Chapter 18

Yue Fangxing, though he had proposed the theory of sword momentum, had never actually seen what it was. Now, seeing the sword techniques demonstrated by Yue Buqun, he was both surprised and excited, and immediately focused his attention on them.

After a while, Yue Buqun finished his demonstration and asked, "Xing'er, did you understand?"

"Father, are you about to comprehend the grand momentum in the Yangwu Sword?" Yue Fangxing did not answer directly but asked instead.

Yue Buqun stroked his beard slightly, somewhat proud, "Though I'm still a bit short, I feel it's not far off."

Yue Fangxing was overjoyed, "Congratulations, Father, on your sword technique!"

"I have studied for six years, and though I have made some progress, I increasingly feel that the path of sword techniques is vast and boundless. The power is vastly different from before. Controlling the sword with qi is indeed the right path for sword techniques." Yue Buqun sighed, recalling how the Huashan School split into the Sword and Qi factions due to the debate over whether to prioritize qi or the sword, and how Huashan almost lost its lineage in the ensuing conflict. He couldn't help but feel a sense of melancholy.

Although the Qi faction ultimately won, he knew the truth behind it. Even so, the Qi faction only won by a narrow margin, and their martial arts were not necessarily superior to the Sword faction. In fact, he had his own doubts in recent years and secretly practiced the Sword faction's techniques. But now, having reached this point, he could confidently say that the Qi faction was superior to the Sword faction, not only in internal skills but also in sword techniques, which were even more advanced.

Standing at this height and reflecting on the debate between the Sword and Qi factions, Yue Buqun found it somewhat amusing. The debate over whether to prioritize qi or the sword was probably unique to the Huashan School. Did the Shaolin and Wudang Schools have inferior sword techniques? Moreover, they had many other martial arts in areas like finger techniques, palm techniques, fist techniques, and leg techniques, far surpassing Huashan, yet they didn't split into many factions based on these differences. After all, these techniques were just external methods; qi cultivation was far more important. Without qi cultivation, even the best fist or sword techniques were just show. This was the essence of martial arts.

Understanding this, Yue Buqun felt more determined, and his mind became clearer, as if he could soon break through and fully comprehend the grand momentum. This was because he had understood the essence of the Qi faction and was more confident in his martial arts path, which made his inner momentum even stronger.

Feeling this, Yue Buqun was even more pleased, not expecting such a gain. No wonder the ancients said, "Teaching and learning benefit each other."

Yue Fangxing was overjoyed, not noticing the subtle changes in Yue Buqun. Now, he was finally certain that the outcome of "Smiling, Proud Wanderer" would be completely changed. This was not just because his arrival had greatly increased the strength of Yue Buqun and the Huashan School, but also because his father was about to fully comprehend the grand momentum and find his own martial arts path. In this way, he would not resort to underhanded schemes to obtain the "Evil-Exorcising Sword Manual," even if it were presented to him. After all, Yue Buqun was already a top expert, and the Evil-Exorcising Sword Technique, though excellent, could not help him break through his martial arts realm. Even if he practiced it, his skills would not improve much, and it might even decline, as it would go against his martial arts path. There was no need to take such a risk. Yue Fangxing's long-standing unease was greatly alleviated, and he was extremely pleased.

Both father and son were delighted, and they focused on teaching and learning, enjoying a harmonious time together.

It was unclear whether the Yangwu Sword Technique was simple or if Yue Fangxing had a good foundation in sword techniques, but in less than a month, he had learned the moves and incantations of the technique and could use them skillfully. As for how it would perform in actual combat, that would depend on the situation.

Yue Buqun was very satisfied with this. After Yue Fangxing requested it again, he finally agreed to let him leave the mountain, but limited the area to Guanzhong, which was the traditional territory of the Huashan School. He believed that the Huashan School would still have some influence there.

The next day, Yue Fangxing bid farewell to Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze and went down the mountain with Linghu Chong. Before they left, Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze gave them some final instructions, as this was Yue Fangxing's first long journey. If anything happened, they wouldn't be able to respond as quickly as they could at the foot of Huashan. Therefore, they were a bit worried. Yue Lingshan was somewhat reluctant to see them go and a bit envious. Under Yue Fangxing's influence, she had been quite diligent in her practice and had recently started learning the Jade Maiden's Nineteen Swords. Her martial arts skills were much higher than in the original story, and she could be considered a second-rate expert in the martial world. However, compared to Yue Fangxing and Linghu Chong, she was still far behind, and she had never left the mountain to explore, so she was quite envious.

Yue Fangxing and Linghu Chong bid farewell to everyone and, upon reaching the foot of the mountain, Linghu Chong said to Yue Fangxing, "Junior Brother, it's almost noon. Let's find a tavern and have some food first!"

Yue Fangxing looked at the sun, which was still a while away from noon, and realized that Linghu Chong was probably craving alcohol. He smiled, "Senior Brother, I think you're not hungry but thirsty."

Linghu Chong said, "I knew I couldn't hide it from you. Yes, I've been on the mountain for months, and my mouth is dry. Junior Brother, you must treat me this time!"

Yue Fangxing knew he was referring to the last time they went down the mountain to fight bandits. After that, both of them were injured and had to rest for a while. Then, Yue Buqun ordered them to practice diligently on the mountain. Linghu Chong couldn't drink on the mountain and hadn't had a good drink for a long time, which was very difficult for him.

