Neo stood still in silence.
He breathed deeply and exhaled from his belly.
His face, covered in sweat, held a serene expression.
On his angular jaw, scant strands of hair could be seen, though not nearly enough to be called a stubble.
His ragged shorts clung tightly to his body, and his broad frame cast a shadow over the pink grass before him.
His luscious purple hair rested softly on his shoulders, swaying gently with his every movement.
The black tips made it appear even more resplendent, like the very expanse of space.
His well-defined arms and abs gave his physique an aesthetic appeal. If one were to compare him now to the lanky youth who had entered the Spirit realm some months ago, the difference was like night and day.
He had changed, both physically and mentally—and not by a small amount.
It was the kind of change that preceded the birth of legends!
Neo gripped his black spear and slowly adopted a martial stance.
His left foot stepped backwards, his waist rotated slightly, his knees lowered, and his upper body leaned forward.
His mesmerising purple eyes gradually closed as he held this stance for minutes. He neither moved nor spoke; he didn't even open his eyes.
He simply stood there, letting his entire being enter the perfect state of mind—one where he became one with his spear—before...
Swish!
Neo suddenly thrust his spear forward!
His movement was so fast that his body blurred.
The spear shot forward like an arrow and snapped back in the next instant.
After that beautiful thrust, he flowed into a downward sweep, followed by an overhead strike.
His body moved in a graceful spear dance, making his weapon seem like a living whip.
His spear moved with such fluidity that it gave the impression of being a flexible, conscious entity, unleashing multiple stabs and slices in mere seconds.
The dance was so smooth and unique that his spear seemed to be everywhere at once—thrusting to the left and then snapping to the right in the blink of an eye. It was a blistering performance that could easily overwhelm anyone who watched.
It was a manual worthy of the title Overlord Spear Manual, indeed!
As Neo continued his dance, his spear began to shine.
The blade and shaft glowed with a grey light, making it seem almost magical.
Grey trails of stars were left behind after every movement, adding to the mystical aura of the spear dance.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
The air was torn apart, and the blade emitted sharp swishing sounds. Each move grew stronger, deadlier, faster—yet Neo maintained the same level of power throughout.
He didn't add more speed, yet his spear grew faster. He didn't add more strength, yet his strikes were getting deadlier...
It was a dance that seemed to defy the laws of the world.
Then suddenly...
Ooommm!
Neo's final sweep left a vibrant trail of grey stars that floated and twinkled above him.
The ground began to tremble, and the sound of spears clashing resounded throughout the underground world.
Neo's black spear began to vibrate madly, shaking so intensely that it appeared to be in a state of ecstatic euphoria!
Its entire body shuddered under the nourishment and brilliance of the grey stars.
After several minutes, the stars slowly faded away.
At that moment, Neo opened his eyes.
He smiled as he looked down at the still shaking spear in his grip. He was elated.
He had comprehended spear intent—the basic level of spear intent!
Neo could only marvel at his own genius. He was too extraordinary!
What would take ordinary people years of hard work to achieve, and even geniuses almost a year, had been done by him in just five months!
Five months!
He was now an Intermediate Spearman—no longer just an average spear user!
What did this mean?
Neo made a simple swing.
Swhoosh!
Even without any enhancement of concept or mind, his normal swing, powered solely by spear intent, moved so fast that it left an afterimage!
By merely using his body's strength and spear intent, he willed his spear to move faster and strike with deadly precision.
The result was comparable to using weightlessness, effectively doubling the power and lethality of his attacks.
After Neo swing his spear, a shocking thought suddenly crossed his mind—what if he combined both techniques together...?
Neo sucked in a cold breath.
His enemies wouldn't stand a chance—they'd die without even seeing what hit them.
Or perhaps he'd achieve that legendary speed, where his foes wouldn't even realise their heads were gone until he walked another dozen metres away, kept his spear, put on his jacket, dusted his pants, patted the head of a Loli, and made a cool remark, and only then would their heads roll from their necks!
Neo stared at himself in disbelief.
Was he already becoming like one of those relic MCs?
A raucous laugh echoed through the silent underground cave.
"Hahahaha! Hehehehe! Hohohoho!"
The past five months of gruelling training... It had all been worth it!
Boom!
Just as Neo's laughter was reaching its peak, a powerful tremor suddenly shook the entire underground world!
His laughter came to an abrupt halt, like a man suffering from PE. He stared at the trembling world around him, his heart nearly stopping.
The cave was collapsing!?
Neo's first instinct was to flee.
But when he calmed his mind and carefully examined his surroundings, he noticed there were no cracking sounds coming from the walls or ceiling.
Suddenly, a huge beam of red light shot upwards from deep within the forest.
Neo spun around to face the brilliant beam that shone like a beacon in the dark cave. The red glow reflected in his eyes, brimming with greed.
That was the sign of a treasure maturing!
Roar!
Thousands of roars suddenly erupted from the forest, followed by the thunderous sound of rushing beasts.
Something was going on deep within the underground world forest. Something on a large scale.
Neo gazed forward, a frown etched on his face.
To go, or not to go?