Grand Master's Office.
Varka looked Gu Chen up and down for a moment. Only then did a faint smile appear on his face as he asked,
"Now that you're an official knight, how's your swordsmanship coming along?"
The young Gu Chen stood straight-backed. Though his physique was still far from that of an adult, there was a sharpness to him that couldn't be ignored.
"It's going pretty well," he replied calmly. "Ordinary knights shouldn't be my match. When can I go out and hunt monsters?"
"You really are impatient at such a young age," Varka shook his head with a chuckle. Then he continued,
"That body-tempering technique of yours… it's quite interesting. I tried it recently, and sure enough, I cultivated the qi and blood you mentioned. Mm… if practiced long-term, it strengthens the body immensely. Even without a Vision, one could possess terrifying combat power!"
"So you've decided to promote it?" Gu Chen asked.
"Of course," Varka nodded matter-of-factly. "You agreed to it, and I've verified it myself. Naturally, I'll推广 it within the Knights of Favonius. This is a perfect opportunity to increase the Knights' overall strength!"
Gu Chen stepped forward, poured himself a cup of water from the table, took a sip to moisten his throat, and said,
"Then arrange it as you see fit. I'll head out with the Reconnaissance Squad first to check the situation."
Varka pondered briefly, then warned him,
"Be careful in everything you do. The wilderness is full of dangers—don't be as casual out there as you are in my office."
"I know."
After nodding firmly, the young Gu Chen tightened his grip on his short sword and took his leave.
Watching Gu Chen walk out of the office, Varka fell into deep thought.
[Kaeya]: What does this conversation mean? Is the Sect Leader promoting another cultivation method again? 😲
[Albedo]: Body-tempering techniques? Qi and blood? There are similar terms in the Taixuan Sect. Unlike other immortal arts, qi-and-blood cultivation focuses on strengthening the body itself, refining even the weakest cells until each one can provide tremendous power… Immortal arts, by contrast, cultivate mana, absorbing the world's energies and condensing them within the body. That said, Taixuan Sect doesn't seem to have many body-tempering methods?
[Mountain Shaper]: True, there aren't many—but not exactly few either. However, from my observations, these techniques are all quite arduous to practice. The human body is fragile; only through countless trials can it gradually become strong.
[Nilou]: Does that mean he has to suffer a lot? 🤔
[Collei]: Nooo, such a cute little Gu Chen—please don't let him suffer too much! 😭
[Azhdaha]: So in this episode, the Sect Leader is slowly growing stronger? 🤔
[Zhongli]: By common logic, judging from his age and performance in this episode, he is indeed growing stronger step by step. In previous episodes… he usually appeared already powerful from the start. ☕
[Kaeya]: That's not right—you forgot the part where my bro Gu was drifting at sea and got picked up by Lady Makoto! 😏
[Gu Chen]: You can absolutely pretend that detail doesn't exist. ☝️
[Paimon]: Guess nobody's perfect— even Boss Gu has black history. 🤦♀️
[Amber]: Wait! Gu Chen met my grandpa!
After leaving the Knights' administrative building, Gu Chen headed to the training grounds.
Not far from the training grounds were the knights' dormitories.
As he walked along, many knights greeted him warmly, and Gu Chen returned their greetings politely.
Before long, he found the Reconnaissance Squad, who were currently restocking their supplies.
The squad captain was an older man well past fifty, broad-shouldered and strong, his eyes sharp and full of vigor.
"Yo, little Gu Chen!"
As soon as he saw him, the man reached out and ruffled Gu Chen's hair.
Gu Chen raised a hand, brushed the man's hand away, and said,
"The Recon Squad has a mission soon, right? Take me with you."
"You?"
One of the recon knights laughed. "You're barely this tall—why would you come on such a dangerous mission?"
"I'm an official knight now," Gu Chen replied.
Everyone froze for a moment, then their expressions turned serious.
After looking Gu Chen over for quite a while, the old captain said solemnly,
"It's not that I doubt you—it's just that you're too young. Spar with one of my men first. I need to understand your strength before I dare bring you along."
"Fine," Gu Chen nodded without hesitation.
Facing the eight-year-old Gu Chen, the adult knight grew serious. He didn't dare underestimate him just because of his age.
Varka was a living legend of the Knights of Favonius, and Gu Chen was the child Varka had picked up in the wild and raised himself. Who knew what he might have learned from him?
Gu Chen's sword strikes were clean and decisive.
In just three moves, the knight's sword was knocked from his hand. Gu Chen's short blade pointed straight at the knight's throat—only unable to get closer because his arm and sword were too short.
