Chapter 193 - The White Tiger’s Transfigurations
After being shown the horror of death and being forced to continue to battle until the end of the day, Leo was once again given a day of break before he returned to the training hall.
What he had seen was something that held too much meaning for his current understanding, so the break was timely. The true Black Dragon Energy that Cheon Chang had shown Leo wasn't just a result of being at a higher stage or possessing more Internal Energy. This was a culmination of all of that built upon the essence of the skill.
'Energy Channeling isn't just a necessary fueling process…'
It didn't make sense when being read, but as Leo got immersed in the world of murim more and more, everything started to become real…
Although Leo had already read martial arts in the library that spoke about how they came to be through imitating the abilities of mythical monsters, this was his first time understanding what it meant. The black lightning produced by Cheon Chang was the result of a perfect imitation, and Energy Channeling was the core of that.
His reading attribute's recognition of that as an 'ability' now made sense. Unfortunately, it wasn't as much of a shortcut as it seemed to be. Whether it was the Black Dragon's Transformation or the Martial Art that he just learned, only one additional point was added, something that only made the flow grow smoother by a tiny bit.
Following the difficulty increase the higher the number was, Leo didn't think he would master 'Energy Channeling' any time soon…
'I wonder if even trying all the martial arts that I obtained would be enough to reach senior brother's level of imitation.'
"How was it this time?"
Seeing Cheon Chang's figure leaning at the wall in the same location, Leo couldn't help wondering about his precision as he shrugged off his worries. He wasn't even ten years old as of yet, so there was no need to worry about an investment that required time at this age.
"Our Master was really a great person."
Leo omitted the explanation this time. The Black Dragon's Transformations contained something that he couldn't find in all the martial arts he read in the library, so it was normal to be amazed by it. However, with it acting as a basis, there was no need to act like a country pumpkin that witnessed greatness for the first time.
Swish!
Similarly, Cheon Chang spared the pleasantries, throwing a wooden sword at Leo. That was an attack of its own, but Leo skillfully caught it without any trouble.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
In his hand, the sword seemed to exist in more than one place, moving like a shadow as it blocked Cheon Chang's attacks before responding with Leo's. Once again, the Absolute Spear was limiting his physical strength to a certain extent, but…
'This is the difference.'
His senior brother was no longer holding back his skill, not that it was something that he could do, to begin with. Relying on his experiences two days ago, Leo wasn't swept up by the battle's pace, holding his own ground as he demonstrated his advantage.
'But he still isn't an easy opponent.'
Taking Cheon Chang's story into consideration, it was only normal that his sword skill was falling behind. In the first place, this was likely one of the reasons behind his rise to the title of the Absolute Spear!
Compared to him, Leo who caught a glimpse of Ray's sword was on a completely new level. The 'Advanced' level didn't seem to be that far away as the third chapter in order, but it was a whole new level. Even the skill reading of the Black Dragon's Transformations didn't allow Leo to rise to the last page of 'Intermediate Spearmanship', let alone the chapter after it. That was just how high of a peak it was to climb!
Although Cheon Chang's spear was probably even beyond that peak, the same couldn't be said about his sword. However, through the masterful use of his body, he particularly increased his speed to keep up with Leo!
"You are as compatible with it as your name made it seem to be."
Even as he was on the edge of being pushed back by Leo's sword, the only emotion that could be read on Cheon Chang's stiff face was genuine elation. Nothing was set in stone, but he felt like he made the best choice he could!
From what he had seen in Leo's spear, Cheon Chang couldn't deny the flowing talent shown by his comprehension, he was a budding spear prodigy in a sense. Yet, his sword was even better!
Something like this would originally have felt like a red flag as he didn't desire to produce an Absolute Sword, but Leo's sword felt just like his spear regardless of the difference in skill. From what he was seeing, Leo had the potential to master both the Black Dragon's Transformations, and the White Tiger's Transfigurations!
"Maybe…"
A sharp metallic luster sprang out, surrounding the wooden sword. Surprisingly enough, the second martial art that Leo received didn't just happen to contain his name, but it was also quite similar to the concept of Sword Breath.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Just like the Black Dragon's Transformations carried the spark of lightning, the White Tiger's Transfigurations held the sharpness of metal. The sword in Leo's hand was made of wood, but several chips appeared on Cheon Chang's sword even as it was enveloped by the same energy!
The opposite first syllables weren't there for nothing either. Unlike the balance seeking black dragon, the white tiger pursued absolute speed or force. Both scales could be interchanged through the correct connection of moves and forms, allowing Leo to follow up on Cheon Chang's enhanced speed.
"Great."
Without an insight in the sword that matched his spear, Cheon Chang's energy wasn't that advanced compared to Leo's. Both swords were equally damaged as the stalemate was on the verge of breaking in favor of the junior brother!
"I hope you will be the one to show me the true White Tiger Energy…"
As the tables silently turned, hope blossomed on the Absolute Spear's face…