At the epicenter, the Sword King was about to retract his sword when Benedict dashed in at unbelievable speeds. He ruthlessly slashed out to kill the man! It all happened so fast that it was practically instantaneously. The attack surpassed thought! Moreover, it was so sublime and simple that it cut straight into the heart of swordsmanship. It could very well be considered perfect! If anyone else were present, this strike would have been enough to kill them a thousand times over. In the face of this daunting attack though, the Sword King smiled. Who was he? A Rank 3 King, an Instinct Realm, and someone hailed as the monarch of swords! In response, the Sword King moved ten times faster and parried the blow instantly with his sword, creating another large shockwave.
The moment the two sides collided though, Benedict unleashed a flying strike too! But without Martial Energy, it was purely a physical strike. He swung his sword hard enough to produce a highly compressed air shockwave! It was like Cardinal Shaolong's flying strike used against Sir Winstin back then. Although the Sword King blocked it, the residual force flew past and split the wall behind. If the man did not resist it with Martial Energy, the flying strike could have easily cut him in half! Before the dust could settle, Lanar and Hidek pounced to attack from three sides at once. The three disciples were unwilling to give their master a moment's respite. Boom! After another fierce clash, it was over.
"I suppose that's my victory then," the Sword King casually announced, as if he were taking a walk through his own garden.
Under his foot was Benedict, who was coughing up blood. In his left hand was Lanar's neck, who he was holding up like a ragdoll. In his right hand was his sword that was nudged up against Hidek's throat. The three disciples could offer no resistance against their monstrous master! Releasing the three of them, they rolled about to catch their breath. Meanwhile, the Sword King waved his sword around and sheathed it. He could execute thirty Perception Realms from the First Hand in one strike. For a Rank 3 King, this result was expected. If he went all out, they would not last a second.
"Damn!" Lanar scowled. Disappointment was written across his face.
"It really is a bitter truth to swallow," Hidek sighed. "Master is unfathomably strong."
"Even with three people attacking, we couldn't touch his clothes," Benedict added with disbelief. "This is the true power behind our master, the Sword King, huh?" His eyes burned with yearning.
"The strategy you three created wasn't bad, but it was insufficient. Hidek, your mastery over Martial Energy has improved greatly, but you don't have the courage and heart to march at the front. Even in our previous duel, you wanted to ambush me. However, it would've been smarter to attack me head-on, especially since you know of my Martial Perception's range. If you continue like this, you won't break into Half-Instinct Realm, much less become the next Sword King.
"As for you, Lanar… You're too hotheaded. You want to charge in headfirst, without consideration for anything or anyone around you, and it showed in your techniques. It's not a bad thing to be proud and arrogant. The path of becoming the sword monarch is exactly that: it's a lonely path to the top! But don't be ignorant. At your level, there are things that you can and can't do. You must polish your attitude, just like Hidek.
"And finally, Benedict," the Sword King's eyes focused on him. "In terms of progress, you came far. You grasped Martial Energy, awakened your Core, achieved Major Sword Form, and your temperament is passable, so I don't have many complaints there. Your main problem is your lack of experience. You'll need a lot more time to familiarize yourself with Martial Energy and manipulating it while in combat."
"Yes, we understand, master," the three of them said.
Nodding his head in satisfaction, the man replied, "I'll be going on a little trip, so the three of you will continue your training independently. I'll find all of you when my business is done." With that, he disappeared.
After settling their farewells, the three disciples departed. Benedict did not know where the others were headed, or what they planned to do. To be honest, he knew very little about them and their master. It was the simple pursuit for swordsmanship that united the four! There was no need for anything else. Shaking his head of pointless thoughts, Benedict gathered his belongings and channeled Martial Energy into his legs. This caused them to glow with a faintly golden color. He stomped down and the sheer force crushed the street stone bricks. Boom! The knight charged forward faster than a horse at full sprint, a speed that a human could never hope to reach! In less than a minute, he exited the town.
Several hours later and the town was already long gone from the horizon. He washed his grimy face in the river and sighed. Fatigue was written across his face. It was truly not easy to reach his current strength. The Sword King put him through a nightmarish training routine and if he failed at any point and failed to meet his master's harsh standards… Benedict shuddered. Although they rarely talked about non-swordsmanship topics, Benedict understood a bit of the Sword King's personality. Only useful people could enter the man's eyes. Useless people would be killed without mercy! So, the boy had to put in a monstrous amount of effort just to stay alive and eventually, he succeeded!
He looked at his hand and summoned Martial Energy. His fist began glowing with a menacing light, a sign that deadly power was gathering. Pulling back, he punched the air above the river, causing the water surface to explode! It was like someone dropped a massive rock from up high. Until he broke through into Perception Realm, his Martial Energy would be limited to the body, much like the Magic Perception of an Arcanist. Benedict could still perform those 'flying strikes' but they were a product of his Martial Energy augmenting his strength to ridiculous levels, not a true projection of his Martial Energy. Of course, that did not diminish his accomplishments at all. To be able to produce a fake flying strike as easily as he did, it was terrifying for a normal person! Very few people could replicate his feat!
Furthermore, he drew his sword lightning fast and slashed. A fish happened to be thrown into the air by his attack earlier and was easily beheaded. The cut was so fast and precise that no blood tainted his blade, while the fish landed beside him, its head perfectly removed without a flaw. He was still skeptical that his swordsmanship had improved by leaps and bounds! According to the Sword King, Benedict had the potential to reach Sword Intent, which was many times rarer than Perception Realm! After all, the Realms of Mastery and Core Levels focused on energy mastery. One was gauged by the quantity and quality of energy they could manipulate. Conversely, the Attainment Stages focused on theoretical understanding of a particular field. It was easier said than done to advance in the Attainment Stages.
Benedict attained Major Sword Form, one step from Perfect Sword Form. Sword Form was, as its name implied, general understanding of swordsmanship. How to advance, how to retreat, how to attack, how to defend, and all the various forms, techniques, and styles behind the sword. Perfect Sword Form meant understanding all the swordsmanship styles in the world and grasping techniques with ease! It was literally 'perfect'! And for Benedict, who was one step away, his swordsmanship had reached a sublime level. He now understood the five stances of the Hawken Style, the initial techniques of the Cloud Sea Style, and even began experimenting on a new style.
Roasting the fish, and taking a much-deserved break, he let his stamina replenish. It was a long time since he had some time to himself. Outside of his peers and master, he talked to very few others. Or rather, he saw very few people in general. Although they kept in the Alzar Kingdom, their training took them to remote and unforgiving environments. He had no way to see friends or family, no way to unwind and just relax… Sometimes, they would catch wind of particularly earth-shaking news, keeping them connected to the world. For example, the downfall of the Lannisail Household, destruction of the Whispering Shadow, and the revival of the Arcellius Family, but that was about it. The recent news of the Xingyuu civil war had yet to enter his ears.