Blade Changes with the Body

"The two of you should get acquainted."

"Han Mo is a squad leader in the City Guard; you can look for him if you need anything in the future."

Liang Song sat down by the stone table and spoke leisurely.

"I am Han Mo, a small squad leader in the City Guard."

"It's been a long time since I visited Master Liang. I came by to see him today, but I didn't expect him to have taken on a new apprentice." Han Mo said with a smile.

He was stationed outside the city during the day and rarely had free time, only occasionally coming to visit Master Liang in the evenings.

Since this was only Lin Zheyu's second time visiting at night, the two had never crossed paths until now.

"I heard Master Liang has taught martial arts to several people, so why haven't I seen any of them?" Lin Zheyu asked curiously.

"The City Guard needs to be stationed outside the city, often going out to suppress bandits for weeks at a time, so naturally, you wouldn't run into us."

"As for the other three, I've only met them a few times."

"I heard they fled to Songyi City from other cities to seek refuge. After learning martial arts, they returned to their hometowns to seek revenge and were never seen again."

"I don't know how they are doing now."

Han Mo looked wistful; in this chaotic world, some people disappear forever the moment they turn away.

"Suppressing bandits?"

"With so many bandits nowadays, can you really wipe them all out?"

Lin Zheyu was puzzled.

Since the appearance of the rebel armies, banditry had emerged one after another. Without solving the root of the problem, no amount of suppression would be useful.

"Even if we can't wipe them out, we have to try, otherwise the trade routes will be cut off."

"If the City Guard didn't suppress bandits to keep the trade routes clear, those outlaws would be even more lawless." Han Mo said helplessly.

"Enough chatting for now."

"Lin Zheyu, you go practice for a while to sweat out the alcohol." Liang Song said.

Han Mo smiled and cupped his hands toward Lin Zheyu, then walked to Liang Song's side to watch Lin Zheyu practice.

Under the bright moonlight.

Lin Zheyu took off his outer garment and began to practice the Golden Goose Technique.

With his practice over the past few days, his footwork had become increasingly agile.

His figure darted and shifted around the courtyard, his movements unpredictable and elusive, leaving one unable to grasp his rhythm.

"This is the Golden Goose Technique, right? Junior Brother Lin truly has exceptional comprehension; it's enviable."

Han Mo watched Lin Zheyu, his eyes filled with envy.

Back then, Liang Song had only taught him a third-rate saber technique. Later, after Han Mo had followed Liang Song for a long time and Liang Song had figured out his character, he had also taught him the Golden Goose Technique.

Unfortunately, Han Mo's comprehension was average, and he couldn't master such intricate and complex techniques.

After practicing for years, he was still not as good as Lin Zheyu was after just a few days.

"Don't envy him. With your aptitude, if you can fully grasp the Six Harmonies Saber Technique, it will be enough to serve you for a lifetime."

Liang Song glanced at him: "You've been out fighting for over a month; have you touched the threshold of the Blood Energy Realm yet?"

"No."

"It's too difficult. When the battle reaches its peak, I can feel the blood in my body boiling."

"But once the fighting stops and I try to perceive it carefully, I can't sense the presence of blood energy at all." Han Mo sighed, looking somewhat frustrated.

"Not bad. At least you can sense the blood energy during battle."

"The Blood Energy Realm is a major threshold. Most martial artists remain stuck because they cannot perceive or comprehend their blood energy."

"Engage in more intense battles in the future. Once you are familiar with that feeling, you will naturally be able to enter the Blood Energy Realm."

Liang Song said calmly.

The two sat by the stone table, eating side dishes and chatting while watching Lin Zheyu practice martial arts.

Time passed slowly.

Lin Zheyu practiced for over an hour, and the alcohol in his body evaporated with his sweat, leaving not a trace of intoxication.

"Go ahead."

"You and Lin Zheyu should spar a bit." Liang Song said.

"Yes, Master."

Han Mo took off his jacket, wearing only a tight-fitting short-sleeved shirt that revealed his sturdy muscles.

As the moonlight fell upon him, one could see over a dozen scars of varying sizes on his exposed arms.

Han Mo picked up a blunt saber used for sparring from the courtyard and swung it, finding it quite comfortable to hold.

"I practice the Six Harmonies Saber Technique, so all my martial arts prowess lies in my weapon. Without it, I lose more than half of my strength."

Han Mo smiled and waved the blunt saber in his hand: "Blades have no eyes, Junior Brother Lin, be careful."

