After 5 months Noah and Smith could easily compress their energies and coat their swords. Now their swords could easily slice the boulders on the mountain into parts. It was time for them to develop sword intent.
"There are different ways to develop sword intent. One is through different life and death battles and another is by always being with the sword. But all this are achieved by sudden inspiration. This are the different ways that are used to achieve it in this world. But of course I have a better way. This is what I discovered after traveling different worlds with my sword to fight. Noah tell Smith to spar with you", the old man told Noah. Now was the best time for Noah to begin to use his sword intent.
"Smith let's spar", Noah said
"Yes Master", Smith replied.
While Noah and Smith were sparring Smith used what he had learnt on his path as a magic swordsman. He coated his whole body with compressed, refined mana and muttered, "Ignis". That was the most simplest spell as a mage. Mages use spell by speaking in languages that can move the mana in the air. Ignis simply means fire. Those who absorb the water elements to draw his circles can still use it but the power is not even one-tenth of what someone who uses fire element can do. The power the spell Ignis could bring in the hand of a 1 star mage is different as the power that it could bring to a 5 start mage. Warriors too can use spells as they have mana but that is stupid because unlike mages who uses circles to make their body store mana warriors will not be able to use mana after casting a spell because their pitiful mana reserves would be dried up. Smith was covered in fire. His Sword too became burning up. The compressed mana simply made the fire produced small. But that thin coating of fire on the sword made it countless times more dangerous. Noah could already feel the pressure. He knew he the odds of the spar had shifted greatly to Smith.
Noah had his faith energy coat the Sword and body too. His faith energy reserves was getting better as a larger number of goblins were worshipping him everyday. This shifted the spar to make Smith stronger than Noah but not in an overwhelming way. Noah's stamina was bad beginning to decline. Smith was in a worst position as he was actively burning his mana reserves. He was still a 2 star mage so his man's reserves were going low as he was constantly refueling the mana that was used for the spell to keep functioning. When the old man noticed the pressure on Noah he felt like now was the best time. He used his soul essense to make Noah slower. The pressure on Noah continued to build and the spar felt like it was a life death battle. He also muddled up Smith's brain so that he won't show care and just continued fighting with Noah.
"Why do you swing your Sword? Why do you want to become stronger? If your family discover that you aren't mediocre, what will happen after that?", The old man asked Noah by using his soul to resonate with Noah's soul. Noah who was facing huge pressure began to think because this was a question he heard from his soul he began to ponder.
"Why?", Noah thought a little after the first question was asked. To kill my enemies. When the second question was asked, he thought about it for some time. He had never really thought about it before. He felt that it is to show his family that he wasn't what they thought he was that he was not mediocre but after the third question was asked, he began to ponder. He began to feel like this episode with his family would be the end of his story of he doesn't set a bigger goal for himself.
"He has entered a comprehensive state and his reactions are becoming better because of it. He's begin to improve his sword skills. I wonder what his answer to the questions will be. Anyway once he figures them out he would develop his sword intent so any answer would suffice", the old man was in thought as he looked at Noah.
"I want to grow stronger so that I can use my sword to do anything I like unhindered", Noah finally got the answer to his questions. As if a cloud that has been blocking Noah's mind was open he began to swing his sword better and better till a silver energy was seen at the edge of the sword.
"There are two types of people who use the sword. One uses it to kill and that's all while the other uses his sword to achieve his lifetime goals. They treat their sword as a friend who accompany them to fulfill their goals. The similarities between them is that the intent to use the sword is known to both of them, one is just to kill while the other is to achieve his lifetime goal. But the difference between them is that once you use the sword to follow you to the end, the laws of the world blesses you with the ability to follow the law of the sword which is to break all laws. That is how sword intent is made", The old man told Noah.
After the sword intent was made Noah cut through the fire surrounding Smith sword. He didn't get burned unlike before because the was no collision. Noah had started to walk the path of a swordsman.
Smith was surprised by the fact that he was no longer having the upper hand. He noticed the new energy on the sword and saw that Noah was cutting through the fire easily. The spell Ignis was too low so the laws it could move was easily torn through by Noah. Their stamina quickly burned as they could no longer spar again.
"Master what is that sharp energy at the edge of your sword.? Why does it cut through my fire easily?", Smith asked curiously.
"It's called sword intent", Noah replied not saying anything more but Smith was used to it as Noah doesn't talk a lot.
Smith would take more time because learning sword intent will make his fire sword unusable so he would need to grow more with his magic before trying to use sword intent. That's why Noah didn't bother to ask him anymore.