“...”
“...”
“...”
The training grounds fell dead silent for three full breaths. The disciples stared with wide eyes, their mouths agape as they stood completely dazed.
A long time ago, a few of them had actually seen Song Yao use a sword.
But she had only just entered the sect back then. Her duel had ended so quickly and her victory had been so swift that no one could clearly see what she had done. Some weren't even sure if she had drawn her sword at all.
Moreover, because she had spent all her time in the Elixir Pavilion and on the main peak afterward, many didn't give it much thought, taking it for granted that she had only become a personal disciple due to her talent as a pill cultivator.
Seeing her now so unexpectedly, they were utterly dumbfounded.
Were they really practicing the same sword art?
How did she manage to perform such basic swordplay to such an incredible level?
Didn't they enter the sect at the same time?
No, wait...
There were even some here who had entered the sect earlier than her.
The disciple who had been whispering earlier snapped out of it. His face flushed bright red as he scratched his head, finally stammering out, “Seventh Senior Sister... you're way too amazing!”
Song Yao paused.
Was she really that amazing?
This was supposed to be the absolute basics.
She waved her hand, yawning lazily as she turned to head back. “As long as you guys got the gist of it. You'll be just as good if you practice a couple more times.”
Seeing her about to leave, the disciples were shocked once more.
What did she mean by "as long as you got the gist"?
They hadn't gotten it at all!
Let alone grasping the way she channeled force through the blade, they hadn't even fully mapped out the trajectory of her moves!
Did Seventh Senior Sister take them for some kind of peerless geniuses?!
The crowd hurriedly called out to stop her. “Seventh Senior Sister, please wait!”
The same disciple from before stammered, “Seventh Senior Sister, could you stay a bit longer? Please help us see where we're going wrong. We... we also want to do our part for the sect...”
Song Yao stopped in her tracks and looked back at them, her eyebrows arching slightly.
Could they really not learn it?
She had broken it down into so many steps and performed it so slowly.
She had even made the transitions between each form as clear as possible.
Back when she was on the main peak, who learned swordplay like this?
Everyone just picked it up after watching it once.
She hesitated for a moment. Seeing the expectant looks on everyone's faces, she finally nodded. “Go ahead and practice. I'll watch.”
She sat back down on the stone edge, bending one leg as she looked toward the field.
The instructing disciple standing nearby hesitated for a long time before finally speaking up, his face flushing as he stammered, “Se-Seventh Senior Sister, could I... could I also practice a few moves with them?”
Song Yao was very easygoing. “Of course.”
“Thank you, Seventh Senior Sister!”
These disciples were willing to put in the hard work, and they weren't entirely lacking in comprehension.
Song Yao leaned against a weapon rack and watched for nearly an hour, gradually identifying their issues.
Some wielded the sword as if it were a separate entity, completely unaware of how to achieve harmony with their weapon. Others couldn't regulate their spiritual energy, which ended up clogging the blade instead of enhancing it. Still others were merely copying the movements blindly; if they ever entered a real battle, they wouldn't even be able to execute a single strike.
She casually picked up a sword, walked into the crowd, and gave one-on-one guidance, demonstrating the forms multiple times to the disciples who were struggling.
The disciples hurriedly adjusted their movements accordingly. Their stiff, awkward sword forms gradually became crisp and fluid, and even the whistling sound of their blades cutting through the air grew much heavier and more solid.
Joy bubbled up in everyone's hearts, and the admiration in their eyes as they looked at Song Yao grew even deeper.
Her instruction over a single night was more useful than what they had learned over several years.
Seventh Senior Sister's understanding of the sword path seemed even greater than that of many sword cultivator masters.
Since opportunities for such guidance were rare, none of them wanted to miss out. They threw themselves into their practice like they were on adrenaline, pushing themselves to the absolute limit.
...
By noon the next day, the sunlight filtered through the thin clouds of the secret realm, warming everyone up.
In the elixir room, Twelfth Elder threw off her thin blanket. As she sat up, the movement pulled at the wounds on her chest and abdomen, making her hiss in pain. The young disciple guarding her side hurriedly stepped forward to support her. “Master, Seventh Elder specifically instructed you to rest and recuperate. Why are you getting up? Please lie down and rest a bit more.”
“Rest my foot,”
Twelfth Elder muttered as she pulled her robes together and stood up. Irritation was written all over her face. She coughed twice and grumbled, “With things like this outside, how can I just lie here? If I keep resting, Nine Saints Hall will really be handed over to others on a silver platter! If the Tianshu Realm is completely taken over by those two sects, won't it turn into a living hell? I'm going out to have a look.”
The young disciple was terrified and hurriedly blocked her path again. “Second Senior Sister went through so much trouble to bring you in! There are other elders guarding the outside, so nothing major will happen! You are still heavily injured, so you absolutely must not act rashly!”
“Exactly. What are you going out for?”
Sixth Elder walked in carrying a bowl of medicine, saying testily, “Feng Qing already dislikes you. Since you're injured, going out now is just asking for trouble. What if she forces you to reveal the location of the secret realm? Just stay here and recover first. Isn't it chaotic enough already?”
“...”
Twelfth Elder was so furious she practically ground her teeth to dust. After a long silence, she still walked toward the door. “Fine, I won't go out. But I'm going to the training grounds to check on those little rascals. They better not be slacking off just because they're hiding in the secret realm, neglecting their basic training.”
Although she was a spiritual cultivator, she had also practiced swordplay for a time. With her cultivation level, she would have no problem teaching these newly initiated children.
She had originally come with the intention of finding faults, but as she stood under the shade of a tree with her hands tucked in her sleeves, her brows arched higher and higher the longer she watched.
The disciples on the field were currently sparring in pairs. Although their sword moves were still green and their strength a bit lacking, their wrist transitions looked much smoother than before. Their advances and retreats were orderly and precise, and their eyes shone with a bright, energetic light.
How strange.
Didn't they say that the ones brought here were the weakest batch of low-cultivation disciples?
They actually looked quite decent.
The instructing disciple caught sight of her out of the corner of his eye and quickly raised his hand to signal everyone to stop.
The disciples sheathed their swords, stood at attention, and turned to bow in unison. “Greetings, Twelfth Elder!”
“You've been practicing very well~”
Twelfth Elder clapped her hands twice, a rare smile appearing on her face. “It seems you haven't been slacking off. You haven't let down the elders, senior brothers, and senior sisters who are holding the line for you outside.”
The instructing disciple scratched his head, looking a bit embarrassed. “This is all thanks to Seventh Senior Sister's constant guidance. If not for her, we wouldn't have made such rapid progress.”
“Seventh Senior Sister?”
Twelfth Elder's eyebrows shot up, her tone filled with surprise. “That little girl Lin Mu? Did she... give you some kind of energy-boosting pills?”
“No, no,” the instructing disciple said, waving his hands quickly as he realized she had misunderstood. “Seventh Senior Sister guided every single one of us in our swordplay!”
Twelfth Elder muttered, “She guided you? Isn't she a pill cultivator...”
She knew this child was a genius. No matter which path she chose, as long as she was willing to study diligently, she could achieve great things.
But hadn't she refused to become a sword cultivator under Second Elder and Ninth Elder?
Even when Twelfth Elder herself had wanted to take her in as a spiritual cultivator, she had been rejected.
She had heard that the girl had already carved out her own path as a pill cultivator, even catching the attention of Mingdan Pavilion. At her age, that was already an incredibly remarkable feat.
But to guide others in swordplay without ever having studied the sword path...?
Rate on N.U.
