Three days later, in the serene courtyard of Ji Wuye's residence, the morning sun had just peeked over the horizon. Its warm, golden rays bathed the tranquil area, illuminating the melodious chirping of birds that serenaded the young man's presence.
Ji Wuye's long, white hair danced gracefully in the gentle breeze, mirroring the flowing movements of his martial robe, loosely wrapped around his toned waist. Beads of perspiration glistened on his bare, chiseled torso as he stood shirtless, slightly heaving from exertion.
Surrounding him were scattered wooden logs, thick and sturdy, meant for training in farmer walk stances. These logs occupied the courtyard, interspersed among several massive boulders, their rough textures and earthy hues contrasting with the polished wood.
Some of the boulders lay split asunder, evidence of Ji Wuye's training intensity, while others remained intact, but they nearly filled all available space, leaving only the center clear and a narrow, winding path leading from the living quarters to the courtyard's arched gate.
"Hufff..." the sound of deep, controlled breathing resonated from the center of attention, where Ji Wuye stood, gripping a great wooden sword with both hands. His body and the sword were enveloped in a faint, bluish Qi aura, shimmering like a mirage in the morning light.
This time, he positioned the great wooden sword lower than his chest, grasping it with both calloused hands as one would hold a jian, despite the sword's imposing size and considerable weight despite made of wood.
SHRILLLL-!
The wooden great sword vibrated with a shrill sound, akin to the piercing cry of whistling birds. The Qi surrounding it emitted a wave-like vibration, spreading outward like ripples on a still pond before dissipating into the air.
SWOOSH-!
With a casual yet controlled swing into the empty air, Ji Wuye slashed the great wooden sword diagonally, the motion sending out a faint shockwave that disturbed the morning breeze.
The shockwave reached the surrounding boulders; they trembled in response, their surfaces undulating as if roused from a deep slumber, yet remained unscarred and unmoved by the force.
Ji Wuye, once again, raised the great wooden sword as high as his muscular arms could reach, now gripping it with only his right hand. He bent slightly to the side, the tip of the wooden great sword pointing downward, his body coiled like a spring.
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THRUST-!
In a fluid motion, the great wooden sword, manipulated by Ji Wuye's skilled hand, was not thrust forward but instead rotated at the wrist with deft precision.
This subtle motion repositioned the sword's tip to face the area behind him, followed by a diagonal slash that cleaved the air with a resounding whoosh, sending out another tremor through the courtyard.
BANG!
Ji Wuye executed a diagonal downward slash with tremendous force.
In an instant, the boulder rock violently split into two halves, its fragments exploding outward like shrapnel. Ji Wuye casually raised his free hand to shield his eyes from the debris, the sharp pieces pattering against his arm like stinging hail.
Only after the cacophony subsided and the dust settled did Ji Wuye lower his hand his keen crimson eyes assessing the aftermath of his devastating slash.
Rough, jagged sword markings now divided the formerly pristine boulder, a permanent scar left by the Qi vibration strike. He halted his movements, chest heaving slightly with exertion as he regulated his breathing.
"Three hours..." Ji Wuye murmured softly, his deep voice reverberating through the now-stilled courtyard.
Though fatigue was evident, his intense focus remained unwavering, transfixed on the split boulder as testament to his morning's efforts - testing the limits of how long he could maintain the Great Sword Resonance.
Having reached his current threshold, he massaged his temples with his free hand. 'Even after three hours, with the remaining Qi, I can really combine the Slash Breaker with this,' he mused to himself.
The sense an abundance of Qi reserves remaining within him, waiting to be tapped.
On the other hand, the reason he had not yet experimented with combining the Slash Breaker and the Great Sword Resonance simultaneously over the past three days was due to…
'Status,' Ji Wuye commanded internally, and a transparent screen shimmered into existence before his vision.
image [https://i.ibb.co.com/D7YcBJp/Status.webp]
A significant increase to his three main attributes - strength, agility, and Qi - had indeed occurred over the past three days, thanks entirely to the combined effects of the Elixir of Growth potion and the Pressure Form Perfection Style martial art.
"A mere increase of +1 per potion," Ji Wuye muttered, shaking his head in disappointment as he studied the updated status screen. His brow furrowed slightly.
Indeed, for the past seventy-two hours, he had intensely trained using the Wudang Style forms while meticulously consuming an Elixir of Growth every two hours like clockwork.
However, as he continued this arduous regimen, his body had steadily built up a resistance to the potent elixir, reducing each subsequent potion's effectiveness to a mere +1 increase across his attributes—a far cry from the potent +5 boost he had initially enjoyed.
'But as the saying goes, "Don't bite off more than you can chew,"' he reminded himself inwardly. Another prudent reason for this moderation was his recent advancement in the Unbreakable Vajra.
Now that his stats had crept ever closer to the immense physical prowess of a martial artist in the exalted 8th realm, light training was no longer sufficient to spur further growth.
'I've heard that using Sword Aura or Sword Zone could enhance their attacks,' a fleeting thought emerged from the recesses of his memory.
In his previous timeline, Ji Wuye had caught wind of rumors that a 5th realm martial artist's manifested sword aura could potentially double the potency of their strength-based attributes.
As he pondered these possibilities, Ji Wuye turned and made his way back toward the living quarters, his bare feet padding softly against the stone path.
...
Swapping his sweat-drenched white martial robe for a fresh, crisp one, he allowed his mind to drift to the mission content that had just flowed into his consciousness.
The sect mission... it was the same pivotal event that had occurred in his previous timeline, so he was not surprised when the male disciple informed him of the details.
Coming out from the living quarters and about to clean up the mess in his courtyard, his path was suddenly halted as a shadowy figure materialized in the corner of his vision, standing vigilantly at the courtyard gate.
Though startled by the abrupt appearance, Ji Wuye quickly recovered, his lips curling into a teasing smirk as he recognized the familiar presence.
"Good morning, Sister Song. What brings you here on this fine day?" he called out, amusement lacing his rich baritone.