The level of one’s blade technique is naturally ranked by its power. If you’ve learned a peerless blade technique but can only unleash minimal power, it’s useless.

On the martial training grounds, there are three types of testing props: hardwood stakes, stone stakes, and copper stakes, which can withstand four hundred, six hundred, and one thousand jin of force respectively. With a single test, you’ll know how far your blade technique has progressed.

Charles Bennett silently took a ten-jin steel blade from the rack, weighed it in his hand, and then walked up to a wooden stake.

He didn’t do any warm-up. Leaning his body forward, his right hand gripped the hilt, he slid forward a small step, and drew the blade.

Thud!

The blade’s flash swept by.

A hardwood stake was sliced cleanly in two, falling to the ground.

Passed.

Many students from the upper academy around him twitched their gazes slightly, feeling the blade’s flash sting their eyes. Fast—Charles Bennett’s draw was too fast. The force of the draw was only one or two hundred jin, but the speed was so great that it could sever the hardwood stake.

Charles Bennett took a few steps to stand before a stone stake, gripped the blade with both hands, and leapt forward to strike.

Boom!

The stone stake broke apart.

Charles Bennett’s moves were clean and crisp, his technique incredibly practiced.

The more than two hundred students on the training ground weren’t surprised. Charles Bennett could break a stone stake with just his fists and feet, so of course he could do it with a blade. Besides, the first two moves were only basic blade techniques and couldn’t prove that Charles Bennett possessed greater strength.

Charles Bennett finally stood before a copper stake, examining it.

‘This copper stake can withstand a thousand jin of force. Even a ninth-level Body Refinement expert can’t break it with fists or feet. Even with a weapon, it can’t be cut through. Unless you can unleash a powerful intermediate or higher martial technique to greatly boost your own strength.’

Many students held their breath, visibly tense. Nearly all the instructors and students present recognized the blade technique Charles Bennett was using—Henry Grant had learned this very set.

Especially those students who had just mocked Charles Bennett; now they were even more anxious. They were ready—if Charles Bennett failed, they would mock him even more. If he passed, they’d pretend they never said anything.

“Tiger’s Leap Double Slash!”

Charles Bennett stood firm, his muscles tensed and back slightly arched, veins bulging on his arms. With a low shout, he struck with all his might. Just as the blade was about to hit the copper stake, his wrist flicked, and two nearly overlapping blade shadows slashed down on the copper stake.

Crack!

The sharp steel blade cut straight down, slicing the copper stake in two.

Hiss!

On the training ground, the students gasped in shock.

Those who had hoped to mock Charles Bennett now shut their mouths tightly, not daring to make a sound.

Many commoner students in the upper academy looked at Charles Bennett with excitement. If Charles Bennett could achieve this, so could they. Among them were commoner youths nearly twenty years old, still stuck at the fourth or fifth level of Body Refinement. Looking at Charles Bennett, their eyes brimmed with tears.

Henry Grant crossed his arms, his usually cold face showing a hint of emotion.

He knew best the essence of the “Tiger’s Leap Blade Technique”—it had only six moves in total. For a sixth-level Body Refinement martial artist, the real challenge was the third and fourth moves. These two moves were tedious and hard to master; without several months of practice, you couldn’t even get started.

If you couldn’t master the third move, a sixth-level Body Refinement martial artist was basically useless, only able to use the first two basic moves with average power. With so few moves and little variation, you couldn’t possibly win against other martial artists of the same level.

But once you mastered the third move, your attack power doubled instantly, becoming so fierce that few dared to face you head-on.

The power of the Tiger’s Leap Double Slash was truly the most domineering and ferocious.

By comparison, other blade, sword, or spear techniques had more moves—dozens or even hundreds—allowing for flexible responses to complex combat situations. Naturally, each move was easier to master, and the training difficulty was far less than that of the Tiger’s Leap Double Slash.

Henry Grant himself had taken four months to master the third move.

Now Charles Bennett had also mastered this move—‘Tiger’s Leap Double Slash’.

“‘Tiger’s Leap Blade Technique’ basic move, first move ‘Draw Blade’—instantly severs the hardwood stake, speed up to standard!”

“‘Tiger’s Leap Blade Technique’ basic move, second move ‘Tiger’s Leap Slash’—instantly severs the stone stake, six hundred jin of force, up to standard!”

“‘Tiger’s Leap Blade Technique’ intermediate move, third move ‘Tiger’s Leap Double Slash’—instantly severs the copper stake, one thousand two hundred jin of force, move up to standard!”

“Charles Bennett, sixth level of Body Refinement, has mastered an intermediate blade technique and passed the strength assessment.”

Chief instructor Caleb Thompson gave the final assessment. His steady, hoarse voice rang out especially clear and loud in the silent training ground.

The training ground was deathly silent.

Many students now looked at Ethan Marshall with sympathy, pity, or ridicule. Just moments ago, Ethan Marshall had publicly boasted that he’d reached the sixth level of Body Refinement in just eight months, claiming to be the academy’s most talented student.

But now, his boast still echoing in their ears, he’d been surpassed by a commoner student.