[Bonus chapter]Chapter 37: Unparalleled Talent
"No 'buts,'" Helena interjected firmly. "I will personally ensure that you won't face any repercussions with my mother. Now, please, leave us," she stated with a steely resolve.
Witnessing the First Princess's cold demeanor, Takashi shuddered and nodded like a subservient chicken before departing. 'I need to inform the matriarch about this,' he mumbled to himself.
As soon as Takashi had flown away, Helena turned to Sam with a concerned expression. "What's going on, son?"
Sam hesitated for a moment before responding, "There are only a few hours left before my Physique fully awakens."
"You have a special Physique?" Amelia exclaimed in surprise. She, too, possessed a unique Physique known as the Resplendent Blood Empress Physique.
"Yes," Sam replied with a smile and a nod.
"How much time do you have left before it fully awakens?" Helena inquired.
"About three hours, I think," Sam replied.
"What would you like to do until then?" Helena asked.
Sam considered the options and suggested, "How about we spar? Since we have some free time and we're in an isolated location, I could learn some basic sword techniques from Mom and Aunt. I wouldn't want to be underestimated when we return to your clan."
"That's actually a good idea," Helena nodded in satisfaction. She had been wondering when Sam would begin taking cultivation more seriously.
"Well then, who would you like to spar with first?" Sophia asked excitedly.
"Spar? Don't you want to explain stances or sword forms to me first before we start sparring?" Sam inquired.
"No need. You'll learn faster through experience," Sophia replied confidently.
"In that case, I'll spar with my sister," Sam decided. He retrieved the bronze ordinary-grade sword that he had taken from Julian when he had confronted and killed him and his friends.
Lorraine looked surprised at the sight of the sword in her nephew's hand. "Where did you get that bronze sword from?"
Sam shrugged casually. "This? I had a fortunate encounter."
Lorraine's mouth twitched at his response but decided not to press further for details.
Sophia and Sam faced each other, maintaining a distance.
"For your safety, dear brother, I'll limit my strength to that of a Peak Sage Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator," Sophia assured him.
"That's fine," Sam agreed, though he secretly felt that he would benefit more from sparring with a stronger opponent. 'I'll first get used to the flow of combat, and then I can challenge stronger opponents,' he contemplated.
"Are you ready, my dear brother?" Sophia asked.
"Come at me," Sam responded, gripping his sword in a stance that felt comfortable to him.
"Here I come!" Sophia propelled herself forward like a bullet, clutching an ordinary-grade metal sword in both hands, her movements resembling an arcing motion, as if she aimed to cut through Sam like a blade.
Sam watched her carefully as she had matched her strength to his own. When she closed in on him, she executed an arc towards Sam's torso.
Reacting swiftly, Sam mimicked her action, slashing his sword to intercept hers. 'This should work, right?'
Clang!
The sound of metal meeting metal echoed through the air. Sam's tactic had succeeded, but not without a price.
Upon impact, Sam's hands went numb, and he felt them quiver uncontrollably. A searing sensation shot through his arms.
"This is what happens when you block an incoming attack head-on," Sophia explained as she distanced herself from her brother.
"Don't try to block the attack; instead, attempt to divert it out of your way," Sophia instructed. "Let's try it again."
With that, she launched herself at Sam once more, this time at full speed. Sam was prepared this time, understanding what he needed to do to counter the incoming sword.
Clang!
Another resounding clash of metal against metal rang out, and to Sophia's surprise, her brother effortlessly deflected her sword with minimal effort. "How did you do that?"
Sam was equally bewildered. How had he done that? He wasn't an experienced swordsman.
Initially, they had all expected that it would take days for Sam to become accustomed to combat, and even small tasks like countering a direct sword attack would require dozens of repetitions in practice before it could be applied effectively.
Knowing how to do something and actually executing it were entirely different matters.
Sam might have understood the concept, but he shouldn't have been able to execute it flawlessly on his first try, should he?
"I don't know," Sam admitted, still a bit surprised himself.
Unbeknownst to him, his Mystic Voidheart Harmonic Physique's assimilation had been accelerating for reasons unknown, and his levels of cognition and comprehension were skyrocketing.
"Let's go again," Sophia urged.
Clang!
Once more, they exchanged blows, and Sam was swiftly defeated by another basic tactic from his older sister.
Listening to Sophia's guidance, Sam eagerly engaged her again. To everyone's astonishment, Sam effortlessly countered her attacks once more.
[ Physique: Mystic Voidheart Harmonic Physique (Assimilation: 92.56%) ]
"Again!" Sophia exclaimed with excitement.
They continued to spar, exchanging blows repeatedly, leaving everyone in utter disbelief. Sam was learning at an astonishing rate.
