Chapter 56: The Thrust
The young patriarch’s expression twisted strangely. That arm-thick strand of Yuan Qi of Qin Mu’s—was that what he called a Yuan Qi thread?
Was there such a thick Yuan Qi thread?
Could a Yuan Qi thread be this powerful?
And what did he mean by saying his Yuan Qi wasn’t strong enough? He had never seen anyone in the Spirit Embryo realm with such abundant Yuan Qi cultivation!
This youth from the Village of the Crippled had pierced through a water-bucket-thick wooden pillar with a single sword strike, then pierced through two-foot-thick mountain rock with another. The power contained in his Yuan Qi thread already surpassed that of countless sword cultivators in the Spirit Embryo realm!
The Village Chief smiled faintly and guided Qin Mu, saying, “That’s right. You haven’t mastered the most basic movement in swordsmanship: the thrust. What if you could concentrate all your strength into that single thrust? What if you could unleash all your power?”
Qin Mu couldn’t believe it. He shook his head. “Using Qi to control the sword just means using a Yuan Qi thread to guide it. The Yuan Qi thread is too soft—how could it possibly unleash all my strength?”
“It can be done.”
The Village Chief said leisurely, “You must treat the sword as a part of yourself, just like your own hand. Now, raise your hand and imagine holding a sword in it. Press your index and middle fingers against the blade. When you thrust your hand forward, the sword thrusts forward with it!”
“Treat it as part of my own body?”
Qin Mu was puzzled. His arm-thick Yuan Qi thread coiled around the precious sword again. His right hand formed a loose fist, his thumb pressing against his ring and little fingers, while his index and middle fingers extended outward, as if pressed against the blade.
Qin Mu thrust forward. With a sharp *chi* sound, his Yuan Qi thread carried the sword forward as well. The sharp blade cut through the air, producing a piercing howl!
He was both startled and delighted. Earlier, when he used Qi to control the sword, the power contained in the blade was at most ten percent of his own strength. Now, he felt that the power in the sword had doubled!
The young patriarch laughed. “That’s called the Sword Finger Seal, the starting posture for practicing swordsmanship. You didn’t even use the sword seal earlier, yet you could already pierce through mountain rock. It seems your Yuan Qi’s abundance surpasses even mine back in the day!”
The Village Chief shook his head. “But what he’s done isn’t enough. Relying solely on the Sword Finger Seal won’t defeat a master who has immersed himself in the sword for decades. Mu’er, let your Yuan Qi burst forth from your palm and try again.”
Qin Mu obeyed. The Yuan Qi thread in his palm coiled around the sword, and he surged his Yuan Qi. Once again, he pressed his fingers together and thrust forward.
*Whoosh!*
This single thrust actually stirred up a whirlwind. Within the gale, the sword howled, piercingly loud!
The young patriarch’s eyelids twitched. He immediately sensed that the power of this thrust had increased by about ten percent compared to the last. This old cripple before him had only given two sentences of guidance, yet he had already elevated Qin Mu so dramatically. Truly awe-inspiring and worthy of respect!
The Village Chief barked, “The Yuan Qi thread isn’t just wrapped around the sword—it must take root within the sword. The sword is a part of your body, and Yuan Qi is also a part of your body. Both are your flesh! Try again!”
Qin Mu’s Yuan Qi merged with the sharp sword, seeping into it. He suddenly felt as if he had gained an extra hand.
When he thrust this time, he sensed his power surging like a great flood finding an outlet. Seventy to eighty percent of his strength gathered within the sharp sword, thrusting toward the village!
Wind howled through the village. Suddenly, the wooden post where the Butcher often stood split in half with a sharp *crack*!
Qin Mu stood dumbfounded. His sword hadn’t even touched that post—the sword wind alone had split it in two!
The young patriarch praised inwardly. With just a few words, this old cripple had unlocked Qin Mu’s astonishing potential. His mastery of swordsmanship was indeed extremely high.
“Still not enough.”
The Village Chief said, “Your power hasn’t been fully unleashed. You’ve channeled your own strength into the sword, but what about your Spirit Embryo? Where is its power? The Spirit Embryo must also grip the sword. Thrust again!”
Qin Mu steadied his mind. Within his Spirit Embryo Divine Treasury, the Spirit Embryo moved in unison with him, pressing its fingers together and thrusting forward!
“Not good enough! Where is the Danxin Art? The Danxin Art doesn’t just require you to forge a Danxin—it demands that you plant that Danxin into the sword! Plant the sword!”
“Still not enough, do it again! Planting the Danxin into the sword—that is the key to the Danxin Art!”
“Your legs connect to the earth, the source of power. Use the leg techniques the Cripple taught you to borrow strength from the ground!”
“What about your eyes? Where is the Heavenly Eye the Blind Man taught you? Let your sword grow eyes too!”
“You learned boxing from Master Ma, forging your muscles and sinews like a dragon. You’ve even seen a real dragon. Why doesn’t your sword carry the dragon’s majestic grandeur, or the overwhelming force of Master Ma’s fists?”
...
Qin Mu thrust his sword over and over again. The Village Chief’s demands grew higher and higher. First, he only required Qin Mu to mobilize his own strength, then his Yuan Qi, then his Spirit Embryo. Next, he demanded that Qin Mu integrate Master Ma’s boxing and the Cripple’s leg techniques into his swordsmanship. It became increasingly difficult.
