Chapter 21

### Chapter 21: The Sword Emperor Reincarnated in the Sword Clan

*Crack... Crack... Crack...*

A sound like fabric tearing was coming from Leonard's body. Each muscle fiber was being torn apart and then reconstituted, becoming tougher and stronger.

Not only the muscle fibers but also the ligaments and tendons between the bones were breaking their limits.

If the transformation at the Hwakyung stage, known as "renewing the bones and replacing the fetus" (換骨奪胎), was like tearing down a house and building a castle, this change felt more like replacing the components of a house without altering its structure.

"Phew, this is absurd."

Leonard, who soon felt the achievement, whistled in amazement.

Even though he had only reached the first level of the Soft Body Technique, his physical abilities had increased more than threefold. Absorbing ten spirit stones was equivalent to several years of external martial arts training.

'The dantian and meridians have also expanded, albeit slightly. If this process is repeated ten times? It far surpasses the level of "renewing the bones and replacing the fetus."'

"Renewing the bones and replacing the fetus" doesn't mean the entire body turns into something like eternal steel. It's about maximizing the potential of the body one is born with and maintaining that state.

However, this breakthrough of the Soft Body Technique extends those limits.

Even the secret technique for enhancing the body's bones and muscles, the Great Refinement Technique, has never seen such an unconventional case.

"I need to absorb more."

Unlike the sense of deprivation he felt as a martial artist, Leonard's hands did not hesitate.

His aversion was from his past life. There was no reason to avoid methods that made sense here.

After observing his body with his mind, he found no signs of adverse effects.

After absorbing nearly a hundred low-grade spirit stones, Leonard felt his body undergo a second transformation.

*Crack!*

It was the second level of the Soft Body Technique.

While the first level strengthened muscles, ligaments, and tendons, this time it felt like his entire skeletal structure was being rebuilt. Several cracking sounds came from Leonard's body, which was in a lotus position.

Starting from the ribs around his heart, all the bones in his upper body were shattered and remade.

Strangely, he felt almost no pain.

*Crack! Snap! Crack!*

The energy that ran down from his hip joints, through his femurs and kneecaps, finally transformed the metatarsals and phalanges in his toes before subsiding.

While his physical abilities didn't increase several times over like in the first level, he could tell that the limit of his body's endurance when enhanced by internal energy had increased several times.

If the first transformation gave him strength, the second gave him durability.

"Ten spirit stones for the first level, a hundred for the second. Could the third level require a thousand?"

Leonard was delighted by the results but also surprised by the large consumption of spirit stones.

According to Bradley, even a Pentacore could aim for the fifth level, and with the efficiency of the Five Elements Formation, Leonard should have been able to break through the fifth level using less than half the amount.

Fortunately, his prediction soon proved wrong.

When he absorbed 200 low-grade spirit stones, Leonard's body began to stir again.

It seemed that while the amount needed for the first level was small, it increased tenfold from the second level onward.

*Whirr!*

He broke through to the third level of the Soft Body Technique.

At the third level, his entire nervous system was restructured.

His senses became more acute, and the speed of nerve signal transmission increased several times, allowing him to extend or shorten his perception of time at will.

He could now see and react to speeds that should have been impossible to perceive.

'At this level, I won't even be grazed by a repeating crossbow.'

Even in the realm of first-class martial artists, it's difficult to handle a repeating crossbow shot in front of them, but this body could now block or dodge the arrows purely through reflexes.

Leonard, suddenly overwhelmed by his heightened senses, had to compose himself for a moment.

'The breakthrough speed of the Soft Body Technique was too fast. I have a feeling that another breakthrough might cause problems.'

Excess is as bad as deficiency.

Leonard, with his eyes half-open, shook off his greed.

'For the level I've achieved in a single day, this is already too much.'

Upon reflection, it was strange.

If absorbing spirit stones alone could raise one's level, breaking through to the fifth level of the Soft Body Technique in a day should be possible.

Yet, Bradley mentioned half a year.

He had predicted Leonard's growth speed to be around that level.

"...Is my growth speed abnormal?"

Indeed, it was.

While the growth speed in the Soft Body Technique was faster than in other major realms, breaking through three levels in a day was unimaginable.

The rapid growth was possible thanks to the existence of the Yu Technique and the Five Elements Formation.

Leonard, who observed his body closely, saw through it.

'The first level of the Soft Body Technique strengthened muscles and tendons, the second level strengthened bones, and the third level strengthened the nervous system. These parts are directly influenced by the Earth, Metal, and Wood elements.'

This knowledge was beyond those who didn't understand Yin-Yang and the Five Elements.

Muscles, ligaments, and tendons correspond to soil. The hidden bones are like minerals, and the nervous system is like the roots of a tree.

'Then, the fourth and fifth levels are likely to transform parts influenced by the Water and Fire elements.'

The Five Elements not only explain the principles of the world but also encompass all living and non-living things within it.

Humans are also composed of the Five Elements, and every part of the body corresponds to one of the five elements.

By containing all five elements within his body and successfully unifying them, Leonard could bypass the necessary recovery period and aftereffects of the Soft Body Technique.

