Chapter 227: Grand Sword Master
Chapter 227: Grand Sword Master
A Grand Sword Master possessed formidable combat strength.
Even without using Haki, Caelum could probably rank among the strongest figures in the world of Legend of the Empire through swordsmanship alone.
He would stand near the very top.
At this point, Caelum swung his sword ten thousand times every day and gained ten thousand points of swordsmanship proficiency.
At first, the soreness in his body was almost unbearable.
Later, as his proficiency rose and his physique grew stronger, he stopped feeling much discomfort.
He spent the rest of his time training Haki and steadily increasing the proficiency of all three forms.
Observation Haki Proficiency: 60000
Armament Haki Proficiency: 60000
Conqueror Haki Proficiency: 60000
All three forms of Haki had started at the highest level, so there were no additional Realms to break through.
As proficiency increased, their total reserves and strength simply continued to rise.
Of course, Caelum concealed all his swordsmanship and Haki training from everyone.
To the other disciples, he merely practiced ordinary sword swings and sat in meditation each day.
Haki was invisible.
When Caelum meditated and practiced controlling its release and withdrawal, no one else could sense anything.
His highest level control was extraordinarily precise.
Even someone skilled in Haki would be unable to detect Caelum’s power as long as he kept it restrained.
Caelum already had a workable method for accumulating Interference Value.
He had no passion for stirring up trouble.
He simply intended to destroy the world.
It was direct and convenient.
Once his strength became sufficient, he would split the entire world apart with a single strike.
The only thing he did not know was how much proficiency he needed to reach that level.
Passing one hundred thousand made him a Grand Sword Master.
What would happen after one million?
For now, there was no way to know.
If the process took too long, Caelum did not mind considering another method of destroying the world.
He would let matters unfold naturally.
There was no need to rush.
"It would be convenient if this world could also rewind endlessly."
Caelum thought.
Then he could destroy it hundreds or thousands of times, just as he had in the World of Sorcery, and gather an enormous amount of Interference Value.
One day, a young girl arrived at the training hall.
She had pleasant features and appeared to be around fourteen years old.
Her short black hair gave her a spirited appearance, while stubborn determination filled her brow.
Her name was Cerys.
She came from an ordinary family and had possessed an unyielding nature since childhood.
She believed women were in no way weaker than men.
Anything a man could accomplish, a woman could accomplish as well.
The establishment of the training hall had created a strong culture of swordsmanship throughout Hartstead and the nearby towns.
Cerys had grown up surrounded by that influence and had always longed to study the sword.
Young people could be stubborn beyond reason.
Once they decided upon something, even the collapse of the heavens might not stop them.
They would grit their teeth and keep moving forward, refusing to surrender even after being battered and bloodied.
Cerys embodied that stubbornness perfectly.
Her family believed women were too physically delicate for swordsmanship and strongly opposed her decision.
Even so, Cerys secretly slipped away.
She traveled from the neighboring town to Hartstead and used all the money she had saved over the years to join the training hall.
"Morven, teach Cerys the basic exercises."
"All right."
Caelum agreed.
However, swordsmanship training was nothing like Cerys had imagined.
The fundamentals were painfully dull.
There were no dazzling techniques.
There was only the endless repetition of basic swings.
She endured the first day without complaint.
She managed to restrain herself on the second.
By the third day, everything she had been holding back finally erupted.
In the rear courtyard of the training hall, Cerys threw her wooden sword at Caelum’s feet.
"I am done!"
Her face was filled with impatience.
"I came here to learn sword techniques, not how to split firewood!"
Caelum stopped swinging and flicked the wooden sword up from the ground.
"Without solid fundamentals, even the most impressive sword techniques are nothing but an empty structure."
"You do not even know how to swing properly. How can you talk about practicing swordsmanship?"
Cerys refused to accept that.
"It is just swinging a sword. Anyone can do something this simple."
"There is no reason to practice it."
"I want to enter the hall and learn real swordsmanship!"
With that, she stormed into the training hall to demand an explanation from the master.
She had traveled to Hartstead and spent all her savings.
She had not done so for something this boring and meaningless.
A short while later, the master returned to the rear courtyard with Cerys.
Caelum continued practicing as though nothing had happened.
The master told him to stop, then looked at Cerys.
"If you can defeat Morven, I will teach you my sword techniques."
"Otherwise, you will continue practicing the fundamentals without complaint."
"You said it yourself!"
Cerys was brimming with confidence and eagerly accepted the condition.
The master looked at Caelum.
"Morven, is that acceptable?"
Caelum nodded.
"Yes."
With a smooth motion, he used the wooden sword in his hand to lift another from the ground and send it toward Cerys.
The movement was effortless and natural.
Cerys caught the sword, excitement filling her face.
Over the past month, Caelum’s performance had been outstanding.
The master had been watching him closely.
Caelum did not seem to possess extraordinary talent in swordsmanship, but his determination and fundamentals were unmatched.
After a month of practice, every swing he made was nearly perfect.
The master had never seen anyone with a stronger foundation.
The other disciples might not have noticed, but the master saw it clearly.
Cerys had yet to understand the difference between herself and Caelum.
That was why she remained so confident.
"Be careful!"
Cerys gripped her wooden sword and rushed toward Caelum at what she believed was great speed.
A sharp crack sounded.
The wooden sword flew from her hand.
Caelum’s blade was already resting against her neck.
Cerys stared blankly.
"What just happened?"
The master spoke.
"Again."
Cerys picked up her wooden sword and looked at Caelum with uncertainty.
She hesitated for a long time before attacking again.
At last, she began to realize that the gap between them might be far greater than she had imagined.
This time, she did not move recklessly.
Instead, Caelum attacked first.
It was only a simple swing.
Cerys could not react.
She could not even block it.
Crack!
The wooden sword fell from her hand once again.
Caelum rested his blade against her neck.
"You cannot even keep hold of your weapon."
"What use would an impressive sword technique be?"
Cerys fell silent.
This time, she seemed to understand.
She did not argue again.
She quietly retrieved her wooden sword and began practicing the fundamentals with stubborn determination burning inside her.
The master considered the matter for a moment, then turned to Caelum.
"Morven, starting tomorrow, you will study sword techniques under me."
"Your fundamentals are already solid enough."
"Yes, Master."
With that, the master returned to the training hall.
Envy flashed through Cerys’s eyes.
She also wanted to learn proper sword techniques as soon as possible.
The thought made her practice even harder.
A little later, she spoke to Caelum with fierce determination.
"Just wait. I will defeat you very soon!"