Eli Shan stood in the backyard of his house, gripping a wooden sword tightly in his hand, the repetitive motion of swinging it up and down causing his muscles to ache. Each swing cut through the air with a soft whoosh, a testament to his persistence and growing strength.

Nearby, the Lord observed with a keen eye, his arms crossed over his chest. Beside him, Luise watched, her face a mix of concern and pride as she witnessed her son's relentless training.

As Eli Shan continued his practice, his thoughts wandered, "I was thinking of learning some special sword technique," he mused silently, "but Father just gave me a wooden sword and asked me to swing it until he tells me to stop."

Noticing the furrow in Eli Shan's brow, the Lord's lips curled into a knowing smile as he decided it was time to share a piece of wisdom. "Little Eli," he began, his voice gentle yet authoritative, "let me share a small tale with you. In the past, there was a sword cultivator who destroyed heaven and earth with a single swing of his sword."

Eli Shan paused mid-swing, his eyes wide with astonishment. Destroy the heavens and earth with one swing? Wasn't it a bit exaggerating?

Seeing his son's reaction, the Lord chuckled softly. "It is said that he practiced swinging his sword for ten years continuously. To reach that realm, you too will be practicing the basics for at least ten years. Given your potential, I believe your ten years of training will be equivalent to that sword god's fifty years of effort."

Eli Shan's face turned incredulous. How could someone practice just swinging a sword for ten years? That could be learned in a week!

Eli Shan turned to lord with a pitiful expression. "I have to swing my sword for ten years continuously? When will I learn any sword technique?"

The Lord smiled at his concern. "Little Eli, what is a technique? A technique is something that helps us use our swords efficiently. So, can you guess who needs these techniques?"

Eli Shan pondered for a while before replying, "For those who want to be more efficient with swords and break their limits?"

The Lord shook his head. "Limits are for those who lack a solid foundation. They seek to grow stronger quickly and neglect the importance of a good foundation, which is why they need techniques to wield a sword. But can you tell me who creates these techniques?"

Eli Shan thought for a moment before answering, "Those who have spent their entire lives mastering the basics and advancing their swordsmanship."

The Lord nodded with a smile. "You are correct! So tell me, my son, do you want to be someone who uses techniques created by others, or do you want your every sword swing to become a technique of its own?"

Eli Shan's heartbeat quickened at his father's words. Without hesitation, he replied with excitement, "I want to be someone whose every sword strike would be considered a technique. Father, please teach me, no matter how much time and hard work it will take. I am willing to go through hell to achieve this realm!"

The Lord nodded with satisfaction and continued to watch Eli Shan's training.

For Eli Shan, his father was the most mysterious person he had ever met. Though only a qi-gathering realm cultivator, every time he taught something, Eli Shan gained some insight. It was as if his every word contained the power of the Dao.

Eli Shan continued to swing his sword the whole day. At first, the sword swings he was once proud of turned out to be trash, but with his father's guidance, they were gradually perfected.

After a day of grueling training, he stumbled into the house, exhausted. "Huff huff, I am so tired."

Luise looked at the Lord with a hint of anger. "Husband, Eli Shan is just a child. Why make him work so hard? He doesn't even have any cultivation yet."

The Lord shook his head. "It's his choice if he wants to learn. If he doesn't, I won't force him and will respect his decision. Even I want to spend time with little Eli and you as a family."

He looked at Eli Shan after speaking.

Eli Shan understood and said with confidence, "Mother, I want to be as strong as Father. To do that, I have to start training early because this is the perfect time for me to train."

Luise couldn't argue with his determination. "Then eat well to maintain your health."

Eli Shan nodded, displaying all of his teeth, and continued to chat with his parents before heading back to his room.

Inside his room, instead of sleeping, Eli Shan decided to cultivate and build a foundation. Sitting cross-legged on his bed, he closed his eyes and began to absorb the qi of the surroundings with the technique he had learned in the past. However, after a while, he opened his eyes with a bewildered expression. "I can't contain qi in my body?"

He tried again and again but failed each time. "What's happening?"

