You Want to Learn the Saber? (Please Keep Reading)

[Knife Fast as the Wind]: After mastering any saber technique, each strike would be thirty percent faster than before!

That thirty percent might seem insignificant, but in truth, it was already astonishing beyond measure!

One had to know that Chu Fan had taken merely one day to bring the Chopping Wood Saber Technique from Entry to Perfection.

The hardship of that single day had not even been as exhausting as practicing the Twelve Forms Boxing once!

Even if the difficulty multiplied several times with every future Break Limit, in his view, it would only cost him a few more days at most.

Just imagine it: if his saber became another thirty percent faster every so often, then as small gains piled up, in less than half a year, his striking speed would be more than twice what it was today!

When that time came, once the blade flashed, even ghosts and specters might find it hard to evade!

"Looks like I need to find a suitable saber and learn a proper saber technique."

Chu Fan looked at the panel, a faint smile at the corners of his mouth. His steps quickened as he headed toward the wood-chopping area.

Lead-gray clouds hung low, wrapping the entire courtyard in bleak, biting cold.

The Early Morning wind was like a blade tempered in ice. As it scraped across the bare treetops, it howled mournfully, as if grieving and complaining.

In the courtyard, three young men hunched their necks, struggling somewhat to lift the cleaving knives in their hands.

Every time their cleaving knives fell, they carried a sluggish heaviness.

When the blades struck the firewood frozen hard as stone, they could usually only split open a crack, unable to cleave the wood cleanly in two.

"This damned weather, even the firewood's frozen like iron lumps..."

The Short Fat Youth rubbed his frost-stiffened hands. Just as he was about to complain, his gaze was suddenly nailed to the figure on the other side of the courtyard, and he could not move.

The one chopping wood in the corner was none other than Chu Fan.

He wore only a thin Azure Short Coat. Though his exposed forearms were lean, their lines flowed as smoothly as water.

Every time he raised his blade, it carried a strange rhythm, as though it contained some profound mystery. It was as though he was not chopping wood at all, but performing an exquisite saber technique...

Every move followed its method, every stance contained its rhythm.

The cleaving knife fell so swiftly that afterimages nearly appeared, too fast for the naked eye to discern.

When others split a piece of round wood, they first had to stand it upright and steady it, find the grain, gather strength, then hack down several times before succeeding.

Chu Fan, however, was entirely different.

It was as though he could see through the wood's sinews and veins. He grabbed a piece of round wood with his left hand and casually tossed it onto the ground. Before it could even settle upright, his blade had already come down.

With a light snap, the entire piece of round wood, as thick as the mouth of a bowl, split down the middle. The cross-section was as smooth as if measured by a ruler, without the slightest deviation!

"He... he's..."

The Short Fat Youth swallowed hard, waves crashing in his heart.

He had long witnessed Chu Fan's speed and strength while chopping wood. It was no longer anything new.

Every day, Chu Fan finished both his own task and Zhao Tianxing's, while the round wood before them still lay piled high.

Yet the Short Fat Youth always felt that today's Chu Fan was somehow different from before, carrying an indescribable strangeness.

More precisely, Chu Fan's saber technique was completely different from what it had been.

His wood-chopping speed was clearly several degrees faster than before, so fast it left people tongue-tied!

Was it an illusion?

No, how could it possibly be an illusion...

That fellow had nearly finished even Zhao Tianxing's task!

The time he took today to complete both men's wood-chopping tasks was clearly far shorter than yesterday!

It would have been one thing if he treated chopping wood as rest.

But he was actually using wood-chopping to cultivate his saber technique?

Such talent and perseverance truly made one burn with envy and jealousy.

No wonder some people said he had entered the Seven Star Gang by relying on this very wood-chopping saber technique.

The Short Fat Youth's eyes were filled with disbelief.

Everyone said Zhao Tianxing possessed extraordinary talent, beyond the reach of ordinary people.

But he always felt that Chu Fan was the true monster, hiding his brilliance beneath the surface.

Everyone wanted to befriend Zhao Tianxing and curry favor with him, yet no one was willing to pay attention to the quiet, reserved Chu Fan. They truly had eyes but failed to see Mount Tai.

"I need to find a chance to get closer to Chu Fan..."

The Short Fat Youth's eyes shifted, and a plan had already formed in his heart.

[Chopping Wood Saber Technique Experience +1]

[Skill: Chopping Wood Saber Technique (First Break Limit 125/3000) (Trait: Knife Fast as the Wind)]

After splitting the final piece of round wood, Chu Fan held the cleaving knife horizontally before his chest. The fingers of his left hand slowly ran along the blade's spine as he fell into thought.

Thirty percent faster...

Compared to the first day he had come here to chop wood, how could his current striking speed have improved by only thirty percent?

The previous gains in speed had mainly come from his Blood Qi and muscles and bones gradually strengthening, like water naturally flowing into a channel.

But today's increase in his striking speed came from the trait gained when the "Chopping Wood Saber Technique" broke its limit—"Knife Fast as the Wind"!

His powerful Qi and Blood Force, paired with saber swings fast enough to leave afterimages, made these round logs frozen as hard as iron as fragile as straw beneath his blade.

With merely an ordinary cleaving knife, he could easily split apart round wood frozen solid.

If he replaced it with a sharp long saber and chopped toward a person's neck...

Even a martial artist who had broken through five stages and entered the ranks would have absolutely no way of withstanding such a strike!

Chu Fan raised his head.

His gaze fell upon the Short Fat Youth's neck on the other side, as though measuring it.

Then, his right hand lifted slightly, and the cleaving knife in his hand made two slow gestures. The movements were unhurried, yet brimming with killing intent.

