Cultivation Speed Doubled!

Inside the Training Room.

Who knew how much time had passed.

Trying to make his Sword Art align with nature was simply too difficult. At the very least, Ning Ze's current realm could not achieve it.

He could only try to swing his sword along the wind's path. If once was not enough, then ten times. If ten was not enough, then a hundred. If a hundred was not enough, then ten thousand!... If he could not comprehend it, he would pile up repetitions. After experiencing it countless times, he would eventually gain insight.

One hour...

Two hours...

Ning Ze kept swinging the Light Swan Sword at extreme speed, every strike delivered with full force.

After cultivating for so long, even though absorbing Cosmic Energy could ease his physical fatigue, it was still an immense test for him.

The attack frequency was too high!

When fighting monsters in the Wilderness Area, he merely moved and thrust out a sword. What mattered more was precision. But now, he was like a madman.

Fast!

Faster!

Stronger!

Ning Ze's eyes were bloodshot. At such a terrifying attack speed, it was already extremely difficult to make his sword cut along the wind's path.

Yet the truth was that the wind was changing every moment. A high-pressure mass of air had formed before him, and every strike encountered horrifying resistance, as though nature itself were preventing him from cultivating rather than allowing him to comprehend it.

The air rushed and churned before him without any pattern at all.

How difficult was it to control a sword in such terrible conditions?

Ning Ze's mind endured even more terrifying pressure. Even his mental power was on the verge of exhaustion.

Yet he seemed completely unaware of it.

At some point, Ning Ze sank into a mysterious state. He felt as though he had merged into a gale, swinging the sword in his hand by instinct. His slashes appeared utterly chaotic, yet every sword strike aligned with the wind, profound beyond comprehension.

At that moment.

The sword was silent.

The roaring sonic booms in the room came to an abrupt halt. Even the wind that had been racing around him began to subside.

A somewhat transparent sphere with a faint gelatinous texture appeared around Ning Ze. It was three meters in diameter and completely enveloped him.

Everything seemed to fall still. The fringe over Ning Ze's forehead slowly dropped. He maintained a sword-swinging posture as the countless arm shadows and Sword Shadows before him vanished. Only the shield of silver-white sword light remained, making him seem as though he stood within a Scroll Painting.

Viewed from outside, Ning Ze's figure became slightly distorted, as though a mirror of water had appeared before him. Ripples spread across its surface, making even Ning Ze's motionless body seem to come alive.

The gale stopped howling, and the white towel that had been flying around the room slowly drifted down, landing atop the transparent sphere around Ning Ze.

Pop!

With a soft sound.

The instant the white towel touched the sphere, the point of contact turned into loose fibers, which then became particles too tiny to see.

First, one corner of the white towel disappeared. Then, as though it were unaffected by any force, it continued falling. A circular hole appeared in its center, and before long, the entire towel vanished completely, as though it had been swallowed.

Ning Ze remained immersed in that special state, utterly unaware.

A long while later...

Ning Ze stopped. The transparent sphere around him shattered with a boom, and he seemed to become the eye of a storm as endless gales scattered in every direction.

His Combat Suit fluttered loudly, and the loose strands over his forehead danced in the wind. He slowly opened his eyes. A layer of cyan light covered his sharply distinct black-and-white pupils, and countless gales seemed to howl within them.

"I succeeded."

Ning Ze murmured, a faint smile appearing on his lips. Cultivating had been exhausting at first, but after persisting, it became extraordinarily comfortable. It felt as though his Wind Soul had left his body—cool, refreshing, and free.

"My idea was right. Build up the wind's momentum and dance with the sword. Swing it countless times, and eventually, sheer repetition will lead to comprehension of this special Sword Art."

"So... how much did I improve?"

Feeling uneasy, he opened the System Panel.

