Chapter 46
Just as Li Mo was about to finish his meal and prepare to open the eleventh meridian, a guest arrived at Qiu Shui Pavilion.
Elder Han He, an old acquaintance.
“Li Mo and Ying Bing, why didn’t you go to Shen Bing Peak today?”
As soon as the old man entered, he frowned and directed his question at Shang Wu.
“What’s the point of going to Shen Bing Peak?”
Shang Wu was comfortably lounging in a rocking chair, soaking up the sun, and absentmindedly scratched her ear.
“They are the top three in the sect’s trials!”
Elder Han He replied, clearly annoyed.
Why is it said that every inner disciple can go to Shen Feng Cave to select weapons?
Because those who can enter the inner sect usually perform well in the sect trials.
As a result, they earn the opportunity to choose a weapon in Shen Feng Cave.
Of course, being in the top three comes with additional rewards, but the sect is currently busy, and some rewards have yet to be distributed.
“Seems like that’s the case.”
Shang Wu tilted her head, recalling the details.
Elder Han He didn’t want to waste more time with her. Seeing that Ying Bing and Li Mo were both present, he said:
“Let’s go, follow this old man to Shen Bing Peak.”
“Elder Han He, I have a request.”
Ying Bing suddenly spoke up.
“Hmm, go ahead.”
Elder Han paused, turning back.
Not that he needed to personally inform the disciples; usually, that wasn’t the responsibility of a peak master.
The reason he came in person was that Ying Bing was a precious gem of the sect.
Naturally, he had to consider her opinion.
Ying Bing said, “I’d like to postpone the day we go to Shen Feng Cave for a few days.”
“Why?”
Ying Bing glanced at Li Mo and softly replied, “I believe I can further refine my swordsmanship, and then I’ll be able to choose a better weapon.”
“Well... that’s not impossible.”
Elder Han raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised by her confidence in her swordsmanship, then nodded:
“That can be arranged, but it can only be delayed for three days at most.”
“Three days from now, Shen Bing Peak will be in the season of the most intense geothermal activity, and no one will be able to enter Shen Feng Cave.”
“I understand.”
Three days.
Ying Bing was confident that she could elevate Li Mo’s swordsmanship to a new level.
She anticipated that gaining recognition for a fine weapon wouldn’t be difficult.
---
**Chapter 41: The Ice Block Teacher and Li Mo’s Strange Talent**
After Elder Han He left.
“Elder Shang Wu, do you have any plans for Li Mo in the next few days?”
Ying Bing asked.
Shang Wu squinted her eyes slightly, pondering, then said:
“Other than cooking, there’s nothing urgent.”
“Then I’d like to borrow him for three days.”
“I want him to learn swordsmanship from me for three days.”
Ying Bing spoke softly.
After all, she wasn’t Li Mo’s master.
If she wanted to teach him something, she had to consult the ‘main character.’
“I trust your swordsmanship, Xiao Bing, but three days... you won’t learn much, will you?”
Shang Wu nodded in agreement, but her curiosity was piqued.
“I have this.”
Ying Bing took out something from her sleeve.
Three sky-blue incense sticks.
“Lingxi Incense? The sect leader even gave you this? How generous...”
Shang Wu’s eyes widened slightly, clearly aware of the value of this item.
This wasn’t a product of the Eastern Wilderness.
It originated from Central Shenzhou, made from a rare wood called Lingxi, ground into powder and mixed with other precious materials.
Lighting this incense while contemplating martial arts could greatly enhance one’s intellect.
However, Lingxi wood grows slowly, only an inch every three hundred years, making it extremely rare.
The sect likely didn’t have much left, mostly saved by the first-generation ancestors and successive leaders.
Giving Ying Bing three sticks at once showed how much they valued her.
Shang Wu scratched her head, feeling a bit embarrassed.
It seemed that aside from giving her disciple two martial arts manuals, she had just been mooching off him for food...
“Wait, are you saying you want to use Lingxi Incense on Xiao Mo?”
Shang Wu snapped back to reality.
“Yeah, this item is of no use to me.”
Ying Bing nodded.
“Alright, then I’ll leave it to you.”
“Wow... this kid is quite lucky.”
Shang Wu agreed with a smile.
Even if she didn’t use the good stuff herself, it was fine if her disciple did.
---
“Learning swordsmanship from you?”
Li Mo had just opened another meridian.
