Chapter 56: Stab

The Young Patriarch's expression was strange. Qin Mu’s arm-thick qi—could that even be called a qi thread? Was there a qi thread that thick? Was there a qi thread so powerful? And what did Village Chief mean by "his qi isn't strong enough"? The Young Patriarch had never seen anyone in the Spirit Embryo realm with such profound qi cultivation! With one sword, this young man from Disabled Elderly Village had pierced a pillar as thick as a bucket; with another, he had pierced a two-foot-thick rock. The power contained within his "qi thread" already far surpassed that of countless sword cultivators in the Spirit Embryo realm!

The Village Chief smiled slightly, instructing Qin Mu, "Precisely. You haven't mastered the most fundamental movement in swordsmanship: the thrust. What if you could concentrate all your power into that single thrust? What if you could unleash your full potential?"

Qin Mu couldn't believe it. Shaking his head, he replied, "Controlling a sword with qi is done with a qi thread. Qi threads are too pliable; how can they unleash all my power?"

"It can be done," the Village Chief said calmly. "You must treat the sword as an extension of yourself, like your own hand. Now, raise your hand, imagine holding a sword. Your index and middle fingers should rest on the blade. When your hand thrusts forward, the sword will thrust with it!"

"As part of my body?" Qin Mu was puzzled. The arm-thick qi thread once again coiled around the precious sword. He loosely clasped his right hand, thumb pressing against his ring and pinky fingers, while his index and middle fingers extended, as if resting on the blade.

Qin Mu thrust forward, and with a soft whoosh, his qi thread carried the sword forward. The sharp blade cut through the air, emitting a piercing whistle! He was both surprised and delighted. Previously, when he controlled a sword with qi, the power contained within it was at most one-tenth of his own. Now, he felt the sword's power had doubled!

The Young Patriarch smiled, "This is called forming a sword gesture, the starting posture for cultivating swordsmanship. You just now, without even forming a sword gesture, could pierce rocks. It seems your qi is even more profound than mine was back then!"

The Village Chief shook his head. "But he hasn't done enough. Merely forming a sword gesture won't allow him to defeat masters who have been immersed in the Way of the Sword for decades. Mu'er, let your qi erupt from your palm. Try again."

Qin Mu obeyed. The qi thread in his palm wrapped around the precious sword, and with surging qi, he once again pointed his fingers forward and thrust.

Whoosh—

When he thrust the sword, it actually stirred up a whirlwind. The sharp blade whistled within the whirlwind, an ear-splitting sound!

The Young Patriarch's eyes twitched. He immediately realized that the power of Qin Mu's latest thrust had increased by about ten percent compared to the previous one. This old cripple before him had given only two pointers, yet he had allowed Qin Mu to make such a huge improvement. It was truly formidable and awe-inspiring!

The Village Chief shouted, "The qi thread isn't merely wrapped around the sword; it's rooted *within* the sword. The sword is part of your body, and your qi is also part of your body—they are both your very being! Try again!"

Qin Mu's qi merged with the sharp blade, sinking into it. He suddenly felt as if he had an extra hand. When he thrust this sword, he immediately felt his power, like a great flood, had found an outlet. Seventy to eighty percent of his own strength gathered in the sharp blade, thrusting toward the village!

The wind howled through the village. Suddenly, with a loud crack, the wooden stake that the Butcher often stood on, directly in front of the sharp sword, split into two! Qin Mu was stunned. His sword hadn't even touched the stake; it was the sword wind that had cleaved it in half!

The Young Patriarch exclaimed in admiration. This old cripple, with just a few words, had made Qin Mu unleash astonishing potential. His mastery of swordsmanship was indeed extraordinarily high.

"Still not enough," the Village Chief said. "Your power hasn't been fully unleashed. Although your physical strength is now channeled into the sword, what about your Spirit Embryo? Where is your Spirit Embryo's power? Your Spirit Embryo must also grasp the sword. Thrust again!"

Qin Mu composed himself. In his Spirit Embryo Divine Treasure, his Spirit Embryo moved in sync with him, pointing forward and thrusting!

"Not good enough! Where is the Dan Xin Art? The Dan Xin Art doesn't just require you to cultivate a Dan Xin; it requires you to *plant* your Dan Xin *in* the sword! Plant the sword for me!"

"Still not enough, again! Planting the Dan Xin in the sword—that is the most crucial part of the Dan Xin Art!"

"Your legs connect to the earth, the source of power. Use the leg techniques Cripple taught you to borrow strength from the earth!"

"What about your eyes? Where is the Heavenly Eye Blind Man taught you? Make your sword also have eyes!"

"You learned boxing from Old Man Ma, refining your muscles and bones like a dragon, and you've even seen a true dragon. Why does your sword lack the majestic aura of a dragon, or the destructive power of Old Man Ma's boxing?"

