Chapter 196 : The Strongest Swordsmanship Teacher
Chapter 196 The Strongest Swordsmanship Teacher
Long Tao had already confirmed that last night’s blissful time had not been a dream, but upon hearing Xin Wushe’s sudden question, he immediately fell into self-doubt again. Could it be that he had actually been dreaming?
Xin Wushe—such a top-tier sword cultivator, an unquestionably brilliant genius of the Sword Dao in every aspect—wanted to practice swordsmanship with him?
The absurdity of this… was about on the same level as True Person Mingzhu agreeing to sleep together with him.
No, thinking about it carefully, it was even more absurd.
At least when True Person Mingzhu agreed, she had been forced by circumstances and the surrounding situation, leaving her no choice. But the man standing before him right now—no one was forcing him. Why did he insist on seeking him out?
“Um… Senior Xin Wushe? You didn’t ask the wrong person, did you?”
Xin Wushe had already more or less guessed Long Tao’s reaction and still replied simply,
“That’s right, it’s you. You’re a grown man—stop dragging your feet and come out.”
Long Tao had not even agreed yet. He felt somewhat speechless, but the other party’s presence was too overwhelming, so he simply followed him to the front courtyard.
“Senior Xin Wushe, I understand the urge to find someone to practice swordsmanship with, but… I’m not actually on the path of a sword cultivator. Back when I had just entered the sect, I only learned the entry-level sword techniques of the Nine-Xia Heavenly Sect. I wouldn’t even last half a move against you.”
“That’s even better. If you had learned too much, it would actually be troublesome.”
For the first time, Xin Wushe carefully examined Long Tao before him. Unexpectedly, he nodded.
“Your physique is decent, and it seems you’ve spent some effort on martial training. Are you walking the path of body cultivation?”
“No. It’s just that, for certain reasons before, I trained for about a month under True Person Yan Zhuying.”
“Yan Zhuying? Being personally trained by that woman—you’ve got something in you, kid. That woman is very strong.”
Anyone who could be Fang Wuqi’s master would have to be strong. Still, hearing an expert from outside the sect give such praise made Long Tao rather happy. After all, she could be considered half of his master.
“By the way, Senior Xin Wushe—if you wanted someone to practice swordsmanship with, shouldn’t you have gone to True Person Mingzhu or Du Yiluo? How did it end up being me?”
“Them? Du Yiluo comes over to challenge me whenever she has time these days. I’ve already figured out all of her moves. Besides, she’s from the Blood-Pattern Legion. Battlefield killing techniques—boring.”
“Then… True Person Mingzhu…”
“Even more boring.” Xin Wushe interrupted. “She and True Person Zhiying belong to the same lineage. In that lineage, no one surpasses True Person Zhiying in swordsmanship. Besides, they’ve both become mortals now. With that body of hers that hasn’t practiced martial arts for years, one glance is enough to know her level.”
“Uh… then… she should still be stronger than me, right?”
Xin Wushe nodded without hesitation, then said,
“She’s definitely stronger than you. But that’s not what I’m looking for. In the Uncircumvented Heaven World, purely in terms of swordsmanship, there are only those weaker than me and those roughly on my level. I’ve never expected anyone to be stronger than me. But compared to them, you’re at least as clean as a blank sheet of paper. If I give you a little guidance, it might provide some entertainment.”
“Wait! Your meaning is… you want to teach me?”
Xin Wushe nodded again.
“In my entire life, I’ve never properly taken a disciple. If this damned place weren’t so boring, it wouldn’t be your turn. Give me a straight answer.”
Long Tao did not need to think at all.
Xin Wushe!
This was Xin Wushe! A genius from Burial Sword Cliff—according to True Person Mingzhu, someone whose swordsmanship talent ranked at least within the top twenty in the entire Cultivation World.
It could be said that, purely in terms of swordsmanship, this man stood at the very peak of the Cultivation World. Others could only stand shoulder to shoulder with him—none could surpass him.
Even when True Person Zhiying defeated him, it was not because of swordsmanship, but because her Power of Time talent held an overwhelming advantage.
Yet from the fact that he had survived every duel with True Person Zhiying and had never suffered a fatal or serious injury, one could already tell how outrageous his strength truly was.
