Chapter 453 - 450: 256-Fold Swordsmanship Amplification

Chapter 453: Chapter 450: 256-Fold Swordsmanship Amplification

’Panel.’

Pushing aside thoughts of being exposed, Fang Han focused his mind and summoned the system panel only he could see.

A translucent screen of light appeared before his eyes.

[Host: Fang Han]

[Root Bone Talent Amplification: 256x (Level 9 Amplification requires 10,000,000 gold)]

[Swordsmanship Talent Amplification: 128x (Level 8 Amplification requires 1,000,000 gold)]

[Stepping Talent Amplification: 128x (Level 8 Amplification requires 1,000,000 gold)]

[Secret Technique Talent Amplification: 128x (Level 8 Amplification requires 1,000,000 gold)]

[Body Hardening Talent Amplification: 128x (Level 8 Amplification requires 1,000,000 gold)]

[Wealth: 1,100,000 gold]

His gaze fell upon the ’Wealth’ line, and a hint of satisfaction flashed in his eyes.

1,100,000 gold. It was enough to activate one Level 8 Talent Amplification.

’Which talent should I choose?’

Fang Han’s gaze slowly swept over the four talent amplification options: Swordsmanship, Stepping, Secret Technique, and Body Hardening.

Stepping Talent determined the cultivation speed of Body Techniques.

Secret Technique Talent determined the cultivation speed of Secret Techniques.

Body Hardening Talent determined the speed of tempering his physical body.

And Swordsmanship Talent determined the cultivation speed of his Swordsmanship.

These four talents represented four different areas of focus.

’As I thought, I should activate the Level 8 Amplification for my Swordsmanship Talent first...’

Fang Han mused for a moment and made his decision.

Swordsmanship was a means of attack; it directly affected the strength of his Power of Attack.

Compared to the other three talents, improving his Swordsmanship Talent was the single greatest factor in increasing his combat strength.

’Activate Level 8 Amplification for Swordsmanship Talent.’

Having made his decision, Fang Han focused his mind on the small text after the Swordsmanship Talent Amplification option—

[Level 8 Amplification requires 1,000,000 gold]

He chose to activate the Level 8 Amplification.

The moment he did, the numbers on the system panel jumped.

[Wealth: 1,100,000 gold → 100,000 gold]

One million gold vanished, leaving only the remaining 100,000.

And the numbers in the Swordsmanship Talent Amplification line changed accordingly.

[Swordsmanship Talent Amplification: 128x → 256x (Level 9 Amplification requires 10,000,000 gold)]

Fang Han carefully experienced the change.

The feeling was completely different from when he had upgraded his Root Bone Talent.

Upgrading his Root Bone Talent affected his Inner Qi Cultivation. The change was an increased growth rate for his Inner Qi, something he could only truly feel when circulating his Cultivation Technique.

But the improvement in his Swordsmanship Talent affected his comprehension of the Sword Dao, bringing about a change on a cognitive level.

As he recalled the Sword Techniques, transformations, and Force Manipulation Methods of the *Sky-Splitting Sword Technique*, it felt as if a thin veil had been lifted from his mind’s eye.

Subtleties that had once required repeated contemplation to grasp now became crystal clear.

’Let’s give it a try.’

Fang Han focused his mind, closed his eyes, and began to mentally simulate the *Sky-Splitting Sword Technique*.

The transformations of the Sword Techniques, the circulation of Inner Qi, the fusion of the Wind Realm and Sword Momentum—

Everything appeared clearly in his mind.

As a Grandmaster-level Sword Technique, the *Sky-Splitting Sword Technique* was renowned for its extreme difficulty. Without sufficient aptitude, one could spend a lifetime and never even reach the Entry Level.

Previously, with his 128x Swordsmanship Talent Amplification, although his aptitude was sufficient, he had still found it abstruse and difficult to cultivate.

But now, with the 256x Swordsmanship Talent Amplification, he could grasp its complexities with a single thought. Comprehension came easily, and every attempt yielded new insights.

’So this is 256x Swordsmanship Talent...’

Fang Han opened his eyes, an unconcealable joy flashing within them.

With his Swordsmanship Talent Amplification doubled, his comprehension of the Sword Dao had reached a whole new level.

Even mentally simulating a Grandmaster-level Sword Technique like the *Sky-Splitting Sword Technique* now felt effortless.

"If I’d had this kind of talent before, I could have reached the Entry Level of the *Sky-Splitting Sword Technique* in at least half the time," Fang Han muttered to himself, a faint smile touching his lips.

He closed his eyes and continued to mentally simulate the *Sky-Splitting Sword Technique*.

From the transformations of the Sword Techniques to the circulation of Inner Qi, from integrating the Wind Realm to deducing ways to enhance it—

Once, twice, three times.

Each simulation was deeper and more thorough than the last.

The sticking points that had once troubled him were now being resolved one by one, blessed by the 256x Swordsmanship Talent Amplification, like the sun breaking through the clouds.

His understanding of the *Sky-Splitting Sword Technique* was deepening at an astonishing rate.

---

At the first light of dawn, as the eastern sky began to pale, Luo Qi, a Second-Grade Elder of the Netherworld Pavilion, appeared outside the gates of the most recently robbed mine.

She was about fifty years old, with a gaunt face and slightly prominent cheekbones. Her eyes, however, were unnervingly bright. When they opened and closed, a sharp glint was held within them, as if they could pierce through all illusion.

Her gray-white hair was casually tied up with a Wooden Hairpin, a few stray strands falling beside her cheeks and fluttering gently in the morning breeze.

She wore the robes of a Netherworld Pavilion Elder, with a Short Sword hanging at her waist. Its scabbard was old and unremarkable.

