After washing up, Feng Qingmo brewed himself a cup of tea and stood on the second-floor balcony, basking in the morning sun.
"This senior Bian Xiangqing really was a once-in-a-generation talent..."
After practicing swordsmanship all night, Feng Qingmo couldn't help but feel immense admiration for the senior who had created the Wind-Washing Sword.
Even though he didn't know the exact Force Amplitude of the World Destroyer spear technique created by Hong, the world's strongest fighter, it should have been a little lower than Thor's Thunder Blade Nine Layers. Otherwise, Thor wouldn't have earned the titles of fastest and strongest physique.
But the manual created by Bian Xiangqing had a Force Amplitude even higher than Thunder Blade Nine Layers.
Countless people around the world practiced the two ultimate manuals created by Hong and Thor, yet he had never heard of anyone reaching their level through them. That showed just how difficult the manuals were to master.
Still, although no one could master them completely, plenty of people should have learned the first few levels.
The Wind-Washing Sword was different. Even within the Huaxia military alone, many people practiced it, but fewer than ten had truly managed to get started. Of those, only a handful had mastered the second level. That was what Guan Chenglong had told him.
Although Guan Chenglong had bought the third volume of the manual, years of practice had brought him no progress. He had long since switched to another school of swordsmanship.
Back when Guan Chenglong had practiced this sword art, he had mastered the first level within a few months. The second had taken him nearly two years, and he had only succeeded through a lucky break. But after practicing the third level for three years, he still couldn't master it.
Although Guan Chenglong's movement technique had reached the perfect stage by the time he became a War God, and his swordsmanship had likewise reached the perfection stage, neither accomplishment had anything to do with the Wind-Washing Sword. He had broken through while fighting a Lord-level Monster after practicing a different sword art.
Of course, Guan Chenglong himself had said that even though he had moved on to other sword arts, what he had gained from practicing the Wind-Washing Sword remained invaluable. It made practicing other sword arts feel twice as effective, and the Force Amplitude he had developed from it was one reason he could be considered a capable fighter even among the War Gods.
Feng Qingmo had a theory about why the sword art was so difficult: it probably came with its own Artistic Conception, and it had to be one of the wind attribute.
Feng Qingmo knew from the original story that when someone advanced from the Apprentice level to the Planetary Level, their genes underwent a leap. During the process of their body being transformed by those genes, they gained a talent—or, as it was sometimes called, a special ability. That talent basically determined which attribute they were suited to cultivate.
For instance, Luo Feng was aligned with metal, Hong with light, and Thor with lightning.
This affinity was probably related to one's genes. In other words, it was essentially determined from birth.
That ruled out anyone who wasn't a wind-attribute Martial Artist from practicing the sword art. Moreover, once someone mastered its third level, their movement technique and swordsmanship would inevitably reach the Artistic Conception Level. But if they couldn't grasp even a trace of the wind's Artistic Conception, mastering the third level would likely be very difficult.
"A theory is still just a theory. I'll think about the specifics after I master the second level..." Feng Qingmo's fingers brushed the teacup as his unfocused eyes gazed at the morning sun on the horizon.
"Fortunately, during yesterday's Trial Tower challenge, I reached the perfect stage of movement technique once ahead of time. That made my progress last night remarkably clear..."
A faint smile appeared on his face. He drained his tea and turned toward the Central Building. Though he hadn't slept all night, he was still energetic and showed no sign of fatigue.
"Looking at you today, you seem a little different..." Guan Chenglong's sword came at Feng Qingmo again and again, but Feng Qingmo deflected it with ease. Guan Chenglong couldn't help feeling puzzled.
"I passed the first level of the Trial Tower yesterday!" Feng Qingmo replied with a smile.
"Oh," Guan Chenglong said, his eyes lighting up. "You passed? So you've improved again. No wonder you're handling me so easily today, even though I'm using the same strength and level as yesterday..."
As he spoke, he gradually increased his strength and made his swordsmanship more intricate, restoring the pressure Feng Qingmo had felt before.
After half an hour of intense fighting, Guan Chenglong lowered his sword. Feng Qingmo took the opportunity to ask about a few things from the manual that had puzzled him during his practice the previous night.
"You bought the second volume of the Wind-Washing Sword?" Guan Chenglong immediately realized that these questions weren't covered in the first volume.
"...Yes." Guan Chenglong didn't know about the goal and reward Jia Yi had set for Feng Qingmo, and Feng Qingmo didn't intend to spread the word.
"You sold those materials, and with the Silver Moon Fierce Wolf, you had enough contribution points. But even though I got you a high price of five hundred million for the Silver Moon Fierce Wolf, the materials only brought the total to a little over six hundred million... Looks like your parents gave you all their savings..."
Feng Qingmo said nothing and let Guan Chenglong draw his own conclusions.
In fact, after he received the money from the military, he had transferred three hundred million back to Feng Jiansong. His parents needed to keep some emergency funds on hand, after all.
"When did you get the manual?" Guan Chenglong stopped wondering how Feng Qingmo had managed to buy it. What mattered was that he had it now.
"Last night."
Guan Chenglong considered this for a moment, then said earnestly, "Qingmo, you haven't had the manual for long, so it's only natural to have these questions. But I suggest you try to find the answers yourself first. If you still haven't found them after a month, we can discuss them then. How does that sound?"
"Discuss them?" Feng Qingmo wondered why Guan Chenglong had used that word.
A nostalgic look came over Guan Chenglong's face. "My teacher once said something that I thought made a lot of sense: 'Cultivation is actually a very private matter!'"
"Everyone's physique, soul, and genes are different, and their cultivation habits vary just as much... As a result, some people can master a given sword art while others can't. Some make rapid progress and reach profound levels, while others make no progress at all and remain stuck outside the gates..."
"If it's something fundamental, of course a teacher can teach it. But when it comes to deeper questions that might affect the path you take in your future cultivation, it's best to seek the answers yourself. If you find them, you'll naturally take another step forward in the martial path. If you can't, you might remain stuck where you are..."
"You're right!" Feng Qingmo nodded.
"But!" Guan Chenglong said sternly. "If you ask someone for guidance, they'll inevitably answer according to their own understanding. But as I just said, everyone is an individual, and everyone's insights into cultivation are different. What works for them might not work for me, and what works for me might not work for you. Sometimes, not only will you fail to get an answer, but you might even go down the wrong path without realizing it!"
"That's why I suggested you practice for a while and search for the answers yourself first. Do you understand?"
"I understand," Feng Qingmo said gratefully. "Thank you, Teacher Guan!"
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