An Old Man Playing with a Child!

Seeing Jiang Yuan hesitate.

Guan Ling paused, then said solemnly, "Rest assured, sir. Guan Ling knows her limits. No one else will learn of what happened tonight."

She was indeed clever as ice and snow. She knew that a senior swordsman like Jiang Yuan must have some unspeakable reason for hiding in such a small teahouse.

Guan Ling even guessed that Jiang Yuan had provoked some powerful force and had been forced to retire from the martial world.

Jiang Yuan glanced at the dead branch in his hand and suddenly smiled. "In that case, I shall grant Miss Guan her wish."

"I'll use this, then."

Guan Ling froze. A sense of humiliation immediately surged into her heart, and her words came out more hurriedly.

"Sir, you intend to spar with this junior using a tree branch?"

"Isn't that looking down on me too much?"

Jiang Yuan held the dead branch horizontally before him, his gaze deep as he smiled. "The way of the sword is ever-changing. Though there is no sword in one's hand, there is a sword in one's heart. Every blade of grass and every tree may serve as a sword."

"Miss, you have practiced the sword for many years. Surely you understand even this principle?"

Every blade of grass and every tree could serve as a sword?

Guan Ling shuddered from head to toe.

What realm was this?

She had never heard any elder of her sect speak such words.

"This junior has been enlightened."

Guan Ling respectfully bowed, then raised her longsword.

"Please instruct me, Senior!"

Jiang Yuan placed one hand behind his back, the dead branch hanging casually at his side. He smiled faintly.

"Come."

Guan Ling drew a deep breath, lightly tapped off the ground, and drifted forward. From the very first move, she used the Shadowless Sword Technique to probe Jiang Yuan's true strength.

The next instant, her longsword tore through the air, splitting into three sword shadows that struck at Jiang Yuan.

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

Jiang Yuan remained where he was, unhurried and unflustered. He casually swung the branch, sending out three streams of sword qi that shattered the three sword shadows. Then he lifted his hand behind him to block.

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle...

The branch, wrapped in true qi, steadily blocked Guan Ling's longsword.

So the three sword shadows from before had all been feints.

Guan Ling's final sword was the true killing move—the true mystery of the Shadowless Sword Technique.

Yet Jiang Yuan had seen through that mystery at a glance.

"What?"

When she discovered that her strike had been so easily blocked, Guan Ling's pretty face changed slightly. She abruptly retreated dozens of steps, her eyes filled with even greater wariness.

In just one exchange, her sword technique had been seen through?

How was that possible?

Though this move of the Shadowless Sword Technique was not particularly profound, having it broken in an instant was far too outrageous.

She had practiced the sword since the age of three and comprehended sword intent at twelve. She had always considered herself a genius of the sword.

But she could never achieve what Jiang Yuan had just done!

Could this old gentleman truly be a grandmaster of the sword?

Jiang Yuan gently stroked the branch and smiled warmly. "Miss, I think there is no need for us to continue sparring, is there?"

Having lived to such an age, he naturally knew that the girl had deliberately come tonight to test him. But that was exactly what he wanted.

These past few days, he had deliberately talked about swordsmanship in order to pique the interest of these Azure Profound Sect disciples.

With the pride of sect disciples like them, it would be utterly impossible for him to swallow his pride and beg them to teach him sword techniques.

Only if they came to him on their own initiative, practicing swordsmanship under the pretext of sparring, could he secretly learn a thing or two.

Although he possessed a Primordial Sword Body, without sword techniques to study, even the cleverest housewife could not cook without rice.

And now, he intended to provoke this favored daughter of the sect a little further.

"Senior, again!"

Guan Ling gritted her teeth. A flash of unwillingness to admit defeat crossed her pretty face as she raised her sword and attacked again.

Yet Jiang Yuan still appeared as leisurely as if strolling through a courtyard, easily parrying every one of Guan Ling's sword moves. He even pointed out several flaws in her technique.

"Miss, your sword is too hurried."

"Your sword should prioritize lightness and agility. Use three parts to attack the enemy and keep seven parts in reserve. Only when the sword momentum remains unbroken can you stand undefeated."

"A sword is not better merely because it is faster. It must be fast when it ought to be fast."

The more Guan Ling heard, the more astonished she became.

How could this old gentleman possess such a deep understanding of her sword technique?

Could he be guiding her?

In truth, Jiang Yuan did not understand sword techniques at all.

He was merely sensing the flaws in her moves through the instincts of his Primordial Sword Body.

The two exchanged blows, and in the blink of an eye, dozens of rounds had passed.

Though it was only a spar and neither had used much of their true cultivation, Guan Ling was drenched in sweat, her breathing gradually becoming ragged.

There was no other reason—Jiang Yuan's sword intent carried far too oppressive a presence.

What was even harder for her to accept was his endurance. It was simply more vigorous than that of a young man!

She was practically drained dry!

Yet Jiang Yuan remained as calm as drifting clouds and gentle winds, without even a hint of disorder in his breathing.

Face flushed and breathing heavily, Guan Ling finally said with great reluctance, "Senior, you are truly vigorous despite your age. This little woman admits defeat."

There was no helping it. If they continued, she would not stand the slightest chance of winning.

This was not sparring at all. It was plainly an old man playing with a child!

Jiang Yuan smiled faintly. "Miss is a rare talent in the way of the sword. Given time, you will surely achieve something extraordinary. This old man has also benefited greatly from sparring with you."

His words made Guan Ling's cheeks redden, leaving her deeply embarrassed.

She had been guided from beginning to end. What right did she have to claim that he had benefited at all?

At that moment, Jiang Yuan's image in her heart became that of an old senior who had practiced the sword for decades, only to retire from the martial world and humble himself in this tiny teahouse.

She even wanted to persuade Jiang Yuan to return to the martial world and become her sword-practice partner.

The next moment, something that shocked Guan Ling even more occurred.

Holding the branch, Jiang Yuan began imitating the sword moves Guan Ling had used earlier. They were almost exactly the same, yet their artistic conception was even deeper!

As he practiced the final move.

Jiang Yuan seemed to gain some insight. The branch in his hand suddenly swayed out five sword shadows—it was unmistakably the Shadowless Sword Technique!

"Five shadows?"

Guan Ling's eyes widened, her face filled with disbelief.

This old gentleman had seen her perform it only once, yet he could use the five-shadow version of the Shadowless Sword Technique. It was terrifying beyond measure!

What kind of swordsman was he?

"What a pity. I still haven't fully comprehended it."

Jiang Yuan slowly lowered the branch, a trace of regret flashing through his eyes.

He had a feeling that the Shadowless Sword Technique was not as simple as it appeared. Merely splitting into sword shadows was not enough.

Shadowless, shadowless—should it not truly have no shadow?

Still, five sword shadows were merely the limit of his understanding of this sword technique, not the limit of his talent.

Once he obtained the sword manual, he was confident that he could directly cultivate this technique to great mastery and develop the true Shadowless Sword Technique!

Had Guan Ling heard that thought, she would likely have flown into a rage on the spot.

Are you even human?

She had trained for so many years just to produce three sword shadows, yet he had glanced at it once, produced five, and still was not satisfied?

Who exactly was the favored genius here?

While Jiang Yuan was comprehending the sword, Guan Ling's bright, watery eyes remained fixed on him, filled with curiosity and conflict.

What exactly was this old gentleman?

His cultivation appeared utterly ordinary, yet his comprehension of the sword was so terrifying. Could those sword techniques he had mentioned during the day truly exist?

With that thought, Guan Ling raised her head and asked seriously once more.

"Sir, could you please teach me... Myriad Swords Return to the Source?"