Following her were two middle-aged men in Steward’s Robes. One carried a long saber on his back, the other an Iron Ruler at his waist, and both exuded powerful auras.

After receiving a message from the Sect, she had changed her original route. Instead of first visiting the mines that had been robbed earlier, she came straight to this newest one.

To rob three properties in a row, with the third being a Spirit Iron Mine guarded by a Second-Grade Elder... ’This thief is anything but ordinary.’

"Elder Luo."

Qin Luomei was already waiting at the mine entrance. Seeing Luo Qi arrive, she offered a slight bow with cupped hands.

Her aged face was impassive, but an unconcealable exhaustion lingered in her eyes.

The chase last night had left her deeply unsettled.

"Elder Qin."

Luo Qi returned the bow, her gaze sweeping across the mine’s surroundings before she asked,

"Did the thief leave any traces?"

Qin Luomei shook her head and stepped aside to lead the way. "This way, Elder Luo."

The two entered the mine, walked past rows of wooden huts, and arrived at the storeroom deeper inside.

On the ground before the storeroom door, dark brown bloodstains had yet to be fully cleaned, having seeped into the cracks between the green bricks to leave blurry patches.

Qin Luomei stopped, turned to face Luo Qi, and recounted the previous night’s events in full detail.

From the moment she sensed the guarding disciples’ auras disappear, to her rushing from her stone house in pursuit out of the mine, and finally to the thief using an extremely fast Body Technique to vanish into the night—

Her account was exhaustive, leaving out no key details.

"The eight guarding disciples were all killed by a single sword strike."

Qin Luomei walked to the wall, pointing to a few spots that had already been cleaned.

"The wound was over the heart. It was extremely shallow, yet it pierced the heart with precision. One strike, one kill."

Luo Qi crouched down, her gaze falling on the dried bloodstains on the ground before shifting to several faint sword marks on the wall.

She extended a finger, gently tracing the edge of a sword mark, then leaned in and sniffed it.

"The Swordsmanship was very fast."

She stood up, her gaze turning to Qin Luomei.

"Elder Qin, were you able to get a clear look at the thief’s Body Technique style?"

"No."

Qin Luomei shook her head slightly, a flash of bitterness in her eyes.

"The night was too dark, and his Body Technique was too fast. I only caught a glimpse of a silhouette and couldn’t make out the style."

She paused before adding,

"From the moment he left the storeroom to when he vaulted the outer wall, it took only a few breaths. His speed was such that I was left eating his dust."

"So you’re saying the thief was alone?"

Luo Qi’s brow furrowed slightly, a hint of surprise in her tone.

"Yes, just one person."

Qin Luomei nodded, her expression grave.

"Furthermore, when I was chasing him, I didn’t see him carrying anything."

Luo Qi’s brow furrowed deeper.

She turned, walked to the storeroom door, and pushed it open.

Morning light streamed in, illuminating the empty storeroom.

Not a single one of the wooden chests that had been stacked to the ceiling remained. Only rows of empty wooden shelves stood in their place, looking particularly desolate in the light and shadows.

"Hundreds of chests of precious ore, vanished without a trace in a single night..."

Luo Qi stood in the center of the storeroom with her hands clasped behind her back. Her gaze swept the room as she spoke in a low voice.

"If the thief was alone, with no accomplices, how did he transport all this ore?"

If she hadn’t known Qin Luomei’s character, she might have suspected her of an inside job.

Qin Luomei was silent for a moment before speaking in a low, hushed voice:

"I’ve thought it over and over. There is only one explanation."

Luo Qi turned, her gaze fixed on Qin Luomei’s face.

"The thief must possess some kind of Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure that can store items," Qin Luomei said, meeting Luo Qi’s gaze and speaking word by word.

As soon as she said this, a brief silence fell over the storeroom.

’A Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure that can store items... I’ve only ever read about such treasures in ancient texts. They’re said to open up an independent space for storing items, which can then be carried on one’s person.’

If the thief really possessed such an object, it would explain how hundreds of chests of ore could vanish overnight.

"To have something like this... just what is this thief’s identity?" Luo Qi finally said, her voice low.

"I’ll examine the scene first."

Saying no more, Luo Qi closed her eyes and fully activated the Tracking Secret Technique she cultivated—the *Nether-Seeking Art*.

This Secret Technique was Top Grade, a Tracking Secret Technique on par with the Qingxuan Sect’s *Thousand-Mile Soul-Lock*.

She had cultivated this art for many years and had long since reached the Mastery Realm.

Within the Netherworld Pavilion, when it came to Tracking Techniques, if she claimed to be second, no one dared claim first.

However—

An incense stick’s time passed.

Then another.

An hour went by.

Luo Qi searched meticulously inside and outside the storeroom, leaving no corner unchecked.

Her nostrils flared slightly as her mind remained intensely focused, filtering, distinguishing, and sifting through the vast sea of auras again and again.

But the thief’s aura was as if it had never been there at all, so faint it was nearly impossible to detect.

Occasionally, she caught an extremely faint, almost illusory residue, but the trail was broken.

She followed that trace outside the mine.

But once outside, the aura vanished completely, scattered by the wind without a trace.

She stood on a ridge overlooking the mine, hands clasped behind her back, and gazed at the rolling mountains in the distance, her expression grim.

"Any luck?"

Qin Luomei, who had followed her, asked when she saw her stop.

Luo Qi was silent for a moment before slowly shaking her head.

"I barely managed to find the thief’s aura, but it was too faint," she said in a low voice. "Once I left the mine, the wind scattered it, and the trail went cold."

"I can’t track him any further."

"Even you couldn’t..."

Qin Luomei’s face fell.

’Even Luo Qi is helpless. This thief’s methods are more sophisticated than I ever imagined.’