"Amazing!"
The old captain praised him without reservation, eyes full of admiration.
"Eight years old, easily defeating a veteran knight—what monstrous talent!"
Then he turned to his subordinate and said,
"You'll need to train harder later. But don't be discouraged—this kid's talent might even surpass the Grand Master's."
The knight looked embarrassed for a moment, then straightened up and nodded repeatedly.
"Yeah… losing to a kid is a bit humiliating, but—heh—as long as enough people lose to him…"
The old captain burst into laughter.
"Perfect timing," he continued. "We've got a mission tomorrow. Come pick up your equipment."
The Reconnaissance Squad's gear was extensive.
Besides standard knight armor and the issue Favonius sword, there were Wind Gliders, crossbows, special signal arrows, precise topographical maps, water, rations, and more.
Recon knights were responsible for scouting monster movements in the wild. Once deployed, they might be out for days—or even up to a month—so no amount of equipment was excessive.
Though Gu Chen was small, his strength was no less than an adult's. He set off carrying a full load of gear.
A still-worried Varka even came by personally to remind him again.
[Kaeya]: So it really was Amber's grandfather. Sadly, the squad relied on him too much—after he was gone, Amber ended up being the last recon knight. 😔
[Amber]: I just don't know where Grandpa finally went… 😭 But I am the best recon knight! I'll rebuild the Recon Squad someday! 😤
[Jean]: I believe in you.
[Klee]: Go Amber姐姐! 🥳
[Collei]: You can do it, Amber! 🚩
[Azhdaha]: Eight years old, three moves to beat an elite knight—and you're telling me that's eight years old?!
[Zhongli]: Judging from the swordplay, it isn't Favonius Swordsmanship. The strikes are sharp and efficient, with no unnecessary flourishes—clearly focused on killing in a single blow. Combined with the body-tempering technique and qi-and-blood cultivation mentioned earlier, the Sect Leader is bound to shine brilliantly in this episode as well.
[Tartaglia]: Great, just great. When I was eight, I was playing in the mud. When Bro Gu was eight, he was already hunting monsters with the Recon Squad. Why is the gap between people so huge?! 😤
[Paimon]: Hey, becoming a Harbinger in your early twenties is already something to brag about. 😈
[Keqing]: You mean right before going to prison? 😈
[Tartaglia]: Stop, stop, please… 🙇♂️
On his first outing with the Recon Squad, the old captain explained many precautions to Gu Chen.
Gu Chen made him very satisfied. At an age where children were usually playful, he was mature and disciplined, causing no trouble for the squad. Whenever he wanted to act, he would first inform the captain.
A gifted, sensible child who never dragged the team down—such a kid was naturally beloved by the old man.
People inevitably had biases.
Some knights weren't as clear-headed as the captain. They still harbored unspoken worries about the fact that Gu Chen was only eight.
But Gu Chen proved himself with strength.
His steady performance during operations earned the team's admiration.
"Could it be that Grand Master Varka is grooming this kid as his successor?"
Watching the squad members cooperate with Gu Chen without hesitation, the old captain pondered.
The Recon Squad's main task was scouting, but accidents did happen.
Some monsters possessed far stronger perception than ordinary ones; even from a distance, instinct alone would put them on alert.
Normally, the Recon Squad wouldn't engage such enemies. They would record the location, report it, and then cavalry forces would come in and flatten everything.
But today was different.
"Abyss Mage," the old captain frowned.
"Can't beat it?" Gu Chen raised an eyebrow.
"It's not that we can't beat an Abyss Mage," the captain explained gravely.
"It's that when one appears, it means those primitive, tribal monsters have a leader. They'll form formations. We may already be surrounded."
Though serious, his expression wasn't overly tense—clearly, this wasn't the first time the Recon Squad had faced such a situation.
"Charge through—kill the Abyss Mage first!" the old captain decided immediately.
The squad members voiced no objections and rushed straight toward the Abyss Mage.
The Abyss Mage was covered in a blazing red shield. Beside it stood a Wooden Shield Mitachurl and two Blazing Axe Mitachurls. In other directions, Hilichurls and Hilichurl Shamans were already closing in.
Just as the captain said—they were surrounded.
Unfortunately for the Abyss Mage, it had clearly misjudged this squad's strength.
This level of force was nowhere near enough to keep them here.
Gu Chen charged at the front.
Among the many knights, his small frame stood out—but qi and blood surged within him, radiating a pressure like that of a ferocious tiger.
He moved at incredible speed.
Dodging the Blazing Axe Mitachurl's swing with ease, he slipped past the Wooden Shield Mitachurl. His short sword, wrapped in faint crimson qi and blood, stabbed straight into the Abyss Mage's shield.
