Chapter 7
After a while, Lu Yi returned to the courtyard with a saber on his waist and threw it to Han Zhao.
Han Zhao grabbed the scabbard with one hand and the hilt with the other.
He drew his saber.
Whoosh!
The bright silver blade glowed with a cold light. The length of the blade was about one meter. At first glance, it looked like a straight saber, but the blade was slightly curved and wider. It weighed about four kilograms.
Overall, it looked like a good saber.
[A low-quality saber.]
A notification appeared.
Han Zhao was basically experienced now. As long as he focused his attention on one point, it was easy for a notification to appear.
Other than that, there were also times when his emotions fluctuated greatly.
“This is my backup saber from my early years. I’ll lend it to you for practice,” Lu Yi said seriously. “If you can really master it within four months, I’ll give this saber to you.”
“Yes.”
Han Zhao held the saber and waved it gently, adapting to the weight.
It was difficult for ordinary people to swing a saber that weighed nearly four catties for a long time, let alone practice saber techniques.
However, training one’s skin and flesh by wielding a saber was also a necessary process for cultivation.
“Let’s begin. Remember the incantation and my movements. When you’re completely familiar with it and there are obvious changes in your arm, it means that you’ve broken through.” Lu Yi held the hilt of the saber with one hand and slowly drew out his saber. His entire aura instantly changed drastically.
Although Lu Yi had a full beard, he gave off a scholarly and easy-going feeling. However, when he held the saber at this moment, a sharp feeling appeared on his body.
The cold wind was like a knife, and a few leaves fell from the mulberry trees in the courtyard.
Lu Yi moved.
“This is the first move, Cross River Style!”
Lu Yi stepped on the ground with his right foot and soared into the air. Then, he spun in the air. The pitch-black blade was like a black dragon as it swam past Han Zhao’s eyes and spun above his head.
As his body landed, the blade stopped on Han Zhao’s shoulder.
A strand of Han Zhao’s hair and four leaves fell at the same time.
“So fast!” Han Zhao looked down and saw that the four leaves had been split vertically from the middle. Three of the leaves were clearly bent.
What astonishing accuracy!
[Putting aside the power, just from the proficiency of the saber technique, this saber move is not bad.]
“In the beginning, you only need to try your best to imitate my movements and use the strength of the saber to train your body. When you break through to the Skin Tempering Realm, you will be able to unleash the true power of this saber move.”
“By the way, did you get a good look?”
Lu Yi sheathed his saber. He had deliberately slowed down just now. However, as a Force Tempering Martial Master, even if he slowed down, it was very difficult for Han Zhao to memorize the moves and not use them once. Therefore, he planned to practice them a few more times for Han Zhao to see.
“I saw it clearly!” Han Zhao gripped his saber tightly as Lu Yi’s actions kept appearing in his mind.
“If you didn’t see it clearly, I can demonstrate… What did you say?!” Lu Yi frowned.
“I saw it clearly, Teacher Lu,” Han Zhao repeated.
“Come try it.” Lu Yi took a few steps back and made space for him. He gestured for Han Yi to do as he was told.
“Alright.” Han Zhao stood still and tightened his grip on the saber in his hand. He sheathed it and took a deep breath.
[Your body moves with the saber, and the saber moves at will. You have to imagine that you are one with the saber, and the saber grows on your body. With your current level, it’s better to stand on the ground and draw your saber.]
Seeing the notification in his vision, Han Zhao closed his eyes and imagined himself as one with his saber.
A moment later, he opened his eyes and suddenly drew his saber. The long saber in his hand stabbed against the wind, and a bright silver cold light went straight for Lu Yi’s throat. Before the saber arrived, the cold saber intent seemed to have already shattered the biting cold west wind.
Lu Yi stopped twirling his beard.
Han Zhao’s blade suddenly changed. He turned around and drew a full moon in front of him.
“Clang!”
Han Zhao awkwardly sheathed his saber, and the sound of the blade rubbing against the scabbard brought Lu Yi back to his senses.
“Is this really your first time holding a saber?!”
“Yes.” Han Zhao nodded. [Sword and Saber Duo] was indeed powerful. It was clearly his first time holding a saber, but when he attacked just now, he felt as if the saber was part of his hand.
“I…” Lu Yi was surprised and delighted.
Although many people came to learn saber techniques from him every year, in the past decade or so, no apprentice had broken through to the Blood Tempering Realm with the Mountain Splitting Saber Technique.
This was because at the second level of the Mountain Splitting Saber Technique, which was the Bone Tempering Realm, the requirement for comprehension was very high.
Comprehension was something that really existed but could not be seen or touched. It was not like foundation and innate vitality that could be determined with a test.
Many people in Blackrock City said that the Mountain Splitting Saber Technique was useless, but twenty years ago, why didn’t anyone dare to say such words in front of him?!
Over the years, it was not that there were no quasi-Martial Masters in the Blood Refining Realm among the martial artists who had graduated under him, but they had all cultivated the Mountain Shaking Fist to the third level to break through. Even the martial artists who cultivated it at the same time were stuck at the second level of the Mountain Splitting Saber Technique.
Currently, the most talented person in the martial arts school was Li Fei and his daughter, Lu Yingxuan.
However, after Lu Yingxuan reached the second level of the Mountain Splitting Saber Technique, she was brought to Yuan Chang City, the capital of Cloud Prefecture, by an old friend of his last year. She joined the martial arts academy and changed her swordsmanship.
