Blade Practice

Swallowed Star World, Yangzhou City, Bright Moon Residential District.

Half a month had passed since that life-and-death battle in the Wilderness Area.

Liu Xu's wounds had healed much faster than expected. Her 9-Series inner armor had saved her life, and the medical technology at the Limit Dojo had allowed her bones and internal organs to recover at an astonishing rate. In half a month, her three broken ribs had mended, the hairline fracture in her left arm had completely repaired, and even the doctors marveled at her recovery ability.

"It's mostly because she's in a good mood," Luo Fang said with a smile while tidying up the hospital room. "With the captain guarding her side every day, how could she not recover quickly?"

Liu Xu's face flushed slightly, but she didn't refute it. She glanced at Lin Zheng, who was standing at the door, a smile she couldn't hide tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Lin Zheng didn't respond, but the tips of his ears turned slightly red.

Lin Yun stood to the side, watching these two people who had finally come together after three years of awkwardness, and felt happy for them.

On the day of her discharge, Lin Zheng called Lin Yun to the Limit Dojo.

"Liu Xu's wounds are healed," Lin Zheng said, getting straight to the point. "We still have half a month before our originally scheduled departure for the Wilderness Area. We've decided to take you out for a spin during this time."

Lin Yun was slightly stunned: "Where to?"

"The surrounding county-level cities." Lin Zheng spread a map out on the table, his finger tapping on several county towns around Yangzhou City. "The monster density in these places isn't as high as in City No. 013, but they have the advantage of being close and low-risk. There are almost no Lord Level monsters, and very few High-Level Beast Generals. It's suitable for..."

He paused and glanced at Lin Yun.

"Suitable for training," Liu Xu finished, walking in from outside. She held two thick notebooks in her hands, with "Movement Technique Insights" and "Nine-Layered Thunder Blade Detailed Explanation" written on the covers.

"The captain and I have discussed it," Liu Xu sat down opposite Lin Yun and pushed the two notebooks toward him. "We'll accompany you to train for this half month. You should work on further improving your Nine-Layered Thunder Blade and movement technique, and strive to make a breakthrough before we enter the Wilderness Area in two weeks."

Lin Yun opened the notebooks, which were densely packed with the experience and insights Liu Xu and Lin Zheng had accumulated over the years. Every page had detailed diagrams and annotations, with some parts even marked with emphasis symbols.

"Sister Liu, Captain... this is too valuable," Lin Yun said, looking up as a wave of warmth surged in his heart.

"What's so valuable about it?" Liu Xu waved her hand. "You saved my life; the captain and I owe you a life. What does this little bit of effort count for?"

Lin Zheng didn't speak, but his gaze lingered on Lin Yun for a moment, and he nodded slightly.

Lin Yun didn't decline again. He knew that both Lin Zheng and Liu Xu were the type of people who weren't good at expressing their emotions; their gratitude was never on their lips, but reflected in their actions.

"Then when do we start?" Lin Yun asked.

"Starting tomorrow," Lin Zheng stood up. "Go back and prepare today, get some good rest, and we'll set off early tomorrow morning."

Over the next half month, the three members of the Thunder Blade Squad—Lin Zheng, Liu Xu, and Lin Yun—embarked on a high-intensity hunting and training journey in the county-level cities surrounding Yangzhou City.

The first target they chose was Jiangdu City, north of Yangzhou City.

This was a county-level city destroyed during the Great Nirvana period. It wasn't large in scale, and the architecture consisted mainly of low-rise residential buildings and factory warehouses. The monster density was much lower than in City No. 013, with most being Beast Soldier Level and the occasional Beast General Level appearing.

"This place is suitable for practicing the basics," Liu Xu said, standing on the roof of an abandoned factory and overlooking the streets below. "Without too many distractions, you can focus all your attention on your movement technique and blade technique."

Lin Zheng was more direct. He found a lone Primary Beast General Level Iron-Backed Porcupine and had Lin Yun face it head-on.

"Use the Nine-Layered Thunder Blade," Lin Zheng said, standing to the side with his arms crossed. "Don't use your Spiritual Force. Control your physical strength to the level of a Primary Warrior, and use your blade technique and movement technique to take it down."

Lin Yun took a deep breath, gripped his Blood Shadow Battle Blade, and met the Iron-Backed Porcupine.

The Iron-Backed Porcupine was the size of a calf, its body covered in coarse bristles, and its two tusks gleamed with a ghastly white luster in the sunlight. Seeing Lin Yun, it let out an angry roar and charged forward with its head lowered.

Lin Yun dodged to the side while swinging his blade.

"Shhh—"

The blade edge grazed the back of the Iron-Backed Porcupine, leaving only a shallow white mark. He had used a bit too much force, and the blade edge cut into the gaps between the bristles but failed to strike a vital point. The Iron-Backed Porcupine, feeling the pain, shook its head violently, its tusks grazing past Lin Yun's waist.

