6: Lingshu Sword Servant

The smell of blood permeated the forest clearing, with the corpses of forest wolves scattered haphazardly.

"Lord, these prey..." a Halberd Warrior stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over the wolf carcasses on the ground as he requested instructions.

Su Jin nodded: "Take them back. This meat can improve everyone's meals.

After all, the basic rations provided by the System at the start are rather bland, merely filling the stomach.

Several Halberd Warriors began processing the prey, bundling up the usable parts to bring back to the territory.

"Lord!" a Strong Bow Soldier who had been keeping watch in the distance suddenly waved, signaling, "There's something here!"

Su Jin walked over and discovered a small cave there, its entrance concealed by weeds, difficult to notice without careful observation.

"I saw something glowing inside," the Strong Bow Soldier explained.

Su Jin hesitated for a moment but still decided to investigate. He ordered two Heavy Shield Guards to lead the way, following behind them as they cautiously entered the cave.

The cave wasn't deep; they reached the end after walking less than twenty steps. Deep inside the cavern, something indeed shimmered with a faint light.

It was a book wrapped in thin metal sheets and a metal page about the size of an A4 sheet, made of an unknown material.

[Special Item Discovered: 《Basic Shield Technique》(Cultivation Technique)(Upper Black Iron Rank)]

[Special Item Discovered: Metal Page(???)]

A wave of joy surged in Su Jin's heart. He collected the two items and took the opportunity to check their information.

[《Basic Shield Technique》: Elementary defensive Cultivation Technique. After practicing, increases physical defense by 20%. Additional effect: Small Shield]

"It's actually a Cultivation Technique!" Su Jin's eyes lit up. According to the knowledge he learned at the academy, any Cultivation Technique not labeled as 'one-time use' or 'restricted' can theoretically be attempted by all eligible units within the territory.

"This means that even ordinary troop types, as long as they have sufficient Comprehension Ability, compatibility with the Cultivation Technique, and meet certain stringent promotion conditions, can potentially break through the Rank barrier and advance into powerful hero units!"

"Good, good, it came at just the right time."

Su Jin pondered to himself, "After returning, have the Heavy Shield Guards attempt to practice it immediately and see the effects. Cultivation Techniques also emphasize 'fate'—matching compatibility leads to twice the result with half the effort."

While calculating, Su Jin looked at that metal page.

[Metal Page(???): A page forged from unknown mysterious metal, inscribed with unreadable patterns. Effect unknown, use unknown]

"All question marks?" Su Jin was somewhat surprised that there was something even the System couldn't identify.

He turned the metal page over several times. It felt cool and smooth to the touch, engraved with some strange patterns that resembled some kind of writing or symbols.

"Forget it, I'll store it for now and study it slowly when there's a chance later."

Su Jin carefully stored both the metal page and the 《Basic Shield Technique》.

Emerging from the cave in a pleasant mood, Su Jin led the team to continue their advance.

...

*Thud* A forest wolf fell to the ground, dead with an arrow in its head.

[Forest Wolf ×3 killed. Obtained 600 Soul Coins.]

"I thought there would be many monsters, but unexpectedly, there are so few... Could it be that the large pack of forest wolves we encountered earlier were the 'rulers' of this area? Since we destroyed their den, it's become quiet?"

Su Jin muttered to himself. After leaving the cave, the next few hours were unusually calm, only encountering a few stray beasts sporadically, with no more encounters of large-scale monster groups.

Checking the sky and estimating the time, Su Jin decided to return. After all, the defensive strength of the territory wasn't very sufficient, and fighting at night would also be disadvantageous.

Coincidentally, he also had enough Soul Coins to recruit a Spirit Pivot Sword Servant.

...

By the time the team's figures appeared at the edge of the territory, the setting sun was as red as blood, and the evening clouds filled the sky.

From afar, Su Jin could see that the territory had already undergone significant changes...

On the towering perimeter walls, blazing torches were inserted at regular intervals, dispelling the deepening dusk.

Several rows of neatly arranged simple wooden huts stood beside the warehouse.

Li Yi was directing several women busily preparing dinner, while a few children chased and played between the huts and the warehouse. Their bell-like laughter echoed throughout the territory, crisp and pleasant...

"Lord, you've returned!" Seeing Su Jin, Li Yi quickly put down his work and jogged over, his face unable to conceal his joy.

"Mm, well done." Su Jin smiled and patted Li Yi's shoulder. "It seems you managed the territory very well in my absence."

"This old man merely followed your instructions," Li Yi replied, his long white beard trembling slightly, a touch of pride on his face, followed by a hint of unease.

"Lord, what do you think of these huts? We built them based on our past experience from village construction. They are a bit crude, but they're suitable for living. However, we didn't have enough Materials, so we could only build these few for now."

Su Jin nodded: "A new batch of refugees will arrive tomorrow. Once we have sufficient manpower, the construction speed will increase significantly. Don't worry...

By the way, I have some meat here. Gather everyone to process it. We'll have an extra treat tonight."

"Meat?!" Li Yi's eyes lit up, his voice trembling slightly. The refugees had been fleeing, exposed to the elements, and considered themselves lucky to have a full meal; meat was something they dared not even dream of.

"Thank you, Lord!" Li Yi bowed deeply, his voice choked with emotion. "I'll go arrange it immediately!"

...

Su Jin turned and walked towards the Lingshu Sword Pavilion at the heart of the territory. He had left in a hurry in the morning and hadn't observed this exclusive building much.

The entire Sword Pavilion resembled an ancient bronze sword thrust upside down into a mountain. Its foundation was anchored to the earth veins by nine dark green chains, the surfaces of the links covered in Talismanic Incantations. The upturned eaves were shaped like interlocking dragon teeth, each roof tile cast into the form of a miniature sword scabbard, with bronze bell-blades hanging from the eave corners.

The relief on the main gate depicted an armored giant with both hands resting on a sword. The gems inlaid in its eyes alternated between bright and dim like breathing. A blue mist floated around the building, making it appear dreamlike from a distance.

Standing before the Sword Pavilion, Su Jin couldn't help but marvel. Exclusive buildings were indeed different; their appearance alone far surpassed other structures.

"Recruit Spirit Pivot Sword Servant *1."

Su Jin silently recited in his heart. Immediately, a light seemed to flash within the Sword Pavilion, and then the heavy main door slowly opened, a figure stepping out from within.

It was a young man dressed in blue swordsman attire, a long sword hanging at his waist. He stood tall and straight, his face cold and stern, his gaze sharp as a blade, exuding an aura of sharp Sword Qi from head to toe.

The unsheathed long sword hanging at his waist had a faint blue light swirling around the hilt, drawing attention.

[Bai Xiao * Spirit Pivot Sword Servant (Bronze-Upper Rank)]

[Rank: First Tier]

[Skills: Soul Cry Slash, Heart Mirror, Residual Soul Substitute]

[Introduction: Can materialize the world of the heart's image into a blade through Soul resonance. Possesses the 'Soul Release' ability.]

[Soul Release: All attributes boosted by 50%. Exceptionally outstanding individuals may gain additional special abilities.]

Soul Release? All attributes boosted by 50%?! "Seeing this, Su Jin's eyes widened. "This skill... is a bit overpowered!"

"If we continue to raise its potential further, what would that lead to..."