"Clang!!"
With a crisp collision sound, the longsword in Fang Zheng's hand spun and flew out, landing on the ground. He himself was knocked backward by the immense force, falling to the ground and gasping for breath.
"Get up, continue!"
Hearing Shi Dong's words, Fang Zheng hurriedly rolled over and got up from the ground, grabbing the longsword. At this moment, the steel-made longsword felt as heavy as a thousand pounds in Fang Zheng's hand. But even so, Fang Zheng gritted his teeth, staring at the fully armored Grand Knight in front of him. After a brief thought, he swiftly moved to Shi Dong's right side and swung his sword. However, this time, Shi Dong didn't even glance at him. A casual swing from Shi Dong brought his enormous two-handed sword straight at him.
Facing the oncoming two-handed giant sword, Fang Zheng gritted his teeth and tightly gripped the longsword to meet it.
As the swords crossed, Fang Zheng struggled to hold the hilt and angled the blade, attempting to deflect the force of the blow. The steel longsword screeched and twisted to the side. Then, with another "clang," Fang Zheng's hand couldn't withstand the force of the giant sword, and his fingers loosened. The longsword flew backward once again. Fortunately, this time Fang Zheng didn't fall with it.
"That's enough for today."
Shi Dong sheathed his two-handed giant sword, looking at Fang Zheng with a gaze of appreciation.
"I have to say, kid, your body is too weak... but your perseverance is not bad. I've seen some slackers who start whining after training for just a short time, acting like I'm trying to kill them. You're not bad; you haven't complained once until now. You have potential!"
"Huff... huff... th... thank you..."
Hearing Shi Dong's praise, Fang Zheng wiped the sweat from his forehead and replied breathlessly. He felt like he could hardly stand. His hands were sore and numb, and he looked as exhausted as if he had been pulled out of a pond.
On the second day of becoming Shi Dong's student, Fang Zheng understood what the old bishop's sympathetic look meant. In fact, he was dragged out of bed before dawn by Shi Dong to start running and practicing swordsmanship—totally different from what Fang Zheng imagined. Shi Dong didn't teach any knight's sword skills but made him repeatedly practice the basic sword techniques.
Cut, slash, block, stab, thrust... Fang Zheng followed Shi Dong's orders and practiced these monotonous basic techniques repeatedly. According to Shi Dong, the Royal Cross Swordsmanship he used was already quite powerful. But because Fang Zheng lacked understanding of the sword, he couldn't fully harness its power.
Fang Zheng deeply agreed with this. Initially, when he sparred with Shi Dong, because his opponent wasn't familiar with this swordsmanship, Fang Zheng barely managed to gain the upper hand and win. But since that assessment, Fang Zheng had never won against Shi Dong again, even when Shi Dong used the most ordinary weapons. Fang Zheng always felt pressured and overwhelmed.
"You're really a weirdo, kid."
Looking at the sweat-drenched Fang Zheng, Shi Dong curled his lips.
"Usually, people with strong willpower don't have weak bodies. But why is your body so weak? And I see you've achieved a decent level of power. Why can't you swing a sword properly?"
Hearing Shi Dong's mockery, Fang Zheng rolled his eyes helplessly. Indeed, he had strong willpower. Without it, he couldn't have worked overtime without rest. As for this body... does he wish it were stronger? His original body at least had some abs. This damned cultist should be thankful his body hasn't been completely hollowed out...
Fang Zheng was well aware of the world's energy system, so he understood why Shi Dong said that. On this continent, people used a type of energy called "Power of the Star Spirits." However, to Fang Zheng, it was fundamentally no different from the "Inner Strength" in martial arts novels. In fact, their grading system was quite similar.
On this continent, the Power of the Star Spirits was divided into six levels: Entry, Standard, Elite, Grandmaster, Legendary, and Transcendent.
Entry-level professionals are like the common folks in martial arts novels who might know a bit of Shaolin Boxing or Black Tiger Heart Extraction. They mainly improve their physical quality without any notable changes. Most militiamen in this world are at this level.
Standard-level professionals are like disciples from major sects who have cultivated inner strength, far superior to those who only know a move or two of street fighting. They can use their power to enhance their bodies, surpassing ordinary people. For example, jumping several meters high or running a hundred meters in less than ten seconds. These people have mastered the use of Power of the Star Spirits to enhance their physical attributes and can use techniques like the "Golden Bell Shield" or "Cloud Ladder" that aren't particularly scientific.
Elite-level professionals go a step further. It's easy to identify an Elite professional by seeing if they can make the Power of the Star Spirits unleash an attack outside their body. Whether they're mages, knights, assassins, or thieves, if they can do this, it means they've surpassed ordinary warriors and become elites.
Grandmasters are even more formidable. Not only do they possess powerful strength, but they also innovate and have unique skills and combat techniques of their own. For example, the Great Knight Shi Dong is a Grandmaster. Those at this level are like sect leaders in martial arts novels, not only powerful but also having their signature techniques.
As for Legendary, they are even scarier. While Grandmasters are still within the realm of martial arts, Legends are almost at the level of immortal heroes in fiction. Their moves can shake the heavens and make darkness fall. They are nearly as powerful as deities. When they fight, areas spanning hundreds of miles can be affected. In this world, true Legendary powerhouses are the strategic weapons of each country. They rarely make moves. Their existence ensures peace on this continent.
But that's not all. Mortals are ultimately impulsive, greedy, and blind creatures. Restraint for a moment doesn't mean eternal restraint. Some may seek revenge, and others may fall into darkness to destroy the world. But none of this happens because there's an even more powerful level above Legendary.
