DipNovel Chapter 50: Practicing the Sword
Chapter 50: Practicing the Sword
Swallowed Star World, Yangzhou City, Mingyue Residential Area.
Half a month has passed since that life-or-death battle in the wilderness.
Liu Xu's injuries healed much faster than expected. The 9-series inner armor saved her life, and the medical technology at the Extreme Martial Arts Academy allowed her bones and internal organs to recover at an astonishing speed. In just half a month, her three broken ribs had healed, and the fracture in her left arm had been completely repaired. Even the doctors were amazed by her recovery ability.
"It's mainly because I'm in a good mood," Luo Fang said with a smile as she packed her things in the hospital room. "With the captain by my side every day, how could I not get better quickly?"
Liu Xu blushed slightly, but did not refute. She glanced at Lin Zheng standing at the door, a smile she couldn't hide playing on her lips.
Lin Zheng didn't reply, but the tips of his ears turned slightly red.
Lin Yun stood aside, watching the couple who had been struggling for three years finally come together, and felt happy for them.
On the day he was discharged from the hospital, Lin Zheng called Lin Yun to the Extreme Martial Arts Academy.
"Liu Xu's injury has healed," Lin Zheng said bluntly. "We still have half a month before our original departure for the wilderness area. In these two weeks, we've decided to take you out for a stroll."
Lin Yun was slightly taken aback: "Where should we go for a stroll?"
"The surrounding county-level cities." Lin Zheng spread out a map on the table, pointing to the locations of several county-level cities surrounding Yangzhou City. "These places have a lower monster density than City 013, but they are closer and less risky. There are almost no lord-level monsters, and very few high-level beast generals. Suitable for..."
He paused and glanced at Lin Yun.
"Suitable for practice." Liu Xu took over the conversation and walked in from outside. She was carrying two thick notebooks, with the titles "Experiences in Movement Techniques" and "Detailed Explanation of the Nine-Fold Thunder Blade" on the covers.
"I've discussed it with the captain." Liu Xu sat down opposite Lin Yun and pushed two notebooks in front of him. "We'll train with you for the next two weeks. Try to improve your Nine-Fold Thunder Blade and movement techniques, and aim to break through before entering the wilderness area in two weeks."
Lin Yun opened the notebook, which was filled with detailed records of Liu Xu and Lin Zheng's accumulated experience and insights over the years. Each page contained detailed diagrams and annotations, with some parts marked with important symbols.
"Sister Liu, Captain... this is too precious." Lin Yun looked up, a warm feeling welling up in her heart.
"What's so valuable about it?" Liu Xu waved her hand. "You saved my life; the captain and I owe you our lives. What's this little thing?"
Lin Zheng didn't speak, but his gaze lingered on Lin Yun for a moment, and he nodded slightly.
Lin Yun did not refuse again. He knew that Lin Zheng and Liu Xu were the kind of people who were not good at expressing their feelings; their gratitude was never expressed verbally, but rather through their actions.
"So when should we start?" Lin Yun asked.
"Starting tomorrow," Lin Zheng stood up. "Go back and prepare today, get some rest, and we'll set off first thing tomorrow morning."
For the next two weeks, the three members of the Thunder Blade Squad—Lin Zheng, Liu Xu, and Lin Yun—engaged in a high-intensity hunting and training journey in the county-level cities surrounding Yangzhou.
Their first target was Jiangdu City, located north of Yangzhou.
This is a small county-level city destroyed during the Great Nirvana. The buildings are mainly low-rise residential buildings and factories. The monster density is much lower than in City 013. Most of them are Beast Soldier-level monsters, with a few Beast General-level monsters appearing occasionally.
"This is a good place to practice the basics." Liu Xu stood on the roof of an abandoned factory building, looking down at the street below. "There aren't many distractions, so you can focus all your attention on your movement and swordsmanship."
Lin Zheng was even more direct. He found a lone, low-level beast general-level ironback porcupine and had Lin Yun face it head-on.
"Use the Ninefold Thunder Blade." Lin Zheng stood to the side, arms crossed. "Don't use your mental power. Keep your physical strength at the level of a beginner warrior. Use your swordsmanship and movement techniques to deal with it."
Lin Yun took a deep breath, gripped the Blood Shadow Battle Blade, and faced the Iron-Backed Porcupine.
The Ironback Porcupine was about the size of a calf, covered in coarse bristles, its two tusks gleaming white in the sunlight. Upon seeing Lin Yun, it let out an angry roar and charged forward with its head down.
Lin Yun dodged to the side, simultaneously slashing out with his battle blade.
"laugh--"
The blade grazed the iron-backed porcupine's back, leaving only a shallow white mark. He had used a little too much force; the blade sliced into the gaps in the bristles, but missed a vital spot. The iron-backed porcupine winced in pain, violently shaking its head, its tusks grazing Lin Yun's side.
