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.

than Duma in stature, and Shang's frame

Duma, his Master

this all you're good for?" Shang asked after a while. "Following orders?

didn't say anything

a couple of

Shang didn't answer.

your Impose without any guidance. That requires tremendous confidence and

he looked at the ground,

what you are doing, but just thinking about

spend centuries to refine my power just to find out that

established several Imposes, and your Colossal Sword Path seems very

from someone else? Isn't that what everyone is essentially doing? After all, we are all learning from our predecessors," Duma

anything for

consequences of copying someone else's Path?" Shang asked. "Their Path will never be yours, and while you might be able to create a

his eyes to

Silence.

okay with that. I don't need to be outstanding on my level. Just reaching the True Path Stage was already like a dream had come true, and with your help, I might even be able to reach the

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 have enough money

enough money to travel to different towns and cities.

Sixth Realm. Just the Fifth

anything

"Fine," Shang said coldly.

SHING!

summoned a thick book and threw it

the cover and saw

SHING!

five additional thick books

introductions to a beast's

Impose for your shield, you have to change your Mana Pathways. You created

all of these books. Learn the Spell. Get

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

might need 100 to

shock and surprise at all the

had always taught him in a very roundabout and difficult

some things, and he said that reaching the Impose

why there was such a glaring difference between the two ways his Master had