The days passed and Wu Jian’s training continued training with Master Feng Tiangsheng. He would train almost every day and rest on his one day off. Truth be told, his training with his new master reminded him a lot of when he was younger. Back then, he didn’t have a master, but he trained every single day, pushing his body to the brink before doing something fun with Wu Meiying to recover.
While he still could not use Cleaving the Heavens in a Single Stroke, his body was finally beginning to adapt to the stances and strength requirements for the technique. The longer and harder he worked at it, the more his body began to adapt. He didn’t think it would be long before he could use it.
That’s what he was doing at the moment.
Wu Jian stood atop a tranquil lake, his feet just barely touching the surface. He was using chi to remain atop the lake. By pouring chi into the bottom of his feet, he could create an exclusionary force that kept him aloft.
A massive waterfall stood before him. He could not accurately judge its size, for it was gigantic, a towering stream of falling water that descended from a mountain. Wu Jian could not even see the tops of the waterfall. It disappeared into the clouds. It was not just tall but also wide. Of the many waterfalls he had seen, this one was definitely the widest.
As he gazed upon the shimmering waters descending from the havens, Wu JIan took a deep breath and slid his dominant foot forward, then shifted his other foot back, forming a solid stance that looked as immovable as a mountain. Pale Moon glistened in his hand as he held it aloft, high above his head. He remained like this for several long seconds.
Chi exploded from his body, pouring out of him in vast quantities. He gritted his teeth as he struggled to turn the outpouring into a smooth flow that traveled into his blade, but it was hard; his body was not used to directing chi this way. He grimaced and tried to enforce his will upon his chi. That only caused it to fluctuate more. It flared wildly out of control, doing everything except what he wanted it to do.
With a sigh, Wu Jian ceased his attempts at using the technique and relaxed his stance.
“Seems you can’t do it. Bwa ha ha ha ha! I expected as much. If a brat like you could learn my technique within just a few weeks of training, I’d be so ashamed that I would have no choice but to cripple my own cultivation.”
Wu Jian did not want to admit that Master Feng Tiangsheng had a point, but it was true that a technique of this caliber would not be easy to master. The idea that he could master it after only a few weeks was laughable. And yet that was exactly what Wu Jian had set out to do. He had come in with every confidence that he would be able to master this technique.
“What should I be focused on while training?” asked Wu Jian.
“Hmmmm. I would say it’s your chi control. You’ve got a good stance and your body is strong, but your control over your own chi is lacking. That’s why it ran away when you tried to direct it. I imagine you’re so used to using chi to manipulate the Dao of Space that you can’t use it for anything else. Whenever you try, your chi wants to turn your attack into a spatial technique rather than a normal one.”
His master hit the nail on the head. That was exactly what his problem was.
“And what kind of training do you suggest I do to fix this?”
“Flow control. You need to begin circulating your chi through your body and your sword. Your chi should start here--the lung meridian. Then it should flow here.” Master Feng Tiangsheng tapped his chest, then dragged his finger from his chest, down his arm, and to his thumb. “From the Lung Meridian, your chi should flow up through here--the Large Intestine Meridian.” He dragged his finger from his index finger to his face, then from his face, down his chest and abdomen, and to his foot. This was the Stomach Meridian. He went from the Stomach Meridian to the Spleen Meridian, to the Heart Meridian, and so forth. His finger completed a full circuit of the twelve meridians in his body, but it also included a thirteenth location, which was his sword.
“You need to be able to circulate your chi smoothly through all twelve Meridians plus your sword in a circular flow. Of course, you can’t just brute force this either. That’s what you were trying to do. Attempting to force your chi to take the direction you want is like trying to change the flow of a river with your bare hands. It’s not going to work. You need to learn how to let your chi travel through your body naturally. Instinct will handle the rest.”
Wu Jian made sure to pay attention to what this man said. This was the first truly formal instruction Wu Jian had into matters regarding chi. He had become a cultivator after his family was destroyed. Bereft of their support, he had been forced to learn how to use his chi while traveling with Huo Shuchang, who had no talent for teaching. His training in how to properly utilize his chi was haphazard at best.
“And now that we’ve established you suck at controlling your chi and need to work on it, I need you to get under this waterfall and begin practicing chi control.”
Master Feng Tiangsheng pointed his thumb at the waterfall. Wu Jian eyed the massive fall, with its powerfully flowing water. Any normal person, even a normal cultivator, would be crushed by these flowing waters.
“Yes, Master.”
Wu Jian did not complain as he removed his shirt and pants. Master Feng Tiangshen waved his hand like he was swinging a sword, and the waterfall split down the middle, allowing Wu Jian to climb underneath it. His master gave no warning. The moment Wu Jian was in position, he let his control over the waterfall go, and the torrential downpour slammed into Wu Jian, threatening to crush him under its weight.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
“Ngggg!”
“Don’t just use your body, brat! Let your chi flow through you!”
Wu Jian tried to do as his master said, but the moment he tried to let his chi flow through him, he was expelled from the waterfall. It felt like something had exploded inside of him, launching him clear through the air. He skipped across the lake like a thrown stone. Master Feng Tiangsheng laughed at him and said to get back underneath the waterfall.
With a sigh, Wu Jian climbed back underneath the waterfall.
***
Wu Meiying was not with him. It was just Wu Jian and Youmei today. She could not afford to spend every day with him, or it would begin to cause problems between her and the sect.