Yue Fangxing also remembered this. If it weren't for Linghu Chong's efforts, they might not have survived until Yue Buqun came to their aid. He had already decided to find an opportunity for his senior brother. In recent years, Linghu Chong's sword techniques had improved rapidly, but his internal skills had not progressed much. Now that his Hanyuan Gong was complete, Linghu Chong was far behind.

Yue Fangxing knew that although his senior brother didn't show it on his face, he was very concerned about this. After all, he was also a highly talented person and, as the senior brother, how could he be content with being surpassed by a junior brother who started practicing three years later? However, his personality was somewhat impulsive, and he couldn't focus on cultivation. Moreover, the Huashan School's internal techniques emphasized the foundation, which progressed slowly, so his internal skills were always behind Yue Fangxing's.

This time, Yue Fangxing planned to find an opportunity for him in internal skills, but it would depend on luck. He intended to go to Zhongnan Mountain with Linghu Chong to see if anyone was still in the ancient tomb. If there was someone, he would go as a Quanzhen descendant to seek guidance, as the Huashan School was a branch of the Quanzhen School. If no one was there, he would personally check if the Nine Yin Manual was still there and, if possible, let Linghu Chong practice his internal skills on the jade bed, which would speed up his progress.

Yue Fangxing thought about this and said, "Senior Brother, let's go to the next town to rest and then decide where to go."

Linghu Chong was delighted, "Great! Great! Junior Brother, you're right!"

Saying this, Linghu Chong pulled Yue Fangxing and used lightness skills to rush to the town, where they found a tavern. They ordered two jars of wine and started drinking.

Seeing this, Yue Fangxing hurriedly advised, "Senior Brother, drink slowly. Too much alcohol is bad for your health."

Linghu Chong said, "Junior Brother, you're too serious. Let's drink to our heart's content today and set off tomorrow." He then poured wine for Yue Fangxing.

Yue Fangxing had no choice but to drink a few cups with him. He had learned to drink during his trips down the mountain with Linghu Chong and had a greater alcohol tolerance than Linghu Chong. His Hanyuan Gong included techniques to convert food into energy, and most of the alcohol was made from grains. If he kept using his skills while drinking, few people could match him.

"Senior Brother, you've been down the mountain for a long time. Do you know any good places?" Yue Fangxing asked.

Linghu Chong smiled bitterly, "Junior Brother, you're asking the wrong person. Although I've been to many places, most of the time I was delivering messages for the Five Mountains Sword School. The rest of the time, I wandered around the foot of Huashan. I don't know any good places."

Yue Fangxing said, "Then where should we go this time?"

Linghu Chong laughed, "I don't have any ideas, but since Master asked me to accompany you, you should decide. I don't want to embarrass myself by suggesting something." He knew that his junior brother was very intelligent and decisive, and probably already had a plan. Asking him was just a formality. Now, with good wine to drink, he was in a good mood and didn't want to think about it.

Sure enough, Yue Fangxing had already made up his mind, "Senior Brother, I plan to go to Zhongnan Mountain. Although our Huashan School has long been independent, it still traces its roots to the Quanzhen School. Even though the Quanzhen School has declined in the martial world, visiting its ruins will be beneficial for our martial arts. Moreover, if we can find some Quanzhen texts or techniques, it would be a great benefit."

Linghu Chong didn't pay much attention to Yue Fangxing's earlier words, but when he heard the last part, he was also excited, "Junior Brother, you're right. I've often heard that Zhongnan Mountain is the ancestral home of Daoism, with beautiful scenery. Moreover, it's not far from Huashan. Let's go there first!"

After finishing their meal, the two of them asked for directions and set off for Zhongnan Mountain.

Huashan was not far from Zhongnan Mountain, and they arrived in a few days. There were many Daoist temples on Zhongnan Mountain, but most of the Daoists there had no martial arts skills. Even those who did use them for self-cultivation and had no contact with the martial world. Yue Fangxing and Linghu Chong had expected this and were not disappointed. They asked for the location of the Quanzhen ruins and found it with great effort from some old Daoists.

Upon arriving, Yue Fangxing and Linghu Chong saw only a few broken walls, with traces of fire still visible. They couldn't help but feel melancholy. Once, the mighty Quanzhen School had vanished. After several hundred years, the place was overgrown with trees and weeds, looking like an ordinary mountain. If not for the few large stones and broken walls, who would have thought this was once the famous Quanzhen School?

Yue Fangxing was even more reflective. Nothing lasts forever; everything must eventually disappear. Are there really immortals in the world? What is the ultimate realm of martial arts? Can one achieve immortality or even eternity? He had heard that Zhou Botong lived to over a hundred and could still fight, and Zhang Sanfeng disappeared at over a hundred. Did they reach the ultimate realm of martial arts? In his previous life, he had suffered from a terminal illness, and now, with a second chance in this martial arts world, he was determined to explore it further.

Regaining his composure, Yue Fangxing said, "Senior Brother, let's go to the back mountain. I've heard it was once the Quanzhen forbidden area. If there are any relics, they would be there." He was referring to the direction of the ancient tomb, the true purpose of this trip.

To be continued...