And now, such a genius was actually saying he wanted to guide Long Tao in swordsmanship?
If this were his previous life, it would be like a Nobel Prize laureate coming to a middle school to tutor physics. It was no longer a matter of how much money it would cost—this was the kind of outrageous story no one would even believe if you told them.
Although Long Tao still found this man terrifying—after all, their first meeting had been as enemies—he was still a cultivator. How could he possibly miss such a Fortuitous Opportunity?
Even if his talent were dull and he learned nothing in the end, he could still brag to others in the future: my swordsmanship teacher was Xin Wushe. Whether others believed it or not, the bragging rights would already be secured.
“Yes! Of course I want it. Being able to receive your guidance in swordsmanship, Senior, I’m afraid I’ll never get another chance in this lifetime.”
“You’re at least sensible. First find a spacious place.”
After following him out of the courtyard gate, Long Tao happened to see Du Yiluo and True Person Mingzhu sitting by the well, talking about something.
True Person Mingzhu was even covering her face, looking like she was too embarrassed to speak of it.
Long Tao also felt that meeting them right now would be awkward.
Just as those two women seemed deeply engaged in conversation and had not noticed him, he did not greet them and instead followed Xin Wushe in the opposite direction toward the eastern end of The Village.
“Alright, here will do. First tell me—do you have any sword techniques you want to learn? In the Uncircumvented Heaven World, for most sword techniques below the Golden Core stage, I can give some guidance.”
…This first sentence was already this outrageous?
As a boy, Long Tao had naturally once dreamed of becoming a sword cultivator, so he had learned a bit about sword techniques.
But considering the entire Uncircumvented Heaven World—leaving aside those worthless techniques created by mediocre fools—there were still thousands upon thousands of respectable sword techniques.
He could not even remember the names of all of them. Yet Xin Wushe… casually claimed he could teach all of them. Was this what being a genius meant? Even absurdity should have a limit.
“Don’t make such a fuss. Sword techniques during the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment stages are essentially just introductory foundations. By now, sword techniques in the Uncircumvented Heaven World have developed to the point that all paths ultimately converge at the beginner level. They are largely similar. Once you understand the essence of swordsmanship, learning them allows you to draw inferences from one example to another.”
That only applied to geniuses like you, Long Tao complained inwardly.
“The essence.” How many people in this world dared claim they grasped the essence of something? Ordinary people learning something—even until death—were merely copying what pioneering geniuses had already opened up.
So Long Tao tried asking first,
“Then, Senior Xin Wushe—you came from Burial Sword Cliff. I’ve heard that the ‘Mad Reversal Fury Turning One Hundred and Eight Forms’ there is extremely powerful. Could I perhaps…”
“That one won’t do.” Xin Wushe shook his head. “When I first entered the sect, I swore a Dao Heart Oath never to actively pass on the sect’s cultivation methods. And I left Sword Cliff for personal reasons, not because I fell out with them. So choose something else.”
When speaking of this, Xin Wushe’s tone and expression remained calm, without the slightest hint of anger, which made Long Tao breathe a sigh of relief.
Then Long Tao realized something else. His understanding of sword techniques could not even be considered superficial.
If he had to choose one himself, the probability of selecting the most suitable technique was about the same as throwing dice in a multiple-choice exam in his previous life and guessing every answer correctly.
Besides, there was the most professional person right in front of him. Shouldn’t he ask him directly?
“Then… Senior Xin Wushe, based on your experience, with my height and arm span, what sword technique would be suitable for me?”
Upon hearing this, Xin Wushe finally could not help but laugh.
“You’re quite good at finding loopholes. Still, that’s a bit of cleverness. Although I just said that beginner sword techniques all converge, your line of thinking is correct. People have different heights and arm spans, and the suitable introductory sword techniques do differ. Since I’m bored anyway, I’ll choose one for you. But let me make this clear—only once. After choosing, you’re not allowed to regret it.”
“Yes.”
This time, Xin Wushe’s gaze finally turned serious. He stepped closer and felt Long Tao’s muscles and bones, then pondered for a moment before giving his answer.
“Based on your conditions, I do have a good one in mind—‘River-Approach Step.’”