As for Li Fei, he was twenty-four years old this year. He had been stuck at the perfected second level of the Mountain Splitting Saber Technique for two years. Once he passed the age of twenty-five, his chances of breaking through would only decrease. Recently, he had already prepared to switch to the Mountain Shaking Fist.
Lu Yi’s strongest martial arts technique was the Mountain Splitting Saber Technique, but every time his disciples went out to spar with other martial arts schools, they would compete with their fists and feet.
It was because there were no apprentices in the martial arts school who had cultivated the Mountain Splitting Saber Technique to the third level.
This had always been Lu Yi’s regret.
He did not expect to suddenly pick up a treasure!
“Han Zhao, do it again.”
“Yes.” Han Zhao took out his saber.
It was a clean Cross River Style.
Moreover, he was clearly much more proficient in retracting his saber.
Although it was just a movement without the strength of the Skin Tempering Realm as the foundation, Han Zhao’s movements were too precise. It could only be described as beautiful!
‘Inferior foundation but superior comprehension, a saber genius?!’ Happiness came too suddenly. For a moment, Lu Yi felt that it was unreal.
He hurriedly said, “Mountain Shaking Fist only focuses on the fist and arm, but the Mountain Splitting Saber Technique requires comprehensive training in the hands, eyes, body, methods, and steps. Strength starts from the ground. Let’s start from the basics. In addition…”
Lu Yi requested that Han Zhao spend half a day every day building up his foundation.
“Yes, Teacher Lu.” Han Zhao naturally knew the importance of foundation.
Although he did not want to be in the limelight, things that were related to resources were different.
This was because Lu Yi had stipulated that the higher the realm of the apprentice, the lower the tuition fees.
Moreover, he was determined to get this saber.
…
“Good!”
“Very good!”
From time to time, Lu Yi’s happy laughter could be heard from the inner courtyard. The students from the outer courtyard were a little curious.
“What’s wrong with him these days?”
“That’s right. I haven’t seen Master Lu so happy in a long time.”
“Could it be that some senior brother has broken through?”
“It must be Li Fei. His Mountain Splitting Saber Technique has long reached the second level. Perhaps he has broken through!”
“You’re all wrong! It’s Han Zhao. I heard that he practiced the saber technique Teacher Lu taught him after just one look. He’s a saber genius!”
“How is that possible? Isn’t this guy’s foundation very poor? Otherwise, he wouldn’t have eaten thousands of taels of precious herbs.”
“Comprehension and foundation are two different things.”
“Why don’t we make a bet? How about one tael of silver?”
“Then forget it. I don’t have any money.”
“Let’s bet on dinner. How about dinner?”
“I’m not betting! I’m irreconcilable with drugs and gambling!”
Everyone whispered to each other.
…
Lu Yi’s happy state lasted for two months before it gradually faded.
This was because the First Level was the easiest to break through, especially for a genius like Han Zhao who memorized the Cross River Style after reading it once.
However, he did not break through to the Skin Tempering Realm after two months.
His innate foundation was still too weak, dragging him down.
For example, Li Fei, whose comprehension was not bad, only used half a month to break through to the Skin Tempering Realm because his foundation was high. Only then did he completely master the Cross River Style.
Lu Yi felt that it was a pity. If Han Zhao came from a large family and had such a comprehension of the saber, even if his foundation was inferior, he could break through to the Bone Tempering Realm as soon as possible with the help of resources in the early stages. Then, with his comprehension, he could break through to the Blood Tempering Realm, cultivate the Mountain Splitting Saber Technique to the third level, and fully master it.
Of course, as long as Han Zhao could break through to the Skin Tempering Realm in half a year, he would be considered average.
However, with such progress, the possibility of grasping Internal Force to become a Martial Master in the future would be greatly reduced.
Lu Yi’s original intention of letting Han Zhao be his successor had faded.
However, he could still take care of Han Zhao a little. After all, he wanted Han Zhao to master the Mountain Splitting Saber Technique and defeat the chiefs of the other martial arts schools in the martial arts school competition to revive the reputation of the Mountain Splitting Saber Technique.
They were neither relatives nor friends, so it was impossible for him to do everything for Han Zhao. Whether he could grasp Internal Force or not depended on Han Zhao’s luck.
In this world, everything had to be fought for by oneself.
…
Han Zhao didn’t know about Lu Yi’s roller coaster-like mental journey in the past two months.
He cultivated diligently every day.
In the morning, he would train his physical fitness. After lunch, he would take two hours to teach the children how to read and earn money. Then, he would practice his saber in the afternoon and the Life Nurturing Technique at night.
If not for the fact that he had meat for lunch at Lu Yi’s house every day and could eat until he was full and drink half a bowl of Vitality Soup at night, his body would probably not have been able to withstand it.
During this period of time, Han Zhao was like a sponge, crazily absorbing the water of strength.
Martial Arts: Mountain Splitting Saber Technique (First Level Entry Level 69%), Life Nurturing Technique (First Level Small Mastery 50%)
Before going to bed, Han Zhao checked his cultivation progress as usual.
He felt that his strength had increased a lot recently. He was not far from breaking through.
He would probably be able to break through to the Skin Tempering Realm when the Mountain Splitting Saber Technique reached the Small Mastery stage of the First Level.
It would take about a month.
As for the Life Nurturing Technique, it had only increased by 2% in two months. Although it was much faster than the simulation, it was still not enough.
“Let’s work harder next. The sooner I break through, the sooner I can earn money.”
“If only a rich woman could see through my soft heart under my strong appearance. Sigh…”
Han Zhao closed his eyes and quickly fell asleep.