Ethan turned amidst the fanatical cheers and walked through the castle gates.
Returning to his room, he closed the heavy oak door, shutting out the clamor entirely.
"Add passive."
【Adding the 4th passive will consume 8 points of Life Energy. Confirm?】
"Confirm."
【Energy deducted: 8 points. Current energy: 18 points.】
【Generating passive...】
【Generation complete. Obtained passive: Plant Affinity.】
【Plant Affinity: Allows the user to establish a weak connection with all plants, sense their status, accelerate their growth, and draw a faint amount of life force from them.】
Ethan raised an eyebrow, not paying it much mind.
"Add passive."
【Adding the 5th passive will consume 16 points of Life Energy. Confirm?】
"Confirm."
【Energy deducted: 16 points. Current energy: 2 points.】
【Generating passive...】
【Generation complete. Obtained passive: Warrior's Body.】
【Warrior's Body: Life force doubled, reaction speed increased by 30%, and the cultivation speed of physical-type cultivation methods increased by 5000%.】
Ethan's pupils suddenly constricted.
Life force doubled.
Reaction speed increased by thirty percent.
The cultivation speed of physical methods increased by...
5000%??
Fifty times?
He stood frozen on the spot.
He had been practicing his breathing technique since he was six years old. For ten full years, he had remained an Apprentice Knight, just a step away from truly entering the Knight Rank.
According to his normal progress, it would take at least half a year, if not a full year.
But now—
Ethan closed his eyes, spread his legs, and began to circulate his breathing technique.
Inhale—slow and deep.
Exhale—short and powerful.
Just after the first cycle, a warm current surged within his body, flowing through his limbs and bones.
During the second cycle, his muscles began to tremble slightly, and his bones emitted faint popping sounds.
The third cycle...
Boom!
Deep within his abdomen, it felt as if something had shattered.
A surge of Life Energy, far more violent than before, suddenly erupted like a bursting dam, instantly sweeping through his entire body.
A Life Seed.
It had successfully condensed.
Ethan opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing deep within his pupils.
He raised his right hand and clenched his fist.
The muscle lines on his arm became clearly defined, brimming with a sense of power.
Deep in his abdomen, a "seed" the size of a grain of rice floated, slowly rotating and continuously releasing warm Life Energy.
This was the hallmark of a Knight.
From this moment on, he was no longer an Apprentice Knight.
He was a true Knight.
And he had only just turned sixteen.
Ethan looked at his hand, and the corners of his mouth slowly curled up.
This time, he really couldn't help but laugh.
...
In the afternoon, the sun dipped westward, casting a warm golden glow over the training ground.
Ethan had changed into linen training clothes that allowed for easy movement, and he held an unsharpened standard-issue steel training sword.
His opponent was the Castle Guard Captain, Blake, a recently promoted Great Knight. He was a burly man wearing a polished breastplate with a longsword at his waist, his steady aura containing Life Energy far beyond that of an ordinary person.
"Young Master, please excuse my lack of restraint," Blake said, performing a meticulous knightly salute.
He didn't pay it much mind. Although the Young Master held a noble status and had been taught the family's secret breathing technique by guards like them to temper his body, he was ultimately just an Apprentice Knight.
Even if he could clearly sense the Young Master's Life Energy bursting forth now, indicating he had activated his Life Seed, there was still an insurmountable chasm between him and a Great Knight.
He only needed to be careful with his strength and help the Young Master work up a sweat.
Ethan nodded slightly and assumed a basic thrusting stance. "Blake, give it your all."
A flash of surprise crossed Blake's eyes; the Young Master had never made such a request before.
However, he didn't care much in his heart. The Young Master has only just become a Knight; I can win easily. I should probably hold back a bit. If I actually injure him, I'll end up on his bad side.
Thinking this, he kicked off the ground, his waist and back exerting force like a snapping bowstring!
The heavy knightly sword tore through the air with a dull whistle, crashing toward Ethan's center with immense power.
The angle of this strike was tricky. Although the speed wasn't at its limit, it contained the pure strength and combat skill of a Great Knight, sealing off the space for any ordinary evasion.
The moment the blade reached him, Ethan moved.
He shifted his feet with exquisite precision, his body sliding away as naturally as flowing water, letting the heavy blow graze past his clothes.
