[The player spent 5 attribute points. Wind-Breaking Saber Technique proficiency increased to proficient.] [The player spent 20 attribute points. Wind-Breaking Saber Technique proficiency increased to minor mastery.] [The player spent 50 attribute points. Wind-Breaking Saber Technique proficiency increased to major mastery.] [The player spent 100 attribute points. Wind-Breaking Saber Technique proficiency increased to perfection.]
As the system's voice rang out, Lin An felt as though he had entered a strange space, where he practiced the Wind-Breaking Saber Technique over and over.
He had no idea how much time passed in that space. Only when he came to his senses did he discover that just an instant had passed.
"Wind-Breaking Saber Technique-follow the wind's momentum, condense Saber Force!"
Lin An couldn't help gripping the long saber he had just selected from the treasury, and a strange force immediately radiated from him.
That force brimmed with sharpness, as though it would tear everything apart.
Saber Force was an ability one only had a certain chance of mastering after cultivating a Bronze Tier saber technique to perfection.
With the enhancement of Saber Force, a saber technique's power could increase by at least thirty percent.
"As expected of Elder Qian's carefully chosen selection. Cultivating an ordinary Bronze Tier saber technique to perfection wouldn't let me comprehend Saber Force." Lin An nodded to himself. His combat strength had increased again.
Next, he took out two more top-tier Bronze Tier cultivation techniques: Flowing Cloud Steps and the Black Armor Technique.
"Learning the Wind-Breaking Saber Technique and raising it to perfection cost 178 attribute points in total. These two techniques should cost about the same."
With that thought, Lin An immediately spent 6 attribute points to learn both techniques and reach the introductory level.
Then he started pouring attribute points into them.
[The player's Flowing Cloud Steps increased to perfection.] [The player's Black Armor Technique increased to perfection.]
As the system's voice slowly faded, Lin An suddenly felt a warm current surge from deep within his body and rapidly spread throughout it.
At first, the warm current only made his skin feel slightly hot, but after just a few breaths, the heat rose sharply, as though it would burn his entire body.
But that sensation soon receded like the tide, vanishing without a trace in the blink of an eye.
Immediately afterward, a strange sensation welled up within him.
Lin An looked down at his arm and saw that, at some point, a nearly transparent membrane as thin as a cicada's wing had appeared over his previously fair, smooth skin.
Lin An instinctively reached out to touch the mysterious membrane. It felt slightly cool and somewhat elastic beneath his fingers.
He knew this was the effect of cultivating the Black Armor Technique to perfection. Although the membrane looked fragile, anything below Bronze Tier should be unable to injure him.
"And the movement technique..."
Lin An took a step. In an instant, his figure flashed like lightning, leaving a blurry afterimage where he had stood.
The next moment, he was already at the doorway.
Lin An looked at the distance of nearly ten meters between where he had just stood and the doorway where he now stood, his eyes filled with excitement.
"At my current speed in an all-out burst, even an ordinary Bronze Tier expert probably wouldn't be able to react. Combined with my perfected saber technique, I'd have every chance of cutting them down outright."
"Even if I couldn't kill them, with Flowing Cloud Steps and the Black Armor Technique, I could still get away unscathed."
As Lin An thought about it, his expression turned a little odd. Why did he feel a bit like an assassin?
"But moving at such extreme speed also consumes a tremendous amount of stamina and spiritual energy. I'll have to be careful when using it in the future."
It was a Bronze Tier technique, after all. For him, still only at Black Iron Tier, the strain was rather heavy. Things would be much better once his realm rose.
Returning to the bed and sitting cross-legged, Lin An opened his system panel.
[Player]: Lin An [Title]: First Blood [Realm]: Black Iron Fifth Grade [Cultivation techniques]: Lin Clan Cultivation Technique (major mastery), Wind-Breaking Saber Technique (perfection), Flowing Cloud Steps (perfection), Black Armor Technique (perfection) [Divine ability]: Resentful Tiger's Eye [Attribute points]: 36
Looking at his panel, Lin An nodded in satisfaction. Although he was only at Black Iron Fifth Grade, he reckoned he could put up a fight even against someone at Black Iron Ninth Grade.
This was the advantage of having a strong foundation. Even a month after joining the server, most players would find it extremely difficult to get access to Platinum Rank cultivation techniques, let alone Bronze Tier ones.
They were nothing like him. Bronze Tier cultivation techniques were merely a stopgap for his current realm. Once his realm rose, he could go straight to the treasury and select stronger cultivation techniques.
Sure enough, nothing matters more than being born into a good family, Lin An thought.
Then he closed the interface, took out the Tiger Strength Pill, and swallowed it.
The moment the pill entered his stomach, it turned into a scalding current that raced through his limbs and bones like a wild horse freed from its reins.
Wherever the current passed, it seemed to ignite a prairie fire, bringing waves of searing heat.
At the same time, however, an indescribable sense of comfort arose, making Lin An let out a low moan despite himself.
As the warm current continued to spread and permeate his body, Lin An could clearly feel wondrous changes taking place within him.
His somewhat weak muscles gradually grew firm and powerful, and his bones seemed to have been reforged, becoming harder and tougher.
Even his blood seemed to flow much faster, surging ceaselessly through his veins with exuberant life and vitality.
Lin An also circulated his cultivation technique, doing everything he could to accelerate the refinement and absorption of the Tiger Strength Pill in hopes of bringing out as much of its medicinal potency as possible.
After a full three hours, Lin An had completely refined the Tiger Strength Pill, and he opened his eyes.
He slowly stood and moved his somewhat stiff body, feeling a powerful force rush through his limbs and bones like a raging torrent.
"It feels so good to be this strong. With one punch from me now, probably no one in the same realm could withstand it." A smile played at the corners of Lin An's mouth.
Even the city lord's treasury held only three Tiger Strength Pills. An ordinary person who took one could instantly become powerful.
"Now that my cultivation techniques are sorted out, adding this strength of one tiger has strengthened my foundation again."
"Next, I need to keep raising my realm and reach Black Iron Ninth Grade as soon as possible. Then I can leave the city to hunt Sin Beasts and earn more attribute points."
There were quite a few ways to obtain attribute points, but the most common was hunting Sin Beasts.
However, killing a Sin Beast did not guarantee attribute points.
Only by killing Sin Beasts in the same realm or a higher realm than oneself could one obtain attribute points.
For example, if he were at Black Iron Ninth Grade, killing a Black Iron First Grade Sin Beast would still give him attribute points.
But if he reached the Bronze Realm, killing Black Iron Realm Sin Beasts would no longer give him attribute points.
That was why he intended to wait until he reached Black Iron Ninth Grade, stockpile a batch of attribute points, and then break through to the Bronze Realm.
This was also something many players had liked doing in his previous life. Once they reached the peak of a realm, they would not rush to break through, instead farming a batch of attribute points first.
It counted as exploiting a bug.
Lin An immediately took out a Lesser Spirit Pill and began cultivating.