Chapter 25: Purple Talent

The next morning, before Lin Yi could log into the Apocalypse game after breakfast, thunder rumbled across the sky, and thick, dark clouds gathered. A torrential downpour followed shortly after.

Standing by the window, Lin Yi saw Liu Yuqian, the pretty girl from yesterday, anxiously rushing to bring in her laundry. The rain was heavy, and it was likely that the clothes she had hung out the day before were already soaked through. However, Lin Yi had no time to spare for such matters. Seeing that the time was right, he gently stroked the activation code on his wrist, and with a flash, his figure vanished from the room.

Half an hour later, a knock sounded at his door. It was Liu Yuqian, who had intended to borrow an umbrella to go out. She knocked for a long time, but there was no response from within.

"That's strange. Is no one home? But I didn't hear Brother Lin open the door to leave..."

...

While a fierce storm raged in reality, the world of Apocalypse remained clear and sunny. In the east, the morning sun was slowly rising, casting a soft glow.

Inside the second squad's militia dormitory, Lin Yi packed his prepared supplies into his spatial backpack. Although a player’s backpack was not large, it could easily hold a small amount of gear. Since this was his first time leaving Gutan Village, Lin Yi was well-prepared; he had gathered three or four days' worth of food and water, along with a large supply of arrows.

Considering the possibility of melee combat, Lin Yi also borrowed an ordinary long saber from Gu He. Although he could exchange for weapons in the treasury using contribution points, he had avoided the treasury ever since learning that Gu Yuan was known for cheating "Born-Ones" out of their hard-earned points. If he ever needed blood-food or talismans in the future, he would just ask his squad leader, Gu Chenghu, to exchange them for him—a small favor his captain likely wouldn't refuse.

Seeing that it was almost time, Lin Yi prepared to head to the village's south gate to meet Gu Chenghu. But before that, he decided to roll for a new talent.

He hadn't solidified a new talent since acquiring "Blood Absorption." During this period, he had rolled a green-tier talent called [Aquatic Expert], which allowed him to breathe underwater for half an hour and increased his speed in water by 100%. Honestly, it was a solid talent, but since he had never seen any major rivers or lakes near Gutan Village, it was useless to him, so he hadn't chosen to solidify it.

Today, Lin Yi washed his hands as usual before attempting the draw. On the universal talent page, as the talent die glowed, a sudden flash of purple light filled his vision.

"Holy crap! A purple talent!"

Lin Yi was instantly ecstatic. White, green, blue, purple—this was a purple-tier talent, even higher in quality than "Blood Absorption"! As the light slowly faded, he was finally able to see the rare talent he had drawn.

[Born Blade-Wielder]: A rare purple-tier talent. With this talent, you possess keen perception and an innate ability to learn swordsmanship. You are a natural wielder of the blade; with a sword in hand, it becomes an extension of your own body, to be wielded as you please. You can master any blade technique in a short time, achieving a state of divine proficiency.

After reading the description, Lin Yi could only think: *Damn, that's awesome!*

It was a good thing he hadn't solidified [Aquatic Expert] the day before, or he wouldn't have been able to solidify this purple talent today. Without hesitation, Lin Yi locked [Born Blade-Wielder] into his talent slot.

Once it was solidified, he drew the ordinary long saber from his pack. It was about half a meter long, with a simple design and a few spots of rust. Yet, as soon as Lin Yi gripped it, the feeling was entirely different; the blade seemed to pulse with life in his hands. He recalled videos of sword dances he had watched in the past, replaying them frame by frame to learn. Soon, he transitioned from clumsy to proficient, becoming completely immersed in the rhythm of the dance.

Elsewhere, Gu Chenghu had been waiting at the south gate for a while. Seeing that Lin Yi hadn't arrived, he headed to the second squad's dormitory. Pushing the door open, he saw a young man in a militia uniform in the center of the room, practicing with a long saber.

The fluid and powerful movements traced silver arcs in the dim light, like brilliant meteors in the night sky, full of vitality and rhythm.

"This kid’s blade technique is surprisingly skilled?" Gu Chenghu mused, surprised, but he didn't interrupt Lin Yi, who was lost in his own world.

Lin Yi moved with agility, as if he and the blade were one. Every swing felt natural and effortless. As he delved deeper into the technique, his breathing adjusted to match the rhythm of the blade. Finally, he sheathed the saber with a gentle movement, and the practice area fell into a sudden, quiet stillness.

"Good blade work, though a bit flashy and lacking in killing power," Gu Chenghu commented as he stepped forward.

