Purple Talent

Early the next morning, Lin Yi had just finished breakfast and had yet to log into Apocalypse Game when he saw lightning flashing and thunder rumbling outside beneath a sky thick with dark clouds.

A torrential downpour followed.

Standing by the window, Lin Yi saw that pretty girl Liu Yuxi from yesterday anxiously gathering her laundry.

The rain was heavy. The clothes she had hung out yesterday were probably all soaked through.

But Lin Yi had no time to worry about that. Seeing that it was about time, he lightly brushed the Activation Code on his wrist, and his figure flashed out of the room.

More than half an hour later, someone knocked on the door. It was Liu Yuxi, who planned to borrow an umbrella before heading out.

But no matter how long she knocked, there was no response from inside.

"How strange. Is no one home? But I didn't hear Brother Lin leave..."

While reality was battered by wind and rain, Apocalypse World remained sunny.

In the east, a blazing sun slowly rose, casting a soft glow.

In the Second Militia Team dormitory, Lin Yi stuffed all the things he had prepared into his Spatial Backpack.

A player's backpack was not large, but it could still hold a small amount of supplies.

This was his first time leaving Ancient Pool Village, so Lin Yi had prepared thoroughly. He had packed enough food and water for three or four days, along with a large number of arrows.

Considering close combat, Lin Yi had also borrowed an ordinary longsaber from Gu He.

Although he could exchange Contribution Points for weapons at the Treasure Vault, ever since learning that Gu Yuan would skim the Reincarnators' Contribution Points, Lin Yi had never gone there again.

If he needed Blood Food or Protective Talismans in the future, he could have Gu Chenghu exchange them for him. His captain probably would not refuse such a small favor.

Seeing that it was about time, Lin Yi prepared to head to the village's south gate to meet up with Gu Chenghu.

But before that, he still had to draw a talent.

Ever since drawing Blood Siphon last time, Lin Yi had not solidified any new talents.

During that time, he had drawn a Green Talent called Water Affinity Expert. It allowed him to breathe underwater for half an hour and increased his speed in water by 100%.

Honestly, it was indeed a good talent.

But he had never seen any major rivers near Ancient Pool Village, so the talent was completely useless to him. He had not chosen to solidify it.

As usual, Lin Yi washed his hands before drawing a talent today.

On the Omnipotent Talent page, as the Talent Dice began to glow, a purple light suddenly filled Lin Yi's vision.

"Holy shit, a Purple Talent!"

Lin Yi was instantly thrilled. White, green, blue, purple!

This was a Purple Talent of even higher quality than Blood Siphon!

As the light slowly faded, Lin Yi finally saw the rare talent he had drawn.

Innate Blade Master: A rare Purple Talent. With this talent, you possess keen perception and learning ability for saber techniques. You are an innate blade master. With a saber in hand, it becomes like one of your own organs, allowing you to wield it as you please. You can master any saber technique in a short time and reach a state of extraordinary mastery.

After reading the description, Lin Yi had only one thought in his mind: Holy shit, that's amazing!

Good thing he had not solidified Water Affinity Expert the day before yesterday. Otherwise, even if he had drawn the Purple Talent Innate Blade Master today, he would have had no way to solidify it.

Without hesitation, Lin Yi solidified Innate Blade Master in his Talent Slot.

After solidifying the talent, Lin Yi casually took the ordinary longsaber from his backpack.

The saber was about half a meter long, its blade ancient and plain, marked with a few patches of rust.

Though it was an ordinary weapon, the instant Lin Yi gripped it, he felt different. The saber in his hand seemed to come alive.

He then recalled videos of saber dancing he had watched in the past and began to replay and learn them frame by frame.

Very quickly, Lin Yi went from brief awkwardness to proficiency. Gradually, he became absorbed in the immersive feeling of wielding the saber.

Meanwhile, Gu Chenghu waited at the south gate for a while. When Lin Yi still had not arrived, he went to the Second Team dormitory.

Pushing open the door, he saw a youth dressed in fitted militia clothes dancing with a longsaber in the center of the training ground.

His fluid yet powerful movements traced silver arcs beneath the moonlight, like the most brilliant meteors in the night sky, filled with vitality and rhythm.

"This kid's saber technique is actually this proficient?"

Gu Chenghu was surprised, but he did not interrupt Lin Yi, who was immersed in his own world.

Lin Yi's figure was agile, as if he and the saber had become one. Every swing appeared so natural, so effortless.

As the saber technique deepened, Lin Yi gradually adjusted his breathing, merging it with the rhythm of the saber. Finally, he slowly sheathed the saber with gentle movements, and the entire training ground seemed to quiet down with him.

"Good saber technique, though it's a little flashy and impractical. It doesn't have much killing power."

Gu Chenghu stepped forward and praised him.

"Captain?"

Lin Yi froze, only then snapping out of the feeling from before. He realized that he had probably missed the meeting time.

"Sorry, Captain. I got carried away practicing with the saber and forgot the time..."

"It's fine. But Qingshan, if your saber technique is this good, why do you practice every day with that broken bow and arrows on your back?"

Lin Yi scratched his head. He did not want to either.

