Fourfold Footwork Talent

Fang Han suppressed the excitement in his heart and calmed himself, then turned his gaze toward the manual that recorded the Gale Step.

He opened the manual and studied it continuously. Only after more than an hour had passed did he memorize all the footwork techniques.

After carefully reviewing the movement principles once, he began trying to practice in the spacious Martial Dao Room.

Yet the situation was utterly different from when he practiced Sword Art.

As Fang Han trained, he felt awkward and halting at every turn.

At times, his blood and qi failed to flow into place, leaving his stomping force insufficient.

At times, his steps landed too heavily, losing all sense of lightness.

At other times, his breath failed to synchronize with his movements, causing his body to sluggishly stall...

His progress was exceedingly slow—he could even say every step was arduous.

"This light-body technique is actually so difficult to practice!"

Fang Han frowned slightly, stopping his footwork practice as he silently considered the reason.

Although the Gale Step was merely a basic footwork technique, it involved blood and qi control, precision of steps, shifts in bodily balance, and the coordination between footwork and movement. It was extraordinarily subtle and complex.

This was his first time learning it, and he had no Talent Amplification, so naturally his progress was this slow.

With that thought, he recalled a suspicion he had held long ago.

"Sword Art has Sword Art Talent Amplification, and root bone has Root Bone Talent Amplification. Then for footwork... could there also be a corresponding Talent Amplification?"

Once the thought arose, he could no longer suppress it.

"System Panel!"

With a stir of his will, he silently called out in his heart.

A translucent screen unfolded in response, hovering within his field of vision.

[Host: Fang Han]

[Root Bone Talent Amplification: 8x (Level Four Amplification requires 10,000 silver)]

[Sword Art Talent Amplification: 4x (Level Three Amplification requires 1,000 silver)]

[Footwork Talent Amplification: 0x (Level One Amplification requires 10 silver)]

[Possessed Wealth: 2 silver]

"A new Talent Amplification has appeared!!!"

Fang Han's gaze swept quickly across the System Panel, and his pupils abruptly contracted.

Beneath [Sword Art Talent Amplification], an entirely new entry had somehow quietly appeared.

This entry was precisely an amplification option related to footwork talent.

Just as I thought!

At the sight of this change, a flash of realization crossed Fang Han's mind.

Back when he discovered that the System Panel could only amplify Sword Art talent and Root Bone Talent—and that those happened to be the two kinds he himself cultivated—he had faintly formed a suspicion.

Perhaps the System Panel was not rigidly limited to amplifying only these two talents. Rather, he needed to first come into contact with the corresponding technique before the related Talent Amplification option would activate.

Now, after practicing the Gale Step, Footwork Talent Amplification had appeared, confirming his conjecture.

Night fell. Fang Han ended his daytime training and returned to his own spacious bedroom in Rain-Listening Pavilion.

Candlelight flickered, casting the room in a warm, tranquil glow.

He bolted the door, walked to the bedside, and took a heavy little wooden box from a hidden compartment beneath the bed.

"Click."

The lid opened, revealing all the savings he currently possessed.

He poured out every silver ingot and fragment of silver inside, carefully counting them beneath the lamplight.

"A total of 110 taels."

After finishing the count, Fang Han murmured to himself.

His original plan had been to continue saving silver until he accumulated another thousand taels, then activate the Level Three amplification for [Sword Art Talent].

But now, the appearance of [Footwork Talent Amplification] made him feel that the plan might need a slight adjustment.

"Sword Art talent is certainly important. The Sword Art it governs directly determines the strength of one's attack power, but footwork talent is equally indispensable!"

Fang Han's eyes flickered as he rapidly weighed the matter in his mind.

Although light-body movement techniques could not directly increase attack power, they could coordinate perfectly with Sword Art in battle and greatly enhance his combat strength.

Moreover, superb light-body movement techniques were an excellent means of preserving one's life when encountering a powerful enemy.

Thinking this, he hesitated no longer and decided to use the silver to activate Footwork Talent Amplification first.

