With Me... the Stellar Martial Path Was Within Reach!

Hm?

My lifespan had increased?

Lin Yuan hurriedly opened the Game Panel.

The originally simple personal panel had gained another entry—

"Lifespan: 18/99 (Plundered lifespan: 100 days)"

Lin Yuan fixed his gaze on the words "Plundered lifespan."

"Only 100 days of lifespan were plundered?"

Lin Yuan glanced at the Shadow Panther's corpse lying on the ground.

Generally speaking, a Shadow Panther's natural lifespan was around fifty years. After all, this was a high-martial world, filled with wondrous cosmic starry-sky energy, so they lived somewhat longer than ordinary leopards on Blue Star in his previous life.

And the Talent Trait "Life Plunder" plundered one percent of the target's remaining lifespan.

This Shadow Panther was at the peak of adulthood, around twenty years old?

It probably had roughly thirty years left to live, and one percent of that...

"Seems like it really is 100 days?"

Lin Yuan did a quick calculation and did not dwell on it.

After all, it was lifespan gained for free. No matter how little it was, he would not complain.

At worst, he could just keep farming them.

He had to level up anyway. While leveling up, he could also prolong his life and increase his natural lifespan. Why not?

"And one gives a hundred days. Three give a year of lifespan, while three hundred give a hundred years..."

The more Lin Yuan calculated, the brighter his eyes became.

And this was only a short-lived species like the Shadow Panther. If he hunted those legendary Stellar Behemoths that could tear open the heavens and earth, their feet treading across rivers of stars...

Tsk tsk.

Immortality was in sight. Immortality was in sight indeed.

Lin Yuan looked forward to it greatly.

Of course, he was currently just a tiny apprentice who had yet to even reach mastery in the Initial Body Tempering Realm.

Stellar Behemoths were terrifying existences that only true Starry-Sky Warriors were qualified to hunt.

It was too early for that.

Lin Yuan reined in his overly wandering thoughts. Looking at the Shadow Panther's corpse at his feet, a trace of contemplation appeared in his eyes.

Shadow Panthers already counted as relatively formidable predatory fiend beasts. An adult possessed four or five thousand jin of strength, and even veteran Hunters at the Marrow Cleansing Stage would not dare lower their guard against one.

They should count as high-level monsters in the Wilderness Zone, right?

Yet it had only given him 2 experience points?

The same tier as a Red-Tailed Fox?

"Looks like gaining experience points is not as easy as I imagined..."

He sighed softly.

Perhaps the fiend beasts' levels were too low?

After level ten, the required experience was counted in the thousands. It was already on an entirely different level from before.

"I'll try a little more. If it doesn't work, I'll focus on cultivation. Once I become a true Starry-Sky Warrior, I'll challenge higher-level grinding zones!"

Having made up his mind, Lin Yuan did not even spare the Shadow Panther's corpse another glance before heading straight toward the Boundless Grassland to slaughter.

It had to be said that the Boundless Grassland truly deserved its reputation as one of the most dangerous regions in Wilderness Area No. 09527.

The density of fiend beasts was far greater than in the Gray Rabbit Plains.

The boundless emerald grasslands and rolling hills rising and falling one after another nurtured who knew how many fiend beasts.

"You have killed Yellow-Flower Dire Deer *8. Experience +16..."

"You have killed Bloodthirsty Dire Wolves *16. Experience +32..."

"You have killed a Working Leopard. Experience +2..."

"You have killed Proctology Directors *32. Experience +64..."

With a sharp blade in hand, killing intent arose of its own accord.

Relying on his nearly five thousand jin of strength, Lin Yuan gripped the Blue Ice Battle Sword. With the double-strength boost granted by Microcosmic Swordsmanship, a casual swing of his sword carried ten thousand jin of tremendous force.

No matter how tough their hides were, he could slice them apart like spring snow melting beneath the sun. Then, his sword light flowed like silk, accurately and deftly splitting open the fiend beasts' weakest vital points and killing them in a single strike.

Wherever he passed, corpses carpeted the ground.

Whether it was packs of Bloodthirsty Dire Wolves with their fearsome reputation, or packs of Spotted Hyenas infamous for being known as the grasslands' Proctology Directors, all were utterly unable to withstand his sword and were effortlessly swept away.

It was worth mentioning that the effects of Microcosmic Swordsmanship went far beyond merely doubling his force. More terrifying still was the unity of man and sword, his control over the sword reaching the ultimate level of perceiving every detail.

