10 years inside the Domain of Infinity...
Almost ten full years had passed since Will began the second phase of his training inside the Domain of Infinity.
Time within this place flowed differently, and the outside world had barely moved forward, but for him those ten years had been long, relentless, and exhausting.
Every single day had been spent refining what he had started long ago, without shortcuts and without escape.
The first form of the God-ranked technique, Heaven Sundering Divine Sword Art , known as Origin Severance , had become the center of his life.
Right now, Will stood in front of the same cliff that had tested him a decade earlier.
Back then, he had failed miserably by comparison. His attack had obliterated the mountain’s peak, but it had been violent, and uncontrolled. The destruction had come from excess force rather than proper control..
This time, he was ready to demonstrate control that he lacked earlier.
The cliff towered silently before him, unchanged by time due to the rules of the domain. The air was still, the sky was clear, and the mana in the atmosphere flowed calmly, as if waiting for his decision.
Huff...!!
Will exhaled slowly, releasing a measured breath. His shoulders relaxed as he let the tension drain from his body.
His heartbeat steadied, and his mind became clear.
"It i all about execution." he repeated to himself.
In the next instant, his posture shifted.
The relaxed stance vanished, replaced by one that was stable, grounded, and deliberate. His empty hands moved naturally, and the hilt of the Crimson Aeon Blade appeared within his grasp as if it had always been there.
The blade shimmered faintly under the open sky, its silver-white edge reflecting the light as it responded to its wielder’s intent. There was no surge of mana and no violent pressure. Everything about this moment was subtle.
Will swung the sword in a simple horizontal motion.
There was no flourish, no dramatic movement, and no visible strain in his body.
Slash
sliiiiinnnnnnnng
Instead of an explosion or a shockwave, a sharp, piercing sound cut through the air. A thin line of sword energy surged forward from the blade, traveling in a perfectly straight path toward the cliff.
The energy struck the mountain cleanly.
dhhmm!!
A muted, heavy sound echoed through the domain as the cliff reacted. For a brief moment, nothing seemed to happen. Then, slowly and steadily, the upper half of the mountain separated from the lower half.
The two halves remained aligned, settling back into place with eerie precision. The gap between them was incredibly thin, less than half an inch wide, as if a glitch in reality had happened.
There was no debris that fell. No dust rose.
The cut was flawless.
[congratulations host, you have reached the newbie stage of origin reverence, you will now reflect 40 percent of the sword damage, and will be able to use sovereign sword intent for a longer time without exhausting, your control has been enhanced as well]
Will remained still as the system’s notification echoed in his mind. He lowered the blade slowly and let out a quiet breath. His muscles ached faintly, but there was no exhaustion or backlash.
The control he had gained was undeniable.
He knew this was only the newbie stage.
At perfection, the first form would reflect one hundred percent of sword-based attacks, and sovereign sword intent would become as effortless as breathing. Even now, however, the difference between his past self and his current state was enormous.
Despite receiving one hundred times the sword experience of both the main protagonist and the main villain, mastering a God-ranked technique had not been easy. Their understanding had saved him years of blind practice, but it had not reduced the physical and mental strain required.
The technique itself was a forge.
It tempered his body, sharpened his intent, and refined his perception every time he practiced. There was no shortcut through it, no matter how much experience he accumulated.
Will clenched his fist slowly and felt the subtle change in strength ripple through his body. It was not explosive, but it was solid and reliable.
[host let’s return for a day, your master seems to have returned]
"ok"
The domain dissolved around him.
Will reappeared inside his room in the floating island mansion. The transition was smooth, and he landed lightly on the soft surface of the bed without intending to.
"ugh!! so soft"
The words left his mouth instinctively.
"tsk, don’t you know the word consent?"
(＃°Д°)
The voice snapped him out of his comfort instantly.
"WTF, what are you doing in my room?" Will stood up immediately, his body tensing as realization hit him. It was not the mattress that had felt soft.
"I should be the one asking, tell me, what were you doing on my body?? " Tamasya replied, her tone deliberately provocative.
As she watched the embarrassment spread across Will’s face, a grin formed slowly on her lips.
"hahaha, look at your self"
Will chose to ignore her completely.
He walked toward a nearby chair with measured steps and sat down, crossing his arms calmly as if nothing unusual had happened.
"so"
"so what?"
He gave her a look that clearly asked why she was here.
"tsk, can’t I come to meet my disciple"
"Well you don’t come in a battle suit when it’s for just chatting"
"oh well, since you know I am not for funny talk, why don’t you start by telling me why can I sense only sword intent but no cultivation from you?"
"isn’t it obvious, I haven’t started cultivating"
"SIGH!!"
"what?"
"do you have any shame?"
Tamasya stared at Will as he made an expression that suggested deep emotional damage.
"you act like, all this is normal!! even a prodigy awakens sword intent in the later stages of cultivation when they are strong enough to control its weight and sharpness"
She leaned forward slightly, her tone sharpening.
"but look at you, manaless hollow hump that can somehow wield the most coveted power and your body is alright while your intent is almost leaking out"
"ugh!!, I mean I don’t have a choice!!" Will replied, his voice edged with frustration before he fell silent again.
The room remained quiet for several seconds.
Finally, Tamasya adjusted her posture and sat upright instead of lounging casually as before. Her expression shifted from teasing to something more focused.
"well, I wanted to give you a shadow elemental technique but shadow told me you won’t need it, so here is something other than that which is quite useful even to you."
She extended her hand and placed a book on the table in front of him.
The cover bore a clear title:
Shadow-Born Manifestation Spell
Will looked at the book, his interest immediately piqued as the weight of what she was offering began to sink in.