In the forest, the trees were dense and overgrown.
Bui Tuyen, half-naked, stood firmly with his long hair flowing in the wind. His angular face and focused gaze radiated determination.
Every motion of his arm, lifting the blade and chopping down, showcased his muscular physique. Watching those bulging muscles move beneath his bronze, sweat-covered skin—perfect. The aura he exuded was as fierce as a beast putting all its might into hunting... it was an art form.
As mighty as he appeared, each slash of his blade left only faint scratches on the tree trunk. Pretending?
Wait, why was he using a blade to chop trees instead of an axe? Yet here he was, using a blade, looking so focused. Could he have a reason for it?
Noah Drake decided not to approach but called out from afar.
"Elder Bui..."
The words had barely left his mouth when Noah regretted them. Why say it like that?
Hearing someone call from behind, Bui Tuyen rested his blade on his shoulder and turned around.
Seeing who it was, Bui Tuyen's face lit up as he ran over. For the past two days, he had been practicing blade techniques with notable progress. At first, he could only chop down trees as thick as a wrist, but now he could handle trees as thick as a calf. While it might not sound impressive, the improvement was undeniable. Compared to when he first ascended the mountain, his blade skills were now worlds apart—practically double in strength in just two days! If given a month, wouldn't he be unbeatable? How could he not be excited?
"Master, Bui Tuyen has been remiss in not welcoming you from afar. I was too focused on practicing my blade techniques to notice the outside world. What brings you here today, my lord?"
Noah tried to remain composed, speaking softly so as not to offend the muscular mass in front.
"What are you doing?"
'Why did I say it like that? Today, my speech is so awkward, like an old man. Let me rephrase that.'
"Ahem... ahem... Why are you using a blade to chop trees?"
'...'
...
Feeling the awkward atmosphere, Bui Tuyen, unclear about his master's intent, still laughed heartily, his voice booming with energy.
"My lord, I'm chopping trees for wood. As for why I'm using a blade, it's because chopping with this blade is easier and also helps me train my blade techniques."
Seeing Bui Tuyen's enthusiasm, Noah felt a sense of manly vigor stir within himself.
The tension between the two relaxed considerably, but looking at those muscles, Noah felt like retreating.
Noah thought to himself, "Wait, wasn't I different yesterday? I was so commanding and heroic. Why am I acting so normal now?"
"You're a martial artist with a healthy, strong body. Even at the mortal level, with such well-defined muscles, how could you strike multiple times and fail to bring down a small tree?"
'Why am I asking him this? Shouldn't I just ask the system directly?'
While Noah's mind wandered, Bui Tuyen was still busy overthinking. Questions like, "Why is the master here? What purpose does he have in asking me that? Is there a hidden meaning in his awkward expression?" swirled in his head.
First, he called me "Elder Bui," even though I'm clearly younger compared to the master. Why "old"? Could it be sarcasm? Or just polite phrasing?
Then, he asked what I was doing. Clearly, the master instructed me to chop trees, so why would he ask? Do I not look like I'm chopping trees?
Lastly, the master seems to be reprimanding me for my weakness.
Suddenly, Bui Tuyen dropped to his knees, bowing his head to the ground and shouting loudly.
"Master, this disciple is incompetent and lacks strength. Please, give me a chance to grow stronger and serve you better!"
Noah, caught off guard by this sudden display, saw Bui Tuyen kneeling and apologizing but felt this was an opportunity.
In his mind, Noah silently asked the system, "Why can't Bui Tuyen, clearly a Martial General, chop down a few trees?"
The system responded, "The trees within the manor are infused with divine dragon energy of mythical grade, transforming them into spiritual wood. This spiritual wood has various effects when used for cooking or fuel.
The tree Bui Tuyen is chopping belongs to the type of spiritual wood that is exceptionally tough and hard to cut down. Its benefits include enhancing the physical body when used for cooking."
Noah took a deep breath upon hearing this, silently questioning the system further.
"How much of this kind of spiritual wood is in the estate?"
The system reported: "Currently, there are five catties of spiritual wood, consisting of three catties of iron white wood and two catties of flowing sand wood."
Although, Noah don't know what the other two woods are.
But ..
Looking at the vast forest ahead, then back at Bui Tuyen still kneeling, Noah stepped forward to help him up and said,
"What are you doing? I'm not here to punish you. I just haven't chopped wood in a long time, so I thought I'd come chop a few trees myself to bring back for boiling water."
"Come, let's chop together."
Noah pulled out the axe he had obtained from the system's gacha before. Approaching a tree, he tapped lightly on the trunk to test its hardness. The tree was indeed solid, but he felt it could be cut.
Gripping the axe, Noah assumed a proper stance, swinging diagonally at the trunk. A piece of bark fell off, releasing a refreshing, invigorating aroma.
