I Stepped on a Bug, and the System Says I Slayed a Dragon?-Chapter 35: Jianghai Sword God

Meanwhile, the incident at Li Shui Lake continued to blow up on the internet.

In this age of social media, even the most trivial, ancient gossip can go viral, let alone a miracle witnessed by thousands of netizens. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

And so, Qin Yang’s reputation as a "master of the Sword Dao" once again exploded across the entire internet!

In less than an hour, the video of a Flying Sword tearing through the sky to slay the Blood Demon had spread through everyone’s social media feeds, dominating the number one spot on the national trending charts.

Sensing a hot topic, major news outlets and content creators went into a frenzy, editing and re-editing the clip. The internet was soon flooded with all sorts of viral videos, each set to dramatic background music.

Beneath the videos, countless netizens jumped into the discussion, each focusing on different aspects.

"That sword is so awesome! That purple aura, a single strike to vanquish the foe—it was a stroke of absolute genius!"

"It’s a shame we didn’t even catch a glimpse of the great Sword Dao master."

"With that kind of power, it has to be some old man. He might even be older than Elder Li!"

"What are you talking about?! Maybe they’re a once-in-a-generation prodigy! How can you just assume their age?!"

Following the incident, the Star Martial Police Bureau’s public relations department issued a notice, warning everyone to stay away from Li Shui Lake for the time being and strictly prohibiting any swimming or recreational water activities.

But that did little to stop the flood of netizens eager to visit the site and post about it.

Some even gave Qin Yang, who never showed his face that day, a nickname: the revered "Jianghai Sword God," protector of the city’s peace!

From that day forward, the title "Jianghai Sword God" spread by word of mouth, gradually becoming a new emblem of Jianghai City.

...

「By Li Shui Lake.」

Personnel from the Star Martial Police Bureau were handling the cleanup. Dressed in hazmat suits, they used large nets to scoop scattered debris from the lake.

Their nets came up with everything from severed limbs with bone fragments sticking out, to rotting, stinking fish, and the minuscule corpses of countless leeches...

The scene was one of frantic activity.

The three Innate Experts stood by the shore, observing the scene.

"Hall Master, how long do you think it will be before the lake can be reopened?"

the Chief Commander of the Star Martial Police Bureau asked, his hands clasped behind his back.

The Hall Master was sitting cross-legged on the grass, his aura contained. The sleeve of his right arm had been torn away, revealing a muscular limb as he circulated his True Essence to resist the blood poison invading his body.

Beside him, Elder Li took out a medicinal salve and applied it to the Hall Master’s arm, helping to draw out the residual poison.

"A couple of weeks, at least. This blood poison is horrifying,"

the Hall Master said, his voice hoarse. He had clearly recovered some of his strength and was not as weak as before.

But he was still shaken by the memory.

After the great battle, Li Shui Lake had been devastated, transforming into a veritable pool of poison.

Even an Innate Expert like him had been reduced to such a sorry state just by coming into contact with it.

To say nothing of what would happen to an ordinary person.

A single touch would mean death!

"In my opinion, to be on the safe side, no one should be allowed near it for at least six months."

Elder Li said with a sigh as he treated the Hall Master’s wound, his gaze fixed on the blackened water. "That would be the most prudent course of action."

"Elder Li, Hall Master, rest assured. I will see to it that everything is handled properly."

With that, the Commander turned his head to gaze at Li Shui Lake.

Masses of dead fish floated on the surface, and one could faintly make out a corpse or two—all of them were Postnatal Star Martial Artists who had tragically lost their lives.

To see a once-popular tourist spot transformed into such a gruesome scene was truly heartbreaking.

But...

This was the best possible outcome in a terrible situation!

Recalling the power of the Bloodthirsty Leeches, Elder Li and the others were still deeply shaken, as if they had just taken a stroll through Hell.

The creature’s power had been simply overwhelming.

If the Sword God hadn’t intervened...

...the entirety of Jianghai City would have likely fallen.

