“Enough! As for the Great Stele-Smashing Hand and the Six Harmonies Fist, I will personally teach you the forms and formulas. That Golden Bell Shield, I have never practiced, so I can’t teach you—perhaps we’ll find a way in the future, or you can choose another body-tempering technique instead.”

‘Emily’ finished speaking, then, as if worried that Adam Carter wouldn’t understand, casually explained, “Your wrists are clumsy and far less nimble than others, so you can’t train in weapons. But precisely because your joints are so steady, you can achieve great mastery in fists and palms. If you want to learn swordsmanship, you can only focus on broad, open sword techniques and sword control arts—otherwise, it would be a waste of your innate battle soul. But to walk this path, you need unmatched strength and a vast, deep source of energy. Spiritual energy can be cultivated later; for now, start with peerless strength and forge your sword body. You must also train your external skills to the utmost before you can reach enlightenment. Besides these four techniques, I’ll teach you a Sword-Nurturing Formula, which can store sword energy within—this will be greatly beneficial in the future—”

“Innate battle soul? What does that mean?”

Adam Carter asked in confusion, “And if I practice all these techniques at the same time, how long will it take me to reach the Qi Refining stage?”

If it would take too long, he’d rather not learn!

Because in just a few months, there was an opportunity he absolutely could not miss, waiting for him to reach the Qi Refining stage.

It was a broad, open road that could make him a man above men—Adam Carter truly didn’t want to miss it.

“As for what an innate battle soul is, I’ll explain it to you later. As for reaching the Qi Refining stage, at the fastest, half a year; at the slowest, eight or nine months! With the help of elixirs, it could be shortened to within three months. Once you master all four techniques, you’ll finally have the qualifications to compete with those peerless geniuses and legendary sword immortals!”

Only then did Emily notice the reluctance and doubt in Adam Carter’s expression, and her beautiful eyes immediately showed a hint of displeasure. But then she slightly lifted her delicate chin and looked off into the distance.

“It’s already dawn. If you want to practice boxing today, remember to carry me on your back—best to keep me with you at all times. There will be benefits!”

……

By the time the sun was high in the sky, Adam Carter slowly woke up in his own room. At this moment, he was holding that decayed sword in his arms.

He was no longer in the slums of western Yue City, but in his own house in the north of the city.

It was a small courtyard with four sides, with a main hall and five rooms. Adam Carter and a few brothers had pooled their money to buy it together.

People like them lived precariously, so staying together meant they could look out for each other.

Just a few days ago, after ambushing and killing Shi Bao, the dozen or so of them had been laying low and hadn’t returned here.

But now, this was the only place where Adam Carter could rest his head and get a good night’s sleep.

Upon waking, the first thing Adam Carter looked at was, of course, that decayed sword. It was still in that ruined state—the blade had more than a dozen chips, the sword body was engraved with ancient patterns and covered in mottled rust, and even the hilt was broken off.

It was hard to imagine that within this decayed sword dwelled a sword spirit of breathtaking beauty.

“I wonder what the origin of this sword really is?”

Just now, in the dream, the sword spirit Emily had answered every other question without reservation. But when it came to her own origins, ‘Emily’ always dodged the topic, keeping it shrouded in mystery.

Adam Carter suspected that even she herself might not know. When he asked, ‘Emily’s eyes were filled with unmistakable confusion and pain.

But none of that mattered—the sword’s origin, who forged it, why it housed a sword spirit named ‘Emily’—none of it concerned him.

All he needed to know was that this sword was extremely “supernatural,” somewhat dangerous, and might become an indispensable aid on his path to success.

Then Adam Carter frowned deeply, unable to make up his mind for a moment.

“Should I really follow the sword spirit’s advice?”

Could he really master all four techniques in just three months?

Adam Carter was deeply skeptical. The other three external martial arts were one thing, but the Golden Bell Shield was a body-tempering art that required years of accumulation. How could it possibly be mastered overnight?

But ‘Emily’ had said before that she could help him grasp the basics of Dragon-Subduing Tiger-Taming in half a month and achieve complete understanding. If she could really deliver, then he would know whether this sword spirit was truly capable or just boasting.

And those Great Stele-Smashing Hand and Six Harmonies Fist—weren’t they just ordinary boxing techniques? How could they have such astonishing origins? Was it true or not?

Adam Carter was doubtful, but had already decided to look for the manuals of these two boxing styles later and study them carefully.

The Dust-Departing Academy had them, and their versions were far more authentic and complete than those passed down among the common folk. But they’d been neglected for years and were looked down upon by the academy’s students. Even the least talented disciples wouldn’t choose these two boxing arts, lest they ruin their prospects.

As he was pondering, Adam Carter’s stomach suddenly rumbled. Only then did he remember that he hadn’t eaten since noon yesterday.

He’d spent the whole afternoon practicing boxing, and after returning to the city at night, fought a fierce battle. By the time he’d taken care of everything, he was utterly exhausted and fell asleep as soon as he hit the bed, sleeping until the hour of the dragon the next day.

Getting up from bed and getting dressed to leave the room, Adam Carter suddenly remembered ‘Emily’s instructions.