"Too much force," Lin Zheng's voice came from the side. "The core of the Nine-Layered Thunder Blade is speed, not brute force. The interval between your second layer of force and your first layer is still too long. Again."

Lin Yun adjusted his breathing and faced the Iron-Backed Porcupine once more.

The second time, his blade was faster, but the angle was off, only slicing off one of the Iron-Backed Porcupine's ears.

The third time, his blade was fast and the angle was accurate, but the second layer of force didn't follow through, and the blade edge got stuck in the Iron-Backed Porcupine's shoulder blade.

"Again."

The fourth time, the fifth time, the sixth time...

Lin Yun practiced for an entire morning. From initially needing over a dozen strikes to take down a Primary Beast General, to later needing three, and finally—one.

"Shhh—pop!"

The two sounds overlapped almost perfectly. As the blade light flashed, the head of a Primary Beast General Shadow Cat fell to the ground. Lin Yun sheathed his blade, panting heavily, but his eyes were filled with excitement.

"Progress," Lin Zheng nodded. "But it's not enough. Although your second layer is already proficient, you haven't touched the threshold of the third layer yet. For the next few days, focus on the third layer."

The core of the third layer of the Nine-Layered Thunder Blade was to trigger a third layer of force on top of the first and second layers. This was equivalent to the superposition of four layers of force, increasing the power to 2.8 times the original. Although it was only 0.7 times more than the second layer, the increase in difficulty was geometric.

Lin Zheng spent an entire day explaining the force-generating techniques of the third layer to Lin Yun.

"The key to the third layer lies in 'resonance'," Lin Zheng said, holding a short blade and demonstrating as he explained. "The first layer of force is the foundation, the second layer is the superposition, and the third layer is the resonance. When the frequencies of the three layers of force align, they produce resonance; the power isn't simple addition, but multiplication."

He swung his blade.

Three crisp sounds echoed in the air—the first sharp, the second dull, and the third long. The three sounds overlapped to form a strange resonance that made one's eardrums tingle.

"Did you hear that? That is resonance," Lin Zheng sheathed his blade. "Your third layer doesn't need to pursue power yet; first, pursue the consistency of the frequency. When the three crisp sounds can perfectly overlap, you will have mastered the basics."

Lin Yun listened intently, engraving every word Lin Zheng said into his heart.

Every day that followed, he spent entirely in training.

In the morning, he practiced the Nine-Layered Thunder Blade with Lin Zheng; in the afternoon, he worked on footwork with Liu Xu; and at night, he digested the day's gains alone while practicing the Nine-Layered Thunder Blade and the newly purchased secret techniques within the Coiling Dragon World. By utilizing the time in both worlds to the absolute limit, his rate of progress was astonishing.

Regarding footwork, Liu Xu taught him a set of basic footwork called "Flowing Cloud Steps." This set did not pursue speed, but rather "fluidity" and "naturalness"—the steps had to be as light as drifting clouds, the center of gravity had to flow like water, and every movement had to connect seamlessly with the next.

"The realms of footwork are, in order: 'Basic,' 'Micro-Level,' 'Perfect,' and 'Conception,'" Liu Xu explained while demonstrating. "Micro-Level isn't about speed; it's about precision. Your body must completely obey your will. If you want to move an inch to the left, you will never move even half an inch more. Your feet must be able to sense every undulation of the ground, automatically adjusting your center of gravity so that you can maintain balance on any terrain."

She moved through the ruins, her steps as light as a swallow, weaving between collapsed walls and shattered floor slabs. Every movement was as smooth as flowing water, without a trace of excess.

"Your foundation in footwork is already very solid," Liu Xu stopped and said to Lin Yun. "You are only one step away from the Micro-Level. This step requires an opportunity—perhaps a certain battle, or perhaps a sudden epiphany. It cannot be rushed."

Lin Yun nodded and continued his practice.

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.

During these two weeks, Lin Zheng, Liu Xu, and Lin Yun swept through the county-level cities surrounding Yangzhou City again and again. Jiangdu City, Yizheng City, Gaoyou City... they left their footprints in every county where monsters appeared.

They had no interest in ordinary Beast Soldier Level monsters; their targets were the Beast General Level.

Primary Beast General, Intermediate Beast General, High-Level Beast General—whenever they encountered them, they never let them go. Lin Yun was responsible for the main assault, while Lin Zheng and Liu Xu provided support from the sides. The coordination between the three became increasingly tacit.

Over the half-month, no fewer than five hundred Beast General Level monsters died at their hands. Although most were Primary Beast Generals, the sheer quantity was staggering. The materials from each Primary Beast General could sell for an average of eight to ten million, meaning five hundred of them amounted to over four billion. Adding in the occasional Intermediate and High-Level Beast Generals, the total value exceeded five billion.

According to their contribution, Lin Yun took the lion's share, receiving 2.5 billion. Lin Zheng and Liu Xu each received over a billion.

