various situations.

He could come up with more than a dozen ways to deal with close-range kites even with his eyes closed. Moreover, he possessed the Five-Colored Dao Seed, making him an all-around warrior who could master any close-range tactic!

Given his abilities, he could easily employ the castle tactic on the spot, mobilizing the yellow attribute of his Dao Seed to cover his body with a light yellow Xuan Power armor, feigning a lack of speed, and then deliberately revealing a weakness to lure Cheng Zhi close. He could then use the sticky Xuan Power of his blue Dao Seed to lock him in place and win the battle.

But that was not his goal.

He came here today to hone his skills in real combat, to assess his true combat strength, and to experience the exhilaration of a head-on confrontation!

"Playing close-quarters combat with my uncle?"

Gao Chun chuckled lightly, channeling all his pale purple assassin's profound energy into the soles of his feet.

His figure moved like an arrow released from a bow, and he chased after it directly. His speed was no less than that of Gao Chengzhi, and was even a fraction faster!

Gao Chengzhi's pupils contracted sharply, and his heart skipped a beat.

My uncle also possesses a purple Dao Seed?

Close-range kiting tactics have become ineffective; continuing to roam will only deplete your stamina.

He immediately came up with a plan and decided to turn the tables on them!

The pale blue control energy that my grandfather sealed was colorless and formless, so outsiders could not detect it at all, and my uncle Gao Chun was no exception.

This is exactly what can catch him off guard!

Since you dare to chase after me, I will wait here. When you get close, I will first use this colorless controlling Xuan power to bind your wrists, then unleash the pale red attacking Xuan power to deliver a powerful punch and take you down in one fell swoop!

Once he made up his mind, he immediately activated the blue attribute of his Dao Seed, quietly gathering colorless profound energy in his palm, waiting for the high purity to approach.

On the surface, he still maintained the appearance of being ready to take the blow head-on, without revealing the slightest weakness.

The two were less than three feet apart.

A smug glint flashed in Gao Chengzhi's eyes. His left hand, imbued with colorless and formless profound energy, moved with lightning speed towards Gao Chun's wrist, attempting to stick to it in one fell swoop.

But as soon as he raised his hand, he saw Gao Chun's lips curl into a knowing smile, clearly having already seen through his scheme.

next second.

Gao Chun also condensed his invisible and colorless control power in his palm and went straight to meet it.

boom!

The two palms collided, their sticky, viscous energy clashing, and the shockwaves spread out like ripples, causing the surrounding air to buzz and the blue bricks on the ground to shatter and fly everywhere!

Gao Chengzhi felt an even stronger sticky force coming from his palm, and his Xuan power was instantly suppressed, making it difficult to pull his hand away.

The two then changed tactics one after another, with loud bangs echoing as their fists and palms collided. It was all close-quarters combat, without a single fancy move.

Boom boom boom!

They exchanged several more blows, each being forced to retreat five steps, the blue bricks beneath their feet cracking with spiderweb-like patterns.

Gao Chengzhi's pupils narrowed slightly, his heart filled with turbulent emotions.

My uncle also has a blue Dao seed!

He didn't release any Xuan power on the surface, but in reality, it was a light blue Xuan power with control attributes.

Moreover, he used it more skillfully and faster than I did, easily breaking free from the restraints!

Looking back at the head-on confrontation, my uncle's attacks were as fierce as fire, his defense as solid as a rock, his speed as fast as the wind, and his control as sticky as a spider web—he possessed all four attributes!

Could it be that my uncle, like me, possesses the four-colored Dao Seed?

He only reveals three colors to the outside world, but in reality, one color was sealed by his grandfather. Isn't that just like him?

The moment this thought crossed Gao Chengzhi's mind, his heart sank.

The Dao seed is equal to his own, their fighting skills are almost the same, and even their tactics have been completely countered. Now he has no advantage whatsoever!

My uncle is two years older than me and has far superior physical strength. If we continue to fight head-on like this, I will definitely lose!

The boys on the sidelines were already excited, their cheers deafening.

"Holy crap! This is a battle of geniuses! The fighting techniques, strategies, and application of Daoist attributes are all maxed out; it's giving me goosebumps!"

"Their Dao seeds both seem to be red, yellow, and purple! Both uncle and nephew are geniuses; their genes are just too incredible!"

"It's a close contest! It's impossible to tell who will win, it's so exciting!"

Gao Chun smiled faintly, feeling extremely pleased with himself.

Gao Chengzhi's strength far exceeded his expectations. His fighting skills and tactics were impeccable, making him a good opponent who could bring out his potential!

He didn't want to use any tricks; he just wanted to fight head-on and have a good, exhilarating battle!

"Come on! Real men face each other head-on!"

Gao Chun grinned, licking his chapped lips with his tongue, his eyes burning with fighting spirit.

He poured all his pale red attacking energy into his fists, like a beast poised to pounce, and lunged forward, his fists carrying a wind force that tore through the air, aiming straight for Gao Chengzhi's face!

Gao Chengzhi had no other choice but to mobilize his pale yellow defensive energy to cover his arms and raise his hands to meet the attack head-on.

The uncle and nephew started fighting again.

Elbow strikes, flying kicks, and leg sweeps—each move was ruthless, a clash of physical strength and profound energy. Waves of energy surged across the training ground, like a battle between dragons and tigers, leaving the audience breathless and cheering.

During the fight, Gao Chengzhi racked his brains and tried several different close-combat tactics.

The castle's sturdy defenses and the assassins' surprise attacks were all countered and broken by Gao Chun.

Gao Chun became more and more excited as the fight progressed, and every collision between flesh and bone made his blood boil.

The pale red Xuan power attacks with full force at times, the pale yellow Xuan power defense stabilizes the body at times, the colorless Xuan power controls and assists in choking at times, and the pale purple Xuan power is fast, agile, and deadly. The four colors of Xuan power can be switched at will.

As time went on, Gao Chengzhi's forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat, his face gradually turned pale, and his breathing became heavy.

His stamina was clearly failing, his moves were slower, and his strength was much weaker. Even his pale yellow defensive energy had dimmed.

Gao Chun noticed this detail, and after the two exchanged another palm strike, he took a few steps back and laughed loudly: "Today, we, uncle and nephew, are evenly matched. Uncle will give you five new storybooks!"

After saying that, he ignored the boys on the sidelines shouting "Don't stop!" and "Let's decide the winner before we leave!" and paid no attention to Gao Chengzhi's complicated expression.

Gao Chun laughed and turned around, leaving the training ground with light steps.

Winning or losing is irrelevant to him; it's just a matter of human relationships.

What good would it do to beat my nephew?

Looking back, I realize that I was obsessed with the empty title of "the number one genius of Gaojia Village".

Looking back now, it's really laughable.

My past self was ultimately too narrow-minded and short-sighted.

Possessing an unprecedented five-colored Dao Seed, how could he be confined to the small world of Gaojia Village and become a rural genius?

Not to mention being the number one young cultivator in the cultivation world, one day, the entire cultivation world will tremble under his feet!

Hearty laughter echoed freely across the training ground, lingering for a long time. Gao Chun's figure walked further and further away, but his eyes burned with a blazing flame that illuminated the path ahead.