That Year's Heavy Snow, Madam Hua's Unknown Side

Wisps of smoke curled upwards, transforming the flowing years into a fragrant pillar, like the ticking of a clock or the falling grains of sand in an hourglass.

A pebble was tossed into the calm lake, creating ripples of time.

The scene trembled like the surface of the lake, mirroring the turbulent emotions within An Le.

As the tremors spread, everything before him slowly began to clarify.

Misty clouds gathered, and white feathers like pure snow drifted down from the heavens, blanketing the mortal world.

A timely snow promises a bountiful year.

On a large snow-covered clearing, a young girl practiced her sword. She wore fine silk robes, and despite the falling snow, her Blood Essence surged within her, like dragons and tigers, dispelling the cold and radiating warmth.

The girl was none other than Madam Hua, or rather, a young Madam Hua.

The youthful Hua Jiebing's delicate and beautiful face was flushed with the glow of her circulating Blood Essence. Her eyes were filled with a touch of melancholy, and she held a sword in her hand. The sword was long and slender, like a drop of spring rain falling upon the earth.

The sword was named Spring Rain, one of Hua Jiebing's personal swords.

"Failed again, is this 'Collapsing Sword' really that difficult?"

Hua Jiebing, still a maiden, pouted her red lips with a hint of childish innocence. The next moment, she flung her sword forward. The Spring Rain sword soared into the air as Hua Jiebing's Blood Essence circulated, rushing out like a surging tide.

The falling snow was swept up, and Hua Jiebing charged forward. The Spring Rain sword, after being thrown, descended. At the moment of its fall, Hua Jiebing clenched her fist and struck the end of the sword's hilt, unleashing immense power.

Dong!

An invisible wave of energy exploded outwards. The Spring Rain sword whistled through the air but veered off course, embedding itself in the snowy ground and gouging out a trench of white snow.

Hua Jiebing landed, her delicate brows furrowed.

Another failure left Hua Jiebing, who was learning swordsmanship for the first time, feeling somewhat discouraged.

She sat down in the snow, pouting as if sulking. After a long while, she finally looked up. A mischievous glint appeared on her beautiful and pure face. She scanned her surroundings, confirming that no one was nearby.

The girl got up, brushed off her clothes, and gleefully picked up her sword, Spring Rain.

Taking a deep breath, the Spring Rain sword then flew out with the reinforcement of her will. The girl moved like a swift rabbit, leaping into the air.

As she approached the Spring Rain, the girl clenched her fist, her Blood Essence like a roaring furnace. Instantly, her lips parted into a perfect O as she shouted.

"Hiyah! Watch my Collapsing Sword!"

Her loud cry shattered the snowflakes clinging to her.

In that instant, the girl's fist struck the sword's hilt, and a muffled thunderclap erupted, like a peal of thunder from behind the clouds, a deafening roar!

The Spring Rain sword instantly became like a furious dragon emerging from its abyss, tearing through the snowy sky, leaving a trail of off-white airflow as if the air itself was being ripped apart, accompanied by sonic booms and thunderous roars, like the shattering of heaven and earth!

Dong!

On the snowy clearing, a crater with a diameter of five meters suddenly erupted.

Within the crater, all the snow had melted into water. A slender Spring Rain sword was quietly embedded an inch and three-tenths into the ground. The part of the blade not submerged in the earth swayed gently, still radiating intense heat.

From a distance, on the snow-covered ground, the girl cheered joyfully, her laughter as bright as the warm sun in spring.

"Hiyah, watch my Collapsing Sword!"

The girl skipped across the snow, hopping and running towards her sword, still making punching motions.

Innocent and carefree, like a spirit in the snowy landscape.

The scene began to blur outwards from this point, until it faded away.

An Le emerged from the vision of time, unable to calm himself for a long time. The corners of his mouth twitched, and his expression was peculiar.

The main reason was that this vision of time had shown An Le a rather endearing side of Madam Hua. However, this was also within the realm of normalcy.

Just like before, when he had seen the aloof Fairy Yun Rou clench her fist and utter that chuunibyou phrase, "Charge, charge, charge!"

Peeking into the past always revealed some unknown facets.

An Le's lips curved upwards, a sense of amusement washing over him.

"Hiyah, watch my Collapsing Sword!"

An Le clenched his fist and tried swinging it forward, uttering the phrase Madam Hua had once used.

A strange sense of joy bubbled up.

If he were to shout something like this in front of Madam Hua, he wondered what expression she would have on her face. Would she simply slap him to death on the spot?

An Le found the thought increasingly amusing.

At the same time, a light screen appeared before his eyes.

[Acquired Time Dao Fruit: Collapsing Sword Force (0/10 strands)]
[Note: Collapsing Sword Force (Dao Fruit): A unique exertion of power by integrating Blood Essence and mental focus, can be applied to swords and arms, potentially increasing the offensive power of swordsmanship.]

His vision brightened slightly. After witnessing Madam Hua perform the Collapsing Sword and condense the Dao Fruit, Collapsing Sword Force, An Le understood from its description that it was a method of exertion that applied to offense.

What was An Le lacking the most right now?

