Li Wen made his way to a corner out of habit. It was quieter there, with fewer distractions.
He picked up a standard-issue refined steel saber. It felt heavy in his hand, and the cold touch instantly helped him Focus his Spirit and quiet his mind.
He didn't immediately swing the saber. Instead, he closed his eyes, Focusing his Spirit, and carefully reviewed the twenty-six forms of the Tiger Saber Skill, along with every subtle movement he had made during his own practice.
With his comprehension enhanced by the previous day's soul fusion, the images he recalled were now vastly different from before.
In the past, his saber practice had been more like a clumsy, forceful imitation of the movements' outward appearance.
He would slash with his saber knowing only its "form," never understanding its "intent."
Why exert force this way? How should his center of gravity shift with the momentum of the saber? What was the significance of the subtle adjustments where the forms connected?
These questions, once hazy and even unexamined, now shone as brightly as stars in his mind.
The saber techniques from his memory now seemed incredibly crude and stiff, lacking even a hint of fluidity. Executing them always felt unspeakably uncomfortable, like trying to dance while wearing heavy shackles.
Li Wen understood in his heart that for Martial Dao techniques like this saber skill, one could rely on hard work to gain proficiency at the start, but at the higher realms, comprehension was the deciding factor.
Those with insufficient comprehension often found themselves stuck at the peak of perfection for life, unable to grasp the crucial secret technique needed to reach the Extraordinary starting point: the unity of body, mind, and skill.
So many Martial Artists in Bluestone County had languished just like this, only managing a breakthrough through long years of experience and accumulated effort when their qi and blood began to decline. By then, unfortunately, they had already missed the perfect time to advance.
And after the Unity Realm, the requirements for the even more abstruse "Momentum Realm" were unimaginably stricter when it came to comprehension.
"Hoo..." Li Wen let out a soft breath, his eyes becoming focused and sharp.
He hesitated no longer. With a flick of his wrist, he angled the saber toward the ground, and his body abruptly launched into motion!
He began with the first form, "Tiger Roars Through the Forest"!
The wind from his blade kicked up, but unlike before, the whistle of the saber now carried a sense of power it had never possessed.
Li Wen could clearly feel the resistance as the blade sliced through the air, and the way power was transmitted from the ground through the soles of his feet.
As the momentum of his strike waned and he was about to transition into the second form, "Fierce Tiger Descends the Mountain," inspiration struck. He didn't follow the form by the book. Instead, following the shift in his center of gravity and the natural downward pull, he instinctively lowered his stance even further.
He even added a minuscule inward twist of his wrist, causing the force of the slash to feel like a plunging waterfall, its power instantly focused and explosive. The sheer ferocity of the strike far surpassed his usual attempts!
This small change was fluid and natural, flawless and untraceable, yet it brought about a completely different effect!
Li Wen's heart leaped with joy. It was as if he had opened a brand-new door.
The more he practiced, the more absorbed he became, no longer shackled by the rigid framework of the memorized forms.
With every strike, he could clearly "see" the shortcomings in the form as countless sparks of inspiration ignited in his mind:
'This transition is a bit sluggish, what if I adjust my wrist angle by half a degree? That form takes too long to charge up; could I use the strength of my waist and back for an instantaneous burst? Where is power being needlessly wasted in the flow?'
His saber technique was transforming at a speed visible to the naked eye.
The routine, once slightly stiff and mechanical, seemed to have been imbued with a soul. It began to flow like water, filled with an indescribable "aliveness."
The light from his saber was no longer a dull silver gleam but seemed to follow a life of its own. At times it was like a tiger pouncing on its prey—fierce and explosive. At others, it was like a viper striking—devious and unpredictable. And at still other times, it was like a fierce wind sweeping through fallen leaves—unbroken and relentless.
The transitions between forms were perfectly seamless, with practically no pause.
Fast! Precise! Vicious! But more importantly, his skill now had a "spark" born from true understanding, not just brute force!
[Tiger Saber Skill Experience +1]
...
[Tiger Saber Skill Experience +1]
...
The proficiency notifications on his panel ticked by in a steady stream.
This startling transformation quickly attracted the attention of the students nearby.
"Hiss..." The first to notice was Wei Wu, who wasn't far from Li Wen.
He was holding a practice sword, absentmindedly going through some basic stances.
When he caught a flash of Li Wen's saber in his peripheral vision, he first froze, then subconsciously stopped what he was doing, his eyes widening as he stared.
His jaw dropped, wide enough to fit an egg.
'Is... is that Li Wen?' A storm of shock crashed through Wei Wu's mind.
During the physical assessment just a few days ago, he was still that guy who clumsily swung his saber with brute force. Although his technique had reached Minor Achievement, it looked heavy and sluggish.
'How is it... that today his saber skill looks like it's been completely reborn? It's not just faster and more fluid—the crucial part is that inimitable essence!'
Before, he could at least tell that Li Wen's saber mastery was a cut above his own, but now... Wei Wu's gaze grew vacant. He found he couldn't see through the depths of Li Wen's skill at all.
The fluid movements and restrained edge exerted an invisible pressure on him. 'How did this former king of the grind suddenly have a breakthrough?'
Right after, another girl who usually paid close attention to Li Wen also noticed something was off.
"Wei Wu, look at Li Wen!" she said, gently nudging the still-dazed Wei Wu. Her voice was tinged with awe. "His saber today... it's like it's alive, isn't it?"
Her voice drew the attention of a few other students farther away. One by one, they stopped what they were doing, their gazes turning in unison toward Li Wen in the corner.
"Whoa... He's really different!"
"Yeah, it doesn't even look like the same person practicing..."
"He's so much more fluid, and way more skilled, right? How long has it been?"