The Paladin in the Abyss

Chapter 36 Cultivation Technique and Training

Lancelot had spent the last few nights meditating and cultivating, while during the day he practiced several cultivation techniques from a few bamboo slips.

Although reluctant to admit, techniques like concealing one's breath and shifting position were indeed extremely useful in combat. He had realized that the forthright style of the knights was actually based on the premise of having strength and equipment no weaker than the opponent's.

Against fiends and strange creatures whose muscles were much larger than his own, it was best not to be too attached to formality.

He had already self-taught the various applications of Gathering Qi Slash without a mentor and had spent the last couple of days organizing them thoroughly. In particular, the throwing attack technique using the principle of Gathering Qi Slash had a really good effect.

Throwing the silver coins that Bruto had sharpened for him previously was incredibly effective, striking with the force of thunder and the speed of lightning. When utilized with full force, the impact was enough to bury a coin a foot deep into rock, and ordinary armor couldn't begin to stop it.

In addition to practicing these combat techniques, Lancelot also delved deeply into the various knowledge of spiritual cultivation, of which the 'Five Elements' theory interested him most.

The Multiverse perspective he was familiar with held that there were four basic elements—Qi, earth, water, and fire—that constituted matter, while the Spiritual Cultivation theory posited that all things possessed gold, wood, water, fire, and earth as Five Elements attributes. After a careful comparison, Lancelot found that although the concepts seemed conflicting, they didn't actually clash.

One theory spoke of elements and the other of attributes.

Another concept that greatly interested Lancelot was the idea of a 'Spirit Root'.

Corresponding to the Five Elements theory, Spirit Roots were also divided into gold, wood, water, fire, and earth. The Spirit Root determined a person's ability to sense and absorb nature's spiritual energy and the effectiveness with which they practiced cultivation techniques.

Those with good Spirit Roots could practice cultivation for one day and achieve what took others three, naturally progressing faster.

Sir Han had already checked when he passed on the techniques; Lancelot had wood, fire, and earth Spirit Roots, not bad, but merely average.

In the early stages of spiritual cultivation, fewer Spirit Roots were better as they made it easier to sense and absorb the spiritual energy of the corresponding attribute. Having many Spirit Roots could complicate discerning the spiritual energy, making cultivation extremely difficult.

However, Sir Han had said that he started off with even poorer innate talent than Lancelot, possessing four Spirit Roots, yet his strength had become one of the top-most existences in the realm, illustrating that there are no absolutes in anything.

At the higher realms of spiritual cultivation, cultivators form a cycle of their own Inner World. At this stage, they would use various methods to complete their Spirit Roots to balance their Inner World.

Some of the top Divine Skills and Immortal Laws also require a complete set of Spirit Roots; otherwise, they would be like castles in the air or mirrors and moon reflected in the water, impossible to perfect.

When Sir Han bestowed the inheritance, he also taught Lancelot a special language filled with interesting four-character phrases like 'mirrors and moon reflected in the water'.

The cultivation technique Lancelot was practicing now was called the Cauldron Immortal Technique. Sir Han claimed it was a peerless Divine Skill he created based on a treasure of heaven and earth, boasting unmatched abilities to connect with the universe. Practicing it was meant to be as pleasant as walking on a broad road, and it had many marvelous uses.

Lancelot remained skeptical because Sir Han had said these were all his conjectures. He had already been at a very high realm when he created this technique; naturally, he couldn't start all over again. Though he made many improvements afterward, he indeed hadn't let others try it.

However, Sir Han also explained that the technique's unique feature was that it intrinsically lacked a Five Elements Attribute and could be cultivated in any environment, making it the only suitable technique for Lancelot at that time. Sir Han couldn't predict what problems might arise in the later stages, but he left behind some solutions.

In fact, reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage by bombarding oneself with Upper Grade Spirit Stones was one of the methods Sir Han had intentionally left behind. Lancelot couldn't help but admire the foresightedness of his senior.

To speak frankly, his cultivation speed was already astonishingly fast. The realm he was now in would have taken an ordinary person at least three years to achieve. While this certainly included his own physical foundation and the blessings from the Elves, it was enough to show the exceptionality of the Cauldron Immortal Technique.

