Transformation!
Chen Xiaolian stood in the empty underground hall, looking at the several passages around him, and couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia.
This was his first experience in a dungeon, that deserted island, those people...
On the deserted island, himself and Soo Soo, well, also that Japanese stewardess.
This was also the first time in this mysterious world that he had unveiled its mysteries.
"It really does make one nostalgic," Chen Xiaolian said to himself, holding the Stone Sword in his hand and stepping slowly into one of the passageways.
...
In the vast underground chamber, with its towering and crumbling stone pillars, the surroundings were pitch black, filled with a damp and gloomy atmosphere.
Chen Xiaolian had to admit that the base system had almost perfectly simulated this scene.
"I just wonder... how realistic the simulation of those monsters is..." Chen Xiaolian mumbled to himself. He drew a tactical flashlight from his waist with his left hand, turned on the powerful beam of light, and scanned it around. Chen Xiaolian continued walking into the depths of the underground chamber.
After walking for about fifty meters, Chen Xiaolian suddenly stopped, raised his nose, and smiled faintly, "It really does make one nostalgic..."
Suddenly, Chen Xiaolian's feet tapped the ground, and his body shot upwards!
He jumped up about seven to eight meters high, and the Stone Sword in his hand slashed through the air!
Under the bright sword light, it illuminated a nearby stone pillar, revealing a figure hidden on the pillar!
A head resembling a demon soldier, but with a slender lizard-like body, sharp claws tightly gripped onto the stone pillar, while a long tongue protruded from its mouth!
A Hunting Demon!
This was the first relatively advanced monster that Chen Xiaolian encountered in this dungeon.
Back then, this monster had given a group of newcomers and veterans a hard time.
At this moment, Chen Xiaolian suddenly slashed with his sword, but the Hunting Demon swiftly slid along the stone pillar with agility. Simultaneously, it contracted its body and then sprang forward!
With its lizard-like body and powerful muscular strength fully unleashed, the creature instantly flashed past from the other side of the stone pillar in mid-air and even forcefully changed its direction!
As Chen Xiaolian's sword passed through, the stone pillar was directly cut open, but the Hunting Demon narrowly evaded it, and its claws lunged towards Chen Xiaolian's side!
It was indeed a very agile move!
A hint of a cold smile appeared at the corner of Chen Xiaolian's mouth.
What had once seemed as fast as lightning in his eyes... now was far from being enough to pose a threat!
Swish!
The Stone Sword made a horizontal slash, and suddenly a green viscous fluid splattered in mid-air!
Chen Xiaolian landed on the ground, bending his knees slightly to cushion the impact. When he stood up straight... thud!
The body of the Hunting Demon, already cut into two pieces, fell in front of him.
Although its body had been sliced in two, this creature seemed to possess the powerful vitality of a cold-blooded animal. Its upper body, especially its head, continued to snarl at Chen Xiaolian.
Chen Xiaolian coldly glanced at it, lifted the Stone Sword, and thrust it into the mouth of the Hunting Demon, piercing its head!
The Hunting Demon's scream abruptly stopped, but soon, in the darkness, Chen Xiaolian heard a clattering sound coming from a distance.
He raised his tactical flashlight to shine in that direction and saw waves of Demon Soldiers rushing towards him like a tide...
Chen Xiaolian raised an eyebrow, lifted the Stone Sword, took a deep breath, and charged forward!
Snap!!
With a single strike, Chen Xiaolian split one of the Demon Soldiers running at the forefront into two pieces, including its weapon and armor...
...
"Two-edged sword, body straight, head sharp." Lun Tai held a long sword in his hand, demonstrating it to the people in front of him.
"Sword techniques can vary in a thousand ways, but no matter how they change, they can't escape a few basic movements: chopping, thrusting, poking, flicking, smashing, intercepting, wiping..."
As Lun Tai spoke, he made various demonstration movements with the sword in his hand.
His movements, as they were for demonstration, weren't particularly fast, but each one was full of strength, clean, and effective!
