Seeing Li Lao talk so highly of himself,
Chen Huaian couldn’t help but feel excited.
“Youngster, watch this! This sword move is incredibly cool!” With that, Li Lao assumed his stance and performed a slow-fast-slow Tai Chi sword form.
As expected of an old master, his sword technique was impressive.
Given Chen Huaian’s limited knowledge and experience, he could only appreciate it as such.
Li Lao’s swordplay was indeed graceful, clearly showing deep expertise and smoothness without any hitches, even seeming usable in combat. However, it felt more like a performance than practical use.
He couldn’t pinpoint why, but some movements seemed redundant. Removing or changing them might be better. Yet, not being an expert, he didn’t dare criticize.
“How does it look? Is it enough?” Li Lao stroked his beard, sheathed his sword, and wore a proud expression, ready to hear Chen Huaian’s high praise.
“Sure, very sword-like!” Chen Huaian gave a thumbs up.
Li Lao was displeased: “What, do you think my swordsmanship lacks something?”
“No.” Chen Huaian knew Li Lao misunderstood, but couldn’t explain, so he scratched his head and said, “Li Lao, I recently had a bit of enlightenment. Could you take a look?”
“Sure, but if there’s anything wrong, I won’t hold back.”
“Alright, let me borrow your sword.”
Chen Huaian took the sword from Li Lao, focused his mind, closed his eyes slightly, steadied his stance, and assumed the posture of the first chapter of the Qinglian Sword Canon, <Crane Stands>.
The moment he moved, Li Lao’s critical gaze widened.
In just one day, this kid transformed. Not only did his leg heal, but yesterday he looked like a novice. Today, his movements were unified and effortless, most crucially, he mastered the essence—’spirit’.
Modern martial arts are often criticized for their flashy moves because they mimic the form but lack the essential ‘spirit’.
Form and spirit together make complete martial arts.
And ‘spirit’ is far more important than form.
Why did ancient soldiers practice thrusting motions relentlessly?
To seek breakthroughs through repetition.
How to generate force for a stronger thrust, what angle allows easier penetration through armor, how to overcome obstacles… when these become instinctive reactions, that’s when ‘spirit’ forms.
Building on this, further breakthroughs occur.
In battles, continuous enlightenment happens.
A new recruit can become a centurion or even a thousand-man commander by mastering the ‘spirit’ in a single thrust. A warrior is someone who masters multiple ‘spirit’ techniques.
As he pondered, Chen Huaian completed the first twelve chapters of the sword canon. Initially rigid, later flowing gracefully, piercing, slashing, and sweeping with ease and fluidity.
Suddenly, Li Lao saw a white-robed swordsman dancing gracefully, holding a sword in one hand and a wine flask in the other, unrestrained and free, like a dragon in flight.
“This… How is this possible?”
Li Lao was dumbfounded.
This kid wasn’t a beginner at all.
He was a master!
No, even the masters he had seen couldn’t incorporate ‘spirit’ into so many moves! Many masters were renowned for just a few moves infused with ‘spirit’.
But where did this kid come from?
Suddenly, the graceful figure halted.
Chen Huaian stood proudly, eyes closed, sheathing his sword. His left hand held the scabbard, right hand gripping the hilt.
A breeze blew, stirring a sharp aura.
“White feathers of a meteor tied to the waist, sword flowers bloom like autumn lotuses from the scabbard.”
With those words, the sword came out.
Clang!
Li Lao couldn’t see Chen Huaian’s sword.
He could only see a bright arc of light flash under the sun.
That arc shattered into pieces, resembling a blooming autumn lotus.
As the sword hummed, the petals of the lotus crumbled and fell.
Chen Huaian sheathed his sword with a clank.
Li Lao stared dumbfounded, unable to make a sound, feeling a buzzing in his head.
Could this be a move struck by a young man?
Was that lotus a sword flower?
How much strength and speed would it take?
And how many years of refinement were in those moves?
“Not quite…” Chen Huaian sighed, looking at the old willow tree in front of him.
His goal was to cut down a branch, though Li Lao’s sword wasn’t sharpened, he thought even a child could aim well with such weight.
But the branch still swayed in the wind.
“Never mind, the game taught me enough. I should be satisfied,” Chen Huaian understood the principle.
He wore a game helmet earlier, using neural mapping technology to store some of the sword moves in his brain.
Thus, today he could perform them smoothly.
It took quite some time.
“Li Lao, it’s getting late. I need to go to the market. See you later!”
He handed the sword to the still stunned Li Lao, helped him secure the scabbard, then turned and walked away.
Chen Huaian walked for a long time before Li Lao regained his senses.
He didn’t speak, just approached the willow tree seriously.
His eyes didn’t look at the branches but carefully searched the trunk, feeling it with his fingers.
Soon, he found a fine sword mark on the thick trunk, as thin as a hair, barely noticeable without his touch.
Li Lao took a deep breath, his facial muscles twitching, disbelief in his eyes.
He circled around to the other side of the willow.
Finding another hair-thin mark in a similar position.
“Sword energy… Could it really be sword energy?!”
Li Lao trembled as he dialed a number on his phone.
A rough voice answered:
“Hey, Li Lao, haven’t heard from you in a while. Forget about old friends?”
“Old Peng, I have something to tell you. Be prepared.”
“I met a young man who can emit sword energy!”
“What!?”
The voice rose several octaves.
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.” Li Lao touched the sword marks on the tree, his voice trembling: “Right in front of me, damn it, you wouldn’t believe it. Just ‘whoosh,’ and he slashed right through the trunk!”
“Old Li, wait for me. I’m coming from the Demon-Slaying Division!”
At the same time…
In a small alley below a hotel.
Lin Lingling limped out, despite her calm facade, her twitching face revealed her suffering.
“That demon wasn’t easy prey. The mere aura of its demonic energy suppressed me, even without touching me, it could blast me away…”
Lin Lingling had never encountered such a powerful demon.
Not in her current knowledge.
“Sss—! Damn it, at least three ribs broken! This is beyond my level. I must report to the Demon-Slaying Division…”
She flagged down a taxi and painfully climbed in.
