The legendary warrior novel Chapter 52

"Master, the way he does the beat seems to be natural manual. The rhythm and the invisible artistic conception which can never be achieved by random beating, actually generated an epiphany inside of me," Heather said in a trance, while watching each action of his beating.

Grace did not give her answer to the question immediately. Instead, she intensely stared at the track Ricky had made, and felt with a sensitive heart the rhythm and artistic feeling by him.

The more she felt, the stronger the shock was in her eyes. She could not believe that Ricky could produce something as special as that.

There were quite a number of casting masters in the Snow Sect, even two of the Demi-spirit Level. Although Grace had seen them produce the rhythm and the artistic effects, none of them were as perfect as how Ricky did it.

"How could it be possible?" said Grace in disbelief in the bottom of her heart after she got the feeling of awe and astonishment.

Ricky's rhythm was absolute treasure for every pounding of the weapon was felt in his heart and no one could do it like him.

But the question remained the same--how could one practice such a perfect Manual even without a spiritual meridian?

Questions haunted her mind which was in chaos at the moment for she had never felt so many emotions at the same time-- doubt, astonishment, and disbelief.

They were there as the audience and as much as they were excited they would never do anything to distract and disturb Ricky. That would ruin the moment, the perfection of Ricky's process. And on the other hand, it inspired them to more thinking.

...

Ricky was in a trance. He let his innermost self do all the work without having to think twice of what he was doing and what he was about to do. He was a natural.

In such a mysterious state, his perception and understanding of the Devouring Skill sharpened. This laid out the foundation towards the understanding of Light Apperception.

Light, Intent, and Soul, these three powerful forces, were to be understood in insight and artistic atmosphere...

Plunged in the deep natural trance, Ricky continued the beat giving all of his strength. He had the capacity to become a master of casting.

Ricky beat the crimson knife along with the beating of his heart. Black sparks flew out of the knife and iron, stripping it away of all its impurities.

Ricky was unstoppable. He pounded the weapon again and again and again until it was pure to perfection. This was not the end, however, of his skill of mastery for the Pounding Skill was to be learned after his Devouring Skill.

Fourteen times had Ricky pounded the weapon until he stopped. He finally had awaken himself into reality away from the rhythm in the atmosphere. He stopped and saw that the weapon on the grinding stone had become a real and functioning saber.

"Ouch! What a pity it was! That rhythm and artistic atmosphere nearly gave me a taste of Light Apperception." Ricky opened his eyes and said with a hint of regret. He had taken himself along with the beating too much that he didn't even realizing that his eyes were closed during the whole process.

Yet the fact did not disappoint him for it was such a tedious and unnerving task that no one could possibly have a taste of it in a snap. It was to be nourished from deep within, with deep understanding. That was why there were numerous warriors who had already given up halfway.

Ricky turned his gaze onto his creation.

The saber was beyond exceptional--crystal clear, sharp as a blade and impurities were nowhere to be found. Even the most powerful sense of smell couldn't find the impurities. It was almost perfect.

Upon seeing what he had just made, Ricky turned his eyes to Grace and Heather.

"Master Grace, little Heather, how do you think of the saber I've just cast?" Ricky enthused, feeling good about this weapon himself, seeing that it was not that bad.

Grace and Heather came over, the shock and amazement still lingering in their eyes.

Grace picked up the saber and flicked the blade to check its quality and stage.

"Ah! Ricky, are you sure this is your first time to cast?" Grace asked with a deep breath after having the saber checked to its very core.

"Yes, Master. Could it be called a good one?" Ricky asked enthusiastically, waiting for the master's response.

Heather looked at the saber in Grace's hands, expecting an answer from the master on how well Ricky did with the casting.

Coldness came creeping onto her spine in disbelief after hearing the words come out of Ricky's mouth. She was even at a loss for words and almost dropped the weapon she was holding in her hand.

"This knife is superior to all the ordinary weapons, which is comparable to weapons of Demi-mortal Level," Grace said heavily, her eyes fiercely gazing at Ricky as if to see him through his outer shell.

After hearing Grace's words, Heather was only found to have her mouth wide open, her jaw dropped to the ground. She could not believe that Ricky could produce something superior. It was absolutely mind-blowing that a first timer could yield such a powerful weapon.

But Ricky, with a trace of disappointment in his eyes, murmured, "Only Demi-mortal Level... I thought it could be counted as a weapon of the Mortal Level."

Grace and Heather looked at Ricky in a furious and jealous way after hearing his words.

"Ricky, the first work of your casting is up to the level of weapons of Demi-mortal Level. Aren't you satisfied with it?" Heather said fiercely, "I have once heard from my father that it was almost impossible to make a weapon of Demi-mortal Level successfully within a year or two, even for those talented with spiritual meridians of a high level.

But it only took you less than half a day to..."

"Really? Aren't you exaggerating?" Ricky whispered as her reply.

"Heather is right. It took at least a year for masters of casting in our Snow Sect to get to where you are now when they begin their casting career," Grace said.

At this moment a surge of excitement just like endless waves swept over her, too difficult to calm down in a short period of time. Excitement filled her whole spirit, as if she had just discovered another legend in the world of martial arts.

She had never expected a disciple of her to be as smart and highly skilled in such an incredible way as a casting genius. That would be an honor for her to be a master of a warrior of such great potential.

Master of casting, in a world where the weak fell prey to the strong, was one of the only two professions that could break the rule of "Only the strongest would have the honor of being the last ones standing."

And another one was undoubtedly an alchemist.

"Wow, so with what you said, I can also be regarded as a towering figure in this field," Ricky said with a smugness on his face, amusement gleaming in his eyes as if he was certain to be a respectable master of casting who enjoyed sovereign power. He was dying to know what else he was capable of, and in what fields he was going to excel. He was on fire.

"Well, Heather, you are gonna have to be nicer to me in the days to come,"

he said playfully to Heather with a wink.

"Humph!" Heather grunted coldly at his teasing.

"Don't be too proud! Countless disciples in the casting realm were impeded as being merely moulders of Demi-mortal Level, never succeeding in becoming a real master of the Mortal Level." Looking at his jaunty look, Grace said seriously.

"I see, Master." Ricky said quietly.

"Ricky, how did you learn the manual?" Heather could not control her curiosity any longer and asked the warrior.

"Heather, as there is a cultivation method which could be adopted by those warriors without spiritual meridian, there is a manual for their cultivation in this world. We can still be great warriors even if we are the ordinary ones." Ricky smiled.

"And I was lucky enough to have gained a profound understanding of both."

"Master, is that possible?" Heather put her gaze onto Grace as soon as she heard Ricky exclaim, hoping for an honest answer.

Grace shook her head and said softly, "Maybe."

They did not press him for further answer, however, for they knew that it was a secret of him.

"Ricky, you'd better not let anyone else know that you are capable of casting, for you are the one without any spiritual meridian. All eyes will be on you, and threats will arise along with it. You must be very careful as to whoever you wish to share your secret with, " Grace then bade him once again.

"I know, Master." Ricky nodded with humility.

"Even for a genius, the learning experience of pounding is a necessity along this journey. Tomorrow I will take you to visit a predecessor of our Snow Sect. You'd better get ready for it. "