Chapter 77: The Breath of All Things

Surprised by the unexpected politeness of this notorious 'Evil Swordsman,' Shimotsuki Machiko could not help but be surprised. Her hand trembled slightly, and almost spilled the hot tea on the wooden tray.

Shimotsuki Koushirou quickly steadied his wife's arm, giving her a reassuring pat before gesturing for her to retreat to the inner room to rest.

Machiko apologized and walked out of the reception room slowly.

"My apologies for my wife's behavior, Mr. Momoya," Koushirou said with a smile, then returning to the matter at hand, "You're welcome to borrow the sword technique scrolls from Isshin Dojo, free of charge, Mr. Momoya. I wonder what question Mr. Momoya would like to ask?"

Adrian held the teacup and said in a deep voice, "I would like to ask Mr. Shimotsuki, what is the "Breath of All Things"?

Koushirou's eyes flashed with a strange light, and he lowered his head and took a sip of tea. "I didn't expect Mr. Adrian to have comprehended the threshold of the Swordmaster at such a young age."

Adrian smiled, choosing not to respond directly.

The "Breath of All Things" is indeed the threshold of the Swordmaster (Sword Hero according to interface).

Only a swordsman who has successfully comprehended the "Breath of All Things" can possess the means of "cutting iron"!

It's beyond doubt that Shimotsuki Koushirou, uttering such words, is undoubtedly a Swordmaster(Sword Hero), if not more!

After a moment of silence, Koushirou began to explain his understanding of the Breath of All Things.

"In the world, there exists a type of swordsman who can cut through anything they want to cut through, but will not cut through anything if they don't want to cut...

"When they want to, even the hardest steel will be like delicate tofu; when they don't want to, even the delicate tofu will be like the hardest steel.

"This is because they have comprehended Breath of All Things, or The Rhythm of All Things.

"Every object, tangible or not, breathes; and with breathing comes undulations.

"At the crest and trough of these waves, the nature of all things undergoes a transformation, altering their resistance to force.

"A swordsman who grasps this rhythm completely gains the power to slice through anything.

"..."

In the blink of an eye, Adrian had been staying at the Isshin Dojo for several days.

In terms of sword knowledge, Adrian was just as skilled as other swordsmen who had trained since childhood, thanks to his previous mission exploring Swordsmanship Hundred Schools.

With the unrestrained knowledge imparted by Shimotsuki Koushirou, who is at least on the level of a "Sword Master (Sword Hero)," Adrian was now just a step away from reaching that level!

On this day,

Adrian closed his eyes and sat cross-legged in a clearing in the forest outside Shimotsuki Village, practicing his swordsmanship meditation as usual.

Before him stood a large gray-white stone, as tall as a person, wrapped in a sturdy white rope. This stone had been his practice target for the past few days.

Comprehending the rhythm of all things is not simply about sensing the surrounding aura.

Understanding the rhythm of nature wasn't just about sensing the aura around him. If it were, anyone with mastery over Observation Haki could achieve it, but being a Sword Master (Sword Hero) is quite rare!

It wasn't merely about coating his sword with Armament Haki and slicing effortlessly through steel. Adrian knew that alone wouldn't make him a Sword Master (Sword Hero)!

With his mind completely relaxed, Adrian emptied his thoughts, attuning himself to the natural world around him while expanding his senses and Observation Haki.

Slowly, faint but clear "sounds" began to echo in his mind.

Inhale—Exhale—Inhale—Exhale—

In Adrian's perception, the massive rock before him seemed to come alive. Its once motionless surface now undulated like living skin in a slow, rhythmic pattern.

Adrian suddenly opened his eyes, and his jet-black pupils were shining with an incredibly bright light.

Yubashiri slid from its sheath with a soft swish.

Swish—

With a pleasant sword hum, the giant rock in front of him, equal in height to a man, split in half. The halves tumbled to either side, the cut surface smooth as glass.

