The fifth sword of the Gale Seven Swords: Dawn Wind and Waning Moon.
This technique was far more complex and its essence far more difficult to grasp than the previous four.
Clearly, the first four techniques were just the foundation, while the final three were the true essence of this Sword Technique.
After studying for over an hour with no progress, Chu Qingyun could only put the Secret Manual away in frustration.
But it was no wonder.
For one, his Realm was too low—he was only a Tier One Martial Artist, the most basic level.
For another, he lacked the tempering of real combat. By studying in isolation, he naturally missed out on a great deal of insight.
'At my current level, it's impossible to defeat Zhao Guangshui, a Tier Four Martial Artist.'
'One month... It seems I'll have to go to that Yuan Stone Ore Vein after all.'
Chu Qingyun made his decision: he would venture into the abandoned Yuan Stone Ore Vein.
He had already used up all the Primordial Stones at home.
If he wanted to defeat Zhao Guangshui in a month, he had to take some risks.
The next day, to keep his parents from worrying, Chu Qingyun told them he was going into the mountains to practice his swordplay and then left home.
The abandoned Yuan Stone Ore Vein was about a hundred li from Chu Family Village.
With the leg strength of a Tier One Martial Artist, it took Chu Qingyun just over two hours to reach the edge of the area.
Just before arriving, Chu Qingyun took out a mask and put it on his face.
This was a common practice.
The area was a lawless land where murder and robbery were commonplace, as was being killed by one's intended victim.
As a result, most people preferred not to reveal their true faces here.
'Though I'm only a Tier One Martial Artist, with my Martial Soul and Sword Technique, I should have no problem dealing with Tier Two Martial Artists.'
'As long as I'm careful, everything should be fine.'
Chu Qingyun drew his Longsword and advanced cautiously.
Before long, he caught the faint scent of blood.
About a hundred meters ahead, four bodies lay scattered about, each one a bloody and gruesome sight.
Suppressing his nausea, Chu Qingyun approached the four corpses.
'Devouring Martial Soul!'
With a silent command, Chu Qingyun released his Devouring Martial Soul.
Using the power of his Devouring Martial Soul, he could see a small Martial Soul lingering over each of the four corpses.
A hammer, a short club, a sparrow, and a goat.
Each was an ordinary Tier One Martial Soul; strictly speaking, they weren't even as good as his Three-Star Vine.
'Devour!'
Chu Qingyun controlled his Devouring Martial Soul, enveloping all four Martial Souls and drawing them into his body.
The Devouring Martial Soul could only devour one Martial Soul at a time.
However, it was able to temporarily store the excess Martial Souls to be devoured slowly over time.
Recalling his Martial Soul, Chu Qingyun didn't linger and quickly departed.
Soon, he found a mined-out tunnel.
At the edge of the tunnel, Chu Qingyun took out the tools he'd prepared and started digging.
This place had once been a sizable Yuan Stone Ore Vein.
However, the Primordial Stones near the main vein had long been excavated by the major powers of Qingshan City.
All that remained were areas with no large-scale mining value. It was possible to dig all day and, with a bit of bad luck, find absolutely nothing.
However, Chu Qingyun's luck was evidently not that poor.
After choosing a spot and digging for about half an hour, Chu Qingyun's pickaxe struck something very hard with a CLANG.
Chu Qingyun scraped away a few times and unearthed a pale gray Primordial Stone from the rubble—a Lower Grade Primordial Stone.
Looking at the Primordial Stone in his hand, Chu Qingyun couldn't help but sigh.
It was true: the greater the risk, the greater the reward. His parents had toiled for over a decade just to save up thirteen Primordial Stones.
And yet, by venturing here, he had found one in only half an hour.
Of course, this kind of venture had its prerequisites.
An ordinary person who had not become a Martial Artist didn't even have the right to take such a risk!
"Keep digging!"
Finding one Primordial Stone spurred Chu Qingyun to dig with even greater effort.
In the space of half a morning, he dug three Lower Grade Primordial Stones out of the rock face.
Chu Qingyun was quite satisfied with this haul.
"Oh? A Tier One Martial Artist? You must care more about money than your own life to come here."
Suddenly, a crisp voice rang out from behind him.
Chu Qingyun turned to see a young woman in green robes. Her features were delicate, with bright eyes and pearly teeth. For a moment, he was stunned speechless.
Chu Xiaocui was considered a famous beauty in the towns and villages around Chu Family Village.
But she couldn't hold a candle to the young woman before him; the difference in both their looks and their bearing was simply too great.
"Hmph, still staring? Time to teach you a lesson!"
A mischievous glint flashed in the young woman's bright eyes.
Then, without another word, she drew her three-foot-long sword and thrust it toward Chu Qingyun.
Startled, Chu Qingyun quickly drew his Longsword and met her attack head-on.
"Silent Summer Wind!"
Chu Qingyun thrust his sword forward, its Sword Momentum as scorching and fierce as a summer wind.
"Hm? Interesting."
"I didn't expect to see a Sword Technique like this in such a rustic place."
The green-robed girl's eyes lit up. She lessened the force in her grip, switching to pure skill. Her Treasure Sword circled lightly, deflecting Chu Qingyun's strike as smoothly as flowing water.
An expert reveals their skill with a single move.
Seeing the girl's technique, Chu Qingyun realized he had met a true sword master.
"Spring Rain!"
"Winter Wind Frost!"
"Autumn Leaves!"
Eager to hone his Sword Technique, Chu Qingyun unleashed the first four techniques of the Gale Seven Swords in a fluid sequence, pressing his attack against the green-robed girl.
The green-robed girl, suppressing her power to the Realm of a Tier One Martial Artist, also used Chu Qingyun to practice her own Sword Technique.
In an instant, the two had exchanged over a dozen blows.
By unspoken agreement, neither used their Martial Soul, competing purely with Sword Technique.
After fifty moves, Chu Qingyun's attacks grew increasingly sharp and relentless.
After a hundred moves, the green-robed girl was completely on the back foot, finding it difficult to even defend.
"Damn brat! How is he improving so fast!"
The green-robed girl gritted her teeth, an involuntary pout forming on her lips.
At first, she could clearly see that Chu Qingyun had no real combat experience; she had been leading him by the nose.
But after fighting for only a short while, she felt the pressure on her steadily mounting.
It had even reached the point where, using the power of a Tier One Martial Artist, she was finding it difficult just to defend!
"You brat, just die already!"
The girl snorted coldly, and a blinding light suddenly erupted from her Treasure Sword.
As their swords clashed, Chu Qingyun felt an immense force travel up his arm, numbing it to the elbow. His Longsword was knocked from his grasp, clattering to the ground.
"Hmph. So what if you have a fancy Sword Technique? Brute force trumps all. I beat you in one move."
"Hey, take off your mask. Let me have a look."
The girl pointed her sword at Chu Qingyun's throat and smiled triumphantly.
Resigned, Chu Qingyun could only remove his mask.
He wasn't too worried, though. During their fight, he had sensed that the girl held no true killing intent toward him.
Otherwise, with her level of strength, she wouldn't have needed to use any Sword Technique at all. A single strike would have been enough to kill him.