“It is not uncommon to see a ’genius’ to eventually fail. Neither is it new to find a ’trash’ to one day succeed. With persistence, even a river can cut through rocks.”

Gold rank Knights were considered the elites in any Order of Knights.

And back in Qai’s previous life, such rank may be the peak that most knights can only aspire for. That was because of the huge chasm that separated the Gold rank from the next three ranks.

And apparently, mere bodily training will not suffice to achieve the ranks beyond since the three ranks above Gold rank were different levels altogether.

To put it, a Master rank Knight is characterized by a knight’s ability to use his weapon with the so-called ‘Intent.’

On the other hand, a Grandmaster rank Knight is someone able to create an entirely new ability out of that Intent.

Ordinarily, the difference between the two ranks lies in the fact that a Master used the same skills as a regular rank knight—only that the skill is now a notch higher since it is technically imbued with Intent; while a Grandmaster’s ability is something virtually created from Intent.

But the legendary Saint is the most mysterious rank of all. Saints who were known to have existed in the past were told to have developed something called ‘Domain’ out of their Intent.

A Domain is both an offensive and defensive world in itself. It is actually a 30 to a hundred-meter radius area made from pure Intent. Apparently, the area depended on the strength of the Saint and anyone who enters that Domain has his life practically under the mercy of the Saint. Moreover, the kind of Domain each Saint develops depends on one's own path.

A figure in the empire's history once stormed the aristocracy. That was because that figure was actually a commoner who rose from being an orphan to a Saint.

It was recorded that he developed a Sword intent as a Master. Then he created Sword Lightning ability as a Grandmaster, which made him capable of topping an army. And when he became a Saint, he attained a Lightning Sword Domain that turned nobles’ territories upside down.

Right now Qai achieved Gold rank!

After the battle at the north wall, Qai spent another year most often with his family although he still frequented the waterfalls to continue with his training—though he no longer stayed there for no more than three days; after all, he has already attained the peak of knight’s physical training.

Unfortunately, Qai, at this point, had no knowledge to attain an Intent—a ’Guandao Intent’ in his case.

In the first place, he didn't have an advanced technique to move forward. It was pure luck that Qai advanced in such a height. So right now, his further physical training was no more than a matter of just getting used to his new rank.

Intent thing was a foreign subject in this world so Qai had no way to discuss it with anyone. He would have to rely solely on himself to discover the right path.

However, concerning his current strength, he felt like he could take on all of the reserve squad and still win convincingly.

Time passed easily.

Qai turned 10, and once again, he had that feeling that the nameless village was a truly peaceful place. Somehow he had finally accepted that he had indeed acquired a new life. And any thought about going back to the empire, to the life of nobility, was now futile.

’Life there in the empire is full of conspiracy but here, everyone has practically nothing to argue about,’ he thought.

A year after his battle with the Spirit Beast Bison, he felt he grew a lot. At this point, he thought that he could already take on another Spirit Beast of the same level without the help of another.

It was this idea that made him think that only by stepping into the danger zones in the mountain range would he advance further.

'Maybe Spirit Beasts in the mountains are the only match for me,' he thought.

Sometime within the year, Qai’s father crafted a dagger out of one of the Bison horns which was eventually given to him. As for the other piece of horn, his father kept it as a family heirloom. His father also made two new sets of armor out of the Spirit Beast's skin. Again, one was given to him while the other was kept as a family treasure.

"It took a while to finish them. I never thought that Spirit Beast materials are way different," his father told him with a sigh.

In truth, his father had been spending night and day for months just to complete them.

Qai accepted his father's gifts without second thoughts. They were very much useful to him.

Little did they know that Spirit Beast parts were, more exactly, used as ’refining’ materials to create an immortal’s so-called ’treasures,’ and not just used by mortals to directly ’craft’ ordinary weapons.

Perhaps to an immortal, his father wasted the materials. But to Qai and his father, they became top-quality weapon and armor.

Qai carefully observed the dagger and made few swings with it.

"Good dagger!"

He really didn't have any technique to use it, but deep inside him, he was already considering it as a sort of hidden weapon that he could use to surprise enemies.

As for the armor, Qai, of course, planned to wear it under his robe.

He immediately considered the two items he just received as trump cards in a battle.

Since his father already had an inkling that one day the small nameless village would no longer be able to contain his talented son, he became convinced, as well, that Qai would not have any interest in becoming a blacksmith.

To his father, if there was anyone in the village capable of passing through the mountain range, it would definitely be his son.

Qai, for his part, felt something unusual with his father’s action—of suddenly keeping things as a family heirloom. He knew that his father was somewhat aware of his future intentions, but still, he got a bit confused.

The concern he kept inside him was finally answered when his parents finally told him, one day, a piece of good news—that he would be a big brother soon.

Of course, this made Qai happy and even felt better.

Before, he was very hesitant to leave his home someday. But now that someone in the family could take care not only of his parents but also his parents’ legacy, then he could now leave the nameless village without any regret.

‘Maybe I should start writing the methods to become a knight including all my thoughts and experience so that one day my sibling would become a knight as well,’ he thought.

Thus, he asked his parents to trade some leather parchments and brush for him to write. Thanks to the time he spent with Master Han and Nabi, he had no problem with reading and writing.

Qai wrote the 'Fundamentals of Spearmanship,' the varying methods he used to train physically, the effects of beast meat especially that of Spirit Beasts, and the way to utilize the waterfalls. All these he wanted to pass down to his family and told his father to keep it a secret.

Then he continued with his training even if it already felt meaningless to him. He just didn't want his skills to be rusty even for a bit.

However, during one of his visits to the waterfalls, Qai had been struck with a sudden inspiration.

As he observed the strength of the falling current, he started to muse what would it take to stop its fall.

‘If I have the strength, I would just cut it!’

It was just a thought but it was then that he suddenly had a crazy idea—to cut the current of the waterfall crosswise and to resist its flow with his Guandao for a second, regardless of the natural force.

‘I will defy the waterfall current with my strength using this weapon.’

Whether it was possible or not, he wanted to try. Whether he would succeed or not, he would still proceed.

‘There is only one way to find out!’