Chapter 359
Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW
Chapter 359: Foundations of Swordsmanship
“All of you are disciples of the Divine Sword School. Today, I will talk to you about the art of the sword. While the Divine Sword School is not only renowned for its swordsmanship, it is especially famous for it. The founder of our school wielded a sword alone and dominated six lands, three continents, and an ocean. He suppressed many prominent figures of his time, and his reputation spread throughout the world. In the end, he established the Divine Sword School, which continues to stand strong with a glorious legacy!”
As the elder spoke of the school’s founder, a flicker of pride appeared in his eyes, and his gaze grew a little brighter without him even noticing.
At this moment, the disciples felt a sense of passionate pride, all thrilled to be part of the school.
Pausing for a moment, the elder, with features almost ethereal, seemed quite pleased with the disciples’ reactions. He then continued, “The sword is the king of all weapons. It is elegant, free-spirited, versatile, nimble, graceful, and, at times, it can be unrestrained, wild, and unconventional.”
“Swordsmanship requires the mind and body to be in harmony, combining both internal and external elements, ensuring that both physical and mental aspects are cultivated. The movements should be slow and smooth, like flowing clouds and water, continuous and unbroken…”
The elder spoke with great eloquence, and the disciples listened intently, careful not to miss any details.
Su Yi, however, had low expectations, thinking the elder was merely sharing some basic knowledge.
But, ironically, it gradually piqued Su Yi’s attention, making him listen more seriously.
From the beginning of his cultivation, Su Yi had always trained alone. Though he had consulted with the last three remaining elders of the Divine Demonic Sect, he had only learned a few insights regarding cultivation in the Yuan Spirit Realm. He had never received such fundamental guidance before.
These basics, however, were what Su Yi lacked the most.
Despite already reaching the Third Grade of the Yuan Spirit Realm, and with his clever tricks and remarkable talent, Su Yi’s true strength had long exceeded that of ordinary cultivators at the same level. Yet, as he listened to this basic cultivation knowledge, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of enlightenment, as if the pieces of the puzzle were finally coming together.
It was like a river flowing toward the sea, gentle and unnoticed, with the sediment at the bottom of the river unseen. But now, what Su Yi had gained was like clearing out all that muck from the riverbed, and the river’s waters surged forward, unstoppable.
“Swordsmanship should be agile and light, with the sword in hand held loosely, allowing for quick changes. The strength of the wrist is crucial, as it uses flexibility to overcome rigidity, balancing hardness and softness, with softness overcoming hardness. Quick footwork and sharp vision are essential, using the body to complement the sword technique… That will be all for today’s lesson.”
After nearly two hours, the elder slowly swept his gaze over the disciples. His voice became stronger as he spoke deliberately, “As cultivators, we must not only cultivate ourselves but also our hearts and minds. We must respect our teachers and uphold the teachings. Every martial artist must choose virtuous mentors, remain humble in learning, honor and respect elders, uphold martial ethics, and practice proper etiquette before learning the techniques. It is only by following the righteous path, supporting the weak, and suppressing evil that we can truly understand the essence of martial arts!”
The loud voice resonated through the Sword Hall, reaching the ears of every disciple like a thunderclap, shaking them to their core.
“Thank you for your guidance!”
All the disciples lowered their heads in reverence, their eyes filled with awe.
Su Yi was deeply moved.
This lesson far exceeded Su Yi’s expectations, completely different from what he had imagined.
“To understand etiquette before learning a skill, to grasp morality before cultivating martial arts. Uphold righteousness and protect the weak while suppressing evil.”
Su Yi muttered to himself as he looked at the charismatic elder at the front of the hall. He felt a deeper connection to the Divine Sword School.
“That concludes today’s class. I will give everyone some time to ask any questions you may have.”
The elder smiled gently and glanced at the disciples before him, offering them the chance to speak.
The disciples all lowered their gazes, some exchanged glances with each other, and no one dared to speak freely in front of the elder. They were all quietly suppressed, few bold enough to ask anything.
“Elder, I would like to learn the most basic knowledge of swordsmanship!”
A voice emerged from the crowd.
This question caused the other disciples to privately question the speaker’s intentions.
The most basic knowledge of swordsmanship? Why would someone ask such a question to an elder? Wasn’t this a way of making oneself seem inexperienced? And to ask it in such a setting—after finally having an elder teach a class, only to ask such a simple question—was somewhat embarrassing.
Curious eyes turned towards the source of the voice.
Finally, all attention focused on a young man standing at the back of the Sword Hall, with a broken sword strapped to his back, drawing everyone’s attention.
The young man appeared to be around 15 or 16, with a slender build and long black hair falling to his shoulders. He stood there quietly but emanated an unshakable presence.
The gaze of the senior disciples fell on Su Yi, and a stir of surprise spread among them.
The elder, seated cross-legged and unmoving, regarded Su Yi for a while. For some unknown reason, a brief glimmer flickered in his eyes before it vanished.
“Swordsmanship can be broken down into thrusting, chopping, flicking, hanging, hacking, poking, collapsing, cutting, stirring, and cleaning. Though these may seem basic, they are the foundation. You should study them well. If you haven’t mastered them yet, you can find the ‘Foundations of Swordsmanship’ at Sword-hiding Peak.”
The elder answered the young man.
The young man, of course, was Su Yi. He recalled that he was about to begin practicing the Thirteen Swords of the Roaring Gale, an Emperor Grade Sword Technique, which required a solid foundation in swordsmanship.
Naturally, Su Yi didn’t want to miss this opportunity.
“Elder, I have just joined the Divine Sword School and haven’t earned any points yet. Would you be willing to gift me the book ‘Foundations of Swordsmanship’?”
As soon as Su Yi spoke, all eyes turned toward him in astonishment.
He had no points, yet he dared to ask the elder for the “Foundations of Swordsmanship”?
Everyone was stunned by his boldness.
Next to Su Yi, Zhang Qing was also stunned. He had already been shocked to see an outsider attending a class in the Sword Hall. Now, Su Yi was asking for a book with such audacity!
Zhang Qing grew nervous and uneasy.
PS: Volume 13 hass been published on Amazon (https://amzn.to/46sA3z9).
