First Form

"Whoosh!" "Whoosh!"

In the Dimensional Space, Luo Zhe stood in the center, swinging the Blood Shadow Battle Blade again and again.

According to the manual, the Nine-Fold Thunder Blade was so powerful because it relied on an ingenious method of exerting force.

An ordinary person might put all their strength into a single slash, using at most ten units of force. But a practitioner of the Nine-Fold Thunder Blade used only seven units for each slash. As they unleashed that first burst of force, however, they strove to make their bodies produce a second, even a third or fourth burst. Each burst was also seven units of force, and with several bursts stacked together, the resulting power naturally far surpassed that of ordinary manuals.

The Nine-Fold Thunder Blade consisted of nine forms.

Each form could add one hidden burst of force. With all nine stacked together, plus the seven units of force from the body itself, a single slash could unleash seventy units of force—that is, seven times the body's original strength!

What did that mean?

An ordinary Quasi-Martial Artist could unleash at most a thousand kilograms of force with a normal slash. If he mastered the Nine-Fold Thunder Blade's ninth form, he could unleash a full seven thousand kilograms with a single slash—enough to rival a seasoned Advanced Warrior!

He swung hundreds of times in a row, trying each time to unleash an additional hidden burst of force on top of the power of his initial slash.

But Luo Zhe simply couldn't do it. It was too difficult for him.

First, his strength had improved by leaps and bounds recently, and he hadn't yet had the chance to stop and properly incorporate that newfound power into his blade technique.

Second, each swing ended in an instant. Trying to make his body produce another burst of force immediately after the first, all within that brief moment, was asking the impossible of him!

What was more, hundreds of consecutive swings put an enormous strain on his arm muscles. The Nine-Fold Thunder Blade focused on generating force from within the body, requiring him to bring his entire body into play. Almost every cell in his body was mobilized.

Although the Dimensional Space provided an abundant supply of cosmic energy, Luo Zhe wasn't actively cultivating, so his Genetic Origin Energy wasn't building up as quickly as he'd expected. Gradually, he began to feel exhausted. Even though he'd eaten lunch just two hours ago, the rapid energy expenditure still left him hungry.

"The first form of the Nine-Fold Thunder Blade has eighteen moves. According to the manual, practicing them will help me grasp the first form's method of exerting force." Standing where he was, Luo Zhe began cultivating his Genetic Origin Energy as he thought about how to master the first form.

Luo Zhe had only recently discovered that he could cultivate Genetic Origin Energy while standing. He still couldn't do it in the outside world, but the density of cosmic energy in the Dimensional Space was so high that he could absorb plenty without taking up the Five Hearts Towards Heaven posture. So, to save time, he would sometimes stand still after practicing his blade technique and do two things at once: cultivate Genetic Origin Energy while thinking about other matters.

Of course, dividing his attention slowed his cultivation, but it also gave him more time to think about his blade technique.

Still, the effects of combining the Guidance Technique with his Genetic Origin Energy cultivation were obvious. Even though his cultivation had slowed slightly, his physical strength had been improving much faster lately than it had two months ago.

And since the Nine-Fold Thunder Blade's techniques for the blade and movement went hand in hand, they were even more effective at training the body. Luo Zhe could feel that he was clearly stronger than before.

Speaking of movement techniques, Luo Zhe's natural talent couldn't be overlooked.

Although the Nine-Fold Thunder Blade's blade and movement techniques were usually taught together, some people had mastered the first form of the Nine-Fold Thunder Blade without even getting started on its movement technique. Luo Zhe, on the other hand, had mastered the first form of the movement technique in the manual on the night of his third day practicing the Nine-Fold Thunder Blade. Combined with his still-unpolished Micro-Level movement technique, it greatly improved his effectiveness.

Yesterday, during reaction-speed training at the Dojo, he'd even scored a perfect mark at the Junior Warrior Level!

That meant Luo Zhe had truly mastered the basics of Micro-Level movement. Three days from now, when he left the Base City for the first time to carry out a mission in the Wilderness Zone, he'd have an impressive skill to show for himself.

A week ago, Luo Zhe had already received word from Chen Gu: on August 28, all the old and new members of Fire Hammer Squad would gather and enter the Wilderness Zone to carry out a hunting mission.

During the two and a half weeks after the Martial Artist Combat Assessment, Luo Zhe had occasionally gone to Luo Feng's home for a meal and to discuss their progress with the Nine-Fold Thunder Blade. Otherwise, he'd gone back and forth between his villa and the Dojo every day. He'd spent more than twenty days putting in extra practice, but the first form of the Nine-Fold Thunder Blade still seemed to be separated from him by a thin barrier. He couldn't break through. But Luo Zhe believed that all he needed was the right opportunity to shatter that barrier and master the first form.

Luo Zhe practiced longer than usual that day, still standing in place. Ever since he'd gotten the Guidance Technique manual, even after a particularly exhausting practice session, he'd usually stopped after two hours.

Now nearly three hours had passed, but Luo Zhe was still standing in the same position, maintaining his state of Genetic Origin Energy cultivation.

The only thing that had changed was the Blood Shadow Battle Blade in his hand. It had been pointed down before; now he held it pointed upward.

At that moment, in the Dimensional Space, Luo Zhe's meditative world was threaded with countless fine strands—red, blue, gold, and every other color—turning the entire gray-white space into a kaleidoscope.

This wasn't the first time Luo Zhe had seen such a sight. Ever since he'd first cultivated Genetic Origin Energy in the Dimensional Space, he'd often seen it. Sometimes, as he absorbed cosmic energy, playful green strands would slip into his body along with it, only to quietly emerge from some part of him a moment later.

This time, as cosmic energy entered Luo Zhe's body, all the green strands surged toward his right hand, where he gripped the Blood Shadow Battle Blade.

In his meditative vision, more and more green strands flowed toward his right hand, gradually enveloping both his hand and the Blood Shadow Battle Blade.

A sudden flash of inspiration came to him. Luo Zhe felt an urge to swing. His thoughts became action, and his right hand slashed forward.

Almost like a reflex, all the strength in his body burst out at once, seemingly spent with the swing. But just then, the force center in his waist and hips produced a fresh burst of power after the first had been unleashed. The two bursts of force stacked together.

He had mastered the first form of the Nine-Fold Thunder Blade!

The barrier that had held him back for so long had actually been broken just like that!

With the added force, the Blood Shadow Battle Blade, wrapped in countless green strands, accelerated once more!

Luo Zhe felt a green blade flash shoot from the edge of the blade and slam into the spatial barrier in the distance.