"Inhale... exhale..."
Oliver stood beneath a towering oak, practicing his Energy Cultivation Technique as usual. The power within him circulated, pooling in his dantian. However, upon reaching its limit, the accumulated energy began to wane.
"The ability to eat is indeed a talent," Oliver mused.
It had taken him mere days to grasp the true meaning of those words. Energy Cultivation demanded physical sustenance, and "eating" was the sole means of replenishing that vitality. Greater consumption meant swifter recovery, and by extension, faster cultivation progress.
If that wasn't a talent, what was?
Even with the mess hall's generous policy, what good was eating until bursting if one's body could only process so much? A person's digestive capacity was inherently limited.
"With mastery of the Energy Cultivation Technique, plus the 60% boost from my skills, I can now cultivate roughly one strand of internal energy daily. At this rate, I could reach the second tier in two months..."
"But I only have a year, and I still need to practice swordsmanship!"
Oliver drew a deep breath, acutely aware of the long road ahead. There was no room for complacency.
Unlike farming and Energy Cultivation, swordsmanship fell outside the Rebirth Codex's purview. His aptitude for the blade remained uncertain.
"If I lack talent for swordsmanship, it's clearly more practical to focus on cultivating internal energy," Oliver reasoned. "Better to excel in one area than to be mediocre in many."
With his direction set, Oliver threw himself into cultivation.
The Hunting Team's elevated status meant his parents were incredibly supportive, never interfering with his training. This backing allowed Oliver to dedicate himself fully to his practice, unburdened by external worries.
The harsh memories of his twelve years in this life had tempered Oliver's character. He worked harder than in his previous incarnation, driven by the hope of one day achieving his goals and securing a better future.
This rigorous training regimen lasted for three whole months.
As winter's grip loosened, life stirred anew. Sparrows chirped and hopped about, occasionally alighting on the shoulders of the boy who stood like a statue.
Suddenly, the boy's eyes snapped open. A surge of energy pulsed outward, causing a nearby sparrow to stiffen mid-flight. As it plummeted, a hand darted out, catching the bird and gently placing it on the ground.
"Energy Cultivation Technique, Second Tier!"
The boy was Oliver. He watched as the stunned sparrow played dead for a moment before taking wing. In his perception, the bird's flight seemed unnaturally slow, as if time itself had decelerated.
This strange sensation wasn't without cause. A closer look at Oliver's eyes revealed an unnatural brightness, as if light emanated from within.
This was the manifestation of vast internal energy. It took a full hundred strands of energy to condense into a single pale white strand. The effects were remarkable, allowing for explosive enhancement of bodily functions for brief periods. Unfortunately, this state could only be maintained for about a minute. Unless his realm improved further, expending it all at once in battle would be far too risky.
"The third tier requires twelve pale white strands... that's at least three years of cultivation," Oliver's lips twisted in frustration.
Cultivating one strand of internal energy daily was still too slow. It took three months to form a single pale white strand.
Moreover, after cultivation, merging the energy wasn't trivial. It required extensive refining and forging, another time-consuming process.
Oliver could clearly feel the increasing burden on his body as the pale white energy accumulated. In other words, as his power grew, his practice would become increasingly challenging.
◇ Ordinary Skills Farming (Level 3: 200/300, 30% yield increase) Energy Cultivation (Level 3: 146/600, 60% practice speed increase) ◇
"I can only place my hopes in you, Rebirth Codex," Oliver whispered inwardly.
Since the fourth level of attainment was termed a "Minor Achievement" and represented a significant realm leap, what changes might occur in his skills?
He had every reason to believe that level 4 reincarnation skills would bring about a monumental shift.
At his current pace of nearly 100 points in three months, his skills would reach level 4 in a year and a half at most. Compared to Energy Cultivation, this was far swifter progress.
"With Energy Cultivation at the second tier, I've barely reached an acceptable level. It's time to seriously tackle the Monster-Slaying Sword Technique," Oliver decided.
"While I needn't master it completely, I must at least familiarize myself with the routines. Otherwise, I'll inevitably falter in actual combat, lowering my standing in the eyes of veteran hunters."
Oliver took up his sword and began a series of fierce movements.
For three months, he had practiced briefly each day to maintain his feel for the weapon, but hadn't delved deeply into the technique.
Now, he began to study the intricacies of the Monster-Slaying Sword Technique in detail, approaching it with the same analytical mindset he'd applied to Energy Cultivation.
Any technique, he reasoned, required thought and learning. Rote memorization was the least efficient approach.
He carefully experienced the sword routines, pondering their intent. Once again, he made a swift discovery.
The technique's purpose was too obvious to miss when examined seriously.
The Monster-Slaying Sword Technique appeared to be mere sword swings, but in reality, it was an auxiliary action to mobilize internal energy.
Mobilizing internal energy faster, in greater quantities, and with less waste – this was the true meaning behind the technique.
This characteristic was difficult to experience in daily training, but once emotions were heightened or focus sharpened, internal energy would respond to thoughts. Its flow would suddenly accelerate, and its power would increase dramatically.
In such a state, cleaving through any obstacle became possible!
Understanding the technique's core intention, Oliver's practice accelerated significantly. He no longer adhered strictly to form, making slight deviations to allow his internal energy to adapt more swiftly to the corresponding pathways.
It's worth noting that these deviations were minute, tailored to his own physique without altering the overall framework.
Oliver himself had only a limited understanding of sword techniques and monsters. Making arbitrary changes would be courting disaster.
Many moves were created specifically to deal with particular situations and weren't naturally suited to body postures. Altering them would negate their original effectiveness.
For instance, there was a defensive move in the Monster-Slaying Sword Technique that required holding the sword horizontally before the body, left hand bracing the blade. This basic action wasn't conducive to attack or energy conduction.
However, this move was essential. The body had to be forced to remember this defensive energy flow.
Thus, in a critical moment, assuming the posture would immediately channel life-saving energy.
After making some adjustments to accommodate his height and sword length, Oliver began practicing his swings day after day.
Sword techniques, he realized, were nothing more than a few fixed movements and variations in swing angles. Once the basics were mastered, everything else would follow.
"Speed! Precision! Ferocity!" Oliver muttered, his blade slicing through the air.
Even without Thomas's instruction, Oliver knew these were the essence of combat skills.
This world merely added the extra factor of internal energy, but energy couldn't be separated from speed, precision, and ferocity.
Faster flow, more accurate strikes, more fierce explosions of power – the combination of these three elements was true strength!