The 319th Regiment's temporary encampment had an outdoor training ground.
The training ground covered a sizable area. It had more than a dozen small sparring platforms, along with plenty of weapons and equipment for training.
Dusk was approaching, and there weren't many people at the training ground.
Most of the 319th Regiment's soldiers were letting loose at the base, easing the stress they'd been under for so long. The higher-ups tacitly approved, too. As long as their men didn't cause trouble, they were free to enjoy themselves during this period.
At an empty sparring platform, Xiao Yunlong took an unsharpened war blade from the weapons rack. He deftly spun it in his hand and said:
"You said you were most interested in blade techniques. So I'll start by demonstrating the basic moves. Watch closely."
Xiao Yunlong's expression changed, and his gaze turned sharp in an instant.
"First move: chop!"
The blade swung down from above, cutting through the air with a sharp whistle.
"Second move: slash!"
The blade swept diagonally from the side at incredible speed, leaving behind an afterimage.
"Third move: thrust!"
"Fourth move: lift!"
"Block, sweep, flick, wipe, slice, hook, tap... wind the blade around your head, turn and slash..."
Xiao Yunlong combined the blade techniques with his footwork, his serious expression making it seem as though a real enemy stood before him.
Qin Tian held another unsharpened training blade and mimicked Xiao Yunlong's movements as he demonstrated.
He had a talent called [Basic Knife Sense]. Although it was a white talent, it still gave him considerable aptitude for blade techniques.
After completing the demonstration, Xiao Yunlong had a slight sheen of sweat on his forehead. He looked at Qin Tian and asked:
"Well? Did you remember it?"
Qin Tian carefully recalled what he'd seen. The basic moves played through his mind like a slideshow, though he still wasn't sure about some of the details.
With that in mind, Qin Tian decided to upgrade his [Basic Knife Sense] talent first.
After that night battle, his Evolution Points had surged to more than 5,000. The Fourth Order Shadow Catman had contributed more than 4,000 of them.
Upgrading a white talent to green took only a few hundred Evolution Points at most. He could easily afford it.
"Invest 300 Evolution Points to enhance [Basic Knife Sense]."
In his mind, the white orb shook violently. In less than a second, it turned light green, then deepened a little further.
At present, Qin Tian divided talents of the same level into three grades: light, medium, and deep.
For example, [Steel Muscles and Bones] had been upgraded from [Advanced Strength] and was now light blue.
After he killed the Fourth Order Shadow Catman, the talents [Shadow Muscle and Bone] and [Shadow Leap] had both changed from light blue to deep blue.
[Purple Lightning Bloodline] was deep blue as well.
The deeper the color, the greater the effect on the host. It also meant fewer Evolution Points would be needed to upgrade the talent to the next stage.
[Name] Clear Heart Saber (Green) [Type] Passive Talent [Description] Those with this talent unite blade and heart, and connect heart with intent. When wielding a blade, they need not think; the blade follows the heart, and each move follows their intent. They have an astonishing understanding and mastery of blade techniques. After seeing any technique just once, they can master it without a teacher.
A faint understanding welled up in Qin Tian's heart. He slowly said, "Could you do it one more time?"
"Sure. I knew you wouldn't remember it all after one go."
Xiao Yunlong smiled and demonstrated the basic blade techniques again in front of the three of them.
"Chop, slash, thrust, lift..."
This time, Qin Tian felt something different. Xiao Yunlong's movements looked exceptionally clear to him. He could even pick out the slightest shifts in his wrist and how he applied force.
Every move was etched deeply into his mind, and he was confident he could reproduce them almost perfectly.
Whoosh~
After the final move, Xiao Yunlong lowered his blade and stood upright, then looked at Qin Tian.
"Well? How much of it did you remember this time?"
"Don't let those moves' simplicity fool you. Every advanced blade technique is made up of the most basic moves, so you have to build a solid foundation. I spent three years drilling the basics before I graduated. But once I did, I was unbeatable among my fellow students, and even earned the nickname Gale Blade at our school."
"If you can't remember them, that's fine. I, the grandmaster, can teach you one by one. Guaranteed mastery."
Xiao Yunlong clasped his hands behind his back and lifted his chin, looking every bit the blade-technique grandmaster.
Blade techniques were one of the few things he could boast about. He really did have some talent in that area.
Seeing how confident Xiao Yunlong looked, Qin Tian couldn't bring himself to hurt his pride. After a moment's consideration, he said, "I remembered... eight-tenths."
"Eight-tenths?"
Xiao Yunlong chuckled. "Qin Tian, I bet your eight-tenths is all form and no Blade Intent. Those basic moves aren't that simple. There are plenty of details."
Qin Tian raised an eyebrow. "Want me to demonstrate?"
"Sure. Let's see how well you've mastered that eight-tenths."
Xiao Yunlong gave the platform to Qin Tian, then stood beside Qin Dadi and Liu Zhaozhao with his arms crossed, ready to enjoy the show.
Young people ought to be a little more modest~
Just wait. I, Grandmaster Xiao, will give you a proper lesson.
Qin Tian stood in the middle of the platform with the blade's hilt in his hand. It was his first time using a war blade like this, yet it felt as familiar as if he'd practiced with one for over a decade. The blade seemed to have become part of him, connected to his very blood.
"So this is Clear Heart Saber~"
Qin Tian's gaze suddenly sharpened like a blade. He stepped forward half a pace and swung down.
"Chop!"
Whoosh!!!
The blade came down with tremendous force, like a bolt of lightning, and the air rang with a piercing boom.
Hiss!
At that moment, all three members of the Earth Dragon Squad shuddered. Xiao Yunlong's eyes filled with shock.
"Slash!"
The blade turned and cut in from the side. His movements were flawless, like something straight out of a textbook.
"Thrust!"
"Lift!"
As Qin Tian demonstrated each move, Xiao Yunlong's mouth gaped wider and wider, nearly big enough to fit an egg.
Not a single move was wrong. Qin Tian had almost perfectly copied him.
Come on, man. You're telling me this is a beginner?
You've got to be kidding me.
Whoosh~
After the final move, Qin Tian lowered his blade, turned around, and looked at Xiao Yunlong.
"Well? Was that any good?"
"Any good...?!"
Xiao Yunlong was speechless. "Qin Tian, be honest. Had you practiced before?"
"How could I have?"
Liu Zhaozhao answered for Qin Tian. "Qin Tian's been with us the whole time. When would he have had a chance to practice?"
"But his blade techniques... Hmm~"
Xiao Yunlong held back for several seconds before saying, "He's only a little worse than me. That's nothing like the skill of someone handling a blade for the first time."
"That just means Qin Tian has incredible talent for blade techniques," Qin Dadi said with a smile. "Just like his marksmanship. He picks it up and masters it right away."
"Ahhh, heaven is so unfair!"
Xiao Yunlong tilted his head back and wailed in anguish. He'd spent three years practicing those basic blade techniques, and Qin Tian had learned them after watching once. Who could understand how that felt?
Just then, Xiao Yunlong seemed to think of something. He leaned in close to Qin Tian, eyeing him suspiciously.
"Qin Tian, I'm starting to wonder if you're the result of some super-soldier program. Otherwise, how are you good at everything?"
"You really do think too much."
Qin Tian chuckled and casually pushed Xiao Yunlong's big face away.
What's so special about being a super soldier?
I'm a noble transmigrator.
The kind with a cheat.
Before you continue