Easy Mode activated: Swing your saber fifty times to train Raging Wave Saber Technique to minor mastery.
After the payment, Easy Mode for Raging Wave Saber Technique activated.
However, Su Chen did not start training right away. Instead, he focused on the panel:
Raging Wave Saber Technique: 0 uses (5 taels of silver/use)
Seeing the amount displayed, Su Chen felt reassured.
"It's about the same as Iron Wire Fist and Iron Sand Palm. The amount hasn't changed, so the next one should be ten taels."
A quarter of an hour later, Raging Wave Saber Technique reached minor mastery.
Su Chen paid again. Just as he had expected, the amount to activate Easy Mode for Raging Wave Saber Technique next time was ten taels.
Without hesitation, he trained, paid, and pushed Raging Wave Saber Technique straight to mastery.
Only when the panel displayed:
Raging Wave Saber Technique: 0 uses (10 taels of gold/use)
"Too fast, and way too easy!"
Su Chen couldn't help exclaiming at the sight. He had to admit that the panel was incredibly useful for cultivation.
A martial art like Raging Wave Saber Technique would likely take years of practice to master without a solid foundation.
Yet he had pushed it to mastery in just one short hour.
He had gone from a complete saber novice to a skilled practitioner, his knowledge of saber techniques advancing by leaps and bounds.
"I activated Easy Mode three times and only spent sixteen taels. I've still got a hundred and fifty-four taels, so that's enough. Let's keep spending!"
He murmured to himself, but this time, to Su Chen's surprise, the panel gave no response.
He stared at the unchanged panel, confused. Then, a moment later, he realized:
"Could it be that this time, I can only pay with gold, not silver?"
The panel showed ten taels of gold, not ten taels of silver. The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed.
To test his theory, Su Chen went to the Money Shop and exchanged a hundred taels of silver for ten taels of gold, paying a one-tael fee.
Back home, he hurriedly tried to pay. This time, the panel responded.
Easy Mode activated: Swing your saber five hundred times to train Raging Wave Saber Technique to its limit.
At this, a smile appeared on Su Chen's face. It seemed his guess had been right.
Su Chen began swinging his saber in the courtyard. It took him nearly half an hour to complete all five hundred swings.
As he finished the final swing, his whole body jolted.
In his mind, his understanding of Raging Wave Saber Technique had grown profound. All eighteen forms had become instinct.
"I doubt even Liu Tong himself managed to train Raging Wave Saber Technique to its limit!"
Su Chen performed a full sequence of linked moves, drenched in sweat, but his expression was sheer delight.
Having grasped Raging Wave Saber Technique to its limit, Su Chen recalled his earlier clash with Liu Tong and quickly judged his opponent's level.
Compared with where Su Chen was now, Liu Tong was probably still several years behind.
Of course, that was assuming Liu Tong had talent. Without it, he was probably more than a decade behind.
"No wonder it needs Ape Arm Skill to support it. Raging Wave Saber Technique is powerful, but it puts a tremendous strain on the arms. Without deliberately training both arms, they'd give out after a while."
Feeling the waves of tearing pain in his arms, Su Chen pondered.
He had thought the panel would spare him the drawbacks of Raging Wave Saber Technique, but it seemed it only waived the cost of cultivation while he was training.
Once he had mastered it, if Su Chen wanted to use it for extended periods, he would have to train Ape Arm Skill.
"Still, I've got over fifty taels of silver left. That should be enough to train Ape Arm Skill to mastery."
Thinking this, Su Chen looked at the panel. Just as he was about to spend money on Ape Arm Skill, he suddenly froze.
...Raging Wave Saber Technique (Limit)
...Raging Wave Saber Technique: 0 uses (any complete saber technique/technique)
Then his face lit up. "Could this mean that if I collect a complete saber technique, I can activate Easy Mode for Raging Wave Saber Technique again?"
He stared blankly. He had thought that since Raging Wave Saber Technique had reached its limit, he couldn't improve it any further.
Instead, the panel had given him an enormous surprise.
All he had to do was collect another saber technique, and he could activate Easy Mode for Raging Wave Saber Technique.
"Wait, I shouldn't get too excited yet. It only says Easy Mode will activate; it doesn't say it'll definitely improve the technique."
Even so, Su Chen had already decided to see if he could find a saber technique and give it a try.
A moment later, Su Chen murmured, "Panel, activate Easy Mode for Ape Arm Skill three times."
He waited a while, but the panel didn't respond. Su Chen gave a wry smile. "All right, I guess this panel isn't smart at all. I'll just have to do it step by step."
Training Ape Arm Skill wasn't difficult either. He only had to swing his arms, with roughly the same number of repetitions at each stage as the saber swings.
An hour later, Su Chen had trained Ape Arm Skill to mastery.
He rolled up his sleeves and looked at his arms.
They looked unchanged, but he could clearly feel that their defensive strength had increased at least threefold.
His arm strength seemed to have increased considerably as well.
He picked up his Steel Saber and practiced Raging Wave Saber Technique once in the courtyard. This time, when he finished, his arms didn't feel a thing.
Grrr.
After training for two hours straight, Su Chen was famished.
"I've only got a little over thirty taels of silver left!"
Looking at his dwindling supply of silver, Su Chen sighed. Spending money really burned through it!
"Forget it. I'll have a good meal tonight!"
Without hesitation, Su Chen washed up, changed into clean clothes, and left the courtyard.
He went straight to a restaurant known for its good food. After eating his fill, he finally headed home.
The sun sank in the west, and the whole city seemed draped in a shimmering golden veil, washing away the day's toil.
"Senior Brother Li Mo?"
Before he reached his front door, Su Chen spotted Li Mo approaching. Li Mo was delighted to see him.
"Junior Brother Su Chen, you really are a busy man! I've been waiting for you for days, and only today did I finally catch you."
But that smile soon faded. He looked at Su Chen, his eyes faintly reproachful.
Only then did Su Chen remember that he had apparently stood Li Mo up once before. He gave an awkward laugh.
"Senior Brother Li Mo, did you come looking for me about something important?" Su Chen asked.
Li Mo said in a forlorn voice, "If I don't come looking for you, are you never going to the Martial Hall again?"
"Uh..." Su Chen didn't know how to respond.
Seeing him like that, Li Mo sighed.
"Su Chen, if you're free, you should go to the Martial Hall more often.
"Our Martial Hall provides medicinal decoctions to help you stabilize your Blood Line faster.
"Qin Hao was able to stabilize his Blood Line in such a short time and earn the master's esteem because he drank the Qi and Blood Medicine several times.
"Besides, you can't just practice fist techniques on your own. You need to spar, too, and improve your combat skills.
"How about this? Starting tomorrow, come to the Martial Hall. I'll spar with you."
After saying this, Li Mo looked at Su Chen. Seeing that he seemed reluctant, he had no choice but to ask, "What, you don't want to?"
Su Chen opened his mouth at that, then sighed inwardly.
Ever since they'd shared a meal, Senior Brother Li Mo had looked out for him a lot more.
It was just that he really didn't need to go to the Martial Hall anymore!
Faced with kindhearted Li Mo, Su Chen couldn't bring himself to refuse him outright.
In that case, no more pretending. Time to lay his cards on the table.
So Su Chen held out his arm, rolled up his sleeve, and showed it to Li Mo. "Senior Brother, look!"
Before you continue