Watching Lun Tai's demonstration, both Qimu Si and Qiao Qiao, who were sitting there, squinted their eyes to carefully memorize the techniques. Meanwhile, in the distance, Bei Tai and Xiaolei put down what they were handling, turned their heads, and watched Lun Tai demonstrate his sword techniques.
"And within swordsmanship, there are also long swords and heavy swords that can be held with both hands. Basic movements tend to focus on chopping, blocking, and parrying..."
Lun Tai then grabbed a Western-style knight's longsword with both hands. "With this type of two-handed grip, it's not just about using the strength of your arms in chopping and slashing. Moves like cleaving and flicking can make use of the power of your waist. In simple terms, it's like swinging the sword, utilizing inertia, harnessing the body's strength..."
...
Clang!!
Chen Xiaolian's Stone Sword spun like a windmill, directly sending a Hunting Demon hidden among the tide of Demon Soldiers flying. It crashed heavily into a distant pillar, turning into a mess of flesh and blood!
...
"Thrust, it needs to be fierce and accurate! And be mindful of using the right amount of force, don't lean too far forward..."
Lun Tai fiercely thrust his sword forward and then quickly retracted it. "Especially in battle, stab and retract immediately. Otherwise, if the enemy traps your sword, you might not be able to hold onto your weapon!"
...
Chen Xiaolian's Stone Sword pierced through a Demon Soldier, and almost in an instant, he had already kicked the enemy and then swiftly pulled back the Stone Sword like lightning. With a single swing, he struck horizontally...
...
Snap!
The last Demon Soldier in front of Chen Xiaolian's body fell to the ground, and only then did he sheathe his longsword. The tip of the Stone Sword pointed at the ground, and he took a deep breath.
The ground around him was already littered with the bodies of Demon Soldiers in all directions.
The ground was almost covered in a radius of over ten meters around him, with no place to step.
Chen Xiaolian didn't even know how long he had been fighting just now, but he felt his body was overheated, and his breathing had become somewhat rapid.
He took a deep breath, but he saw in the distance, illuminated by the tactical flashlight's light, another dense group of Demon Soldiers rushing in like a tidal wave...
He chuckled, lifted the Stone Sword again, and then strode forward to meet the tide of Demon Soldiers...
...
"Alright! Take a break now."
Lun Tai sheathed his longsword and then turned to look at Xiaolei and Bei Tai, who were watching from the side. "Both of you, come here."
Bei Tai nudged Xiaolei.
Xiaolei hesitated for a moment, then heard Lun Tai say, "Xiaolei, come here and demonstrate for the ladies. You and I will spar. You attack, and I defend for the first three moves, then we switch roles. Each switch counts as one round. Let's see how many rounds you can last against me."
Xiaolei sighed and reluctantly walked over. He picked up a two-handed longsword from the weapons on the ground and stood in front of Lun Tai. "Lun Tai, please go easy on me."
"No nonsense, let's get started!"
...
Chen Xiaolian had already leaped into the air, and while airborne, he brought down the Stone Sword with a swift slash!
With a deafening sound, the sword came down, splitting a Demon Soldier's body into pieces directly! The excess force caused a resounding shockwave, sending all the Demon Soldiers within three to five meters flying!
...
Xiaolei swung his sword with both hands, delivering three consecutive strikes, his attacks were fierce, but Lun Tai effortlessly defended with a one-handed grip on his sword.
After three strikes, Lun Tai shouted, "Now it's my turn to counter-attack!"
Lun Tai instantly switched to a two-handed grip on his sword and then struck towards Xiaolei!
Clang!!
With a loud sound, Xiaolei kept retreating, and his sword slipped from his hands to the ground. His hands trembled slightly.
Lun Tai sheathed his sword and looked at Xiaolei. "Do you know where you went wrong?"
Xiaolei, with a troubled expression, couldn't find the words to respond.