In just a short time, he had thrust countless times, yet the Village Chief was never quite satisfied, urging him to continue practicing.
Granny Si, the Cripple, and the others watched Qin Mu practicing his sword. Each of them wore expressions of astonishment. They saw Qin Mu using Qi to control the sword. With each thrust, a short, urgent whistle sounded, followed by a gale that blew to both sides. Even the flags of the Blacksmith’s shop, the Medicine Garden, and the Meat Shop flapped noisily, billowing backward!
And with every thrust, a sword scar appeared on the ground—the result of the sword wind scraping against the earth!
Granny Si found it almost unbelievable. She murmured, “In such a short time, the Village Chief has turned Mu’er into a swordsmanship expert. This is just too...”
The Village Chief shook his head. “I didn’t teach him any sword techniques. I only helped him integrate his power—to combine everything you’ve taught him into one. Right now, he’s only just begun to understand the single movement of the thrust. He’s still a long way from truly mastering it. And the most basic movements of swordsmanship also include chop, lift, hang, cloud, point, collapse, intercept, and shear. Only when he has practiced these basic movements well will he be considered to have entered the gate, and only then can he learn sword techniques. Mu’er, thrust at the butcher knife one more time!”
As soon as he finished speaking, Qin Mu tossed the butcher knife into the air. Using Qi to control the sword, he thrust like a bolt of lightning!
*Clang!*
The sharp sword met the butcher knife, piercing through the precious blade forged from Cold Iron and Gold Crystal. The sword tip emerged from the back of the knife.
Both the butcher knife and the sharp sword fell to the ground. Qin Mu stood stunned for a moment before stepping forward to examine them. He couldn’t believe how much progress he had made in such a short time.
The most basic movement of swordsmanship—the thrust—could possess such overwhelming power!
The Village Chief’s heart trembled slightly. Qin Mu’s rapid grasp of the thrust technique had also exceeded his expectations. He said, “Mu’er, you can now go see the Sword Hall Master.”
“Wait!”
The young patriarch across from them raised his hand. A wooden stick drifted over from the forest. The young patriarch extended a finger and shaved it down, quickly carving it into a three-foot-long wooden sword. He handed it to Qin Mu. “Use this sword to see him. Don’t use a real one.”
Qin Mu took the wooden sword and glanced at Granny Si. Granny Si said, “The Sword Hall Master has sealed his other Divine Treasuries, keeping only the Spirit Embryo Divine Treasury. He is now at the Spirit Embryo realm. If you use a real sword, you might stab him to death. Go on.”
Qin Mu thought for a moment, then removed his sword pouch and the Shaobao Sword, placing them at the village entrance. Carrying the wooden sword on his back, he walked into the wooden building of the neighboring village to meet the Sword Hall Master.
The Sword Hall Master was still half-kneeling, half-sitting, his hand resting on his sword case. His gaze was as sharp as a sword. “Have you consulted the world’s number one swordsmanship and returned? Use the world’s number one swordsmanship you learned to attack me! I want to see who dares to boast so arrogantly, claiming to be number one!”
Qin Mu shook his head. “I didn’t learn any sword techniques. The Village Chief only taught me one movement.”
The Sword Hall Master frowned and said coldly, “I’ll give you time. Go learn. Come back to me after you’ve mastered a sword move!”
Qin Mu looked troubled. “Your Demon Sect’s patriarch said I should use a wooden sword to see you, not a real one, for fear I might kill you...”
“Preposterous!”
The Sword Hall Master’s aura exploded. The very air seemed to fill with a fierce, brutal atmosphere, mixed with the clashing sounds of metal striking metal, as if countless sharp swords were colliding.
It was the scent of iron and blood mingled together—the smell of rust and gore. Only someone who had killed countless people and creatures could possess such a ferocious aura!
The latch on his sword case opened automatically. The long box opened, and the swords hummed, flying joyfully out of the case!
He resonated with his swords. When he was happy, the swords were happy. When he was angry, the swords were angry. When he wanted to fly, the swords would carry him. When he wanted to kill, the swords would kill.
He was the Sword Hall Master, the Sword Fanatic.
Now, he wanted to kill. The swords in the case leaped out, and in an instant, the room was flooded with sword light!
Without thinking, Qin Mu used Qi to control the sword, formed the Sword Finger Seal, and thrust forward!
The sword light from the case erupted, and then a soft *ding* sound was heard. The sword light shattered into pieces!
*Bang!*
The Sword Hall Master’s tall figure crashed through the wall behind him, flying backward like lightning. He then slammed violently into the wooden building opposite, a wooden sword embedded in his chest.
Qin Mu was startled. He quickly withdrew the wooden sword and looked closely. There was only a little blood on the tip—the sword hadn’t pierced through the Sword Hall Master. He breathed a sigh of relief.
On the opposite wooden building, the Sword Hall Master’s body slowly slid down, his descent growing faster and faster until he landed with a thud on the ground, sitting there with vacant eyes, as if he hadn’t yet come to his senses.
“Are you alright?” Qin Mu waved at him.
The Sword Hall Master shook his head woodenly. His body hadn’t suffered serious injury, but his spirit had been dealt a devastating blow.