The Jade Frog remained unmoving, its gaze seemingly filled with confusion as it stared at Xiao Hua, who didn't even bother to return its gaze, as though it was nothing in her eyes. How did this insignificant-looking little girl escape unscathed after being crushed by its massive weight, it wondered.

Yuan walked forward in a calm manner, his gaze deeply focused on the Jade Frog. Although he has never been in a fight before, he felt oddly calm at this moment, as though it was only natural.

"I have never been in a fight before, let alone use a sword. I have spent the majority of my life in a bed, silently rotting away. However, as powerless I may be outside of this world, I can use my limbs and eyes to the fullest in this world! As long as I am here, I feel as though I can achieve anything, even defeating this giant frog!" Yuan suddenly dashed towards the Jade Frog, alerting it. His speed was faster than even the fastest man on earth, and he arrived in front of Jade Frog in the blink of an eye.

"Witness! Remember! Learn! Execute!" The fight between the two cultivators flashed inside his head, and his hands moved accordingly.

Slash! The sword in his grasp had easily sliced the skin of the Jade Frog, causing blood to gush out from its stomach. The Jade Frog screamed from the pain, and it jumped back to avoid him.

Xiao Hua's eyes widened when she witnessed the movements of Yuan's sword. "Although it was stiff and seemed like the swing of an amateur… it was clearly a sword technique."

Yuan did not chase after the Jade Frog and only looked at the sword in his grasp, and on his face was dissatisfaction. "Che. I moved exactly as that guy did, but something about it did not feel right…"

"Brother Yuan… you…" Xiao Hua could only be shocked. What she just witnessed was the technique of one of the two cultivators she had killed. Did he learn it just from watching them fight for a brief moment?

For someone to learn and execute a technique only after watching it once and only for a few moments, Yuan could only be described as a prodigy.

"I executed the movements perfectly and it had hit the target, but there was something missing…" Yuan pondered. "Perhaps… Qi?"

As though he had received enlightenment, Yuan smiled, and his gaze returned to the Jade Frog. "This time, I will slay you!" he exclaimed with confidence, his sword pointing at the trembling Jade Frog.

The Jade Frog was confused. The human looked incredibly weak and vulnerable just moments ago, yet the moment he grabbed the sword, everything about him changed. His weak aura became sharp like the sword, and his gaze showed dominance, even a hint of arrogance. What had happened to him that caused this change?

Even Xiao Hua was also a bit baffled by his change. It was as if he had gone from a mortal who knew nothing about the world to a profound swordmaster! Even the aura he emitted has changed entirely!

Yuan dashed towards the Jade Frog while it was dazed, and his hands maneuvered the sword in his hands with the same movements but with more precision and speed. The sword in his hand suddenly glowed red —

"Bloody Sword Strike!"

Sha! The Jade Frog instinctively leaped back, but its movements were too slow when compared to Yuan's sword strike, and it split in half in mid-air, causing organs and blood to fly everywhere.

«You have learned Bloody Sword Strike»

—

«Bloody Sword Strike»

«Rank: Earth»

«Mastery Level: 1»

«Description: Consumes 900 Qi. Must wield a sword to activate. A technique from the Blood Sect.»

—

«Player Yuan has become the world's first player to have learned an Earth-ranked skill! Congratulations!»

«Player Yuan has become the first player to have killed the Elite Boss: Jade Frog!»

Two announcements appeared, back to back, for the world to see.

—

After the Jade Frog died, Xiao Hua ran up to Yuan and asked him, "Brother Yuan, where did you learn that technique?"

The sharp aura around Yuan disappeared the moment he heard Xiao Hua's voice. "Hm? Oh, it was a skill used by that red-haired dude fighting in the sky," he said casually.

Xiao Hua silently looked at him with her eyes flickering with admiration. "No wonder Brother Yuan comprehended the Heaven's Secret Art in such a short time…" she mumbled to herself.

"Anyway, I feel like I have gotten stronger from that fight just now. It also felt great to use my body in such a way!" Yuan laughed, "Perhaps I have a talent for fighting? Hahaha!"