That day, he and Youmei were in Heavenly Sword City; it was Wu Jian’s break and he had decided to travel into Heavenly Sword City. He was the center of attention even without Wu Meiying present. She had done an excellent job of ensuring he’d get the attention of everyone. People couldn’t help but double take and whisper as he walked by.
“Master is really popular,” Youmei said in a loud voice. Of course, she could hear everything people were saying with her incredible ears.
Wu Jian shrugged. “People love to gossip.”
They bought some food and checked out some of the stores. There were a lot of stores that sold clothing or even fabrics to make clothing. There were also stalls selling accessories, though none of them were purely there for fashion. Every accessory sold was an artifacts with some kind of purpose, though most of the artifacts were low-grade earth-rank. You might occasionally get something better from stalls, but it was like trying to find a phoenix feather or a unicorn horn.
While they were walking, someone suddenly stepped in front of them. It was Luo Feng. He wasn’t alone. Several other people were with them, including the two young men that Wu Jian had fought before. What were their names again…?
“Jian Wu, come with us,” Luo Feng demanded.
Wu Jian smiled even though he couldn’t see it. “Who are you to demand something of me?”
Luo Feng’s face turned red and he opened his mouth to snap at him, but then he clamped his mouth shut and grimaced. The way his face scrunched up was amusing.
“I… have something I would like to talk to you about. Can you come with me?”
“...”
“...”
“...Please?”
Wu Jian almost chuckled. He wouldn’t say he enjoyed watching Luo Feng debase himself, but he did enjoy when arrogant people were forced to be more polite.
He eyed the people with Luo Feng and soon realized it wasn’t just the two; there were several other people who quite obviously belonged to the Crimson Swords. Most of them were hiding. When he used his spatial awareness to find them, he saw several inside buildings and two on the roof. There were six other people present, making for a total of nine.
“I refuse,” Wu Jian said without a hint of shame. Luo Feng’s face spasmed, but he didn’t give the man time to speak. “First, you sent those two after me to teach me a lesson, then you decided to act like an ass when Mei and I were enjoying ourselves in the city, and now you’re asking me to come with you? Where are we going? Somewhere abandoned so you and the eight people with you can teach me the lesson those two failed to teach?”
Wu Jian made sure to speak in a loud voice as he listed off everything Luo Feng had done to him, which made the people around them break out in whispers. The man himself looked like he was going to have a conniption. His face was inflamed with a mixture of anger and shame.
“I… am not going to do that…”
“How can you expect me to trust you? Am I supposed to take your words at face value? You’ve already proven through your previous actions that you shouldn’t be trusted.”
This standoff had caused quite the crowd to gather. Luo Feng glanced at all the people surrounding them as sweat rolled down his face. He looked like he was at a loss. Was he regretting his actions now? Wu Jian doubted it. Men like him rarely regretted anything. At most, he probably felt regret over not being able to accomplish his goal, whatever that was.
“You reap what you sow, or so they say. It looks like there is some merit in that old saying.”
A man with an imposing stature and robust physique suddenly stepped before them. He was far taller than anyone Wu Jian had seen up to this point. Wu Jian couldn’t even judge his height. He possessed the build of a seasoned warrior, with broad shoulders and powerful arms. His skin bore the bronze complexion of someone accustomed to spending long hours training under the sun. Yet despite his muscular frame, he carried a certain fluidity and grace, a testament to is mastery of whatever martial arts he had learned.
His most distinguishing feature was his rugged countenance. He was sporting a thick, black beard that framed his square jaw. Beards were a rarity among younger folks since beauty standards for men was youthful and feminine. He had deep-set, piercing brown eyes that radiated unwavering determination, and his forehead carried the faded scars of battles long past.
The robes he wore were earthy tones of brown and gray. Over his shoulders, he had donned a thick, intricately crafted iron pauldron. Wu Jian saw no weapons on him, but he did have two storage rings on either hand. One of them must have contained his weapon.
“It seems you’ve tempted karma too many times and now you’re reaping your just desserts,” the man finished with a grin.
Luo Feng scowled. “Gao Shen… what are you doing here? I thought you’d be holed up in a mountain somewhere.”
So this is Gao Shen, leader of the Iron Mountain Battalion.
The Iron Mountain Battalion was another faction within the Heavenly Sword Sect like the Crimson Blades, but where the Crimson Blades focused on quick-draw techniques, they specialized in utilizing a sword and shield combination. That made them a unique faction. Shields were not often used in combat, especially between cultivators. Some people even considered the use of shields to be a disgrace.
“I was, but then I heard an interesting rumor about a young man who has caught the eye of our Lady Oracle.” Gao Shen looked at Wu Jian. “Is that you?”
“It is,” Wu Jian confirmed.
“Heeeeh. So it is you. In that case, I’d like to invite you to join my faction. It comes with a lot of benefits, including training from Elder Gao Jong. What do you say?”
“Hey!” Luo Feng snapped. “You can’t just--”
“I’m afraid I’ll have to decline. Sword and shields don’t fit with my fighting style and I already have a master,” Wu Jian said sincerely.
“Oh?” Gao Shen rubbed his chin. “And who is your master?”
“Elder Feng Tiansheng.”
Wu Jian’s words caused the entire crowd to grow silent.