Sword God in a World of Magic

"Is this truly what you want?" Shang asked as he faced his student.

His student was a black-haired man who seemed to be in his thirties, and he was also over two meters tall, which was quite intimidating.

Surprisingly, he didn't have an Affinity.

However, not having an Affinity also increased someone's physical power by a little bit.

"Is fighting this aggressively truly what you wish for?" Shang asked.

The student looked to the ground as he furrowed his brows in thought.

"Do I have a choice?" the student asked.

"Yes, you always have a choice," Shang said. "You can follow whatever Path you want to follow, Duma."

Duma, Shang's student, wasn't quite sure what he should answer. "But what if my Path doesn't lead to an Impose, Master?"

Shang slowly shook his head. "The principle of Impose is to impose your will upon the world around you. The world is not the one that decides what gets an Impose or not. You are the one."

"Duma, you view yourself as a protector, not a killer," Shang said. "You told me that your goal is to protect your loved ones, correct?"

Duma nodded.

"Then, you should follow a Path that shows that. The Path you have established is a Path of the shield, and you broke into the True Path Stage with that. The gladius you use as an actual weapon hasn't received its own Path."

"Yet, as soon as you became my student, you started to emulate my way of fighting. You are using your shield to throw the enemy to the side, to crush them, and to break their balance, but you are not using it to block an attack or push the enemy away."

"Watching me train and fight has given you the illusion that following my Path is the only way to become powerful."

Duma didn't look at Shang's face.

"Is what I have taught you over the last two years worth just this much?" Shang asked in an even voice. "Are you someone that simply follows what others do? Have I not taught you to think and decide for yourself?"

None of the two of them said anything.

At the moment, Duma's imposing figure stood in front of the corpse of an Early True Path Stage corpse, but in front of Shang, he felt tiny.

a bit smaller than Duma in stature, and Shang's frame was also not nearly as

Master felt like an incomprehensible

asked after a while. "Following orders? Imitating

didn't say anything

he said after a couple of

Shang didn't answer.

Impose without any

as he looked at the

what you are doing, but just thinking about the possible consequences of making a mistake horrifies me to

don't want to spend centuries to refine my power just to find out that

and your Colossal Sword Path seems very fitting to my Path of

Isn't that what everyone is essentially doing? After

anything for several

might be able to create a weak

as he slowly raised his eyes to look at Shang, "I'm

Silence.

reaching the True Path Stage was already like a dream had come true, and with your help, I

Stage, I would count as an elite member in any city. I could earn enough to live in a castle with my family. I would

and cities. How many people can claim

don't care about the Sixth Realm. Just the Fifth

didn't say anything for

"Fine," Shang said coldly.

SHING!

Shang summoned a thick book and threw

the cover and saw the words Mana Pathway

SHING!

summoned five additional thick books

introductions to a beast's

Impose for your shield, you have to change your Mana Pathways. You created a defensive Path for your shield, and the world has created

of these books. Learn the Spell. Get

follow the sounds of the Adamantite Branch Seeds, and you will eventually create

might need 100 to 200

shock and surprise at all the books he

roundabout and difficult way, making

things, and he

difference between the