Host: Ning Ze

Realm: Beginner Warlord 8873kg; Mental Master 3182kg

Cultivation Skills: Gene Energy Cultivation Method "Five Hearts Facing Heaven Style"; Guidance Technique "Seven Spiritual Wind Arts"; Meditation Technique "One Sword Sealing Heaven"

Combat Skills: "Swift Steps" Perfect 1458/100000; "Gale Sword Master" Mastery 24835/100000

"My Sword Art proficiency increased by more than twenty thousand at once!"

"Ha ha ha!"

Ning Ze laughed in delight. After his joy subsided, he analyzed it with a sharp gaze. "Just as I guessed, the system is a data-based display of my personal strength and realm. Once I improve, even if no new skill forms, there will still be other forms of improvement."

"The name of a Sword Art is merely a label displayed by the system. I can change the name of this Sword Art now, because after learning other Sword Arts, it is no longer pure. Or perhaps it was originally displayed based on my own understanding. For example, the text above is written in Chinese. The Five Hearts Facing Heaven Style may have had another name in ancient times. Only because I believe it is called this does the system display it this way."

"I cultivated 'Gale Sword Master' to Mastery, so I had enough of a foundation to successfully cultivate this Sword Art. If I had tried learning it from the start, it would not have been nearly so easy. Although the proficiency of these newly learned Secret Manuals belongs to Sword Art and is not displayed separately—and the system can even help me grasp them quickly—it still depends on the foundation of my own Sword Art realm. Learning new Sword Arts now is just right!"

"Most importantly, that feeling..."

Ning Ze frowned in confusion. In that wondrous state just now, it seemed as though he had comprehended something, yet it also seemed as though he had comprehended nothing. When he thought carefully about it, he seemed to have gained nothing at all.

He fell silent for a while before finally choosing to give up. Looking down at his Communication Watch, he murmured, "It's 5:32 p.m. now. I cultivated for roughly five hours. At the time, 'Gale Sword Master' was at Mastery 4838/100000. After succeeding in cultivation, proficiency increased by twenty thousand, while cultivation should have increased by 597 points. Before this, I could only gain sixty points per hour. Five hours would have given me three hundred points. My Sword Art cultivation speed has doubled!"

"The issue with cultivation has been solved from now on! It originally would have taken twenty years to cultivate my Sword Art to Mastery, but now I only need ten. And after I continue learning other Sword Arts, my proficiency will increase even faster!"

A pleased smile rose on Ning Ze's lips. The problem that had given him the biggest headache had been resolved. He truly felt refreshed and relaxed.

"As for the name, I won't change it. Since I'm cultivating Senior Wu Daozi's Sword Art, I'll wait until I completely create my own Sword Art before changing it."

"Now, there is one more most important matter."

Ning Ze wore a deeply thoughtful expression as he considered the System Panel and summarized his special talent.

First core rule: the system's core rule was to quantify some of his major attributes. Every change in the data required him as the foundation. Only after he changed would the system alter the data. Even breakthroughs in realm worked this way.

When he had previously reached the Micro-level in his Movement Technique and learned Force Generation, there had been moments of enlightenment. If that enlightenment had been interrupted and he had failed to comprehend Micro-level and Force Generation, then the system panel would have remained stuck.

Only after he himself understood would the system change the data on the panel.

Second core rule: the system's usage rule. Based on the first core rule, the system would only change when he himself changed subjectively.

The usage rule, in other words, concerned his increase in proficiency. The rate at which proficiency grew originated from his own state, which could be influenced both internally and externally.

Life-or-death battles involved immense external pressure, which stimulated his life potential, thought, and willpower, driving improvement in every aspect. The degree of improvement depended on the intensity of the stimulation.

Internal improvement was similar to the Meditation Technique "One Sword Sealing Heaven." Because he had created a unique cultivation Secret Manual, he could simultaneously improve his strength, Sword Art, and Movement Technique. Cultivation was no longer limited to sword practice alone.

Now that his Sword Art realm had improved, his speed of comprehending Sword Arts would also increase, and his proficiency would grow faster, accelerating the cultivation of new Sword Arts. This was based on his own realm. Then there was talent. His comprehension was clearly stronger than his physical aptitude, and his proficiency improved much faster than his strength.

