The subtlety of the Nine Yang Sword Technique lay not in mastery, but in understanding-or rather, resonance.
Zhao Feng withdrew his sword force, thinking to himself.
The sword was the sovereign of all weapons, and swordsmen possessed the greatest combat strength among martial masters, but theirs was also the hardest path to cultivate. It demanded exceptional comprehension, which happened to be precisely what Zhao Feng possessed.
So when he realized his practice of the Nine Yang Sword Technique had become too mechanical, he corrected it in time. His swordsmanship rose another level.
Meanwhile, in the outside world, the three armies steadily reclaimed lost territory under Military Supervisor Sun's unified command.
Under Xu Shan's command, the Western Route Army pressed westward, storming cities and strongholds with assistance from martial experts mobilized from the major sects and lineages of the six provinces. It had already reached the border with You Province.
Military Supervisor Sun personally commanded the Central Route Army, which had captured Cold Spring Pass, one of Great Yan's five most formidable passes. It was now not far from the provincial capital, Bingzhou City.
The Eastern Route Army had completely surrounded Jinyang Prefecture, the major eastern stronghold. Once it fell, the rearward routes supplying grain and military equipment would be severed entirely.
Yu Zhiyong stood on a hillside, gazing at the fertile fields and rice paddies lying abandoned below.
"What a fine place. A pity the Liang Rebels ruined it." He turned to look at Zhao Feng.
"Once we recover Bing Province, the Imperial Court will begin reconstruction immediately. Then there'll be another round of open struggles and hidden clashes over how the spoils are divided, every bit as fierce as the fighting on the battlefield."
Yu Zhiyong pinched the bridge of his nose.
"The Son of Heaven has been cautious