Lun Tai sighed and glanced at Qiao Qiao and the others nearby. "I'm a strength-oriented warrior. Xiaolei chose to face me with a two-handed sword, which relies more on strength and lacks some agility."
Xiaolei's strength was already far from matching mine. If he had been smarter, he should have chosen a one-handed sword. Facing me with a one-handed sword would have allowed him to use agility as an advantage to compensate for his lack of strength. However, by using a two-handed sword, he initially gave up his only potential advantage, which was playing to his strengths and attacking my weaknesses. That was a tactical mistake right from the start.
His power couldn't overwhelm me in an attack, and when I counterattacked, his weakness in strength became even more apparent.
"Xiaolei! Based on your previous training, you shouldn't be this weak. If you had used a one-handed sword, although you may not have defeated me, you could have at least bought yourself more time by relying on agility. Do you understand now?"
Xiaolei sighed, "Boss, I understand."
"Good, go get a one-handed sword." Lun Tai looked at Xiaolei and then turned to Qimu Si. "You! Come here."
Qimu Si hesitated for a moment but quickly jumped up. "Mr. Lun Tai, I..."
"Choose a sword, and now you and Xiaolei spar."
Qimu Si timidly picked up a Chinese-style sword and stood up to spar with Xiaolei. However, just like before, after three consecutive attacks by her, Xiaolei blocked them, and when Xiaolei made a move, Qimu Si's sword was knocked away by him.
"Ah!" The girl screamed and took a few steps back.
Lun Tai sighed, "Xiaolei was smarter this time, and it's clear that Qimu Si's strength is a disadvantage. He deliberately sought power collisions during his attacks, giving him the upper hand.
Well, Qimu Si, come here."
Qimu Si hesitated for a moment and then walked over.
Lun Tai looked at Qimu Si, "Tell me, why did you choose the sword you have in your hand?"
"Uh... I..."
"You're a girl, and in terms of stamina and strength, you are clearly weaker than Xiaolei. Even though you chose a Chinese-style sword, it's still a long sword. In your case, as a girl, the only things you can excel in when facing this opponent are your speed and agility. So, using this long sword is still not suitable for you..."
With that, Lun Tai picked a shorter sword from the pile of weapons, a lighter and thinner one, and handed it to Qimu Si.
"When each of us chooses a weapon, we must first know how to play to our strengths and avoid our weaknesses, and understand which type of weapon is most suitable for ourselves."
Lun Tai continued, looking at the group, "Now, I'll assign your opponents. Qimu Si, your next opponent is Soo Soo. Xiaolei... your opponent is Qiao Qiao. Each team, choose your weapons, and for the next period of time, practice sparring with each other. I hope you can achieve two things: first, learn to select the weapon that suits you best, and second, become familiar with some basic movements as quickly as possible!"
...
The first day.
"Ah!"
Qiao Qiao swiftly dodged a thrust from Xiaolei, countered with a quick flick of her sword, and almost stabbed Xiaolei in the waist, startling him.
On the other side, Qimu Si and Soo Soo, both holding swords, sparred with each other, clashing and parrying a few times. However, Qimu Si suddenly screamed and retreated abruptly.
...
The second day.
Qiao Qiao disarmed Xiaolei with a single stroke, and with her sword at his chest, she seemed to have the upper hand.
However, for the next three rounds, Xiaolei, as if he had suddenly become determined, managed to knock Qiao Qiao's sword out of her hand twice. In the third round, after his own sword flew out of his hand, he surprisingly grabbed hold of Qiao Qiao's arm.
Qiao Qiao didn't expect Xiaolei to become so determined and was momentarily stunned. In that brief moment, her sword was snatched away by Xiaolei.
...
The third day.
During a practice session, Soo Soo lost control and suddenly released flames from the edge of her sword. In her desperation, she accidentally used a skill. After the flames flashed, Qimu Si screamed in fright and dropped her sword before running away.
The fourth day.
