REINCARNATION PARADISE

Su Xiao grasped his long sword and extended his arm straight out. Although he hadn't yet reached the level where his weapon felt like an extension of his body, he could now feel a noticeable change in his connection to the blade.

Reaching that level wouldn't happen overnight—it would take time and practice.

Even though the one-hour training session cost him 1000 Reincarnation Paradise coins, Su Xiao felt it was worth every coin. While Koushirou didn't teach him any specific techniques, he had opened the door to a whole new understanding.

"Summon Koushirou again." Su Xiao requested, feeling that he was in great shape and eager to continue.

[Unable to summon the same mirror image.]

[Initiating Hunter privileges. Please select summoning duration.]

A smile appeared on Su Xiao's face. It seemed his status as a Hunter had its perks after all.

"Three hours."

[Summoning Koushirou Mirror Image. Summon complete.]

Koushirou appeared once more, giving Su Xiao a nod without any introductions. Su Xiao was surprised; it was as if Koushirou remembered him.

"Let's continue from where we left off. You've already started to feel the connection with your weapon."

From Koushirou's words, Su Xiao realized why Reincarnation Paradise didn't allow the same mirror image to be summoned more than once—each summoning retained the previous memory. This was undoubtedly good news for him.

"You're now qualified to spar with me. Let's begin."

For the first time, Koushirou unsheathed his sword—a blade Su Xiao recognized: one of the 21 Great Grade Swords, Wado Ichimonji.

Su Xiao rose to his feet and charged at Koushirou, knowing time was precious and every second of training would help him grow stronger.

The sharp clash of blades echoed as Su Xiao and Koushirou exchanged blows. Sparring with such a skilled master was invaluable experience, something Su Xiao knew he would never have had outside of Reincarnation Paradise.

As the fight progressed, Su Xiao closely observed every move Koushirou made, absorbing sword techniques like a dry sponge soaking up water.

After an hour of continuous sparring, Su Xiao was drenched in sweat, his clothes soaked through as steam rose from his body.

"Now, rest for a moment. There are a few things you need to pay attention to..."

During the break, Koushirou began pointing out Su Xiao's mistakes, offering detailed guidance without holding anything back—an advantage of being a mirror image without personal reservations.

The three hours passed quickly, and Su Xiao still felt a lingering desire to continue.

"Time's up. Until next time." Koushirou said as he faded away. Su Xiao wanted to summon him again but, seeing his remaining 4027 Reincarnation Paradise coins, he had no choice but to hold off for now.

Taking a deep breath, Su Xiao felt the overwhelming sensation of invincibility from his earlier surge in attributes begin to fade—an aftereffect of his rapid growth in power.

He clenched his fist, hearing the satisfying crackle of his knuckles. He was already growing accustomed to his enhanced body, and now, only one step remained.

"Reincarnation Paradise, start real combat mode."

[Real Combat Mode costs 10 Reincarnation Paradise coins per minute. Proceed with payment?]

"Proceed."

[Real Combat Mode activated. Mechanized mannequins will appear in 30 seconds. Please prepare yourself.]

The surroundings began to change, shifting from the sword dojo to a vast desert. The dojo had automatically appeared when Koushirou was summoned, but this was the setting for Real Combat Mode.

The mode would only end when Su Xiao "died" in battle, though death in the Trial Field wasn't permanent.

Winds whipped up sand, and the sky was a hazy yellow. From beneath the dunes, a metallic sphere rose up—it was the head of a mechanized mannequin.

More and more mannequins emerged from the sand, each with glowing red electronic eyes, all fixated on Su Xiao.

The numbers quickly grew, surpassing a hundred, surrounding him on all sides.

[Time's up. Real combat begins now.]

The synchronized sound of metal clanking filled the air as the mannequins marched toward Su Xiao from every direction.

With so many mechanical enemies encircling him, Su Xiao couldn't afford to be careless. He quickly regulated his breathing, preparing for the onslaught.

Countless weapons rushed at him from all sides, enveloping him in a wave of attacks.

In a flash, several silver arcs of blade light slashed through the air, and a large number of mechanical mannequins shattered to pieces.

Su Xiao was no longer the same as before. His physical strength and swordsmanship had seen great improvement.

Metal fragments flew, and sand sprayed into the air. The intense battle had begun...

Ten minutes later, Su Xiao was transported to the entrance of the Trial Field.

As soon as he reappeared, he instinctively touched his head to make sure it was intact. During the last moments of the fight, one of the mechanical mannequins had smashed his head in.

"That felt way too real." Su Xiao remarked with a smile as he left the Trial Field. Even though the entire experience had cost him over 4000 Reincarnation Paradise coins, he was satisfied—he had fully adapted to his newfound strength.

In addition, his mastery of swordsmanship had leveled up.

[Skill 2:- Sword Mastery: Level 2 (Passive)

[Effect: Increases melee attack power by 12% and enhances proficiency with sword-type weapons.]

Su Xiao's Sword Mastery had increased by one level. According to what he knew, leveling up Sword Mastery was no easy task—it required a Soul Crystal (Small) and 1000 Reincarnation Paradise coins.

Upgrading his Shadow of Extinction abilities was similar—he could either train diligently or use soul crystals along with coins to advance.

After scouring the Reincarnation Paradise marketplace for soul crystals, Su Xiao realized just how valuable they were. No one was selling them, and most contractors weren't even aware of their existence.

Given this, the Soul Crystal (Small) he had obtained after killing an elite creature was extremely precious.

Back in his private room, Su Xiao spent 100 Reincarnation Paradise coins to expand his space, adding a bedroom and a bathroom. He then arranged the furniture he had purchased.

His room now felt much more spacious and luxurious.

Sitting on the comfortable bed he had bought for 40 Reincarnation Paradise coins, Su Xiao began to contemplate his next steps.

He had a Soul Crystal (Small) and two options: upgrade his current skills or unlock a new one.

After thinking it over, Su Xiao decided to focus on Sword Mastery as his primary combat skill, with his other abilities playing a supporting role.

It was a strategy with a lot of potential—many powerful figures across different derived worlds had followed a similar path.

In the One Piece world, for example, Dracule Mihawk, the world's greatest swordsman, relied solely on his swordsmanship in battle. Even though the term used there was "swordsmanship," characters like Mihawk, and even Red-Haired Shanks, fought with swords, not traditional European blades.

This reinforced Su Xiao's belief that mastering a single ability had great potential.

Given his current unfamiliarity with his Azure Steel Shadow ability, Su Xiao wasn't in a rush to learn a new skill.

After much deliberation, he decided to upgrade Sword Mastery. The improvement in combat effectiveness would be more noticeable.

[Consumed Soul Crystal (Small) and 1000 Reincarnation Paradise coins. Upgrading Sword Mastery...]

For a moment, Su Xiao felt a faint sense of disorientation. Then, new knowledge about swordsmanship flooded into his mind.

He checked his Sword Mastery again.

[Skill 2: - Sword Mastery: Level 3 (Passive)

[Effect: Increases melee attack power by 14% and enhances proficiency with sword-type weapons.]

Using the soul crystal to upgrade his skill had no downsides—it felt natural, as if he had mastered the new knowledge instantly.

No wonder soul crystals were so rare. They were incredible items. Su Xiao considered himself extremely lucky to have found one in a green treasure chest.

But good fortune like this wouldn't always come. After all, defeating enemies in Nightmare difficulty worlds brought much greater rewards.

Thinking back on it, Su Xiao mused, "If only getting shot earlier could have made me transmigrate yesterday. What a missed opportunity..."

(End of Chapter)