Ming Dynasty: Gain one supernatural power every day

Zhu Gaoxi smiled, then suddenly remembered something and said:

"Father, Mother, there's something I've never told you. This immortal body isn't just invulnerable to swords and spears, and impure and spotless, but also full of energy, and I never feel tired. Since I acquired this physique, I haven't slept much."

Empress Xu was taken aback, her brows furrowing slightly:

"Not sleeping? How can that be?"

Zhu Gaoxi explained with a smile:

"Mother, don't worry. It's not that I don't want to sleep, it's that I don't need to. I can sleep when I want to, and stay awake when I don't want to. It's all up to me. I'm in great spirits and not tired at all."

Upon hearing this, a hint of envy flashed in Zhu Di's eyes. For decades, he had been rising before dawn every day and still reviewing memorials late into the night, never getting enough sleep. He dreamed of having that skill.

Zhu Gaochi wasn't interested in any of this, and after holding back for a while, he finally couldn't resist and leaned over to ask:

"Fourth brother, look at my build, can you even carry that sword?"

Zhu Gaoxi nodded: "It can be carried."

Zhu Gaochi then asked, "But you only have one sword. How are we supposed to divide it among so many people? Father Emperor first, Zhanji second, the second son third, me fourth, the third son fifth... How long would it take to fly there?"

Zhu Gaoxi laughed: "Who says a sword can't carry two people?"

He stretched out his hand, and with a thought, the Dragon-Slaying Sword flew from his palm, hovering steadily above the stone table, completely still.

Then the sword began to grow longer and wider, as if being stretched by an invisible hand, one zhang, two zhang, three zhang... until it became as big as a stone table, lying horizontally above everyone's heads, blocking the light spots that leaked through the old locust tree.

The black blade shimmered with light, like a bottomless pool of water.

Zhu Gaochi looked up, his mouth agape: "This...this actually works?"

Zhu Gaochi leaned closer to take a look and shook his head: "Fourth brother, this is only the size of a table. It's probably a bit cramped for all of us to stand here. Your eldest brother is so big, he takes up the space of two people."

Zhu Gaoxi smiled and said, "Not enough? Then make it even bigger."

His mind raced again. The Dragon-Slaying Sword suddenly soared into the sky, shooting straight up into the heavens. Everyone looked up and saw the sword rapidly expanding in the sky—five zhang, ten zhang, twenty zhang…

The sword's blade stretched out, obscuring half the sky. The sunlight was blocked out, and the courtyard suddenly darkened, as if dark clouds were pressing down overhead.

The eunuchs' legs went weak, and they all knelt down with a thud. An old eunuch looked up, his lips trembling, not even noticing that the whisk in his hand had fallen to the ground.

The palace maids knelt under the corridor, some covering their mouths, some closing their eyes, and some chanting "Amitabha".

Huang Yan stood behind Zhu Di, looking up at the colossal sword in the sky that blotted out the sun, his pupils slightly contracted.

He had seen grand occasions: treasure ships sailing to the Western Ocean, envoys from all nations, and court officials. But compared to the sword before him, none of these mattered.

Zhu Gaoxu craned his neck, his jaw nearly dropping. Zhu Gaochi's mouth was agape, big enough to fit an egg, while Zhu Gaosui's pupils reflected the gleam of countless swords, his fingers trembling slightly.

Zhu Zhanji tilted his head back, his small mouth agape, his eyes shining like two stars. Suddenly, he jumped up and shouted at the top of his lungs:

"Fourth Uncle! Fourth Uncle! This sword is huge! It's bigger than our yard!"

Empress Xu looked up at the sky, speechless for a long time. She reached out and grasped Zhu Di's hand tightly. Zhu Di didn't speak, but just stared at the giant sword in the sky, his Adam's apple bobbing.

He recalled the days on the northern grasslands, when thousands of troops galloped across the land, their battle flags blotting out the sky. But compared to the sword before him, all of that paled in comparison.

Zhu Gaoxi stood up, walked to the middle of the courtyard, adjusted the Dragon-Slaying Sword in the sky to a suitable size so that everyone wouldn't be crowded on it, then turned back and smiled at the family:

"Father, Mother, Eldest Brother, Second Brother, Third Brother, Zhanji—come up. Your son will take you for a ride in the heavens."

Zhu Gaoxu was the first to react, rushing over to hug Zhu Gaoxi tightly: "Fourth brother! Second brother loves you to death!"

Zhu Gaoxi was struggling to breathe as he was being choked: "Second brother... take it easy... let go..."

Zhu Gaosui quickly stepped forward and pulled his second brother away. Zhu Gaochi, helped to his feet by the eunuch, looked at the giant sword in the sky and swallowed hard: "Fourth brother, with your eldest brother's physique... can he really go up there?"

Zhu Gaoxi smiled and nodded: "Don't worry, brother, everything will be fine."

Zhu Zhanji couldn't wait any longer. He took off running to the middle of the courtyard, tilting his head back and shouting to the sky, "Sword! Sword! Come down! I want to go up!"