Qimu Si finally managed to knock Soo Soo's sword out of her hand with a single stroke, but then she froze on the spot, earning a harsh scolding from Lun Tai.
...
Chen Xiaolian panted heavily, gasping for air.
He leaned on his sword, barely supporting his body.
He was bleeding now!
The wound on his arm allowed fresh blood to flow down his wrist onto the hilt of the sword, making it slippery in his grip.
Around him, it seemed like an endless sea of Demon Soldiers and Hunting Demons lay dead on the ground.
Chen Xiaolian's clothes were in tatters, stained with his own blood and the slimy residue from the Hunting Demons.
He had lost track of how long he had been fighting in this underground chamber.
The system kept simulating waves of Demon Soldiers' attacks, interspersed with surprise attacks from Hunting Demons.
Chen Xiaolian faced the endless onslaught, fighting relentlessly, extracting every ounce of his hidden potential.
In the face of the relentless attacks, on this battlefield, Chen Xiaolian almost forgot everything. In the end, every movement of the sword in his hand, every attack, every defense, became instinctive actions.
He grew increasingly exhausted, his body almost emitting a cry of exhaustion. However, at the same time, he also felt that the sword in his hand was becoming more and more proficient in its movements.
It was as if every time the sword was thrust, it was guided by the thoughts in his mind.
He didn't know if he had swung the sword a few thousand times or tens of thousands of times, but it felt like there was a thin membrane in his heart that was getting thinner and thinner, almost within reach of being pierced.
Finally, as he looked at the endless tide of Demon Soldiers charging at him once again...
Chen Xiaolian suddenly felt a profound insight, as if a certain part of his mind had been illuminated...
He slowly straightened his body, then suddenly raised the sword in his hand and lightly thrust it forward...
The sword moved through the air, casually striking more than ten times...
In the air, a dense cluster of golden dots suddenly appeared...
Buzz!!!
In the dark underground palace, a burst of golden light suddenly erupted... then spread out in all directions...
The Demon Soldiers charging towards him were engulfed by this burst of light, as if hit by a shockwave, instantly disintegrating into pieces...
Chen Xiaolian fell to his knees with a thud, panting heavily, looking at the sword in his hand.
His face was filled with pain, and every muscle in his body ached!
But his eyes grew brighter and brighter!
"I finally... finally did it on my own! This... this is power! This is strength!!"
He could clearly feel that something inside his body was gradually...
Evolving!
...
"Again, again! Once more!!"
With a sword in hand, Lun Tai swung it vigorously, and in front of him, Xiaolei and Qiao Qiao stood side by side, jointly resisting Lun Tai's attacks.
The three of them continued to battle without using any skills, relying purely on their physical strength and swordsmanship.
Lun Tai still had an overwhelming advantage, pushing Xiaolei and Qiao Qiao back with his longsword.
Finally, with a clang, Lun Tai's sword knocked Xiaolei's sword out of his hand. However, at the same time, Lun Tai suddenly stopped in his tracks!
The tip of a sword was pressed against Lun Tai's armpit!
Lun Tai looked at Qiao Qiao, who was standing beside him with sweat pouring down her face but a determined look in her eyes. He glanced at Qiao Qiao's sword and suddenly wore a satisfied smile on his face. "Well done, Qiao Qiao!"
Qiao Qiao breathed a sigh of relief, sheathed her sword, and said with a wry smile, "Xiaolei and I planned it together. He was responsible for distracting you, and I was responsible for the surprise attack."
"Excellent tactics! Again!"
Lun Tai laughed heartily!
...
In the valley, Chen Xiaolian suddenly descended from the high altitude!
The sword in his hand flashed like lightning in the night sky!!
After rolling in mid-air for a few times, he landed on the ground and swiftly turned around, pointing his sword at the figure behind him...
A massive black widow spider suddenly split into pieces!
Chen Xiaolian, panting heavily, had a triumphant smile on his face.
His body was covered in terrible wounds, on his legs, arms, everywhere!
"Ha-ha-ha! Power! I feel it! Power!!"
