Chapter 55: The Number One Sword Style Under Heaven
"I am the Rain Hall Master of the Holy Sect, known as Little Rain Master. How are your spell techniques?"
Qin Mu walked into the next room. Inside was a woman with peculiar patterns painted on her face, wearing a feathered headdress and holding a bamboo staff with twenty-four segments corresponding to the twenty-four solar terms, to which an unknown beast's tail was tied. The woman smiled and said, "In this room, we compete in spell techniques!"
Qin Mu shook his head. "I don't understand spell techniques. Can martial artists in the Spirit Embryo realm also learn spells?"
The woman laughed. "Why not? Primordial energy is magical power. If you know spells, you can perform them. The Sect Leader's Wife is the pinnacle of spell techniques in our sect. Didn't she teach you? When I was at the Spirit Embryo realm, I was already traveling the world, performing rituals to bring rain for the people. Whenever there was a drought, the common folk would invite me, so they called me a witch. Later, as my cultivation grew and my reputation spread, I was called Little Rain Master. Thanks to the Sect Leader's regard, I was appointed as the Rain Hall Master. But I'm still far inferior to the Sect Leader's Wife. Back then, she was chosen as the Saintess, while I was not."
Qin Mu asked in confusion, "How do you fight with spells?"
The Rain Hall Master slapped her forehead and sighed, "How can you know nothing? Since ancient times, there has been a conflict between spell cultivation and combat cultivation. Those who cultivate spells and those who cultivate combat techniques often fight to the death, each believing the other is a heretic that must be eliminated. Nowadays, people meet peacefully, but in the past, if you went among spell cultivators and said you practiced combat techniques, the next moment you'd be sliced to pieces! The combat power of the spell cultivation lineage is stronger than you imagine!"
Qin Mu asked curiously, "Does the art of sword control belong to spells?"
"No."
The Rain Hall Master shook her head. "The art of sword control originally belonged to combat techniques. Later, those who practiced sword control thought they were the orthodox path, calling themselves the divine ability school, and considered both combat techniques and spells as heretical paths that had to be eliminated. That's why the Yankang National Teacher convened a grand assembly, challenging all combat technique experts under heaven with his sword, crippling the combat technique lineage. Didn't the Sect Leader's Wife tell you this?"
Qin Mu frowned. "Why are they always fighting each other? Combat techniques, sword arts, and spells—aren't they all divine abilities? Wouldn't it be better to combine the strengths of all three?"
The Rain Hall Master was caught between laughter and tears. "A person's energy is limited. Where would they find the time to cultivate all three schools to a profound level? Mastering one will consume a lifetime's worth of time and wisdom, and it's still difficult to reach the pinnacle. Since everyone cultivates different things, there will inevitably be disputes over who is superior. No one is willing to admit defeat, so naturally, they fight to the death."
Qin Mu's spirits lifted. "Sister, please demonstrate your spells for me. I've never seen spells before!"
The Rain Hall Master raised her delicate hand, fingers pointing downward, then lifted and shook it. Instantly, mist surged into the room, followed by the patter of rain falling.
Qin Mu observed closely, noticing that after the rain hit the ground, it flowed back up the walls in a continuous cycle.
The Rain Hall Master waved her hand, and the raindrops formed clear, distinct lines like strings of a zither. She spread her ten fingers and plucked the rain strings. The room filled with the sound of a zither, and within the music, the rain coalesced into a water dragon that roared and surged toward Qin Mu!
Qin Mu reached out, grabbed the water dragon by its throat, and crushed it with a snap.
The Rain Hall Master was startled. Her hands flew as she plucked the strings rapidly, and the rain transformed into swords, spears, halberds, and sabers, attacking Qin Mu from all directions at incredible speed. The air temperature plummeted sharply, and the rain froze, making the weapons even more powerful!
Qin Mu flicked his ten fingers, shattering all the weapons that came at him. "So this is spell technique? Sister, would you consider this move of mine a spell?"
His hands suddenly burst into blazing flames. Using his hands as blades, he slashed repeatedly, sending the Rain Hall Master flying.
The Rain Hall Master tumbled into the courtyard, her voice filled with shock and anger: "You heretical combat technique practitioner, treating combat techniques as spells..."
Qin Mu walked to the next room. Inside was a burly man with a scruffy beard, half-kneeling and half-sitting. Beside him lay a rectangular sword case with bronze clasps fastened tightly.
"I am the Sword Hall Master."
The man did not rise, remaining in his half-kneeling, half-sitting posture. "You carry a sword pouch on your back, so you must understand sword techniques. Today, we compete in swordsmanship."
Qin Mu shook his head. "I have never learned sword techniques."
The Sword Hall Master looked up in surprise. "If you haven't learned sword techniques, why do you carry a sword pouch? Didn't the Sect Leader's Wife teach you any?"
Qin Mu shook his head again. "Grandma said there's someone in the village who possesses the number one sword style under heaven, so she couldn't pass on the Holy Sect's sword techniques to me, lest that person refuse to teach me."
"The number one sword style under heaven?"
The Sword Hall Master's tiger eyes widened, his gaze incredibly sharp, like two sword beams piercing straight into Qin Mu's heart. He sneered, "Who dares to boast so loudly? Learn one sword move from him, and I'll see how much the so-called number one sword under heaven can surpass our Holy Sect!"