This time he was truly bewildered. Cultivation is the process of absorbing the qi of nature, converting it into pure qi, and storing it in one's dantian. This qi can be used later for combat and to purify the body. As one's cultivation realm increases, they can contain more pure and greater amounts of qi in their dantian.

But right now, Eli Shan could absorb the qi of nature, however, he couldn't store it in his dantian. Why?

He cultivated for a quarter of the night without understanding the problem.

After many futile attempts, he considered another possibility. "This is my universe, my soul. The qi of nature is my qi, isn't it? Why do I need to contain qi in my body when this whole universe is my cultivation?"

Thinking about this, he realized that he couldn't control his universe properly. What if he could control his universe completely? Wouldn't all beings under his soul universe come under his command? And wouldn't all the qi of this universe become one with him? Excited by this prospect, he began to cultivate his universe power.

He closed his eyes again, trying to concentrate all his focus on the core of the universe. At first, nothing notable happened, but soon, a dark aura gradually appeared around him, enveloping him completely.

Eli Shan didn't know what was happening, but he felt as comfortable within this dark aura as if he were in his mother's embrace.

Gradually, as he delved deeper into the cultivation of his universe, he sensed that his control over his universe had increased exponentially after the reincarnation.

If before he could control 0.00001% of its power, after his reincarnation he could control nearly 1% of this universe's power, which was a considerable improvement given the total strength of his universe.

He continued to cultivate his universe power until midnight when he realized something profound. The power he was cultivating was not just any universe power, but the universal law itself—the rarest of all laws, even rarer than natural laws!

Realizing this, Eli Shan grew even more excited and continued cultivating the law until morning.

At dawn, he stood up and went to the backyard to swing his sword.

His father, seeing his hard work, smiled with pride.

Every day, Eli Shan practiced his basic sword skills and cultivated the universal law at night.

A year passed in the blink of an eye. By this time, Eli Shan's proficiency in basic sword skills had reached its peak, and his control over the universal law had improved significantly.

On this particular day, Eli Shan's father approached him while he was practicing with his wooden sword. The past year of relentless training had sculpted his muscles and made him look more mature than his age.

"Little Eli," the Lord called out, stepping closer. "I have something special for you."

Eli Shan turned to his father with a bright smile. "What is it, Father?"

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Lord took out a box seemingly out of nowhere and handed it to Eli Shan. "Open it. I am sure you will like it."

Eli Shan, curious and excited, accepted the box. "I wonder what it is," he whispered to himself.

Accepting the box, Eli Shan slowly opened it.

"Huh?" Eli Shan's eyes widened in surprise. He looked at his father, then back at the box. He was too surprised to speak. After taking a deep breath, he gently set the box aside and jumped at his father with excitement. "Thank you so much, Father! This is the best gift of my life!"

The lord smiled gently and enveloped Eli Shan in his arms. "Happy birthday, my son. Today, you are four years old."

Eli Shan looked at his father in surprise. "Today is my birthday? I didn't even remember."

The lord smiled gently. "You might forget, but how could your parents forget your birthday? Tonight, we will have a feast! Your mother cooks really well on special occasions, hahaha."

Just as he finished speaking, he felt a menacing presence behind him. "What do you mean 'on occasions like this'? Are you implying I don't usually cook well?" Luise's voice was dangerously calm.

The lord turned back, his body trembling with fear. "N-No, that's not what I meant. W-When did you get here?"

Luise snorted. "Hmph, I didn't want to miss the precious scene of father and son, so I came here, just to listen... someone talking behind my back..."

The Lord laughed nervously, putting Eli Shan down and walking to Luise. "My Luise makes the best food in the world," he said, hugging her.

Luise blushed. "Y-You, what are you doing? Little Eli is watching."

Eli Shan smiled at his parents' playful teasing. Turning to his father, he said, "Father, I need to learn many things from you. If I were in your place, I wouldn't know how to handle this situation. You truly are the best!"

The Lord grinned. "Hmph, what do you think of your father? Of course, I can handle anything. Hahaha."

Sensing another wave of death aura from Luise, he quickly turned back to Eli Shan. "Let's forget about that. How about trying out your gift?"

Eli Shan understood and nodded with a laugh. "Sure, Father. But you have to dodge right now."

