Sogen was asleep when a sudden knock on his door interrupted him. Confused about who it could be at such an early hour, he opened the door to find Mr. Rudriger standing before him.
"Sir, why are you here at this early hour?" Sogen asked.
"Boy, let's go; we have work to do," Mr. Rudriger replied.
"But sir, the workshop opens at 6:00 AM, and it's only 2:00 AM now," Sogen protested.
"Boy, weren't you the one begging me to train you? Why are you being lazy now? Follow me," Mr. Rudriger commanded.
Sogen then remembered what had happened the previous day and began to follow Mr. Rudriger.
They walked to the secret realm in the backyard for training.
"Boy, show me everything you've got, but without using your spiritual or cultivation energy," Mr. Rudriger instructed.
"Yes, sir," Sogen said, and he began to attack with all his might.
Having trained with Mr. Rudriger for several days, Sogen felt certain that he wouldn't be able to defeat him, but he hoped he could at least land a few hits.
Two hours later, Sogen thought he would surely be defeated, but not this badly. He hadn't even landed a single proper shot on Mr. Rudriger.
"Boy, even though you have learned basic weaponry, that doesn't mean you can defeat anyone. Judging by your movements, you have never learned any footwork or techniques," Mr. Rudriger pointed out.
Sogen looked very tired but acknowledged Mr. Rudriger's words with a nod.
Mr. Rudriger stood there for a moment, seemingly deep in thought. Then he instructed Sogen to follow him.
They left the secret realm and entered the workshop.
Mr. Rudriger asked Sogen to wait while he went into the storeroom. After some time, he returned holding three books.
"Boy, I don't have many resources, but at least I can give you some techniques. Practice them diligently," Mr. Rudriger said.
With that, he left the secret room.
Once Mr. Rudriger was gone, Sogen sat down and examined the techniques. The books were covered in dust, which he brushed away.
"What! 'Green Grade, Advance Level Technique: Heavenly Mirage Footwork'," Sogen exclaimed in surprise.
He thought about how techniques in this world were divided into six categories:
1. Purple Grade
2. Red Grade
3. Blue Grade
4. Green Grade
5. Yellow Grade
6. White Grade
Even though he only received a Green Grade technique, Yellow Grade techniques were also very rare. Graded techniques were so uncommon that the Vesga clan and the other five great clans in the empire would go to war over obtaining a Blue Grade, Low-Level technique. So far, none of these clans possessed any Blue Grade, Low-Level techniques, and they hardly had one or two Green Grade, Advance Level techniques.
Now, Sogen became even more curious about Mr. Rudriger's identity.
'Ding!'
Suddenly, a notification window popped up before Sogen.
"Green Grade Advance Level technique detected: Heavenly Mirage Footwork. Can be upgraded to Blue Grade Low-Level technique. Cost: 100,000 system coins."
"Yes or No?"
Sogen was even more surprised to find that the system could upgrade techniques. But before he could click 'Yes,' his eyes fell on something else.
His heartbeat stopped for a moment and then began to race. He picked up the third technique book.
"Is this really a 'Blue Grade Low-Level Technique,' or am I dreaming?" he wondered aloud.
"Solomon Thunder Claw."
Sogen took the technique book in his hand and asked the system if it could be upgraded.
"'Solomon Thunder Claw, Blue Grade Low-Level technique,' can be upgraded to Blue Grade Mid-Level technique. Cost: 500,000 system coins."
Sogen was shocked at the exorbitant amount. "System, if you don't want to upgrade it, just say no! Why raise the amount so high?" he complained.
'Ding!'
Another notification popped up before Sogen.
"Host cultivation is too low; you cannot use this technique. Warning: Using this technique may cause severe internal or external injuries, and the host could even die."
Sogen exclaimed, "What! I could even die using this technique? But why did Mr. Rudriger give it to me without warning me of the dangers? I will ask him later."
Then he picked up another technique book.
"Green Grade Advanced Level Technique: Solar Shine Swordsmanship. So, it's a sword technique. I must learn this quickly," Sogen said.
'Ding!'
Another notification appeared before Sogen. "Does the host want to learn all the techniques? Yes or No?"
At first, Sogen was confused, but then he clicked 'Yes.' The system scanned the books, and suddenly all the information started flooding into Sogen's mind. It felt as though he had been memorizing the techniques for weeks.
"The system is truly impressive; it can help me remember the techniques so smoothly. It's like I have read these techniques thousands of times, and I remember every single line," Sogen thought.
"Now I should start to understand this," Sogen said.
Learning and understanding a technique are both different things.
It took him six hours to fully understand the Solar Shine Swordsmanship.
Sogen began to practice, and it felt as if the sword was shining with a bright light. When he launched his attack, he was confused to see that it only uprooted a few blades of grass. However, he soon realized that this secret realm was much more powerful than he had imagined.
Although Sogen wanted to explore the other two techniques, he decided to go to the workshop to help Mr. Rudriger. He was also eager to inquire about the Blue Grade Low Level Technique.
His curiosity about Mr. Rudriger grew, and he wished to learn more about his origins.
Sogen left the secret realm and headed to the workshop.
Upon arrival, Sogen noticed that many people were buying equipment from Mr. Rudriger, and the crowd was larger than usual.
Once the customers left, Sogen asked, "Sir, why are so many people here today to buy equipment?"
Mr. Rudriger replied, "There is a rumor circulating that an Ember Serpent has been spotted near the river in the nearby Kiang Forest. All these people are cultivators who want to hunt it."
"Ding!"
"A new quest has been generated: Hunt down the Ember Serpent in Kiang Forest. Rewards: 10,000 system coins."