II: Power Advancement!

But how was I to elevate my own strength?

In truth, since clashing with the Thunder Warlord, I had formed a rough estimate of his power.

Naturally, I also recognized the vast gulf separating myself from him.

Although it seemed on the surface that I fought him to a standstill last time, I knew that battle would have ended entirely differently had my luck not peaked, and the Sword Spirit within the Dragon Shadow Sword not suddenly exerted itself.

During my free time these past few days, I attempted to sense the Sword Spirit inside the Dragon Shadow Sword, yet since fighting the Thunder Warlord a year ago, the spirit inside the Dragon Shadow Sword had been almost absent, barely registering its existence.

This caused a vague unease in my heart; it seemed the Sword Spirit’s condition was unstable, further cementing my prior suspicions.

Though I couldn't fathom the Sword Spirit's current state, a subconscious feeling told me that its extraordinary performance in that last battle was no natural occurrence.

For example, after that fight, I slept for a full fourteen months straight. That alone spoke volumes about the severe depletion of my physical strength and Dou Qi.

Modern physics speaks of the Law of Conservation of Energy.

As I see it, even with my cultivation level boosted by the Heavenly Demonic Armor, I shouldn't possess the might to contend head-on with the Thunder Warlord. The only explanation is that the Crimson Blood Sword Spirit somehow forced an immediate overdraft of my stamina and Dou Qi, unleashing enough combat power in an instant to force a draw.

Perhaps the Sword Spirit is in a similar condition to me now, or maybe the power it expended was even greater than I imagined, as it still hasn't recovered.

It seems I cannot rely too heavily on the Dragon Shadow Sword’s aid.

Perhaps only once the Sword Spirit within the Dragon Shadow Sword has fully recovered can it become a truly stable asset to me.

Of course, I am acutely aware of one thing: the energy of the Crimson Blood Demonic Sword’s spirit is fueled by continuous slaughter. If I wish for the Sword Spirit to recover sooner, large-scale killing is unavoidable.

However, the current situation is that a truce has been called between the two major Churches—at least for the time being.

This leaves me absolutely no opportunity to enter battle, accumulate the massive killing aura needed to replenish the Sword Spirit's energy.

After much thought, I couldn't devise a good solution, so I decided to set the matter aside for now.

I decided to shift my perspective!

Six years had taught me many skills: the Dragon Shadow Sword Style, Thunder Dou Qi, Lion’s Roar Dou Qi, the fencing techniques from my previous life, the Hundred Battles Saber Art, and even the Nine Heavens Star River Sword Style glimpsed through the Crimson Blood Demonic Sword, and Ji Du’s Raging Dragon Soaring to the Heavens—all seemed copied into my very body.

Even now, I can vividly recall that fierce battle against Na Luo Wushuang; every movement of my body, every circulation path of Dou Qi within me, was guided by the Sword Spirit.

This miraculous sensation was deeply imprinted, like a brand, onto the very core of my soul, as if it were an innate talent.

Clearly, I had absorbed quite a lot over these years.

So, how could I apply these learned skills with flexibility?

Thinking of this, the path ahead gradually became clear!

It seemed necessary to fully integrate everything I had seen, heard, and learned over six years, truly digesting it until it became an intrinsic part of myself.

The Fencing Sword Style excels in speed.

The Hundred Battles Saber Art excels in ferocity and savagery.

The Dragon Shadow Sword Style excels in rapid, strange, and unpredictable movement patterns, and commendably, it has an astonishing effect in medium to long-range combat.

These three ultimate techniques are the ones I use most often and the ones I am most proficient in. Furthermore, through continuous real combat, they have unconsciously merged within me.

As for Dou Qi, the most helpful to me was the Thunder Dou Qi learned from Feng Qingtian. It is undeniable that since mastering the Heavenly Wind Dou Qi,

it significantly helped me overcome the deficiency of insufficient innate power. And focusing on how to maximize the application of Thunder Dou Qi, I even developed a very unique cultivation method: the World King Fist, which constantly challenges the body's limits of endurance.