"You're using too much force." Lin Zheng's voice came from the side. "The core of the Nine-Fold Thunder Blade is speed, not ferocity. The interval between your second and first layers of force is still too long. Try again."
Lin Yun adjusted his breathing and faced the iron-backed porcupine again.
The second time, his knife was faster, but the angle was off, and he only managed to slice off one of the iron-backed porcupine's ears.
The third time, his knife was faster and the angle was more accurate, but the second layer of force was not enough, and the blade got stuck on the iron-backed porcupine's shoulder blade.
"Again."
The fourth time, the fifth time, the sixth time...
Lin Yun practiced for an entire morning. Initially, it took him more than ten strikes to defeat a low-level beast general, then three strikes to kill it, and finally—one strike.
"Sizzle—smack!"
The two sounds almost perfectly overlapped. A flash of light, and the head of a novice beast general, Shadow Cat, fell to the ground. Lin Yun sheathed his sword, panting heavily, but his eyes were filled with excitement.
"You've made progress," Lin Zheng nodded, "but it's not enough. You've mastered the second level, but you haven't even scratched the surface of the third. Over the next few days, focus on practicing the third level."
The core of the third level of the Ninefold Thunder Blade technique lies in unleashing a third layer of power based on the first and second levels. This is equivalent to a fourfold superposition of power, increasing its strength to 2.8 times. Although it is only 0.7 times more powerful than the second level, the increase in difficulty is exponential.
Lin Zheng spent the entire day explaining the third level of power generation techniques to Lin Yun.
"The key to the third layer lies in 'resonance'." Lin Zheng demonstrated and explained while holding a short sword. "The first layer of force is the foundation, the second layer of force is superposition, and the third layer of force is resonance. When the frequencies of the three layers of force reach the same level, they will resonate. The power is not a simple addition, but a multiplication."
He slashed out with his sword.
Three crisp sounds rang out in the air—the first sharp, the second muffled, and the third long. The three sounds overlapped, creating a strange resonance that made one's eardrums tingle.
"Did you hear that? That's resonance." Lin Zheng sheathed his sword. "Your third level doesn't need to focus on power; focus on the consistency of frequency first. When the three crisp sounds perfectly overlap, you'll have mastered the basics."
Lin Yun listened attentively, remembering every word Lin Zheng said.
He spent every day thereafter practicing.
In the morning, he practiced the Nine-Fold Thunder Blade with Lin Zheng; in the afternoon, he practiced movement techniques with Liu Xu; and in the evening, he digested the day's gains on his own, while simultaneously practicing the Nine-Fold Thunder Blade and the newly acquired secret techniques in the Panlong World. He made the most of his time in both worlds, and his progress was astonishingly rapid.
In terms of movement techniques, Liu Xu taught a basic movement technique called "Flowing Cloud Steps". This technique does not pursue speed, but rather "fluidity" and "naturalness" - the steps should be as light as flowing clouds, the center of gravity should flow like water, and each movement should be seamlessly connected with the next.
"The levels of body movement are, in order, 'Basic,' 'Subtle,' 'Perfect,' and 'Artistic Conception,'" Liu Xu explained while demonstrating. "Subtlety is not about speed, but about precision. Your body can completely obey your will. If you want to move an inch to the left, you will not move an inch more. Your feet can sense every undulation of the ground and automatically adjust your center of gravity, allowing you to maintain balance on any terrain."
She moved through the ruins with the lightness of a swallow, her body weaving between collapsed walls and broken floors. Every movement was fluid and effortless.
"Your basic movement techniques are already quite solid," Liu Xu said to Lin Yun, pausing. "You're only one step away from mastering the subtle techniques. This step requires a catalyst—it could be a battle, or it could be a moment of sudden enlightenment. It can't be rushed."
Lin Yun nodded and continued practicing.
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
Over the past two weeks, Lin Zheng, Liu Xu, and Lin Yun have traversed the county-level cities surrounding Yangzhou City time and again. Jiangdu City, Yizheng City, Gaoyou City... every county where monsters are said to roam has left their mark.
They have no interest in ordinary beast soldier-level monsters; their target is beast general-level monsters.
Beginner Beast Generals, Intermediate Beast Generals, Advanced Beast Generals—if they encounter them, they will not let them go. Lin Yun is in charge of the main attack, while Lin Zheng and Liu Xu provide support from the sidelines. The three of them are becoming more and more coordinated.
In the past two weeks, they have killed no fewer than five hundred beast general-level monsters. Although most of them were low-level beast generals, their sheer number made up for it. The materials from each low-level beast general could fetch an average of eight to ten million, so five hundred would be worth over forty billion. Adding the occasional encounter with mid-level and high-level beast generals, the total value exceeded fifty billion.
Based on the amount of effort contributed, Lin Yun received the lion's share, amounting to 2.5 billion. Lin Zheng and Liu Xu each received over 1 billion.
"This money is so easy to make." Liu Xu looked at the numbers in her account and couldn't help but sigh. "Before, we were lucky to earn a few hundred million in half a month."
