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"Too slow!"
"The timing between your coordinated strikes is way off."
"Maya, repeating the same move against the same opponent won't work twice."
"…"
On the warship's sun-drenched deck, the clash of training echoed as Bai Yu faced off against Maya, Keby, and Beru Meber. The three trainees rotated strategies with fierce determination, trying every angle and combination they could muster.
Yet, no matter how cleverly they attacked, Bai Yu deflected every move with ease—sometimes without even drawing his sword.
Their shoulders rose and fell heavily with fatigue, each breath harsher than the last.
Meanwhile, Bai Yu remained calm, casually analyzing their movements and calling out flaws with a tone more teacher than opponent.
Boom! Boom!
Keby and Beru Meber launched another joint strike, fierce and fast.
But Bai Yu casually slapped his palm forward—twice.
Wham! The two were repelled like waves crashing against a cliff, sent flying backward before they could even process what happened.
Then, Bai Yu's sharp eyes turned to Maya, who was crouched low, summoning a swirling current of spiritual energy around him.
Om… Om… Om…!
Maya's aura surged violently as he gathered every last thread of mental energy within him. His face turned pale, beads of sweat cascading from his brow. The pressure and exhaustion were evident.
"Isn't this overkill for a training exercise?" Bai Yu muttered under his breath, a hint of concern flashing across his usually composed face.
Suddenly—
Tap!
Maya's body gave in for a moment. He dropped to one knee, clearly unstable. The spiritual energy flickered erratically around him, signaling that his control was slipping.
"Maya, that's enough. Stop now," Bai Yu called out, stepping forward.
"No…"
Maya shook his head, eyes burning with stubborn fire.
"I'm… fine! Just… one more shot!"
Teeth gritted, fists clenched, Maya forced himself upright once again.
With sheer willpower, he stabilized the surging energy, calming the chaotic storm inside him.
Hrrrahh—!
The energy condensed, slowly and steadily. But just as it was nearing completion… the flow stopped. He'd run dry.
Not enough.
But he wasn't about to quit.
"Just a little more… Just a little more!" Maya growled under his breath.
Beep!
Suddenly, a dazzling light burst from Maya's form.
A new, radiant wave of spiritual energy bloomed from deep within his core—a sign of potential being forcibly awakened.
In that instant, Maya's body shattered past its limits.
As the fresh surge of power roared to life, Maya's lips curled into a faint smile. He raised both hands, clasped them together, and directed all that remaining strength forward.
Whoosh!
In a heartbeat, the energy coalesced into a brilliant orb above him, shimmering with power.
Then—
Snnrk! Flames ignited.
A blazing red flame wrapped around the spiritual sphere, crackling with intense heat.
Chi-Chi-Chi-Chi…!
It wasn't like Bai Yu's sword-flame—no, this was a pure, temperature-based inferno. The heat was so immense that the air itself distorted. The warship's metal railings nearby began to hiss and sizzle.
"Go!" Maya shouted.
He pointed forward, locking onto Bai Yu with unwavering eyes.
FWOOOSH—!!
The fireball tore through the air like a comet. Before it even reached him, Bai Yu felt the intense wave of heat rushing toward him like a furnace blast.
And yet—that wasn't what surprised him.
"This isn't just physical…" Bai Yu narrowed his eyes. "It's attacking the soul."
Yes. Embedded within Maya's flame was a spiritual signature capable of striking the very consciousness—a technique far beyond what most could imagine.
In the world of pirates, only Conqueror's Haki and certain devil fruits dared to touch the soul.
This… was something entirely different.
Shink!
Bai Yu gripped the hilt of his Peerless Taidao, the blade humming faintly in response.
No sword intent. Just a clean, practiced draw.
SLASH—!!
With one clean strike, the fireball was cleaved cleanly in two, dispersing its heat into the wind.
Bai Yu exhaled calmly.
So long as it didn't land, the attack was manageable. But for opponents of equal level—or slightly stronger—this would be a devastating trump card.
As the flames vanished into the sea breeze, Maya's legs buckled. His consciousness faded.
Thud!
He collapsed backward.
Swoosh—!
Bai Yu moved in an instant, catching Maya before he hit the deck.
He held him up with one hand, checking his vitals with the other.
"Looks like it's just spiritual exhaustion," he sighed, relieved. "He'll recover after some rest."
Just then, the system chimed in Bai Yu's mind.
> [Ding! Your confidante Maya has advanced in strength. Awarding cultivation rewards...]
> [Gains: Ju Twelve Company Proficiency +10%, Dragon Force +10%, Ben Lei +10%, Azure Dragon – Extreme Ten Thousand Blade Scroll +10%]
> [Three-Color Haki Proficiency +2%, Advanced Swordsmanship +10%]
An impressive array of skill increases.
The rewards were equivalent to training his sword two thousand times.
In fact, Dragon Force had reached 100%—mastered.
Ben Lei was now at 95%—one step away from perfection.
Just as Bai Yu thought the rewards had ended, the system chimed again.
> [Three confidantes have advanced. Bonus Reward: +1 Fusion Forging Knife Slot]
His eyes widened.
"A fusion forging knife…?" he murmured, intrigued.
Something new. Something powerful.
"Keby. Beru Meber," Bai Yu called. "Take Maya to the cabin to rest."
"Understood!"
Keby and Beru Meber rushed over, and with Bai Yu's help, carried Maya below deck.
Bai Yu gave them orders to stand guard.
Then, returning alone to the deck, he opened his system interface.
Fingers swiped quickly.
And then—his eyes lit up.
The Fusion Forging Knife—just as its name suggested—could combine multiple blades into one entirely new sword.
A weapon reborn through synergy and will.
And Bai Yu, the blade master of this era, had just unlocked the path to it.
JOIN MY PATREON TO READ ADVANCED 30+ CHAPTERS.
Currently at CHAPTER 149 on Patreon.
Two members on my patreon get a free book each month. A lucky draw,it can be you.
Five chapters every two days on Patreon.
One chapter everyday on webnovel.
patreon.com/FrancisMW