The Surprise

Chen Hao did not use the card right away. Instead, he practiced the eight moves of Basic Saber Technique on his own. Time flew by, and before he knew it, it was already noon.

Chen Hao did not stay at the Martial Hall for lunch. After greeting Yang Wu, Tong Yun, and the others, he left.

Rather than going straight home, he headed to a Simulation Model Shop.

"Hello! What can I help you with?" As soon as Chen Hao entered, the shop assistant greeted him with a practiced smile.

"Do you have a Blood Shadow Series 2 battle sword model?"

The assistant paused. "We do, of course. They're only models, and the materials aren't as good as those used in the Blood Shadow Series, but their weight and shape are identical. The materials are based on the special steel formulas from before the Great Nirvana. Of course, to prevent accidents, we don't sharpen these replica blades. But once sharpened, they're extremely sharp."

Chen Hao examined the Blood Shadow Series 2 Simulation Blade the assistant brought out and gave it a few swings. It felt pretty good. "How much is one?"

"The materials used in our models could all be used to make special-purpose blades and drill bits before the Great Nirvana. Their prices have dropped a lot since then, but the Blood Shadow Series models use plenty of material. Each one costs 500 yuan." Seeing that Chen Hao was interested, the assistant immediately began listing the product's advantages.

"What if I buy several?" Chen Hao looked amused as the assistant continued explaining the product's merits.

"How many would you like to buy, sir?" The assistant paused, then brightened. It looked like he was about to make a tidy profit today.

"If the price is right, I'll take twelve."

"The biggest discount I can offer is 50 yuan per item. If you buy twelve, I can take 50 yuan off each one. How does that sound?"

"Sure. Pack them up for me; I'll take them with me." Eager to test his theory, Chen Hao did not waste time haggling. He paid without hesitation.

"Sir, would you like us to deliver them to your home?" The assistant looked at the huge bundle of goods, weighing several hundred pounds, and hurriedly asked.

"I can carry it myself." Chen Hao reached down, lifted the bundle with ease, and strode out.

"Oh my god, is he a Martial Artist? Even if he isn't, he must be a Quasi-Warrior." Seeing Chen Hao lift several hundred pounds so effortlessly, the assistant's eyes widened. He muttered to himself, speculating about Chen Hao's identity.

After leaving the model shop, Chen Hao did not linger. He carried the twelve blades straight home.

Once inside, he shut the door and brought up the Fusion Interface. He placed three replica blades in the synthesis slots, then thought, Synthesize.

The newly synthesized battle sword looked no different on the outside, but Chen Hao could still feel that it had changed.

With a thought, he took out the new sword. It had the same Blood Shadow Series 2 design as the one he had practiced with that morning. Unlike the replica, which had not been sharpened, the new sword's edge reflected a faint blue gleam.

He immediately used Identify on the new sword: Ordinary blade, synthesized by a special method; capable of piercing the defenses of an Apprentice Level 1 Monster.

As expected, the new blade was no different from the genuine article. By the Martial Hall's grading system, it should be an A1 Level battle sword.

Chen Hao's eyes lit up. With his current mental strength, he could handle this kind of synthesis with ease. It had barely taken any mental energy. It looked like he could keep going.

He activated Nine-Grid Synthesis and looked at the nine slots he had filled. Synthesize.

The Synthesis Button did not move at all. What was going on? Chen Hao tried Three-Grid Synthesis again, and this time it worked.

Nine-Grid Synthesis could give ordinary, worthless ginseng some of the effects of Spirit of Grass and Wood. So it was bound to produce a qualitative change, too. His inability to synthesize was probably related to his mental strength and current level of ability.

For now, he could only give up on using Nine-Grid Synthesis for battle swords and stick to Three-Grid Synthesis. After synthesizing twice, he looked at the four identical Blood Shadow blades and couldn't help chuckling.

But he wasn't done yet. The important part was still to come. He placed the three newly synthesized blades on the Fusion Panel and thought, Synthesize.

The fusion button began to spin. The three blades disappeared, and a new red longsword appeared in the center.

Its shape had not changed, but its quality was clearly different. He didn't need to worry about figuring out its grade himself; the panel could handle it: Ordinary blade, synthesized by a special method; capable of piercing the defenses of an Apprentice Level 4 Monster.

If he remembered correctly, this was definitely an A4 Level battle sword. That was the Extreme Martial Arts Hall's grading system. An A5 Level sword from Extreme Home cost more than six million, so an A4 Level sword was bound to be worth at least a million.

In other words, his assets had already topped a million in no time at all. Unfortunately, he couldn't let anyone see an item like this unless he became a Martial Artist. With his current strength and status, taking the sword out to sell could bring him either fortune or disaster.

It really was best to become a Martial Artist in Swallowed World. Without that status, even if you struck it rich, you had to be careful and keep it under wraps.

He couldn't sell the sword, but there was no problem using it for practice. Chen Hao summoned it into his hand with a thought and furrowed his brow. He hadn't expected such a huge difference in weight between an A1 Level and an A4 Level sword.

An A1 Level sword weighed at most a hundred pounds, but the A4 Level battle sword felt like it weighed five or six hundred. It probably wouldn't be as easy to handle as an A1 Level sword when he practiced.

For now, he would have to make do with an A1 Level sword.

Perhaps his strength had improved considerably. Aside from the failed Nine-Grid Synthesis attempt, none of the syntheses had left him feeling tired.

He then took out the He Shou Wu he had bought earlier. If ginseng could undergo Nine-Grid Synthesis, He Shou Wu should be no different. He looked at the He Shou Wu in the slots and thought, Synthesize.

A He Shou Wu several times larger appeared in the center of the panel, and it vaguely resembled a human figure.

A week ago, Nine-Grid Synthesis had nearly left him in ecstasy and agony, but this time it had barely burdened his mind. He only felt a little tired, about as worn out as he was after a strenuous workout that morning.

He decided to Identify it as well: Hundred-Year-Old He Shou Wu, a herbaceous plant containing a small amount of Cosmic Energy. It could improve the physical fitness of lifeforms below Apprentice Peak. Its medicinal effects were mild, and it could be taken directly.

The synthesized He Shou Wu was very white. He cut off a piece of the root, tossed it into his mouth, chewed a few times, and swallowed. A wave of heat surged from his stomach and rapidly spread throughout his body.

Chen Hao didn't dare waste time. He took the A1 Level sword and went up to the rooftop. Then he brought up the panel, looked at the Basic Saber Technique Skill Card, and thought, Use.

The Skill Card turned into a streak of white light and shot into his mind. Yang Wu's memories and experience practicing Basic Saber Technique followed.

As the memories settled in, Chen Hao began practicing. At first, his movements were awkward and clumsy. Gradually, his technique grew more and more practiced, until fierce flashes of cold light filled the space around him.

As he practiced, he moved from executing each move in one smooth motion to combining the eight moves with one another. Just as he was becoming more and more proficient, the memories and experience in his mind abruptly came to an end.

"What a shame." Chen Hao checked the time. Less than ten minutes had passed. "Brother Yang never honed his Basic Saber Technique in battle. He only practiced until he became proficient. If I want to reach true mastery, I'll probably have to go into the wilderness and fight for real."

He felt a little regretful, but even this level of saber technique was enough to make up for his lack of force.

The He Shou Wu he had eaten seemed to have finished working. It had not only replenished the energy he had just used practicing; his physical fitness seemed to have improved a little, too.