Alice had initially hoped that William would personally guide her, demonstrating various techniques step by step.
In reality, however, William perhaps just provided a cursory explanation of some principles or simply handed her a magic tome, leaving her to figure it out herself.
This was far from her original expectations. Those intricate magical incantations—if she truly had to decipher them on her own—she had no idea how long it would take.
What she found most unbearable was the tedious learning process,William’s teaching method was truly unique.
In her understanding, there should be more interaction and contact between a master and their disciple during the learning process, like guiding by the hand to cast spells or directly imparting magical knowledge.
She was reminded of many ancient legends where the relationship between a master and their disciple wasn’t just instructional; many evolved into profound emotional bonds.
Why did it seem so challenging for her?
William approached Alice and casually inquired, “How’s your progress?”
“Well… I’ve mastered some. Look, my arcane pulse!” Alice waved her hand, and a magical sword materialized in her grasp, a shimmering magical chain wrapped around her wrist, looking rather impressive.
William glanced at her, remarking, “I was asking about your other magical skills!”
Was he referring to the progress of her arcane pulse?
With two top-tier Sword Spirits teaching her swordsmanship, if she couldn’t learn that, she might as well bash her head against a rock.
Was William referring to this?
“Other skills…” Alice said hesitantly, “I’ve learned to control fire.”
“What?” William looked mildly surprised, unsure of what she meant.
Alice quickly extended a finger, channeling her magical energy, and a small flame ignited at its tip.
“Just this?” William’s brows furrowed, “You spent two days and only mastered this?”
“I… I can also… control the wind!” Alice, appearing a bit flustered, swiftly made a magical gesture, and a gentle breeze wafted by.
William coldly stated, “Enough!”
Alice shuddered with fear, cautiously glancing at William, then lowered her head, not daring to speak.
She could sense that William was genuinely angry.
William asked, “Do you plan to knock someone over with that breeze, or burn them to death with your fire?”
Alice mumbled, “It’s only been two days, hasn’t it?”
William responded, “Then you should first perfect your swordsmanship. Don’t bother with the rest. Being a jack of all trades but master of none, what’s the point?”
Alice whispered, “Understood.” ｂ𝚍ｎｏ𝚟ｌ.
William could comprehend Alice’s pace of learning, but he was also well aware of her innate talent and ability to grasp concepts.
With merely average potential, being overly ambitious wouldn’t do.
Through observing over the past couple of days, he had gauged the strength of those in the contemporary Soulmancer realm.
Zoey and Lucien could essentially be considered the crème de la crème of the younger generation. Tristan was also decent, but the Sword of Soulbreaker had suppressed his energy release, rendering him virtually powerless as long as Alice was present.
As for fighting against others, as long as Alice focuses on practicing her swordsmanship, she has the strength to contend.
Originally, the energy extraction methods William taught Alice, coupled with the swordsmanship imparted by the Sword Spirits, were among the best in the world. Why would she need to dabble in all those miscellaneous things?
“Truly comprehend the essence of swordsmanship. Once you’ve reached a certain level, you can then supplement it with some tactical sword moves,” William advised, looking deeply into Alice’s eyes. He then turned and left, leaving Alice standing there looking a bit dazed.
After William’s admonition, Alice gradually calmed down and stopped letting her mind wander.
She gripped the Sword of Soulbreaker tightly, delving deeper into the essence of its sword techniques.
Having formed a bond with her, this mysterious sword had established a profound connection with Alice’s soul. Merely touching the blade allowed Alice to sense the profound sword intent within the Sword of Soulbreaker.
The words spoken by William were also heard by the two top-tier Sword Spirits. After William departed, these two mighty Sword Spirits even shared some of their memory fragments with Alice.
A dazed look suddenly appeared in Alice’s eyes, and she saw William, dressed in a long robe, wielding the Sword of Soulbreaker.
An ancient beast, as massive as a mountain, stood before William. With a mere draw and sheath of his sword, the beast was split in half.
A deity in golden armor stood before William. A gigantic axe descended, covering the sky and earth, but with a mere raise of his hand and a single slash, William shattered the axe and the deity fell to his knees, begging for mercy.
A strange, eerie black mist charged at William. Within the mist seemed to be a terrifying entity that caused the heavens and earth to lose their color, and the sun, moon, and stars to dim. Yet, with just one swing, William’s blade released a radiant golden light that pierced through the mist, instantly illuminating the surroundings.
With just one stroke, he was invincible!
There was no elaborate sword technique.
Was this the essence of William’s swordsmanship?
Alice’s heartbeat raced, her blood seeming to almost boil. It felt as if she had grasped something, yet it also felt like she had grasped nothing at all.
In that moment, she finally understood how incredibly skilled her master was.
Compared to William, both Zoey and Lucien seemed utterly insignificant.
If she could master William’s single stroke, there would likely be no one in the world who could challenge her.
That was true power.
Alice stood there, as still as a statue, her breathing seemingly halted.
All she saw before her eyes was the moment William swung his sword.
The sky began to darken, and the duels on the mountain continued. Suddenly, an astonishing surge of energy pressure erupted from Alice, causing those who were dueling to halt in their tracks.
Kyle couldn’t help but turn his gaze towards Alice.
Who could be releasing such an imposing aura of sword energy?
Even the legendary swordsman Zorro, as spoken of in tales, would likely struggle to achieve such a level. Merely the sword aura being released was enough to make one’s heart race and lose composure.
Tristan, standing nearby, had a deathly pale face at this moment. He was sent flying by Lucien’s palm strike, losing not only the duel but also being accused of being despicable and shameless. What shamed him the most was that, as the heir to the Lancaster family, he couldn’t release even a hint of energy. It all seemed so inconceivable.
As he sank into self-blame and despair, a powerful energy oppression surged from Mystic Peak, causing his hands to tremble uncontrollably.
What on earth was happening?
Could there really be someone in the world who could reach such a terrifying height?
Could it be that Kyle had taken out his ancient magical crystal ball?
Meanwhile, Alice seemed to have grasped the essence of swordsmanship. Her entire demeanor, aura, and poise had undergone a radical transformation.
Holding the Sword of Soulbreaker, she looked majestic and valiant. In that instant, her eyes also became cold and determined, capturing a glimpse of William’s swordsmanship.
Though it was merely a fraction of William’s technique, not even one ten-thousandth of it, it was still considered astounding in the current world.
“I’ve understood!” Alice’s eyes curved into crescent moons with laughter, and the smile on her lips was hard to fade. The sword aura pressure she had just manifested quickly receded, vanishing in an instant as if it had never occurred.
William also glanced in Alice’s direction. Although she wasn’t very strong yet, considering her innate talent, grasping this much was commendable.
At the very least, she now had some capability to defend herself in battle.
William shook his head, a satisfied smile, akin to a proud father, spreading across his face. Sometimes, teaching a disciple with lesser natural talent brought more satisfaction.
If Alice were like his previous disciples, who effortlessly learned everything immediately, it might not be as interesting.