Qin Mu blinked. "I've also learned other things, like the Thunderclap Eight Forms, the Thief-Stealing Heaven Leg Technique, the Pig-Slaying Saber Art, as well as spear techniques, painting skills, hammer techniques..."
The Sword Hall Master gently stroked the sword case beside him, his voice cold. "I only want to see this so-called number one sword style under heaven! Everything else is nonsense!"
Qin Mu had no choice but to leave the wooden building and return to the Village of Remnants to explain the situation to Grandma Si.
Grandma Si fumed, "That Sword Hall Master is so stubborn and inflexible! And you, Mu'er, why didn't you just chop him to pieces with your saber?"
Qin Mu stammered, "That would be an unworthy victory."
Grandma Si took his hand and led him to the village entrance. There, the Village Chief and the Apothecary were still brewing tea, with the Young Patriarch sitting across from them, the three drinking together.
"Village Chief, the Sword Hall Master insists on competing in swordsmanship with Mu'er."
Grandma Si said with a smile, "How about teaching him a couple of moves?"
The Village Chief frowned and shook his head. "In such a short time, even with my guidance, it would be very difficult for him to win. After all, the Sword Hall Master has immersed himself in sword techniques for who knows how many years and has surely developed his own insights. Asking me to teach him a few moves so he can defeat the Sword Hall Master is a bit too demanding."
"But fortunately, Mu'er is the Overlord Body, isn't he?" Grandma Si said, winking.
"The Overlord Body..."
The Village Chief's eye twitched, and he felt a pang of regret in his gut—it must be the bitterness of regret.
After all, he was the one who had "insisted" that Qin Mu was the Overlord Body. He knew the truth inside out. Qin Mu awakening his Spirit Embryo had already exceeded his expectations, but making Qin Mu's swordsmanship grow to the point where he could rival the most outstanding sword expert of the Holy Sect in such a short time was still pushing it.
Grandma Si had shoved this task onto him, and he couldn't refuse.
The Village Chief pondered for a moment and said, "Mu'er, recite the Danxin Art that you learned from Gu Linuan for me."
Qin Mu immediately recited the Danxin Art from memory. The Village Chief nodded slightly in approval. "The Yankang National Teacher indeed gathered the sword experts of the world and produced something worthwhile. The Danxin Art's sword control technique does have its unique secrets."
The Young Patriarch across from him also praised, "The Yankang National Teacher is a genius."
The Village Chief said, "Tell me how Gu Linuan explained the Danxin Art to you."
Qin Mu recounted Gu Linuan's explanation. The Village Chief pondered for a moment, then laughed. "Gu Linuan held back."
He pointed out the errors. Qin Mu immediately tried the corrections and found that controlling the sword became easier and his strikes faster, filling him with admiration.
The Young Patriarch's eyes lit up, and he laughed. "Gu Linuan didn't hold back; his comprehension is limited, far inferior to yours, Dao Brother. You understood all the mysteries of the Danxin Art after hearing it once, while he spent his entire life cultivating it and still got it wrong."
"Your praise is too kind, Dao Brother."
The Village Chief looked at Qin Mu and said unhurriedly, "I won't teach you sword techniques. I'll only teach you the simplest move: thrust."
"Thrust?"
Qin Mu was taken aback. Wasn't thrusting simple? Just use primordial energy to control the sword and thrust forward. Did that need teaching?
"Using a sword to thrust is not as simple as you imagine. You don't know sword techniques, but if you master just this one move, there will be very few sword experts at the Spirit Embryo realm under heaven who can defeat you."
The Village Chief said, "Take an ordinary sword, use your primordial energy to control it, and try thrusting through the pillar of the butcher's shop."
Qin Mu activated the Danxin Art. A strand of primordial energy as thick as an arm wrapped around a treasured sword from the pouch on his back and thrust it toward the pillar of the village butcher shop.
Thud.
Qin Mu's sword pierced through the pillar, the tip emerging from the other side. The cowherd boy turned to look at the Village Chief.
The Village Chief's face stiffened. He coughed and said, "Try thrusting through this stone."
Qin Mu's primordial energy coiled, pulling the sword out of the pillar. With a clang, the sword pierced through a rock in front of the Village Chief. The cowherd boy turned back again, looking innocently at the Village Chief's stiff expression.
The Young Patriarch was both surprised and amused, barely suppressing his laughter to avoid being rude.
"I forgot. This kid's primordial energy cultivation is incredibly deep. His swordsmanship is terrible, but his primordial energy is immense. With that boost, his power multiplies."
The Village Chief coughed repeatedly to cover his embarrassment. "Try thrusting through your pig-slaying saber."
A crisp clang rang out. This time, Qin Mu failed to pierce the pig-slaying saber.
"Good thing he didn't pierce it, or I wouldn't know how to teach him..."
The Village Chief breathed a sigh of relief and guided him step by step. "When you made that thrust, what did you feel?"
Qin Mu thought carefully, then his eyes suddenly lit up. "I felt that my primordial energy wasn't strong enough. When controlling the sword with my energy, the sword tip met resistance, and my energy couldn't sustain the thrust. It felt like I had all this strength but was trying to hit someone with a strand of hair. The primordial energy thread was too soft to bear all my power."