"One quarter of an hour…"
Chu Mu pursed his lips, instinctively recalling the state of being enhanced by "Linghui."
With ample preparation this time, the experience was undoubtedly far more profound than the previous two instances.
Under the influence of "Linghui," his mental acuity and wisdom seemed to surge to a higher plane. The simplest example was his progress in literacy over the past half-month. He had learned many characters, but their meanings remained superficial, like swallowing dates whole without savoring them.
This sensation was akin to his previous life. Even with a university degree, if given a copy of the Book of Songs or the Analects, he could recognize every character, yet when strung together into sentences, most of their meanings eluded him, leaving him with only a vague understanding.
But under the enhancement of "Linghui," everything taught in the schoolroom—whether he had understood it or been perplexed by it—fused together rapidly, becoming part of Chu Mu's own knowledge.
If Chu Mu were to study on his own, he estimated that even with a tutor's guidance, it would take days of focused effort to achieve the same result, and even then, success was not guaranteed.
Yet, with "Linghui," it took less than half an hour.
Such wisdom was truly formidable.
Hiss…
A gust of cold wind slipped through the window's cracks, its chill striking his face. Chu Mu instinctively tightened his clothes, snapping out of the trance induced by that transcendent intellect.
He exhaled deeply, shaking his head to himself. That sensation was far too captivating.
Having tasted such extraordinary wisdom, who would willingly return to dullness?
After resting for a while, Chu Mu slowly stood, picking up the long saber resting by the desk. He pushed open the door and stepped unhesitatingly into the wind and snow.
Having been in this world for over a month, if learning to read and write was Chu Mu's initial step toward integrating into this era, then his saber technique was his sole source of confidence in facing this unfamiliar age.
Though, truth be told, Chu Mu wasn't certain whether the few moves of this basic saber technique could truly serve as his foundation.
But…
In this strange and brutal era, he could find no other source of assurance.
With a sharp blade in hand, a will to kill arises naturally. In this unfamiliar and harsh world, nothing brought more peace of mind than martial prowess belonging solely to oneself.
"Linghui…"
Chu Mu murmured the word, and a trace of indescribable depth flickered in his bright eyes.
The saber's edge gleamed amidst the swirling snowflakes.
The long saber, weighing several pounds, relied on Chu Mu's current strength to wield. Even after half a month of practice, he could only barely control its falling momentum.
But now, under the enhancement of "Linghui," the saber's weight seemed visibly lighter in his hands.
From struggling to rein in its force to wielding it as if it were a mere toy, effortlessly controlled.
To an outsider, this transformation might seem to occur in mere moments, but in Chu Mu's mind, it was the result of countless bursts of thought.
All the knowledge of saber techniques and martial arts from his previous life's information age—whether true or false—converged in his mind.
In this courtyard, every painstakingly practiced slash and stance from this life merged with that knowledge.
His blossoming intellect dissected the true from the false, experimenting, erring, and summarizing bit by bit, ultimately deepening Chu Mu's mastery of this basic saber technique.
This process was vividly reflected on the translucent panel.
As the saber flashed, the proficiency of his saber technique, still at the beginner stage, began to increase at a visible rate.
In reality, this manifested as an ever-growing familiarity with the saber.
Finally, as if struck by sudden enlightenment, an intangible barrier dissolved naturally. The once-wild saber edge abruptly stilled, then… slowly lowered…
The wind and snow continued, and Chu Mu stood silently, the depth in his eyes fading. His gaze fixed on the translucent panel.
[Name: Chu Mu.]
[Skills: Basic Saber Technique (Initial Insight) 1/500]
[Spiritual Brilliance Value: 0%]
"Half an hour… is that the limit?"
This time, the "Linghui" enhancement was different from before. Previously, he had been caught off guard and overly immersed, but this time, he approached it with the intent to experiment.
In the room, studying with "Linghui" lasted less than half an hour.
Then, he rested for nearly an hour, recovering his energy before practicing the saber.
This time, the "Linghui Value" was fully depleted, and by his calculations, the duration clearly exceeded half an hour.
Unlike the first time, his body wasn't completely drained.
But mentally, he felt strained…
His head was foggy, with occasional sharp pains—likely the result of mental overexertion.
Chu Mu rubbed his forehead, exhaling deeply. He sheathed the saber and slowly returned to the room.
With a creaking sound, the door closed, the flickering candle was extinguished, and the night, amidst the wind and snow, gradually gave way to dawn.
By morning, the snowfall had ceased, and Qinghe County was cloaked in silver.
The weather was cold, but the streets remained bustling. For the common folk scraping by, the weather was no excuse to complain.
In the room, as usual, Chu Mu rose early. A night's sleep had restored his energy, and though his head still throbbed faintly, it was much better than before bed.
Looking at the translucent panel, where his basic saber technique had broken through to the Initial Insight stage, Chu Mu felt a surge of inexplicable excitement.
For a moment, his hands itched with eagerness. Glancing at the snow that had stopped outside, he grabbed his saber and stepped into the courtyard.
The moment he gripped the hilt, Chu Mu sensed something different.
Familiarity!
Though he had swung this saber countless times, he had never felt this strange sense of intimacy.
Savoring the sensation for a moment, Chu Mu slowly drew the saber, gently running his hand along the blade. The feeling of familiarity grew even stronger.
After a brief pause, Chu Mu swung the saber sharply. The next instant, the blade halted mid-air.
Chu Mu saw it clearly: with the force of his swing and the saber's weight, the blade stopped abruptly, with barely any tremble. Had he not observed closely, he might not have noticed it.
He couldn't hide his astonishment. Even after twenty days of grueling practice, controlling the saber's force had always been a struggle.
A single breakthrough had transformed him, reaching such a level!
Chu Mu scanned the small courtyard, his gaze quickly locking onto a tree on one side.
Striding forward, he swung the saber, leaving a clear mark on the trunk. Snow fell from the branches, but Chu Mu paid no attention, his eyes fixed on the cut.
Another swing, and the force struck the trunk, shaking more snow from the leaves. Chu Mu remained oblivious, his gaze locked on the new mark.
The two cuts were nearly identical, so close that without close inspection, they might seem like one.
Chu Mu pursed his lips and swung again. Three marks converged, widening the gash in the trunk.
"A miss by a hair's breadth…"
Chu Mu brushed off the snow on his clothes, murmuring to himself…
…
*(End of Chapter)*
*(Note-Spiritual Brilliance=Lingui)