Chapter 33
"With my swordsmanship barely at a beginner's level, the Chixiao Sword seems to ignore me completely."
"But I’ve never practiced hammer techniques, yet the divine hammer seems to have a soft spot for me."
That hammer could easily be called the father of the Chixiao Sword.
Could it be that I’m simply not cut out for swordsmanship, but rather suited for hammer techniques?
In his mind, an image flashed of himself, a wicked smile on his face, swinging the hammer and smashing an enemy's skull...
"Hiss..."
"Impossible, absolutely impossible!"
Li Mo slammed his chopsticks down, dispelling the image from his mind.
He had lost all appetite for food. Defiantly, he picked up the long sword and walked into the courtyard.
With the Qinggang Sword in hand, he began to practice sword techniques for the first time.
The sword light flickered, and it could be said that he was making quite a show.
At his age, mastering a superior sword technique to a beginner level would earn him praise from any elder who happened to see him—a true genius of the sword.
"Ten days to a beginner level."
"Not bad, you have some talent for swordsmanship."
Ying Bing also thought it was somewhat impressive.
Of course, he was still far from being a true genius of the sword.
Even without the experience and vision from his past life, she had managed to reach a beginner level in a superior sword technique in just half an hour.
However, in the realm of swordsmanship, there were monsters even more terrifying than her.
Born with a sword heart and sword bones, they could innovate any sword technique with just a glance, creating their own ultimate sword techniques by the age of ten and mastering divine-level sword techniques by twenty.
Such people truly existed.
And they left a deep impression on Ying Bing as one of her defeated opponents.
Then there was the little princess of Dayu, who was even more terrifying—a natural-born sword prodigy, destined for the sword. In terms of swordsmanship talent, she was the best in the world.
If Li Mo could know what she was thinking, he would probably just smile wryly.
Family knows best.
He had spent more years practicing swordsmanship than his actual age.
Now, he could barely be considered passable.
His true talent might only be a result of his past life’s experience...
"I don’t feel any progress at all."
"I can’t even see the dawn of mastery."
As Li Mo practiced his swordplay, he had to admit one thing.
What he was doing wasn’t really practicing swordsmanship; it was more like dancing with a sword, as he saw no improvement after a round.
He didn’t even know which direction to strive for.
One can fearlessly work hard, but it’s terrifying when you can’t even find the right direction to put in that effort.
Could it be that he really wasn’t cut out to be a swordsman?
"This sword technique relies on accumulating power without releasing it."
Suddenly, a familiar, clear voice rang in his ears.
Before Li Mo could react, a slender, elegant hand had already taken the Qinggang Sword from his grasp.
"The longer you can accumulate power, the stronger the final explosion will be."
Swish—
"Thus, when you strike, it should be like embroidering flowers, controlling every ounce of your strength."
Swish—
"The stronger your control, the more power you can accumulate."
Under the moonlight, the beautiful figure danced with the sword, light and graceful.
When she wielded the sword, she was focused and serious, her movements exuding a harmonious beauty untouched by the mundane world.
Like an ice lotus blooming slowly in a mountain pool, it had weathered the seasons and was now unfurling.
Li Mo was momentarily entranced.
But soon, he felt a bit confused.
Ying Bing clearly hadn’t practiced "Firebird Thousand Feathers," had she?
Was what she said correct?
[Twenty years of martial arts insights successfully infused.]
Little Li decided to take a small leap.
After all, the sect trials were coming up soon, and improving his swordsmanship would definitely come in handy.
[In the first year, thanks to Ying Bing's guidance, you found the correct practice direction for Firebird Thousand Feathers.]
[In the fifth year, you worked hard on your control over the sword, finally managing to leave seventeen feathers without releasing them.]
[In the seventh year, as time went on, control became increasingly difficult, and even a slight improvement required immense effort. You spent two years without any progress.]
[In the thirteenth year, through diligent practice, you finally integrated the technique into your body's instincts, managing to leave twenty-four feathers.]
[In the twentieth year, you successfully left thirty feathers on the wooden dummy for the first time.]
[Firebird Thousand Feathers Sword Technique, mastery achieved.]
Li Mo: "......"
A flood of swordsmanship experience rushed into his mind.
But he couldn’t feel any joy in his heart.
Ying Bing’s guidance was indeed correct.
