NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 2 - "The Deadly Blade Technique," Reading is Also Cultivation!
Chapter 2: “The Deadly Blade Technique,” Reading is Also Cultivation!
“Elder, I’ve broken through to the seventh level of the Body Tempering Realm. I’ve come to select a Human-level martial technique.”
Inside the Martial Arts Pavilion, an elder lay reclining.
He looked utterly relaxed and unbothered.
Upon hearing Luo Mu’s words, the elder didn’t even bother to open his eyes. He merely nodded slightly.
Luo Mu wasn’t surprised.
Anyone who had stayed in the academy for more than a year knew that this elder was extremely cold and detached.
The first floor of the Martial Arts Pavilion was quite spacious, with nearly a hundred bookshelves arranged in rows.
The rich scent of books filled the air.
The second floor, in contrast, had far fewer bookshelves.
“‘Sun Embrace Technique,’ lower-grade Human level, absorbs the pure Yang energy of heaven and earth to strengthen vitality…”
“‘Gale Swordsmanship,’ mid-grade Human level…”
“‘Dragon Subduing Staff,’ upper-grade Human level…”
Luo Mu examined each technique one by one, his knowledge expanding rapidly.
So, there are so many types of martial techniques in this world…
“What should I choose to train in?”
Luo Mu pondered.
Previously, he had practised the ‘Mountain-Splitting Fist,’ a basic Entry-level martial technique that almost everyone in the academy could perform.
He had merely practised it casually.
But now, things were different.
Human-level martial techniques were classified, and their power was immense. He couldn’t just choose one at random; he had to find something that suited him.
Hmm?
Luo Mu’s gaze sharpened as he stopped in front of a particular bookshelf.
He pulled out a manual from it.
“The Deadly Blade Technique”
Upper-grade Human level.
The name alone carried a palpable sense of slaughter, almost as though it struck him directly.
He opened the manual and read the introduction.
As expected, it was a brutal blade technique.
It required cultivation in the midst of slaughter, and once mastered, it would condense a deadly blade aura.
Each strike would carry a strong sense of death.
The blade aura would invade the body, freezing bones and muscles, and devouring life force.
What a technique!
Luo Mu’s interest was piqued.
By all rights, someone at his level, the seventh level of the Body Tempering Realm, shouldn’t choose an upper-grade Human technique it was far too difficult.
Most of the time, it would be a waste of effort, as success was rare.
On the other hand, lower-grade Human techniques, while less powerful, were much easier to master.
But with the system as his trusty helper, Luo Mu wasn’t concerned.
As long as he put in enough “effort,” reaching mastery wouldn’t be a problem.
With that thought, Luo Mu picked up the manual and left the second floor.
“Elder, I’ve chosen this one.”
Upon hearing this, the elder finally opened his eyes.
When he saw that Luo Mu had chosen “The Deadly Blade Technique,” a rare expression of surprise appeared on his face.
A newly advanced seventh-level student daring to choose an upper-grade Human technique, and it was “The Deadly Blade Technique” no less!
Among all the upper-grade techniques in the Martial Arts Pavilion, “The Deadly Blade Technique” was known as one of the most challenging.
Many people had spent half a year training in it, only to give up in the end.
But the elder said nothing further.
He had been in charge of the Martial Arts Pavilion for so long that he had seen far too many people with lofty ambitions.
He was tired of advising them.
Better to let them hit a wall themselves after the pain, they would naturally reconsider.
“You know the rules, right?”
The elder spoke indifferently.
“Yes.”
Luo Mu nodded.
The manual had to be returned within a month. Additionally, the techniques couldn’t be taught to others—violating this rule would result in expulsion from the academy.
“Go.”
The elder closed his eyes again, returning to his dreams.
Back at his residence, Luo Mu eagerly opened the “The Deadly Blade Technique” and began to study its contents.
As an upper-grade Human technique, it was naturally quite obscure.
Just reading through the entire manual once left Luo Mu with countless questions.
However, at that moment…
A familiar notification sounded in his mind.
Ding!
“You have diligently studied ‘The Deadly Blade Technique’ and have triggered a critical hit, gaining twentyfold rewards!”
What? This counts?
Luo Mu was taken aback for a moment, then quickly realised.
Why wouldn’t it count?
Reading was also part of the cultivation process.
In the next instant, a wealth of information regarding “The Deadly Blade Technique” surged into his mind.
He had memorised the entire technique, without missing a single detail. It was as though the knowledge had been etched into his brain.
He even gained some insights, giving him a deeper understanding of the technique.
“Keep reading!”
Luo Mu focused his mind entirely on the blade technique.
Time passed quickly, and before he knew it, it was noon.
Ding!
“You have diligently studied ‘The Deadly Blade Technique’ fifty times and triggered a critical hit, gaining fortyfold rewards!”
Luo Mu gently set the manual down and rubbed his tired eyes.
At this point, he was thoroughly familiar with every detail of “The Deadly Blade Technique.”
He wasn’t a genius, but he wasn’t talentless either otherwise, he wouldn’t have made it into the academy. He had some comprehension ability.
And as the saying goes, reading a book a hundred times will make its meaning clear.
Accumulating nearly fifteen hundred readings had left no doubts about the blade technique.
Next, it was time for actual practice.
Luo Mu picked up an ordinary longsword.
Following the technique’s stances and incantations, he began to practise.
For someone at the seventh level of the Body Tempering Realm, an upper-grade Human technique was still quite strenuous.
Martial techniques of this level consumed a large amount of vitality with every practice session.
As expected, after completing just one round of practice, Luo Mu felt as though a third of his vitality had been drained, and he was mentally fatigued.
Even with the aid of pills, it seemed he wouldn’t be able to practise many times in a day.
Ding!
“You have diligently practised ‘The Deadly Blade Technique’ and have triggered a critical hit, gaining hundredfold rewards!”
Hundredfold!
Luo Mu was overjoyed.
While reading, he hadn’t triggered anything higher than fortyfold, but now, with a hundredfold, it was equivalent to practising the technique a hundred times!
On his own, it would have taken him a month to complete a hundred sessions.
Boom!
A flood of insights filled Luo Mu’s mind, rapidly enhancing his blade technique proficiency.
However, soon after, Luo Mu frowned.
Despite the hundredfold reward, the improvement didn’t seem as significant as expected.
Blade proficiency had several stages: Entry, Novice, Minor Accomplishment, Major Accomplishment, and Mastery.
After the hundredfold reward, he had only reached the Novice stage.
“I forgot!”
Luo Mu slapped his forehead.
“The Deadly Blade Technique” required a special environment for training—it needed to be practised in the midst of slaughter.
Otherwise, the gains would be minimal, and eventually, there would be no gains at all.
“Looks like I’ll have to head to the back mountain.”
Luo Mu looked toward the southern part of the academy.
That was where the back mountain lay, the academy’s designated training ground.
The area housed various demonic beasts bred by the academy, some as powerful as third-level beasts, comparable to a human at the Spirit Sea level!
“Seventh level of the Body Tempering Realm is still too low. I’ll wait until I reach the ninth level before I go.”
Luo Mu knew his limits.
With every breakthrough in the Body Tempering Realm, one’s vitality would increase significantly.
At the ninth level, training “The Deadly Blade Technique” wouldn’t be as strenuous, and he could better handle the dangers of the back mountain’s outskirts.
“Time to train!”
Returning to his room, Luo Mu sat cross-legged, swallowed a pill, and began his cultivation.