"I have practiced martial arts for over a decade, yet I've been stuck at the peak of Organ Refining, unable to make any further progress."

"I heard from Master that you reached Bone Forging in less than two months. Your talent is remarkable; I'm sure you'll surpass me soon."

"I just started practicing, so it was faster at the beginning, but it will slow down later," Lin Zheyu said modestly.

He stood two meters away from Han Mo and assumed the stance of the Golden Goose Technique.

Previously, when Lin Zheyu sparred with Master Liang, it was always hand-to-hand combat; he had never tried fighting against a weapon using only his fists and feet.

"As the saying goes, 'an inch longer is an inch stronger, an inch shorter is an inch more dangerous.'"

"Long is strong and sharp, while short is tricky and hides murderous intent."

"When fighting a martial artist with a weapon, you must grasp the strengths and weaknesses of the weapon and use the agility and versatility of your fists and feet to restrain them."

Master Liang said leisurely: "You may begin."

"Senior Brother Han, please forgive me!"

Lin Zheyu cupped his fists and then assumed his stance.

The Six Harmonies Saber Technique is simple and unadorned, concise and swift, with every strike carrying thick, powerful force and an imposing aura.

The technique is highly practical; once mastered, the saber moves with the body, achieving a state of unity between blade and person, changing at will.

However, no matter how concise or swift it is, its flexibility cannot compare to hand-to-hand combat.

To defeat Senior Brother Han, Lin Zheyu needed to close the distance to within one meter and engage in close-quarters combat.

Under the moonlight, Lin Zheyu's figure exploded forward, rapidly closing in on Han Mo.

Han Mo gripped the blunt saber. As the moonlight spilled down, the blade reflected a cold glint. With a horizontal slash, he quickly forced Lin Zheyu back.

He stepped forward with his right foot, the blade light sharp and biting, slashing down toward Lin Zheyu's head.

Lin Zheyu ducked sharply, moving his body with agility, and took advantage of the gap before Han Mo could retract his blade to press forward.

"Heh!"

Han Mo chuckled; he was extremely familiar with Lin Zheyu's patterns.

Having sparred with Master Liang for over a decade, he had long since figured out the techniques to counter this type of footwork.

Although Han Mo was defeated in just a few moves when facing Master Liang, his saber skills were displayed to the fullest against his inexperienced Junior Brother Lin.

"So strong!"

Lin Zheyu pulled back to create distance, breathing slightly heavily.

The fierce offensive just now had been more than he could handle.

Han Mo's saber technique was formidable, having already achieved the state where the blade moves with the body, changing at will.

Under his defense, Lin Zheyu could not break through the defensive perimeter of the saber at all, leaving him no way to close in.

"The blade moves with the body; only when the body moves will the blade follow."

"You must keep a close eye on the opponent's body movements. No matter how fast the blade is, it takes time for the strength of the hand to be transmitted to the blade."

"Seize this gap, see through the trajectory of the opponent's saber, and you will be able to make a preemptive prediction," Liang Song said, offering a reminder.

Lin Zheyu carefully recalled the process of his previous attack, let out a long breath, and launched another assault.

In the courtyard.

Han Mo swung the blunt saber with such force that it whistled through the air, his momentum astonishing.

Lin Zheyu utilized his agile footwork to constantly dodge Han Mo's attacks, seizing every opportunity to launch his own.

The two traded blows back and forth.

"Junior Brother Lin's combat talent is truly strong!" Han Mo remarked with emotion.

As the battle progressed, Lin Zheyu lasted longer and longer under his blade, beginning to figure out the tricks to cope with it.

Due to a moment of carelessness, Lin Zheyu was sent flying by the flat of Han Mo's blade.

"Again!"

Lin Zheyu rubbed his back; fortunately, it was much lighter than Master Liang's strikes.

Under the moonlight.

One figure stood motionless, swinging the blunt saber with tight, whistling precision.

The other, incredibly nimble, dodged and weaved under the blade, constantly looking for a chance to close in.

Their battle lasted for over an hour, only stopping when Master Liang called for a halt.

Han Mo breathed slightly heavily, his eyes changing as he looked at Lin Zheyu.

Is this kid a beast? Doesn't he get tired?

Even though he was already pale from exhaustion and breathing heavily, he was still able to launch continuous attacks; this perseverance was truly astonishing.

"No wonder Junior Brother Lin can achieve such results; this perseverance alone is worthy of admiration!" Han Mo exclaimed.