"That's because we didn't dare to fight like that before," Lin Zheng said. "Staying in one area for too long will attract a horde of beasts. Even a war god couldn't withstand being surrounded by hundreds of beast generals."
He glanced at Lin Yun, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes: "But with Lin Yun here, it's different. A high-level War God mentalist, nothing within a thousand meters can escape his perception. He detected the beast horde before it even grew in size, allowing us to retreat with peace of mind."
Liu Xu nodded. Over the past two weeks, Lin Yun's mental power had played a crucial role. He could not only precisely control his throwing knives to attack the monsters' vital points during battle, but also use his mental power to scan the surrounding area during lulls in combat, providing early warnings. With him around, it was as if they had gained an extra pair of eyes that could see a thousand miles and a pair of ears that could hear the wind.
"But what surprised me most was your speed of progress." Liu Xu looked at Lin Yun, her eyes full of amazement. "In just half a month, you broke through from the second to the third level of the Nine-Fold Thunder Blade, and your movement technique has also reached the level of subtlety. It took me more than ten years to reach the level of subtlety, and you've almost caught up in just half a month."
"It's all thanks to the captain and Sister Liu for their excellent teaching," Lin Yun said sincerely.
"Even if you're taught well, you still have to learn quickly." Lin Zheng rarely said anything complimentary. "Your comprehension is the best I've ever seen."
Lin Yun smiled but didn't reply.
He knew that his rapid progress was not only due to talent and hard work, but also to the advantages of cultivating in both worlds simultaneously. Practicing those secret techniques in the Panlong World gave him a far deeper understanding and perception of power than ordinary people. Many techniques that Lin Zheng and Liu Xu needed to explain repeatedly to make clear, he had already practiced through secret techniques in the Panlong World, so he understood them immediately and could master them instantly.
In the evening, the three returned to Yangzhou.
Lin Zheng treated everyone to a meal at the Extreme Club's restaurant, ordering a table full of dishes. Liu Xu, who rarely drank, had a few drinks, her cheeks slightly flushed. She leaned on Lin Zheng's shoulder, her eyes half-closed, a smile playing on her lips. Lin Zheng didn't pull away, letting her lean on him.
Lin Yun sat opposite, watching this scene, and a warm feeling welled up in his heart.
"Lin Yun," Lin Zheng suddenly spoke, "you are now at the third level of the Nine-Fold Thunder Blade, and your movement technique is also extremely subtle—you have already fulfilled all four conditions in the contract you signed when you joined the Limitless Martial Arts Academy."
Lin Yun nodded. The requirements for entering the elite training camp were: after the first cultivation of gene energy, punching power must increase by more than double; one must reach the level of a junior warrior; one's movement technique must be extremely precise; and one's punching power must be more than doubled. He not only met all of these requirements, but he also far exceeded them.
"When I come back from the wilderness area next time, I'll apply to go to the elite training camp," Lin Yun said.
"Elite training camp..." Liu Xu opened her eyes, a hint of longing flashing in them. "That's where the world's top geniuses gather. I heard that Hong and Thor often go there to give lectures."
"After you go there, your strength will experience another leap forward," Lin Zheng said. "The training camp has teachers who are proficient in various movement techniques and swordsmanship, as well as the legendary dragon blood. If your performance is outstanding enough, I heard that you can obtain dragon blood to strengthen your body."
Dragon blood.
Lin Yun's eyes lit up. Dragon blood is a specialty of the Limitless Martial Arts Academy. It is said to be extracted from a dragon-type king-level monster that surpasses the lord level. It can greatly enhance the physical qualities of martial artists, and it has even been auctioned off for hundreds of billions.
With his current physical attributes at the peak of the intermediate-level War God realm, if he were to consume dragon blood, he would be absolutely certain to break through to the advanced-level War God realm. At that point, with the martial arts cultivation of an advanced-level War God combined with the mental power of a peak-level advanced-level War God, he would be worthy of the title "Invincible War God."
After finishing his meal, Lin Yun returned to his villa in Mingyue Residential Area alone.
Grandpa Lin Guodong was already asleep, but the living room light was still on, and a bowl of warm white fungus soup sat on the table. Lin Yunduan got up and took a sip; the temperature was just right.
He went upstairs, entered the meditation room, and sat down cross-legged.
He closed his eyes and switched his consciousness to the Panlong World.
In the grove behind Ernst Academy, the moonlight was like water. His other body sat cross-legged on a blue stone, with the seven elements of magic flowing slowly around him.
For the past two weeks, his cultivation in both worlds has never stopped. In the Swallowed Star World, his Nine-Fold Thunder Blade broke through to the third level; in the Panlong World, his understanding of the laws of lightning was also deepening simultaneously. Not only that, the several sets of secret techniques he purchased later also yielded good results. The feeling of power flowing and resonating between the two worlds fascinated him.