"Chen Wu, Chen Zuoyi, Chen Yan, Chen Che, Chen Shuiqing, Chen Shaoze, Chen Zong."
"Present!" The seven voices rang out in unison.
"My name is Chen Chuyun." She stood before them, clad in a tight-fitting white martial arts uniform that perfectly accentuated her lithe, athletic figure. Her black hair was tied back in a neat bun, exuding a crisp, martial air. Her fair, rosy complexion seemed almost translucent, and her voice was cool and clear. Her bright, limpid eyes shone like the clear waters of autumn. "From today onward, I will be your sword technique instructor."
Chen Zong gazed at the beautiful woman before him. She appeared to be around seventeen or eighteen years old, yet her aura was subtly powerful, far surpassing theirs.
This was the Chen Clan's ancestral Clan Hall.
Including members from both the main and branch clans, there were sixty Martial Apprentices in total. They were divided into five groups based on the Foundation Establishment Martial Arts they practiced: blade, sword, fist, palm, and leg techniques.
Chen Zong had reached the Perfection Realm in the Tiger Force Fist Technique, which should have placed him in the Fist Technique Group. However, he had strongly insisted on joining the Sword Technique Group instead.
Including him, the Sword Technique Group consisted of seven members—five males and two females. Two were from branch clans, while the rest were direct descendants of the main clan.
"Now, I will begin by teaching you the Tiger's Roar Manual." Chen Chuyun skipped the pleasantries and immediately got down to business.
"The Tiger's Roar Manual is our Chen Clan's exclusive secret for tempering Qi Blood. It must never be divulged to outsiders."
"The Tiger's Roar Manual encompasses both dynamic and static stances..." Chen Chuyun explained the manual using concise language and demonstrations, repeating the explanation three times.
"Chen Zong, your cultivation base has not yet reached the peak of the third layer of the Qi Blood Realm. You are not permitted to practice the Tiger's Roar Manual," Chen Chuyun said, her gaze settling on Chen Zong.
"Yes," Chen Zong nodded.
A hint of arrogance flashed in Chen Zuoyi's eyes. He had already begun practicing the Tiger's Roar Manual several months prior.
Cultivation at the Martial Apprentice stage is divided into two parts: first, mastering Foundation Establishment Martial Arts to reach the peak of the third layer of the Qi Blood Realm; then, tempering Qi Blood in preparation for breaking through to the fourth layer. Attempting to practice the Tiger's Roar Manual before reaching the peak of the third layer would only damage one's Qi Blood.
"I will continue explaining the Tiger's Roar Manual. If you have any questions, save them for later."
Clearly, the entire lesson was dedicated to the Tiger's Roar Manual.
Two hours later, the class concluded. Chen Chuyun answered a few questions before departing, and the next session was scheduled for ten days later.
The five Clan disciples ignored Chen Zong and Chen Yan, leaving without a word. Chen Yan and Chen Zong exchanged nods and turned to leave as well.
The Clan Hall was divided into inner and outer sections, separated by a gate.
The Outer Hall was small, housing living quarters, a dining hall, a Martial Arts Hall, an armory, and other facilities. New disciples like Chen Zong had one year to raise their cultivation base to the fourth layer of the Qi Blood Realm and become martial artists, or face expulsion.
"First, I need to reach the peak of the third layer of the Qi Blood Realm, then I can cultivate the Tiger's Roar Manual to temper my Qi Blood."
Chen Zong's greatest wish was to find a Precious Medicine for his father, healing his injuries and restoring his cultivation base. But that required immense strength. His immediate goal had been to improve his cultivation base and enter the Clan Hall, which he had now achieved. It was time to set a new short-term objective.
"The two Vitality Pills I brought from the Branch Clan, combined with the three provided by the Clan Hall, will give me a slight boost, but not enough to reach the peak of the third layer of the Qi Blood Realm."
"Perhaps I should focus on mastering more Foundation Establishment Martial Arts."
Each breakthrough in Foundation Establishment Martial Arts stimulated one's potential to some extent, strengthened Qi Blood, and in turn enhanced the body, resulting in synchronized progress.
However, advancing in Foundation Establishment Martial Arts wasn't easy.
For ordinary cultivators, mastering a Foundation Establishment Martial Art typically takes three months to grasp the basics, a year to achieve minor proficiency, and three years to reach Great Perfection. Even exceptionally talented individuals require at least two years to attain this highest level. Realistically, even if one could reach Great Perfection in just a year, relying on such arts as the primary means of advancing one's cultivation base would be impractical.