Third core rule: system assistance and creation!

First, enlightenment. When a skill's proficiency reached Mastery, he would enter a special state of enlightenment and completely comprehend the next stage of that skill.

But such enlightenment did not occur only when skills improved. Based on the second usage rule, when he was comprehending the Secret Manual "Wild Wind Shadowless," his body endured external pressure while his thoughts spun rapidly. With external stimulation and an internal foundation in Sword Art, he successfully mastered that Secret Manual completely.

He could even actively comprehend other things during the enlightenment that came with skill improvement.

Second, entering special states. While moving, he could cultivate Gene Energy and absorb energy from the universe. The system assisted him in forcibly entering a certain state.

However, such a state might require a certain degree of rationality, such as conforming to the world's rules.

When he activated the "Five Hearts Facing Heaven Style" while moving, altering his movements increased the amount of Cosmic Energy he absorbed, but it still could not compare to cultivation. At most, it achieved twenty percent of the effect. While walking, he could increase by 1kg per hour.

But he was still searching for the pattern and could continue improving this effect. This also indirectly showed that a cultivation method like the "Five Hearts Facing Heaven Style" was not strong enough. If he cultivated a more powerful Gene Energy Cultivation Method, he would certainly be able to change this situation.

At the same time, it gave Ning Ze a glimpse of the vastness of the universe. His changes were not particularly mysterious. Since they conformed to the world's rules, there had to be methods of absorbing Gene Energy while moving!

They existed somewhere in that endless deep space!

Since his body could enter such a state, then perhaps other people—or even other races—could enter it as well, perhaps even naturally. Absorbing Cosmic Energy was not difficult... Only Earthlings found it difficult!

Third, creating something from nothing—creation!

He had originally wanted to cultivate Sword Art and Gene Energy at the same time. He accomplished that while his body remained motionless, but he also created "One Sword Sealing Heaven" and awakened as a Mental Master.

He had no doubt that "One Sword Sealing Heaven" could allow other Mental Masters to cultivate as well! Under circumstances that conformed to the world's rules, he had created a Mental Master cultivation method!

Fourth core rule: breaking the world's rules? Breaking convention!

Ning Ze was not certain about this. He was still too insignificant and knew too little, merely a human on a small planet.

He was not even sure whether the system was a creation of some unknown powerhouse, an existence that broke the world's rules, some Curiosity Item or treasure, or something else beyond his understanding.

He did not even understand the world's rules yet. Rules themselves might change, and perhaps there were other worlds.

Many theories known to humanity had constantly been overturned. How could people in the past have possessed immense strength exceeding a thousand kilograms? Carrying a hundred kilograms would have exhausted them.

This speculation was very important! As he improved in the future, he would continue testing it.

He hoped his guess was correct, because this possibility was too terrifying!

What others could do, he could do. What others could not do, he could also do. Naturally, that would make him stronger than everyone else!

Break convention!

This concerned the direction of his future cultivation! A correct choice was worth more than a hundred times the effort. If he found the cultivation direction best suited to himself, then it would undoubtedly be the art of cultivation amplification and combat power amplification!

Just like cultivating other Secret Manuals this time, he had not been bound by convention or preconceptions. He considered his cultivation from every angle, broke through the barriers of understanding, and now his cultivation speed had doubled!

After using it for some time, he had summarized four possible rules of the system.

At the same time, he discovered a deeply puzzling issue. Before, he could only increase his strength by 5kg per hour, yet his proficiency could increase by ten points.

"The numerical increase in skill proficiency is twice that of strength! Although these are not the same attribute, the system's quantified values should be consistent to some degree. A Mental Master cultivation method like 'One Sword Sealing Heaven,' which I created, should not be particularly good, yet its growth rate is also 5kg per hour."

