Chapter 90

With this thought, Yue Fangxing began to organize his knowledge and consider ways to deal with his enemies. The Hunyuan Sword Technique was naturally indispensable; it was the skill that allowed him to survive and thrive in the world. Its defensive power had been tested many times, but it was difficult to use it to defeat an enemy. The Nine Techniques of Mount Hua, though refined by Feng Qingyang, were still too simple and could only be effective against ordinary top-notch experts. The Zhenyue Sword Technique, compiled by Yue Buqun from the Five Peaks Sword Techniques and their countermeasures found in the cave on Sigu Peak, took a long time to develop. However, Yue Fangxing had only forcibly combined them, and while it might be effective against the Five Peaks Sword School, it had many flaws against experts from other schools. Moreover, the technique was quite complex and did not suit Yue Fangxing's personality, so he rarely used it. As for the Yangwu Sword and Xiyi Sword, although Yue Fangxing had learned them, he had not yet mastered them to a high level, making them difficult to use effectively.

After some consideration, Yue Fangxing realized that he did not have a sword technique that could decisively defeat top-notch experts. His unarmed combat skills, on the other hand, were more systematic: the Tianluo Dizhang stance was agile, the Hunyuan Palm was defensive, and the Puyu Fist was for victory. Although he had not learned as many sword techniques, they were layered and practical, and the Puyu Fist was his strongest offensive technique.

Reflecting on this, Yue Fangxing began to organize the sword techniques he knew and develop new offensive methods. He had been guiding Qu Feiyang in practicing the techniques of drawing the sword and thrusting, and he had gained a deep understanding of these two techniques. He believed they had the potential to become sword techniques, so he organized them and officially named them the Sword Drawing Technique and the Sword Thrusting Technique. The Sword Drawing Technique, as the name suggests, was the skill of drawing the sword. It was not just about speed but also about using the momentum of drawing the sword to pressure the enemy. It could be fast like a thunderbolt or slow enough to make the enemy collapse on their own. Whether fast or slow, it allowed him to control the rhythm of the battle from the start. For the Sword Thrusting Technique, since Yue Fangxing used a blunt sword, his understanding was limited. He only organized the basic techniques of thrusting and continuous thrusting, while the more advanced techniques like secret thrusting and deceptive thrusting would have to be explored by Qu Feiyang herself.

In addition, Yue Fangxing spent some time extracting two basic techniques from the Hunyuan Sword Technique, naming them the Sword Intercepting Technique and the Sword Shaking Technique. The Sword Intercepting Technique focused on intercepting the opponent's attacks, primarily for defense, but it also aimed to disrupt the opponent's techniques and rhythm, making it easier to counterattack. The Sword Shaking Technique focused on the circulation of true qi, including techniques like shaking, collapsing, sweeping, and guiding. It used true qi to block the enemy's weapon, preventing it from causing harm. This technique was particularly effective against heavy weapons, as Yue Fangxing had suffered from a chain hammer in the past, so he specifically created this technique. These two techniques were both offensive and defensive and could be used in combination, increasing their power.

Having made some progress with his sword techniques, Yue Fangxing began to think about his weapon. Looking at the heavy sword in his hand, he sighed. After several battles, he realized that his previous assumptions were mistaken. In a friendly match, his heavy sword would naturally have an advantage. However, in a group attack, its disadvantages became apparent. The weight was not an issue for Yue Fangxing, as he had mastered the skill of lifting heavy objects as if they were light. The weight was even advantageous, but it was cumbersome when fleeing. In combat, it was not effective enough; on the day he used the heavy sword, he knocked down many enemies, but most were only injured and not killed, and some even continued to cause trouble. This made him reflect deeply. He thought of Dugu Qiu's description of his sharp sword period: "Fierce and invincible, unbreakable, used to challenge the heroes of the Yellow River before the age of twenty." Even such a talented person could only use a sharp sword to challenge the heroes before the age of twenty, and only after the age of thirty did he understand the principle of a heavy sword without a sharp edge, which was simple and effective. At eighteen, without the extraordinary encounters like Yang Guo, it was too naive to think he could use a heavy sword to defeat enemies.

With this realization, Yue Fangxing found a hard stone and began to sharpen his sword daily. His injuries had healed significantly, and this activity did not hinder him; it even helped to relax his muscles. However, the heavy sword was not made of ordinary material, and after several days of sharpening, he had only managed to scratch the surface.

