Swordwood Forest

"This is a Swordwood Forest... could it be..." Nalant reined in his horse before a patch of woods outside Wheat Leaf Village, his face brimming with delight.

Swordwood trees were straight and smooth, like bamboo poles. Once mature, they could grow seven or eight meters tall, though their trunks never exceeded seven centimeters in diameter. Their drawback was that they were hollow and not especially hard, limiting their uses. They were generally made into scabbards, which was how Swordwood got its name.

But nothing was absolute. Under one condition, Swordwood could become rare and precious timber: after a Sprite improved its quality.

Once enhanced by a Sprite, Swordwood became extremely tough and resilient. Even a blow from an iron weapon would struggle to sever it in one strike.

At that point, Swordwood needed no processing at all and could be used directly as a spear or lance. Combined with its light weight, it was practically a natural weapon.

Even young Swordwood trees could be used as high-quality arrow shafts, making them no less valuable than magical fruits.

As Nalant rejoiced, the purple glow around the Sprite gradually became dazzling, then spread outward in ripples.

When the rippling purple light swept across the Swordwood trees, they immediately absorbed it, and the bark's surface took on a smooth, lustrous sheen.

"Haha, just as I thought! I'm rich!" Nalant laughed.

"M-My lord, they're actually Swordwood trees!" Quick and the others had been traveling on foot and only now came running to the edge of the woods. Seeing the Swordwood Forest, their eyes widened in astonishment. "Congratulations, my lord! The God of Glory has blessed you!"

Quick no longer knew how to express his admiration for his lord. This was simply too lucky.

Swordwood was widespread throughout the kingdom, but very few were chosen by Purple Sprites to become magical plants. Even in the entire Earl Territory, only the earl possessed a grove like this.

Each magical Swordwood tree was worth one silver coin. Normally, a Sprite could affect the plants within one acre of land, and there were at least three or four hundred Swordwood trees in an area that size. That was equivalent to three or four hundred silver coins.

As Nalant spoke with Quick, the Purple Sprite had already withdrawn its purple light. It flew into the forest, chose the thickest and tallest Swordwood tree, then began circling around it.

Seeing this, Nalant walked over to a Swordwood tree no thicker than his little finger and drew the sword at his waist.

Clang!

With the sound of metal striking metal, Nalant cut down the young Swordwood tree. However, it also left a shallow dent in his sharp sword.

With hardness and resilience like this, can it still be called wood? This really is a fantasy world!

"Quick, from now on, assign two guards to watch over this Swordwood Forest. You must ensure the Sword Wood Sprite's safety!"

Normally, wild beasts and magical creatures would not attack Sprites. However, Nalant still needed to guard against Dark Creatures and humans themselves, especially with Anthony within the territory.

"Right, didn't you say there were over two hundred arrowheads in the castle? Over the next few days, mobilize the guards and use these young Swordwood trees to make arrows at night!"

"Yes, my lord!" With arrowheads and wooden shafts, making arrows required little skill. Quick and the other guards were more than capable of handling it.

After giving his orders and leaving behind two guards, Nalant returned directly to the castle.

From now on, the Sprite would coexist here with the Swordwood trees, and Nalant generally would not take it away again.

By staying with its symbiotic plants, the Sprite could not only continue improving newly grown Swordwood trees, but also had a certain chance of transforming and evolving itself.

Elemental Sprites had three stages: Sprite, Great Sprite, and Angel Sprite!

Sprites generally lived for ten years and could affect crops within one acre of land.

But if one was lucky enough to transform into a Great Sprite, its lifespan could reach a hundred years, while its range of influence increased to ten acres.

If it could transform and evolve into an Angel Sprite, its lifespan could reach three or four hundred years, and its range of influence could expand to a hundred acres.

It could be said that while Sprites were precious, the benefits they brought to a territory were short-term.

Great Sprites and Angel Sprites were the true foundation of a noble family. Take the Sword Wood Sprite, for example. As long as it successfully transformed, even if it only became a Great Sprite, it would be enough to guarantee Nalant a steady stream of income for the next hundred years.

Of course, a Sprite's transformation depended on luck. Calling it a one-in-a-hundred chance would not be an exaggeration. Feeding a Sprite magical plant powder every day could increase the odds somewhat, but that was no small expense—it was basically like buying lottery tickets.

After returning to the castle, Nalant went to the rear garden. He was preparing to begin training in Battle Qi.

The reason the original owner had been unable to become a Title Knight for so long, earning him the label of a talentless waste in cultivation, was his naturally frail body.

But thanks to the Strengthening Fruit, Nalant's physique was now even stronger than that of an ordinary adult man.

"Flame Battle Qi Art!" Nalant slowly took a thin booklet from his clothes.

Though this Battle Qi Art consisted of only a few pages, it was worth at least three hundred gold coins—equivalent to over three million in his previous life—and was an unpassed secret of the Berick Family.

After opening the Battle Qi Art and reviewing its contents, Nalant began meditating according to its instructions.

There were two essential aspects to cultivating Battle Qi. The first was tempering the body and strengthening one's physique.

The second was meditating to absorb the Battle Qi elements between heaven and earth, guiding Battle Qi into the body, and finally forming a Battle Qi Seed within it.

Once the Battle Qi Seed formed, one would become a true Title Knight.

Emptying his mind and closing his eyes, Nalant extended his senses and quickly entered a wondrous state.

Within his perception, his surroundings were not pitch-black. Instead, there were countless specks of light in different colors.

These were the reason Battle Qi existed in this fantasy world.

Nalant focused directly on the red specks among all the elements.

These red specks were Fire Battle Qi. Nalant needed to guide them into his body, and once enough Fire Battle Qi accumulated within him, a Battle Qi Seed would form.

In the days since crossing over, Nalant had tried many times. But whenever he attempted to draw Fire Battle Qi into his body, it became difficult because the narrow qi channels in his body could not hold much Battle Qi. They simply could not reach the level needed to form a Battle Qi Seed.

Qi channels were like balloons. When a balloon was very small, stuffing even a little Battle Qi inside could block it up. If he kept forcing more in, not only would the pain be unbearable, but the qi channels might burst, putting his life in danger.

But Nalant's qi channels were now twice as wide as before. Such broad qi channels were enough to hold the Battle Qi needed for him to form a Battle Qi Seed!

Everything is ready but the final push! Nalant revealed an excited expression.

All he needed to do now was continuously absorb Fire Battle Qi from heaven and earth into his body. Once he accumulated enough to form a Battle Qi Seed, he would become a Title Knight directly!