Chapter 8: Gabrielle sword practice

After comprehending the complete sword art, Gabriel was at a loss for words. At this point, the system had already granted him items that defied belief, making him question the appropriateness of it all. However, such concerns faded as Gabriel became enamored with the sword art.

The once earth-grade art had ascended to immortal-grade status! It encompassed a comprehensive array of skills—offensive, defensive, and even area-of-effect attacks.

Gabriel couldn't help but imagine the power that it could release if the art were infused with black ice qi, the cultivation technique of both Gabrielle and Serana. Black ice qi, multiple times colder than regular ice qi, promised devastating power.

Without delay, Gabriel took a deep breath and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the world looked different. Two mountains obstructed the view, and soft, milky-smooth hands replaced his usual sturdy, masculine arms. In an instant, Gabriel had transformed into Gabrielle.

Had Serana been present, she would have been astonished by Gabrielle's tall figure. In a world where the average height of women was around 5'6", Gabrielle towered at 6". Unlike Gabriel, whose aura exuded warmth and calmness, Gabrielle, having cultivated the Absolute Zero: Ice Emperor Technique to the late stages of the second rank, emanated an unsettling coldness and exceptional composure. If she were to attain the third rank of Harmony, known for emotional detachment, she would become an unyielding mountain.

Fortunately, Gabrielle was only a Yin Clone, connected to Gabriel's main body. Her emotional responses were tethered to his will, shielding her from the emotional turmoil faced by Serana that got worse as her rank increased further.

With the newly acquired sword technique, Gabrielle seamlessly adapted. As she circulated her qi, the air around her turned frigid. Compared to Serana's cold qi, Gabrielle's was more intense and unsettling, a testament to her complete mastery of the cultivation technique.

The qi Gabrielle released was exceptionally pure. With a quick flick of her wrist, she retrieved a wooden training sword from her spatial ring. The moment her qi enveloped the sword, frost swiftly covered its surface, hardening the wood into a material akin to pykrete.

"First, I'll familiarize myself with the movements before attempting the core techniques," Gabrielle murmured, taking a deep breath to center herself and clear her mind of distractions.

Standing at the heart of the hall, Gabrielle's breath became visible as the surrounding temperature dropped. Her internal qi circulated, radiating outward from her form. Clad in simple yet elegant peak master robes, she gripped her pykrete sword, its blade shimmering with an icy black glow. Another breath steadied her, her ice qi flowing coolly and calmly within her.

Her practice began with deliberate, measured movements. Each step resonated softly in the cavernous space as she grounded herself, her body perfectly aligned. Starting with foundational stances, Gabrielle made her sword an extension of her will and intent. The sound of her blade cutting through the air was a soft, whispering song, almost lost amidst the hall's silent expanse.

If Serana had witnessed this, she would have been amazed at how elegant her master appeared in female form.

Gabrielle's focus remained steadfast. She smoothly transitioned between forms, each movement flowing seamlessly into the next. Her sword arcs were precise, her footwork flawless. Though practicing the basics, the simplicity of the forms allowed her to deeply connect with her ice qi, feeling its cool power surge through her with every motion.

Thanks to her complete walkthrough of the sword art skill, the practice wasn't easy, yet she approached perfection as her mind recalled the exact movements outlined in the walkthrough.

The hall's chill intensified her affinity with ice. As Gabrielle continued, the temperature seemed to plummet further, frost forming on the stone floor beneath her feet. Each step left behind a delicate trail of ice crystals. Her breath remained steady, misting in the cold air before dissipating.

Gabrielle shifted through a sequence of thrusts and parries, her sword moving with a dancer's grace and a warrior's precision. She felt the weight of the pykrete sword, the balance of its blade in her hand, and the smooth flow of her qi guiding each action. Despite the simplicity of her practice, each move was executed almost flawlessly.

The hall's silence was profound, magnifying the sound of her sword slicing through the air. Occasionally, a faint crackle of ice forming and breaking echoed through the space.

As she continued, time seemed to blur. Minutes stretched into hours, marked only by the rhythmic rise and fall of her blade. Her muscles burned with exertion, contrasting sharply with the cold, yet she persisted, her mind and body harmonizing with the icy qi.

Finally, Gabrielle concluded her practice with a flick of her pykrete sword, dispersing ice shards before ceasing the flow of her qi, returning the sword to its normal wooden state.

"It's my first time testing these movement skills, yet I'm nearly able to perfect them. Knowing what needs to be done is crucial," Gabrielle murmured quietly, freezing the wooden sword solid in her hand once more. "It's time to practice the core techniques. I should be able to grasp them quickly before Serana returns."

After practicing the three core techniques at a deliberate pace, focusing on understanding the movements and calculating the correct force with each swing, Gabrielle returned to the center of the hall. She cleared her mind, the walkthrough replaying in her thoughts, guiding her through the proper techniques.

Gripping her pykrete sword, its blade shimmering with an icy black light, Gabrielle took a deep breath, feeling the surge of her ice qi. She began her practice of the Frozen Star Sword Art, this time focusing on the core techniques, not mere basic forms!

She began with Frostbite, her narrowed eyes focused intensely. Gabrielle slashed through the air with precision, the blade leaving behind a trail of shimmering frost. As qi surged through her, the air around her strike grew intensely cold, emitting an invisible wave of freezing energy capable of immobilizing any target in its path. She visualized the effect on an opponent: their movements slowing and eventually freezing in place. Each slash was executed with calculated precision, demonstrating her exceptional control over the ice qi.

Transitioning seamlessly, Gabrielle moved into Glacial Sweep. Adjusting her stance, she rooted herself firmly on the frosty floor. With a fluid motion, she swung her sword in a wide, horizontal arc. The blade hummed with energy, unleashing a wave of icy power that spread out in a 180-degree arc before her. The palpable cold of the attack would freeze and debilitate any enemies caught within its reach. The hall seemed to shimmer with the aftereffects, leaving icy trails on the floor where the black ice froze her front.

Preparing for Absolute Zero Thrust, the strongest core technique, Gabrielle focused intensely. She gathered her ice qi into a single, concentrated point at the sword's tip. The blade glowed with an intense, icy black light, causing the temperature around her to plummet further. With a mighty thrust, she propelled the sword forward. The qi surged forth, an unstoppable force designed to pierce armor and defenses, freezing anything it touched to the core. Gabrielle envisioned complete immobilization and shattering of her target.

The technique drained her qi rapidly, almost causing Gabrielle to collapse. She leaned on her sword for support, breathing heavily.

"Good Lord, three techniques and I'm already exhausted," Gabrielle chuckled faintly, catching her breath.

Her gaze shifted to the aftermath of the Absolute Zero Thrust's attack. Unlike Glacial Sweep, which dispersed energy over a wide area, this attack concentrated all its power into a single point, resulting in immense damage. The trail left behind crystallized ice on the floor.

With skills like these, even at the core technique level, Gabrielle felt confident. Despite being at the late stages of the 2nd rank, she believed she could easily defeat those at the 3rd rank, and handle those at the peak of the 3rd rank with some difficulty. Dealing with opponents at the 4th rank would pose more of a challenge.

Such feats were possible because the sword art she practiced was an immortal grade technique, as rare as phoenix feathers in the mortal world.

"Now, time to recuperate before my dear disciple returns," Gabrielle murmured, sitting in a lotus position on the floor and beginning to gather world qi.

…