'If it weren't for the Earth element, I would have suffered muscle pain severe enough to prevent movement. If it weren't for the Metal element, it would take time for the bones to heal. If it weren't for the Wood element, the nervous system would only be partially enhanced.'

It was natural that he couldn't absorb spirit stones until the aftereffects disappeared. Even with the elemental power, a period of rest from a few days to a few weeks was essential.

This was why it would take at least a month to break through to the third level of the Soft Body Technique.

'Even with a Pentacore, no one can achieve what I have.'

Leonard was confident.

'The imbalance in my Jing, Qi, and Shen actually worked to my advantage.'

Jing refers to the physical body, Qi to energy, and Shen to the spirit.

Leonard's spirit was uniquely powerful compared to his physical body and energy.

That's why, when abundant external energy was supplied, his body could quickly elevate its level. The unconventional growth had an unconventional reason.

"I can't leave for at least a month."

If Bradley discovered his achievement, he would surely be suspicious and interrogated.

While his sword skills could be attributed to genius, breaking the established norms of mana cultivation for centuries would be too much for a trainee to handle.

Leonard sighed deeply and stood up.

'If I have to, I'll think about it. I need to refine the martial arts from my past life to fit this body and avoid arousing suspicion from the family.'

He didn't plan to seal all his martial arts just because he couldn't use advanced techniques. Fabian, the Dragon Knight, already considered him a once-in-a-lifetime genius, so he could use that misconception.

The "One-Element Five-Elements Sword Technique," a signature technique of the Sword Emperor Yeonmuhyeok, was out of reach. To attempt it, he would need to control five swords, and even reaching the External Force Technique level, he would need to be at the tenth level to handle them well.

"...Maybe start with the Five Symbols Style."

The Five Symbols Style was a family sword technique that formed the basis of the "One-Element Five-Elements Sword Technique" and had diverged from its original form over decades of practice.

It included the four divine beasts representing the four directions and the Yellow Dragon in the center. Some placed a human, others a giraffe, but for Yeonmuhyeok, it was the Yellow Dragon.

If he started training from scratch, he needed to trace back to the original form.

"It will take a while to completely revise the 144 techniques."

The Illusory Sword, a powerful offensive technique, with 36 techniques of the Vermilion Bird.

The Dull Sword, a powerful defensive technique, with 36 techniques of the Black Tortoise.

The Swift Sword, a versatile and agile technique, with 36 techniques of the Azure Dragon.

The Fierce Sword, a destructive and chaotic technique, with 36 techniques of the White Tiger.

The Yellow Dragon's techniques were ultimately the methods of combining or linking these techniques, making the 144 techniques the foundation of the Five Symbols Style.

'While this isn't a proper space to wield a sword... I can still practice the forms while sitting still.'

Leonard naturally drew the wooden sword from his waist, then realized he hadn't received a real sword yet.

Bradley probably intended to give him a sword only after he reached the fifth level of the Soft Body Technique. Despite wanting to get it now, he had to hide his growth speed.

With his current abilities, even a branch would suffice, but it was a matter of feeling.

The wooden sword in his hand drew a smooth arc.

*Whoosh.*

A auspicious flame enveloped Leonard's body, forming the shape of a bird before disappearing.

The Illusory Sword, a technique that continuously attacks until the enemy is shattered.

It was the 36 techniques of the Vermilion Bird.

* * *

A month and a half later.

The apprentice knights who had been watching Leonard since he first arrived in Galapagos looked exasperated.

"Sure, he needs to break through the Soft Body Technique, but not coming out of the house at all? That's ridiculous."

A young man, perhaps amused, said with a smirk.

"Maybe he's a coward beyond imagination?"

"To be afraid, he would have to have seen something. If he hadn't seen anything, why would he lock himself in his house and ask to be sent here? Maybe he's training to reach the fifth level of the Soft Body Technique."

"That's not a bad guess."

The difficulty of activities on Galapagos Island is beyond imagination.

Even the fifth level of the Soft Body Technique, the minimum level of martial power, is only effective around the beach or the edge of the forest.

These three, now in their fourth year and having reached the second level of the External Force Technique, still don't venture into the island's center. It's that absurd.

"Nothing seems to be happening today. Let's go catch some fish. If we fail again tomorrow, we'll have to buy food with those precious spirit stones."

The leader-like young man suggested, and the other two couldn't help but chuckle.

"Damn, how hard is it to make a living with this level of skill?"

"What's Galapagos? Here, the second level of the External Force Technique is about as strong as a powerful goblin."

"Goblin? That's a bit too much. An orc, maybe?"

"Both are prey to trolls and ogres, though."

The children, joking and teasing, soon moved away from Leonard's residence.

Only after their presence completely disappeared,

*Creak.*

The door, dried and stuck, opened, and Leonard, who had been absent for a month and a half, stepped out.

He had spent over a month researching sword techniques, eating, and sleeping. His unkempt hair, disheveled clothes, and appearance contrasted with his bright, piercing eyes.

He exuded a killing intent, as if ready to cut someone down at any moment.

A hoarse voice came from Leonard's mouth.

"...I need to get a sword from Sir Bradley."

He hadn't managed to fully refine all 144 techniques, but he had brought them to a level he could use with his current skills.

Now, it was time to test them by cutting something.