“Damn. This meteor sword made me look like a beggar.”
Aksai surveyed his half-torn and ripped clothes, realizing he needed to change if he wanted to practice with Celestial Fang freely.
He stripped down and changed into long black pants, his ripped physique and torso on full display.
Standing tall and muscular, he decided to change his appearance back to his original form, feeling more comfortable and natural. He also restored his cultivation base, his ura expanding from a regular Spirit Refining Perfectionist to young and full of youth Foundation Building Expert in the matter of seconds.
“It seems I underestimated my own weapon. Celestial Fang can’t be wielded properly in my made up identity. I also need to get used to the sword if I ever want to make use of it in the Eternal Beast Dynasty. It’s not a sword I can wield just because I want to and hope that it does my bidding. I need to practice.”
Taking a deep breath, Aksai tapped into his druid transformation. His hair turned copper colored and his ears turned elf-like.
His muscles bulged further, and his body stats elevated, his life force becoming even more potent. The Silver Qi within him grew more abundant and refined, influenced by his enhanced druid life force.
“Let me see how the Fang feels in my hand.”
Aksai gripped Celestial Fang once again.
Swoosh. Zoom. Slash.
A smile was brought on his face. He found it easier to lift and slash with the sword. He moved to a free space at the back of the cave and began practicing his martial arts.
With each movement, he integrated the principles of Qi Sword Arts into his practice, wielding the heavy sword with increasing finesse. He wanted to recalibrate his sword movements and martial arts for the Celestial Fang.
He knew that the neural link fabric would record the qi flow patterns required to safely operate on the Celestial Fang before saving them as templates. He could then use the sword as if he had been practicing his martial arts with it for years on end.
The qi flow pattern templates would also make it easier for him to switch between two different weapons. However, this recalibration needed to be done beforehand. Aksai couldn’t just use such a heavy sword right off the bat in critical situations and leave things up to luck.
Swoosh. Swoosh. Swoosh.
The use of Qi Sword Arts made the sword feel lighter. Aksai used the sword’s weight as a driving force to speed up his slashes, then expertly changed his body position to reverse swing it.
One of the most difficult aspects of wielding a heavy weapon was getting used to its center of gravity. Once that familiarity has been established, one could wield even heavyweight weapons with exceptional ease. Usually, such a process would take years of practicing with the same weapon. However, thanks to the neural link fabric, Aksai was confident in obtaining the same level of familiarity within a few hours.
Time did what it does the best– it passed.
Aksai practiced for hours, his movements becoming more fluid and precise. He didn’t use any flying sword slashes, focusing solely on imbuing Celestial Fang with his Silver Qi. This allowed him to complete his practice session without breaking a sweat or without expending his Silver Qi excessively.
Aksai’s swings created powerful gusts of wind, the blade cutting through the air with a satisfying whoosh. His Silver Qi flowed seamlessly into Celestial Fang, enhancing its power and making it an extension of his own strength.
As he practiced, Aksai felt a growing connection with the sword. It responded to his every command, its weight no longer a burden but a powerful ally. The cave echoed with the sound of his practice, each swing and slash a testament to his dedication and skill.
By the end of his session, Aksai felt invigorated. He had pushed his limits and grown more attuned to Celestial Fang. Finally, a spectral prompt displayed in his vision, making him stop the movements abruptly.
[ Qi-Flow Macros for the Celestial Fang have been identified, optimized, and saved successfully.
The efficiency of the movements can be increased by 6%.
Overall agility while using the Celestial Fang can be increased by 9%.]
The efficiency and agility improvements brought by the templates might seem small and insignificant to some. However, Aksai knew that these small improvements had the power to decide his fate in critical moments.
Aksai had heard many things about the Eternal Beast Dynasty from Nuya, Nimiya, Jiren, Dia, and his other friends on Emerald Cove. He had also started gathering updated information from the city he was in. He had heard many tales about the Spirit cultivators who were known to be prodigies of their generation getting killed in the forest.
Aksai considered these deaths as necessary sacrifices so that people like him could learn from them. He would never make the mistake of underestimating the dangers that lurked in the forest, which was said to be the domain of the demon beasts.
“The recalibration has been done. Time for some battle practice.”
Aksai and summoned one of his Sentient Fiends–Aram Talak. A swirl of dark energy coalesced before him, and Aram emerged, his ethereal form solidifying into a spectral warrior. Aram bowed deeply, his expression a mix of respect and hesitation brought by the condition of his fractured Soul Fragment.
“Master, what do you want me to do?” Aram asked.
Aksai, sitting casually on the hilt of his giant sword, Celestial Fang, which was pierced into the ground like an erect flagpole, stood up. “I’ll suppress my cultivation base to the Spirit Refining Perfection again. Attack me with your strongest moves,” he said, his gaze neutral and unwavering, leaving no room for Aram to question his decision.
“Alright.”
Aram nodded, understanding the command. He unsheathed his original sword, a red-bladed weapon inscribed with white Essence Equation runes. This was the same weapon he had used when he had fought alongside Aksai when he was alive at the time of Emerald Cove’s conquest.
Aram was the best sparring partner Aksai could have asked for in the current situation.
He decided that he needed to refine and record a broad range of qi-flow templates to raise his chances of survival in the Eternal beast Dynasty.