Thus, Lin Yuan's swordsmanship was not merely powerful. When defending, it was watertight as well.

Even if dozens of vicious Spotted Hyenas swarmed him all at once, he could easily block every attack, then suddenly strike through the gaps and take one hyena life after another.

There was no helping it. The gap in realms was simply too great.

Swordsmanship at the Microcosmic level was dazzling enough even among true Starry-Sky Warriors.

What were these motley-haired beasts by comparison?

It was nothing less than a strike across dimensions.

Not only that, but as the strongest Golden Legendary Tier Talent Trait, "Swordsmanship Mastery" was still revealing even greater worth!

"This is not merely for gaining experience points. It is also an entirely new trial for my swordsmanship."

With a sword in hand, Lin Yuan swept across all directions.

Wherever he went, there was scarcely an enemy who could withstand a single exchange.

Amid the slaughter, he was also carefully comprehending the mysteries of swordsmanship.

Swordsmanship Mastery had granted him godlike talent in the sword. Reaching the Microcosmic level overnight was merely its most basic ability; at every moment, it felt as though countless insights into the sword were pouring forth within him.

"What I learned before were only basic sword moves, beginner routines, scattered and unsystematic."

Lin Yuan seemed to enter a state of enlightenment.

Within his mind, countless sword moves collided, sword light ran wild, bringing him an entirely new experience.

He began consciously combining the many scattered sword moves, forming a complete sword art of his own that balanced attack and defense.

Every move and stance carried an air of nimble grace and drifting elegance.

Every time he swung his sword, it followed the angle most comfortable and precise to him, its momentum sharp while retaining the vast grandeur of the Boundless Grassland.

"I created a set of sword arts?"

Lin Yuan suddenly woke from his realization, and the dancing sword light in his hand calmed with it.

His expression stirred, his eyes shining brilliantly.

Creating his own sword art!

Though it was merely a mundane sword art of the Body Tempering Realm and had not entered the gates of Stellar Martial Path, still...

He, a Marrow Cleansing apprentice, had actually been able to create a complete and fairly powerful set of sword arts?

"Swordsmanship Mastery..."

"What a mastery that reaches the divine!"

Lin Yuan was in high spirits, his understanding of the Talent Trait's terror deepening further.

This sword art might not increase his combat power by much, since it was only a mundane sword art.

But it had deepened his comprehension of the sword, and his swordsmanship realm had risen once again.

Though he had yet to reach Perfect Grade, he was already not far from it!

"In terms of swordsmanship realm alone, I'm afraid many true Starry-Sky Warriors are inferior to me."

Lin Yuan felt rather pleased with himself.

This was not arrogance, but a clear awareness of his own realm.

Though Starry-Sky Warriors were powerful, in the path of weapon skills, talent and comprehension mattered even more.

High martial aptitude did not necessarily mean high comprehension.

When many Starry-Sky Warriors first broke through, their skill realm was only at the Basic Stage. Being able to perfectly control their own strength was already considered passing.

Of course, such Starry-Sky Warriors had poor talent and mediocre combat power, so they were relatively rare.

Most Starry-Sky Warriors could, after spending some time, reach the Mastery Stage and wield 1.5 times their strength. That was the normal standard.

As for the higher Subtlety Stage, or even Perfection Stage?

That was the domain of true geniuses, difficult for ordinary people to set foot in.

For Lin Yuan to reach the Microcosmic level in swordsmanship at the Body Tempering Realm before even becoming a Starry-Sky Warrior, and even glimpse Perfect-Grade Swordsmanship, he indeed had reason to be proud.

"Ahem, keep a low profile, keep a low profile."

"Before I truly become a Starry-Sky Warrior, all of this is merely passing clouds before my eyes, not worth mentioning..."

Lin Yuan knew himself well.

Do not be fooled by the fact that his swordsmanship had reached the Microcosmic level, even half a step into Perfection.

The gap between him and a true Starry-Sky Warrior remained terrifyingly vast. They were not in the same dimension.

This was a tremendous leap in the level of life itself, not something a mere swordsmanship realm could offset.

"But it won't take much longer..."

Lin Yuan raised his head and looked toward the blazing sun in the sky.

He lifted his left hand, as though he wanted to seize the great sun above in one grasp, unstoppable in his sharpness.

"For me..."

"The Stellar Martial Path is within reach!"