Bolts of lightning, carrying the might of heaven and earth, struck down one after another. Sometimes, two arcs of light would writhe and entwine in the sky like serpents, merging into a single, devastating strike. This lightning, imbued with boundless heavenly power, was something even Lord-level monsters would hesitate to endure. The sheer voltage was likely enough to instantly reduce them to ash.

"Fierce! Sharp!"

"Destroy everything!"

Luo Feng stood on the rooftop veranda, watching silently, murmuring to himself.

In the county town these past few days, Luo Feng had undergone rigorous training in movement techniques and blade skills. In terms of movement, he had barely managed to reach the 'Subtle' level. However, in blade work, Luo Feng could only say he had reached an astonishing level of power control. Having slaughtered over ten thousand monsters, coupled with the inherently strict demands of the Nine-Layered Thunder Blade technique, Luo Feng’s current blade control far surpassed that of Wei Tie or Wei Qing.

But...

Luo Feng had yet to master the second layer of the Nine-Layered Thunder Blade. He desperately craved reaching that second level. This secret manual was unbelievably heaven-defying. The first layer offered a 1.4 times increase over one's original strength; the second layer offered a 2.1 times increase. That was more than double the original power!

In other words, an Advanced Warrior could fully unleash the might of an Entry-level Warlord!

And the ninth layer of the Nine-Layered Thunder Blade offered a 7.0 times multiplier—seven times the strength!

An Advanced Warrior could nearly wield the power of an Entry-level God of War! This was the terrifying aspect of the Nine-Layered Thunder Blade. Yet, worldwide, only the creator, Thunder God, was known to have ever reached the ninth layer.

"Yes, it should be like this."

Luo Feng, who had been deeply pondering his blade work, felt a subtle connection arise as he watched the fierce lightning strike. Without giving it too much thought, he immediately rushed back to the second floor to retrieve the Blood Shadow Battle Blade. Then, upon the vast, rain-soaked rooftop, Luo Feng, clutching his blade, began his practice amidst the torrential downpour!

The distant lightning gradually began to thin out.

"The manual explains that any master-level blade artist possesses their own artistic conception. According to the text, the higher the comprehension of blade arts, the further one can advance in the Nine-Layered Thunder Blade."

"This lightning strike..."

Luo Feng swung his blade again and again in the driving rain!

Swish!

Unlike before, Luo Feng's current practice pursued the sensation he felt in his heart, that faint understanding inspired by the crashing lightning. With that accumulation of power exploding instantly, Luo Feng executed strikes that were intensely condensed. Whether vertical chops, slashes, upward sweeps, or horizontal cuts, his blade light seemed like a streak of flowing radiance passing by.

"Explode, explode, break out!" Luo Feng repeatedly tried to harness that internal artistic feeling to push layers of internal force from his body.

"It should feel like this, but why can I only unleash one layer of internal force, unable to manifest the second?"

...

The rain was heavy, but Luo Feng was completely immersed in his own world of swordsmanship, paying no heed to the water. Unusually, he skipped his usual 'Genetic Energy' cultivation for the entire night, instead repeatedly executing the Nine-Layered Thunder Blade. In fact, the continuous barrage of strikes had already left his body severely fatigued.

But Luo Feng refused to stop. So, he allowed himself only a brief pause after each swing before launching the next.

...

The next morning, the rain had stopped. A faint blush of dawn was already visible on the eastern horizon. The cold of autumn and winter made the morning air biting, yet Luo Feng, completely drenched, sat on the veranda clutching the Blood Shadow Battle Blade, his brow deeply furrowed: "Where exactly am I missing that last piece?"

Luo Feng could feel that he should be able to unleash the second layer of internal force; he had even mobilized the deep-seated hidden strength within his muscle fibers. But every time it seemed ready to burst forth, it ultimately failed at the last moment!

Just a tiny bit short.

"Drip... drop!"

A single drop of rainwater fell from the eaves of the veranda, landing in a puddle on the rooftop. The formerly calm water instantly erupted in ripples, gently expanding outward in all directions.

"Hmm?" Luo Feng's heart stirred.

The image flashed in his mind: the scene of lightning destroying everything—it was sharpness taken to the absolute extreme!

Yet, the ripple caused by a single drop of water was incredibly soft and gentle.

"Strength alone cannot endure!"