Chen Zong, however, was different. Transformed by the mysterious sword tip and aided by its power during his training in Foundation Establishment Martial Arts, he could achieve Great Perfection in far less time. This was a unique advantage he needed to exploit.
The Martial Arts Hall in the Outer Hall was several times larger than the one in the Small Lake Town Branch Clan. A desk stood near the entrance, behind which sat the middle-aged administrator of the hall.
Three walls were lined with bookshelves, each holding over a hundred volumes meticulously categorized. The left wall housed Foundation Establishment Martial Arts texts and related cultivation insights. In the center stood six neatly arranged wooden tables and chairs for Outer Hall disciples to study, as the books could not be taken from the hall.
Chen Zong's gaze swept across the shelves, immediately spotting the three Foundation Establishment Martial Arts from the Small Lake Town Branch Clan. The rest were entirely unfamiliar to him:
Serpent's Coil Hand
Python Leg Technique
Heavy Fist Strike
Stone-Crushing Palm
Linked Blade Technique
Heavy Strike Blade Technique
Phantom Shadow Sword Technique
Willow Sweep Sword Technique
Eagle Strike Sword Technique
...and many more.
At a glance, each Foundation Establishment Martial Art had at least three cultivation insights, with some boasting over ten.
"There are thirty-two Foundation Establishment Martial Arts in total? That's overwhelming!" Chen Zong was astonished by the sheer number. He also noticed that only five of these arts involved weapons: three sword techniques and two blade techniques. This scarcity highlighted the rarity and value of weapon-based Foundation Establishment Martial Arts, which were notoriously difficult to master.
Chen Zong selected the three sword techniques and their associated cultivation insights, then sat down at a wooden table to begin studying them.
The Phantom Shadow Sword Technique emphasized intricate footwork and agile movement, sacrificing raw offensive and defensive power for the ability to conjure afterimages that distorted opponents' vision. Comprising six stances, achieving Great Perfection would temper sixty percent of the body.
The sword tip quivered lightly between Chen Zong's eyebrows, and the Silver Azure Dragon danced within his mind. His focus sharpened, allowing him to not only fully memorize the Phantom Shadow Sword Technique but also swiftly grasp its essence.
After finishing the manual, Chen Zong picked up related cultivation insights such as A Shallow Analysis of the Phantom Shadow Sword Technique, My Phantom Shadow Sword Technique Practice, and Phantom Shadow Sword Technique Speculations, systematically absorbing the wisdom of past masters and brainstorming ideas to deepen his understanding of the art.
The Willow Sweep Sword Technique was a style that emphasized flexibility, mimicking the supple branches of a willow tree swaying in the wind. Balanced in both offense and defense, it comprised six stances, and achieving Great Perfection would temper sixty percent of the body.
Having thoroughly studied the Willow Sweep Sword Technique, Chen Zong moved on to the Eagle Strike Sword Technique.
The Eagle Strike Sword Technique differed sharply from the Willow Sweep style. It focused primarily on the sword tip as its striking point, emulating the sharp beak, talons, and wings of a majestic eagle. Emphasizing swift, decisive strikes, it was a purely offensive style. Like the Willow Sweep Sword Technique, achieving Great Perfection would also temper sixty percent of the body.
After absorbing the Eagle Strike Sword Technique, Chen Zong perused several related cultivation manuals, memorizing their contents before returning them to the bookshelf.
"Young man, do you really think reading all those books will help?" the hall manager asked casually.
"It will," Chen Zong replied, exiting the Martial Arts Hall. The manager shook his head, dismissing it as a joke.
Chen Zong found a secluded spot on the Martial Training Ground, drew his sword, and, after a moment of contemplation, assumed the opening stance of the Phantom Shadow Sword Technique. He thrust his sword forward.
He quickly practiced the technique once.
"Very stiff, but it's only the first time."
The second attempt showed noticeable improvement.
By the third, his movements were noticeably more fluid.
With each repetition, Chen Zong could feel himself progressing. By the tenth, he sensed a faint tremor in his Qi Blood, accompanied by a barely perceptible strengthening.
After consolidating his progress, Chen Zong adopted the opening stance of the Willow Sweep Sword Technique, standing as gracefully as a weeping willow by the water's edge.