Transcendent.
If Legendary is the pinnacle of the mundane, then Transcendent beings, as the name suggests, surpass the mundane. Transcendents are never mortals. They are incarnations and envoys of deities or demon kings, possessing power beyond humans. Sometimes, they can do whatever they want!
Because of this, the continent remains peaceful. Even Legendary powerhouses cannot create much chaos. After all, on this continent, good and evil are not eternal enemies. If someone attempts to destroy the world, their first hurdle might not be divine punishment but the demon king's dagger—after all, recruiting believers isn't free. Destroying the world would ruin it all.
That's why Shi Dong called Fang Zheng a weirdo. Fang Zheng's strength level was in the middle of the Elite rank, but physically, he seemed entirely untrained. It was as if Linghu Chong, with no inner strength, had learned the Six-Meridian Divine Sword and kept using BIUBIUBIU non-stop. Is that even possible?
Fang Zheng also realized his flaw: sword skills. The longsword was an unfamiliar weapon to him. In his previous life, he had never held one. Since his rebirth, he had only wielded a sword for less than a month. The system gave him the skills and knowledge, but experience couldn't be rushed. It required time and steady accumulation.
Fortunately, he wasn't entirely without options.
"Alright, that's it for today. Go rest."
Shi Dong was very satisfied with Fang Zheng. Although he found Fang Zheng's mastery of sword skills inconsistent with his experience, it wasn't surprising. Swordsmanship required perception and intelligence. Even a fool could learn by copying. Plus, Fang Zheng had the Holy Spirit Protection, so some anomalies were normal.
As for Fang Zheng's lack of physical strength, Shi Dong wasn't doubtful. One look at Fang Zheng's hands told him that this young man probably hadn't held a sword for more than two months. Thus, a noble who usually enjoyed himself wouldn't have superior physical fitness.
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Fang Zheng put down his longsword and left the training field. Along the way, he encountered several Sanctuary Warriors who burst into friendly laughter at his sorry state.
"Hey, Fang Zheng, did Shi Dong-sama beat you to the ground again?"
"Don't talk nonsense. He got up, didn't he? And he's walking."
"Hahaha, you're lucky. I wanted Shi Dong to be my guide back then, but he didn't think much of me. Such a pity..."
Fang Zheng rolled his eyes at these gloating fellows.
"Since you're so regretful, should I say something good for you to Shi Dong-sama?"
"Uh... better not... You see, I'm getting old. You should respect the elderly, right?"
"Hahaha..."
Watching that unfortunate guy's bitter smile made the others burst into laughter. The previously somber atmosphere lightened considerably.
Fang Zheng had only been in the Sanctuary for just over ten days, yet he had gotten along quite well with many people here. This was partly because his Holy Protection increased their natural goodwill toward him, and partly because Fang Zheng was generous. Whenever he had free time, he'd invite them to a tavern for a drink. Generous people are never disliked, so Fang Zheng's favorability among them soared.
But the fundamental reason the Sanctuary Warriors accepted Fang Zheng was his effort and determination. The Great Knight Shi Dong's training was famously strict. Many had witnessed apprentice knights being trained to the brink of death, treated like they were being punished. Most whined and gave up after a few days, but this frail young man managed to persevere for over ten days—a given for a warrior, but impressive for a young, frail noble.
After exchanging a few jokes with the others, Fang Zheng left the Sanctuary. He rented a small house nearby for living, thanks to the Star Pattern and the Sanctuary's endorsement. Originally, Shi Dong wanted Fang Zheng to stay in the Sanctuary, but Fang Zheng declined the invitation. Some things were unsuitable to be done in the Sanctuary.
Like now.
Back in his room, Fang Zheng sat on a chair, looking at the Dimensional Codex in front of him. The sun was setting, and night was about to fall.
Stretching out his hand, he gently opened the Codex, and a peculiar projection emerged from its pages. It looked like an Earth projection, but numerous satellites orbited it. They revolved around the Earth. Fang Zheng could clearly see the text appearing in his vision.
[Dimensional World][Free World]
In Fang Zheng's eyes, [Dimensional World] was still grayed out and unresponsive, but [Free World] was accessible. Fang Zheng understood this well.
Unlike [Dimensional World], when Fang Zheng traveled to [Free World], the time in the Main World would not flow. This meant that no matter how long he stayed in that world, time in the Main World would remain where he left it. Fang Zheng could stay in [Free World] indefinitely and leave anytime. He could even choose to forcibly exit if he encountered life-threatening danger...
This made [Free World] seem better than [Dimensional World]. However, the system wasn't that lenient. Although [Free World] seemed great, it had its limitations.
First, in [Free World], Fang Zheng couldn't gain Dimensional Points, equipment, or skills by completing tasks. He could only receive attribute-related rewards. Second, in [Free World], Fang Zheng couldn't use any of the skills and equipment he obtained, nor activate Soulstone. In [Free World], Fang Zheng would just be an ordinary person, with attributes merely enhanced by titles and basic stats.
Moreover, [Free World] was divided into three categories: Mind, Skill, and Body. Fang Zheng had been pondering which world to visit for improvement, but after extensive training with Shi Dong, he clearly understood his current shortcomings. He quickly made his decision.
This is it.
Looking at the teleportation icon, Fang Zheng took a deep breath and then reached out to tap on [Skill]. Soon, dazzling light dots appeared before him, intertwining to form a beam that enveloped him.
The time to enter the new world had arrived!