'Forget it, let's just summon the system's sword and say I found it here,' he shrugged. It would be an obvious lie, but what are they going to do about it?
'System, I choose the sword for my unclaimed prize, give me the sword and the respective manual.'
[Sword conjured. Would the host like a customized design?]
'Customized? Yes, I want it to look like those swords here!' Theo immediately decided once he realized it was an option. Instead of looking cool, he might as well take advantage of this option to avoid trouble.
*Ding!*
[Conjuring sword – 1%... 5%... 20%... 50%... 99%... 100%]
[Sword of the Void is ready!]
[Sword of the Void (Third grade, Heaven quality) – a sword conjured by an unnamed system. It has the power to cut through the parallel dimension of the sword.]
Weapons could also be divided into grades, with each grade corresponding to a cultivation stage. The third grade means the sword could be used by a third-stage cultivator without holding him back.
Theo, who wasn't in the third stage, could be said to be holding the sword back instead as he could not wield its true power and manifest its potential.
Then, there was a sub-grading for the weapons – Basic, Advanced, Earth, and Heaven. There could be a big gap between weapons of the same grade this way, just like there can be a big difference between cultivators of the same stage.
A cultivator with a good foundation would find a third-grade weapon of the basic tier insufficient. The stronger the cultivator, the better weapon they'd need.
'Third grade is good. I'm close to the second stage, so a first-grade sword would be useless. A second-grade weapon would likely be outdated quickly as well. A fourth-grade weapon would be too much for me to use, like a child swinging a war hammer. Third grade is the best balance.'
A sword appeared in Theo's hand out of nowhere, and he inspected it from all directions, unable to tell it apart from the swords on the shelves. However, he knew that there was a difference; the swords in the armory were all first-grade of the basic tier, with a few better ones of the advanced tier. His sword could probably snap them like little twigs.
[Twenty-Four Forms Sword Manual (Supreme basic tier) obtained, congratulations!]
[Would the host like to learn it now?]
[Yes / No]
'Yes.' Theo didn't hesitate.
The ethereal screen was replaced by a book, looking like a PDF version of a web novel. He read the first few paragraphs to activate the system.
*Ding!*
[Learning detected. Does the host wish to spend cultivation years on learning?]
'Yes,' he willed it.
[Learn the technique – one year]
There was nothing about learning it to different levels, Theo theorized the basic tier was limited and there was nothing too profound about it.
'Learn.'
Theo spent a whole year reading and memorizing the technique. 24 forms and attacks were recorded in the technique, each serving as a great foundation for the practitioner's swordsmanship. They weren't too complicated nor did they have incredible power, but they included all the basics.
'I didn't gain much from the last half a year,' Theo lamented. The system worked with full-year increments, so he couldn't spend half a year on learning. If there was no meaningful progress before the year ended, it could be counted as the host's loss.
Not wanting to waste time, the youth opted to practice the sword technique right then and there. He had enough fighting experience now, so there was no need to go fight others. As long as he could learn how to perform his sword forms perfectly, he could easily incorporate them into real fights.
Theo copied the first form. He took half a step forward and slashed the sword downward with a little tilt from the right to the left. Next, the foot that advanced now retreated a whole step backward, sending him half a step compared to his starting point, and the sword returned upward with a flash.
The third form… the fourth form… the tenth form… the twentieth form…
Eventually, Theo made half a spin and his sword completed a slash smoothly, following the last movement of the twenty-fourth form.
*Ding!*
[Training detected. Does the host wish to spend cultivation years on training the Twenty-Four-Forms Swords Manual?]
'Yes!' Theo spammed the 'yes' thought without waiting for the system to catch up.
[Practice the manual to practice level – 1 year]
[Practice the manual to understanding – 2 years]
[Practice the manual to perfection – 15 years]
'Wow, there's such a big gap between understanding and perfection?' He was a bit shocked. He didn't expect the difference to be that massive, 7.5 times more. But he only hesitated for one second before picking the perfection option.
Theo already developed an exquisite taste for being the best. He wouldn't settle on less than that.
Theo immediately turned into a devoted swordsman. He continued practicing the sequence of the manual repeatedly, slowly conditioning his body to do them by instinct. At first, he made great progress steadily.
Unfortunately, his progress stopped after half a year, and only a year later did he make a big breakthrough in his training, realizing he had been too strict and inflexible, which brought to a renewal of his initial swift progress.
But his griefs weren't over yet. After another half a year, when the second year just ended, Theo was stuck again. No matter how much he practiced, nothing happened. But he continued almost perversely, swinging and brandishing his sword without taking a break for thirteen more years.
Toward the end of the thirteenth year, something finally happened. A bottleneck was released, and Theo felt like he had become one with the sword. His intentions were conveyed to his sword, and the blade would follow his command.
Not only that, but now Theo could even give the Qi he manipulated some sword-like attributes, making it sharp and capable of harming others upon contact.
'This is sword intent?' Theo realized. His gaze alone could make a simple swordsman hesitate when wielding his sword, making them feel intimidated and worthless. Theo continued learning how to harness this new power for two months before letting out turbid air with an exhale and stopping his training session.
'I'm overpowered!' he thought in excitement. Now, if he wielded a sword, he might be able to defeat Maria in combat! Of course, that's considering that he knew all her habits, otherwise, the gap in raw strength was too big to overcome with skill.
The youth soon left the armory. It took him about five minutes to pick a weapon and get out, and the two girls used this time to exchange gossip and chat about nothing.
"Senior Brother, did you pick a sword?" The guard asked. She did it because there was no better question, she knew there was only one type of sword, and those with keen eyes could get the advanced version. If Theo didn't pick right, the sect leader would swap it soon enough anyway.
"I did, I managed to put my hands on the better version," Theo chuckled, letting the girl assume he meant the advanced tier.
"Good eyes!"
"Senior Brother, let's stay here, it's quiet and nobody will interfere. How about I teach you our sect's Sword of the Seven Cranes? It has a complicated sequence of seven swords, but I'm a great teacher!" Anya patted her round chest in pride.
"Hm? Sure, show me," Theo's eyes sparkled in excitement as he watched intently. Right now his intent might have been stronger than earlier with the sword. There was no way he would miss this jiggly sight!
"Senior Brother, you are so eager to learn," Anya giggled innocently. The young man appreciated her act of innocence greatly, finding it very pleasing to the feelings. Enjoying an innocent voluptuous girl could be considered great luck.
She didn't waste his time. Anya truly wanted to help her senior brother train, it's just that she was a great teacher, and she knew how to invoke interest in her student's heart. It had nothing to do with her wish for her senior brother to pounce on her like a hungry animal and ravage her sexy figure with his two hands and three legs.
Her robes fluttered as she drew her sword and aimed it forward. Anya thrust her sword gracefully before finishing the move with a swipe to the side. If the invisible opponent dared dodge the first strike by moving aside, this second sword would behead them on the spot.
Theo, however, frowned. His focus was swayed with the waves of the mountains, and today he had learned the land could ebb and flow too, but his mastery of the sword allowed him to see through the flaws in her technique without even trying.
"Anya, let your body slide instead of striding when you perform the first strike, and pull your left leg backward to be on sideways when you enter the second floor, it would allow a smoother transition to the third sword."
*Ding!*
[Achievement: Educate the Peasants (Ninth Grade)]
[You have taught a cultivator for the first time, you get ten years of cultivation.]