On the other side, the Short Fat Youth, who had been chopping wood, suddenly felt a chill at his neck. A cold shiver shot straight to the crown of his head, and he instinctively looked up.

Their eyes met, and the air seemed to freeze solid.

Then Chu Fan expressionlessly lowered the cleaving knife in his hand.

But the Short Fat Youth's scalp went numb, and he nearly cursed aloud!

"Damn it, that guy was holding a knife and gesturing at my neck... What is he trying to do? I have no grudge against him!"

His mouth twitched. He suppressed the anger and fear in his heart, lowered his head, and continued chopping wood, though his hands had already begun trembling beyond his control.

At that moment, Chu Fan asked, "Can the other cultivation methods in the Library Pavilion, such as saber techniques, be learned for free?"

The Short Fat Youth and the other two raised their heads at the same time, surprise written across their faces.

The other two did not say a word.

The Short Fat Youth shook his head. "How could they possibly be free? Where in the world is there such a good deal?"

"Other than the Twelve Forms Boxing, every other cultivation method has to be bought. Not a single coin less."

"A saber technique or sword technique costs at least twenty taels of silver."

"Some powerful saber techniques or sword techniques require you to become an actual disciple of the Seven Star Gang and make contributions to the Seven Star Gang before you are qualified to purchase them."

"No matter how much silver ordinary people have, they can never even lay eyes on them."

"An ordinary saber technique costs twenty taels of silver?" Chu Fan frowned and began calculating in his heart.

He still had one hundred and twenty copper coins and several wheat cakes hidden at home.

That was everything he owned.

Converted to silver, it was only a little over one mace. Who knew how long it would take to save up twenty taels?

The Short Fat Youth glanced at the cleaving knife in Chu Fan's hand, the corner of his eye twitching slightly. He probed, "Could it be that... you want to buy a saber technique?"

"Yes." Chu Fan nodded. "I do want to learn a saber technique, but my purse is empty. I can only think about it for now."

Once his Spiritual Essence accumulated to 20 points, he could freeload Li Qingxue's... Seven Stars Bead Cut.

He had heard that Seven Stars Bead Cut was the Li Family's saber technique, the fastest blade in Qingyang Ancient City!

With three bowls of Blood Nourishing Medicinal Soup each day, plus three meals, he gained roughly 1.8 to 2.1 Spiritual Essence daily.

After exhausting his Spiritual Essence today, he would likely need more than ten days to save up 20 points. He still had to wait patiently.

The young man to the Short Fat Youth's left sneered. "You haven't even broken through the First Stage of Martial Dao Foundation Establishment or condensed Qi and Blood Force. Your foundation isn't steady, yet you are already aiming too high and wanting to learn a saber technique?"

"You're simply asking for trouble and bringing suffering upon yourself!"

The other young man nodded in agreement. "Things like saber techniques and sword techniques are best considered after breaking through the Second Stage, Blood Refining. That is the prudent course."

"Before breaking through the Second Stage, Blood Refining, or cultivating one form of the Twelve Forms Boxing to Major Accomplishment, it is better to focus your time and energy on the Twelve Forms Boxing. That is the Right Path."

The Short Fat Youth also said, "A true saber technique requires the use of Qi and Blood Force."

"Our Blood Qi is already stretched thin after practicing the Twelve Forms Boxing only a few times a day. Where would we find the energy to practice the saber?"

"The five stages of Martial Dao Foundation Establishment exist to lay a solid foundation, strengthen Blood Qi, and temper the tendons and bones step by step..."

"You have only just begun cultivating, yet you want to spend your time and energy on saber techniques. Even if you have talent with the saber, you are neglecting the root to chase the branches. When the time comes, you will surely regret it beyond remedy!"

Chu Fan said nothing and fell into thought.

He knew the other party's words made sense. They were all heartfelt advice.

But he possessed the Mountains and Rivers Map. He was an anomaly to begin with, so naturally he could not be judged by ordinary standards. He had to walk his own path.

The Chopping Wood Saber Technique had already gained the trait Knife Fast as the Wind. If it broke its limit again later, it would likely gain further enhancements to his saber technique. Its potential was boundless.

With such a trait supporting him, how could he not learn a saber technique?

On the other hand, as his Blood Qi continued to grow stronger, the number of times he practiced the Twelve Forms Boxing each day was also steadily increasing.

When that time came, he could simply practice the Twelve Forms Boxing two fewer times and use that time to train with the saber.

Suddenly...

Cao Feng's voice came from the Courtyard Gate, neither loud nor soft, yet clearly audible. "You want to learn the saber?"

At the sound, the Short Fat Youth and the other two sprang to their feet at once, their expressions respectful.

Chu Fan turned and saw Cao Feng standing at the Courtyard Gate with his hands behind his back, tall and straight. No one knew how long he had been there or whether he had heard what was said just now.

"Greetings, Instructor!"

"Greetings, Master Cao!"

Chu Fan, together with the Short Fat Youth and the others, respectfully bowed. None dared show the slightest negligence.

The three young men addressed Cao Feng as "Instructor."

Chu Fan and Zhao Tianxing addressed Cao Feng as "Master Cao."

That distinction alone made many people's eyes redden with envy.

Before Chu Fan could speak, Cao Feng suddenly moved his right foot, swift as lightning, and flicked a piece of round wood into the air.

The round wood shot up with a howl, smashing rapidly toward Chu Fan!

Chu Fan instinctively swung his blade, his movement as Flowing Clouds and Running Water...

Kachaa!

The flying round wood split cleanly into two from the middle, just like the logs that had been stood upright and chopped apart. The halves fell to the ground, stirring up a faint cloud of dust!

The Short Fat Youth and the other two stared at the scene, dumbfounded, as though turned to stone!