Chapter 76 - Peerless Genius

Chapter 76: 76 - Peerless Genius

While King was reading so intently that he had completely shut himself off from everything around him, Iris couldn’t stop nodding.

Her eyes were filled with satisfaction, and the corners of her mouth curled up into a delighted smile. If King saw this expression on her face, he definitely wouldn’t have a single positive thing to say about this book anymore.

It didn’t take more than a few minutes for King to finish reading what he needed. He hadn’t just skimmed through it but had read and carefully pondered its contents.

The book didn’t just contain information related to the Object Manipulation Technique, but also some other miscellaneous stuff, such as the author’s personal experiences.

Those things were probably useful as well, but he didn’t need them right now. He just wanted to go outside and try using the Object Manipulation Technique immediately.

"You picked a great book. This is exactly what I need."

King nodded in satisfaction, then gently closed the book as if cherishing a treasure and placed it back on the shelf. He had been annoyed with her just moments ago, yet now he was willing to praise her.

"Hahahaha... Is it that good?"

It was just a simple, casual compliment, yet Iris laughed with delight. Her reaction made King frown in confusion.

"What are you laughing at? Is knowing how to pick a book something worth being proud of?"

Actually, being able to pick the right book for someone who needed it was quite impressive. King had no problem with that. It was just that Iris seemed a little too happy.

"Nothing, I just didn’t expect someone like you to get so absorbed in reading. Isn’t it a little strange to read a book without knowing the name of the senior who wrote it? Why don’t you try reading the last few pages?"

At Iris’s comment, King clicked his tongue in disdain. How could someone like her, who only knew how to swing a sword, understand the respect a reader had for books?

"Tsk, how could someone like you, with a well-developed body but an underdeveloped brain, understand the value of books? But you’re right. Even if I can’t meet the author, I should at least know their name."

Opening the book again, King paid close attention to the last few pages. Because he was so focused on the book’s contents, he didn’t notice that Iris’s expression had already darkened.

Just a few seconds later, his expression darkened too, as if the gloom had spread from Iris to King like an infectious disease. By the time he reached the final page, his hands were trembling slightly.

The signature at the bottom of the page was incredibly simple, with no fancy flourishes, and it was even ugly. But it was the name that had left the strongest impression on him in this world.

"You... are the author?"

It was only a few words, but saying them seemed incredibly difficult for King, as if there were rules in this world forbidding him from saying those words.

"You got that right. I’m the author with well-developed limbs but an underdeveloped brain. And also the very person whose free-spirited handwriting and writing style you just praised as being exactly to your taste."

As she said these words, Iris’s mouth twitched slightly. She suddenly wanted to swear, but she wasn’t sure where to start.

Even though no one had slapped him, King felt as if there were a large, flushed hand on his cheek... No, it had to be two hands, one on each side.

Damn it! Just now, I’d said she wasn’t smart enough to understand the value of books. How could I have forgotten? Iris was also a senior to almost every cultivator in the entire world.

The more he thought about it, the hotter King’s face became. His arrogance had now turned into a weapon that backfired on him, making him feel even more uncomfortable.

The atmosphere between the two of them became incredibly weird. They were both uncomfortable, yet neither was willing to say even a single word.

Just staring at each other forever wasn’t going to solve anything. Since King refused to speak, Iris had no choice but to speak up.

"Hmph, since you look down on me so much, show me what you’ve got. If you can’t learn the Object Manipulation Technique right away, use the words you used to insult me just now to insult yourself."

"Fine. System, give me my sword."

Although those weren’t exactly pleasant words, King didn’t argue with her. Right now, King just wanted to try using the Object Manipulation Technique as soon as possible.

[As you command, Master.]

The Heavenly Dao Sword had barely appeared in his hand when King immediately left the wooden house.

Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he focused all his attention on the sword and his spiritual power.

At this moment, every wave of cold wind that blew past him was ignored. Neither Iris’s presence nor any other sound could penetrate his tranquil mind.

For someone as ridiculously arrogant as him, it was hard to understand how King could keep his mind as calm as an enlightened monk.

The spiritual power surging through his body like a tsunami continuously flowed through his hand into the Heavenly Dao Sword.

Although the sword looked as rusty as a piece of scrap metal, it was like a black hole that kept sucking in spiritual power.

For the first time, King felt that this sword was so terrifying that even pouring all his spiritual power into it wouldn’t be enough to fill it.

It truly lived up to the name of the Heavenly Dao Sword. If it were just an ordinary good sword, it would’ve been filled with spiritual power long ago.

Although there was no way to fill it up, the large amount of spiritual power King poured into it allowed him to sense it very clearly.

Even without opening his eyes, he could still sense the shape of the sword. Every tiny detail, every uneven patch of rust, could be sensed with absolute precision. Right now, it felt as if his body actually had three arms.

King’s fist slowly loosened, but strangely, the Heavenly Dao Sword didn’t slip from his hand. It trembled slightly but remained stuck to his hand as if attached by some invisible glue.

Ever since he closed his eyes, Iris had been staring intently at him. The longer she looked, the more her pupils trembled with shock.

How the hell?! Compared to me, he’s even more of a genius. Tsk, why am I so lacking in confidence? Before he appeared, my talent was the greatest of all time.

She couldn’t help but marvel at King’s absurd talent. His personality was problematic, and his way of thinking was even more problematic, but there was no denying this talent.

A genius so extraordinary that he seemed to defy logic. The kind of person who could casually do something that would take others years of hard work from the same starting point.