"Unbelievable... Is he a genius in swordsmanship?" Amelia's eyes sparkled with intrigue. After all, she had the privilege of being close to a prodigious talent like Sam.
"At this rate, he may soon surpass his sister in swordsmanship," Helena remarked as she watched Sam clash swords with a wild smile on his face.
She referred to pure swordsmanship, devoid of any spiritual power or Dao assistance.
Even ordinary humans, or what cultivators often referred to as mortals, could reach impressive levels of swordsmanship and potentially surpass veteran cultivators if they honed their skills diligently.
Of course, this scenario only applied when cultivators didn't use their cultivation. If they did, even a grandmaster-level human cultivator would be easily defeated by a rookie swordsman in a single strike.
The disparity in strength was that significant.
[ Physique: Mystic Voidheart Harmonic Physique (Assimilation: 94.87%) ]
Sam was ecstatic; with each strike, he could feel his entire body becoming more attuned to the ways of the sword. Concurrently, his Physique assimilation rate was accelerating.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
Again and again, their swords clashed, and each time, sparks seemed to fly from their fierce exchanges.
[ Physique: Mystic Voidheart Harmonic Physique (Assimilation: 96.30%) ]
Their spar intensified as Sophia began incorporating more advanced tactics and moves she had honed over the years. To her astonishment, Sam smoothly countered every move she made. She was both surprised and filled with pride, delighted to discover that her brother was indeed a prodigy.
Clang!
[ Physique: Mystic Voidheart Harmonic Physique (Assimilation: 97.51%) ]
Helena and Lorraine watched Sam with mouths agape, utterly amazed at the incredible rate of his improvement, something they had never thought possible.
'I really want to see the look on his face when he realizes he has such a genius for a son. I'll make you regret leaving me for that thot Freya,' Helena's eyes gleamed coldly as she thought of her detested ex-husband, William Flareheart.
Helena harbored an intense loathing for her ex-husband, a loathing that ran deep to the core. If she had the chance, she would take the most severe retribution imaginable, utterly emasculating him and forcing his own dick into his mouth.
Clang!
Once more, the clash of her children's swords echoed through the air.
[ Physique: Mystic Voidheart Harmonic Physique (Assimilation: 98.65%) ]
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
As they clashed repeatedly, Sam's body began to emit a subtle, ethereal light that enveloped him. Within this radiant aura, myriad intricate patterns and melodies of various Dao types emanated.
Even Helena and Lorraine, who were the only ones present with a high level of comprehension of their respective Daos, sensed the minute threads of their own Dao resonating from Sam's body.
"He's awakening," Lorraine whispered with a wistful smile, her thoughts wandering into places that weren't quite appropriate. She couldn't help but indulge in explicit fantasies involving Sam.
If only Sam knew the unspeakable thoughts running through her mind.
Even Amelia and Sophia, lacking any comprehension of Dao, could perceive the enigmatic energy swirling around Sam's form.
"Just what kind of physique is he awakening?" Amelia wondered aloud. As the possessor of the Resplendent Blood Empress Physique, she was well-versed in the mysteries of physiques. Yet, she had never witnessed an awakening with such profound and potent resonances of Dao.
Although Sam had mentioned awakening a physique, he had kept its name a secret.
'He can master martial techniques in mere minutes...' Helena pondered. "This physique's awakening is already showing such mysterious resonances on his body. What's more, I can even sense my own Dao of Frozen Soul emanating from him... Could it be?"
Her eyes widened in realization. 'If that's the case, it explains everything.'
Lorraine, noticing her sister's shifting expression, inquired, "What's the matter, sis? Can't wait to bed your son?"
Helena, blushing intensely, stammered, "No, it's not that..."
"Then what is it?"
"I think I may know which physique he's awakening."
"Tell me!"
"Have you ever heard of a legend regarding a physique—one of the three thousand physiques that have appeared in the world until now, considered to be in the top five?"
"This particular physique grants its user unparalleled comprehension and cognitive abilities, surpassing even the most brilliant minds."
Lorraine was the first to realize where her sister was leading. "This physique can master any mortal techniques and combat skills, and it can master any type of weapon ten thousand times faster than other physiques or talents. But that's not its most crucial attribute."
Lorraine continued with a solemn expression, "This said physique bestows upon its user the unparalleled ability to master all forms of Dao at a mind-blowing speed."
[ Physique: Mystic Voidheart Harmonic Physique (Assimilation: 99.99%) ]
Both Helena and Lorraine simultaneously uttered the name, "The Mystic Voidheart Harmonic Physique."
...
[A/N: If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider supporting it with a few Power Stones. And if you absolutely loved it, you can even contribute a Golden Ticket. Your support means a lot to me! Thank you very much! - Arigato! 🙏]