章節 30: Season 1 Episode 30: A Difficult Technique

For the next few days, Claude Rayforth did not go out at all. He stayed in his room, continuously cultivating, as the temperature of the room grew higher and higher, due to the amount of energy he was circulating within his body.

Along with the Pure Iron Technique, he was also learning the sword technique that the second elder had given him.

Claude quickly quieted himself and closed his eyes, focusing on the sword technique known as 'Beau Paradis'. When he was completely focused, he could feel the presence of an incomparably profound sword within his hands. However, the moment he opened his eyes, the profound feeling would immediately disappear, leaving behind nothing to see.

Even so, he remained calm. He once again stood still without making any movements, as he concentrated on the sword technique. And like before, he could once again feel the presence of that same sword within his hands.

He grabbed hold of the handle of the sword and gripped it tightly, and tried swinging it while keeping his eyes closed. There was a cold gleam on the blade of the saber as it sliced quietly through the air.

"This is actually a tough technique to cultivate. Second Elder really wasn't lying," Claude had a bitter smile plastered on his face as opened his eyes, and the sword disappeared once again.

Although it didn't look like it, controlling the sword was easier said than done. The sword was like a beast within Claude's hands, trying it's best desperately to escape from his clutches. And like a beast, Claude knew that he had to tame it in order to utilise its full potential.

Of course, Claude wasn't a quitter. His heart was as calm as the water as he circulated the cultivation methods of the Beau Paradis Sword Technique once again. He closed his eyes and slowly began to practice the technique step by step. Practice makes perfect, and Claude had taken it to heart. Every step he took sent vibrations through the ground.

In the ancient cultivation legends, the angels were the overlords of heaven and earth. They could overturn the seas and rivers and summon the wind and rain; there was nothing they could not do. And the Beau Paradis Sword Technique was said to be a sword technique that was passed down from the angels to the humans as a gift. When practiced to great perfection, one could summon the strength of the angels if they desired.

Although he wasn't making any huge progress, he still continued cultivating the technique. Claude was a firm believer of hard work and training, and he wasn't planning on giving up so soon.

As days went by, his progress in comprehending the profoundness of the Beau Paradis Sword Technique, although faint, was still present.

Claude squinted his eyes and a grave expression appeared on his face. As his comprehension of the technique began to increase, so did the difficulty along with it.

The 'beast' was now revealing its malevolent side. The turbulent energy carried a huge force; it was exerting a tremendous amount of force on Claude's body, making it exceptionally difficult for him to maintain balance and concentration.

Claude however, did not panic and was very calm, as he continued concentrating, not losing his focus for even a second.

The spiritual energy in his body circulated as he absorbed it into his flesh and bones, slowly tempering his body. He held the sword in his hands, practicing the moves of the 'Beau Paradis Sword Technique'.

"Now!"

After the spiritual energy circulated in his body for a few minutes, Claude's eyes shot open.

"Boom!"

The sword aura exploded out to the extreme. A huge force extended out as he gripped the sword tightly with his hands. The droplets of sweat that clung to his body instantly evaporated.

"Kill!"

He shouted lightly and leaped up high into the air. There was a crack of thunder in the sky; lightning streaked across the air, as his Beau Paradis Sword gave off a resplendent electrical light.

The sword technique that he practiced many times was executed without hesitation. "Keng!" The Beau Paradis Sword chopped violently down onto the ground. The powerful sword light struck the spot below Claude like a hammer, creating a half a meter wide pit.

"Boom!"

The huge force behind the attack triggered a reaction, which caused Claude to be flung to the ground. After Claude was struck by the reaction from the sword technique, he felt his insides churn a little. Fortunately, he did not suffer from too much damage.

"Damn it! This is truly a problematic cultivation technique. It seems that I can only continue to train slowly until I eventually master it," After thinking a lot, Claude sighed as he decided to take the mastering of the Beau Paradis Sword Technique a bit more slower. Although the sword technique itself was extremely strong, one needed to devote a lot of time into mastering the technique completely. And although he could try to maintain complete focus in order to master the sword technique, he realised that the process would ultimately end up slowing down his cultivation progress. Sometimes, it was better to take it slow.

The sword technique might be powerful, but that's not all he had in his arsenal. The versatility of a warrior is what makes him different from a one trick pony. He was more than that. Adaptability is something that every warrior and samurai had to learn, and so did Claude. He didn't wish to be dependent on a single technique.

And besides, it wasn't like he was completely abandoning the technique. Although the speed and the time he spent practicing would be less than usual, he was still going to be cultivating the technique.

"It's not like I'm in a hurry to learn this technique. Better to take it slow and focus on improving my cultivation levels," Claude thought to himself.