The momentum from Blake's missed full-power strike caused a tiny, fleeting opening in his balance.
The strength from Ethan's wrist, arm, waist, and back instantly converged and transmitted through the steel training sword, which turned into a simple streak of cold light, accurately striking the weak point at the joint below the mirror plate of Blake's breastplate!
Clang!
A crisp impact rang out.
Blake felt as if he had been struck by a heavy blow. His massive frame actually left the ground, and he stumbled back uncontrollably.
He gave a low roar, his feet gripping the ground with all his might, forcefully carving two half-meter-long furrows into the hard surface of the training ground before he managed to stabilize himself.
His chest felt tight as his blood churned, and the hand holding his sword felt numb.
He looked up in shock at the youth standing opposite him, who had already retracted his sword.
The youth's expression was calm and his breathing steady, as if that strike—perfectly timed and executed with pinpoint accuracy—had been effortless.
"Young Master, you..." Blake's voice trembled with disbelief.
He could feel that the Young Master had definitely not reached the level of a Great Knight.
What had caused his instant defeat was that incredible combat awareness and timing.
It was as if he had predicted every movement and struck precisely at the moment his strength was spent—an insight that belonged to a battle-hardened veteran.
"Again," Ethan's voice remained steady as he lightly raised the tip of his sword toward Blake.
Blake took a deep breath, suppressing his churning blood and shock. His gaze became incredibly solemn.
He no longer held anything back. His Life Energy as a Great Knight was fully activated, his aura surging as his training sword struck again with an even heavier and faster whistle!
After a dozen more exchanges, Ethan seized a gap after one of Blake's heavy attacks and skillfully slapped the flat of his blade against Blake's wrist.
A wave of numbness instantly spread through Blake's entire arm, and the knightly sword nearly flew from his grasp.
He let out a muffled groan and staggered back several steps, looking up at the youth in shock.
The youth's expression was calm and his breathing steady, as if the fierce battle just now had merely been a warm-up.
"Young Master, you..." Blake's voice shook with disbelief.
He could feel that although the Young Master's strength far exceeded his peers, he was definitely not at the Great Knight Rank.
What truly defeated him was that unbelievable combat instinct.
It was as if he foresaw every move and cut in precisely when his opponent's power was overextended—this was the hallmark of a veteran of a hundred battles.
By the side of the training ground, several guards watching the match were dumbfounded.
"Good heavens... the Young Master's strength..."
"Sixteen years old! He can suppress a Great Knight at sixteen?"
"That's the Captain! A newly promoted Great Knight!"
Beside them, a younger Knight lowered his voice, his tone thick with envy. "What's so strange about that? He's the sole heir of House Leo! Think about what the Young Master has been eating and using since he was a child. Those priceless pieces of magical beast meat, rare medicinal baths to strengthen blood and physique, secret medicines to nourish the spirit... with all those resources piled up, even a pig... ahem, I mean, the Young Master's talent was already outstanding. Combined with those resources... having this level of strength at sixteen is shocking, but it's within reason!"
His words immediately resonated with the other guards.
For the core descendants of the nobility, especially powerful ones, their starting point and resources were beyond anything commoner Knights could imagine.
In their eyes, the Young Master's ability to easily suppress Captain Blake was the perfect result of top-tier resources and talent.
In the field, Blake rubbed his still-numb wrist. Looking at Ethan, whose breath was only slightly quickened and whose eyes remained calm, he bowed again in sincere submission. "Young Master, I have lost. Your combat skills... are far beyond my reach."
He was still shaken, but the guards' words had also reminded him.
Of course. As the only son of the Lord Marquis, the family had naturally poured its top resources into him.
This strength was a product of those resources, but also proof of the Young Master's own talent and hard work.
As for that razor-sharp combat awareness?
Perhaps... that was what a true genius looked like.
Ethan sheathed his sword and nodded slightly, showing little pride. "You've just been promoted; your control over your strength still needs refinement. Keep working hard. Go to Ford after training and collect 500 gold coins."
"Yes, Young Master! Thank you, Young Master!" Blake replied with a face full of joy.
Heh, getting 500 gold coins just for sparring with the Young Master? This is great!
Frustrated?
I don't know the meaning of the word.
Rate on N.U.
