Chapter 6: Saber mastery  

Lu Zhen stood tall, his posture upright and resolute. In his hand, he gripped a gleaming saber, its polished blade reflecting the glint of determination in his eyes. With a swift and forceful motion, he swung the sabre, its path cutting through the air with a resounding whoosh.

At first glance, the pattern of his swings may have appeared random, but for those keen enough to observe, a hidden rhythm emerged. Each movement flowed seamlessly into the next, an intricate dance of steel and skill.

With every swing, Lu Zhen's body harmonized with the saber, creating a symphony of motion and precision. His muscles tensed and released in perfect synchrony, generating a controlled force that propelled the blade forward. The sound of the saber cleaving the air echoed like a battle cry.

[You have practiced with your saber.]

[You have acquired the saber mastery skill.] As Lu Zhen practiced with the verdant blade art, a sudden notification prompted his excitement. Instantly, he felt information filling his mind, his body subtly attuning itself to the movements of the sabre.

When he swung his saber again, he instantly felt a heightened connection, as if the weapon had become an extension of his own hand. The force behind his swings became more powerful, brimming with newfound strength.

The saber mastery skill he just acquired brought about a profound change in Lu Zhen's abilities. Each swing of his saber flowed effortlessly, guided by a muscle memory as if he had practiced the sabre for decades. His grasp on the weapon grew stronger, and his strikes gained precision and impact.

"Hmm, not bad at all." Lu Zhen remarked with satisfaction. After just two days of practice, he had acquired his second skill, Saber Mastery. It lived up to its name, assisting him in mastering the art of the sabre and helping Lu Zhen to practice the verdant blade art faster.

It was as if a natural talent seemed to awaken within him as his body became more compatible with the saber. With each swing, he felt a deep sense of affinity and ease, as if the weapon and his body were in perfect harmony. It was as if he had been destined to wield the sabre with precision and grace.

Though, Lu Zhen still was not satisfied with his current level of strength. After all, his goal was to become a ruler, which won't be easy given the meager amount of strength he possesses.

In fact, Lu Zhen's speed can be considered monstrous. When he reached the peak of his constitution using his cheats he can be considered as a third tier martial artist without any Qi. This was an unprecedented achievement in this world. Unlike the majority of practitioners who focused primarily on qi cultivation.

In this world, where qi could automatically strengthen the practitioner's body, many overlooked the importance of physical training. Even those who did priorities physical constitution often found it to be a time-consuming and arduous process, with minimal gains to show for their efforts. Only Lu Zhen, with the aid of his cheat, had been able to push himself to the peak of his physical limits without relying on qi. Due to his strong physique, Lu Zhen's progress in training the Verdant Blade Art was directly accelerated, unlike most individuals who would quickly tire. With his strong body, he could train in the art without requiring breaks or rest, granting him the advantage of uninterrupted practice. This dedication and advantage was also the reason he so quickly acquired the blade mastery skill.

"Looks like having a strong constitution is quite important, huh?" Lu Zhen mused to himself as he continued his training.

He felt like he was very close to reaching the first level of the verdant blade art.

In this world, the power system for martial artists was clearly defined. The trainee stage of martial arts training involved sensing qi into the body, marking the beginning of their journey. At this stage, the difference between an ordinary mortal and a martial arts trainee was minimal, with only a slight increase in attack power and a negligible increase in lifespan.

As martial artists progressed, they focused on developing pathways for qi to flow through their bodies, achieving a all-round strengthening. This marked the realm of third-tier martial artists, where their true journey began. A mortal would stand no chance against a third-tier martial artist unless the martial artist's qi was depleted. Their lifespan would experience a slight increase.

Further advancement involved increasing the purity of their qi, solidifying and condensing it until they could create a shield solely with their strengthened and purified qi. This was the realm of second-tier martial artists. The gap between a third-tier martial artist and a second-tier martial artist was substantial. Unless the shield of a second-tier martial artist was broken, they would remain invincible. Mortals would not even be able to touch a second-tier martial artist. Their lifespan would experience a significant increase.

Reaching the pinnacle of the martial technique, martial artists would give birth to a powerful intent that will integrate into their physical body. This marked their entry into the realm of first-tier martial artists, an almost immortal like state. First-tier martial artists experienced a nearly doubled lifespan, enabling them to achieve extraordinary feats. They gained the ability to fly, master the art of alchemy to concoct potent pills, and cast spells that defied the common sense of mortals.

With a single gaze, a martial artist could extinguish the life of an ordinary mortal, reducing them to ashes. Mortals were like mere ants to first-tier martial artists.

After the first tier, Lu Zhen didn't know what was higher and the verdant blade art only allowed him to reach first tier, the other realms were unknown to him for the time being.

In truth, every martial technique had the potential to lead a martial artist to the first tier, but their individual strength varied based on the complexity and attributes of the arts, as well as the abilities of the practitioners themselves.

The Verdant Blade Art, with its wood attribute, granted martial artists a significant amount of vitality, resulting in a longer lifespan and a stronger physical constitution. However, this did not mean that the wood attribute was inherently powerful. In fact, among the other basic attributes, it was considered the weakest in terms of strength.

However wood qi granted the best body growth and resilience compared to other elements which was undoubtedly suitable for Lu Zhen after all Lu Zhen have a strong physique. It undoubtedly suited him the most.magic