Talent

Beneath a large tree outside the family compound, Li Qi sat facing his sixth father, Garibuel.

Between them sat a silver metal case containing the Sky-Breaking Sword.

"The Sky-Breaking Sword is only an incomplete Mental Force weapon, so its Mental-Force Amplitude requirements are very low. With your completion of the third stage of the Twenty-Eight Basic Controller Techniques, your Mental-Force Amplitude fully meets the standard," Garibuel said.

Li Qi nodded slightly. The manual explained it clearly: a single Sky-Breaking Sword required a Mental-Force Amplitude of 8, which indeed was not high.

"Try controlling the Sky-Breaking Sword first," Garibuel said. "Then I'll give you guidance based on your situation."

"Alright."

With a nod, Li Qi moved his thoughts, and the twenty blades inside the metal case snaked into the air.

"Combine!"

At Li Qi's soft shout, the twenty blades in the air clanged together and rapidly formed a silver hiltless shortsword.

"Sixth Father, what do you think?"

He sent the assembled silver shortsword flying before Garibuel and asked.

Looking at the silver shortsword before him, which had form but no spirit, Garibuel frowned. "That's not how Mental Force weapons are used! Didn't you read the manual Little One gave you?"

"I did. Doesn't it say to use Mental Force to assemble and control it?" Li Qi said. "That's exactly what I did."

With a thought from Garibuel, the thin manual flew out of the metal case and into his hand.

After quickly reading through the manual, he shook his head slightly. "This manual isn't very useful. It contains far too little of the crucial knowledge.

"Release your control over the Sky-Breaking Sword first. I'll show you how a Mental Force weapon is actually used."

As Li Qi withdrew his Mental Force, the silver-white shortsword that had barely held together in midair fell apart, its twenty blades dropping toward the ground.

Garibuel's Mental Force moved, and the twenty falling blades clanged together once more, reforming into a silver shortsword.

A faint white glow emerged from the silver shortsword, accompanied by a subtle hum.

"Go!"

With Garibuel's soft shout, the silver-white shortsword instantly turned into a streak of silver-white light and shot toward a distant tree.

Whoosh!

There was no sonic boom, only a faint whistle as it cut through the air. A moment after the silver-white streak passed by, a branch from that tree fell to the ground.

"So fast!"

Li Qi's heart skipped a beat. The Sky-Breaking Sword was simply too fast. He had not even noticed what it had targeted until the branch fell.

Amid a faint tearing sound, the silver-white streak formed by the Sky-Breaking Sword flew back. Once the light faded, only the silver-white shortsword remained floating in the air.

"Did you see that? That is how a Mental Force weapon is truly used," Garibuel said. "The key to using one is activating and driving the secret patterns on the weapon."

"Now you control the Sky-Breaking Sword. Follow the method I teach you to activate the secret patterns. I'll tell you what to do, and you do it!"

After saying that, he withdrew his Mental Force, and the silver-white shortsword in the air broke apart and fell.

Li Qi took over, using his Mental Force to assemble the Sky-Breaking Sword once more.

Garibuel instructed, "Now divide your Mental Force into eight streams. Starting from the sword's tail, use those eight streams to slowly activate the secret patterns toward the sword tip."

"Remember! The eight streams of Mental Force must remain equally strong, each at the level of when you control Bone Spikes with your full strength!"

Following his sixth father's instructions, Li Qi divided his Mental Force into eight streams and spread them across the Sky-Breaking Sword. Starting from the sword's tail, he activated the secret patterns with all his strength.

Hum!

A faint sound rang out. Pale white light appeared at the sword's tail, then spread along the blade. Before long, the light was about to reach the sword tip.

Unfortunately, the instant the pale white light reached the tip, every trace of light on the silver-white shortsword vanished!

He had failed!

Although this attempt had failed, Li Qi showed no disappointment. Instead, he grew even more excited!

He had already activated the secret patterns just now and had come within a hair's breadth of successfully driving the Sky-Breaking Sword.

He had merely become nervous near the end and failed to maintain the balance between the eight streams of Mental Force, causing all his efforts to fall short.

Eleven's talent was still just as astonishing! He had nearly driven the Sky-Breaking Sword on his very first attempt.

Watching Li Qi come so close to succeeding, Garibuel remained expressionless, yet waves rose in his heart. It was as if I had seen Second Brother again!

Why did everyone in the family unanimously believe Eleven possessed exceptional talent? Because Eleven had the terrifying comprehension to understand anything the moment he was taught!

They had only ever seen such talent in Ron Royce.

Who was Ron Royce?

Since Kuka Planet became a training planet hundreds of thousands of years ago, he had been recognized as its greatest genius!

He had become a Stellar Level powerhouse before reaching fifty. Even among the countless geniuses of the Stellar Training Camp, such talent stood at the very peak!

Even the great Molten Emperor had once praised his talent!

Compared to people born with such gifts, I'm like an ordinary person.

Garibuel knew himself well. He had envied such talent, but he had never been jealous.

The reason was simple: both of them were his family, and their talents were so extraordinary that they were beyond jealousy!

"Sixth Father! I succeeded!"

Li Qi's excited voice rang out.

Garibuel looked over and saw a silver-white shortsword shrouded in pale white light floating in the air. He praised him, "Very good! You successfully drove the Sky-Breaking Sword on your second attempt."

After praising him, Garibuel's tone shifted. "If it takes too long to drive the Sky-Breaking Sword, then that is unacceptable! Your enemies will not give you time to prepare!

"You must be able to drive the Sky-Breaking Sword skillfully and swiftly. Only then can you remain undefeated!"

"Understood!"

Li Qi nodded. It really did take him some time to drive the Sky-Breaking Sword.

The time was not long, merely three or four seconds.

But for a Planetary Level powerhouse, three or four seconds was already a very long time—long enough to determine victory or defeat.

"Since you can already drive the Sky-Breaking Sword, you no longer need my guidance." Garibuel started to leave, but then stopped.

With a solemn expression, he said to Li Qi, "Based on the usual timing, the beast tide is about to arrive.

"When that happens, Twelve and Thirteen will be entrusted to you!"

Li Qi patted his chest. "Sixth Father, don't worry! I'll protect Twelve and Thirteen. I won't let them come to any harm!"

"Good."

Garibuel nodded, then left.

Twelve and Thirteen...

The faces of two children surfaced in Li Qi's mind.

Twelve was an honest child. He did not cause trouble and was modest, so his presence within the family was not particularly strong.

Thirteen, on the other hand, was the typical troublesome brat!

Whenever Li Qi thought of that little rascal Thirteen, his head hurt—not from anything else, but because the kid was so annoying!

Since childhood, Thirteen had loved challenging him, yet he had never won.

At first, Li Qi had found Thirteen's challenges quite interesting. But now, he only found them annoying. Very annoying!

Just imagine it: while you were squatting in the latrine, someone suddenly popped out holding a wooden sword and pointed it at your nose, demanding to challenge you. What would that feel like?

That feeling was hard to describe...

"Hehe, I wonder what expression Thirteen will make when he sees that I'm the commander of his defensive sector!"

Thinking of this, Li Qi could not help smiling.

The first volume would likely end in another two or three chapters.