"Captain?" Lin Yi blinked, snapping out of his focus. He realized he had missed their meeting time. "I'm sorry, Captain. I got carried away practicing and lost track of time..."

"It's fine. But Qing Shan, since your blade skills are this good, why do you spend every day practicing with a broken bow and arrow?"

Lin Yi scratched his head. He hadn't wanted to, but if he had drawn this purple talent earlier, he would have started training with a blade long ago. Judging by his performance just now, with the [Born Blade-Wielder] talent, he could likely master any blade technique with ease.

Gu Chenghu asked, "Well, the weather has cleared up. Shall we go to the Ancient Grave Valley now?"

Lin Yi wasn't in a hurry. He thought for a moment and said, "Captain, could I go see Brother Yongqiang first to learn the Blazing Sun Blade Technique?"

Gu Chenghu smiled. "Learn the Blazing Sun Blade Technique? Qing Shan, that's different from the flashy moves you were just practicing. It's difficult to learn and train. Even with your talent, it's unlikely you'll master it today."

"Let me try, Captain. If I can't learn it today, I'll give up and focus on leveling up instead." For some reason, Lin Yi felt immense confidence in his talent for the blade. He felt as though no technique in the world could stump him. Perhaps this confidence stemmed from his newly solidified talent.

Shortly after, Gu Chenghu took Lin Yi to Gu Yongqiang’s home. Upon hearing that Lin Yi wanted to learn the Blazing Sun Blade Technique, Gu Yongqiang did not refuse. Although he had previously told Lin Yi to wait until level four, that was to ensure he had enough Blood Qi to execute the technique. Now, after more than a week of consuming blood-food, Lin Yi’s Blood Qi had increased to 22 points—enough to unleash the initial power of the Blazing Sun style.

Gu Yongqiang drew his own blade and stepped into the courtyard. "The Blazing Sun Blade Technique is divided into the execution of the moves and the manipulation of Blood Qi. Both must be learned separately, and the difficulty of each is significant."

"I once taught a 'Born-One' with good talent, and it took him half a month to learn it. I hope you don't take too long, or it will simply mean you aren't suited for the blade."

Lin Yi nodded solemnly.

"Good," Gu Yongqiang said sternly. "Now, I will teach you the complete Blazing Sun Blade Technique. First, the basics of posture and grip: feet shoulder-width apart, body tilted slightly forward, knees slightly bent..."

"Next is posture and breathing. Through practice, find the perfect harmony between your body and the blade. Breathe naturally with your movements; avoid holding your breath to maintain physical stability and fluid motion..."

*Ding! You are learning [Blazing Sun Blade Technique] from Gu Yongqiang. Current progress: 5%...*

The techniques Gu Yongqiang taught were fundamental, covering not just the Blazing Sun style but essential blade-handling skills. Although Lin Yi had [Born Blade-Wielder], his breathing and grip were based on instinct and had minor flaws. The technical knowledge Gu Yongqiang provided was invaluable, allowing him to bridge his gaps in understanding. Lin Yi felt like a sponge, frantically absorbing every bit of knowledge.

Gu Yongqiang began to demonstrate the technique. Lin Yi watched intently. A few minutes later, Gu Yongqiang, panting, said, "That’s a small section of the Blazing Sun Blade Technique. Use the techniques I just taught you and show me a sequence."

"Alright." Lin Yi gripped his blade and began to replicate the movements, the tip of his blade tracing paths through the air. The entire set was fluid, the momentum of the blade seemingly untraceable yet silent as spring rain.

Gu Yongqiang's eyes widened. "This..."

Gu Chenghu, who had been watching from the sidelines, also had his jaw dropped in disbelief. Earlier, he thought Lin Yi’s skill in the dormitory was just the result of long practice. Now, he was witnessing Lin Yi learn from scratch; after Gu Yongqiang demonstrated it only once, Lin Yi replicated the technique perfectly, even improving certain moves to be more standardized than Gu Yongqiang's own.

"A genius! An unparalleled genius with the blade!"

After Lin Yi finished, Gu Yongqiang said excitedly, "Good! Very good! Qing Shan, I never expected you to have such a high talent for the blade. Listen closely, I will explain the rest of the technique..."

As the morning sun shifted, time slipped away. In the courtyard, Lin Yi studied the Blazing Sun Blade Technique tirelessly. In just two hours, his progress had reached 90%. This pace shocked both Gu Yongqiang and Gu Chenghu. Gu Yongqiang had no doubt that if he had demonstrated faster, Lin Yi would have learned even faster. He had seen many "Born-Ones," but none had ever mastered the blade as quickly as this.

