"Elizabeth and Freon might be facing the same problem. We should hurry back."
"Alright, let me sense how many enemies are here first. It'll be good information to bring back."
Benedict took a deep breath and focused. Previously, he used Mock Perception to imitate the effects of Perception Realm, but it was a far cry from the real thing. It could only enhance a single sense, as compared to all five, and even with the application of Martial Energy, its range and effectiveness were meager. The two were basically two worlds apart, both in terms of quality and quantity! That was why Perception Realms could reign supreme over Fundamental Realms. This was the difference in rank! Regardless, Benedict was still very thankful that Shirley developed Mock Perception. It helped him grow accustomed to strengthening his senses, and thereby grasping Perception Realm. Her genius could be seen here. Benedict's eyes suddenly snapped open, as his aura soared. His Martial Perception activated!
A huge invisible force seemed to radiate in every direction, as the world opened before him! It was an incredibly mysterious feeling. It felt like he was everywhere and everything at once. From the smallest ant on the ground, to the leaves rustling on the trees, to the birds soaring high above the skies… He could sense everything with absolute clarity! It was truly incomparable to Mock Perception. He could not imagine this was what Perception Realms saw everyday. This feeling of absolute liberation and precision… It was addicting! This made him even more curious about the differences between Perception Realm Novice and Master. How did the world look like through Sir Winstin's eyes? Or his master, the Sword King? It must be more amazing!
This heightened state lasted for a fraction of a second before… his nose started bleeding. That joy quickly transformed into pain, as his mind was assaulted by an overwhelming surge of information. It was like staring into the suns. Although the sight was magnificent, it could also be blinding! He felt like his head was about to explode! It knocked him out of Martial Perception, and nearly knocked him out! As he kneeled on the ground with a pained expression, he smiled bitterly. So, this was what they meant by adjusting. Whenever he grew in strength, he would take the time to consolidate his foundations, except it was clearly different this time. His strength had grown so outrageously beyond what it normally was, that he failed to control his Martial Perception. What a terrifying outcome! He figured it would take a long time before he could properly use his Martial Perception in combat.
"Are you okay?" Shirley helped him up, while wiping his blood.
"I lost control of my Martial Perception, that's all. Let me try again."
"Be careful."
He nodded and regained his composure. The problem before was that he released his Martial Perception too fast, so the returning information was too much for him to handle. He was only a recently ascended Perception Realm Novice after all. Novice was the keyword. It was like filling a cup with water; he needed to be precise at the start. For his next attempt, Benedict gently released his Martial Perception, being very careful to control his own strength. Information slowly returned to him, as his range grew, but it was surprisingly difficult to limit his own senses. Not to mention, the more his range grew, the faster his coverage would grow. It would only get harder from here on out. When his perception finally reached the fringes of the battlefield, he had to stop, because he found himself covered in sweat. The physical and mental exhaustion was greater than he thought! He felt aggrieved. Although he finally achieved Perception Realm, he was too weak to use it!
"Your Martial Perception isn't ready yet. I'll figure out the rest with my Mock Perception. Take a rest here," Shirley said.
Benedict sighed. "Okay."
However, the moment she turned to leave, her instincts spiked! Without thinking, she grabbed Benedict by the collar and leapt! Whoosh! A second later, multiple throwing knives impaled the grass where they stood, making Benedict and Shirley pale. Looking at how deep the knives went, that seemingly simple attack would have been fatal! To sneak up on them and then attack with such precision… only Perception Realms could manage this. There was no mistaking it! Benedict and Shirley drew their weapons, as several figures dashed in. As expected, the one who attacked them with the throwing knives was Lord Xu, and he was accompanied by four other people. They were the powerful Perception Realms that Benedict sensed before: the young swordsman from the Jian Family, the couple from the Tiuxan School, and the mysterious bald man. As it turned out, they had sensed Benedict's earlier, uncontrolled release of Martial Perception, and tracked the source here. His mistake became a smokestack they could follow!
"He's our Perception Realm? He's so young!" The woman was shocked. From what she could tell, Benedict was actually under twenty years old. Even those exceptionally talented youths required nearly thirty years to breakthrough. To ascend before the age of twenty required a supreme prodigy, rarely seen once a generation. For example, Cardinal Hui, Sir Winstin, Lady Mingyu, the Sword King… She could not believe that there was such a prodigy standing before her.
"He might be younger than our Little Sword," the older bald man noted.
This made the younger swordsman's face darken. As the rising star of the Jian Family, he was nicknamed Little Sword because of his monstrous potential, but even then… he could not reach Perception Realm Adept until his mid-twenties. Although he surpassed all his peers, this was a level that he could never cross. His killing intent overflowed out! He could not let Benedict live!
"Don't worry, Little Sword. We'll kill them today!" Lord Xu declared. He was still embarrassed that he let them go so, to make sure there were no more accidents, he retrieved his seven daggers again. The sight of these Noble Grade daggers sent chills down Benedict's back. He had a deep impression of these weapons.
"Shirley, can you use your Bloodline Ability?" Benedict murmured.
"I can. What are you planning?"
"Just follow my lead."
"We can hear what you're saying, you know," Lord Xu interrupted. "Why does everyone think they can hide in front of a Perception Realm? That Legion General and those Brigade Commanders were the same way."
"Are you talking about… Legion General Christina Kalmar?"
Lord Xu smiled deviously. "That's right. You should have seen her face when we attacked her. That look of hopelessness was simply incredible. She tried begging for mercy, but I…" He threw a finger across his throat. "I did this to her! What do you think?"
Bang! The ground fractured under Shirley as she vanished. Energy Acceleration! She reappeared in front of Lord Xu and swung her halberd down! Whoosh! The force generated by her swing resembled a meteor. It felt strong enough to cleave the world in half! This was a ruthless attack by a bloodthirsty Shirey who aimed to kill him in one strike. It was near-instantaneous and almost perfect without any warning. Almost no one could have dodged it. Unfortunately, Lord Xu was one of them. Although he lacked any understanding of Martial Energy, he could vaguely sense its activation by sheer virtue of his Martial Perception alone. He was a Perception Realm Expert, bordering on Master, after all! Grinning, he maneuvered out of the way. Thankfully, she was easy to provoke. The Tiuxan School's couple charged at her from either side, while Lord Xu threw his Noble Grade daggers out. Three-Step Kill! Shirley would die first!
"Shirley!" Benedict shouted.
"Your opponent is me!" Little Sword roared as he attacked Benedict. "Show me what the Sword King's disciple can do!"
Their two swords collided in a big shockwave, leaving Benedict surprised. Despite using Martial Energy, his opponent could withstand it! No… That was not right. Rather than matching blow for blow, his opponent was skillfully absorbing and redirecting the momentum away. Much like a boat in a river, the currents would curve around it. That way, Little Sword only had to deal with the small portion that remained. He could handle an ox with a feather! It was an ingenious technique wielded by an equally ingenious swordsman. Benedict realized that his opponent's Sword Attainment must be the same as his: Major Sword Form. In addition, he was a Perception Realm Adept, one minor realm above Benedict. His status as the rising star of the Jian Family was clearly well deserved!