Mastery

Practice proficiency only required diligence, but vital energy was different.

Without silver to buy medicine, even the copper coins he had picked up had been spent.

Li Mu's vital energy had returned to showing an increase, yet it could not be converted into a tangible numerical value.

[Vital Energy: 5.6↑]

"It hasn't budged at all..."

It was hard to return to frugality after extravagance.

Having experienced the fullness of vital energy from a sudden increase of 0.5, followed by daily gains of 0.1, Li Mu felt a trace of anxiety at this complete lack of progress.

"Endure it. I can only endure... Maybe Derivation Three can increase vital energy?"

Though he said that, Li Mu knew that activating 'Derivation Three' would likely have to wait until Dripping Water Swordsmanship reached great mastery.

If his guess was right, fully recording a sword manual required recording all four stages: beginner, mastery, minor mastery, and great mastery.

That would take quite some time.

Li Mu sighed softly. "I can't possibly learn from Wang Que..."

During this time, he had quietly kept an eye on Wang Que. He vaguely felt that the Mang Village Brothers Association targeting him had something to do with this man.

Yet Wang Que had made no move at all, and no one else came to trouble Li Mu afterward. Everything remained peaceful.

That also made Li Mu wonder whether he had been overthinking things.

Still, Wang Que was living a truly comfortable life.

Not only had he collected quite a few fees for instruction, he had also begun appearing everywhere with Si Xiaoshuang.

Furthermore, his swordsmanship training was progressing quickly, earning Zhao Meng's favor.

Almost everyone believed that Wang Que, together with Cao A-Man, would shed their slave status at the fastest rate.

Even the occasional gossip was kept extremely subtle.

Wang Que's build and swordsmanship proficiency were there for all to see. No one was foolish enough to offend him. Everyone flattered him, making him seem highly respected on the surface.

He had practically become the "senior brother" among the Sword-Wiping Slaves of Myriad Sword Tower.

Cao A-Man, the only one who could compete with him, was extremely honest and simple-minded, letting Wang Que throw an arm around him and call him brother.

Thus, no one could shake Wang Que's position as "senior brother."

Li Mu did not care much about any of that. What mattered was that he had suddenly seen Wang Que's vital energy rise by 0.2 today, reaching 6.8!

Clearly, he had taken medicine.

There was not much silver to squeeze from a group of servants, so he had probably used Blood-Nourishing Powder.

"Eating meat every day and still able to afford Blood-Nourishing Powder? How much money has he scraped together?"

Li Mu was truly envious.

But after Wang Que squandered so much silver, his vital energy had only risen by 0.2, leaving Li Mu speechless.

Still, Li Mu could not make money the way Wang Que did. It drew too much attention.

As for taking Wang Que down a peg? The returns were not worth the risk.

After the incident with the Mang Village Brothers, patrols in the manor had clearly increased.

The vital energy values around him, each higher than the last, constantly reminded Li Mu that he was still weak and had to keep a low profile and act cautiously.

Besides, there was no need for him to do anything. Wang Que's vital energy had already begun trending downward.

It was even marked with the note: "Vital energy depleted."

"Wine and women hurt the body..." Li Mu silently warned himself.

Wang Que was not only indulging himself with Si Xiaoshuang, but also inviting people out for drinks from time to time. He was busy instructing others as well, and had been practicing his sword less and less.

"No matter how talented he is, if he doesn't work hard, he'll ruin himself..."

The night breeze was slightly cool, and tree shadows swayed.

Li Mu hid in the shadows, practicing his sword alone.

Everyone else was at the training ground. Li Mu usually was as well, but he was about to break through tonight, so he deliberately avoided it.

He swung his sword again and again. Moonlight danced across the spinning wooden sword, while the progress of Dripping Water Swordsmanship steadily increased amid repeated "+2"s...

At last.

[Dripping Water Swordsmanship: 499/500 (Beginner)]

[Dripping Water Swordsmanship: 500/500 (Beginner)]

Only the final step remained.

He could not cross the threshold into the mastery level in one leap. The progress that had originally increased by 2 points had been suppressed to just 1 point.

However, Li Mu had already clearly seen the trick to exerting force for condensing mastery-level sword intent.

A little figure of light in his mind repeatedly performed the same movement. Eighty acupoints in its arms shone like stars, linked together by blue rays of light.

"So that's how it is..."

Li Mu sighed inwardly in sudden realization.

As the moves flowed, thirty-six basic forms converged and fused in a flash, ultimately gathering at the single point of the sword tip.

Power rose from the ground, passing through the waist and into the arms.