Intuition told him that using this spiritual wood to make tea would significantly enhance the body. With such a treasure before him, he couldn't let it slip by. Excitement surged within him, as if he were discovering a hidden treasure. Memories of proper axe-wielding techniques surfaced in his mind. Adjusting the axe, Noah began chopping methodically.
Within three strikes, the tree toppled to the ground, spreading its fragrance far and wide.
Noah turned to see Bui Tuyen standing there, dumbfounded.
"What are you standing there for? Come help me split this tree. I'll share some with you. Hurry!"
Thus, the two of them—one a scholarly, weak-looking man, the other a burly, farmer-like figure—set about chopping wood together in the forest.
Noah, his face beaming with satisfaction, placed one foot on the tree trunk, not looking at the sky or the earth, fully immersed in the joy of chopping wood.
Each swing of his axe was precise, splitting the wood cleanly. It was incredibly satisfying.
It didn't take long before Noah had divided the tree into dozens of equal segments, his body drenched in sweat and flushed from exertion. He turned to see Bui Tuyen, who seemed lost in a dreamy gaze directed at him.
'He's not chopping? What is he staring at?'
Noticing Noah's gaze, Bui Tuyen snapped out of it, hurried over, and knelt again, shouting loudly,
"Master, please teach me the art of splitting wood! I swear to repay your kindness for the rest of my life!"
Noah was confused by this but noticed Bui Tuyen's blade stuck in a log nearby. Seriously? Could it be that even the strong in this world are like this?
"I'm not sure if blade techniques can be used to chop wood, but among tools, axes are the most suitable for this task. Here, take this axe and try chopping with it."
Overjoyed, Bui Tuyen took the axe and approached a nearby log. Assuming a firm and mighty stance, he looked as though he could split anything in two.
After gathering all his strength, he swung the axe down, but it only lodged lightly into the wood. Nothing else happened.
Noah observed everything and couldn't help but form a judgment in his mind:
'This man does not understand axe techniques.'
"Among various weapons like blades, swords, and crossbows, these tools are designed for combat, offering flexibility and high lethality. However, when it comes to sheer power, simple tools like hammers, axes, and staffs are unmatched. Therefore, when using such tools, it's better to focus entirely on their strengths, like brute force.
When I swing the axe, I'm simply using it as it's intended—to split the wood. That's the axe's purpose. But when you swing it, it feels like you're just trying to show off your strength.
Do you understand?"
Bui Tuyen pondered for a moment before replying,
"Master, forgive my ignorance, but isn't splitting wood with an axe still about strength? How is my strong swing any different from yours?"
"Look at the axe in your hand. Its purpose is to split wood. I, too, aim to split wood, so we work in harmony—I provide the strength, and it provides the sharpness.
But you only provide strength, and leave the rest to the axe. Simply put, you're using the axe as a tool to display your own power.
It's like this: if you're starving and unable to work, but your boss only gives you water to drink, can you work properly?
So stop questioning and just do as I do."
Noah ended the conversation there, focusing on splitting the wood before him.
He then enthusiastically guided Bui Tuyen, correcting every detail: the stance, the posture, and the techniques. Like a seasoned,
Then Noah Drake enthusiastically guided every detail, explaining how to stand, what the best posture was. It was as if he were a seasoned teacher, utterly devoted to his craft.
"You should stand like me, then strike down..."
"What kind of stance is that?"
"Imagine yourself as a vector with momentum, heading straight for the target. Ugh, you don't get it... Just think about splitting this log in half, and imagine the axe in your hand as the tool that will do it."
"Do it again, like me. That's closer... almost there."
After a while of instruction, Bui Tuyen finally managed to split his first log. Overjoyed, he ran toward me, wanting to embrace me, but I stopped him. "This simulation function is seriously like cheating in a game."
Finally, after some effort, the task was completed. Noah Drake used the command medallion to call a few people to carry the pile of firewood back to the kitchen.
Looking at the stockpile of resources in the kitchen, Noah. " Are there any other resources in the manor system that can help me?"
The system displayed a list of special items within the manor with specific functions.
Looking at the list of 30 items x 12+ pages..
'So the effect of the spirit vein is like that, transforming all things..'
'I wonder if these things are valuable outside..'
"Bui Tuyen," I called, "I haven't left the mountain in a long time. Do you know how cultivation resources in the outside world compare to those here?"
Hearing this, Bui Tuyen replied earnestly, "Master, the resources outside are hardly worth mentioning compared to those in the manor. As for this spiritual wood, it's my first time seeing it, but judging by its texture and durability, it must be classified as high-grade material."
"Is that so?"
On the outside, Noah Drake remained calm, but inside, his heart was brimming with joy, as if the heavens and earth were celebrating. A stroke of luck! A stroke of luck!
"Bui Tuyen . Actually, I don't belong to this era. Although my strength is still there, I can't use it. If I try to use it, it will cause a conflict between the two eras. So I intend to cultivate again according to the methods of this world."