"We were lucky, so incredibly lucky..."

the Hall Master sighed. Suddenly, he noticed Li Zixuan standing by the lakeshore.

She was staring blankly at the foul-smelling water, completely lost in thought.

He turned and gestured toward her. "Elder Li, isn’t that your student? What’s she doing over there?"

"Xuanxuan must have been shaken by it all."

Elder Li said, stroking his beard and shaking his head.

"Don’t disturb her. Let her have a moment of peace. After all, it’s the first time the poor girl has ever seen anything like this..."

The low murmur of their conversation drifted over.

The wind rustled the willow branches.

Li Zixuan paid no mind to their discussion, her focus entirely on the center of Li Shui Lake as she pondered.

By now, the leech corpses at the lake’s center had been blasted to smithereens, with not a single trace of life remaining.

’Is this Teacher’s true power?’

Li Zixuan thought, a flicker of regret passing through her.

She hadn’t expected that even a commotion of this scale wasn’t enough to make her teacher appear in person. He had simply one-shot the Bloodthirsty Leeches with a single sword strike.

’I wish I could hear Teacher’s guidance again,’

Li Zixuan thought, her sense of regret deepening.

’My performance this time was just awful.’

’Impulsive. Reckless.’

’Why didn’t I assess the situation more carefully before I acted?’

’Why did I just charge in and put myself in needless danger?’

’Why...’

’So many mistakes. It’s like an exam paper covered in red X’s.’

’If Teacher saw that, he must have been so disappointed.’

At this thought, Li Zixuan bit her lip. Her eyes grew misty, but a new resolve seemed to harden within her.

She was not one to give up easily.

The path of the Sword Dao was long.

’All my problems come down to one thing: I’m not strong enough.’

’I almost died because I was weak.’

’But if I can cultivate "One Sword Opens the Celestial Gate" to the stage of Great Success and truly unleash its full power... then Teacher will be satisfied, and he’ll naturally appear before me.’

With this thought,

Li Zixuan tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her gaze resolute, and began walking toward the Martial Arts Hall.

...

「The next day.」

「The Library.」

"BEEP~"

The time clock at the entrance let out a long, monotonous tone.

"Clock-in successful. Qin Yang. Time: 7:59 AM."

A youtiao dangling from his mouth and a cup of sweet soy milk in his right hand, Qin Yang expertly tapped the time clock and ambled into the library.

He had barely taken two steps inside when Xia He expertly sidled up to him.

"Heh, cutting it close again, Old Qin."

Xia He glanced up from his phone, a sandwich in one hand. "Did you hear about what happened at Li Shui Lake yesterday?"

"What about it?"

Qin Yang feigned a yawn. "You mean that Bloodthirsty Demon Insect thing?"

"Yeah, that! If I’d known, I would’ve skipped work and gone to see it."

Xia He sighed with regret. "Damn, what a shame! By the way, you bailed early yesterday. Did you happen to pass by the lake?"

"Nope, I was nowhere near there."

Qin Yang said dismissively.

"Good, good, that makes me feel better. You’re a true friend, Old Qin."

Hearing this, Xia He grinned and shoved his phone in front of Qin Yang. "Here, check out this on-site footage. A close-up video like this isn’t easy to come by. Watch it and appreciate it."

Qin Yang glanced at the screen. The video quality was terrible and the camera was shaking so badly it was as if the person filming had Parkinson’s, but you could still make out the brilliant Sword Array annihilating the leeches.

"So? Pretty epic, right?!"

Xia He leaned back dramatically, his voice full of hero-worship. "He’s my idol for a reason! One Sword to slay the beast! Compared to him, those three Innate Experts are just a bunch of amateurs!"

’I knew it. Sooner or later, these people were going to hype him up into a god.’

Qin Yang shook his head. He had seen this coming a mile away.

That’s just how social media works.

Rumors spread like wildfire, and enough voices can turn fiction into fact.

It’s a place where gods are made.