The wooden sword swept sideways through the air. Its blade spun and sliced with his body, like cleaving through waves, suddenly stirring the air around him. A sharp howl rose, startling the branches and leaves into trembling.

The sword spun, his body twisted, and he thrust out four times in rapid succession.

The four thrusts shook out twelve afterimages.

Puff puff puff puff puff puff...

More than a dozen crisp cracks erupted at once, scattering fallen leaves.

Twelve visible whirlwinds shot forth like splashing droplets of fine rain, directly blasting the leaves drifting through the air into fragments.

[Dripping Water Swordsmanship: 1/1000 (Mastery)]

The Fine Rain Flying sword intent had formed!

"Finally, mastery..." Li Mu slowly exhaled. Vital energy surged throughout his body, bringing the exhilarating sensation of clouds parting to reveal the sun.

It seemed that something had been opened.

"Hm?" Li Mu thought of something and looked at the Sword Register again, only then noticing that his vital energy had increased as well.

[Vital Energy: 5.7↑]

Breaking into the mastery level had raised it by 0.1?

"That feeling just now... I must have opened one of the acupoints in my arms..."

Li Mu smiled. This was truly an unexpected delight.

After reaching the mastery level, practicing Dripping Water Swordsmanship gave such obvious positive feedback to his vital energy.

No wonder Instructor Zhao Meng had said that the mastery level was where vital energy accumulation truly began.

"Perhaps, with the tempering from mastery-level swordsmanship, I can still raise my vital energy considerably even without Blood-Nourishing Powder."

As the thought flashed through his mind, the Sword Register produced a new notification.

[Dripping Water Swordsmanship has reached mastery and can be recorded]

"I should go back and raise my talent first."

The last time he had activated Derivation Two, he had been dragged directly into the Sword Register space without warning.

Now that he had a choice, he naturally wanted to return to the small partitioned room in the dormitory building first. Even with no one around, he had to be cautious.

Faint clamor drifted over—the sounds of gambling on stones, pai gow tiles, and young women's coquettish laughter...

Those Sword-Wiping Slaves who could no longer practice swordsmanship had returned to finding every possible way to amuse themselves.

They lived one day at a time.

Those who had failed to reach the beginner stage not only had to hand over their sword manuals, but would also never be allowed to set foot on the training ground again. It basically declared that the martial path was closed to them.

Even with companions at the training ground to exchange guidance with, they still could not succeed. There was no longer the slightest fantasy left in them, nor would they foolishly waste more time on martial arts.

That was why no one paid attention when Li Mu practiced behind the dormitory building.

"Everyone has their fate..."

Li Mu closed his eyes, and his consciousness entered the Sword Register space.

The stars of the heavens circled overhead, sword shadows howled through the air—a truly wondrous sight between heaven and earth.

Did such a place really exist in this world? Beyond this world? What kind of hidden realm was it?

Li Mu vaguely felt that this world was not simply one of low-level martial arts...

He sat cross-legged before the Sword-Inquiring Platform, took up his brush, and set it to paper.

His cultivation insights from beginner to mastery flowed from the brush tip.

A moment later, the brush paused. The pages emitted a burst of white light, and information from the Sword Register flickered into view.

[Mastery-level Dripping Water Swordsmanship fully recorded. Sword Dao Talent +10]

The information on Derivation One's wall was refreshed as well.

[Register Holder: Li Mu]

[Vital Energy: 5.7↑]

[Spirit: 10.0]

[Sword Dao Talent: 30.0 (White)]

[Recorded Sword Manuals: Beginner-level and mastery-level Dripping Water Swordsmanship fully recorded. Sword Dao Talent increased by 20.0]

[Derivation One: Clear Sword Eyes; Derivation Two: Sword-Inquiring Platform]

...

[Dripping Water Swordsmanship: 1/1000 (Mastery)]

...

"Thirty points of Sword Dao Talent... I'm only two recordings away from the green grade."

Li Mu had already confirmed that recording a white-grade sword art once increased talent by 10 points. Two more times would bring him to 50 points.

But even 30 points already made him one in a hundred!

Wang Que and Cao A-Man, the most talented among the Sword-Wiping Slaves, only had around 35 points.

After recording it one more time, his talent would surpass theirs.

The benefits of increased talent went beyond meeting the cultivation requirements for high-level sword arts he might encounter in the future.

More importantly, it affected the proficiency gained from every training session. The higher the talent, the faster the results of cultivation.

Minor mastery and great mastery of Dripping Water Swordsmanship were within reach.

Li Mu smiled. This kind of visible, steady improvement felt truly wonderful.