I am confident that if I can enhance the energy of the Thunder Dou Qi infinitely using the principle of the World King Fist, the resulting destructive power will be beyond imagination. (Zero Point Reading)

It seems I must dedicate more effort to cultivating Dou Qi in the future, especially applying the World King Fist's principle at the limit of physical endurance to enhance my control over Thunder Dou Qi.

The remainder is the Lion’s Roar Dou Qi.

In fact, I first sensed the presence of the Lion’s Roar Dou Qi about a year ago. On the Sealed Demon Continent, the successful triggering of the mutated Dragon Shadow was due to the simultaneous mixture of Lion’s Roar Dou Qi, Thunder Dou Qi, and the Dragon Shadow—three different types of energy—resulting in an astonishing effect.

Compared to the sustained stability of Thunder Dou Qi, the Lion’s Roar Dou Qi excels in instantaneous energy explosions; in other words, it excels in explosive bursts.

The energy unleashed momentarily by the Lion’s Roar Dou Qi is startlingly immense. If the Lion’s Roar Dou Qi within my body had been slightly stronger, perhaps the previous confrontation with the Thunder Warlord wouldn't have resulted in mutual injury.

Thinking this, I subconsciously summarized my train of thought.

Regarding swordsmanship and technique application, I have already reached a near-perfect state.

Conversely, the aspect of raw power remains lacking; even combining the Lion’s Roar Dou Qi and Thunder Dou Qi, the resulting strength was still inferior during the direct clash with the Thunder Warlord last time.

Yes, even now I clearly remember that after Na Luo Wushuang activated the Life and Death Purgatory, I was at an absolute disadvantage in terms of pure strength.

Consequently, I was severely wounded by a single move during the ensuing head-on confrontation. Had the spatial teleportation of the Memory Set not activated suddenly, I would likely have died at Na Luo Wushuang’s hands then.

Strictly speaking, I was the loser in that decisive battle.

It appears my future cultivation focus must remain on Dou Qi.

Furthermore, there is the Nine Heavens Star River Sword Style learned from the Sword Spirit. Although my body seems to remember every movement and every circulating path of Dou Qi from back then,

whether I can currently reproduce the Nine Heavens Star River Sword Style purely from bodily memory remains an unknown.

The Nine Heavens Star River Sword Style is undoubtedly the most powerful sword technique I have encountered so far. If I can master it proficiently, it will be decisive in elevating my power.

It is a pity, though, that even through the Sword Spirit's inherited inscription, I only witnessed four moves of the Nine Heavens Star River Sword Style, and my body only memorized three. After all, Na Luo Wushuang nullified the third move, Moon Destruction, Star Collapse, with her formidable Dou Qi energy just as I executed it, meaning the fourth move, Blood Sun Red Sky, never saw deployment.

I dare not imagine if Na Luo Wushuang could truly have blocked it had I managed to unleash the fourth move, Blood Sun Red Sky!

Thinking back, when executing the Nine Heavens Star River Sword Style, my entire body felt pulled by an invisible force.

From Star Fall from Nine Heavens to Chaotic Star Cloud, and then to Moon Destruction, Star Collapse, each move seemed to double in power from the preceding one.

That was the feeling I had at the time. The battle seemed to escalate infinitely, without limits.

At this realization, I suddenly froze.

Could this be the true terror of the Nine Heavens Star River Sword Style?

At this moment, I recalled geometric progression in modern mathematics.

That’s it. If my guess is correct, the Nine Heavens Star River Sword Style must be a terrifying sword style that piles up power exponentially.

If the power of the first move, Star Fall from Nine Heavens, is the base unit, according to this principle, if all nine moves were chained together, wouldn't the resulting power be...

1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1 = 9

Heavens, I was nearly stunned by my own deduction.

If the power truly multiplies like that, who on earth could withstand it?