At this moment, the pitch-black sky began to lighten as dawn approached. Little Isabella, who had been intently reading, seemed to have sensed something.

She stood up, first placing the already cooled kettle back onto the fire, then bringing over the breakfast for three she had prepared earlier onto the dining table. Having made all preparations, she returned to her underground tomb and slid into her wooden box 'coffin.'

From Lancelot's mystical point of view, all these activities were clearly visible. Vampires were not completely inactive during the day, but Isabella's strength was just too weak now. Even the early morning sun could leave her exhausted.

In the previous days, she had tried to stay up to greet the early-rising Lancelot, but her gasping and lifeless appearance looked somewhat frightening and was strongly prohibited by Lancelot.

When the red sun was high in the sky, Lancelot was already waiting in the courtyard for Bruto. He was dressed in full armor, holding a wooden sword made of fanglike fir.

It wasn't long before Bruto also appeared. He too was fully armored, even wearing his helmet with the toad emblem, carrying the repaired shield in his left hand and a wooden Warhammer in his right.

"Do we really have to do this every day?" the young Dwarf complained loudly.

"I appreciate your instinct-driven fighting style," Lancelot said with a smile, watching his companion. "But relying solely on instinct can easily get you into trouble in tough situations. You must master various combat techniques."

"I get all that," Bruto muttered. "You ready? Cause here I come!"

With that, he didn't wait for Lancelot's response and charged straight ahead.

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Lancelot deftly dodged Bruto's fierce hammer blow and then swung his longsword, parrying the dwarf's next attack.

"What's gotten into you, didn't you eat enough breakfast?" Lancelot said while fighting, "Hey! Wake up, Bruto, stop sleepwalking!"

"Shut up!" Bruto suddenly accelerated and unleashed his usual set of Triple Strike.

Lancelot met the first two strikes head-on, his sword blade forcefully clashing with the side of the hammerhead, nudging the dwarf's attack off its intended path.

However, he quickly sidestepped before Bruto's powerful final blow arrived, circling behind the off-balance dwarf and lightly tapping his head with the sword as a sign he scored a hit, leaving Bruto to turn around with a frustrated look on his face.

"Ah, finally woke up, huh? Carry on, but don't use all your strength every time. Always save a little for unforeseen circumstances," Lancelot counselled.

Without a word, Bruto charged again. This time, he didn't launch a desperate attack and Lancelot cooperated by feeding him moves, occasionally pointing out Bruto's vulnerabilities and reminding him to stay alert.

After clashing back and forth for about twenty moves, Bruto began to grow impatient and once more exposed a weakness during an attack interval. The Human Knight deceived Bruto with a feint, opening his guard wide, and then the sword tip touched the dwarf's beard like a bolt of lightning.

"Much better than before," Lancelot encouraged, "but remember to stay cautious in a tight spot, especially against an opponent stronger than yourself."

"Huff…" Bruto panted heavily, "Again… let's go again!"

...

An hour later.

"Boom!"

The two weapons had clashed countless times that morning, but this time Bruto's grip faltered. His wooden hammer flew off at an angle, and the young dwarf ended up sitting on the ground with a thud.

"Ahh, I can't, I can't," Bruto gasped, out of breath, "I need a break."

"Brilliant."

Clapping came from the sidelines, where Kalalin was sitting on a bench with a book whose origins were unknown.

"Why don't you come and try with me?" Bruto said, annoyed.

"I surrender," Kalalin said with a smile, "As everyone knows, we mundane spellcasters can't cast spells in heavy armor, not to mention close combat."

"That's not necessarily always the case," Lancelot said, picking up a wooden staff from a nearby rack, "I've heard that monks from the east can bare their chests and still send fiends running scared. Come on, I'll teach you some basic techniques."

"Uh," Kalalin approached with a gloomy face, "Is that really necessary?"

"Very necessary," Lancelot nodded, handing the wooden staff to Kalalin, "If a Mage runs out of mana, should he just surrender without a fight?"

"Indeed, some Mages prefer to resolve fights using a magic wand," Kalalin nodded in resignation, "In this plane, it's always beneficial to know how to defend oneself. I just tend to bicker with this guy out of habit. Please go ahead, Sir Lancelot."

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