Despite his excitement, Su Yang did not allow his sudden progress to cloud his judgment.
He looked at the saber in his hand and then at the fallen trees scattered throughout the clearing.
With his comprehension and the Dragon-Tiger Inheritance, moving directly to the second level would not be difficult.
Perhaps he could even begin touching upon the mysteries of the third level before long.
However, Su Yang shook his head.
"No."
He sheathed the saber.
"My progress is already too fast. If I keep rushing forward simply because I can comprehend the techniques, I'll eventually leave weaknesses in my foundation."
The first level of the Basic Saber Manual was simple, but simplicity did not mean it was unimportant.
Grip.
Stance.
Footwork.
Balance.
Breathing.
Coordination between the feet, waist, shoulder, wrist, and blade.
These were the roots upon which every future saber technique would be built.
If the roots were weak, how could the tree grow tall enough to touch the heavens?
Su Yang remembered something contained within the Dragon-Tiger Inheritance.
A strong cultivator does not fear moving slowly.
He fears building high upon an unstable foundation.
His eyes became determined.
"I won't move to the second level yet."
He drew his saber once more.
"For now, I'll perfect the first."
Su Yang returned to the center of the clearing.
His feet separated.
His knees bent slightly.
His breathing became steady.
Then he began again.
First step.
Advance.
Second step.
Retreat.
Third step.
Left shift.
Fourth step.
Right shift.
Diagonal advance.
Diagonal retreat.
Pivot.
Turning step.
Again.
And again.
And again.
At first, Su Yang deliberately slowed himself down.
He refused to rely entirely on his monstrous comprehension.
Instead, he paid attention to every tiny movement.
How much pressure should his toes place against the earth?
When advancing, which part of the foot should land first?
How should his center of gravity change when transitioning from attack to defense?
How could he move without causing unnecessary tension in his legs?
Each question produced another adjustment.
Each adjustment made his movements slightly more refined.
After hundreds of repetitions, his steps no longer looked like techniques he had memorized from a manual.
They became instinctive.
Then he added the saber.
Swoosh!
One step.
One swing.
Swoosh!
Turn.
Slash.
Swoosh!
Retreat.
Guard.
Advance.
Strike.
He deliberately suppressed the Saber Qi that had previously destroyed the surrounding trees.
His purpose wasn't destruction.
It was control.
Hours passed.
Sweat soaked through Su Yang's clothes.
His arms became heavy.
His palms developed painful blisters from gripping the saber.
His breathing became rough.
Yet he continued.
Whenever his spiritual energy began running low, he relied more heavily on his physical strength.
Whenever his muscles screamed for rest, he forced himself to complete another hundred repetitions.
The sun gradually descended.
Golden sunlight became orange.
Orange became crimson.
Crimson disappeared behind the distant mountains.
Still—
Swoosh!
Swoosh!
Swoosh!
The sound of Su Yang's saber continued echoing throughout the forest.
Eventually, darkness covered the land.
Only then did Su Yang finally stop.
"Haa…"
He lowered the saber.
Sweat dripped from his chin.
His entire body felt exhausted, yet his eyes were unusually bright.
He looked toward the darkened sky.
"It's already night?"
Su Yang hadn't even noticed.
He sheathed his saber and looked around the clearing.
He hadn't advanced to the second level.
He hadn't learned any impressive saber technique.
Yet compared to several hours earlier, the way he held the saber had completely changed.
It no longer felt foreign in his hand.
That alone satisfied him.
"Enough for today."
He picked up the manual, stored everything away, and began heading home.
By the time Su Yang reached the Su family courtyard, lanterns had already been lit along the pathways.
He expected everyone to be asleep.
Instead, the moment he entered the courtyard, he stopped.
Two familiar figures were waiting for him.
Su Mei stood with her arms folded across her chest.
Beside her was Su Lan.
Both stared directly at him.
Su Yang blinked.
"Why are the two of you standing outside?"
Su Mei's eyebrow twitched.
"Why are we standing outside?"
Su Lan immediately walked toward him.
"What were you doing?"
Before Su Yang could answer, Su Mei added,
"And why are you coming back at this time?"
Su Yang looked from one sister to the other.
He was genuinely baffled.
"It's not that late."
"Not that late?" Su Mei repeated.
She pointed toward the sky.
"Su Yang, look up."
Su Yang looked.
Stars filled the darkness.
He scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"Fine. Maybe it's a little late."
"A little?" Su Lan asked.
Su Yang sighed.
He had been so absorbed in practicing that he had completely lost track of time.
There was little reason to hide what he had been doing anyway.