"Based on the system usage rules I summarized, without external pressure, it must be due to innate talent. Could my comprehension be better than my physical aptitude? But I don't have the talent of a Mental Master. My progress when practicing the 'Gale Sword Art' was not fast before. My comprehension should be fairly ordinary, on par with the talents of other elite martial artists."

"More importantly, compare the increase rates! My cultivation speed is indeed much faster than before, but the increases are different. Before obtaining the system, I only increased by 1500kg per year. I needed to cultivate for more than a year to reach Advanced Warrior. The 'Gale Sword Art' could also reach Proficiency after more than a year of cultivation. The original Secret Manual did not include Force Generation."

"But based on the current increase rate, the cultivation speed of Sword Art is clearly faster than that of physical fitness by a considerable margin—perhaps even twice as fast. Did the system activate one of my talents?"

Ning Ze muttered to himself, continuously analyzing and summarizing the system's data and usage rules.

After obtaining the system, he felt that his comprehension had doubled. The most direct evidence was the numerical increase: one was 5kg, while the other was ten proficiency points—a difference of twofold.

"Forget it. I won't think about it anymore. Maybe it's some hidden talent of us Earthlings?"

Ning Ze cleaned up the Training Room, washed off his sweat, changed into a clean white training uniform, and lazily headed downstairs.

The moment he reached the stairs, he smelled the rich aroma of braised food. Li Wan was probably making dinner. Ning Hua had not returned from the martial arts hall yet, but muffled thudding sounds came from outside.

The moment Ning Ze stepped outside, he saw Shu Yi beating Ning Qianqian in the courtyard.

Shu Yi had now obtained the title of Advanced Student, with strength nearing 750kg, while Ning Qianqian had not even reached 600kg. Naturally, she was being crushed in every aspect.

After watching for a while, Ning Ze nodded in satisfaction. Shu Yi did not strike as heavily as he did, but his sister-in-law had plenty of momentum. Every punch and kick left Ning Qianqian in a miserable state.

After a round of sparring, both women were drenched in sweat. Ning Qianqian pleaded, "Sister-in-law! Sister-in-law~ Stop fighting!"

Shu Yi ignored her. If that form of address had worked at first, it had been used too often these past two days and was no longer very effective. A form of address was one thing, training was another. She was serious about cultivation. Most importantly, she was following her mother-in-law's instructions.

A smile curled at Ning Ze's lips. This scene made him nostalgic.

"Ah~"

After exhausting herself, Ning Qianqian flopped onto the stone slabs in the courtyard and played dead, crying out, "I can't do it anymore! I'm exhausted!"

A hesitant look crossed Shu Yi's face. Seeing Ning Qianqian's pathetic appearance sprawled on the ground, she did not continue attacking. "Alright, get up. We'll stop here this afternoon. Tonight, we'll go to the martial arts hall together."

"Huh? I still have to cultivate tonight?" Ning Qianqian felt utterly miserable. This was not what she had expected!

At that moment, Shu Yi noticed Ning Ze standing at the entrance. Her eyes brightened as she ran over and asked, "You're done cultivating?"

"Mm. I successfully cultivated the Sword Art. This part is finished for now. I'll rest a little, then cultivate again tonight."

Ning Ze was very satisfied with his current progress. Once he familiarized himself with it tonight and spent two days integrating the newly learned Sword Art into "One Sword Sealing Heaven," he could begin learning the matching Movement Technique.

"You succeeded? I knew it wouldn't stump you." Shu Yi was also very happy. Ning Ze had seemed somewhat troubled these past few days. As a new wife, her heart was entirely tied to Ning Ze's. She shared his joy, anger, and worries, yet could only try her best not to disturb his cultivation.

"Go take a bath. We'll eat soon. Mom should be making dishes from Northeast Base City. It smells delicious."

Ning Ze was very satisfied with his current life. Sharpening the blade did not delay the chopping of wood. Taking advantage of his free time after getting married to cultivate several Sword Arts and increase his cultivation growth rate would allow him to achieve twice the result with half the effort once he entered the Elite Training Camp.