Yasenia looked at the sword, her breathing was rough, and her body dripped sweat as if she had just showered. Yasenia muttered, "I'm too weak to swing this heavy sword…."
Yasenia scratched her cheek and said, "I mean, with its weight, this is a sword that normally should be used by High-level Mental cultivators or even Unification Realm cultivators… However… "
Yasenia circulated her energy. She felt it run through her body more agile. It could pass from meridian to meridian better than before, more easily from one muscle to another, from one point to another. Not by much, but there was an effect. "...Why? I'm not doing anything different from normal…. Is it the sword or the dress?"
She went to the camp they set while thinking about the strange effects. Madeleine spoke, "Yasenia, I know you can go without sleep thanks to your cultivation technique. This night, try to feel the Moon and the stars."
"Cecile, nights here are freezing and windy, go outside and cultivate and lay the foundations for the energy burst you will receive in your first dual cultivation session. Your tribulation should be easy if you do this." Both of them nodded.
One week later.
For Yasenia and Cecile, this week was harsh. Yasenia cultivated from Dusk to midnight, then practiced her Moon series for the rest of the night. She trained [Dawn] and [Sunrise] without sleeping when Dawn approached. After Sunrise, she ate and rested a bit with Cecile.
They just hugged and gave little kisses to each other. They also didn't speak much, feeling each other presence was enough. When Noon approached, she used the [Noon] skill twice and then sat down to cultivate. At Sunset, she practiced [Sunset] and [Dusk]. And after all of that, she started her routine again.
Cecile had a similar training routine with her skills. At night she cultivated and felt the raging blizzards around while having her elemental coat most of the time. When morning arrived, Cecile shot arrows with her [Space Freezing Gale Bow] skill until the bow collapsed, and Cecile couldn't create a single [Ice arrow]. Then she rested with Yasenia.
After recovering her energy, she tried to use her new [Crystal Bow] to get used to it. She realized that the arrows had at least twofold the strength. Her energy flow was smoother, but she consumed more energy. When her energy depleted, she entered cultivation again.
Later that week, Mason arrived. Cecile and Yasenia bowed to him. They sat before him, and Yasenia let Cecile ask him about the space attribute first. She also listened, "The space energy is more auxiliary than offensive or defensive. For example, you can make an earth wall and then lock the space around that earth wall making it more robust."
"You can also do a sword swing and reduce the distance between your sword and the thing you can strike, making your melee attacks ranged. You can do the same for bows and arrows, making the arrow speed faster, or like your [Space arrow] skill to lock on one target for your attacks."
"You can also coat your movement techniques and make a type of shrinking step, with one step, advance 10 meters instead of one. Finally, attack and defensive space techniques… These are hard to control because you can easily damage yourself. Imagine a space attribute arrow that destroys the space where it lands instead of connecting two points."
"It would be certainly powerful…But, a single leaf that appears on its way would make it explode. It is difficult to explode it where you want because space attacks are very volatile. Sword attacks are even more dangerous because you are at melee when doing them. Destabilizing space fabric is not hard. What is hard is controlling it."
Then he continued speaking more about it. After two hours of discussing, Yasenia said. "Teacher, how can you easily use a sword as big as you? I've been practicing these days, and I'm always losing balance, even when I use my tail to help… If I continue like this, in combat, I will be an easy target."
Mason looked at Yasenia and asked her to do a practicing round before him. Cecile looked at the side. Yasenia started her Moon series and continued with her Sun attacks, putting in between the [Dawn] and [Dusk] attacks to maintain her energy and make the big attacks like [Noon] or [Full Moon].
Yasenia filled the area where she activated the skills with explosions and energy waves. It was a terrifying sight that a Body Modification cultivator shouldn't be able to do.
Although Yasenia was able to activate them and bring an amount of destruction well above her supposed level, her moves were clunky. You could see that she was having trouble swinging that oversized sword. Mason already knew what was wrong, so he stopped her.
Cecile, at the side, was impressed by her absurd destructive power. 'If she can do that without controlling that sword… When she controls it….'
A chill ran up her spine. 'Strong doesn't make her justice. She truly is of the Dragon bloodline, a complete monster.'
Mason spoke, "Well, your problem is easier to solve than I thought."
Yasenia looked inquiringly. "You are using the giant sword as if it was a normal broadsword. You are trying to add flexibility to a sword that has none. What are the characteristics of your sword?"
Yasenia thought and answered, "Heavy, long reach, and changing directions midswing is almost impossible."
Mason nodded. "Why are you trying to add direction changes? Have you forgotten your most important asset?"
Yasenia thought while tapping her tail on the ground. Wait... She looked towards her tail, and realization flashed in her golden eyes. "I see. Thank you, teacher Mason! Even if my swings are easy to predict, blocking or evading them is hard. Moreover, once they block or dodge successfully, my tail will be waiting."
Yasenia chuckled at the absurdity, "Not being able to use my skills comfortably has made me forget about my tail. The saying 'Did you forget your head?' Is a perfect fit, Hahaha."
Mason smiled and continued, "Doing direction changes is also possible, for that you must learn to start without much strength and then change the attack mid-swing. With this weapon, the most important thing is momentum management."
