Li An held the glowing Aurora Technique (Peak Earth Grade) manual in his hands for a long breath, savoring its presence. Then, with a mischievous smirk, he looked back at the panel.
"…No, not yet. System, fuse the Space Jumping Slash."
[Affirmative.]
The courtyard darkened as the air warped.
Suddenly, one thousand six hundred and eight copies of Space Jumping Slash spilled out into the world. Manuals stacked across the courtyard in a flood, some bouncing off the flagstones, others hovering in the air like restless blades itching to cut. The sheer number made Li An choke out a laugh.
"…If the Sect Library elders saw this, they'd pass out. Half from rage, half from jealousy."
The System ignored him.
First fusion.
The manuals shot upward in clusters of ten, glowing silver, then crashed together. Each collision rang like swords clashing, sparks spraying in arcs. When the light dimmed, one hundred and sixty new manuals floated in the air—each one exuding a sharper aura than before.
The hair on Li An's arms prickled. "Oh, I don't like this one. Aurora felt gentle. This feels like… standing in the middle of a sword formation while blindfolded."
Second fusion.
Five by five, the manuals streaked together, their light bursting into jagged arcs like lightning. The courtyard tiles cracked under the pressure as thirty-two manuals remained, each one brimming with a dangerous, slicing intent. Even the mist above the courtyard split apart as if cut by an invisible blade.
Li An winced, squinting. "Right. This is less 'cultivation art' and more 'accidental murder weapon.'"
Third fusion.
Again, five by five, the manuals collided, and this time the courtyard erupted with the sound of thunder. Sword qi whirled violently in all directions, gouging shallow marks into the flagstones and shredding loose leaves into confetti. Six manuals emerged, glowing like steel heated to white-hot brilliance.
High Profound Grade.
Li An raised both brows. "Just standing near them feels like I'll lose a limb. And I don't even own a sword right now!"
Final fusion.
The six manuals shook violently, then slammed together in a single, deafening boom. A blinding silver light engulfed the courtyard, sharp enough to sting the eyes and force Li An to raise an arm against it. When the radiance finally faded, only one manual remained.
It floated serenely in the air, gleaming silver like a polished blade. The characters carved on its surface seemed to flicker in and out of existence, as though the technique itself was slipping between dimensions.
[Acknowledged: Space Jumping Slash – Peak Profound Grade]
Li An reached out, grabbing it carefully with both hands. The moment his fingers closed around it, he felt the faint edge of sword qi tickling his skin, leaving tiny red lines before fading.
"…Ow." He blinked at the manual, then gave a crooked grin. "Okay, this one's officially scary. Aurora made me feel like an enlightened scholar. This makes me feel like I'm about to mug someone in broad daylight."
His grin widened, eyes flashing with excitement. "Peak Profound grade attack art… hah. Let's see what kind of monster this becomes once I toss it into the grinder again.
Li An twirled the two manuals in his hands, one glowing with a calm, radiant brilliance, the other gleaming silver like a blade dipped in moonlight. His lips curved into a grin.
"…Alright, no point waiting. System, fuse me with both the new Aurora Technique and Space Jumping Slash."
[Affirmative.]
The manuals dissolved in his hands instantly, bursting into pure light that rammed into his forehead like twin battering rams.
"Ugh—ahhh! Still no warning, huh?!" Li An clutched his head, teeth gritted as streams of information poured directly into his sea of consciousness. For a moment, he swore his skull was vibrating.
But then, the pain faded—and clarity replaced it.
The Aurora Technique unfolded first. Its familiar foundation had changed, refined into something elegant and whole. Not only was its cultivation efficiency far smoother, but new strands of insight pulsed in his mind like stars.
Aurora Qi could now manifest. It wasn't just energy cycling invisibly inside him anymore—it could spill outward, shaping into faint ribbons of multicolored light that shimmered like the northern skies.
And when woven correctly, those ribbons could form the Aurora Veil: a shimmering curtain of light that blurred the line between illusion and defense, confusing enemy senses while softening attacks that touched it.
Li An exhaled, eyes glowing faintly. His fingertips twitched, and for a brief moment, rainbow-colored wisps coiled around them before fading. He whistled low.
"…Pretty. Practical too. I can finally stop looking like a guy who only knows how to sit and breathe fancy."
But before he could admire it further, the second wave hit.
Space Jumping Slash.
His head reeled as the sword art reshaped itself in his mind. The old version, the clumsy trick that made it look like his blade "blinked" short distances, shattered like glass. In its place came something leaner, deadlier, and terrifyingly sharp.
The new insights etched themselves into his instincts:
• Through spatial gaps. His slashes could slip through tiny rifts in space, bypassing defenses altogether.
• Unpredictable angles. Attacks would appear from directions he hadn't even swung in, forcing opponents to guess wrong.
• Defense-breaking. Even solid barriers could be sliced as his qi bent through ripples of distorted space.
• Delayed afterimages. At the Peak Profound level, each swing could leave behind phantom slashes that struck a heartbeat later—perfect for ambushes.
Li An's pulse quickened as the knowledge settled. His body remembered the motions automatically; even without a sword in hand, his fingers twitched as though tracing the paths of invisible blades.
"…Now this—this is scary," he muttered, a crooked grin spreading across his face. "Aurora makes me look pretty. But this? This is the kind of thing that makes enemies cry in their sleep."
He stood, stretching his arms, still grinning like a lunatic. "Heh. If the old me had this combo, half the sect would've written ballads about me by now."
His gaze flicked toward the misty forest surrounding Miscellaneous Peak, and his hand twitched again, itching for a real test.
"…I kinda want to cut something."