Mother and Daughter's Night Talk

"Mom, after I bathe later, I still have to go find Junior Brother to practice sword fighting."

They arrived at Gazing Sky Cliff.

After being led to the backyard of Celestial Star Hall, Ouyang Lan became a little impatient.

She casually hung the purple rhododendron flower crown in her hand on the coat rack behind the door, thinking that Junior Brother was new here and must be quite unaccustomed to things. Senior Sister Seven, despite being a woman, had a rough and bold personality and wouldn't know how to take care of people.

"Xiao Lan..."

Hearing this, Qin Huaiying's expression faltered slightly, and her eyes became a bit strange.

Her gaze swept over the purple flower crown. She didn't say much, only asked softly, "Is that child Wubing's swordsmanship really that good? I heard Yun Chong say that he learns everything quickly and masters it even faster?"

"Mom, it's even better than you can imagine. Look, look."

As she spoke.

Ouyang Lan drew the long sword from her back and casually performed a sword flourish. She moved forward and backward with her feet, her sword light flashing repeatedly, drawing one large and small circular arcs in front of her.

Large circles enclosed smaller ones, interlinking seamlessly, giving a sense of endlessness.

"This move, [Three Rings Encircle the Moon], Xiao Lan, you've actually broken through?"

Qin Huaiying had incredibly sharp eyes.

She could see at a glance that her precious daughter's swordsmanship was both offensive and defensive, filled with killing intent.

It wasn't some mere showy technique.

"More than that, there's this too..."

Ouyang Lan grinned, revealing her teeth, her eyes narrowing slightly. She spun her sword with a proud flourish, her feet stumbling as if she were drunk, her body swaying.

The long sword in her hand moved gracefully around her body...

Her sword light was like a wash, as if she were clad in a layer of sword energy.

Then, her sword technique changed again...

The whistling sword light instantly became gentle, like a clear breeze, like flowing clouds, showing no trace of killing intent.

Yet, it was light, agile, and omnipresent.

"[Drunken Cosmos] and [Clear Wind Flowing Clouds], you've also practiced them to embody both form and spirit. Excellent!"

This time, Qin Huaiying's voice was tinged with excitement.

She had always been anxious about her daughter's talent in swordsmanship and internal energy.

Even more so, she was frustrated by her daughter's perfunctory training attitude, wishing she could be tougher.

If one were to talk about the cultivation of internal energy and swordsmanship, Ouyang Lan had started her tutelage at the age of eight. She had been practicing for ten years.

However, whether it was her swordsmanship or internal energy, she wasn't considered highly skilled among the disciples.

The eldest disciple was another matter.

She couldn't compare.

The second disciple, Tie Zhongshan, had learned martial arts before joining, possessing a deep foundation, so there was nothing to say.

The third disciple, Wu Yunchong, had been a disciple for eight years.

The fourth disciple, Zhang Dexing, and the fifth disciple, Zheng Fangming, had also been on the mountain for seven years.

These three were all stronger than her.

Even the sixth disciple, Yuan Fei, and the seventh disciple, Lin Wenjing, who came from poor families and had only practiced for six years, were gradually catching up to their daughter in cultivation and swordsmanship.

In terms of perseverance and combat readiness, they were even superior to her daughter.

With such a precious daughter, Qin Huaiying had tried every method. Seeing her about to become the tail end of Celestial Star Peak's direct disciples, it was impossible for her not to be anxious.

She thought that if her foolish daughter ever encountered danger, she would surely suffer a great loss.

This time, she hardened her heart and let her go down the mountain for trials, to experience more of the world. She had also hoped it might change her perspective and make her more mature.

She hadn't seen any maturity.

However, her swordsmanship realm had given her a huge surprise.

The realm of swordsmanship is something you either have or you don't.

Even with extreme effort, it's not very useful.

It's like human talent...

Some people practice their entire lives and still can't break through that mental barrier.

To be able to practice sword forms to the point of perfect fluidity is already quite good.

This is precisely the limit that the less gifted in the martial arts world can reach through hard work.

But the mastery level is different.

It's no longer rote learning or rigid dogma, but having one's own understanding of swordsmanship, comprehending the true spirit of the sword.

No matter what skill it is, once one reaches the mastery level, they will become a leader in that field. One in a thousand, spoken of by the world.

The reason the eldest disciple, Yue Lingfeng, is called a genius among the disciples on the mountain is because he has mastered a set of basic sword techniques to the Proficient level.

Even with advanced sword techniques like the [Shadowless Sword], he has reached the Proficient level in more than half of the moves.

Although his cultivation is only Fifth Rank, his mastery of swordsmanship makes him exceptionally outstanding among second-rate martial artists in the jianghu, and he rarely finds an opponent.

The Celestial Star Sect's Gazing Sky Cliff lineage, which has always suppressed the Gold Jade Hall's Shen Family and Fierce Tiger Valley's Li Feiying lineages, owes a great deal to Yue Lingfeng's swordsmanship and cultivation.

Even the Violet Sun Sect and Bright Moon Sect know that Yue Lingfeng, the eldest disciple under Celestial Star Sect's Sect Leader Ouyang Zheng, is a rare sword prodigy who has great potential to bring the Celestial Star Sect to greater glory in the future.

From this, one can see the value of reaching the Proficient level in swordsmanship.

"Why are they all defensive moves?"

As Qin Huaiying carefully observed Ouyang Lan's swordsmanship, her heart was filled with joy, but also some confusion.

Logically, basic sword techniques are easy to learn but difficult to master. However, once one understands the sword's essence, the offensive moves should be the first to break through to the Proficient level.

After all, a sword, no matter how called the gentleman's weapon, is still a deadly instrument for killing.

With a sharp sword in hand, one naturally develops a bit more killing intent.

When ordinary people practice swordsmanship, they naturally gain more insight into offensive moves.

For defense, holding a shield, one would learn faster.

But with her daughter, it was the opposite.

A few sword moves that emphasized defense over offense were practiced with full spirit and energy, while the offensive moves were merely proficient.

"This has to be thanks to Junior Brother's swordsmanship.

Mother, you haven't seen it, but that guy's swordplay is incredibly fierce. He hits wherever it hurts the most. I think it's much more effective than when Father and Mother spar with me."

Ouyang Lan said with a proud smile.

"Is it really that miraculous?"

Qin Huaiying couldn't understand.

If facing an opponent with powerful inner energy or exquisite sword techniques could force one to unleash their full potential, everyone would do it.

In fact, if it were truly effective, Ouyang Zheng and Qin Huaiying wouldn't stand by and do nothing; they would have adopted it.

The disciples' talent was limited, and their comprehension was insufficient.

Any further pressure would only push them to the brink of collapse.

Because things that exceed one's understanding often don't lead to a flash of inspiration. Instead, they can crush confidence and leave one feeling lost.

But her daughter's rapid progress in swordsmanship was undeniable.

It forced them to believe.

They might as well believe that the golden crow on the mountaintop that often steals meat could talk.

"Tell me about how Wu Bing became your disciple and his performance on the way."

Qin Huaiying's curiosity could no longer be contained; it was like a thousand claws scratching her heart, making her itch uncontrollably.

The information she had received was not detailed...

She only knew that the new junior disciple was a sword prodigy who learned quickly.

His combat power was also extraordinary.

He was only sixteen years old. Although he joined the sect late, he was still on the cusp of adulthood.

If his weakness of slow inner energy cultivation could be compensated by a high level of sword technique, he could still become a pillar of the Celestial Star Sect.