Qin Mu thrust his sword again and again. The Village Chief's demands grew higher and higher. First, he only required him to mobilize his own strength, then the power of his qi, then the power of his Spirit Embryo, and finally, he demanded that he integrate Old Man Ma's boxing and Cripple's leg techniques into his swordsmanship, making it increasingly difficult.

In a short while, he had thrust countless swords, yet the Village Chief was still not entirely satisfied, telling him to continue practicing.

Grandma Si, Cripple, and the others watched Qin Mu practicing his sword, each showing surprise. They saw Qin Mu controlling his sword with qi. With each thrust, a short, sharp whistling sound erupted, followed by a furious gale that swept to both sides. Even the flags of the blacksmith shop, herb garden, and butcher shop flapped violently, streaming backward! And with every thrust, a sword mark appeared on the ground—the result of the sword wind scraping the earth!

Grandma Si felt it was somewhat unbelievable. She murmured, "In such a short time, Village Chief has trained Mu'er into a sword master. This is just too..."

The Village Chief shook his head. "I didn't teach him any swordsmanship. I merely helped him integrate his power, to bring together everything you all taught him. Right now, he has only just begun to understand the 'thrust' movement. There's still a considerable distance before he truly masters it. And the most basic movements in swordsmanship also include chopping, sweeping, hanging, clouding, pointing, collapsing, intercepting, shearing, and more. Only when he has mastered these fundamental movements can he be considered to have entered the gate and truly begin to learn swordsmanship. Mu'er, thrust at the butcher's knife again!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Qin Mu threw the butcher's knife into the air. Controlling his sword with qi, he thrust out like lightning!

Clang—

The sharp sword met the butcher's knife, piercing through the precious blade, which was forged from cold iron and gold crystal. The sword tip emerged from the knife's spine.

Both the butcher's knife and the sharp sword fell to the ground. Qin Mu was stunned. He walked forward to examine them, utterly amazed by such rapid progress in such a short time. The most basic movement in swordsmanship, the thrust, could actually possess such incredible power!

The Village Chief's heart trembled slightly. Qin Mu's quick mastery of the thrusting technique also exceeded his expectations. "Mu'er," he said, "you can go see the Sword Hall Master now."

"Wait!" The Young Patriarch opposite quickly raised his hand. A wooden stick floated from the forest. The Young Patriarch extended a finger and whittled the stick, in the blink of an eye carving it into a three-foot-long wooden sword. He handed it to Qin Mu, saying, "Use this sword to see him. Don't use a real one."

Qin Mu took the wooden sword and looked at Grandma Si. Grandma Si said, "The Sword Hall Master sealed his other divine treasures, retaining only his Spirit Embryo divine treasure. He is currently at the Spirit Embryo realm. If you use a real sword, you'll stab him to death. Go on."

Qin Mu thought for a moment, then took off his sword pouch and the Young Protector Sword, placing them at the village entrance. Carrying the wooden sword, he walked into the wooden building in 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 as sharp as a blade. "So, you've returned after seeking advice on the world's finest swordsmanship? Use the world's finest swordsmanship you've learned to attack me! I want to see who dares to boast so shamelessly, claiming to be the best!"

Qin Mu shook his head. "I haven't learned any swordsmanship. The Village Chief only taught me one movement."

The Sword Hall Master frowned, coldly saying, "I'll give you time. Go and learn more. Come back to me after you've learned a sword move!"

Qin Mu replied awkwardly, "The Patriarch of your Heavenly Devil Cult said I should use a wooden sword to see you, not a real one, fearing it might kill you..."

"Absurd!" The Sword Hall Master's aura erupted. The air seemed to fill with a tragic intensity, mixed with the clashing sounds of metal, as if countless sharp swords were colliding. It was the scent of iron mixed with blood, a blend of rust and gore, an aura of devastation that only someone who had killed countless people and beings could possess! The clasps of his sword case automatically opened. The long box sprang open, and precious swords clanged, flying out joyfully one after another!

He was in perfect communion with his precious swords. If he was happy, the swords were happy; if he was angry, the swords were angry. If he wanted to fly, the swords would carry him. If 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, sword light erupted throughout the room!

Without hesitation, Qin Mu controlled his sword with qi, formed a sword gesture, and thrust forward! The sword light from the Sword Hall Master's case burst forth, then a soft *clink* was heard, and the sword light shattered into pieces!

Bang—

The Sword Hall Master's tall body smashed through the wall behind him, flying backward like lightning, then crashing heavily into the wooden building opposite, with a wooden sword sticking out of his chest.

Qin Mu was startled. He quickly withdrew the wooden sword and hurried to examine him. Only a little blood stained the sword tip; it hadn't pierced through the Sword Hall Master. Only then did Qin Mu sigh in relief.

On the wooden building opposite, the Sword Hall Master's body slowly slid down, falling faster and faster, then he landed with a thud on his backside on the ground, his eyes vacant, seemingly not having recovered yet.

"Are you alright?" Qin Mu waved to him.

The Sword Hall Master blankly shook his head. His body hadn't suffered severe injury, but his mind had been profoundly traumatized.