The "Sword Waterfall Diagram" is a mind cultivation method, a form of visualization. It's not an offensive sword technique, and while the "Five禽 Body Tempering Technique" contains offensive skills, it's still considered a body tempering method.

There aren't any true offensive techniques.

The emergence of the Collapsing Sword Force somewhat fills the gap in An Le's offensive capabilities, as it can be seen as a sword technique from Madam Hua's memories of time.

"I just wonder if shouting 'Hiyah, watch my collapsing sword!' while executing the Collapsing Sword Force would grant any extra power," An Le mused, a slight smile gracing his lips.

The sun slowly descended, sinking behind the western mountains, then playfully casting its lingering rays, illuminating the charm of spring and painting the human world in vibrant hues.

An Le opened his eyes. The old locust tree rustled in the spring breeze, bringing a unique sense of comfort.

After waiting for a while, as the old man from the Imperial Ancestral Temple had not yet arrived, An Le stood up and began to practice the Collapsing Sword Force beneath the old locust tree.

Although he had condensed a Dao Fruit and thus grasped the basics, An Le knew he had to practice and comprehend it himself to execute it skillfully.

He took down the Bamboo Sword, Green Mountain, that was sheathed at his waist. An Le recalled the way Madam Hua wielded her sword in the memories of time. At that time, Madam Hua's cultivation likely hadn't surpassed the fifth realm, so An Le could still glean some insights.

After brewing for a moment and simulating the Collapsing Sword several times in his mind.

An Le exhaled, suddenly tossing the Bamboo Sword in his hand into the air. He controlled it with the Collapsing Sword Force, his Fetal Respiration mind permeating outwards, guiding Green Mountain to hover slightly. The Blood Essence in his body, which had reached the peak of Opening Qi and Blood, surged forth. In the next instant, he clenched his fist and smashed it onto the sword's hilt.

As for the phrase "Hiyah, watch my collapsing sword," the young man felt a bit embarrassed and ultimately did not utter it.

Dong!

An invisible wave of energy exploded from the collision between his fist and Green Mountain's hilt, scattering the locust leaves on the ground in the courtyard.

The Collapsing Sword whistled out, its speed considerable, like thunder, and struck the old locust tree.

The Bamboo Sword, Green Mountain, embedded itself into the old locust tree. Where the sword met the trunk, it emitted scorching heat and wisps of entangled sword energy. The afflicted old locust tree seemed to tremble, shedding its leaves.

An Le stood still, recalling the way he had exerted force just now. His mind and Blood Essence had merged, and although it felt rough, there was indeed a unique kind of power.

The Collapsing Sword Force... a very domineering way of exerting force.

An Le pondered that if he were to augment his arm with the Bird Style or Tiger Style when executing it, the explosive power would be considerable.

Facing Hu Jingang again, Hu Jingang might have died even more swiftly.

The roughness of the Collapsing Sword Force's circulation made An Le feel quite uncomfortable. With a thought, he channeled the two wisps of gray Time Qi he had absorbed from Madam Hua into the Dao Fruit Collapsing Sword Force.

Instantly, a gray incense pillar ignited, and wisps of imagery appeared.

The images were all of Madam Hua practicing the Collapsing Sword Force and achieving some success.

Accompanying these were the highly motivating, almost hypnotic shouts of "Hiyah, watch my collapsing sword!"

An Le's lips curved into a smile. In the next moment, he opened his eyes abruptly, pulled Green Mountain, the Bamboo Sword, from the old locust tree, and prepared to try again.

At the courtyard entrance, the sunset's afterglow poured in.

The old man, clad in plain clothes, bathed in the red clouds, stood still, holding a bamboo staff and a scroll. He did not disturb An Le, who was practicing, and even observed with great interest.

An Le might not have noticed the old man, and even if he had, his mind was unwilling to be distracted at this moment.

The Fetal Respiration mind flowed, controlling the Bamboo Sword, Green Mountain, as it ascended. The Blood Essence within his body flowed like a rushing river. An Le lunged forward, executing the Tiger Style, the Collapsing Sword Force contained within his fist and sword. He unleashed a punch, striking the hilt of Green Mountain.

Boiling Blood Essence and mind adhered to the Bamboo Sword, Green Mountain. The sword shot out like a cannonball, as fast as lightning streaking through clouds, and fiercely embedded itself into the trunk of the old locust tree.

Though the Bamboo Sword was unsharpened, it pierced the old locust tree as if it were dying.

Much of the bark on the old locust tree's trunk even cracked from the force, blown away to reveal a smooth surface.

Green Mountain remained, as the sunsets turned red several times.

The old man from the Imperial Ancestral Temple stood at the entrance, his long eyebrows slightly lowered. On his wrinkled face, he gazed blankly at the battered Bamboo Sword stuck in the old locust tree. The sword's body swayed gently.

Faintly, the old man seemed to hear a clear and joyful sword cry from the Bamboo Sword, Green Mountain.

He couldn't help but recall the young man's words when he first held the Bamboo Sword: "I see the green mountains with such charm, and they should see me likewise."

The old man suddenly chuckled softly. Regret, like snow covering the mountains, melted away as the sun rose.

The young man and Green Mountain met too late.

That Bamboo Sword, which had accompanied him for three hundred years, had perhaps found its new owner.

It was truly wonderful.