"This money is earned too easily," Liu Xu sighed as she looked at the numbers in her account. "It used to be good if we could earn a few hundred million in half a month."

"That's because we didn't dare to fight like this before," Lin Zheng said. "Staying in one area for too long attracts herds. If you get surrounded by hundreds of Beast Generals, even a War God can't hold out."

He glanced at Lin Yun, a flash of approval in his eyes: "But it's different with Lin Yun here. As a High-Level War God Spiritual Master, any movement within a thousand-meter radius cannot escape his perception. Before a herd can even form, he discovers them in advance, allowing us to retreat calmly."

Liu Xu nodded. Over these two weeks, Lin Yun's Spiritual Force had played a crucial role. Not only could he precisely control his Flying Dagger to attack the vital points of monsters during battle, but he could also use his Spiritual Force to scan the surrounding area during lulls, providing early warnings. With him, it was as if they had gained a pair of thousand-mile eyes and ears.

"But what surprises me most is your rate of progress," Liu Xu looked at Lin Yun, her eyes full of amazement. "In half a month, you broke through from the second layer to the third layer of the Nine-Layered Thunder Blade, and your footwork has reached the Micro-Level. It took me over ten years to reach the Micro-Level, and you've almost caught up in half a month."

"It's because the Captain and Sister Liu taught me well," Lin Yun said sincerely.

"You have to learn fast for the teaching to be effective," Lin Zheng said, offering a rare compliment. "Your comprehension is the best I have ever seen."

Lin Yun smiled and didn't respond.

He knew that the reason for his rapid progress was not just talent and hard work, but the advantage of dual-world cultivation. Practicing those secret techniques in the Coiling Dragon World gave him an understanding and insight into power that far exceeded ordinary people. Many techniques that Lin Zheng and Liu Xu had to explain repeatedly for him to understand, he had already practiced through secret techniques in the Coiling Dragon World, so he understood them the moment he heard them and mastered them the moment he practiced.

In the evening, the three returned to Yangzhou City.

Lin Zheng treated them to a meal at the Limit Hall restaurant, ordering a table full of dishes. Liu Xu rarely drank a few glasses of wine; her cheeks were slightly flushed as she leaned on Lin Zheng's shoulder, her eyes half-closed, a smile on her lips. Lin Zheng did not pull away, letting her lean on him.

Lin Yun sat opposite them, watching this scene, a warmth rising in his heart.

"Lin Yun," Lin Zheng suddenly spoke. "You are now at the third layer of the Nine-Layered Thunder Blade, and your footwork is at the Micro-Level—you have already met all four conditions in the contract you signed when you joined the Limit Dojo."

Lin Yun nodded. The conditions for entering the Elite Training Camp were: a punch strength increase of more than two times after the first cultivation of Genetic Origin Energy, reaching the Junior War General level, Micro-Level footwork, and a punch force output of more than two times. He had not only met all of them but far exceeded them.

"After we return from the Wilderness Area next time, I will apply for the Elite Training Camp," Lin Yun said.

"The Elite Training Camp..." Liu Xu opened her eyes, a flash of longing in them. "That is the gathering place for the world's top geniuses. I heard that Hong and Thunder God often go there to give lectures."

"After you go, your strength will see another leap," Lin Zheng said. "The training camp has teachers who are proficient in various footwork and blade techniques, as well as the legendary Dragon Blood. If your performance is outstanding enough, I hear you can obtain Dragon Blood to strengthen your body."

Dragon Blood.

Lin Yun's eyes lit up. Dragon Blood was a specialty of the Limit Dojo, said to be extracted from a dragon-type King Level monster that surpassed the Lord Level. It could significantly strengthen a Warrior's physical fitness, and it had even been auctioned for the astronomical price of over a hundred billion in the outside world.

With his current peak Intermediate War God physical fitness, if he consumed Dragon Blood, he would definitely break through to the High-Level War God level. By then, with his High-Level War God cultivation and peak High-Level War God Spiritual Force, he would be worthy of the title "Invincible War God."

After the meal, Lin Yun returned to the villa in the Bright Moon Residential District alone.

His grandfather, Lin Guodong, was already asleep, but the living room light was still on, and a bowl of warmed white fungus soup sat on the table. Lin Yun picked it up and took a sip; the temperature was just right.

He went upstairs, entered the training room, and sat cross-legged.

Closing his eyes, he switched his consciousness to the Coiling Dragon World.

In the small woods behind the Ernst Institute, the moonlight was like water. His other body was sitting cross-legged on a bluestone, with the Seven-Element Magic elements slowly circulating around him.

For the past half month, his cultivation in both worlds had never stopped. In the Swallowed Star World, his Nine-Layered Thunder Blade had broken through to the third layer; in the Coiling Dragon World, his insights into the Thunder Element laws were deepening simultaneously. Not only that, but the several sets of secret techniques he had purchased later also yielded good results. The feeling of that power flowing and resonating between the two worlds fascinated him.