Three Talents Slash

Biodata

Power Progression

Background / History

The technique was passed to Zhao Tieying by an unnamed retired swordsman during Zhao's service in the Imperial Guard. Having practiced it for more than twenty years, Zhao named it Three Talents Slash after the principles of Heaven, Earth, and Man. 5

Zhao began teaching the art to Lin Zhao after the Wild Jackal Gang abducted the Lin Family Fortress blacksmith. Lin sought a practical killing technique capable of defending the fortress against bandits and exotic beasts. After two days of intensive instruction and repeated practice, he achieved entry-level Tremor Force. 5

The art became one of Lin Zhao's principal combat techniques. He refined it through training, wolf hunts, sparring, and later real battles against Night Raven Tower assassins. The technique's armor-breaking properties were especially important after Lin Zhao entered the Martial Master realm. 6 19 21 26

Abilities & Skills

Tremor Force / Shocking Force

The first level uses coordinated shoulder, waist, abdomen, arm-muscle tremors, and internal energy to transmit high-frequency force through a weapon. 5

• Can be used with swords, sabers, spears, and even improvised weapons such as a pitchfork. 5
• At sufficient strength, can split hardwood, shatter ordinary iron tools, and damage Mystic Iron. 5 6 17
• Lin Zhao's Advanced Shocking Force allows him to kill several Gray-Maned Demonic Wolves without armor. 10
• Early use was weak, intermittent, and required substantial time to charge, making it impractical in immediate combat. 6
• Zhao Tieying used Tremor Force to split a bowl-thick ironwood post into three smooth sections. 5

Entangling Force

The intermediate level condenses the Yin-cold internal energy of the Mystic Dragon Breathing Technique around the weapon, forming spiraling force. 22

• Deflects an opponent's internal energy and can interfere with their weapon control. 22
• Tears through armor and can disarm enemy weapons during clashes. 21
• Basic Entangling Force gives a documented 30% increase to armor-piercing ability. 21
• Lin Zhao used it to cut mountain rock while excavating a secret passage beneath Qixia Mountain. 23
• When combined with Mystic Dragon and Mystic Wolf internal energies, it makes Lin Zhao's swordplay both powerful and agile. 26
• Lin Zhao can presently condense the force most effectively on a sharp blade; he has not yet demonstrated advanced use with blunt weapons. 22

Spinning Force

The highest level merges internal and external power to rotate the weapon at high speed. 5

• Said to be capable of cutting fine steel and splitting mountains and rocks. 5
• The retired swordsman who originated the technique reportedly used it to cut through a Tatar iron chariot. 5
• Zhao Tieying, despite decades of cultivation, had only touched the threshold of Entangling Force and had not reached Spinning Force. 5
• No documented practitioner has achieved Spinning Force in the narrative. 5 39

Wind Chasing Style

A swift Three Talents Slash move used to counter agile exotic beasts. 12

• Zhao Tieying employed it against the Silver-Maned Wolf King, thrusting toward its lower abdomen after evading its attack. 12

Known Practitioners

• Lin Zhao — Learned the technique from Zhao Tieying and advanced it from Beginner Tremor Force to Fifth Tier Intermediate Entangling Force. 5 39
• Zhao Tieying — Received the art from a retired Imperial Guard swordsman; after more than twenty years of practice, he reached the threshold of Entangling Force. 5
• Lin Yuanshan — Lin Zhao's father reached Entangling Force and reportedly killed seven Japanese pirate warriors consecutively with the technique. 5
• Unnamed retired swordsman — The art's reported originator; allegedly wielded Spinning Force to cut through a Tatar iron chariot. 5

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Wild Jackal Gang incident — Lin Zhao begins learning Three Talents Slash to build the strength needed to protect Lin Family Fortress and respond to Old Zhang's abduction. 5
• Qixia Mountain wolf hunts — Lin Zhao uses the technique against Gray-Maned Demonic Wolves, gaining far more proficiency through real combat than ordinary practice. 6 7
• Demonic wolf attack — Advanced Shocking Force becomes Lin Zhao's primary weapon while he helps defend the western village from a massive wolf pack. 11 12
• Martial Master breakthrough — Lin Zhao focuses on the art after surviving an assassination attempt, then unlocks Basic Entangling Force and gains reliable armor-piercing capability. 21 22
• Night Raven Tower conflicts — Entangling Force allows Lin Zhao to pressure Silver Rank assassin Zhou Bo'an, confront Tie Shan, and cut the chain of an enemy meteor hammer during the Night Raven Tower outpost massacre. 26 31 35
• Later cultivation — Lin Zhao prioritizes the technique again and advances it to the Fifth Tier, upgrading Basic Entangling Force into Intermediate Entangling Force. 39

Trivia

• The technique is fundamentally a method of force application rather than a sword-only art. 5
• Its first level is described as a battlefield killing move that “draws blood every time,” making Lin Zhao reluctant to use it in casual sparring. 9
• Zhao Tieying learned Shocking Force after a single practice session, while Lin Yuanshan required two days and Lin Zhao required several days of intensive repetition. 6