The sword felt heavier than Isshin expected.
When he first picked it up, his grip tightened slightly as he tried to adjust to the weight. It didn't feel natural at all. Every swing felt off, like his body wasn't built for it yet.
He swung again.
Still wrong.
His movements were rough, unbalanced, and slow. His arms started to ache quickly, but he didn't stop.
"Again," Raijin said.
Isshin didn't argue.
Day after day, he repeated the same motion. One thousand swings. Every single day.
At first, it felt impossible.
His arms would burn halfway through. His hands developed blisters. His shoulders felt like they would give out.
But he kept going.
Weeks passed.
Slowly, things started to change.
His swings became cleaner. His stance improved. The sword didn't feel as heavy anymore.
It started to feel like part of him.
After a month, the difference was clear.
Isshin stood there, breathing heavily, but steady.
Raijin gave a small nod. "You've improved quite a lot"
Isshin didn't say anything, but he understood.
"Now," Raijin continued, "next step. manifest the qi to your sword."
Isshin focused.
Raijin pulled out an imaginary sword made of qi, One that only Isshin could see he went near a tree, then he pointed it towards it in a stance, as if he was about to cut it
The sword glowed faintly.
The tree split cleanly.
Isshin's eyes widened slightly.
The tree suddenly became completely fine like it was before.
"what you have just seen is just an illusion, if you add qi to your sword, you can actually cut down this tree as long as you master it well" Raijin said.
Raijin only created the illusion to show Isshin a visualization of it, as he could not interact with the real world.
Isshin looked at his own sword, then back at the tree.
He understood what he had to do.
Training continued.
At first, nothing happened.
No matter how much he focused, the sword didn't respond.
Sometimes, for a brief moment, there would be a faint flicker. But it disappeared just as quickly.
It was frustrating.
But Isshin didn't stop.
Alongside training, he continued hunting.
Beasts of different sizes. Wolves, bears, and others deeper in the forest.
Each fight made him better.
Each fight forced him to adapt.
Slowly, the sword started to respond.
Just a little.
A faint glow here and there.
One night, after returning from a hunt, Isshin noticed it more clearly.
His sword had a slight glow.
It didn't last long, but it was there.
Raijin noticed.
"You're getting somewhat closer" he said.
"It takes time," Raijin replied. "it needs to be in a state where it feels natural to transfer your qi from your body to an object."
Isshin kept that in mind.
After four months, he finally managed to use it properly.
It wasn't perfect, but it worked.
At the same time, he had been hunting constantly and gaining points.
A screen appeared.
"Isshin Ryugen
Level: 11
Health: 12
Strength: 11
Stamina: 14
Mana/qi: 11
Intelligence: 9
Points Available: 7
Cultivation Level: Body Refinement Realm 2nd Stage
Titles: None"
Isshin looked at it for a moment, thinking about how to use his points.
"It's time for you to break through," Raijin said.
The process wasn't easy.
It took time, effort, and concentration.
But he managed it.
He advanced.
Not just once, but twice.
Body Refinement Realm, 4th Stage.
Isshin exhaled slowly.
He could feel the difference.
But Raijin wasn't done.
All of a sudden, Isshin could no longer use his qi, he panicked, "Why can't i use it?!"
I have restricted your qi, your body can not handle both mine and your qi together, you will be using the qi that i have from now on.
Isshin didn't have a choice but to listen, for some reason, Raijin decided to not let Isshin use his qi
"Now we move on," he said. "Thunder Qi."
Isshin frowned slightly. "What's different about it?"
"You'll see."
He did.
The moment Isshin tried to use it, pain hit him instantly.
It felt like electricity running through his body.
Not a little.
A lot.
His muscles locked. His breathing became uneven.
"Control it," Raijin said.
Isshin tried.
It wasn't easy.
At first, he could barely hold it for a second.
Then two.
Then five.
Months passed like this.
Each day, pushing further.
Eventually, he managed ten seconds.
But even that wasn't enough.
Raijin watched carefully.
Then decided to change things.
He told Isshin to go more deeper into the forest.