No wonder the first generation Dragon Shadow, a thousand years ago, could defeat the then-reigning Feng Tian War God relying only on the power of his physical body, without wearing armor.

At this realization, I could no longer suppress the surging ecstasy in my heart.

No matter what, I must master the Nine Heavens Star River Sword Style.

Even if there are only four moves, that would be enough for me to roam unchecked across the world.

1+1+1+1 = 4

If I could learn all nine moves of the Nine Heavens Star River Sword Style, I could increase my combat strength by a factor of nine out of thin air. What concept is that?

Perhaps even facing a Feng Tian Warrior, I might not necessarily lose!

Of course, this is just wishful thinking; after all, I know that only four moves of the Nine Heavens Star River Sword Style remain.

Regardless, this remains a delightful discovery.

With this in mind, I wrote down again

Nine Heavens Star River

The four characters.

These matters had a path forward, but the Nine-Colored Dragon Seal remained completely unclear; even now, I hadn't sensed what use it served.

I also knew that these things couldn't be rushed, so I put them aside for the moment, trusting that when fate arrived, everything would fall into place naturally.

After re-organizing my thoughts, I decided to systematically plan and compile all the skills I had acquired into a booklet.

I often saw in old television shows that ancient people loved to write some sort of martial arts manual or secret text.

Naturally, the inhabitants of the Mafa Continent also seemed to share this habit.

I might as well follow suit and create a secret manual for myself.

However, for safety, I decided to use Han characters to record and organize all the martial arts I had learned.

Thinking this, I took out a brand new notebook from the drawer and meticulously wrote four Traditional Chinese characters on the cover: Star Codex.

Heh heh, damn it, I'm writing a manual too! I wonder if anyone will be able to read it in the future!

And within the Star Codex, I categorized and listed several entries for the table of contents!

Dragon Shadow Sword Style Nine-Colored Dragon Seal Thunder Dou Qi Lion’s Roar Dou Qi Fencing Sword Style Fencing Footwork Crimson Blood Demonic Sword Nine Heavens Star River Raging Dragon Soaring to the Heavens World King Fist!

These were all the techniques I had mastered or could utilize. How to integrate them all into one cohesive system was the next thing I needed to address.

If I gained new inspiration later, I could add and refine it at any time. After all, a bad memory is no match for a blunt pen.

Unexpectedly, a habit cultivated during my university years in my previous life had carried over to the Mafa World.

With my thoughts clarified, I felt significantly more relaxed, though perhaps more driven by an impatient urge. My entire body was brimming with intense fighting spirit.

I couldn't afford to waste any more time; I had to defeat the Scarlet Moon Demon first before I could start my cultivation in earnest.

However, gazing at the hazy moonlight outside, this surging passion had to be temporarily suppressed. It was late; everyone should be asleep.

Whatever needed discussing could wait until tomorrow.

I instinctively slipped the Star Codex from the table into my waist pouch.

Perhaps my mind was too excited; I felt no sleepiness at all. I picked up the Dragon Shadow Sword and left the room.

The dim moonlight spilled across the courtyard. As I strolled within its bounds, I subconsciously regulated my breathing, trying to calm myself down.

I meticulously reviewed every detail I had learned over the last six years, every campaign I had experienced, and every opponent I had encountered.

Scene after scene of breathtaking battles replayed in my mind like a movie.

The Dragon Shadow Sword in my hand danced along with the flow of my thoughts, flashing out dazzling, brilliant beams with thrusts and slashes.

The lightning-fast strikes of the Fencing Sword Style were like swift lightning sprites dancing in the night sky, mixed with surging, churning sword energy, exuding sharp, piercing killing intent.

Sometimes cutting through the air with a whistle, sometimes rapidly changing direction, every stance and move flowed naturally, perfectly executed.

Soon, the mood in my mind instantly shifted to the savage fury of the Hundred Battles Saber Art. My hands instinctively gripped the sword hilt with both hands.

Hah! Roar!

