Chapter 55: Chapter 55: Learning Hard Lessons
Vahn dismissed Earth Grade Saber, letting it vanish from his grasp into the Space Ring.
The cracking sounds he felt while battling showed its limit; it couldn’t handle the raw power of the Nine Heavens Lightning Art indefinitely. It was time for an upgrade.
He took a deep breath and claimed his new reward from the [ System Log ]
The Hellbringer Saber (Saint) materialized with a silent shing. It was a magnificent, terrifying weapon. The blade was a deep, uncompromising black that seemed to absorb all ambient light, and the intricately carved guard was shaped like a stylized, snarling demon.
It felt both powerful and frighteningly natural in his hand.
Lilith, who had been focused on navigating the dense, shadow-choked forest path, suddenly stopped.
Her head tilted, sensing the aura radiating from the weapon. When she finally looked, even the veil covering her face could not hide her momentary shock.
"A Saint-grade weapon," she stated with genuine surprise. She knew the sheer rarity and value of such an artifact.
"These kind of weapon are significantly rare, often costing millions of low-grade Spirit Stones. Where did you acquire such a weapon?"
Vahn gave a confident, easy grin, running a thumb over the razor edge of the black blade.
"You could say you were my lucky charm, Instructor," he joked with a shine in his eyes. "Because of you, I got it."
He, of course, chose not to specify the system’s role in the transaction.
Lilith narrowed her eyes, detecting his evasiveness. She knew he was unwilling to share the exact source, perhaps seeing it as a secret strength. She didn’t pry further; secrets were common currency in their world. What mattered was the blade itself.
"You don’t need beat around the bush. But remember to use it like a Saint-grade weapon, not a toy," she simply instructed, resuming her walk.
Vahn wonder what he meant by that? Was Saint Grade Weapon that dangerous?
--
They hadn’t walked far when Lilith paused at the edge of a small, smoke-shrouded clearing.
"Your next opponent is here," she announced, pointing toward the creature om the ground.
"Its A Three-Legged Fire Crow. It is an Earth Grade Spirit Beast, and its primary power is elemental: terrifying Fire Breath."
She then took the opportunity to lecture him on the hierarchy of the beasts they would face.
"Spirit Beasts are also divided into nine ranks, much like Cultivators. But their power structure are completely different than us humans, " she explained.
Spirit Beast Rank:
Mortal
Earth
Sky
Beast General
Beast King
Beast Lord
Beast Emperor
Beast Monarch
Beast God
"These ranks are decided based on strength alone. However, bloodlines sometimes play a key role in this Hierarchy. A higher-grade bloodline can suppress a lower-grade beast through Bloodline Suppression, as it’s often said that all beasts originate from the mythical Beast God himself."
Lilith concluded.
The Fire Crow is an Earth Grade beast," "It is faster and more dangerous than the Panther, and its Fire Breath can turn you to cinders if you are slow. Remember my lesson: conservation is key. Fight smart, Vahn. Show me the strength of your new Weapon."
Vahn acquiesced, his playful demeanor completely replaced by a laser focus.
He looked at The Fire Crow.
It was a golden bird standing nearly as tall as he was, covered in fiery feathers, with a wickedly sharp beak and a persistent smoke curling off its body.
Caww!
It squawked, sensing the intrusion. Its single visible eye glowed like lava.
Vahn drew the Hellbringer Saber. But this time he didn’t use the Lightning Art just yet . He needed to apply Lilith’s lesson.
Using a expensive Art like the Destruction Sword on the Earth Grade beast this early would be foolish.
He needed to approach this fight with minimum Spirit Energy expenditure.
That’s why he didn’t channel any lightning. He channeled his basic Spirit Energy into his legs, preparing to use sheer speed and martial skill.
"The Fire Crow has a powerful projectile attack, but it has to open its beak to use it. Also, It has three legs, which means it will be slightly slower and less maneuverable on the ground than the Panther was," Vahn murmured to himself, analyzing the threat.
Lilith remained silent, watching Vahn’s every move, ready to judge his application of her lesson.
Caww!
As soon as the Fire Crow launched its attack, Vahn was instantly proven wrong.
"So Fast..."
The three-legged stance wasn’t a hindrance; it was a tripod of pure stability and surprising explosive power. The Fire Crow didn’t run; it pounced, moving with excellent, jerky agility.
Its first move was a blinding dash coupled with a quick burst of fiery breath, a gout of searing flame aimed low at Vahn’s feet.
Vahn reacted instinctively, leaping backward to avoid the flame. He was fast, thanks to his improved agility, but the Crow was faster.
It changed direction mid-air, using its powerful wings for a quick banking turn, and slashed at Vahn with a razor-sharp claw.
Shriikk!
Vahn tried to block, but the Crow’s speed was overwhelming. He only managed to deflect the full force, and the resulting blow sent him spinning.
"Argh!"
A searing scratch appeared across his chest, and he was violently smashed onto the ground amidst a shower of dry leaves and singed earth. "Bang!"
He scrambled back up, tasting dust and the coppery tang of his own blood.
When he looked up at the crow, he saw its eye glowing brighter, into a mocking expression.
Vahn was infuriated, but also learned a hard lesson.
He had overestimated his initial analysis and underestimated the beast’s inherent speed.
"How do I defeat it, Lilith? This damn bird moves like lightning!" Vahn cursed under his breath.
Lilith didn’t respond. She leaned on a big rock boulder, watching everything with keen interest.
Vahn sighed.
Next, ignoring the sting of his wounds, Vahn forced himself to focus. The experience he’d gained from the Sabermaster finally kicked in. He stopped trying to meet the Crow’s speed directly and began anticipating its momentum. He used his peripheral vision, focusing on the wind currents stirred by its wings and the angles of its three-legged landings.
He realized the Crow’s movement was explosive but predictable in its short-burst patterns.
Vahn quickly started to gain momentum of its movement. He was moving less, making smaller adjustments, and letting the Crow’s aggressive energy work against itself.
The Crow launched another, faster dash, aiming for his head. Vahn ducked low, letting the wind from its wings rush past, and counter-slashed low with the Hellbringer Saber. He didn’t just want to rely on Arts, but he needed more raw cutting power than simple Spirit Energy channeling could provide.
He briefly injected Spirit Energy directly into the Saint-grade Saber to test its power..
The effect was instantaneous and shocking.
Bzzzz!
The black blade didn’t just glow; it seemed to inhale the energy, buzzing with a terrifying ferocity.
Vahn felt a sudden, massive drain from his Dantian. The Hellbringer Saber was sucking up his Spirit Energy greedily, demanding power worthy of its Saint-grade status just to activate its intrinsic cutting edge.
It was then Vahn understood Lilith’s warning.
The Hellbringer Saber gave excellent power, but it came with a staggering cost. Using it carelessly would drain him completely in minutes.
But Vahn was a fast learner. Using the same focus he used for his Lightning Art, he quickly learned to control the energy flow, throttling the consumption down to a sustainable trickle, channeling just enough power to make the blade’s edge hyper-efficient.
The enhanced blade was now sharper than a razor and stronger than tungsten.
The Fire Crow was mid-pounce when Vahn’s controlled strike connected. There was no boom, no crackle.
Just a silent, clean, and effortless strike.
Vahn’s black saber cut through the Crow’s neck faster than the beast could open its beak to breathe fire. The bird’s head separated from its body in a quiet flash of black steel, and the body crumpled to the ground, the golden feathers instantly losing their glow as the life essence drained away.