What he could confirm was that she hadn’t practiced this sword technique; she had merely watched him practice once.
And then... she could guide him?
Little master, there’s more to this chapter, please click the next page to continue reading; it gets even more exciting!
Though he didn’t want to use this adjective, Li Mo had to admit that he was filled with...
A sense of dread!
Thud, thud, thud—
A series of muffled sounds.
The girl sheathed her sword and turned around, and behind her, the bamboo suddenly bore dozens of feather marks, bursting into brilliant ice flowers.
Yet she didn’t even look back, simply asking softly:
"Did you learn it?"
Li Mo: "..... I got it."
It was clear that Ying Bing had no intention of mocking him.
She genuinely wanted to teach him and truly believed he could improve after just one look.
Li Mo suddenly recalled his past life when he had asked a top student for help with math problems. The student had written out four different solutions without even looking up.
Each one was beyond the syllabus.
Then, with genuine sincerity, they had asked him, "Got it?"
"Let’s see you do it."
The sword was tossed back to him.
Li Mo felt a mix of emotions as he caught the sword and practiced.
In Ying Bing’s slightly lowered gaze, the image of the boy, still somewhat awkward, was reflected, and she showed a hint of satisfaction.
Not bad.
If he could learn, then he wasn’t too foolish; he could be considered material for sword practice.
"I practiced it right, didn’t I?"
Li Mo turned around, only to find the space behind him empty.
The window on the second floor had closed again, and a thin layer of ice quickly formed on the glass.
It seemed she had gone back to her training.
"How many meridians has Bing Tuozi opened now?"
Li Mo pondered for a moment.
He had originally thought he was progressing quickly in the Qi and Blood realm.
Even with a red destiny, he didn’t think anyone could catch up to him.
But what had just happened made him realize he needed to stay humble.
Little Li tucked away his small sense of pride.
He returned to his room and sat cross-legged on the bed.
The firebird feather pouch on his chest radiated a steady warmth.
Activate the Fire Heart Lotus technique!
Tonight, he would try to open the ninth meridian!
Unbeknownst to him.
The moon hung high in the sky.
Next door.
"The ninth meridian, opened."
Ying Bing opened her eyes, the ice crystals on her eyelashes glimmering faintly.
From the time she started opening meridians until now, it had only been half a month, and she had already condensed nine meridians.
In her past life, it had taken her a full three months.
Her progress in realm advancement was several times faster.
But.
In terms of combat power, it was not just dozens of times stronger!
Now, she could use her current body to execute perfected-level sword techniques.
Her combat experience, not to mention in Ziyang Mansion, was unrivaled across the entire Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.
Moreover, she bore the power of the Taiyin. Although she couldn’t control it yet, even a mere hint of its aura was enough to serve as a trump card.
"For the sect trials, I should be able to handle any variables."
"If I can obtain one of the Nine Colors Yuan Phoenix's nine souls, I could claim to have reached perfection in the Qi and Blood realm."
"And that mysterious system..."
A hint of anticipation flickered in Ying Bing’s eyes.
Without a doubt, she would rank first in the system’s leaderboard.
At that time, she would receive system rewards that would make her even stronger.
In terms of the Qi and Blood realm, she dared to say she was unmatched throughout history.
...
Time flowed on.
Days turned into nights.
The diligent Little Li had already risen early, bustling about in the kitchen.
"Since she offered guidance yesterday, I should make breakfast a bit more sumptuous today."
"By the way, breaking through to the ninth meridian with the Fire Heart Lotus technique has greatly improved my control over the flames."
As Li Mo cooked, he thought to himself.
That’s right.
Last night, he had opened the ninth meridian.
He had heard that the later meridians were harder to open, but he had never felt any kind of bottleneck.
Each breakthrough had come naturally.
After making breakfast, he had a quick bite and, as usual, headed to the mountain gate, ready to reap some martial insights.
"Li Zhenchuan, back again today?"
It was still that old woman handling the withdrawal of disciples from the sect.
Li Mo came every day, making the old lady feel a bit anxious.
Was he planning to withdraw from the sect like the outer disciples?
"It’s nothing, just taking a stroll."
Li Mo smiled and greeted her, but the next moment, his expression suddenly froze.
He had just activated the Divine Eye of Destiny.
[Name: Jiang Yue]
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