"110 taels of silver is just enough!"

Fang Han looked toward the [Footwork Talent Amplification] option.

One hundred and ten taels of silver were precisely enough to activate both the Level One and Level Two Footwork Talent Amplifications, raising the amplification multiplier for his footwork talent to fourfold.

"Recharge everything!"

Fang Han touched the silver with his hand and silently commanded in his heart.

The 110 taels of silver vanished instantly. The number beside [Possessed Wealth] on the System Panel flickered, becoming [112 silver].

"Activate Level One Footwork Talent Amplification!"

Fang Han focused his will and issued the command.

"Ding!"

A crisp notification seemed to ring from the depths of his mind, and the text on the System Panel rippled and shifted like water.

[Footwork Talent Amplification: 2x (Level Two Amplification requires 100 silver)]

Just like Sword Art talent and Root Bone Talent, the Level One amplification for footwork talent likewise granted a twofold amplification.

"Activate Level Two Footwork Talent Amplification!"

Without pausing, Fang Han immediately activated the Level Two amplification.

"Ding!"

The notification sounded again. The System Panel flashed faintly before finally settling.

[Footwork Talent Amplification: 4x (Level Three Amplification requires 1,000 silver)]

Just like Sword Art talent and Root Bone Talent, after activating the Level Two Footwork Talent Amplification, the multiplier reached fourfold.

"Fourfold Footwork Talent Amplification!"

Looking at the striking "4x" on the System Panel, anticipation rose in Fang Han's heart.

Although he felt no obvious changes in his body at the moment, he knew that when he practiced the Gale Step tomorrow, the effects brought by this fourfold Footwork Talent Amplification would surely become clear.

He put the empty wooden box back where it belonged, blew out the candle, and lay down to sleep on the soft, comfortable bed.

Early the next morning, Fang Han stepped into the Grade A No. 10 Martial Dao Room right on time.

As usual, he first carried out his unwavering daily practice of the Crane Stance.

The surging blood and qi brought by his eightfold Root Bone Talent Amplification coursed through his body like a raging river, efficiently tempering the bones throughout his body and bringing steady, powerful gains in strength.

With every session of training, he could feel a distinct improvement.

Once he felt that today's Stance Training had reached his body's limit, he slowly withdrew his stance and stopped.

Rather than immediately practicing the Gentle Wind Sword Art, he carried a trace of anticipation as he prepared to once again attempt the Gale Step, which had felt incomparably difficult yesterday.

"Whoosh—"

He drew a deep breath, recalled the key points of the Gale Step, and began circulating his blood and qi along a specific route as his feet moved.

At the very instant his steps shifted, a sensation entirely different from yesterday surged forth!

Those obscure routes of blood and qi circulation that had been difficult to coordinate yesterday now seemed to have been combed smooth by an invisible hand, becoming clear and distinct, flowing with incomparable ease.

With a thought, his blood and qi naturally flowed wherever it was needed.

The transitions in his steps and the shifts in his center of gravity, which had once felt awkward and stiff, became natural and coordinated after only a few repetitions, as though he had practiced them thousands upon thousands of times.

As his feet stepped out, they were no longer heavy and sluggish as they had been yesterday. Instead, they stirred a wisp of clear breeze, and his body became light and nimble with them.

All kinds of insights into the essence of footwork rose naturally in his mind like a clear spring.

How to exert force with less effort, how to instantly change direction while sprinting, how to perfectly merge breath with footwork... countless key points that he had wracked his brains over yesterday without understanding now suddenly became clear.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—"

Immersed in his footwork practice, he darted and weaved through the spacious Martial Dao Room. His steps became faster and smoother, and the sound of wind he stirred gradually grew clearer.

Though he had yet to reach the Beginner stage, he already looked the part, no longer stumbling about without pattern as he had yesterday.

"Fourfold Footwork Talent Amplification truly lives up to its name!"

After a long while, Fang Han stopped practicing his footwork, a flicker of joy flashing through his eyes.

The effects before and after the amplification were as different as heaven and earth.