"Iron Cutting!"

[Advance quest "Breath of All Things" has been completed.]

[You have acquired the skill "Breath of All Things"!]

["Breath of All Things"-Expertise: All things that breathe must die. Everything must eventually end and be destroyed. Whether it is a tangible object or an intangible object, it can be cut off! When using swordsmanship to attack, you can see the weakness and increase the critical strike effect by 200%.]

Adrian was excited to have acquired a new skill. He carefully examined its effects.

Adrian scratched his head in thought. "It seems like the descriptions of sword-related skills are always more impressive in the first half than in the second half. For example, the [Three Thousand Flows] skill. I wonder why they can't just be more straightforward like other skills, like [Low-level Resilient Life],] and [Robust Physique]. Those descriptions are so simple and straightforward."

After casually complaining for a few sentences, the follow-up information on the panel also appeared.

[Detected completion of Level 60 Advanced Mission!]

[You have obtained the advanced class 'Sword Hero'. Your Stamina has significantly increased, Strength +5, Agility +5, Intelligence +5, gained 5 free attribute points, and acquired 1 skill point.]

[You comprehend the skill 'Master-level Sword Art Practice/Cultivation'!]

{修炼 = xiūliàn = (of Taoists) to practice austerities / to practice asceticism}

[You comprehend the skill 'Master-level Sword Art Affinity'!] 

[You comprehend the skill 'Sword Power'!]

{剑, 势 = jiàn, shì = Sword, power}

As expected, the subsequent advanced class for the Swordmaster is the Sword Hero.

{和预想中一样 = as expected

剑师 = Sword Master

的后续升级职业就是 = The subsequent upgraded profession is

剑豪= Sword Hero}

The first two skills are evolved versions obtained through continuous upgrades: 'Sword Art Practice/Cultivation' allows you to gain proficiency in swordsmanship through practice, 'Sword Art Affinity' increases your understanding of swordsmanship while enhancing the power of sword techniques.

About the last skill, "Sword Power", it was a bit puzzling.

Adrian originally thought that the upgraded skill after "Sword Qi" would be "Flying Slash", but now a "Sword Power" had appeared. He quickly checked the skill effect.

[Sword Power]: The tangible energy turns into intangible force, greatly increasing the power and concentration of the slash.

"Actually, this is Flying Slash, right?!" Adrian frowned.

He used all the free attribute points he had saved up after leveling up to increase his intelligence attribute. That's how simple and straightforward it is for a Devil Fruit user with the Ghost Fruit ability to add points.

Adrian looked at his panel information.

**—— (Updated or important areas)

Level: 61

Main Profession: Sword Hero LV1 (0/100 million) 

{剑豪} 剑 – jiàn - double-edged sword a sword

豪 – háo – grand/heroic

Attributes: Strength 238, Agility 157, Endurance 145, Intelligence 764, Charm 45, Luck 1

Free Attribute Points: 0

Skill Points: 51

Expertise: [Low-level Resilient Life], [Ghost Fruit], [Curse of the Sea], [Sturdy Figure], [Three Thousand Flows] [Robust Physique], [Breath of All Things]

Skills: [Ghostly Body] (max), [Ghost Creation] (max), [Spirit Projection] LV2

[Armament Haki] LV1 (1,024/10,000), [Observation Haki] LV1 (2,048/10,000)

[Master Swordsmanship Training] LV1 (0/5,000,000), [Master Swordsmanship Affinity] LV1 (0/15,000,000), [Sword Power] LV1 (0/10,000,000)

Legend: [East Blue · Evil Swordsman]

Equipment: 50 Skillful Grade swords: Yubashiri

…

Successfully advancing to the Sword Hero level, his strength skyrocketed, and Adrian was very satisfied.

But when he thought about the experience needed for the current, bitterness crept onto his lips.

"It seems I can't stop the plan to harvest player experience. The players in the South Blue should be getting impatient by now!"