Nurturing My Sword Style, Righteous Sword Qi

Although Ji Shu had learned Baji Quan and Mount Hua Swordplay,

he still lacked sufficient understanding of the martial arts fundamentals of the Wuxia World, such as the principles behind acupoint sealing and internal cultivation.

Though both techniques had now reached the realm of Self-Generating Inner Energy, to be honest, he still could not wield this inner energy perfectly. He only knew how to instinctively unleash it when performing swordplay or boxing techniques.

I need to settle down and study properly for a while.

Ji Shu made up his mind and waited by the door.

As the sun dipped toward the horizon,

Yue Lingshan sprang up from a mountain path. After several leaps, she was like Xun Wind sweeping through the land, rushing before Ji Shu in no time. Before she had even steadied herself, her voice arrived:

"Ji Shu, sorry! I kept you waiting!"

"It's fine, Master Yue."

Ji Shu was patient and polite:

"Isn't it only natural for a disciple to wait for his master?"

"...Is that so?"

Yue Lingshan blinked, carefully recalling the past. It seemed that whenever her senior brothers practiced martial arts, they would always wait for her parents beforehand. With that in mind, she nodded. "I suppose so. But I, I..."

She stammered for a long while before forcing out a sentence with a flushed face. "It seems I'm not qualified to be your master."

"I'll say it again: if you are Master Yue for one day, then you will be my Master Yue forever!"

Ji Shu said seriously:

"Please don't belittle yourself, Master Yue! You are outstanding too!"

"...I'm happy to hear you say that, but for some reason, hearing the words 'you are outstanding' come from your mouth feels strange."

Yue Lingshan looked around and said somewhat furtively, "Ji Shu, let's go back to the courtyard first. We shouldn't stay outside like this. There are too many people coming and going—it draws too much attention."

"Alright, Master Yue."

"Mm."

The moment Yue Lingshan heard the words "Master Yue," she could not help breaking into a delighted smile. An indescribable thrill and sense of satisfaction welled up within her. Being the master of an unparalleled genius felt absolutely amazing!!

Yue Lingshan finally understood how her parents felt. So teaching a genius was such an accomplishment.

Mm~

The urgent matter was to determine whether Ji Shu truly was a genius.

Yue Lingshan quickened her pace and led Ji Shu into the courtyard. After shutting the door, she pulled a booklet from her robes and handed it to him.

"This is the Secret Manual for Nurturing My Sword Style."

She cleared her throat, her face flushing as she forcibly suppressed her "embarrassment."

"My Mount Hua Swordplay and Chong Ling Swordplay are decent, but I'm only so-so at other sword styles. I'm afraid of misleading you, so I simply brought you this Secret Manual. Later, I'll demonstrate Nurturing My Sword Style once. Refer to the Secret Manual and watch carefully. If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask me—but I might not understand either. I hope you won't blame your Master Yue."

Her skills were insufficient.

When it came time to teach her disciple, she discovered that her own abilities fell short.

Yue Lingshan was embarrassed to death! The reason she had arrived late was because she had been studying Nurturing My Sword Style. But Nurturing My Sword Style was profound and unfathomable, far superior to Mount Hua Swordplay. After studying it for several hours, she had only grasped a little of the surface and could not penetrate its essence at all.

She was immensely frustrated. Seeing that it was getting late and fearing Ji Shu had waited too long, she stuffed the Nurturing My Sword Style Secret Manual into her robes when no one was looking, then raced out of the Library Pavilion and straight to Ji Shu.

"Master Yue, no matter what, you were the one who brought me into the sect and taught me swordplay. I will always respect you. How could I blame you?"

"You really know how to talk!"

Yue Lingshan sighed in relief and nodded.

"Ji Shu, whether you are a genius depends on what you do next. If you truly are an unparalleled genius, then even if I am only your Master Yue for one day, I will still be proud!"

She spoke from the bottom of her heart. Especially since Ji Shu's conduct made her feel so comfortable, her mood was beyond words.

"Watch carefully. This is the first form of Nurturing My Sword Style..."

Yue Lingshan began demonstrating Nurturing My Sword Style.

Ji Shu watched with great focus.

The moment he finished watching,

all sorts of analyses immediately appeared in his mind. His understanding of Nurturing My Sword Style rose almost in a straight line.

"How was it?"

Yue Lingshan stood with her sword in hand and looked at Ji Shu. "Did you remember it? Do you want me to demonstrate it again?"

Ji Shu shook his head and began reading the Secret Manual.

There were many technical terms in the Secret Manual that Ji Shu did not understand, so he asked Yue Lingshan.

Yue Lingshan was eagerly hoping that Ji Shu could master Nurturing My Sword Style, so she held nothing back. As long as she understood it or knew it, she taught him everything.

With her help,

Ji Shu was like a sponge, madly absorbing all kinds of foundational martial knowledge from this world.

This foundational knowledge was the bedrock upon which towering buildings were built!

Without a foundation, everything was a castle in the air, a reflection in the mirror. How could one speak of becoming strong?

Ji Shu understood this clearly and asked in great detail.

Two hours later,

Yue Lingshan felt as though she were about to suffocate! Everything she had learned over the past decade or so seemed to have been wrung dry within those two hours!

"Ji Shu, you understand it all?!"

"Thank you, Master Yue, for clearing up my doubts. I understand."

"...You, you, you really are a genius!"

Whether Ji Shu truly understood or was merely pretending, Yue Lingshan knew very well. Many of the questions Ji Shu asked at first were extremely simple and basic—common knowledge she had understood when she was four or five years old. Yet Ji Shu did not know them. From this, she could infer that when Ji Shu said he had only learned Baji Quan before and nothing else, it was most likely true!

And Ji Shu's rate of improvement was simply terrifying!

Yue Lingshan truly felt drained dry!

She looked at Ji Shu as though she were watching a rising sun. "Ji Shu, your comprehension is supreme. If you cultivate Nurturing My Sword Style and can swiftly develop Sword Qi as well, that will prove your Inner Strength Talent is also supreme. With two supreme talents, you will be an unparalleled martial prodigy!"

The more Yue Lingshan spoke, the more excited and stirred up she became, as though she were about to uncover a treasure as vast as an ocean.

She motioned for Ji Shu to quickly try demonstrating Nurturing My Sword Style.

Ji Shu nodded.

He walked into the open space, drew his sword, and gently closed his eyes. All the knowledge of Nurturing My Sword Style in his mind converged into one, then suddenly connected. A steady, unceasing stream of inner energy arose from his Dantian.

This inner energy was resilient and forceful, like a ray of light capable of driving away all evil! The instant it appeared in his Dantian, it dealt a devastating blow to the Sword Qi generated by Mount Hua Swordplay.

Within only a few breaths, the Mount Hua Sword Qi was shattered and broken apart.

Ji Shu then opened his eyes and began demonstrating Nurturing My Sword Style.

The first time, he was still somewhat awkward;

the second time, he was already as smooth as flowing clouds and running water.

The third time, the sword rang out! A majestic aura naturally gathered at its tip!

The fourth time, that majestic aura gradually evolved into an even more surging Righteous Sword Qi!

Boom!

The Yangwu Sword Qi in his Dantian swelled by a full circle, devouring the Mount Hua Sword Qi—which had already shattered into several pieces—like a dragon or tiger.

As Ji Shu began practicing the fifth and sixth iterations of Nurturing My Sword Style,

this Yangwu Sword Qi continued to grow stronger alongside it!