Day by day, Shen Hao's cultivation progressed steadily.
Half a month later, he had successfully broken through to Late Stage Qi Refining Layer One, only a single step away from the Perfection of Qi Refining Layer One. Zhang Shan had also broken through to Mid Stage Qi Refining Layer One, and the relationship between the two grew increasingly harmonious.
That day, the Outer Sect's Deacon Elder suddenly summoned all Outer Sect Disciples to gather at the Training Ground.
By the time Shen Hao and Zhang Shan arrived at the Training Ground, the square was already packed shoulder to shoulder. The Deacon Elder stood atop the platform, his gaze sweeping across the crowd as he declared, "Fellow Outer Sect Disciples, you have been in the sect for over a month now, and the foundations of the Breathing Technique you cultivate have been firmly laid. Starting today, the sect will teach you the Basic Sword Art. I hope you will cultivate it diligently."
The moment his words fell, cheers erupted across the square. To Outer Sect Disciples, sword arts were exceptionally precious cultivation methods. Once they learned a sword art, they would possess a means of self-defense.
The Deacon Elder raised a hand to press the noise down, and the cheers in the square gradually subsided. "The sect's Basic Sword Art is called the Purple Sun Basic Sword Codex. It is divided into three forms: cleave, thrust, and sweep. Though this sword codex is simple, it is the foundation of all profound sword arts. So long as you practice these three forms to the point of perfection, you will achieve twice the result with half the effort when cultivating advanced sword arts in the future."
After saying this, the elder nodded at the disciple behind him. That disciple hurriedly brought over a wooden table, upon which sat several hundred thin booklets.
"These are the Purple Sun Basic Sword Codex. Each of you may take one. Once you have received it, return to your quarters and cultivate on your own. In three days, the sect will hold an assessment. Those who pass will receive a Basic Flying Sword. Those who fail must cultivate twice as hard until they pass."
The disciples scattered in a rush, surging toward the wooden table. Shen Hao and Zhang Shan also squeezed into the crowd and each received a copy of the Purple Sun Basic Sword Codex.
After returning to Room C, Shen Hao impatiently held the Purple Sun Basic Sword Codex in his hands and studied it carefully. The booklet's handwriting was vigorous and forceful. Its opening words stated the essentials of sword arts: "The sword is the sovereign of a hundred weapons. Cleaving breaks skill with strength; thrusting wins with speed; sweeping uses softness to overcome hardness..."
The booklet contained not only written explanations, but also detailed illustrations, depicting the essential movements of the three sword forms—cleave, thrust, and sweep—with lifelike clarity.
Shen Hao read with great focus, committing every crucial movement to memory. He knew that sword art cultivation emphasized that practice made perfect. Only by honing the foundational movements to perfection could he bring out the power of the sword art.
Holding the sword codex, he walked to the open ground before the house. At that moment, the sun was setting in the west, its lingering rays spilling across the clearing and gilding the earth with a halo of gold.
Following the illustrations in the sword codex, Shen Hao assumed the opening stance for a cleaving strike. Though he did not have a Flying Sword, he could use a wooden sword in its place. He found an arm-thick wooden stick inside the house, used it as a wooden sword, and began to practice.
The cleaving motion was simple: raise the wooden sword high, then chop down fiercely. Yet this seemingly simple movement contained many techniques. The angle at which the arms exerted force, the range of the wrist's rotation, and the adjustment of the body's center of gravity all had strict requirements.
Shen Hao practiced the cleaving motion again and again. At first, his movements were stiff and unfamiliar. When the wooden sword came down, it swayed crookedly, utterly without form. But he did not lose heart. Instead, he carefully compared his movements with the diagrams in the sword codex and corrected himself.
Who knew how much time had passed before his movements grew increasingly precise. Whenever the wooden sword chopped down, it carried a gust of forceful wind and let out a "whoosh, whoosh."
Zhang Shan was also practicing in the open ground next door. His aptitude was better than Shen Hao's, and he grasped the movements faster as well. Yet when he saw Shen Hao working so diligently, he did not dare slack off in the slightest and practiced even more arduously.
As night deepened, moonlight flowed like water. Fine beads of sweat seeped from Shen Hao's brow, and waves of soreness coursed through his arms. Yet he did not stop, continuing to practice the cleaving motion.
He knew that if the foundation was not firm, the earth would shake and the mountains would tremble. Only by practicing the foundational sword art to perfection could he smoothly pass the assessment three days later and obtain a flying sword of his own.
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