Vertical slash! Slanted slash! Wide sweep, upward thrust! Straight stab...

Every simple movement seemed endowed with brand new vitality at this moment.

Incomparably fierce, his imposing momentum overwhelming. Wielding the sword as a saber, it unleashed an unparalleled, shocking power. As the mood shifted, the initial agility and speed instantly transformed into a raging storm, like massive waves of the Yangtze River, surging and turbulent.

A blazing fire seemed to burn in my chest, creating a feeling of exhilarating release that had to be vented.

Swish, swish, swish! Fierce and sharp, the imposing momentum mighty, the Hundred Battles Saber Art unleashed over a hundred moves in an instant. The fire in my chest subsided slightly.

Then, the mood shifted again.

Dragon Shadow Heart Technique: intention follows movement. The nine Dragon Shadows seemed imbued with nine distinct souls. With every flourish, they darted out.

Like nine joyful little dragons, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, shifting left and right, unpredictable and erratic. As the mood changed and the killing intent fluctuated, the nine Dragon Shadows transformed endlessly. Sometimes soaring high like an enraged dragon charging towards the sky, sometimes diving down like stars falling from heaven. Sometimes chasing each other, covering a hundred meters in a flash, like celestial horses soaring through the clouds, appearing and vanishing instantly.

Joyful and agile, like wind sprites; fiercely savage, like fire and thunder; erratic and unpredictable, like phantoms in the void. At this moment, the fast, complex chaos of the Dragon Shadow Sword Style was pushed to its absolute extreme.

Moreover, incorporating my self-created mixed-use of Dou Qi meant that every Dragon Shadow now possessed terrifying impact and explosive power. This caused the Dragon Shadow, on top of its original swiftness, complexity, and chaos, to evolve a new element of ultimate ferocity—which I termed 'Wild.'

That’s right; a new element, 'Wild,' had been added to my Dragon Shadow.

Fast as lightning. Complex as the Milky Way. Chaotic as a cloak. Wild as a thunderbolt.

This was the new Dragon Shadow I now commanded.

Throughout the open courtyard, flashing Dragon Shadows mixed with the immense, surging sword energy, sounding like a raging storm, emitting roars of thunder and lightning.

As the rain cleared and the lightning hid, the surging sword energy calmed down. Only then did I snap back to awareness.

Yet, my entire being seemed to have entered an entirely new state of understanding.

I couldn't describe the feeling, but I knew I had changed; I was different from before.

This was a transformation originating from the depths of the spirit—formless and invisible, yet undeniably real.

I knew this was a brand new sensation brought about by the sublimation of thought! This feeling was exhilarating and uplifting, yet my entire self was as still as a calm lake, without a single ripple or eddy. My thoughts became incomparably sharp.

Even without deliberately activating the Eye of Dying Desire, I could keenly sense every subtle change in the wind around me. It was as if everything surrounding me had merged into my world of consciousness.

In the room, Mother’s slow, deep breathing indicated she was sound asleep.

Wandering around the courtyard, the faint, minute footsteps of small insects and ants floated into my mind in detail, assembling a completely new sensory world.

I could even sense the fluctuations of the Dou Qi flowing within my own body.

This perception was clearer, more distinct, and profound than the Eye of Dying Desire.

Just as I was utterly astonished by this new sensation,

suddenly, I detected two faint fluctuations from afar. What was shocking was that these two subtle Dou Qi fluctuations suddenly merged together, and in the instant of fusion, their energy surged to its peak before abruptly vanishing without a trace.

Although this sensation was distant, emanating from the easternmost edge of the Imperial Palace, I captured it with perfect clarity.

Ah! What in the world is happening? I gasped in shock. Could someone dare attempt an assassination attempt in the dead of night inside the Imperial Palace? Thinking of the Warm Sun Palace, located at the easternmost edge, where Yan Luo and Yin Shuang were temporarily settled, I felt a jolt of fear.

No longer caring about anything else, I rushed at top speed towards the origin of the residual energy.