The scene quickly shifted from the blank room to a post-nuclear wasteland. A shirtless, handsome man wielding a long spear appeared before Ethan Chen. This man had chiseled features, sharp eyes full of authority, clear brows, and well-shaped lips—in short, incredibly good-looking. Unlike Ethan, who chose to wear a mask, this man with the ID WildLeaf Chu opted for a customized face. Revealing one's true face online is more disadvantageous than beneficial. Even top internet celebrities with millions or even hundreds of millions of followers rarely show their real faces.
Seventeen years old — a senior high school student? Only two matches on record, both losses. Seems like he was discouraged and hasn't dared to enter virtual battles since. "This old guy won't go easy on me!" WildLeaf Chu muttered to himself.
Ethan stood alert, eyeing his opponent carefully. Although WildLeaf Chu's rank was only Bronze, he had a thousand matches' experience, and his name carried a subtle hint of dominance. Ethan couldn't afford to underestimate him.
WildLeaf Chu struck first, lowering his stance and charging forward. He swung his long spear like a whip.
"Hmm? There's a flaw!" Ethan's eyes had grown sharp from daily fights with monsters in the Crystal Space. He responded with a consecutive upward slash — Flowing Light Sword Technique, Second Form: Thunderous Drums!
"Damn, that's fast!" Blood sprayed onto Ethan's face thanks to the 100% physical simulation and 30% pain feedback.
SprayBear (Win) VS WildLeaf Chu (Loss)Victory Points +10
"That's it? I already won?" Back in the blank room, Ethan was stunned. Could a Bronze-level veteran with a thousand matches really be taken down by a single sword stroke? Quickly, Ethan realized that at the Bronze rank, his current martial skill level made him a top player. His opponent's attack was full of mistakes, probably only around Beginner Level 29%—not a real match.
Understanding this, Ethan immediately started the second round.
Victory Points +10... +10... +10...Congratulations SprayBear, promoted to Silver Rank. Current rank vitality: Level 15.
"That's already Silver?" Ethan had hoped to find worthy opponents to help him comprehend the Flowing Light Sword Technique's Fourth Form: Azure Dragon's Sting. But Bronze rank players were too weak, mostly ending matches in one move—never lasting long enough for him to push his technique further.
Without delay, after warming up his strength and speed, Ethan matched again.
ID: Sean DustAge: 26Rank: SilverVictory Points: 16Record: 210 wins, 190 losses (52.5% win rate)
This opponent had long hair, dressed in a black traditional robe, carrying a giant ruler on his back. They fought without hesitation. The instant sword met ruler, Ethan knew his opponent's martial skill was Advanced Level!
Good! Just the kind of sharpening stone I need!
The giant ruler seemed weightless in his hands, wielded as lightly as a sword. Yet under the defense of Breeze Beneath the Trees, Ethan could not be broken through. Soon, the opponent was forced to yield.
SprayBear (Win) VS Sean Dust (Loss)Victory Points +10
Seeing his first Silver rank victory, Ethan felt little joy. He immediately started the next match, hoping to find opponents who could truly challenge him.
Victory Points +10... +10...It seemed that at Silver rank, most players were Advanced Level masters. Once Ethan's victory points hit 50, he couldn't climb higher.
Victory Points -10... +10...
Those at 50 victory points seemed all to be Mastery Level experts—too strong for Ethan. Moreover, flawlessly executing the Flowing Light Sword Technique's Fourth Form was much harder than he thought. He could only ever push through half the move, unable to defeat Mastery Level opponents.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Ethan was battling a stunning woman wielding dual daggers. Her Mastery Level skill was overwhelming, forcing Ethan to retreat step by step. He didn't know which basic martial method she learned, but something felt strange. He had no time to ponder further.
Would he have to drop down 50 victory points again?
Ethan clenched his teeth, unwilling to lose.
"Stop thinking about mastering the Fourth Form all at once. Focus on the martial skill itself," the woman said calmly, noticing his struggle.
Ethan's eyes lit up. He hadn't expected to meet a mentor here! Following the script, she would now give him extreme pressure to help him break through.
Pfft!
Seizing Ethan's moment of distraction, one of her daggers pierced through his back like an assassin from the shadows.
"Damn, you sneaky bastard!" Ethan cursed in his last blurred moments.
SprayBear (Loss) VS Little Nuclear Girl (Win)Victory Points -10
Ethan returned to the blank room but did not immediately start a new match. Instead, he closed his eyes, thinking about the dagger woman's words. Though her trick cost him the match, her advice made sense.
"Not all at once? Focus on the skill itself?""Isn't basic martial skill supposed to be mastered at once?""Wait... Azure Dragon's Sting is a stabbing move, more like an assassin's style. Assassins thrive on ambush and shadows, but my fighting is too direct..."
Ethan pondered deeply, then reopened his eyes and quickly began another round.
This time, his opponent was a burly man wielding double hammers connected by thick chains. Such weapons are powerful but slow. Facing such a weapon with a sword requires finesse rather than brute force.
Ethan's martial skill was slightly higher, but he chose to face the man head-on. He slashed:
Drawing the Prison!Thunderous Drums!Breeze Beneath the Trees!
Three moves against double hammers—Ethan was losing ground.
"Young man, that's not how you use a sword.""Don't think just because your skill is a bit higher you can do whatever you want!"
The burly man laughed heartily, sure of victory.
"Is that so?" Ethan's voice came coldly from behind.
"What! You're not in front of me—" Before the man could finish, a long sword pierced through his throat with a pfft.
[Congratulations Host: Flowing Light Sword Technique increased from Beginner Level 89% to Beginner Level 90%]
Every time Ethan's martial skill or vitality improved, a prompt sounded in his mind. This breakthrough lifted his spirits.
SprayBear (Win) VS Big Hammer Wang (Loss)Victory Points +10
Back in the blank room, Ethan realized this was the first time he'd fully executed Azure Dragon's Sting. At that moment, he understood why the sword represents skillfulness—not just agility, but the ability to be firm or soft, visible or invisible, striking like thunder or flowing like water.
Skillfulness means infinite change.
Azure Dragon's Sting, the final form of Flowing Light Sword Technique, teaches the user to understand this.
Some wield sword light boldly and decisively through the ages; others wield it invisibly, quietly changing the game.
The sword is a weapon beyond definition.
Ethan's understanding of the sword deepened in that instant.
After several more matches, even though he reached Mastery Level, his wins were still fewer than losses. Players beyond 50 victory points at Silver rank were mostly Mastery Level veterans, difficult to overcome.
ID: SprayBearAge: 17Rank: SilverVictory Points: 55Record: 22 wins, 15 losses (59.46% win rate)
Continuing further was pointless. Ethan had achieved what he wanted, so he closed his eyes and exited the Virtual Pod.
The next second, Ethan awoke from the Virtual Pod. His smart wristband detected the awakening and flashed green, sending a notification:
"Congratulations, Master! You have entered the top 0.01% of the Blue Star Youth Ranking!"