Sword Practice!

"Xiao Yu, today you'll start with the basic sword forms: chop, thrust, lift, sweep. A thousand repetitions of each. No slacking off."

"Yes, Teacher."

Su Yu replied, focusing intently on Sword Douluo's demonstration.

Ning Rongrong watched seriously from the side, her little hands unconsciously clenching into fists as she silently competed with herself:

I have to watch carefully too, then practice properly later!

As the morning mist gradually dispersed, the roar of the waterfall was mixed with the sharp whistle of blades slicing through the air and the Young Girl's occasional soft gasps of amazement.

After Sword Douluo demonstrated the final "sweep," the Seven Kill Sword returned to its sheath, yet the lingering force of the sword seemed to remain in the air above the cliff.

Ning Rongrong's eyes shone brightly. She trotted up to Sword Douluo, lifting her little face filled with admiration.

"Grandpa Jian, you're amazing! Those sword moves were so cool! I want to learn too!"

Looking at her sparkling eyes, the usual chill in Sword Douluo's gaze softened slightly, revealing a rare hint of gentleness.

He raised a hand and rubbed Ning Rongrong's head, his tone growing softer.

"If Rongrong wants to learn, Grandpa will naturally teach you."

As he spoke, he took a delicate short sword from his Soul Tool, its blade roughly half a foot long.

It was silver-white all over, with a round sapphire set into the hilt. It was obvious that it had been specially prepared for the Young Girl.

"This Glimmering Sword is light and suitable for you to use right now."

Sword Douluo handed the short sword to Ning Rongrong. "First, follow Xiao Yu and practice the basics. Don't bite off more than you can chew, understand?"

"Mm! Thank you, Grandpa Jian!"

Ning Rongrong accepted the short sword with both hands and swung it twice in her grip. The blade reflected her excited little face, as though it held fragments of starlight within it.

She ran over to Su Yu's side and gripped the hilt as he did. Though her posture was still somewhat stiff, her gaze was exceptionally serious.

"Brother Su Yu, if I do something wrong later, you have to tell me!"

"Don't worry! Rongrong, you're so smart. You definitely won't make any mistakes!"

Ning Rongrong's little face flushed from the praise. Her grip on the Glimmering Sword tightened as she nodded earnestly.

"Mm! I definitely won't make any mistakes!"

Su Yu demonstrated first. With a light flick of his wrist, his longsword drew a crisp arc before chopping down with a whoosh, the gust it created sweeping across the fallen leaves on the ground.

His movements were precise, his strength even, every form revealing a solid foundation.

"Watch carefully, Rongrong." Su Yu explained as he demonstrated.

"For a chop, sink your shoulders. For a thrust, keep your wrist straight. A lift requires finesse, and a sweep should travel close to the ground."

Ning Rongrong stared without blinking, her little head bobbing along with his movements like a squirrel earnestly listening to a lesson.

When it was her turn, she took a deep breath and raised the Glimmering Sword as Su Yu had done.

For the first move, "chop," she used too much strength. Her body swayed, and she nearly fell onto her bottom, making Su Yu chuckle.

"Hold back a little. You're not trying to smash the sword into the ground."

"Oh..."

Ning Rongrong stuck out her tongue, adjusted her posture, and tried again.

This time, she controlled her strength. The short sword chopped down steadily. Though she was still somewhat stiff, it was much better than before.

"That's right, just like that." Su Yu encouraged her at the right moment.

Next came "thrust." Ning Rongrong aimed at a small stone in front of her.

With a push of her wrist, the short sword shot forward with a clang, but missed by half an inch and stabbed into the dirt beside it.

She puffed out her cheeks, pulled it free, and tried again. Not until the third attempt did the sword tip land accurately on the stone with a crisp ding.

"I hit it!"

Ning Rongrong cheered, her eyes shining like two stars.

Sword Douluo stood not far away, his hands behind his back. His figure appeared especially straight and upright in the morning light.

