266: Chapter 263 The Sword Walks in Green, the Knife in Black

In truth, even Li Changsheng himself had underestimated his own level of sword skill.

Perhaps he hadn't practiced it much, but his mind had gained the memories of the complete set of Xingyi sword techniques, and even some of the physical skills.

If his Xingyi Fist were not so profound, these memories would be in their initial state. However, his fist techniques were profound, and through drawing parallels, his sword skills would also be elevated. Although they had not yet reached the same height as his fist techniques, he was by no means an ordinary sword apprentice who only knew how to follow the rules.

In the Martial Forest, there is a saying: 'When the fist is formed, the weapon is ready.' This means that if you are not yet proficient with weapons, it indicates your fist techniques have not yet reached Major Achievement.

For instance, when Li Zhongxuan, Shang Yunxiang, and the Eight Trigrams Great Master Cheng Yanhua fought bravely against the invading Eight-Nation Alliance, they would often head out for a battle, kill for a while, and then hide for a while.

They killed many from the Japanese Faction's embassy and later many foreign devils. Li Zhongxuan did not know sword techniques and rarely practiced with a sword.

But the weapon he used at the time was a sword, and the strength he displayed was that of a sword master.

If one carefully reads the biography and surviving manuals of this martial arts expert, Li Zhongxuan, they would find that his manuals were mostly descriptions of Concepts, not teaching moves or forms, but speaking to you of intent.

Therefore, there is also a saying in Xingyi Fist: 'Without form, there is no intent; correct form is intent.'

Once your fist techniques reach Major Achievement, you only need to know some basic sword stances to easily reach a high level of swordsmanship. As for reaching the pinnacle and achieving a state of supernatural perfection in sword skill, that requires bitter practice and research.

Otherwise, in modern times, only Li Jinglin would have been known as the number one swordsman of the era.

At this moment, Wan Qianhe felt as if he were dancing on the tip of a sword, constantly hovering between life and death. The sword blade was like drifting catkins, incessantly thrusting and flicking toward his body.

It was like precise strands of a spiderweb forming a tight net for snaring prey. Wan Qianhe was proficient in leg techniques, and his footwork was even more exquisite, though he had not yet reached the level of Great Masters like Xue Dian or Cheng Yanhua.

But looking at the modern era, he was definitely among the top in terms of movement technique. His speed was so fast that an ordinary person would surely find it ghostly.

His leg techniques combined Northern Leg footwork with some Eight Trigrams Palm footwork. His movements were rhythmic, the range was small, and the speed was incredibly fast.

There was a rhythm of the Nine Palaces Eight Trigrams within them, yet they were not entirely confined to fixed routines.

Only people who have reached this level can truly grasp the 'Swimming' and 'Slippery' aspects of Eight Trigrams footwork, making them unpredictable, like a slippery loach.

But at this moment, he felt that every step he took was starting to become very viscous.

“This kid, can't he go a bit easier when he attacks?”

Wan Qianhe cursed inwardly. If it were the Wudang Sword, he wouldn't need to be so on guard.

After all, the Wudang Sword is extremely orderly and is the sword style he understands most deeply. Even with a Wudang Sword master, the feeling is merely of a killing intent hidden within a spring breeze—that is to say, you have lost, but you don't know when you were struck.

But this kid in front of him didn't play with the deceptive elements of the Wudang Sword; he was simply fast, ruthless, and accurate.

Suddenly, Li Changsheng performed a light turn with his body, his sword tracing a flower in the air before the blade swept horizontally behind him.

This was a composite combo from the Xingyi Thirty-Six Swords called 'Turning Six Swords.' He thrust the sword backward while gripping the hilt, waiting for the momentum of the horizontal thrust. With a swish, the sword light flickered, and he turned fiercely, following up with a 'