Grey stared at Lia with a slight look of confusion and even awe.
'Is this planet filled with unique people?' Grey could not help but muse silently.
First, it was his sister who turned out to be an actual Dragon. Now, standing before him, was a being with something known as an "Endless Potential Physique."
In short, it was probably the most terrifying thing he had seen, just a level below his own cheat.
His sister stood no chance against the girl in front of him in terms of uniqueness.
Endless Potential. What did that imply? It meant that the girl standing before him had no limitations. She would never encounter a bottleneck in her surge of power and would continuously grow until the end of time itself, as long as no one killed her.
What was a cheat? This was a cheat.
To evolve endlessly, without limits.
And the best part?
He could comprehend it.
A devilish grin formed on Grey's face. He now stared at Lia as if he had found the most valuable item in the world.
Looking for gold, he found a diamond. No, a cosmic gem.
Then, Grey stood up from his spot. It was time to start teaching her.
He had already comprehended the Zenith Sword Art, which seemed to be a superior version of conventional sword arts. Having reached comprehension level mastery, he was certain that no one on this entire planet could teach it better than him.
While this technique was hard, it was only hard for beginner level evolvers. For him, it only took a glance to fully comprehend it.
"Miss Lia, what evolutionary path do you follow, first of all?" Grey inquired. He had yet to see the flow of energy within her body and planned to do so while guiding her, but first, he needed to know which evolutionary path she followed.
"I follow the Immortal evolutionary path. I'm currently at the Qi Gathering realm, the first realm of the evolutionary path," Lia replied patiently. "Why do you ask, Instructor?"
Hearing her question, Grey responded with his own. "How much do you know about sword energy?"
"Sword energy… it's utilized by immortal cultivators and martial artists alike. It is one's own energy transformed into lethal offensive energy, which can be materialized outside the body to fight," Lia thought for a moment before answering.
"Precisely. Sword energy is utilized by martial artists and sword immortal cultivators alike. But do you know how sword energy is born?"
"No," Lia replied in confusion. "But what does sword energy have to do with me? I believe only those who reach mastery level in a sword technique can give birth to sword energy."
"That's false," Grey said with a small smile. "You need sword energy to even reach basic mastery."
"Huh?" Lia's expression drastically changed. She wore a confused look and even wondered if the instructor had gone crazy.
It was common knowledge that sword control only came at mastery level.
"Instructor Daniel, are you trying to fool me?" Lia frowned, her eyes narrowing with clear displeasure. "Even a dog on the street knows that to utilize sword energy, you need to comprehend a technique to the mastery level."
She now felt as if she had just thrown away a huge sum of money for nothing.
Grey, however, remained calm. "I know you have your doubts," he said faintly, confidence brimming in his smile. "How about this. By the time you walk out of this room, you will have unlocked Sword Energy. If you don't, I'll personally return every coin you paid me."
"Hah?" Lia raised an eyebrow, her tone sharp. "Do you take me for a fool? I've spent years on the blade and have never once touched Sword Energy. And you're saying I'll awaken it in one session? What kind of joke is that?"
Her arms crossed over her chest, her stance showing outright refusal. For a moment, she even considered storming out.
"Great. Another delusional instructor," Lia sighed. This was not the first time she had encountered someone like Grey, someone who tried to amaze her with false words. In the end, it was always just a ploy to make her return. Lia would not fall for it again.
But the deal was already made, and he had promised to refund her if it did not work out, so she reluctantly gave in.
"Tch. Fine," she clicked her tongue and looked away. "Since it's come to this, I'll see it through."
"Great. Then let's begin," Grey said with a smile as he walked toward the weapon rack and took a long sword.
What she said was correct. Normally, there was no way to comprehend sword energy without reaching mastery level in a sword technique. But that only applied to ordinary people. The person standing in front of him was different.
Sword energy was the byproduct of understanding the essence of one's sword, which converted one's energy into lethal sword energy.
Understanding the sword usually took a long time. However, with her Endless Potential Physique, he could make her skip that entirely and comprehend sword energy early.
The Great Zenith Sword Art he had comprehended contained two distinct paths. One utilized sword energy from the very first stage of mastery and was clearly intended for geniuses like Lia. The other was the standard Zenith Sword Art, refined with fewer flaws and smoother movements.
Turning to Lia, Grey spoke calmly, his tone carrying the weight of an expert.
"Lower your level to that of a first stage Qi Gathering cultivator. Even better if you can suppress it down to a Pseudo level."
Lia complied without hesitation. In her eyes, it made sense. Many profound instructors demanded that their students cultivate from the very basics, believing that only by stripping away their power could they build a flawless foundation.
She remained skeptical, but the deal was already done. She would learn what she could from him and never contact him again after this.
In the next moment, energy surged around her body, and luminous patterns flashed across her skin. She traced hand seals in the air, weaving a series of mystical gestures until a glowing character, Seal, formed on her abdomen, surrounded by intricate runic formations.
Her aura immediately dropped by an entire notch, perfectly restrained to the level Grey had instructed.
"Draw your sword and, using the Zenith Sword Art, fight me. I'll guide you while we fight," Grey said calmly as he subtly adjusted his stance. The air around him instantly changed.
This surprised Lia greatly. Before, Grey looked no different from an ordinary person. Now, he radiated the air of a powerful expert.
Shaking off her thoughts, Lia immediately charged forward.
Swoosh!
With a single dash, she closed the distance between herself and Grey. Even suppressed to the level of a Pseudo Qi Gathering cultivator, she was still incredibly fast.
But did that concern Grey?
Instant Recoil Step!
Buzz!
Ba dump. Ba dump.
Grey's muscles contracted and expanded as adrenaline surged through his body like a tsunami. Power fired through his neural pathways, causing everything around him to slow down.
While not as extreme as the time he dodged the truck, the world was still noticeably slower.
With Instant Recoil Step came enhanced bodily control. Grey moved with perfect precision, wasting no motion. With the improved reaction speed from the technique, he could contend with a Pseudo level evolver, though only a weakened one like Lia.
As that thought crossed his mind, Lia's sword was already flashing toward his neck.
Grey did not panic. With his reaction speed pushed beyond human limits, his hands surged forward, intercepting the strike with his own blade.
Whoosh!
Lia's eyes widened as her wrist trembled. To her shock, she could not move her sword even an inch.
She stared at Grey in disbelief. "What are you? A robot? Why is your grip so rigid?"
Clank!
Grey deflected her sword with a heavy sweep, sending her stumbling back several steps before she regained her balance.
Then she saw him replicate her movement.
Like flowing water, Grey closed the distance in an instant and struck.
Lia hurriedly raised her sword to parry, but her eyes widened again. The strike was faster than hers.
"Zenith Sword Art focuses on flexibility," Grey instructed calmly. "Relax your grip. You're using too much strength and slowing your sword."
Clank!
He knocked her blade aside once more, his movements sharp yet unhurried.
"Your posture is collapsing," Grey said firmly as he stepped in with effortless balance. "Zenith Sword Art isn't about locking your knees or forcing power. Bend them slightly. Feel the ground beneath your feet. A stable foundation allows the sword to move freely."
His blade traced a swift arc, forcing Lia to stumble back as she barely blocked in time.
Grey shook his head. "Without balance, even the sharpest strike loses its edge. You focused too much on the technique's movements and forgot the foundation entirely."