Chapter 263: Chapter 263: Rapidly Increasing Strength
His thumb knocked four times on the stone slab, which automatically slid to one side, revealing a hidden compartment. A generously designed sword was lying quietly inside.
The sword was three feet and six inches long and as wide as two thumbs. Shi Xiaole picked it up, finding it extremely light, almost weightless. When the sword was drawn, it suddenly burst into a blood-red glow. With a ’whoosh’, countless red spots splattered in the air.
"Is this a spiritual weapon?"
Shi Xiaole’s face was full of shock.
Weapons are divided into four levels: divine, spiritual, odd, and ordinary.
For instance, the Qingfeng sword is a lower-grade odd sword. The Shattered Snow Blade that Shi Xiaole left in the Golden Phoenix Tower is a middle-grade odd blade.
Odd weapons are far superior to ordinary weapons in sharpness, significantly enhancing a martial artist’s strength. But this enhancement is less than one-tenth of a spiritual weapon’s.
Because a spiritual weapon isn’t just about sharpness, it has lethal power. A martial artist in the Hidden Qi Realm, if he possesses a low-grade spiritual weapon, can suddenly launch an attack potent enough to kill a martial artist in the Qi Absorption Realm.
As for middle-grade and high-grade spiritual weapons, unless you have reached the Xuanqi Realm, you cannot use them as they could nearly drain your internal power with just one swing.
The red glow just now was not Shi Xiaole’s internal power, but the power the sword burst out after absorbing part of his internal power.
It was unimaginable for Shi Xiaole that the reward he had received was a spiritual weapon.
A lot of materials needed to be consumed to forge a spiritual weapon, not to mention that the method for forging spiritual weapons had been lost thousands of years ago.
In today’s martial world, out of ten high-level martial artists in the Spiritual-Passage Realm, only one possesses a spiritual weapon. These were found in relics and secret places, and they would not dare to reveal them casually. If revealed, they would become targets of the public.
To Shi Xiaole’s knowledge, among the top powers of Qingxue State, only Queen City and Asura Mansion each possessed a middle-grade spiritual weapon.
"From its power, it appears to be a lower-grade spirit sword, but it’s damaged?"
Shi Xiaole’s excitement faded slightly as he observed a subtle crack on the blade, stained with rust.
Because spiritual weapons had to withstand the sealed power inside the blade, the material requirements were high. Consequently, over a long period, the materials would crack under the impact of this power.
This treasure sword had a history of at least a few thousand years. Not only had some of its power drained, but it also had some damage and wouldn’t last long.
Shi Xiaole couldn’t help feeling disappointed. A low-grade spirit sword could boost his strength considerably. To put it bluntly, if he were to fight the masked man who used the whip now, he would not be at a disadvantage.
As ordinary mother-child scabbards could not contain a spiritual weapon, Shi Xiaole had to hang the treasure sword at the other end and step into the fifth level area.
This was the true core region of the sinister bamboo forest, with layers of red leaves covering the ground. Against the backdrop of the red bamboo and the dim sunset, it was both desolate and beautiful.
High-level martial artists of Xuan Qi Realm, who achieved 85% of the Sword Heart, were too rare, only a few in the entire Qingxue State.
These people were either in seclusion, preparing for their second attempt after their first one, or were nearing their lifespan limit and were gradually letting go of their martial arts path. As a result, the fifth level area would often remain untouched for months or even years.
There are 64 stone statues in the fifth level, each holding a weapon and standing evenly on 64 stone spaces, ancient and relentless.
As soon as Shi Xiaole’s feet touched the stone board, the entire chessboard-like grid came to life, undulating like waves.
Eight stone statues around Shi Xiaole launched their attacks, their attacks and speed reaching the maximum. No sooner had they attacked than they withdrew, and another eight charged forward. The cycle was endless and unremitting.
Under this tight, relentless onslaught, all Shi Xiaole could do was protect himself. But soon, the fluctuations in the stone blocks became more intense, causing his center of gravity to shift abruptly. He was nearly overturned by the violent attack of the stone statues.
With 80% of his Sword Heart and full concentration, Shi Xiaole managed to block five waves of attack. But by the sixth wave, a pain shot through his chest, and he was sent flying out.
The fifth level, failed.
"Terrifying. With my combat skills, I could only fend off five attacks."
Shi Xiaole rubbed his chest, a bit tongue-tied.
He could not imagine the level of fighting skills of those who had broken through the fifth level in the past. If he were to fight them, he probably wouldn’t be able to take even one hit.
He never considered how powerful the Four Symbols Sect had been in its heyday. This sinister bamboo forest was created specifically for the exceptional Xuanqi Realm disciples in the sect.
Being able to reach this level with Qi Absorption Realm cultivation was already an astonishing feat. Otherwise, he would not have received a reward from the array system.
However, this meant that Shi Xiaole’s goal of training had not been achieved at all. Would he have to fight for a meditation stone again?
"Considering your performance in the first four levels, you are allowed to challenge the fifth level consecutively."
Just as he was disappointed, the voice from the Sound Recording Stone of the fifth level emerged, making Shi Xiaole overjoyed. After a short break, he immediately charged onto the stone grid again.
He only managed to block five attacks again on his second try.
On the third try, the fourth try...