"Brother Yuan is a genius, no doubt." Xiao Hua nodded with a serious face.

"Stop it… you're embarrassing me with your flattering…"

"Xiao Hua is not flattering. Brother Yuan's ability to comprehend things is otherworldly. Such talents are rarely seen even in the higher heavens, let alone this Lower Heaven…"

Yuan shook his head, "I was able to beat that frog with ease only because of the powerful sword you gave me. Thank you, Xiao Hua." He patted her head.

"Then when Brother Yuan becomes strong enough, Xiao Hua will give Brother Yuan more powerful weapons!" she said cheerfully.

"You have equipment stronger than this sword? What are you, a walking weapon shop?"

"Un. But Brother Yuan is too weak to wield any of them, so Xiao Hua can only wait until he gets strong enough to wield them without exploding to death."

"E...Exploding to death?" Yuan shivered upon hearing her cruel words. "Surely you must be joking…"

"Unlike normal weapons without a grade, Spirit-grade and above weapons are called Spiritual Weapons that have the ability to gain their own consciousness. If one tries to wield a Spiritual Weapon stronger than their own strength, then the conscious in the weapon may try to kill that person depending on its personality." Xiao Hua explained to him.

"How dangerous… it's almost as if everything in this game will try to kill you if you are too weak…" Yuan thought to himself.

"Weapons, monsters, even humans… it does not matter… if it is strong, then it will dominate the weak. That's why Brother Yuan has to become strong, so he will not be bullied by the strong."

"I will be fine as long as I have you, Xiao Hua." Yuan tried to praise her, but she only turned solemn.

"Brother Yuan, Xiao Hua is only strong in this Lower Heaven… In the higher heavens, Xiao Hua is only an ant when compared to the real experts…" she sighed.

"Only an ant?" Yuan cannot imagine how powerful the cultivators in the higher heavens are when Xiao Hua is already strong enough to destroy an entire mountain.

Xiao Hua suddenly walked away and towards where the dead Jade Frog laid.

"Where are you going?" Yuan followed her.

"When monsters die, some of them will drop a monster core." Xiao Hua shoved her entire arm into the Jade Frog's corpse without flinching and pulled out a small crystal a moment later. "Monster cores are very important to Cultivators because they can greatly assist them in cultivation with Qi stored inside."

"Here you go, Brother Yuan." She handed Yuan the monster core.

"What about you? Don't you also need to grow stronger?" He asked.

"The amount of Qi inside this monster core is too little to have any effect on Xiao Hua, so Brother Yuan should use it."

Yuan nodded, and he threw the monster core into his mouth without hesitation. "Taste like candy…" he thought.

"Ah! Brother Yuan!" Xiao Hua shouted loudly, looking baffled and scared at the same time when she saw Yuan throw the monster core directly into his mouth.

"Hm? What's wrong?" Yuan looked at her casually.

"Monster cores are not meant to be swallowed like that!" she said urgently, "Hurry up and spit it out!"

When Yuan saw her panicking face, he also panicked. What will happen to him now that he ate one?

Cold sweat soaked Yuan's back, but there was nothing he could do because the monster core had melted in his mouth the moment it touched his tongue and have already entered his stomach…

"I… already swallowed it…" Yuan spoke in a stiff tone. "I know it is already too late, but what happens if someone swallows a monster core?"

Xiao Hua dropped to her knees and said, "Monster cores contain the entire cultivation base of its retainer before death, so if someone tries to swallow so much Qi in one go… they will explode to death…"

"Exploding to death again!?" Yuan's jaw dropped from shock. There are too many things in this game that will cause him to explode to death!

Suddenly—

«Heaven Refining Physique activated»

«1,280,000 Qi has been refined from the Jade Frog's monster core»

«You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough»

«You have reached Eighth Level Spirit Apprentice»

«All stats +450»

—

"..."

"..."

"...."

"Brother Yuan, did you just have a breakthrough?" Xiao Hua asked after a long silence, her voice filled with disbelief.

"I did..." he answered with a weird smile.