He had lost count of how many times he had killed the black widow in this way!
In a one-on-one battle, there were no tricks or tactics.
With just the sword in his hand, and he had killed an [A] class war pet, the Black Widow, face to face!
Chen Xiaolian had paid a heavy price, many times over!
His [B] class protective suit had long been torn to shreds. He simply tore it off and threw it on the ground, then lay down gasping for breath.
"Skyblade! I... I'm even more of a genius than you imagined! Ha-ha-ha-ha... But it's a pity... It's a pity that you can't see this."
...
Finally, Chen Xiaolian entered the last cave in the underground palace, looking at the empty chamber with a furrowed brow.
"Is there nothing here?"
Soon, Chen Xiaolian received a message from the base's GM in his personal system.
"The final mission objective of this instance is incomplete and cannot be simulated."
Chen Xiaolian sighed, put down his sword, and looked at his own body. He gave a bitter smile and said, "It's over."
...
Swish!
The darkness around him suddenly lit up, and Chen Xiaolian could see his surroundings clearly. He had returned to the training room. He simply sat down on the floor and took out a bottle of water, drinking it all in one gulp.
Well, his supply of healing potions was almost depleted. Chen Xiaolian checked his reserves and shook his head.
It seemed he had reached his limit.
He could already smell the stench coming from his own body after all these days of battling in simulated instances. Sweat, blood...
"I need a shower," Chen Xiaolian grumbled as he reluctantly got up.
...
Buzz!
When the door to the training room opened, Chen Xiaolian saw that Qiao Qiao, Xiaolei, Soo Soo, and Qiqi were engaged in a four-way battle against Lun Tai.
The five of them fought in a flurry of activity, exchanging attacks and defenses. Qiao Qiao and Xiaolei moved with precision, showing well-coordinated actions. Even Soo Soo and Qiqi looked more proficient than before.
Just at that moment, Chen Xiaolian walked out of the training room, and Lun Tai was the first to notice him. He immediately jumped out of the fight and greeted him with a hearty smile, "The Guild Leader is here!"
Chen Xiaolian, exhausted, looked at the group in the central resting area. Before he could say anything, Qiao Qiao and Xiaoxiu rushed over.
Xiaolei took a few steps towards Chen Xiaolian but stopped abruptly. He covered his nose and exclaimed loudly, "Oh my God, Guild Leader! You smell terrible! How many days has it been since you showered?"
...
Chen Xiaolian immersed himself in the bathtub, and the hot water permeated every pore of his body, gradually washing away his exhaustion.
His skin turned red from the scrubbing, and his wounds and scars were rapidly healing.
At the same time, one of his hands remained outside the bathtub, still gripping the Stone Sword!
Chen Xiaolian felt a strange sensation.
It was as if what he held in his hand wasn't just a sword, but that the sword had become a part of his own body!
He squinted his eyes and raised the Stone Sword. With a gentle squeeze of his fingers, a faint golden light flashed on the blade.
Although dimmer than the light emitted by Skyblade when he stood in the arena that day, it bore a striking resemblance.
"I... What level am I now?" Chen Xiaolian pondered.
He suddenly stood up, ignoring the water dripping from his body, and stepped out of the bathtub.
Standing in front of a mirror, he examined himself and the scars on his body.
"It feels like something has changed... Somewhere, somehow," Chen Xiaolian furrowed his brows.
He lifted the Stone Sword, examining it closely, and then a strange sensation surged within him.
With a flip of his palm...
Swoosh!
The Stone Sword disappeared from his hand!
Chen Xiaolian was momentarily stunned, but he quickly closed his eyes.
He delved into his own mental consciousness and quickly saw the Stone Sword floating within his mental space. Surrounding it were clusters of faint golden light.
Although dim, the golden light was undeniably real.
Chen Xiaolian opened his eyes and gazed at his reflection in the mirror, his eyes filled with growing confidence.
"Yes, it's truly different now!"