"Tan Hua Sword Qi Manual," a Xuan-level martial technique. At present, Brian Carter can only unleash sword moves, and even then, they are merely imitations in form, lacking the true essence, so their power is greatly diminished.

　　Even so, the power of these sword moves should not be underestimated. They are fast and accurate; unless facing a high-level martial artist or a target who has trained in hardening techniques, they are still quite lethal.

　　The human throat is an extremely vulnerable vital point, like the "seven inches" of a snake. Suddenly stabbing a sharp blade into it is no trivial matter.

　　Currently, the sword move has become Brian Carter's trump card. He doesn't strike easily, but when he does, blood is sure to be shed.

　　At night, darkness fell quickly. He went to bed early to meditate and practice his cultivation technique.

　　From morning till night, his schedule was packed, reasonable, and well-coordinated.

　　In contrast, Lily seemed much more relaxed. Gathering wild vegetables, hunting, cooking, practicing boxing—after finishing these tasks, she still had free time to do other things.

　　These included making a swing, which she hung between two trees. She would sit on it, swaying back and forth while watching Brian Carter practice boxing. She also used the accumulated snow to build two snowmen, placing them outside the door, one on the left and one on the right. She used small twigs for eyebrows, round pebbles for eyes, and long stones for noses and mouths. They looked innocent and adorable...

　　One snowman was tall, the other shorter; one was sturdy, the other slender—their features were very distinct.

　　Just as Lily said: one snowman is the big brother, and the other is herself.

　　A young girl's thoughts are always surprisingly delicate, revealed in the smallest details, making those around her feel especially warm.

　　But in Brian Carter's heart, this warmth turned into a heavy sense of responsibility—no matter what, he had to protect it well, not allowing any harm to come to it.

　　Strength—ultimately, it's all about strength!

　　Brian Carter wished he could split every day into two, for now he was racing against time, and losing meant losing his life.

Chapter Thirteen: "Tan Hua Sword Qi Manual"

　　Another afternoon arrived, the sunlight warm—a rare clear day.

　　"Pa!"

　　A crisp sound shattered the tranquility of the mountain hollow.

　　Immediately after, another sound rang out. A streak of light shot through the woods, visible to the naked eye, and struck a pine tree as thick as a bowl a hundred paces away with unerring accuracy.

　　In the blink of an eye, three flying swords were neatly embedded halfway up the pine tree, each sunk two inches deep.

　　The three flying swords formed the character "品" in their arrangement, and the spacing between them was almost identical. This showed the solid foundation of the person who threw them, to be able to control them so precisely.

　　Whoosh!

　　The fourth flying sword was thrown, "thunk"—it nailed itself to the tree. Creaking, the pine tree could no longer withstand the impact, snapped in half, and toppled over, startling several birds into a flurry of flight and cries.

　　"If only this sword move were a bit more powerful, I could have split the trunk with a single strike..."

　　Brian Carter muttered to himself as he walked over and retrieved the four flying swords. These little flying swords were exquisitely crafted, about four inches long, double-edged, and sharp as a shuttle. However, they were made of the most ordinary steel, hardly considered fine weapons, and nowhere near the level of legendary blades.

　　But for him, they were the best practice weapons, so he had five custom-made.

　　The first part of the "Tan Hua Sword Qi Manual" focuses on sword moves—winning with technique, catching the enemy off guard. The latter part, after condensing qi, allows one to infuse objects with force, turning the ordinary into the extraordinary—this is the cultivation of sword qi. With sword qi, even a leaf or a delicate flower can be used to injure an enemy. At that point, there is no need for any external objects; one can create something from nothing, condensing force into form—this is sword qi.

　　When sword qi is unleashed, it follows the wielder's will, killing invisibly and with extraordinary power.

　　This is the so-called "no sword in hand, but a sword in the heart."

　　Compared to the realm of sword qi, sword moves are far inferior. However, Brian Carter practiced diligently and earnestly. The beginning is always the hardest—no one can reach the top in a single step; everyone starts from the basics.

　　When he first started practicing the "Tan Hua Sword Qi Manual," he would eye the birds hopping around in the trees, his mouth watering, thinking of throwing a flying sword to practice, maybe nailing one or two to have some steamed or braised meat for a change. But those iron-backed sparrows were extremely clever and agile. Except for one sneak attack where he knocked off a feather, he missed every other attempt. Once, an enraged iron-backed sparrow even snatched away one of his flying swords.

　　Thus, Brian Carter's total number of flying swords went from five to four, which pained him greatly.

　　Worse still, these vengeful birds, whenever they saw Brian Carter enter the woods, would immediately call their friends, fly overhead, and bombard him with droppings, leaving him in a sorry state with no way to retaliate.

　　If even mere iron-backed sparrows were such a headache, who knew how terrifying those powerful demon beasts must be, not to mention the legendary demons with intelligence and the ability to take human form.

　　Brian Carter was filled with emotion. In comparison, how lacking and insignificant was his own strength?

　　He had to train hard—only by putting in several times more effort than others could he improve his strength and make up for the gap.

　　He came from a difficult background and understood better than anyone the hardships of struggling at the bottom. Now, having finally encountered an opportunity that could be a blessing or a curse, he naturally cherished it all the more.

　　……

　　Chirp chirp chirp!