“Exceptional comprehension?” William Clark heard this and couldn’t help but be moved. Ever since his memories fused, his computational and comprehension abilities had greatly improved. Problems that had once puzzled him could now be solved with a little thought. He just didn’t know if this computational and comprehension ability counted as comprehension.

　　After pondering for a moment, William Clark said, “Thank you for the reminder, Elder. I’ve decided—I’ll take this incomplete saber manual.”

　　Seeing the determined look on William Clark’s face, the white-bearded elder shook his head slightly and said, “Since you’ve made your choice, I won’t say more. This incomplete saber manual records a saber move of great power, but very few have ever mastered it. I hope you’ll be an exception.”

Chapter 0005 Forced Recruitment

　　It was a clear moonlit night. The sky was spotless, twin moons hung high, and silvery moonlight poured down like water, bathing the entire Wildlands in a clear radiance, as if the world had become a dreamlike underwater realm.

　　Beneath this watery moonlight, William Clark stood with eyes closed, arms extended forward, ten fingers clenched into fists, his waist slightly lowered, and his feet trembling in a peculiar rhythm.

　　William Clark’s stance was simple, yet it gave off a sense of solidity. He seemed like a stone under the moonlight, unmoved by wind or rain.

　　The moon reached its zenith.

　　William Clark slowly exhaled a deep breath and withdrew from his stance. He stretched his muscles and bones, muttering, “This ‘Iron Bridge Blocking the River Stance’ is truly easy to learn but hard to master. I, William Clark, have practiced it since I was five, and it’s been eight years now. If not for the memory fusion making my mind much sharper and my computational ability far superior to before, I probably still wouldn’t have reached the minor accomplishment stage of this ‘Iron Bridge Blocking the River Stance.’”

　　After obtaining two sets of martial arts manuals, William Clark didn’t rush into training. He knew that martial arts relied on a solid foundation; to go further, one must first have a firm base. So, taking advantage of his advancement, William Clark reviewed everything in “Martial Arts Enlightenment.”

　　After the memory fusion, William Clark’s mind was much more agile than before. In just over ten days, he managed to train a defensive move recorded in “Martial Arts Enlightenment”—the Iron Bridge Blocking the River Stance—to the minor accomplishment stage. William Clark believed that with another half year of practice, he was confident he could master this “Iron Bridge Blocking the River Stance” to the great accomplishment stage, reaching the level of “as solid as a mountain, as steady as iron, unshaken by sudden storms.”

　　The more fundamental something is, the harder it is to grasp its essence. Though the Clark family was large, few could train the “Iron Bridge Blocking the River Stance” to the minor accomplishment stage. As for the great accomplishment stage, even fewer had achieved it—across all of Sanhe Town, they could be counted on one hand.

　　After reaching the minor accomplishment stage in the “Iron Bridge Blocking the River Stance,” William Clark spent another half month practicing basic saber techniques. The basic saber techniques recorded in “Martial Arts Enlightenment” explained in detail how to grip, draw, swing, change, recover, and sheath the saber. In his previous life’s memories, William Clark had some knowledge of mechanics. Combining this with the basic saber techniques and his formidable comprehension, William Clark managed to reach the minor accomplishment stage in just over ten days.

　　William Clark had started training at age five, but due to limited talent, he had practiced hard for seven years without reaching the minor accomplishment stage in saber techniques. Now, after the memory fusion, his comprehension had greatly improved, and in just over ten days, he had brought both the basic saber techniques and the “Iron Bridge Blocking the River Stance” to the minor accomplishment stage—a true miracle.

　　William Clark’s courtyard was too small. Now that his basic saber techniques had reached the minor accomplishment stage, he needed to find another place to train. He thought of a waterfall he had discovered while gathering herbs in the mountains last time. The waterfall was more than eighty li from Sanhe Town, rarely visited by people, making it a perfect place to practice saber techniques.

　　“Endlessly practicing in the small courtyard is not a long-term solution. Now that I have the saber manual, I should go outside, use nature as my guide, and comprehend the way of the saber. That is the true path.”

　　Having made up his mind, William Clark packed up his things, gave a few instructions to Helen Clark, and, carrying a thick-backed saber, headed out of the residence.

　　In the Clark residence, once the disciples turned thirteen, they could go out to train for a period. No special procedures were needed—just a word to the steward would suffice, and Helen Clark could handle this; William Clark didn’t need to do it himself.

　　……

　　William Clark left the residence and headed toward the waterfall. After traveling a few li, a figure suddenly appeared and blocked his way.

　　The one blocking William Clark was a boy of about twelve or thirteen, dressed in blue, his face full of arrogance. It was none other than William Clark’s long-time adversary, David Clark.

　　William Clark stopped, frowned, and said, “David Clark, what are you doing?”

　　A sinister smile appeared on David Clark’s face as he slowly said, “William Clark, let’s not beat around the bush. Since you’re being direct, I’ll get straight to the point. Listen, I’m here to ask you to join us. As long as you join us and help my young master win the position of family head, there will be great benefits for you in the future.”

　　After his memories awakened, William Clark had no interest in these family disputes, nor did he want to tie himself to any faction. Without even thinking, he replied, “Not interested.”