Crack!
A fissure spread across the shield.
Caught completely off guard, the Abyss Mage was filled with terror.
Before it could react, Gu Chen thrust again along the裂缝. The short sword pierced straight through its body.
At the same time, thanks to the squad's flawless coordination, the remaining Mitachurls were killed as well. The surviving Hilichurls fled under the Shamans' lead.
"Good kid! Two strikes to kill an Abyss Mage!" the old captain exclaimed in astonishment.
The rest of the squad was equally shaken.
Abyss Mages weren't like other monsters. They were intelligent and could wield elemental power—formidable enemies by any standard.
Even elite knights usually needed several people working together to defeat one. And yet Gu Chen—without a Vision—had slain it in two blows.
"He's only eight!"
"My worldview was too small… Is this what a true genius looks like?"
The knights exchanged stunned looks, admiration plain on their faces.
After praising Gu Chen a few times, the old captain said to everyone,
"Mark this location. We've been out for over ten days already—prepare to return."
The Recon Squad returned to the Knights of Favonius.
The old captain compiled a detailed report of their findings and submitted it to Varka.
Inside the office, Varka, Gu Chen, and the old captain were all present.
When Varka saw Gu Chen's recorded achievements, even he was astonished.
"You're sure no one else helped him?"
The old captain pursed his lips.
"If you count us holding back the other Hilichurls, then sure—we helped."
Varka immediately understood. In other words, Gu Chen had effectively soloed the Abyss Mage and killed it.
"Excellent! As expected of my disciple!" Varka said with a broad smile.
"Oh, give it a rest," the old captain rolled his eyes.
"What did you even teach him? If you mean urging him to train and raising him, then sure, you did that."
Varka wasn't offended. Instead, he asked,
"What do the squad members think of him?"
The old captain's expression turned serious.
"They admire him. No one looks down on him because of his age. He's universally acknowledged as a genius—and his temperament is very steady. A natural leader."
"Steady?"
Varka looked oddly amused, as if he'd heard a joke.
"He might be even more 'free' than I am."
"At least he's steady on missions," the old captain shrugged.
"Fair enough," Varka nodded slightly.
Then he continued, "You're getting on in years. Study this body-tempering technique properly and practice it—live a few more years."
As he spoke, Varka handed a sheet of paper to the old captain.
The old man glared, but didn't refuse. Taking it, he asked,
"Who came up with this?"
"If I had something this good, do you think I'd wait until now to release it?" Varka shot back.
The old captain suddenly understood and looked at Gu Chen.
"This kid really is something else."
"It's nothing special," Gu Chen shook his head.
Seeing his "modest" pose—head tilted up, hands behind his back—both Varka and the old captain burst out laughing.
[Kaeya]: You can really tell Varka is paving the way for the Sect Leader. Eight years old with achievements like that—terrifying. With that strength, he could already be a squad leader!
[Jean]: And if the body-tempering technique proves effective, that's another dazzling achievement. Even if he did nothing else, he could become Vice-Grand Master! 😲
[Noelle]: Mr. Gu Chen is amazing… An official knight at eight years old. I—I need to work harder! 💪
[Klee]: Hehe, Klee's an official knight too! And I even have a title—Spark Knight~ 😄
[Heizou]: Everyone knows that when Mr. Gu Chen appears in a video, many things change. With the spread of the body-tempering technique, those changes will only grow more dramatic. Even if it doesn't reach the level of the Taixuan Sect episode, you can already imagine how terrifying Mondstadt's military strength will become. Every knight tearing apart Mitachurls barehanded… just thinking about it is scary. 😲
[Lumine]: At times like this, there's only one person we need to ask. @Signora—in this situation, would you still dare slap Venti and pressure Mondstadt diplomatically? 😏
[Jean]: 👀
[Kaeya]: Speak!
[Azhdaha]: Don't play dead—say something! 😏
[Signora]: ...
[Tartaglia]: I get what she means! Signora: "I'm reporting this! They're cheating—this game is unplayable!" 😤😏
[Kaeya]: Accurate! 😈
[Venti]: I can already imagine it—someday, a seemingly ordinary, skinny Favonius knight faces a Fatui skirmisher squad, suddenly lets out a sinister grin, his body swells, muscles bulge everywhere, and—boom!—one punch per Fatui! 😏
[Paimon]: Isn't that a bit too exaggerated? 😲
[Kaeya]: Paimon, maybe the you in that sticker already trained the body-tempering technique. 😄
[Paimon]: 💀
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