The Ultimate of the Sword Dao Is Self-Expression

Unlike the subtle changes in his attributes, once Zhao Cheng overcame his psychological barrier, his temperament—or rather, the aura he projected while wielding his sword—underwent a massive transformation.

The difference was akin to moving from cautious, timid restraint to finally letting go and unleashing his full potential.

This was no longer a matter of whether his mind was settled, but a question of individual sword style.

The same sword technique, in the hands of different people, manifests in entirely different styles.

The stabilizing effect of the Breathing Visualization Method can only ensure one does not make mistakes and performs at a standard level of combat effectiveness; however, a sword style born from a powerful will allows one to exceed their limits, even finding life within the jaws of death and turning the tide in desperate situations.

When a sword possesses "emotion," the sword itself has been brought to life.

Zhao Cheng did not truly understand such things, but that was exactly what he was doing now.

As he let go of his inhibitions, as the shackles in his heart shattered, and as he began to grow accustomed to the battle, a strange sense of pleasure surged deep within Zhao Cheng's heart, even as his body trembled instinctively in the face of crisis.

Fear, terror, weakness—these were parts of him, but he was more than just these things. Within his heart lay something that had been obscured and covered by the mundane world, something that had finally awakened at this very moment.

He was born with a craving for power, or perhaps, a craving to become stronger!

Anything that could make him stronger was his pursuit.

This was why he had practiced his sword arts so diligently before, but sword arts were not the only things that could make one stronger.

Beyond sword arts, there was combat!

Sword arts could temper the body and spirit, but combat could temper the heart and will.

Fight! Battle! Conquer!

A powerful life level, supported by a heart and will, is not merely an empty shell; only in this way can one be considered truly "alive."

When a person gives up on themselves, they are already dead.

"The ultimate end of the Way of the Sword is self-expression."

"I have forgotten who said those words, but I seem to have caught a glimpse of my own shadow!"

A voice echoed within the clear lake of Zhao Cheng's mind, yet it did not disturb the clarity; instead, a wisp of blood-red, which had not existed before, appeared upon his longsword.

It was just like the hot blood in his heart, and just like boundless battle intent.

This was Zhao Cheng's own voice.

And through his sword arts, he had indeed seen a glimpse of his true self.

It was not the version of him from his past life, drifting with the tide after graduation, rushing about for daily necessities, living a mediocre life without knowing what he wanted.

It was not even the version of him in this life, who, after his memories awakened, began to forge ahead, striving to learn the sword, constantly shouting that he wanted to become stronger without knowing why.

The true him was born craving power, needing no reason, no "why," because he was simply him!

As the voice faded, Zhao Cheng had already retreated six steps, appearing somewhat disheveled, while the Gray Man had lunged forward six times, his murderous nature fully displayed.

Under the influence of the Breathing Visualization Method, Zhao Cheng remained calm, but within that calmness, a new emotion had emerged that did not hinder his focus: battle intent.

His heart was craving—craving to fight, to transcend himself!

Clang!

Zhao Cheng swung his sword. The speed of the blade did not increase due to his mental shift, nor did the force behind it grow greater.

Yet, anyone looking at this sword path now could clearly feel the difference from before.

Log: Overcame mental shackles to reveal the true self, Spirit +0.2, Sword Arts epiphany, activated special effect: Battle Blood (Level 1)

(Note: This was not a result of long-term accumulation or good luck, but a qualitative change brought about by the accumulation of his Sword Arts Prodigy talent. How could it be easy for a mortal to achieve such a profound awakening? What? Even a Sword Arts Prodigy couldn't do it? Should I tell you that I am even more of a prodigy than a prodigy?!)

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Three more strikes, and Zhao Cheng gradually mastered the rhythm, no longer retreating.

When the emotions in one's heart are expressed through sword arts, what manifests is a sword with spirit.

How great is the difference between someone with battle intent and someone without it?!

Zhao Cheng no longer attempted to defend with airtight precision, nor did he carefully protect himself to avoid injury; instead, he boldly engaged head-on, replacing defense with offense.

And that is what sword arts are meant to be!

Something born for the sake of defense is a shield.

A sword is something born for the sake of offense, born for slaughter!

A fist slammed toward Zhao Cheng's head, the wind of the punch rushing against his face with a whistling sound.

And Zhao Cheng's sword slashed toward the Gray Man's neck.

Had it been before, Zhao Cheng would never have possessed such valor, but after crossing his psychological barrier, he did.

Was the sword faster? Or was the fist faster?

The answer was immediate.

The Gray Man changed his move, using his arm to block the blade, which carved a deep groove into his limb.

Yet, within the groove, there was no flesh, no bone, but a gray fluid. Droplets of this fluid escaped from the fissure, turning into gray motes of light that vanished into the air.

From the fact that the Gray Man knew how to change his move, Zhao Cheng deduced that the Gray Man's combat instinct was not that of a mindless killing machine, but rather akin to that of a living martial arts master.

While attacking, it also protects itself!

This is undoubtedly a good thing; otherwise, the difficulty would be far too high.

At the same time, apart from its hands, the other parts of the opponent are not as hard as steel.

Furthermore, the opponent's unique physical structure leads Zhao Cheng to speculate whether he needs to decapitate it to kill it.

Or perhaps, there is a core within the opponent's body that must be destroyed to end its life.

Clang!

With another sword strike, Zhao Cheng keenly senses that the opponent's strength seems to have diminished slightly.

"Hm?!"

"I can whittle down its health?!"

Three minutes later, Zhao Cheng collapses onto the ground.

At this moment, his left shoulder has collapsed, and his arm is broken into several segments.

Before him, a tall, gray body lies on the ground. Its torso and arms are crisscrossed with sword marks—if one were to count them, there are over a dozen.

However, the fatal wound is at the neck; the head has been severed completely.

To sever the neck, Zhao Cheng had to strike four times, and it was during that process that his left shoulder collapsed; accidents in battle are inevitable.

In fact, had he not whittled down so much of the opponent's health, that single punch might have cost him most of his combat effectiveness—after all, internal bleeding is no joke.

But the situation at the time did not allow him to continue whittling it down. High-intensity combat consumes immense mental and physical energy; if the fight dragged on, he would be unable to maintain the Breathing Visualization Method, leading to a sharp decline in all his attributes, at which point the roles would be reversed.

The Gray Man would likely show him the true meaning of cruelty.

Once it lost its head, the Gray Man immediately stopped moving.

The massive body dissipated first, while the head was the last to fade away.

Through this process, Zhao Cheng confirms his earlier hypothesis: the Grunt before him indeed possesses a core, located within its head.

The very last thing to dissipate is a Gray-Red Light Orb from within the head.

Log: Killed Grunt x1, First Kill Simulation Point +5, Base Simulation Point +1, White Treasure Chest x1, Monster Bestiary activated, Monster Card collected

Void Kalpa evolution progress +0.1%