Feng Qingmo watched in amazement.
To have fought a King-Level Monster to the death as an Invincible War God was already an extraordinary feat.
"Perhaps Ruins No. 9 hadn't been discovered back then. If War God Bian Xiangqing had had a Black God Set, he might not have died. What a pity!"
Feng Qingmo felt a pang of regret. For such a genius to have fallen in a Disaster-level Beast Tide was indeed a tremendous loss for Huaxia.
He continued reading.
"Cultivators, take note: the Wind-Washing Sword contains its own artistic conception. It is extremely profound and tests one's comprehension above all else. Its difficulty is exceptionally high, comparable to the ultimate tier. Many Martial Artists in the military have chosen this sword art, yet countless have been stumped before even mastering its basics!"
"Choose this sword art with caution!"
The next line was handwritten, and the handwriting still looked like Jia Yi's.
"If Bian Xiangqing had continued creating the Wind-Washing Sword, it would have deserved to be rated 'ultimate.' Sadly, only the first three layers exist, though it can still be rated SS-grade. However, I have taken it upon myself to classify it as S-grade, so its price will be lower. I hope more people will choose this sword art, master it, and create the later layers of the Wind-Washing Sword, so that my old friend may rest in peace!"
Looking at these words, Feng Qingmo fell silent for a long while. None of the manuals created by other military Martial Artists contained handwritten notes from Jia Yi. Only this manual had more than one. It was clear that Jia Yi and Bian Xiangqing must have been very close friends.
"Although it only has the first three layers, mastering each one greatly improves both swordsmanship and footwork. It's actually very suitable for the Apprentice level. Once you reach the Planetary Level, you can look for a better manual, or continue creating along the lines of this sword art. Either is possible..."
After weighing his options for a while, Feng Qingmo clicked the purchase button.
"Please verify your fingerprint to confirm the purchase."
Feng Qingmo placed his hand on the scanner. A soft beep sounded, and the purchase went through. The balance in his account instantly dropped by 200 million.
"Payment successful. The first-layer manual of the Wind-Washing Sword will be delivered to Mr. Feng Qingmo's home within 24 hours."
"Good thing there's no contribution-point requirement for a first-time purchase, and that I get a free allowance of 50 million. Otherwise, I wouldn't have enough..." He glanced at his balance. "There's 150 million left. Next, I need to buy equipment. I'll start with a combat suit, boots, throwing knives, and a backpack. As for the sword, I'll wait for the manual to arrive and decide after I've read it!"
Military Martial Artists had their own channels. Unlike the Limit Dojo, buying weapons and the like didn't require contribution points; if they didn't have enough, they had to ask someone else to buy them on their behalf.
After a round of shopping, the balance in his account quickly dwindled.
At nine the next morning, someone from the military delivered the manual. After the usual reminders about the manual's restrictions, they promptly left.
Carrying the small alloy case, he returned to the training room on the second floor.
He opened the case with his fingerprint. Inside lay a book about a centimeter thick, and nothing else.
He carefully took out the manual. Three characters were written on the cover: Wind-Washing Sword!
He opened the book. On the first page, there were only a few handwritten lines, written in a free and flowing style:
Wash away the world's sorrows, behold the moonlit beauty of the immortals; serenity fills the air. With a smile, leave the dust of the world behind; clouds and waters fade into the distance.
The writing was elegant, yet imbued with a wonderfully lively charm. Feng Qingmo, reading it with his Spiritual Force, found himself immersed in it for a moment.
"The calligraphy is decent, but the artistic conception really is profound..." Feng Qingmo was impressed. Only twenty-seven characters, yet every one seemed like a sword technique, dancing with the wind and piercing straight into the heart.
He turned the page and continued reading.
"Wash away the world's sorrows, behold the moonlit beauty of the immortals! I only wish to wield my sword and cleanse the world of monsters, so I named my sword art 'Wind Washing.'"
"I studied fencing from childhood and was devoted to the sword. When I came of age, I visited masters far and wide, hoping to reach even greater heights. Then the Great Nirvana came. Seeing monsters run rampant, I drew my sword in fury."
"Through countless brushes with death, my swordsmanship and footwork grew stronger and stronger. But without systematic guidance, my body's foundation became unstable as I broke through again and again, making it difficult to advance beyond the War God level. Yet I still believed I could become someone like Hong and Thor."
"So I reflected deeply on my mistakes and poured all my insights and knowledge into the three layers of the Wind-Washing Sword. If I can surpass the War God level, I will surely create a fourth layer and stand shoulder to shoulder with Hong and Thor!"
"The Wind-Washing Sword includes a complete set of footwork called Follow the Wind and a complete Guidance Technique called Soaring. Its sword art, footwork, and Guidance Technique complement one another."
"The Guidance Technique contains a marvelous Force Application Technique. It can be used in footwork and swordsmanship, making you faster and faster..."
"I once sparred with Thor. His Thunder Blade was fast, but at the same level, my Wind Washing was faster!"
"Sadly, I realized later that pursuing extreme speed alone did not make for a perfect sword art. So when I revisited this sword art at the peak of the War God level, I made some improvements."
"After completing the first layer of Thor's Thunder Blade, the body generates a surge of hidden force that reaches seventy percent of its full power. But the first layer itself can also exert only seventy percent, making a total of fourteen tenths—or a 1.4-times burst."
"But the original Wind Washing exerted its full force, then unleashed another ten-tenths of hidden force, for a total burst of twice its normal power. The second layer made it three times as powerful, and the third layer, four times!"
"But this method of training also placed far too much strain on my body, leaving me with many hidden injuries. That was why I languished at the peak of the War God level for so long."
"So I learned from my mistakes and refined the application of force. With the first layer, I exert ninety percent of my strength, then release another hidden force of ninety percent, producing an attack with 1.8 times the power!"
Feng Qingmo was dumbfounded. Bian Xiangqing really hadn't been boasting. Before his improvements, even the first layer could produce twice the force, while Thor's only reached 1.4 times. If he'd been able to keep creating new layers—not many, just seven—he could have matched the Nine-Layer Thunder Blade.
Even after the improvements, the first layer's force had dropped by ten percent, but its Force Amplitude was still undoubtedly greater than Thor's.
"What a pity. What a waste!" Feng Qingmo shared Jia Yi's thoughts. If Bian Xiangqing hadn't fallen to the beast tide, then with his talent, comprehending a domain would surely have been within his reach. If he'd lived to this day, Hong might not necessarily be the world's strongest fighter.
"I have another advantage," Feng Qingmo thought as he studied the manual. "At first, neither Hong nor Thor seemed to use Force Amplitude for anything but attacks. They don't seem to have started researching defensive applications yet. Once I master the Wind-Washing Sword, I can try incorporating force into my defense too..."
"Thinking that far ahead is useless. I should focus on what's in front of me..."
He continued flipping through the manual, which now began explaining the sword art, footwork, and Guidance Technique in detail.
The first layer of the Wind-Washing Sword contained thirty-six sword forms. Practicing them would help cultivators comprehend force and the artistic conception within the sword art.
Before you continue