The lord didn't understand until a plate came flying and hit his head.

"Ouch!"

He turned around and smiled nervously at Luise. "I-I am sorry."

Eli Shan couldn't stop laughing. "Hahaha, Father, you always seem invincible, but when you're in front of Mother, you're like a kid like me."

The lord smiled gently, sitting in front of little Eli Shan. "That's because the person I love most is your mother, and you. Remember, a man cannot be a man if he cannot protect his loved ones. But that's not all. A man cannot be a man if he is not docile in front of his woman."

Eli Shan nodded seriously. "I understand, Father."

With that, the lord picked up the box and gave it back to him. "Use it."

He peered into the box, his eyes widening as he saw what lay within. A lump formed in his throat, and he swallowed hard before reaching out, his hand trembling slightly.

With a reverent touch, he lifted a dark sword from the box. The hilt, crafted to resemble dragon scales, felt cool and textured in his grip, exuding an ancient power. As he held it, a surge of energy coursed through him, making his heart race. At that moment, he realized that without his grueling training over the past year, he wouldn't have been worthy to even lay a finger on this weapon. The sword's qi was palpable, a force so intense it seemed capable of slicing through the very fabric of the sky with a single swing.

No matter how he looked at it, this was a sword he had never even imagined. Looking at it, he could only utter a single word, "Beautiful."

While he was lost in the sword, the lord interrupted him. "Little Eli, this sword will grow with you. The stronger you become, the stronger it will be. However, like everything, this sword also has limitations. You will need to become strong enough to discover and surpass them."

Eli Shan nodded, placing the sword back in the box and running to his father again. "Father, it's truly the best gift. It's just too beautiful."

The Lord lifted Eli Shan into his arms, smiling with satisfaction. "As long as you like it, it's worth any price."

Luise watched them, a sweet smile playing on her lips as she witnessed the bond between father and son.

The Lord gently tousled Eli Shan's hair, his eyes full of love. "However, from now on, you won't be practicing here, and you won't be using a wooden sword anymore."

Eli Shan looked up, confusion flickering in his eyes. "I won't be practicing here?"

The Lord nodded, his expression serious yet encouraging. "You cannot improve faster here. You have to leave home for faster improvement."

Hearing his father, Eli Shan felt a mix of happiness and sadness. He was happy that he wouldn't have to use a wooden sword anymore, but sad that he might have to leave his parents again in this life. "Then where will we practice, Father?"

The Lord gazed into the distance. Eli Shan tried to see what his father was looking at but saw nothing. "Don't worry, you'll know about it tomorrow. Today, try to befriend your new sword."

Eli Shan nodded. He went down from his father's arms, picking up his sword, and caressing it with love. "I have never seen a sword as beautiful as you. I am truly in love."

For a sword cultivator, their sword was more valuable than their life. They were willing to kill anyone to obtain the strongest sword. Eli Shan, who could sense the strength of this sword, felt that if there was a fight to obtain it, he would participate even if there was only a negligible chance of winning.

Thinking about it, another thought crossed his mind. "How did Father acquire this sword? Is it our family treasure? Even as an Origin Realm cultivator, I have never seen a sword as good as this one."

For him, his father was becoming more and more mysterious. However, after a while, he stopped thinking about it. Even if his father was a hidden master, what was the problem? It was his father! It would be even better for him! However, there was little chance of this. He even used the universal law to sense his father's cultivation, and it turned out that the peak of the Qi Gathering Realm was his true cultivation.

Setting aside his thoughts, he continued to polish his sword until dawn. At night, his mother called him inside, where his father waited for him at the dining table with a feast in front of him.

The night was filled with joy. They feasted, played, and chatted late into the night before finally going to sleep.

Early the next morning, Eli Shan and his father stood at the door. Eli Shan's mother held him in her arms, her tears falling continuously. "Don't worry, Mom. It's not like I won't return. I will train even harder to come back soon, so please don't cry. And when your son returns, he will be a gentleman and the strongest individual like Father."

Luise nodded, trying to smile through her tears. "D-Do your best, my son. Train hard. Your parents will be waiting for you."

Eli Shan nodded with a gentle smile, holding back his tears. "Yes, Mother."