The eleventh meridian had slightly expanded his small world by a few more feet.
Then he saw Ying Bing push the door open and enter.
“Come with me.”
Ying Bing’s expression was calm as she turned and headed downstairs.
“What’s going on all of a sudden...”
Li Mo scratched his head, starting to understand.
The Ice Block wasn’t one for many words.
She hadn’t mentioned the matter of Qing Yuan, but she was definitely keeping it in mind.
That was fine.
With the Ice Block around, he could save a lot of effort in understanding martial arts.
He knew he wasn’t cut out for sword practice, but Li Mo didn’t intend to give up entirely.
Besides, he didn’t have any other martial arts to practice at the moment.
---
In the open space of Qiu Shui Pavilion.
In the bronze censer, blue smoke curled upward.
The scent of the incense brought a refreshing clarity to the mind, invigorating thought.
Li Mo knew this was a good thing.
“From mastery to perfection means you’ve truly made martial arts your own, no longer bound by techniques.”
“Even, you need not rely on sword techniques anymore.”
“Similarly, any sword technique is merely a step toward the true essence of swordsmanship; mastering one leads to mastering all.”
Ying Bing brought her fingers together and lightly brushed them against the nearby bamboo.
Immediately, traces of crane feathers appeared, but instead of fiery red, they were ice blue.
Li Mo’s eyes widened in astonishment.
The ‘Fire Crane Thousand Feathers’ had been transformed by the Ice Block into ‘Ice Crane Thousand Feathers.’
This indicated that she had completely understood and mastered this superior sword technique.
And he hadn’t even seen her practice it.
“The transformation of your sword technique should allow you to control the timing, quantity, and position of your power’s explosion with ease.”
“You can even condense a thousand feathers into one, achieving the effect of ‘dripping water wears through stone.’”
As soon as she finished speaking—
Bang—
One of the crane feathers suddenly exploded, its power ten times stronger than a single burst.
“What you need to do now is to forget about ‘techniques.’”
“Pick up your sword.”
“Okay.”
Li Mo took out the chipped blue steel sword.
Just as he was about to make a move, a cool, soft hand grasped his, accompanied by the sweet fragrance of a girl.
Ying Bing held his hand tightly.
Li Mo: “!”
This felt different from when he jumped into Qing Yuan.
At that time, he was in free fall, his mind blank, with no thoughts of anything else.
But now...
“Don’t get distracted; I’ll only show you once.”
Her clear voice rang in his ear.
This was truly hand-holding teaching.
Even in her past life, among her disciples, there were many exceptional talents, yet she would only offer a few pointers.
Ying Bing had never taught anyone with such seriousness before.
“Okay.”
Li Mo focused and began to learn earnestly.
A quarter of an hour later.
Ying Bing released his hand and silently stood beside him.
She had somehow acquired a ruler and was watching him with a calm gaze, her lips slightly parted:
“Practice.”
Li Mo: “.....”
Was the Ice Block implying that if he practiced incorrectly, she would smack his palm with the ruler?
Five minutes later, Little Li received his answer.
It wasn’t his palm.
“I’m not a kid anymore; do we really need to resort to spanking?”
Li Mo protested, covering his backside.
It didn’t hurt, but it was embarrassing!
“Hahahahaha!”
Shang Wu laughed so hard she rolled off her chair, tears streaming down her face.
Ying Bing remained unfazed, looking down and saying, “Forget the techniques; you just used a sword technique again. Power originates from the ground, flows through the meridians; you can achieve the same without relying on sword techniques.”
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The matter of his backside wasn’t mentioned at all.
It was non-negotiable.
Alright, alright.
I, Li Mo, won’t hold back; you really don’t think of me as a buddy, do you?
Martial arts comprehension, activate!
【Five years of martial arts comprehension successfully injected.】
【First Year: You accepted Ying Bing’s guidance, gained inspiration, and began to diligently pursue the essence of swordsmanship, forgetting the existence of sword techniques.】
......
【Fifth Year: After diligent practice, you’ve forgotten about half of the sword techniques; the first three moves are no longer bound by form.】
Goodness.
With the Ice Block’s guidance, five years of martial arts comprehension only yielded this little progress.
If he had been grinding away on his own, who knows how long it would have taken.
“I’m ready.”
Li Mo picked up his sword and began to practice again.
“Did you really get it?”
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