Mason finally added, "Use your other motions and chain them. Your fight against Lucinda was a textbook example of giant sword fighting. You used the giant sword to overwhelm her and added tail attacks not to let her recover. Even if this one is heavier and longer, the foundation you have built doesn't change."
Yasenia and Cecile practiced these two days under Mason and Madeleine. After Mason left, they returned to the previous regimen. With the advice of the two teachers, their improvement speed was terrific. Cecile managed to create the skill! [Chilling wind coat] Not only increased her defense, but she could also use those winds to coat her arrows and make them more lethal.
One morning, while Cecile and Madeleine were talking, they suddenly felt Yasenia's aura change. They saw Yasenia pointing the sword tip behind her right side. Sweat was pouring from her, but her irises were fully golden, without any red! Her face was earnest as she started the [Sunrise] strike.
Yasenia put her left foot forward, lowered her waist, and started the sword motion. When the tip was about to hit the ground, she straightened her body and leaned backward enough not to lose balance. The sword tip grazed the ice under her, passing it and starting the rising motion.
When the sword completed half of its rising trajectory and was parallel to the ground, she used the enormous sword momentum to follow her strike and change her grip to prepare and do the next uprising strike from her left. Her grip changed, and the sword completed the first [Sunrise] strike. Then, she took one step forward with her right foot, and lowered her waist. Her stance became a mirror of her starting one!
She repeated the motion from her left this time! Using her whole-body muscles and the momentum of the giant sword, she made the blade start the upraising movement again. The sword completed the [Sunrise] strike without problems, and Yasenia changed the grip to the starting one. After the sword fell backward, she came back to her initial posture!
Then, she entered a complete cycle of continuous [Sunrise] strikes! Better, with each strike, the momentum of the sword swing became more powerful, and her attack speed faster! Her mastery of the sword started rising rapidly.
Time passed, and Sunrise came! Her sword started shining, and *Whoosh* A giant vertical golden crescent shot from her sword, scorching the ice below! Each time Yasenia completed the [Sunrise] motion, that scorching crescent appeared.
Madeleine looked wholly amazed and with a smile on her face. "Truly, people like her are made differently. She has achieved initial sword mastery! From now on, her learning speed with sword-related skills will soar. I bet those old swordsmen would freak out if they heard this. A 20-year-old sword master!"
Cecile, who was paying attention more to the damage Yasenia's strikes were doing, was stunned. 'So this is what she can do when she masters the sword. Thanks to the heavens that Andrea told her to carry her weapon here to practice.'
When sunrise time passed, Yasenia stopped. Her completely golden eyes dimmed slightly, and the red returned. Her sword fell from her trembling arms, and her legs and tail almost couldn't hold her body. "Haa… Haa… Haa… I made it." She then let herself fall to the ground.
Cecile, who was already approaching, instinctively caught her. The overpowering sweet floral scent assaulted her senses and made her thoughts fly towards the next night with her cheeks reddening. 'Tomorrow, I will finally be able to embrace her!'
Madeleine took out the boat and said, "Get on. There are showers inside. You can relax while we go back."
Cecile supported Yasenia, and they walked toward the boat. Yasenia went to shower while Madeleine and Cecile waited for her. Madeleine heard Yasenia's steps, so she started speaking, "Both of you have advanced a lot these two weeks. There will be a tournament in two months."
Madeleine looked at Yasenia, who was coming over and said, "The minimum cultivation level is the half-step Body modification realm. The maximum will be a half-step Mental Nourishing realm. If you rank in the top 1000, you will gain an entry jade for A secret realm with the same entrance limits in about 5~6 months from now."
Yasenia heard her and asked strangely, "Doesn't the Academy has reserved slots? I heard that disciples from influential powers have slots for these secret realms."
Madeleine shrugged, "The Academy has many entry slots. However, the current number of slots is zero after distributing it towards the most outstanding disciples."
Cecile asked in her cold voice, "Isn't this going to make the Academy look bad? If we don't rank high in this junior tournament, the Academy's reputation might be lower, right?"
Madeleine smiled and said, "That is in the hands of those who will participate. The top people will get more than just one entry jade. Of course, the higher you rank, the higher the rewards. I heard the prize for ranking first is quite a treat~."
Yasenia asked, "Isn't it better to send the stronger ones and reserve the Academy's slots for those who fail?"
Madeleine shook her head. "Even if it is better, sending the stronger disciples will make their skills public. They will have fewer hidden trump cards to get out of sticky situations when they enter the Secret Realm. The number of slots distributed in the tournament is 1500. But, in truth, there were more than 100 000 slots in total."
Yasenia raised an eyebrow, "Although my mother spoke to me about these realms, she didn't tell me their actual size… I thought that 100 people entering would cram those realms!"
Madeleine laughed. "Well, this one is also small. Although people becoming cultivators is indeed rare, you have to remember that cultivators live much longer than mortals. That is why there are a ton of cultivators. The greatest number of cultivators are in the Unification realm in the Sky Continent!"
The next day they reached the Academy. Yasenia has already spoken with Cecile, and they will meet up at Yasenia's house. Yasenia walked towards her house rather hastily. She hasn't seen her baby, darling, and dear, for two weeks, and she misses them dearly. Especially her spoiled little baby!