"I went into the forest to train."
"Train?"
Su Mei's expression changed slightly.
"What kind of training keeps you in the forest until night?"
"Saber training."
"Saber?"
Both sisters spoke almost simultaneously.
Su Yang nodded.
"I found a saber manual inside Mother's storage ring."
Su Mei stared at him.
"You've started practicing the saber now?"
"Mhm."
"Since when?"
"Today."
Su Mei fell silent.
Something about the casual way he said today made her suspicious.
She knew her younger brother's recent cultivation progress was becoming increasingly abnormal.
"How much did you learn?"
Su Yang thought about the fallen trees.
He wisely gave a simple answer.
"Only the basics."
Su Mei narrowed her eyes.
For some reason, she didn't believe him.
Su Lan looked at his exhausted appearance.
"So you spent the entire day practicing basic saber movements?"
"Yes."
"And you're going again tomorrow?"
"Yes."
Su Yang paused before adding,
"Actually, I'll probably be doing this every day."
"Every day?"
"Until the disciple admission day of the Heavenly Lightning Sect."
The courtyard became quiet.
Su Mei's expression grew serious.
"You're preparing for the admission examination?"
Su Yang nodded.
"I don't know exactly what they'll test, so I want to strengthen everything I can before that day arrives."
Cultivation realm.
Physical strength.
Combat ability.
Movement.
Saber foundations.
He wanted all of them prepared.
He had been given an opportunity that countless cultivators would kill for—the Dragon-Tiger Inheritance.
Wasting such an advantage through laziness would be unforgivable.
Su Mei studied him for several seconds.
Eventually, she sighed.
"Fine."
Then she pointed toward him.
"But at least tell us before disappearing for an entire day."
Su Lan nodded vigorously.
"We thought something happened to you."
Su Yang finally understood why they had been waiting.
A small smile appeared on his face.
"I'll tell you next time."
"You'd better."
Su Mei turned around.
"Come inside. Your food has been waiting."
At the mention of food, Su Yang's stomach immediately growled.
Su Lan stared at him.
Su Yang stared back.
Neither spoke.
Then Su Lan burst out laughing.
Even Su Mei couldn't completely hide her smile.
Su Yang coughed awkwardly.
"I trained all day. Of course I'm hungry."
"Then hurry up," Su Mei said.
Su Yang followed them inside.
The meal disappeared frighteningly quickly.
After training for almost the entire day, Su Yang's body desperately needed nourishment.
He ate bowl after bowl until Su Lan eventually stared at him as though she were watching some kind of beast.
"Are you planning to eat the bowls too?"
Su Yang ignored her and finished the last piece of meat.
Only after his stomach was satisfied did he head toward the bathing room.
Warm water washed away the sweat and dirt covering his body.
The moment he entered the water, soreness spread through every muscle.
"Hiss…"
Su Yang clenched his teeth.
Only now did he realize just how badly he had exhausted himself.
But strangely, he enjoyed the feeling.
Pain meant his body had been pushed.
Exhaustion meant there was room for improvement.
After bathing, Su Yang changed into clean robes and returned to his room.
Anyone else would have immediately collapsed onto the bed.
Su Yang didn't.
He sat cross-legged.
From the storage ring, he retrieved a small jade bottle.
Qi Restoration Pills.
He poured several into his palm.
The pills carried a faint medicinal fragrance.
Without hesitation—
He tossed them into his mouth.
The pills dissolved rapidly.
A warm medicinal energy entered his stomach before spreading through his meridians.
Su Yang immediately circulated his cultivation technique.
Rumble…
Spiritual Qi began gathering around him.
His exhausted meridians greedily absorbed the energy.
The medicinal power of the Qi Restoration Pills replenished what he had consumed during his saber training, while the surrounding spiritual energy continuously entered his body.
Su Yang closed his eyes.
His breathing became slow.
Steady.
Deep.
The exhaustion accumulated throughout the day gradually disappeared.
But Su Yang wasn't merely recovering.
He was cultivating.
Training the saber during the day.
Cultivating Qi during the night.
Tomorrow, he would return to the forest and continue strengthening the first level.
Then he would return and cultivate again.
Day after day.
Until the Heavenly Lightning Sect opened its gates for the disciple admission.
Su Yang's consciousness gradually sank deeper into cultivation.
Outside his window, moonlight illuminated the quiet Su family courtyard.
The night slowly passed.
And while everyone else slept, Spiritual Qi continued gathering around the young man sitting cross-legged inside his room.
Su Yang had made his decision.
Until the day of the Heavenly Lightning Sect's disciple admission arrived, he would not waste a single day.