If he had drawn this Purple Talent earlier, he would probably have started practicing with the saber long ago.

Judging from his earlier practice, with the boost of Innate Blade Master, he could likely quickly grasp and master any saber technique.

Gu Chenghu asked, "All right, the weather has cleared up. Are you coming with me to Ancient Tomb Valley now?"

Lin Yi was not in a hurry. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Captain, can I first go to Brother Yongqiang's place and learn the Blazing Sun Saber Technique?"

Gu Chenghu smiled. "Learn the Blazing Sun Saber Technique? Qingshan, the Blazing Sun Saber Technique is not like the saber technique you just performed. It's difficult to learn and practice. Even if you have talent in saber techniques, there's no way you'll learn it today."

"Let me try, Captain. If I can't learn it today, I'll put it aside for now and focus on leveling up."

For some reason, Lin Yi had great confidence in his talent for the blade. He felt as though no saber technique in the world could stump him.

Perhaps that confidence came from the talent he had just solidified.

Gu Chenghu then took Lin Yi to Gu Yongqiang's home.

When Gu Yongqiang learned that Lin Yi wanted to study the Blazing Sun Saber Technique, he did not refuse. Although he had once told Lin Yi to come learn saber techniques after reaching Level 4, that had been because Lin Yi needed enough Qi-Blood to perform the Blazing Sun Saber Technique.

Now, after consuming Blood Food continuously for more than a week, Lin Yi's Qi-Blood had increased to over 22 points.

That amount of Qi-Blood was already enough to unleash the initial power of the Blazing Sun Saber Technique.

Gu Yongqiang then took out the saber he once carried and walked to the open space in the courtyard. "The Blazing Sun Saber Technique mainly consists of performing the saber forms and using Qi-Blood. The two must be learned separately, and neither is easy."

"I once taught a Born One with decent talent. It took him half a month to learn the Blazing Sun Saber Technique. I hope you won't take too long, or else I can only say that you're not suited to using a saber."

Lin Yi nodded solemnly.

Gu Yongqiang said seriously, "Good. I'll first teach you the complete Blazing Sun Saber Technique. First, using a saber requires proper basic posture and grip. When practicing, keep your feet shoulder-width apart, lean slightly forward, and bend your knees slightly..."

"Next are posture and breathing. Through practice, find the perfect coordination between your body and the saber. Breathe naturally in sync with your movements, avoid holding your breath, and maintain stability and fluidity..."

"Ding! You are learning Gu Yongqiang's Blazing Sun Saber Technique. Current learning progress: 5%..."

It had to be said that Gu Yongqiang's explanation was extremely fundamental. Besides the Blazing Sun Saber Technique, it included many basic techniques for using a saber.

Although Lin Yi had Innate Blade Master, whether breathing or gripping the saber, he had relied on instinct granted by the talent, so there were inevitably minor flaws. Gu Yongqiang's explanation of saber techniques was extremely useful to him right now, allowing him to make up for gaps in his knowledge.

Lin Yi felt like a sponge, greedily absorbing knowledge.

Next, Gu Yongqiang began demonstrating the saber technique.

Lin Yi watched intently.

A few minutes later, Gu Yongqiang panted in the courtyard. "All right, what I just performed was a short section of the Blazing Sun Saber Technique. Follow the techniques I taught you and demonstrate a section first."

"Sure."

Lin Yi tightened his grip on the saber. The tip traced paths through the air as he began to demonstrate the forms strike by strike.

The entire set of saber techniques flowed as smoothly as drifting clouds and running water. The saber's momentum seemed traceless, yet it silently nourished all things.

Gu Yongqiang's eyes suddenly widened. "This..."

Gu Chenghu, who had watched from the side the entire time, also opened his mouth wide, wearing an expression of disbelief.

Earlier, he had seen Lin Yi practicing with the saber in the dormitory. Though Lin Yi's technique had been extraordinarily proficient, Gu Chenghu had merely assumed that Lin Yi had practiced for a long time.

But now, he had personally watched Lin Yi begin learning the Blazing Sun Saber Technique from scratch. Gu Yongqiang had demonstrated it only once, yet Lin Yi was able to perfectly reproduce the technique. Some of the moves even seemed improved, more standard than Gu Yongqiang's own.

"A genius! An unparalleled genius with the saber!!"

After Lin Yi finished demonstrating, Gu Yongqiang said excitedly, "Good, good! Qingshan, I never expected you to possess such incredible talent for learning saber techniques. Next, I'll explain the rest of the Blazing Sun Saber Technique. Listen carefully..."

The morning sunlight slowly shifted, and time passed bit by bit.

In the courtyard, Lin Yi tirelessly studied the Blazing Sun Saber Technique.

In just two short hours, his progress in the Blazing Sun Saber Technique had reached 90%.

This learning speed had completely shocked Gu Yongqiang and Gu Chenghu.

Gu Yongqiang had no doubt that if he demonstrated faster, Lin Yi's learning speed could become much faster as well.

He had seen many Born Ones, but if anyone learned saber techniques the fastest, it was undoubtedly Lin Yi before him.