With that, he stood next to his father, who nodded at him. Eli Shan nodded back. "Let's go, Father."

With that, the two of them vanished from their place, embarking on their new journey. At least... that's what Eli Shan thought. After traveling for three days and nights, they arrived at the foot of a towering mountain, its peak seeming to pierce the very heavens.

The Lord gestured towards the imposing mountain. "From now on, you will be staying here. Every morning, you will climb this mountain as any normal person would—no cultivation or techniques allowed. Each night, you will return at the foot of the mountain to rest. And feel free to use your full strength here, because this is a deserted place; not a single soul lives here. However, your main task will be simple yet grueling: you will spend the entire day swinging your sword."

Eli Shan looked up at the mountain, feeling the weight of the challenge ahead, but he nodded in agreement, his resolve unwavering. "Yes, Father. I will do as you say."

The lord nodded with satisfaction and brought out a book from seemingly nowhere. "Take it. I have written this book in my free time. In my opinion, this is the best instruction to master the basics. For the next nine years, you will follow this book and continue your training."

Eli Shan accepted the book with a nod. He opened to the first few chapters and was astonished to find that he didn't understand much of what was written. "These are the basics? It's just too strong! With this book, even my normal swing could destroy mountains and rivers!"

The Lord smiled with satisfaction. "It's not that exaggerated, Hahaha. But keep practicing. I will come to visit you whenever I have time. You can ask me any questions then. For now, I must go."

Eli Shan knelt down. "I will be waiting for you, Father."

The Lord's lips curled into a smile as he vanished from sight.

Once his father had gone, Eli Shan stood up and gazed at the towering mountain, excitement brimming in his eyes. "You will be my companion for the next nine years."

With that, Eli Shan sealed all his special powers and began his ascent. At first, he leaped from rock to tree with lightning speed, feeling a thrill course through him. However, as he climbed higher, the true difficulty of the task became apparent. "Why is this mountain so steep? I could have easily climbed it if it weren't for my sealed cultivation!" he grumbled, frustration seeping into his voice.

Despite the challenge, he continued to run, jump, and often slip on treacherous rocks, but his determination never wavered. He refused to use his cultivation, relying solely on his physical strength and perseverance.

Half a day passed, and finally, the peak of the mountain came into view. Each step felt heavier, but he pressed on, driven by sheer willpower.

"Huff, huff. I never knew climbing a mountain could be this exhausting," he panted, wiping sweat from his brow.

With a final, powerful leap, Eli Shan landed on the peak, which soared above the clouds, offering a breathtaking, surreal view.

"This is really hard. From below, I didn't think the mountain was this big," he marveled, catching his breath.

He looked around from the peak but saw nothing but a sea of clouds stretching endlessly. "Looks like today's atmosphere isn't great," he muttered, feeling a twinge of isolation.

Shaking off the fatigue and frustration, he drew his sword with excitement, his eyes sparkling with anticipation. "Finally, today I can swing you as much as I want!"

Gripping the sword with both hands, he swung it vertically with all his might.

"Swoosh!"

"Huh?"

Eli Shan's expression turned to one of stunned disbelief. "W-What is this power!"

Ahead of him, the clouds had been split in half, revealing a breathtaking view of the land below. The sheer force of the swing had cut through the sky, creating a pathway of light and clarity amidst the clouds. He stared at his dark sword with a solemn expression, awe, and reverence filling his heart. "Who the hell are you? Such strength... This power is enough to defeat emperors even without cultivation!"

Looking at the divided clouds, he continued to murmur, "This sword is so strong. How did Father even acquire it? ...Sigh, let's not waste time on things that will be revealed with time."

Determined to stay focused, he used his universal law to seal the sword's overwhelming power. "Now I can practice without destroying anything."

He stood firm and began swinging the sword according to the techniques described in the book given by his father.

At night, he returned to the foot of the mountain to practice his universal law, and every early morning, he would wake up to climb the mountain and practice the basics of swordsmanship.

His days continued in this cycle, and the only rest he got was while cultivating the universal law, which made him feel as if he were in his mother's arms.

Slowly, the days continued to pass, and Eli Shan could visibly feel his strength increasing exponentially.