They traveled deeper into the forest.
At some point, Raijin suddenly spoke.
"Hide!"
Isshin immediately moved behind a large rock.
His heart started beating faster.
Then he saw it.
Two massive creatures.
A Basilisk.
A Chimera.
They were fighting.
The ground shook with every movement.
Isshin stayed still.
"Why would you tell me to come here?!"
Raijin spoke quietly. " I know its a gamble but listen.... This area is filled with strong beasts. you should slowly move away, go near that cave over there."
Isshin nodded slowly.
After that, they moved again.
Eventually, they reached a cave.
Inside, there was something else.
A Phoenix.
Isshin froze.
Even from a distance, he could feel how dangerous it was.
"Go take one of its feather," Raijin said.
Isshin looked at him. "Are you serious?!"
"Yes."
Isshin hesitated.
But he moved anyway.
Slow steps.
Careful breathing.
He got close.
Reached out.
And pulled a feather.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then the Phoenix opened its eyes.
Isshin ran.
Immediately.
The Phoenix let out a loud cry and attacked.
Isshin pushed his body.
He activated Thunder Qi.
The pain hit him again, but he didn't stop.
He ran until he was far enough.
Eventually, he made it back.
Breathing heavily, he held the feather.
"What do I do with this?!" he asked.
"focus your qi towards it, just like focusing your qi to your sword." Raijin said.
Isshin nodded and focused.
He pulled qi from the feather.
It was painful, but not like Thunder Qi.
Then—
A notification appeared.
"Successfully absorbed Feather of Phoenix x1
You have leveled up
You have leveled up
You have leveled up
You have leveled up
You have leveled up"
"Isshin Ryugen
Level: 20
Health: 14
Strength: 13
Stamina: 15
Mana/qi: 12
Intelligence: 11
Points Available: 5
Cultivation Level: Body Refinement Realm 4th Stage"
Isshin distributed his points evenly.
After that, his Thunder Qi improved a lot.
He could now hold it much longer.
Raijin then introduced a new technique.
"Thunderclap Blade."
Isshin trained with it.
At first, it was hard.
Too much power.
Too unstable.
But with time, he got used to it.
Then came another technique.
"Thunder Slash Blade."
Raijin showed him the movements.
A forward thrust.
An upward slash.
Then a downward cut.
Isshin practiced again and again.
Slowly, he got it.
Years passed.
Four years of training and hunting.
Isshin stood there, no longer the same person.
He checked his stats.
"Isshin Ryugen
Level: 44
Health: 27
Strength: 26
Stamina: 44
Mana/qi: 23
Intelligence: 22
Points Available: 0
Cultivation Level: Body Refinement Realm 9th Stage"
He was close.
Golden Core.
He needed one thing.
A golden core beast core.
He went deeper into the forest.
Soon, he found one.
"that is a Basilisk, it shouldn't be too strong, a golden core realm beast, it is perfect for you right now"
It attacked immediately.
Isshin dodged.
Used Thunder Qi.
Moved faster.
Stronger.
He struck.
The fight wasn't easy.
The Basilisk hit back hard, throwing him into a tree.
But Isshin got up.
He kept fighting.
Step by step.
He found an opening.
Thunder Slash Blade.
A direct hit.
Lightning followed the strike.
The Basilisk fell.
Isshin stood there, breathing heavily.
"You have leveled up
You have leveled up
You have leveled up"
He picked up the core.
Held it in his hand.
Then began the process.
Energy flowed through him.
His body changed.
It hurt.
But he didn't stop.
When it was done, everything felt different.
He had reached it.
Golden Core Realm.
Isshin looked up.
"It should be time for me to move right?" he asked.
Raijin looked at him.
"Yeah."
Isshin checked his stats one more time.
"Isshin Ryugen
Level: 51
Health: 27
Strength: 26
Stamina: 44
Mana/qi: 23
Intelligence: 22
Cultivation Level: Golden Core Realm 1st Stage"
Isshin took a breath.
It was time for him to go explore the world, for him, it felt like he just escaped from jail after years.