Kael frowned slightly.
"What’s the difference?"
The Sword Saint looked at him for a few seconds before letting out a faint chuckle.
"If words were enough, there wouldn’t be so many people stuck at the same bottleneck for decades."
He slowly stepped toward the center of the training chamber.
"It’s better if I show you."
Turning his back to Kael, the old man raised one hand.
"Watch carefully."
Kael immediately focused his attention.
The Sword Saint assumed a relaxed stance, his feet planted firmly on the ground. There wasn’t a trace of unnecessary movement. It looked almost ordinary.
Then...
Sword aura quietly gathered around his fingers.
It wasn’t explosive.
It wasn’t overbearing.
Yet the instant it appeared, the surrounding air seemed noticeably sharper.
The old man casually swung his hand.
A crescent-shaped sword light shot across the chamber.
Whoosh!
It crossed dozens of meters in the blink of an eye before crashing into the reinforced wall.
Bang!
The runic formations hidden beneath the stone immediately awakened.
Silver symbols spread across the wall as a translucent barrier materialized, intercepting the attack. The sword light exploded upon impact, releasing a violent burst of force before dispersing into countless fragments.
The chamber trembled slightly.
The Sword Saint didn’t pause.
His arm lowered before rising once more.
This time...
His aura changed.
The difference wasn’t obvious.
There was no dramatic increase in pressure.
No overwhelming surge of energy.
If anything...
The aura surrounding him became quieter.
Simpler.
The Sword Saint swung his hand once again.
Another sword light flew forward.
Its speed was almost identical to the first.
Its appearance wasn’t much different either.
It struck the same section of the wall.
Thud.
The impact was noticeably softer than before.
The runes still lit up.
The barrier still appeared.
Yet compared to the previous collision, the resulting explosion was so small it almost felt insignificant.
Kael narrowed his eyes.
Something wasn’t right.
Although the second attack looked weaker...
Every instinct in his body screamed the exact opposite.
It was more dangerous.
Far more dangerous.
His instincts had never lied to him before.
Which meant...
The second attack truly possessed greater power.
The Sword Saint turned around.
"So?"
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Did you notice the difference?"
Kael remained silent for several moments.
Finally, he slowly shook his head.
"I can’t clearly explain what’s different."
He frowned.
"But..."
"The second attack feels much more dangerous."
"Even though it looks weaker."
The Sword Saint nodded.
"Correct."
He paused.
"And also incorrect."
Kael looked at him in confusion.
The old man smiled knowingly.
"I think you’ve misunderstood what power truly is."
He clasped his hands behind his back.
"You’re equating power with destructive force."
"That’s why the first attack seems stronger to you."
Kael nodded.
That was exactly what had confused him.
The first slash produced a much larger explosion.
The second barely caused any visible destruction.
Yet somehow...
The second inspired far greater danger.
Seeing his reaction, the Sword Saint asked another question.
"What..."
He looked directly into Kael’s eyes.
"...is the true essence of a sword?"
Kael instinctively answered.
"Cutting?"
The words had barely left his mouth when his expression froze.
A realization suddenly surfaced within his mind.
His pupils contracted.
He finally understood.
The difference had never been the amount of energy.
It was where that energy was directed.
The first sword light carried tremendous force.
When it struck the barrier, its power exploded outward in every direction, creating an impressive blast.
The second attack, however, didn’t waste its energy.
Instead of dispersing upon impact...
Every ounce of power remained focused upon a single purpose.
To cut.
Even after striking the barrier, it continued trying to slice through it rather than releasing its energy all at once.
That was why the explosion had been smaller.
It wasn’t weaker.
It simply wasn’t trying to explode.
It was trying to sever.
Seeing the realization appear on Kael’s face, the Sword Saint nodded approvingly.
"Every weapon..."
"...has an essence."
"It has a spirit."
He slowly raised one hand.
"If you can truly comprehend that essence..."
"...then one day you’ll reach a state of unity."
His voice remained calm.
"A state where you and the weapon are no longer separate."
The instant those words fell...
The Sword Saint’s aura transformed once again, becoming sharper.
It wasn’t merely his aura.
It was his existence.
Standing there, he no longer resembled an old man.
He resembled a sword.
A solitary sword standing proudly beneath heaven.
Straight.
Unyielding.
Untainted.
Kael couldn’t take his eyes off him.
The illusion was so vivid that every instinct told him he wasn’t looking at a person anymore.
He was standing before a peerless blade.
The Sword Saint slowly began moving.
He threw a simple punch.
Yet the instant his fist traveled through the air...
Kael felt as though an invisible blade had swept past him.
The old man transitioned into another movement.
A palm strike.
Then an elbow.
Then a chopping motion.
Every movement carried the same indescribable sharpness.
Nothing flashy.
Nothing excessive.
Yet every gesture seemed capable of cutting apart anything standing before it.
Even from several meters away, Kael felt tiny stinging sensations across his skin.
It was as though invisible blades were grazing him with every movement.
The Sword Saint eventually stopped.
His aura gradually returned to normal.
He looked toward Kael.
"Your idea isn’t wrong."
His voice remained steady.
"But your execution is."
"You want every part of your body to imitate different weapons."
He shook his head.
"That’s the wrong approach."
"When you perform a chopping motion..."
"Don’t think of your hand as becoming a sword."
He tapped his own chest.
"Think of yourself as the sword."
"Your body."
"Your breathing."
"Your intent."
"Your spirit."
"They should all become one."
"Only then can your movements truly express the essence of the weapon you’re trying to embody."
He slowly lowered his hand.
"If you’re using a sword..."
"Become a sword."
"If you’re using a spear..."
"Become the spear."
"The weapon shouldn’t merely exist in your limbs."
"It should exist in your entire being."
Kael slowly nodded.
The old man’s explanation had cleared away a fog he hadn’t even realized existed.
He had always focused on replicating the movements.
Never the essence behind them.
The Sword Saint smiled faintly.
"Good."
He stepped backward.
"Now..."
"Attack me again."
Kael didn’t waste another second.
He immediately rushed forward.
Boom!
Their fists collided once more.
The spar resumed.
This time, however, Kael wasn’t focused on landing a hit.
Every exchange became an opportunity to apply what he had just learned.
At first...
His movements felt unnatural.
Whenever he attempted to embody the essence of a weapon, his rhythm became awkward. His attacks lost their fluidity as his thoughts struggled to keep pace with his body.
The Sword Saint patiently dismantled every attack.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Yet with every exchange...
Kael improved.
His movements gradually became smoother.
The awkward pauses slowly disappeared.
Although he remained infinitely far from the state of complete unity the Sword Saint had demonstrated...
He had at least taken the first step.
The training continued for quite some time before both of them naturally came to a stop.
Kael’s breathing had become noticeably heavier.
Sweat dripped from his forehead.
The Sword Saint, meanwhile, remained as composed as ever.
Kael cupped his fists and bowed respectfully.
"Thank you, Senior."
"Your guidance has benefited me greatly."
The Sword Saint merely snorted.
"Hmph."
He waved a hand dismissively.
"Off you go."
"I need to meditate."