A girl, Xiao Qingyu

The beautiful woman gave him a surprised look, seemingly not expecting anyone to come over and speak to her.

But seeing his expectant gaze, she gave a slight nod, then followed Qin Yi's instructions and first gathered a strand of True Qi at the [Lieque acupoint] on her arm. Then she performed her sword art again.

When she performed the sword art for the second time, the line of water that appeared suddenly widened, instantly growing from a finger's width to a palm's width, even broader than what Gu Qingshuang had produced earlier.

The woman was delighted and surprised. She followed up with several more moves, and the wonderful feeling far surpassed what she had felt before.

It was clearly the same sword art, yet with this little trick Qin Yi had mentioned, every move and every form actually gave her an entirely new feeling.

"Thank you. Your method works so well." After sheathing her sword, the woman looked at him gratefully, smiling.

[Favorability +20]!

Perhaps because Qin Yi looked handsome and refined and was so willing to help, this woman actually gave him twenty favorability points outright.

Qin Yi marveled inwardly. By comparison, Gu Qingshuang's favorability really was harder to earn.

"You're welcome. We're fellow disciples; helping each other is only natural," Qin Yi replied politely.

The reason a strand of True Qi had to be gathered at the Lieque acupoint before drawing on the force of water with the Jade Pivot Sword Art was quite simple.

It was like an old-fashioned hand-pump well, which needed a little water as a primer to create a siphon effect.

Gathering a strand of True Qi at the Lieque acupoint before performing the sword art served as that "primer."

For a modern person, this principle was practically common knowledge.

But the people of this era had received no basic science education growing up. They did not understand what a siphon effect was, so naturally, they would not apply such little tricks to their sword arts.

In fact, so-called comprehension was itself the incorporation of various tricks into cultivation arts to achieve twice the result with half the effort.

Many things were difficult because too many people clung to established rules, did not know how to break the deadlock, and dared not innovate. They followed the beaten track until they could barely move an inch.

"Senior brother, I don't think I've ever seen you before. Which peak are you from?"

The woman was very polite. Since they did not know each other, she first addressed him respectfully as senior brother.

After all, he could offer her guidance, so it was only right to give precedence to the more accomplished.

Qin Yi smiled slightly and cupped his hands. "I am Qin Yi, eldest senior brother of Emerald Bamboo Peak."

The woman froze briefly, then looked somewhat enlightened. "So you're... Senior Brother... Qin Yi."

As Gu Qingshuang's close friend, she had probably heard about Qin Yi from her.

Qin Yi had started off by falling from the sky, crushing a demon to death and saving Gu Yiyi. Afterward, he had touched the Dao Comprehension Stone and become an expert at the Qi Refining Fifth Layer overnight. Then, under the personal instruction of Dripping Water Sword Gu Yanshan, he had entered Foundation Establishment in less than a month.

Such cultivation speed could be called genius.

In the entire Famous Sword Sect, only Hua Yunfeng and Xiahou Tai could compare.

"You know me?"

"I've heard Qingshuang mention you. You should know her."

"So you're Senior Sister Qingshuang's friend." Qin Yi nodded.

There was no harm in calling Gu Qingshuang senior sister. She was a woman, after all, and the sect master's daughter at that. Giving her a little ground was only proper.

"Actually, I've heard about you for a long time. Everyone says you're a genius, and now that I've met you, you truly live up to your reputation. You've only been in the sect for less than a month, yet you've already attained such mastery of the Jade Pivot Sword Art. You're really impressive."

"You flatter me, junior sister. May I ask your name?"

"My name is Xiao Qingyu. I'm a disciple of the fourth peak, Cold Plum Peak."

"Actually, in the way of the sword, we can draw on everyone's strengths to make up for our own weaknesses. Much can be gained through exchanging ideas. When all sorts of experience come together, improving becomes easy."

Xiao Qingyu pressed her lips together and nodded. "What you say makes a lot of sense, but there aren't many people in the entire Famous Sword Sect willing to do that. Apart from Senior Sister Qingshuang... well, and you."

At the end, she covered her mouth and smiled.

"Really? The others aren't willing?" Qin Yi was very surprised.

Xiao Qingyu nodded. "You haven't been in the sect long, Senior Brother Qin Yi, so you don't know about this. In another two months, our Famous Sword Sect will hold the Sword Debate for First Place. There are five arenas in the Sword Debate for First Place, each hosting the ultimate contest in a particular sword art.

"For example, everyone who studies the Jade Pivot Sword Art will compete in the same arena, testing themselves against each other until a first-place winner is decided.

"Under those circumstances, people generally wouldn't share their insights with others."

So that was it.

Qin Yi had heard Gu Yiyi mention the Sword Debate for First Place as well.

The Sword Debate for First Place was a grand festival of the Famous Sword Sect. Anyone who emerged victorious would afterward receive the entire sect's wholehearted support in their cultivation.

The Sword Chief and Sword Champion of the previous Sword Debate for First Place had been Hua Yunfeng and Xiahou Tai.

After they took first place, they had not needed to carry out sect missions for the past five years, yet still received their resources as usual.

Speaking of the Sword Debate for First Place five years ago, Hua Yunfeng and Xiahou Tai had fought an exceptionally fierce final battle.

At their level, forcing a decisive outcome would most likely leave both sides badly injured, so the sect's higher-ups decided to declare a draw after they exchanged three hundred moves, awarding them joint first place.

Now, five years had passed, and another [Sword Debate for First Place] was approaching.

In fact, it was not only the Sword Chief and Sword Champion who received enormous benefits. Even those who made it into the top hundred would receive generous rewards.

Under such conditions, naturally, no one wanted to come forward and exchange insights.

If someone shared their insights with you, how were they supposed to defeat you when the time came?

The normal approach was, of course, to keep everything tucked away and hidden while developing one's own abilities.

"I don't mind, though. I really enjoy exchanging insights with others. If you're willing, Junior Sister Qingyu, the two of us could do so a few more times. In many respects, I also feel that you surpass me," Qin Yi said tactfully.

To flirt with a girl, the first step was to find a topic and an opportunity to get close.

In terms of cultivation and sword skills, Xiao Qingyu was actually no better than him in any respect, but he insisted on saying that Junior Sister Qingyu surpassed him in certain areas. Only this way could she accept his kindness with an easy conscience.

"Really? With a genius like you exchanging insights with me, I'd certainly be more than willing. It's just that I don't know what I do particularly well."

She had no awareness of her own strengths.

With Qin Yi's discerning eye, he had already noticed how smoothly she linked her moves. That alone put her ahead of thirty percent of the Famous Sword Sect's disciples.

There were many sword moves. If you followed the routine, progressing from the first move to the thirtieth, others could easily counter you.

Only by breaking the sword moves apart and combining them freely could such variety make you impossible to read.

But freely combining sword moves once they had been broken apart was not so easy.

Especially for people of this era, whose thinking had clung to established rules since childhood, it was difficult to leap beyond the framework of a fixed sequence.

Most disciples were very fluid when told to practice their sword moves in order, but once asked to break the moves apart and combine them freely, they would freeze like a stalled machine, having to pause from time to time.

"Junior Sister Qingyu, your combos are very good. Do you have any tricks for that?"

After successfully getting Xiao Qingyu to accept his goodwill, Qin Yi began using his way with words to draw out her desire to share.