Shi Xiaole reflected on many methods and tried multiple times, but was always trapped within five moves, making no progress.
Five moves and six moves seemed to be separated by only one move, but Shi Xiaole had a feeling that if he took that step, his sword realm would definitely make significant progress.
"My internal power isn’t durable enough. No, unless someone practices top-tier internal arts and has a very high realm, no one can burst out eight times of the same strong power consecutively to resist these 64 stone statues. The real key is the application of power."
Under pressure, Shi Xiaole’s thoughts were running at a speed beyond normal.
He thought of a possibility. If he split the same strength into several bursts, he could slow down the attack speed of the stone statues, while also saving some energy and buying more time to recover.
However, it was easier said than done. This process tested a martial artist’s power control, coordination, visual acuity, etc., which required a large amount of training.
Shi Xiaole forgot everything, constantly pondering, every idea leading to action on the battlefield, then more pondering, unaware of time’s passage. When he felt hungry, he picked some wild fruits from the bamboo forest to eat, and then continued his intense cultivation.
Half a month later.
The fifth wave of attacks from the stone statues had passed, and the sixth wave surged forward. This scene had been repeated countless times before.
"Break!"
This time, Shi Xiaole’s eyes seemed to have captured something. His arms vibrated with stored up power, stimulating waves of Sword Qi to block the attack wave. The attack wave paused for a moment before continuing its onslaught, but by that time, Shi Xiaole had completed another round of Qi restoration and swiftly broke through this chain of attacks.
He had blocked the sixth move!
Having blocked the sixth move, naturally the seventh and eighth moves weren’t a problem. This process was just like swimming frog-style. As long as he could grasp the continuity, ensuring the presence of his breath, there would be no shortage of air.
As his swordsmanship and himself further integrated, Shi Xiaole’s Sword Heart Realm naturally progressed from 80% to 85%.
But that was still not enough.
After thirty-six moves, Shi Xiaole was knocked off the stone array again. The offensive tactics of the sixty-four stone statues had changed, shifting from eight sets of wheel battles to a massive chaotic battle with split and combined groups.
Morning light, evening sunset.
The young man repeatedly stepped forward onto the battlefield, getting knocked down time and again. Despite his disheveled state, his spirit became extraordinarily focused, his strength gradually increasing amid failure.
Forty moves.
Forty-five moves.
...
A month later, Shi Xiaole had withstood an impressive total of one hundred and twenty-six moves.
And at this moment, his Sword Heart Realm astonishingly reached an amazing 90%.
Just to put it into perspective, if he were to duel with his past self before entering the bamboo forest under the same conditions, he could end the fight in just five moves. Even if he faced off against the masked man with the whip, he might not be unable to contend with him.
However, at this point, Shi Xiaole’s progress began to slow down. Every person has their limits, and thinking he could fully master the Sword Heart just by relying on the stone statue array was simply impossible.
What Shi Xiaole lacked was foundation and time.
Aside from the stone statue array, the hidden treasures left by powerful masters in the bamboo forest were not to be disregarded. However, Shi Xiaole was not interested. Firstly, the time cost was too high. Secondly, after such a long time, most of the good things had already been taken away by others.
He got up and walked back the way he came, reaching the fourth zone. This time, he saw no sign of Elder Saber, who must have already left.
The third zone.
As soon as Shi Xiaole stepped off the stone array, he immediately heard triumphant laughter.
"Bastard, you finally dare to come out. You’ve wasted a lot of my time."
The masked man with the whip stepped forward. Beside him was a man of medium height who carried a sword on his back, who seemed to be the help the masked man had brought along.
As Shi Xiaole had guessed, the masked man had indeed brought help.
Although he didn’t believe Shi Xiaole would have made significant progress upon leaving the bamboo forest, he was genuinely wary of Shi Xiaole’s potential. Just to be on the safe side, he had called over the man with the sword on his back.
In any case, Shi Xiaole must be killed today to avoid future trouble!
"As far as I know, I’ve never provoked you." Shi Xiaole’s face was calm.
"Hahaha, fool, from the moment I attacked you, you were destined to die." The masked man’s face was full of mockery.
A genius, what use is a genius? Before they mature, can’t they still be easily manipulated by him?
"Why so much useless talk? Let’s get moving, capture him first, and divide the secrets he carries."
The man with the sword on his back closed his eyes, his aura firmly targeting Shi Xiaole, preventing him from escaping in case of defeat.
"Bastard, surrender now!"
The masked man’s sleeves whirled, making his move like a thunderstorm. Aided by the power of his Xuan Qi fourth level cultivation, the long whip in his hand aimed at Shi Xiaole with an astonishing speed, erupting transparent internal power waves along the way.
Over a month ago, Shi Xiaole wouldn’t have been able to block this move.
But now—
Clang!
Drawing his sword from its scabbard, Shi Xiaole precisely struck the head of the whip with a single stroke. Endless waves of Sword Qi were like a tidal wave, causing a terrifying collision with the internal power waves. The air instantly rippled in countless circles, one after the other, resembling a rain-hit water surface.
"What?"
Feeling the force transmitted through his whip, the masked man was taken aback. His attack had been blocked.
The man with the sword on his back also opened his eyes, his gaze flashing with surprise.
