Ethan’s eyes narrowed instantly, his gaze locking onto the sudden, breathtaking view. Right there, completely exposed to his eyes, were her heavy, milk-white breasts, curving perfectly in the morning light. The sheer proximity of her mature, full cleavage sent a sudden jolt of electricity straight to his groin, testing his restraint to the absolute limit.

A dangerous, dark smile flickered across his lips for a fraction of a microsecond before he completely masked it behind his polite, young master persona. "It would be my absolute pleasure to teach him, Sister Mary," he said smoothly.

He extended his right hand, his fingers brushing lightly against hers as he took the heavy scabbard. With a fluid movement, Ethan drew the single-edged blade into the morning air. The steel let out a sharp, ringing hum, the pristine silver edge reflecting a flawless line of light across the dirt.

"A truly fine weapon," Ethan muttered, testing the balance with a brief, effortless flick of his wrist. "This will do perfectly. Roy, get down here."

Ethan held the lacquered black scabbard in his left hand, the unsheathed silver blade resting lightly in his right. He turned his attention to Roy, who had practically scrambled down the porch steps to stand before him, his breath coming in short, excited gasps.

"A sword is a completely different beast than a spear, Roy," Ethan began, his voice taking on the firm, precise tone of an instructor. "In my family’s clan, the path of the blade was strictly divided into two distinct disciplines: the Dual-Edge branch and the Single-Edge branch. From there, each branch split further into Heavy and Light techniques. My own heritage lies with the Heavy Dual-Edge style—which is why I carry that blackened iron rod on my back. But for you, given your current physical build and your father’s weapon, you will be learning the foundations of the Light Single-Edge style."

Roy nodded fiercely, his eyes following the silver gleam of the katana. "Light Single-Edge... Understood, Ethan. Is it faster than your style?"

"Speed ​​is its primary weapon, but it comes with a heavy cost," Ethan said, raising the blade to eye level. He extended his left index finger, gently tapping the flat, thick spine of the weapon. "Listen closely. A dual-edged sword is symmetrical; if one side dulls or chips, you simply flip the wrist and use the other. But this? This only has one true cutting edge. The back of the blade—the spine—is unsharpened. It is designed to absorb shock and provide structural support."

Ethan’s expression turned remarkably serious as he looked into the boy’s eyes. "Never attempt to strike an opponent with the reverse side of a light katana. Because the steel is forged to be thin and razor-sharp on the cutting edge, a heavy, improper impact on the reverse spine will cause the internal stress lines to fracture. The blade will literally snap in half. Treat the edge as your life, and the spine as your shield. Do you understand?"

"Treat the edge as my life, the spine as my shield," Roy repeated, the words burning into his memory. "Yes, instructor!"

"Good. Now, let us begin with the absolute roots of all swordsmanship," Ethan said, stepping back and widening his stance. "Every legendary technique in this world, no matter how flashy or god-like, is built upon four fundamental actions: the Strike, the Slice, the Thrust, and the Block. Watch my feet and my wrists."

Ethan shifted his weight, his movements slowing down perfectly so the teenager could track every muscle fiber.

"First is the Strike" Ethan explained, bringing the weapon high above his head. "This is a vertical downward motion. It does not rely on raw arm strength. You drive the weight from your hips, pull down with your left hand, and guide the trajectory with your right. Like this."

SHING!

The blade descended in a flawless, whisper-quiet arc, stopping exactly an inch above the dirt.

"Second is the Slice" Ethan continued, fluidly transitioning his weight to his back foot. He pulled the blade horizontally across his chest. "Unlike a direct strike, a slice requires dragging the edge against the target. It is used for severing limbs and opening up defenses. Look at the draw-cut motion." He executed a sweeping horizontal motion, the air hissing softly in response.

"Third is the Thrust." Ethan immediately pulled the hilt back to his hip, lining the tip of the katana directly with an imaginary opponent’s throat. His front foot snapped forward. "The single-edge weapon is curved, which makes thrusting slightly unnatural compared to a straight sword. You must slightly drop your wrist to align the point. It must be a straight, piercing line. Quick and fatal." The blade flashed forward like a striking viper, stopping with absolute precision.

"And finally, the Block." Ethan rotated his wrist, bringing the blade diagonally across his torso, tilting the sharp edge away while presenting the thick spine forward. "When defending with a light single-edge, you never meet a heavy blow head-on with your cutting edge. You catch the opponent’s weapon on the thick spine or the flat of the blade, and you redirect their force downward. Let their own weight slide off you."

He snapped the katana back into a neutral posture, his breathing completely undisturbed. He turned the hilt toward Roy, presenting the weapon to him.

"Strike, slice, thrust, and block" Ethan said calmly. "These four movements are the alphabet of the sword. Until your muscles remember them better than your own name, you have no right to learn a stance. Take the blade, and let me see your form."

-------------------

From this moment forward, to avoid confusion regarding cultivation ranks, I will include this footer with the current established levels.

Note: These are only the ranks mentioned so far to avoid spoilers.

Body Refinement Realm

Skin Refinement / Bone Refinement / Organ Refinement

Spiritual Gathering Realm

Spiritual Perception / Spiritual Mist / Spiritual Condensation

Spiritual Core Realm

Core Solidification / Core Awakening / Spiritual Collapse (Half-step Spiritual Core)

Spiritual Soul Realm

Spiritual Soul Awakening / Soul Nourishing / Soul-Core Fusion

Golden Core Realm

Prime Fusion / Core Perfection / Core Destruction

Spiritual Sea Realm

Stage 1 ?? / Stage 2 ?? / Stage 3 ??

Dao Manifestation Realm

Stage 1 ?? / Stage 2 ?? / Stage 3 ??

Spiritual Transcendence

Stage 1 ?? / Stage 2 ?? / Stage 3 ??