Void Kalpa

At the same time, this change was not merely a matter of data.

To Zhao Cheng, the sword in his hand suddenly felt "alive" in this instant; he could seemingly perceive the rhythm and breath of the blade.

Not only that, but looking back at the swordsmanship he had practiced before, Zhao Cheng felt that every move he had made was so clumsy. It was like a problem where the answer was obvious at a glance, yet he had previously circled around it, making the simple complex.

To this, Zhao Cheng's answer now was: breathe, then swing!

There was no need to perform the Breathing Visualization Method beforehand to adjust his state; or rather, the Breathing Visualization Method and his swordsmanship had now become one in Zhao Cheng.

In truth, the two were always one; it was only due to the limitations of individual talent that they had been forcibly split apart.

At this moment, Zhao Cheng was simply restoring them to their original form!

Zhao Cheng had no desire to worry about why there was no sun here, nor did he have the inclination to explore; he was solely focused on correcting the "eyesore" that was his previous swordsmanship.

Unlike the numerical changes in a game, in reality, any slight shift would affect the whole.

On the Panel, it appeared as though only the skill level cap had increased and the required proficiency had decreased—a mere trifle of data.

Yet, reflected in reality, this meant an explosive growth in learning ability, innovation, comprehension, sword-dao wisdom, and so much more.

As Zhao Cheng felt these changes—or rather, this "evolution"—within himself, he gained a deeper appreciation for the true value of the red-tier talent, Sword Seed.

His swordsmanship level cap had only increased by 8, and the effect was already this profound; it was unimaginable what would happen if it increased by 30.

As for the effects described later in the Sword Seed, they were even more unfathomable.

Rip!

The longsword tore through the air, as if severing the breeze. This was no illusion; the flowing air currents were truly being cut off by Zhao Cheng's sword path.

This was not some exquisite sword technique, but a wondrous sensation bordering on instinct.

Zhao Cheng appeared to be swinging at empty air, but in reality, the ethereal "wind" had become his enemy!

His current swordsmanship talent was already sufficient to support him in swinging his blade to sever the wind!

Meanwhile, the Log section of Zhao Cheng's Panel was refreshing rapidly:

17th Basic Swordsmanship 6th Revised Edition proficiency +8

17th Basic Swordsmanship 6th Revised Edition proficiency +7

17th Basic Swordsmanship 6th Revised Edition proficiency +9

17th Basic Swordsmanship 6th Revised Edition level +1

17th...

Zhao Cheng's swordsmanship level was skyrocketing.

The sudden, massive increase in his sword-dao talent plunged Zhao Cheng into a state bordering on enlightenment. In this state, his learning ability, innovation, comprehension, sword-dao wisdom, and everything else entered a state of transcendent performance.

Such a "peak" was destined not to last, but even if it were brief, it was enough for Zhao Cheng to reap tremendous gains.

One must know that many sword-dao practitioners go their entire lives without ever encountering such a state.

To encounter it requires both opportunity and comprehension.

The boost to sword-dao comprehension from the Sword Heart talent seemed inconspicuous, but at this moment, its effects were fully manifest.

He did not know how much time had passed when the longsword in Zhao Cheng's hand suddenly stopped. Immediately following it was a wave of exhaustion that felt like a mountain collapsing and the earth splitting; he felt as if he lacked even the strength to breathe.

Without hesitation, Zhao Cheng gathered his final mental strength, opened the Shop, exchanged for a Full Recovery Potion, and chose to use it. As waves of warmth surged through him, he immediately felt his energy shift from depletion to fullness.

Only then did Zhao Cheng have the strength to let out a long, heavy breath.

As for the results, they were naturally gratifying.

Zhao Cheng looked at the Skill section of his Panel.

Skill: 17th Basic Swordsmanship 6th Revised Edition lv7 (lv16) (56/60) (Wind Severing Tier 1)

In a short span of time, his swordsmanship had jumped from lv4 to lv7, and he was not far from lv8.

Such a rate of improvement was shocking and nearly impossible to replicate.

After all, that was a state of enlightenment.

Since ancient times, there have been sayings about achieving the Dao and ascending in a single moment of enlightenment. While this is an exaggeration, it demonstrates the miraculous effect and rarity of such a state.

A lv7 sword technique had already entered the realm of mastery. Moving from proficiency to mastery was a qualitative leap.

Swordsmanship can only reach the pinnacle of subtlety when it is pure; purifying one's swordsmanship should have been a long process, yet Zhao Cheng had achieved it almost in one go.

At the same time, the proficiency required to rise from lv7 to lv8 was only 60 points; in fact, even rising from lv7 to lv10 would only require a total of 220 points.

The required proficiency was less than what Zhao Cheng had needed to go from lv4 to lv5 previously.

The disparity was truly immense.

As for the final "Wind Severing," it was a sublimation of his own swordsmanship that occurred when his skill reached a certain level and he encountered a specific opportunity, giving birth to his own unique insights.

There is no invincible sword technique, only invincible people. In the hands of a powerhouse, even the most basic foundation techniques can derive all sorts of special effects.

As for the mediocre, even if they grind their swordsmanship to a very high level, they will struggle to comprehend any special effects at all.

Wind Severing is the unique sword technique effect belonging to Zhao Cheng; his swordsmanship has now reached a level of refinement where even the ethereal wind can be severed.

As Zhao Cheng's swordsmanship improves, this effect will also continue to grow.

Though it can only sever a gentle breeze for now, one day, it may well be able to sever a storm!

It is merely a seed today, but in the future, it holds infinite possibilities!

This sword is indeed as I suspected, a manifestation of a certain power within my own Hyper-Dimensional Body; were it not for this, I would hardly have had this opportunity.

Zhao Cheng stroked the sword, feeling not a sense of flesh-and-blood connection, but rather the sensation that it was his own body itself.

At the same time, because the object Zhao Cheng visualized daily was a wooden sword, this unnamed weapon, exchanged for one Source Point, took the form of the wooden sword he was most familiar with.

However, as his swordsmanship took a leap forward, the form of the longsword in his hand underwent a subtle change, corresponding to the shift in his mental image.

Or rather, this sword is the manifestation of his mental image!

Zhao Cheng looked at the Panel, and the attributes of the longsword had already appeared.

Unnamed Longsword (White)

Evolution Progress: 0%

Durability: 100/100 (Can be restored by consuming vitality)

Sharpness: 1

Toughness: 1

Hardness: 1

Effect: Heart-to-Heart

The attributes were very crude and not high, but in Zhao Cheng's estimation, its sharpness, toughness, and hardness all surpassed the fine weapons found in some real-world weapon shops.

And this was just the most basic white-tier weapon; if it were to undergo evolution or reinforcement, it was hard to imagine what kind of sight that would be.

Caressing the first true sword of his life, ripples stirred in Zhao Cheng's heart.

"I shall use this sword to initiate slaughter, to take life and protect the path; let it be called Void Kalpa!"

"This is my destiny, though I know not whose calamity it shall be!"

Zhao Cheng spoke to himself, and at the same time, the Panel changed; the Unnamed Longsword became the white-colored characters "Void Kalpa."

Zhao Cheng took this name from the Buddhist concept of formation, existence, destruction, and emptiness, which describes the birth and death of the universe. He is the formation, so his sword occupies the emptiness.

Thus, the sword of Void Kalpa was born!