"Physical fitness is already at a certain level. The ninth layer requires unleashing explosive power seven times beyond that fitness. If one only pursues the pinnacle of rigidity, how can the body withstand it?" Luo Feng stood up excitedly, raising the Blood Shadow Battle Blade, and unleashed a slash straight ahead. When the blade first moved, its speed was merely fast.

But instantly, the blade speed surged! And surged again! Two consecutive increases!

The blade sliced through the air!

"RUMBLE~" A sonic boom echoed.

Luo Feng's right arm instantly bulged slightly, noticeably thicker than his left.

"That's it." Luo Feng retracted his blade, a look of delighted surprise on his face. In that instant, the minute structures of his muscle fibers had moved just like the spreading water surface, naturally erupting with two layers of internal force in succession. The Blood Shadow Battle Blade, now infused with these two layers of force, instantly accelerated to an astonishing speed, truly like lightning!

The second layer of the Nine-Layered Thunder Blade was finally achieved!

Relying solely on his blade skill, Luo Feng could now unleash the power of an Entry-level Warlord. Coupled with his Subtle-level movement technique, even a typical Entry-level Warlord might be inferior to him.

※※※

Overjoyed, Luo Feng went downstairs, immediately called for a delivery breakfast, and happily finished eating before preparing to cultivate his Genetic Energy.

"No, that's not right."

"My strike is powerful now, yes, but it's just brute force." Luo Feng shook his head, immediately picking up the Blood Shadow Battle Blade again. "I can release two layers of internal force sequentially. I can completely control the frequency between these two releases. This will make my blade speed increase even more unpredictably."

Luo Feng began practicing his swings in the training room.

Because he was releasing two successive layers of internal force, his battle blade would experience two accelerations—this was the difference between a practitioner of the Nine-Layered Thunder Blade and an ordinary swordsman.

"Whoosh~ Whoosh~" The battle blade moved erratically and strangely.

One strike, then another!

Luo Feng’s mind repeatedly conjured the scenes of lightning striking from the sky, and the scenes of the water drop creating ripples. He pursued this feeling, swinging his blade over and over! What he needed was a blade skill that belonged to him! The Nine-Layered Thunder Blade only provided a technique for applying force.

Artistic conception in blade work required Luo Feng's own insight; what suited him was best.

And only when his own foundation was strong enough could his body withstand the power application of the Nine-Layered Thunder Blade without sustaining damage.

...

Immersed in this creation, physical fatigue couldn't affect Luo Feng's mental exhilaration. He swung his blade repeatedly, and his technique became increasingly strange and swift. In fact, as the blade cut through the air, the blade body itself subtly vibrated due to the dual accelerations, creating faint shockwaves.

Luo Feng had no idea how much time had passed...

"Whoosh!"

A streak of blade light flashed by like lightning mixed with mist. There was a sense of hazy confusion, but in that brief moment of disorientation, the lightning-like strike had vanished.

"That's it!" Luo Feng finally smiled. The casual and natural way he unleashed the strike kept his muscle tissues relaxed, allowing the internal force to burst forth instantly, yet immediately return to a relaxed state afterward. This cycle of tension and relaxation meant Luo Feng could sustain combat for a much longer time.

"In terms of blade skill levels, I have surpassed the basic threshold and touched the realm of artistic conception. Although I've only brushed against the edge," Luo Feng was delighted.

What should he name his blade skill?

"Since my skill was comprehended by observing the lightning strikes, I shall name this technique..."

"Thunderclap!"

Luo Feng finally possessed his own blade skill.

"My 'Thunderclap' skill is just a beginning, but in the future, I will constantly refine its artistic conception," Luo Feng murmured. He glanced at his communication watch—it was already past two in the afternoon. He hadn't realized he had been engrossed in contemplating his blade work from last night until now, nearly 20 hours!

"In a few more days, the Fire Hammer Squad will assemble. My blade skill and movement technique have achieved some success. I should go back and rest for a few days." Luo Feng, feeling elated, ate lunch, packed his belongings, and took the train from the supply base toward Jiangnan Base City.

Fifty-plus days of intense training, and the death of over ten thousand monsters had propelled Luo Feng's movement technique and blade skill to a new height.

And the 'Thunderclap' technique he created had finally taken initial shape.

Although it was currently rudimentary and shallow, its creator was only eighteen years old. No one could predict what heights the 'Thunderclap' skill might eventually reach...

..