Anna Sutton seemed to find this request a bit strange, but quickly agreed, saying, "No problem, so can we start now?"

"Yeah, summon your spirit weapon first!"

"Okay!"

Anna Sutton took a gentle breath, gripped forward with her right hand, and instantly grasped the crystal-clear hilt of a sword. Flames flickered in an instant, and a slender greatsword was pulled out from the void by her—it was none other than Anna Sutton's spirit weapon—Red Dragon's Wrath: Consort Yan.

"Ugh..."

I almost couldn't withstand the oppressive heat from Consort Yan's flames and quietly took half a step back, saying, "See, Consort Yan is originally a longsword, and the hilt is actually a full third of the blade's length. In fact, this is somewhat at odds with the Su family's sword style, which is light, agile, and as swift as thunder. However... if you improve it, it's not impossible. I learned a set of improved sword techniques from a friend a few years ago—well, it's not really a full set, just some techniques."

"Mhm, go on!" Anna Sutton said with a smile.

"This technique is called the Sword Tail Technique... You should know, before fountain pens became common on Dragon Spirit Continent, people used brushes, and this Sword Tail Technique was inspired by the brushwork of calligraphy. There are six moves in total: Swift Momentum, Guarded Tail, Hidden Edge, Shifting Stance, Sweeping Strike, and Horizontal Scales. I think once you master these, you should be able to improve the Su family sword style on your own."

As I spoke, I hooked a training sword with my toe and gripped it in my hand, saying, "Today I'll teach you Swift Momentum first. I'll demonstrate it once."

"Okay."

With the sword in hand, it felt as if it was connected to my mind. I had long since mastered this Sword Tail Technique, and after running through the set, I wasn't even out of breath. But Anna Sutton was almost stunned, her lips slightly parted, and she said, "I... I've never seen such a strange sword style before."

I smiled, "It may not look impressive, but it's actually quite practical."

"Let me try."

"Go ahead."

I picked up a few more swords to continue refining my work, while Anna Sutton practiced the Sword Tail Technique under the moonlight. Consort Yan was a greatsword, and it was truly not easy to wield it with agility, but she seemed to be working very hard, not leaving until late into the night.

……

After seeing Anna Sutton off, I sat cross-legged on a wooden stake in the Sword Polishing Office's small courtyard and began cultivating the Battle Tactic. After all, the Battle Tactic was the foundation of my cultivation, but now, with my meridians burned and my skills destroyed, I could only use the basic power of the Battle Tactic, not even the first level.

Taking a deep breath, I felt the spiritual energy in my bloodline, like streams of warmth flowing and accelerating as I circulated it. Before long, a layer of white aura was already floating around my body.

After running the Battle Tactic's heart method five times, finally, there seemed to be a strange power surging in my palms. Accompanied by a faint "sizzling" sound, strands of spiritual energy fused and steamed with my blood, quickly gathering into a tiny stream between my palms. In an instant, I felt much clearer and more energetic, and the power in my blood was slightly replenished.

This was the sign of "Silent Stream"—the first level of the Battle Tactic, "Rushing Flow," had reached minor achievement!

Every martial technique and cultivation method is divided into four realms per level: Minor Achievement, Mastery, Great Achievement, and Perfection, progressing step by step until reaching the peak.

But I could only hold on for less than ten seconds before the Rushing Flow in my palms suddenly lost control and dissipated. My vision blurred, and I realized I was drenched in sweat, my eyes stinging.

Looking at the time, it was already 2 a.m. Unknowingly, I had cultivated the Battle Tactic for over three hours, and my only achievement was reaching minor achievement in the first level, Rushing Flow. What I felt even more was hunger and the emptiness and weakness in my bloodline—a result of excessive energy consumption. Moreover, the Battle Tactic was a first-class martial art, so it naturally consumed even more!

On the continent, the martial arts heritage of various sects and schools is extremely complex and profound. But a hundred years ago, the Sacred Land of Spirit Martial established an evaluation system, dividing the martial arts of the continent by power and influence into: Unranked, Third-rate, Second-rate, First-rate, Super First-rate, and Top-tier. The Bu family's Battle Tactic is an ancient family art, said to have been famous thousands of years ago, but now, as the Bu family has declined, the Battle Tactic has fallen to a first-rate martial art. Even so, not everyone can access a first-rate martial art.

Lying in bed, I slept for less than five hours before the alarm rang.

After washing up, I heard footsteps in the Sword Polishing Office's small courtyard, accompanied by a fragrant scent. A beautiful woman walked in—it was Emily Baker's assistant, Lucy Hughes. Lucy Hughes was holding a stack of somewhat old-fashioned books in her arms, walked over with a bright smile, and said, "Ethan Baker, are you here?"

"I'm here, it's you, Sister Lucy!"

"Yeah, the vice dean is too busy to come, so she asked me to bring you some things, and also to pass on a message."

"Oh?"

I took the stack of books from Lucy Hughes's hands—they were quite heavy—and asked, "These... what are they?"

"Textbooks! You're a new student, even if you're a substitute, you're still a new student. How could you not have Wanling Academy's textbooks!"