Even in the history of Ancient Pool Village, no one had ever mastered the Blazing Sun Saber Technique so quickly.

Another half hour later, Lin Yi learned the technique for using Qi-Blood in the Blazing Sun Saber Technique and heard the system notification: "Ding! You are learning Gu Yongqiang's Blazing Sun Saber Technique. Current learning progress: 100%. You have successfully mastered the Blazing Sun Saber Technique."

Lin Yi opened his attribute panel and saw that the Blazing Sun Saber Technique had appeared under his External Arts.

External Arts:

Starfall Archery - LV1 (56/500): For every 1 point of Qi-Blood attached to an arrow, arrow damage increases by 2%. The seventh consecutive arrow unleashes an additional 12% damage.

Blazing Sun Saber Technique - LV2 (343/800): Infuse at least 10 points of Qi-Blood into a saber to increase saber momentum damage by 8%. Double the infused Qi-Blood to double the damage.

(Note: The Blazing Sun Saber Technique can damage Ghost Spirits!)

After reading the damage description for the Blazing Sun Saber Technique, Lin Yi realized that the reason it was White quality was probably because it consumed too much Qi-Blood.

With his current 24 points of Qi-Blood, he could only slash twice.

However, its additional damage was much greater than that of Starfall Archery.

Of course, Lin Yi had not expected the Blazing Sun Saber Technique to directly reach Level 2. It seemed his talent was truly bugged. Simply mastering an external saber art had automatically allowed him to comprehend it to Level 2.

Next, Lin Yi performed the Blazing Sun Saber Technique several more times, and the proficiency on his panel rose as if it had taken flight.

It increased by +10, +10 at a time.

With Gu Yongqiang and Gu Chenghu, both skilled in the Blazing Sun Saber Technique, guiding him from the side, Lin Yi's Blazing Sun Saber Technique actually broke through to Level 3 after half an hour.

Blazing Sun Saber Technique - LV3 (89/1100): Infuse at least 10 points of Qi-Blood into a saber to increase saber momentum damage by 16%. Double the infused Qi-Blood to double the damage.

Lin Yi was delighted. At Level 3, the additional power of a single slash from the Blazing Sun Saber Technique had directly doubled.

It could be said that even Starfall Archery's damage boost after firing seven consecutive arrows was only about equal to one slash from the Blazing Sun Saber Technique.

"Looks like the higher an external art's level is, the more impressive its damage becomes."

After Lin Yi had completely mastered the Blazing Sun Saber Technique, Gu Chenghu took him to Ancient Tomb Valley.

Ancient Tomb Valley was not far from Ancient Pool Village, only a few li along wilderness mountain paths.

But after leaving the walls of Ancient Pool Village, both Gu Chenghu and Lin Yi became much more cautious.

In the Wilderness, the chance of encountering Monsters was high. In particular, the farther they were from the village Temple, the more likely they were to encounter Level 10 Great Fiends.

If they truly encountered a Great Fiend, Gu Chenghu would probably only be able to flee with Lin Yi.

Watching the walls of Ancient Pool Village grow farther and farther behind them, Lin Yi could not help asking, "Captain, how is the Militia Fifth Team's training going?"

"I'm not sure. Old Fourth Gu has been leading them all along, but I heard several Born Ones have been clamoring to quit. Maybe the training environment is too dangerous."

The Old Fourth Gu that Gu Chenghu mentioned was the captain of the Militia Fourth Team. It was said that this captain did not get along with Gu Chenghu and the others, always acting alone and having an eccentric temperament.

Lin Yi pressed further. "Isn't the Village Elder protecting them? How could it be dangerous?"

Gu Chenghu used the Dragon Roar Saber to chop through the brush ahead, clearing a narrow path. Then he casually said, "You don't understand Old Fourth Gu's temperament. He especially likes exploiting and insulting people. Not just you Born Ones—even the militia brothers under his command can't stand him."

"Though the Village Elder protects them, he isn't watching them all the time. Most of the time, Old Fourth Gu leads them, so it's normal for the Born Ones not to be able to tolerate him."

At the same time, inside Ancient Tomb Valley, Old Fourth Gu was harshly berating the members of the Militia Fifth Team.

"Wang Zilong, right? I've already lured out the Corpse Fiend. Why are you hiding in the back? Get out there immediately and cooperate with the others to kill it! Cowering like that, you're practically a woman!"

"And Qian Duoduo, don't rush to put the Drops into your backpack. According to the contract, these Drops belong to everyone. If you dare pocket even one item, I'll chop off your hand!"

"Feng Wo Wudi, your name sounds pretty domineering, but stop screaming like a ghost. You just got scratched once. If you lure out all the Corpse Fiends in the valley, I swear I'll leave you behind and run away with everyone else."

"Damn it, what a ragtag mob. I really can't understand why the Village Elder wants to train you Born Ones. If you ask me, we should pick those with ability and courage..."

For the entire morning, Old Fourth Gu cursed and complained nonstop. The members of his Militia Fourth Team were already used to it, but the Born Ones of the Militia Fifth Team, newly placed under his command, could not endure it.

They had come to play a game and grow stronger, not to get cursed at.