The Time Has Come to Enter a New World!

"Clang!!"

Accompanied by a crisp clang, the longsword in Fang Zheng's hand spun through the air and fell to the ground. He himself collapsed backward under the immense force, gasping heavily.

"Get up. Continue."

Hearing Stone's words, Fang Zheng quickly rolled to his feet and grabbed his longsword. The steel blade now felt as heavy as a thousand jin in his hand, but even so, Fang Zheng gritted his teeth and fixed his gaze on the fully armored great knight before him. He pondered for a moment, then swiftly swung his longsword toward Stone's right side. But this time, Stone didn't even glance at it; he simply swung his hand, and Fang Zheng saw that massive two-handed sword meet his attack head-on without any pretense.

Facing the descending greatsword, Fang Zheng clenched his jaw and met it with his own blade.

The swords clashed. Fang Zheng strained to grip the hilt, tilting the blade to deflect the force of the strike, while the steel longsword let out a creaking groan as it bent to the side. Then came another "clang," and the next moment, Fang Zheng's hand could no longer withstand the greatsword's power. His fingers loosened, and the longsword flew backward once more. Fortunately, this time Fang Zheng didn't fall along with it.

"That's enough for today."

Stone sheathed his two-handed greatsword and looked at Fang Zheng with an appreciative gaze.

"I have to say, kid, your body's too weak... but your perseverance isn't bad. I've seen some fools who start whining the moment training begins, acting like I'm trying to kill them. You, kid, haven't complained once. You've got potential!"

"Haah... haah... Th... thanks..."

Hearing Stone's praise, Fang Zheng wiped the sweat from his forehead and replied between ragged breaths. At this moment, he felt like he could barely stand, his hands numb and sore, his whole body as exhausted as if he'd been dragged out of a pond.

On the second day of becoming Stone's student, Fang Zheng understood what the Old Bishop's sympathetic look had meant. In fact, he was dragged out of bed before dawn by Stone, made to run laps, and then drilled in swordsmanship—completely different from what Fang Zheng had imagined. Stone didn't teach him any knightly sword techniques; instead, he had him practice basic sword skills over and over.

Chop, cut, block, thrust, parry... Fang Zheng repeated these tedious fundamentals according to Stone's orders. According to Stone, the Royal Cross Swordsmanship Fang Zheng used was already quite powerful. But because Fang Zheng lacked a deep understanding of the sword, he couldn't fully unleash its potential.

Fang Zheng felt the same way. At first, when he sparred with Stone, the latter was unfamiliar with the technique, so Fang Zheng could barely gain the upper hand and win. But after that assessment, Fang Zheng never beat Stone again. Even when Stone used only standard-issue weapons, Fang Zheng felt completely suppressed.

"You're a real freak, kid."

Looking at the sweat-drenched Fang Zheng, Stone clicked his tongue.

"Normally, someone with a strong will doesn't have such a weak body. But you, kid, why are you so frail? And I can see your power level is decent, so how come you don't know how to swing a sword?"

Hearing Stone's mockery, Fang Zheng rolled his eyes helplessly. Indeed, he had a strong will—if he didn't, how could he have worked day and night without rest? As for this body... do you think I don't want it to be stronger? My original body at least had some abs. Thank heavens those damned Cultists didn't leave me completely drained...

Fang Zheng was well aware of this world's power system, so he understood why Stone said that. On this continent, people used an energy called "Star Spirit Energy," but in Fang Zheng's view, this so-called "Star Spirit Energy" was basically no different from the "Internal Force" in Wuxia novels. In fact, their classifications were quite similar.

On this continent, Star Spirit Energy was divided into six levels: Entry, Regular, Elite, Grandmaster, Legendary, and Transcendent.

Entry-level professionals were like the miscellaneous extras in Wuxia novels—they might know a few moves like Shaolin Long Fist or Black Tiger Digs Heart, but that was it. They mostly trained their physiques without any special changes. Most Militia in this world were at this level.

Regular-level professionals were more like disciples of major sects, having cultivated Internal Force. They were far superior to those who only knew a few scattered techniques, able to use power to enhance their bodies and display strength beyond ordinary humans. For example, leaping several meters high or running a hundred meters in ten seconds flat. These people had mastered using Star Spirit Energy to boost their physical attributes and could employ unscientific techniques like Golden Bell Shield or Cloud Ladder.

Elite-level professionals went a step further. In fact, judging whether someone had reached Elite level depended on whether they could launch Star Spirit Energy attacks from a distance. Whether mage, knight, assassin, rogue, or any other class, if they could project Star Spirit Energy outward, it meant they had surpassed ordinary warriors and become an Elite.

Grandmasters were even more formidable. Not only did they wield immense power, but they also innovated, possessing unique skills and Combat Skills of their own. Great Knight Stone was a Grandmaster. Those at this level were roughly equivalent to the leaders of major sects in Wuxia novels—powerful and with their own secret techniques.

As for Legendary, that was even more terrifying. Grandmaster level could still be considered within the realm of Wuxia, but Legendary beings had essentially entered the domain of Xianxia novels. Shaking the heavens and darkening the earth was commonplace for them. They might not match true gods, but they weren't far off. When they fought, the aftermath could affect a hundred miles—no joke. In fact, in this world, true Legendary experts were almost like the strategic Nuclear Weapons of each nation, rarely deployed. And it was because of their existence that this continent could maintain peace.

But that alone wasn't enough. Mortals were ultimately impulsive, greedy, and blind beings. Temporary restraint didn't mean eternal control. Some might seek revenge, and others might fall into darkness and try to destroy the world. Yet none of that had happened, because above Legendary existed an even more powerful level.

Transcendent.