He said nothing, but whenever Ning Rongrong executed a proper movement, a trace of barely noticeable approval flickered through his eyes.

The two practiced with complete focus, and sweat soon soaked their hair at the forehead.

Ning Rongrong's little face was flushed red, yet she did not complain of being tired at all. Instead, she grew more energetic the longer she practiced.

The Glimmering Sword gradually began to look more natural in her hands. Between chopping, thrusting, lifting, and sweeping, her movements even gained a touch of liveliness.

"Brother Su Yu, what do you think of my 'sweep'?"

She slid sideways, the short sword sweeping close to the ground and kicking up a trail of dust. Though the movement was childish, it already possessed a hint of form.

Su Yu nodded in praise. "Very good! It's much better than before. Relax your wrist a little more, and it'll look even more natural."

Ning Rongrong immediately adjusted, and sure enough, it became much smoother.

The sun rose higher and higher, shining upon the hands they held tightly around their sword hilts.

The blades glimmered with fragments of light, reflecting one another with the rainbow glow of the distant waterfall.

Sword Douluo suddenly spoke. "Rest for a while."

The two stopped. Ning Rongrong leaned on the Glimmering Sword and panted, sweat sliding down her cheeks from the corners of her forehead, but she still beamed brightly.

"Grandpa Jian, did I improve really quickly?"

Sword Douluo walked closer, glanced at her reddened wrist, and took a delicate jade bottle from his Soul Tool.

"Mm, not bad. Apply this, so your wrist doesn't swell."

"Thank you, Grandpa Jian!" Ning Rongrong took the jade bottle, then raised the Glimmering Sword as though presenting a treasure.

"Look, I hit the stone with my thrust just now!"

"I saw."

Sword Douluo's voice remained calm, but he reached out and smoothed her bangs, which had been tousled by the wind.

"Practice again this afternoon. Go eat something now. We'll cultivate Soul Power later."

"Okay!"

Ning Rongrong grabbed Su Yu's sleeve and went Bouncing Around back the way they had come, not forgetting to turn around and wave the Glimmering Sword at Sword Douluo.

"Grandpa Jian, I'm going to practice again this afternoon!"

Pulled along by her, Su Yu watched her cheerful back before looking toward Sword Douluo, who remained where he was.

Sword Douluo was gazing in their direction, and there seemed to be the faintest smile at the corner of his lips.

Sunlight filtered through the branches and leaves, casting mottled shadows over the ground.

Ning Rongrong pulled Su Yu back to her room, where the servants had already prepared food and hot water.

The moment they entered Ning Rongrong's room, the fragrance of food washed over them.

On the table sat steaming Millet Porridge, soft Osmanthus Cake, and several small dishes of exquisite Pickled Vegetables.

Behind the screen beside them was also a basin of steaming hot water, clearly prepared by the servants long ago.

Ning Rongrong's eyes lit up. Just as she reached for an Osmanthus Cake, a sharp soreness suddenly surged through her wrist, as though countless needles were pricking it.

"Ugh..."

Pain made her knit her brows tightly. Her eyes instantly reddened, crystalline tears gathering in them.

The next moment, Ning Rongrong raised her slightly swollen wrist before Su Yu, her voice carrying a sob.

"Older brother, my hand hurts so much..."

Su Yu hurried forward and carefully took her wrist to examine it.

The Young Girl's skin was already fair, making the redness around her wrist especially obvious.

At the slightest touch, Ning Rongrong sucked in a breath with a hiss.

"You used too much force while practicing the sword. The blood circulation is a little congested."

Su Yu frowned, turned to pour a cup of warm water, then took some cooling ointment from the jade bottle Sword Douluo had given them.

"Don't be afraid. I'll rub it for you, and it'll be fine."

He dabbed a little ointment onto his fingertips and gently pressed it onto Ning Rongrong's wrist, gradually increasing the pressure as he slowly massaged away the stagnant blood and energy.