Sword Martial Palace, front courtyard.
"The eighteen forms of the basic Sword Moves."
Qin Hao held the Iron Sword. Not a trace of energy stirred around him as he practiced the basic Sword Moves, form by form—lifting, thrusting, pointing, sweeping, slashing...
He performed each form at the same unhurried pace.
And every time he completed the sequence, a flash of insight crossed his mind, only to vanish an instant later.
Lately, Qin Hao had practiced Sword Moves almost every day. There were many basic Sword Move Secret Techniques, but most differed little. After all, any Sword Move built on the basics came down to thrusting, lifting, sweeping, slashing, blocking...
Likewise, whatever Sword Move he practiced, that flash of insight appeared.
That flash of insight...
It was the Sword Heart Realm!
Before, he might have needed to complete the sequence several times to glimpse it. Now, a single round was almost always enough.
Day after day, as he kept practicing, Qin Hao's heart settled completely.
He immersed himself in it. Lost himself in it!
Practicing the "Sword Heart" Realm of the Sword Dao Inheritance did not require basic Sword Moves alone. Perhaps a sudden awakening or a moment of realization could bring everything together and carry him straight into the Sword Heart Realm.
But whatever the method, an unshakable foundation in basic Sword Moves was essential. Beyond that... practicing those moves to strengthen his Sword Heart, and ultimately step into the Sword Heart Realm,
was undoubtedly the surest way to build the firmest foundation.
That day, Qin Hao practiced the basic Sword Moves as usual. Holding his plain iron sword, he suddenly stepped forward and drove its tip straight ahead.
Hum.
It was an utterly ordinary move. He had used no power whatsoever—just a basic forward thrust!
Yet as the tip