Reinforcement--Clear Heart Saber

The temporary encampment of the 319th Regiment had an open-air training ground.

The training ground was sizable, featuring not only a dozen small arenas but also a variety of training weapons and equipment.

As dusk approached, few people were in the training ground.

Most soldiers of the 319th Regiment were indulging themselves in the base, releasing the long-suppressed tension, and the higher-ups tacitly allowed this behavior—as long as their men didn't cause trouble, they were free to enjoy themselves for now.

Arriving at an empty arena, Xiao Yunlong picked up an unsharpened war blade from the weapon rack, skillfully twirled it into a flourish, and said:

"You said you're most interested in blade techniques, so let me first demonstrate the basic moves. Watch closely."

Xiao Yunlong's gaze shifted, instantly sharp.

"First move, Chop!"

The blade sliced downward from above, cutting through the air with a sharp whistle.

"Second move, Hack!"

The blade swung diagonally from the side, incredibly fast, leaving a faint afterimage.

"Third move, Thrust!"

"Fourth move, Lift!"

"Block, Sweep, Flick, Wipe, Slice, Hang, Point... Wrap around the head and face, Turn and slash..."

Xiao Yunlong combined blade techniques with footwork, as if a real enemy stood before him, his attitude very serious.

Qin Tian held another unsharpened training blade in his hand, mimicking Xiao Yunlong's demonstration.

He had a talent called [Basic Knife Sense]. Though it was a white talent, it still granted him considerable insight into blade techniques.

After the full demonstration, a thin sheen of sweat appeared on Xiao Yunlong's forehead. He looked at Qin Tian and asked:

"How was it? Remembered it?"

Qin Tian carefully recalled. The basic moves just demonstrated played back in his mind like slides, though the details still needed refinement.

Thinking this, Qin Tian decisively decided to upgrade the [Basic Knife Sense] talent first.

After that night battle, his Evolution Points had surged to over 5,000, with more than 4,000 contributed by the Fourth Order Shadow Catman.

Upgrading a white talent to green required only a few hundred Evolution Points at most—no pressure at all.

"Invest 300 Evolution Points to strengthen [Basic Knife Sense]."

In his mind, the white orb violently trembled, transforming into a light green within a second, then deepening slightly.

Currently, Qin Tian classified talents of the same tier into three levels: light, medium, and deep.

For example, [Steel Muscles and Bones] evolved from [Advanced Strength] and was now light blue.

Meanwhile, [Shadow Muscle and Bone] and [Shadow Leap] had shifted from light blue to deep blue after killing the Fourth Order Shadow Catman.

Also deep blue was [Purple Lightning Bloodline].

The deeper the color, the greater the impact on the host, and the fewer Evolution Points needed for the next stage of strengthening.

[Name] Clear Heart Saber (Green)

[Type] Passive Talent

[Description] One with this talent unites blade with heart, heart with intent. When striking, no thought is needed; the blade moves with the heart, and the move follows the intent. Possesses astonishing understanding and mastery of blade techniques; any blade technique only needs to be seen once to be learned without a teacher.

A faint enlightenment rose in his heart. Qin Tian said slowly, "Can you do it one more time?"

"Sure, I knew you wouldn't get it in one go."

Xiao Yunlong chuckled, then demonstrated the basic blade techniques again in front of the three.

"Chop, Hack, Thrust, Lift..."

This time, Qin Tian felt a distinct difference. Xiao Yunlong's movements became exceptionally clear in his eyes, even the subtle wrist flicks and force applications were caught by him.

Every move was deeply etched into his mind, and he was confident he could replicate them almost perfectly.

Whoosh~

After finishing the last move, Xiao Yunlong sheathed his blade and stood upright, looking at Qin Tian.

"So, how much did you remember this time?"

"Don't think these moves are simple—any advanced blade technique is built from these basics. That's why laying a solid foundation is crucial. I trained for three years on fundamentals before I graduated, but once I did, I beat all my peers without a match and earned the nickname Gale Blade at our school."

"If you can't remember, no worries—this master can teach you one by one, guaranteed to get it."

Xiao Yunlong clasped his hands behind his back, chin slightly raised, striking the pose of a blade technique master.

Blade techniques were one of the few things he could truly boast about; he had a real knack for them.

Seeing Xiao Yunlong's confident demeanor, Qin Tian couldn't bear to dent his pride. After a moment's thought, he said, "I remembered nine... eight-tenths."

"Eight-tenths?"

Xiao Yunlong laughed. "Qin Tian, I'd bet that eight-tenths of yours is just empty form without the blade's intent. These basics aren't that simple—there are plenty of details."

Qin Tian raised an eyebrow. "How about I demonstrate?"

"Alright, let me see just how well you've mastered that eighty percent."

Xiao Yunlong handed the arena over to Qin Tian, then stood beside Qin Dadi and Liu Zhaozhao, arms crossed, looking like he was ready for a good show.

Young man, better stay humble~

In a bit, let me, Grandmaster Xiao, give you a proper lesson.

Qin Tian stood at the center of the arena, the saber's hilt in his hand. This was his first time using such a War Blade, yet he felt a familiarity as if he had practiced saber for over a decade—the blade seemed to merge with him, connected by blood and bone.

"So this is Clear Heart Saber~"

Qin Tian's gaze shifted abruptly, sharp as a blade's edge. He took half a step forward and swung the saber in a downward chop.

"Chop!"

Whoosh!!!

The saber's momentum was fierce, like a thunderbolt crashing down, tearing through the air with a piercing shriek.

Hiss!

At that moment, the three members of the Earth Dragon Squad all shuddered. Xiao Yunlong's eyes brimmed with intense shock.

"Slash!"

The blade turned, cutting in from the side with movements so precise they might have come straight from a textbook.

"Thrust!"

"Flick!"

As Qin Tian demonstrated each move one by one, Xiao Yunlong's mouth gaped wider and wider, nearly big enough to fit an egg.

Not a single misstep in any of the moves—they were practically stamped from the same mold as his own.

Bro, are you telling me this is a beginner?

You messing with me?

Whoosh~

With the final stance completed, Qin Tian sheathed the saber and turned around, looking at Xiao Yunlong as he asked:

"How was that? Passable?"

"Passable... you say!!!"

Xiao Yunlong was speechless. "Qin Tian, be honest with me—have you practiced before?"

"How could that be?"

Liu Zhaozhao answered for Qin Tian. "Qin Tian's been with us the whole time, right? When would he have had time to practice saber?"

"But his saber technique... hmm~"

Xiao Yunlong held back for a few seconds before saying, "It's only a little worse than mine. No way it looks like someone touching a saber for the first time."

"That just means Qin Tian has an incredible talent for the saber."

Qin Dadi laughed. "Same as his shooting talent—picks it up and masters it instantly."

"Aaah, heaven is unfair!"

Xiao Yunlong sighed long to the sky, filled with grief and indignation. The basic saber techniques he'd slaved over for three years, someone else learned in a single glance—who could understand this crushing gap?

Just then, as if something occurred to him, Xiao Yunlong leaned in suspiciously close to Qin Tian's face. "Qin Tian, I'm starting to suspect you're the product of some super-soldier program. How else could you be good at everything?"

"You think too much."

Qin Tian chuckled lightly and casually pushed Xiao Yunlong's big face away.

Super soldier? That's nothing.

Bro here is a noble transmigrator.

The kind with a golden finger.