When Master Fubo arrived at the Sect Leader's residence, he knocked gently on the door.

"Come in," the Sect Leader's stern voice commanded from within.

"Yes, Sect Leader." Master Fubo stepped inside with a bow.

"What is it?"

The room was simple and uncluttered, an aesthetic befitting a Taoist. At its center, seated on a modest cushion, was a man whose serene expression carried a sharpness reminiscent of Eryke's own demeanor.

But, in contrast to that tranquil bearing, his body was powerfully built, and his shoulder-length crimson hair gave him an imposing presence.

"Do you know about the Guest Elder we invited not too long ago?" Master Fubo asked, lowering his head.

"Yes?" The Sect Leader queried.

"He… he seems capable of using healing martial arts, even though he possesses a Sword Will," Master Fubo said, carefully observing the Sect Leader from the corner of his eye.

As expected, the Sect Leader's expression shifted like a chameleon's, his composed demeanor fracturing for a brief moment, yet just as quickly, serenity returned to his features.

"Are you certain?" he asked with a stern tone.

"Yes," Master Fubo replied with a firm nod.

"Ho." The Sect Leader drew a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment. Slowly, he stood and gazed out the window at the peaceful surroundings. "Since time immemorial, our Mount Hua Sect has always been counted among the strongest but we have never reached the very top. Do you know why, Elder Fubo?"

"It's because we primarily cultivate Sword Will," Elder Fubo replied. "And Sword Will doesn't allow for healing Martial Arts, it's too sharp."

"That's correct." The Sect Leader nodded slowly. "Sword Will is too sharp. Even if we integrate it with our bodies, we cannot practice healing martial arts. That is why we remain vulnerable, and why our lifespans are comparatively short. If what you say is true, then…"

"This could be our way to reach the top… to become one of the top three sects," Elder Fubo murmured, a jolt of excitement in his voice.

"…" The Sect Leader paused, then said slowly, "Let us wait for two days. The sect meeting is in two days, and I will ask him myself."

"We still don't know his background yet, Sect Leader, not to mention…" Elder Fubo began cautiously.

"It's fine." The Sect Leader raised a hand. "We shall see what happens. For now, keep silent, even walls have ears."

"Yes, Sect Master." Elder Fubo bowed deeply before taking his leave.

The Sect Leader was left alone, silently contemplating. He could have hurried to contact Eryke, but that would not be proper for someone of his status.

Besides, even if Eryke possessed such a method, would he obediently hand it over?

The chances were slim.

"So we can only obtain it through two means," the Sect Leader murmured to himself. "One is to force him, the other is a treasure of equal value."

"From what Elder Fubo said, although Eryke appears to be only a Second-stage Martial Artist, his strength matches, or perhaps even surpasses, him. It is unlikely he would surrender it willingly. Then, the only chance is…" He sighed deeply, his gaze darkening. "I may have to spill blood soon."

***

Eryke was still meditating.

The little devil, having grown tired of trying to annoy him, returned to practicing with her sword. Her strikes were decisive and swift, flawless in execution.

Under his guidance, she had made remarkable progress.

It might be surprising to hear, but Eryke was truly one of the finest teachers in the world. His comprehension was extraordinary, fueled not only by his skill but also by his knowledge of the Mount Hua Sect, the Demonic Faction, and the Shadow Faction.

The combination of all this knowledge had profoundly broadened his understanding of the sword.

For the Mount Hua Sect, the sword represented righteousness, straightforward, precise, and honorable. The Demonic Faction wielded a bloodthirsty sword, adopting a "whatever works to kill" approach. The Shadow Faction practiced obscure and deceptive sword forms, difficult to even perceive.

In terms of effectiveness, the Demonic Faction's sword worked perfectly.

The strongest, however, was surprisingly the Mount Hua Sect, whose straightforward yet powerful strikes were unmatched in raw force.

The Shadow Faction's style, meanwhile, only proved effective when catching an opponent off guard with trickery.

From Eryke's perspective, each style had its advantages. But with his exceptional comprehension, he was able to swiftly merge all three into a single, harmonious technique.

"The most surprising is the Mount Hua Sect. Just one among countless sects in the Orthodox faction, yet their sword method is far stronger than that of the entire other two factions."

He slowly opened his eyes and smiled bitterly. It made sense, after all, in the library, they had nothing but sword techniques.

Every corner of that vast collection overflowed with them: theory, technique, strategy, everything revolved around the sword.

Eryke could say with confidence that the Mount Hua Sect were true Sword Maniacs.

And why was he sitting cross-legged here, meditating on it all?

"Well…" he muttered to himself. "My Fifth Spell, I wonder which one I should choose."

His first spell had been the basic Aura Spell.

His second, SoulMark.

The third, Aura Projection.

And the fourth, Aura Farming.

Now comes the fifth spell, what should Eryke choose?

Drayken had opted for Aura Lightning, but that was tied to his bloodline. Eryke could not follow the same path, leaving him perplexed.

After some thought, he had decided on the most logical approach: combine his Aura with his Sword Will.

But this was no simple task.

Spells and Magic were born of the Dragon and Telekinetic World, whereas Sword Will was a product of this world.

Merging the two demanded ingenuity and precision far beyond ordinary comprehension.

To create something that could fuse Sword Will into a spell while harmonizing it with the aura attribute seemed simple in theory but Eryke had attempted it countless times, and each attempt had ended in failure.

"I feel like I'm missing so much," he murmured, scratching his head.

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