After ten repetitions, Chen Zong had mastered the basics of the Willow Sweep Sword Technique, and his blood qi grew slightly stronger.
Next, he began practicing the Eagle Strike Sword Technique.
His entire posture resembled an eagle poised to spread its wings and soar, the sword becoming like the eagle's wing, yearning to take flight.
Another ten repetitions, and Chen Zong had mastered the basics of the Eagle Strike Sword Technique, his blood qi strengthening once more.
This triple surge in blood qi would nourish his body in the coming days, further enhancing his strength.
"That guy's an idiot."
"Trying to cultivate three Foundation Establishment Sword Techniques? He's practically cutting off his own path to advancement."
"I know him. His name's Chen Zong. He used to focus on fist techniques and reportedly reached the Perfection Realm. Instructor Chen He even favored him, but he refused to join the Fist Technique Group and insisted on joining the Sword Technique Group instead."
"Oh, that's him? So he's now practicing four Foundation Establishment Martial Arts."
"Utterly foolish."
Nearby, several people whispered among themselves. Their limited expertise in sword techniques prevented them from realizing Chen Zong had already mastered the basics of all three. Chen Zong overheard their entire conversation, fully understanding their skepticism.
Normally, the more Foundation Establishment Martial Arts one practices, the more pronounced the drawbacks become. Mastering each technique requires significant time and effort, and everyone's time and energy are finite. Spreading oneself too thin across multiple disciplines inevitably leads to stagnation, with each technique hindering progress in the others.
Typically, cultivators practice a maximum of two martial arts techniques: one before entering the Clan Hall and another added afterward.
Upon joining the Clan Hall, every Martial Apprentice learns that their training progresses through two stages. Before reaching the peak of the third layer of the Qi Blood Realm, the focus is on Foundation Establishment Martial Arts. After reaching that peak, the emphasis shifts to Blood Qi Tempering.
Advancing one's cultivation base is paramount. Once a Martial Apprentice breaks through to the fourth layer of the Qi Blood Realm and becomes a true martial artist, they can cultivate Ranked Martial Arts—techniques vastly more powerful than Foundation Establishment methods.
Chen Zong's approach was seen as putting the cart before the horse.
When news of this reached Chen He, he chuckled dismissively. "Does he think mastering the Tiger Force Fist Technique to the Perfection Realm will automatically make him a master swordsman?"
"Chen Zong, you're wasting your time!" Chen Yuyao stormed into his training area, her voice frantic. "Mastering the Tiger Force Fist Technique proves your exceptional talent in fist arts. Why switch to swordsmanship at all? And even if you insist on swords, why practice three techniques simultaneously?"
"I know what I'm doing," Chen Zong replied. He understood Chen Yuyao's concern, but he couldn't exactly reveal the extraordinary fortune that had given him a unique advantage in sword cultivation.
"How can you... live up to Uncle Zhengtang's great expectations?" Chen Yuyao snapped, her anger surprising even herself. She couldn't explain why she was so agitated.
"I know my limits," Chen Zong replied calmly. Chen Yuyao stomped off in a huff, her deer-hide boots thudding angrily against the ground.
Chen Zong shook his head, refocused, and resumed his sword practice.
Having mastered the basics of three Foundation Establishment Sword Techniques, he felt a slight surge in his blood qi and a minor improvement in his cultivation base. This confirmed the viability of his approach, and he resolved to continue.
The following evening, as Chen Zong practiced his sword techniques, a figure approached with light, agile steps. The newcomer stopped dozens of meters away, observing without disturbing him.
After practicing each of the three sword techniques ten times, Chen Zong noticed the figure and bowed respectfully. "Instructor Chen Chuyun."
"Hmm, I heard you were simultaneously cultivating three Foundation Establishment Sword Techniques," Chen Chuyun said, her voice as cold and clear as the night wind. "Did you learn all three yesterday morning?"
"Yes," Chen Zong nodded. There was no reason to hide it.
"Mastering three sword techniques in just two days..." Chen Chuyun's eyes blazed with a fervor that seemed to melt the darkness. "It seems you truly are a sword genius."
"You flatter me, Instructor," Chen Zong replied modestly.
"No need for modesty," Chen Chuyun said, her gaze piercing and intense. "Can you master all three sword techniques to the Lesser Mastery stage within ten days?"
"Yes," Chen Zong replied with unwavering conviction.