WHOOOOM!
Shang swung his sword, and the world around him followed.
At the moment, eight people were sitting on the grass on top of a hill in silence.
They were all watching Shang's swings attentively.
At this moment, Shang was swinging with a completely new kind of sword.
In a way, this new State could be seen as a mix of Shang's Saber State and his Colossal Sword State.
The sword was around 150 centimeters long, and it looked a bit like a long cleaver. It was curved and only had one cutting edge. In the middle of the cutting edge was a small "corner", which was used to gather all the power of a swing into one single point. From bottom to top, the sword looked a bit like a [-symbol.
As Shang was swinging his sword, different kinds of Mana could be felt by the present people.
Sometimes, there was extremely hot Fire Mana.
Sometimes, there was extremely bright Light Mana.
Sometimes, there was Light Mana that completely focused on mass.
"This is not a Path that exists within the Star Map," Shang said during a swing.
"I don't know who has created the Star Map, but it has definitely been created by a person."
Shang swung another time, the world seemingly warping around his new sword.
"The Star Map we all know has a limited number of weapons, and only a few of them are swords."
"Is a knife a sword?"
"Is a dagger a sword?"
"A long sword is a sword."
"A saber is a sword."
"A great sword is a sword."
"A colossal sword is a sword."
"Is a colossal mace with an edge a sword?"
"Is a colossal axe a sword?"
With every sentence, Shang performed another strike as the eight people listened intently.
"There are only four swords in the Star Map that are definitely swords."
"Yet, does that mean that those are the only swords?"
Another swing.
"No."
"The Star Map has been created by a human, and the knowledge of humanity is limited."
"Things we have known in the past might be incorrect."
"Things we have known in the past might be correct."
"However, even if they are correct, it doesn't mean that they include the entire picture."
"When someone knows that sword can slash, that knowledge will be true now and in a million years."
"But a sword can do more than just slash."
"What about stabbing?"
"What about parrying?"
"The person that knows that a sword can slash is correct, but they do not know the entire picture."
"In the same sense, the person that has created the Star Map might have gathered an impressive amount of knowledge and managed to transform it into a digestible form for weaker people, but it doesn't mean that the Star Map includes all the Paths that can possibly exist."
"The sword I am using right now is not in the Star Map."
"In fact, the sword I am using doesn't even have a name."
"It's not a saber. It's too big for that, and the form doesn't completely fit."
"It is not a great sword since it only has a single edge."
"It's not a cleaver since it's too long and thin."
"One could surely find a category that my sword would fit into the most, but it doesn't completely fit."
"When I say that someone uses a sword, people don't think of a saber. They think of a long sword."
"A saber is a sword, but only when I say the word saber does the correct image appear in your mind."
"Such a word doesn't exist for my sword."
Shang kept swinging while he was talking to his students.
"Some of you have asked me why I decided on creating a fifth Path, a Path outside the Star Map."
"You said that I wouldn't be able to rely on the Star Map anymore and that I would have to blindly find my way forward without any guidance."
SHING!
Shang released an especially powerful slash, and the entire world seemed to follow his every will.
"But isn't that what I have been doing all this time?"
The students kept listening intently and respectfully.
"New knowledge gets created by pioneers that venture outside the comfortable and known."
"Have the Mages achieved perfection?"
"Have the Mages reached their maximum potential?"
"Will the Mages in five million years be just as powerful as the Mages today?"
"Of course not."
"Power and innovation get born by fear and competition."
"As of right now, the Mages are growing very slowly, or maybe not even at all."
"Yet, when a powerful class of warriors appears, the Mages will realize that they might lose their position of dominance."
"And at that point, new kinds of Spells and weapons will be created by them, and their power will grow."
"I do not know a surefire way to create a Path for my new sword."
"However, I am sure of one thing."
"The Path exists."
"How am I so sure?"
"Because I know how Paths work."
"I know how Imposes work."
"I know how power works."
"I know how the world works."
"It might take me an unknown number of years, but I know that I will eventually create the path for this new kind of sword."
"In comparison to others, I don't search for the most fitting weapon for myself."
"In comparison to others, I don't search for the most fitting techniques for myself."
"Instead, I create my own weapons."
"I create my own techniques."
Shang stopped swinging and put his sword away as he faced the eight people that respectfully watched him.
"You are my disciples, and I don't want you to be mere followers of others."
"I don't want you to just copy what everyone else is doing."
"When there is no path, weapon, or technique you are completely happy with, it is not the one for you."
"If there is nothing available, create something new."
Shang turned away and flew back to the town.
"The lesson is over."