Half an hour later, after Lin Yi learned the technique for manipulating Blood Qi, a system prompt sounded: *Ding! You have learned [Blazing Sun Blade Technique] from Gu Yongqiang. Current progress: 100%. You have successfully mastered the Blazing Sun Blade Technique.*

Lin Yi opened his status panel and saw the technique listed under his external skills.

External Skills:
[Heavenly Star Archery (Green) - LV1 (56/500)]: Each point of Blood Qi infused into an arrow increases damage by 2%. The seventh consecutive arrow deals 12% additional damage.
[Blazing Sun Blade Technique (White) - LV2 (343/800)]: Infusing at least 10 points of Blood Qi into the blade increases blade damage by 8%. Doubling the infused Blood Qi doubles the damage. (Note: Blazing Sun Blade Technique can inflict damage on spectral entities!)

After reading the damage description, Lin Yi realized that the Blazing Sun Blade Technique was white-tier likely because it consumed so much Blood Qi. With 24 points of Blood Qi, he could only swing his blade twice. However, the additional damage was significantly higher than that of his archery skill. Furthermore, he hadn't expected the technique to start at level 2. It seemed his talent was indeed a "bug"—simply mastering the skill automatically leveled it up.

Lin Yi practiced the technique several more times, and the proficiency points on his panel climbed rapidly. With the guidance of Gu Yongqiang and Gu Chenghu, his proficiency soared. Half an hour later, his Blazing Sun Blade Technique broke through to level 3.

[Blazing Sun Blade Technique (White) - LV3 (89/1100)]: Infusing at least 10 points of Blood Qi into the blade increases blade damage by 16%. Doubling the infused Blood Qi doubles the damage.

Lin Yi was thrilled. At level 3, the damage bonus from a single strike had doubled. Effectively, a single strike of the Blazing Sun Blade Technique now dealt as much additional damage as a seven-arrow combo of his Heavenly Star Archery.

"It seems the higher the level of the external skill, the more significant the damage becomes."

With the technique mastered, Gu Chenghu led Lin Yi toward the Ancient Grave Valley. The valley was only a few miles away, connected by wild mountain paths. However, once they crossed the walls of Gutan Village, both men became significantly more cautious. In the wilderness, the chance of encountering monsters was high, especially the further they moved from the village temple, where level 10 "Great Monsters" lurked. If they encountered one, Gu Chenghu would likely have to run for his life with Lin Yi.

Watching the village walls recede, Lin Yi couldn't help but ask, "Captain, how is the training for the fifth militia squad going?"

"I'm not sure. Gu Laosi has been leading them. I’ve heard several 'Born-Ones' are threatening to quit. The training environment is probably too dangerous."

Gu Laosi, the captain of the fourth militia squad, was known for being at odds with Gu Chenghu. He was a loner with an eccentric personality.

Lin Yi pressed further, "Aren't the village elders protecting us? Why would it be dangerous?"

Gu Chenghu used his Dragon-Roar blade to slash through some brush, clearing a path, and replied casually, "You don't know Gu Laosi's temperament. He loves to exploit and insult people. It's not just you 'Born-Ones'—even his own militia brothers can't stand him."

"While the village elders provide protection, they aren't watching every second. Most of the time, they leave the squads under Gu Laosi's command. It's no surprise the 'Born-Ones' can't handle him."

At that very moment, inside the Ancient Grave Valley, Gu Laosi was furiously berating the members of the fifth militia squad.

"Wang Zilong, right? I lured the corpse monster out, so why are you hiding in the back? Get out there and coordinate with the others to kill it! Cowering like a woman!"

"And you, Qian Duoduo! Don't be in such a hurry to put the loot in your backpack. According to the contract, the loot belongs to everyone. If I catch you pocketing even one item, I'll chop off your hand!"

"Feng Wudi, your name sounds imposing enough, but stop screaming! It’s just a scratch! If you draw all the corpse monsters in the valley out here, I guarantee I’ll leave you behind and run with the others."

"Damn it, a bunch of useless rabble. I don't understand why the elders want to cultivate you 'Born-Ones.' If it were up to me, I'd only pick the ones with real ability and guts..."

All morning long, Gu Laosi had been cursing. His own fourth-squad members were used to it, but the "Born-Ones" of the fifth squad, fresh under his command, were at their breaking point. They were here to play a game and get stronger, not to be humiliated.