The Dragon-Slaying Sword slowly descended, landing on the open ground in the courtyard. Its blade was as broad as a boat, its dark surface shimmering with iridescent light, and faint cloud patterns swirled along its edges. The family stood before the sword, none of them moving.

Zhu Gaoxu was the first to jump up, stomping twice. It felt as solid as stepping on the ground, and he was so excited his face turned red: "Steady! Steady! Third brother, you come up!"

Zhu Gaosui followed and stood beside his second brother.

Zhu Gaochi also carefully stepped onto it, his fat body trembling slightly. After he steadied himself, he let out a long breath.

Zhu Zhanji had already climbed up and was running around on the sword, grinning from ear to ear.

Empress Xu looked at Zhu Di and asked with a smile, "Your Majesty, would you like to go first?" Zhu Di shook his head, stretched out his arm, and waited for Empress Xu to take his hand, leading her to step onto the sword.

Zhu Gaoxi was the last to go up and stand at the tip of the sword.

"Stand firm, everyone." With a thought, he gently trembled and slowly rose. One foot, three feet, ten feet off the ground, the sword carried the family into the sky above the courtyard.

The branches and leaves of the old locust tree brushed past me, and the glazed tiles on the roof grew smaller and smaller under my feet.

Zhu Gaoxu peered down from beside the sword, excitedly shouting, "It flew! It really flew! Third brother, look, look!"

Zhu Zhanji lay face down on the sword, his little face pressed against the cold blade. He glanced down, then recoiled in fright. He couldn't resist peeking out again, calling out:

"Father! Father! We're flying! Fourth Uncle, higher! I want to fly even higher!" Zhu Zhanji shouted the last part, "Fly even higher!"

Zhu Gaochi trembled at the shout, gripping Zhu Gaosui's arm tightly with both hands, his face turning pale, but he still tried to put on a brave front:

"What are you yelling for? I saw it all... Fourth brother, slow down. Your eldest brother's heart isn't as strong as your second brother's."

Zhu Gaoxu glanced back at his elder brother's appearance and laughed so hard he almost fell over: "Eldest brother, look at you! You can't even stand up straight, and you call yourself the Crown Prince!"

"Shut up!" Zhu Gaochi glared at him, but gripped Zhu Gaosui's arm even tighter.

Zhu Gaosui felt a sharp pain from his elder brother's grip. He thought to himself that his eldest brother had quite a strong hand, and indeed, his body was all flesh and blood. However, he was too embarrassed to pull his hand away, so he could only smile wryly and say, "Brother, loosen your grip a bit, my arm is about to break."

Empress Xu stood beside Zhu Di, her hand tightly gripping her husband's sleeve. Her face was a little pale, but she had a smile on her lips.

She glanced down at the courtyard, which had shrunk into a square shape, and said softly, "Your Majesty, look, our Kunning Palace is over there."

"It's alright, don't be afraid, Xi'er knows what he's doing." Zhu Di looked in the direction she pointed, and saw the yellow glazed tiles of Kunning Palace shimmering in the sunlight. Then he patted Empress Xu on the shoulder.

The wind whistled past his ears, making his beard and robes flutter.

Zhu Gaoxi stood on the sword tip, his robes fluttering, glanced back at his family, and asked with a smile, "Father, how are you feeling?"

Zhu Di was silent for a moment before slowly speaking. His voice was not loud, but everyone heard it: "I have fought wars all my life, and I never thought that one day I could look down on my country from the sky."

Zhu Gaoxu shouted, "Fourth brother, over there! That's Xuanwu Lake! I see boats on the lake!"

Zhu Gaochi wanted to get a closer look, but dared not let go, so he craned his neck to peer, muttering, "How did this lake become like a washbasin..."

The sword flew higher and higher, becoming more and more stable with each flight.

Zhu Gaochi slowly released Zhu Gaosui's arm and tried to look down. Although his face was still pale, his legs had stopped trembling.

Zhu Gaoxu, finding lying beside the sword unsatisfying, simply stood up, spread his arms wide, and shouted into the wind, "Awesome! That's fucking awesome!"

Zhu Gaosui quickly pulled him back, saying, "Second brother, be careful, don't fall."

"If we fall, Fourth Brother will catch us!" Zhu Gaoxu said nonchalantly, turning to Zhu Gaoxi and shouting, "Fourth Brother, don't you agree?"

Zhu Gaoxi nodded with a smile: "Don't worry, Second Brother, you won't fall. Even if you do, I can catch you." Of course, whether he catches you alive or dead is another matter.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Gaochi couldn't help but mutter, "Second brother, you'd better take it easy. You may not be afraid of death, but your older brother is afraid of being scared to death by you."

Zhu Zhanji ran back from beside the sword, grabbed Zhu Gaochi's hand, and said, "Father, don't be afraid. Fourth Uncle said we won't fall. Fourth Uncle is very capable!"

Zhu Gaochi looked down at his son's bright eyes, sighed, and reached out to pat his head: "You're bolder than your father."

Zhu Di remained silent.

He stood on the sword, looking down at Yingtian Prefecture. With such a divine son, he would never have to live in fear again. He really wanted to shout, "I have a son! I have a divine son!"