If Legendary was the peak of the mortal, then Transcendent was, as the name implied, beyond the mortal. Transcendents were never mortals; all Transcendents were avatars or messengers of gods or demon lords. They possessed power beyond mortals, and at certain moments, they could do whatever they pleased!

And that was why this continent remained calm. Even Legendary beings couldn't stir up trouble, because on this continent, good and evil weren't eternal enemies. In fact, if someone tried to destroy the world, they might first face not divine punishment, but a dagger from a demon lord's back—do you think I develop followers for free? If you destroy the world, where am I supposed to get my power from?

So Stone called Fang Zheng a freak. Fang Zheng's strength was roughly at mid-Elite level, but his body was as weak as if he'd never trained. To put it in perspective, it was like Linghu Chong, having lost all his Internal Force, suddenly mastering the Six Meridians Divine Sword and firing it nonstop... was that possible?

Fang Zheng was also aware of his weakness: sword technique. The longsword was a completely unfamiliar weapon to him. He'd never touched one in his previous life, and since being reborn into this world, he'd only handled a sword for less than a month. The system had given him the knowledge and skill of swordsmanship, but experience couldn't be rushed—it required genuine time and effort.

Still, he wasn't completely without options.

"Alright, that's enough for today. Go back and rest."

Stone was quite satisfied with Fang Zheng. Though he felt the sword techniques Fang Zheng used didn't match his experience, he didn't dwell on it. Sword skills required insight and intelligence; anyone who wasn't an idiot could mimic them to some extent. Besides, with Holy Spirit Protection, it wasn't strange for Fang Zheng to have some unusual traits.

As for Fang Zheng's weak physique, Stone didn't question it. One look at the young man's hands told him he'd been holding a sword for less than two months. A noble who usually enjoyed leisure wouldn't have a strong body.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, Fang Zheng put down his longsword and left the Training Ground. Along the way, he saw many Holy Temple Warriors, who laughed good-naturedly at his disheveled state.

"Hey, Fang Zheng, did Lord Stone beat you down again?"

"Don't talk nonsense. He's standing, isn't he? And walking, too."

"Haha, you're lucky, kid. I wanted Lord Stone to be my Guide back in the day, but he didn't think much of me. Such a pity..."

Looking at these gloating guys, Fang Zheng rolled his eyes helplessly.

"Since you're so regretful, want me to put in a good word for you with Lord Stone?"

"Uh... let's forget it. Look how old I am—you should respect your elders..."

"Haha..."

Seeing the poor guy's wry smile, the others couldn't help but laugh. The previously heavy atmosphere lightened considerably.

Fang Zheng had only been in this temple for a little over ten days, but he'd built good relationships with many people. Partly because his [Sacred Guardian] status naturally made these Holy Temple Warriors favor him, and partly because he was generous—whenever he had free time, he'd treat them to a drink at the tavern. Generous people were never disliked anywhere, so Fang Zheng's favorability had been rising steadily.

But what truly earned the Holy Temple Warriors' recognition was his hard work and perseverance. Great Knight Stone's training was notoriously strict. Many of them had seen Acolyte Knights tortured to the point of collapse, almost like they were being punished. Most would cry out and fall, and only a few lasted a few days before giving up. Yet this frail young man gritted his teeth and endured for over ten days—for a warrior, it might be expected, but for a young, weak-bodied noble, it commanded respect.

After joking around with the others for a bit, Fang Zheng left the temple. He'd rented a small house nearby to live in, which wasn't difficult thanks to his Star Pattern and the temple's guarantee. Stone had originally wanted Fang Zheng to stay in the temple, but Fang Zheng declined, since there were things he couldn't do there.

Like now.

Back in his room, Fang Zheng sat on a chair and looked at the Dimensional Codex before him. The sun was about to sink below the horizon, and night was approaching.

Fang Zheng reached out and gently opened the Codex. As it opened, a peculiar projection emerged from the pages. From the outside, it looked like a projection of Earth, but around it orbited countless satellites, slowly revolving around the core. And in Fang Zheng's eyes, he could clearly see the words appearing before him.

[Dimensional World] [Free World]

In Fang Zheng's eyes, the [Dimensional World] remained gray and unresponsive, but the [Free World] could be opened. Naturally, he understood this perfectly well.

The difference between the [Free World] and the [Dimensional World] was that when Fang Zheng traveled to the [Free World], time in the Main World would not flow. In other words, no matter how long he stayed in that world, when he returned, it would still be the moment he left. Moreover, in the [Free World], Fang Zheng could not only stay indefinitely but also choose to leave at any time. Of course, if he encountered life-threatening danger, he could also opt for a forced withdrawal...

Hearing this, it seemed the [Free World] was far better than the [Dimensional World]. Unfortunately, the system naturally wouldn't leave Fang Zheng any loopholes. Although the [Free World] appeared excellent, it had its own limitations.

First, in the [Free World], Fang Zheng could not earn Dimension Points, equipment, or skills by completing tasks. He could only obtain attribute-related rewards there. Second, in the [Free World], Fang Zheng could not use any skills or equipment he had acquired, nor could he activate or awaken Soul Stones. In short, in the [Free World], Fang Zheng was just an ordinary person, at most benefiting from title and basic attribute bonuses.

Not only that, but in Fang Zheng's view, the [Free World] was further divided into three categories: [Mind], [Technique], and [Body]. He had been hesitating over which world to enter for improvement, but after training with Stone for so long, Fang Zheng had fully understood his current shortcomings. Thus, he quickly made a decision.

This is the one.

Looking at the teleportation icon before him, Fang Zheng took a deep breath, then reached out and tapped on [Technique]. Soon, dazzling points of light reappeared before him, interweaving from end to end to form a pillar of light that enveloped Fang Zheng.

The time to enter a new world had arrived!