Seeing him do this, Qu Feiyang asked curiously, "Big brother, why are you working so hard to sharpen your sword? When we get out, I can find you a sharp sword."

Yue Fangxing shook his head and said, "My sword techniques are simple, and the heavy sword is more powerful. I have used this sword for several years, and it is very handy. How can I easily replace it! Even an iron rod can be ground into a needle, so what's the difficulty in sharpening a sword?"

"But that will take a long time! Why don't we find a skilled craftsman to make one for you?" Qu Feiyang suggested.

Yue Fangxing replied, "What I am sharpening is not just this sword, but also the sword in my heart." The world of martial arts is about killing or being killed; there is no sword that does not draw blood. Since he had come to this realization, he no longer had any reservations. Sharpening the sword also helped to hone his mind and strengthen his resolve.

After more than a month, Yue Fangxing's injuries had largely healed. During this time, he sharpened his sword daily, meditated on martial arts, and further refined the four new techniques he had learned. He also began to explore new sword techniques. With the sword now sharpened, he was ready for a change.

One morning, dark clouds filled the sky, and heavy rain poured down. Unbeknownst to them, it was already mid-summer.

The rain grew heavier, and Yue Fangxing and Qu Feiyang took shelter in a wooden hut they had built. They could hear a rumbling sound, which grew louder as they approached. It was clearly the sound of a large amount of water. Yue Fangxing thought, "Is it a flash flood? We need to be careful!" He was worried and asked Qu Feiyang to wait there while he went to check.

Following the sound, Yue Fangxing turned a corner and saw a waterfall like a white dragon rushing down between the mountains, crashing into a stream and roaring with great force. The water was swift, carrying branches and rocks, which disappeared in an instant.

Yue Fangxing remembered that Yang Guo had practiced his sword techniques in a flash flood. Reflecting on his own recent recovery, which had improved his muscle and bone strength, he decided to try it out. Although it might be dangerous, martial artists were not afraid of such challenges. He had already faced the surging sea, so why fear a small stream?

With this thought, Yue Fangxing took his heavy sword and jumped into the stream.

The water rushed past, and Yue Fangxing held his breath, focusing his mind and using the Panshi stance to stabilize himself. He stood firm in the water like a pillar. Whenever he saw branches or rocks in the stream, he would raise his sword to thrust and push them back upstream. The water was full of reverse currents, and a slight mistake could result in being hit by rocks, causing serious injury. This was more dangerous than underwater currents. Yue Fangxing did not dare to be careless, and he held his sword steadily. Fortunately, the rocks were lighter in the water, and he managed to block them one by one, gaining insights into various sword techniques such as thrusting, counter-attacking, slicing, and chopping.

However, this was not enough to satisfy Yue Fangxing. He was not there to practice defense. Driven by his competitive spirit, he used his heavy sword to slash and chop, cutting through the branches and rocks in the stream.

After some time, Qu Feiyang, seeing that Yue Fangxing had not returned, came to look for him. Seeing him in the stream, she shouted for him to come up, but he ignored her. Seeing that he seemed to be practicing his sword techniques, she waited on the shore.

After a day, the flood receded, and Yue Fangxing emerged from the stream. He was exhausted, but his spirit was high. On the shore, he began to practice his sword techniques, which were now full of powerful slashes and chops. The sound of the sword was sharp and fierce, and Qu Feiyang was amazed at how different his techniques were from before.

The next day, the sound of the sword gradually subsided, but the fierce intent remained. Qu Feiyang, watching from the side, felt a chill and wondered who could withstand such a blow.

Seeing that the sound of the sword had completely subsided and he had nothing more to gain, Yue Fangxing stopped and said to himself, "Such decisiveness, though not the right path, can intimidate the enemy. I will call it the Chopping Sword Technique!" Looking at his heavy sword, the upper part of the blade was now sharp, and he continued, "The sword in my heart is so fierce; this sword no longer needs to be sharpened. Since it has been with me for so long, it should have a name! What should I call it? Chopping... Absolute Sword? No, that's too cruel. Chopping... Calamity, yes, Chopping Calamity Sword—helping me to cut through all calamities!"

At this moment, Yue Fangxing truly embarked on his journey in the world of swords, entering a new realm.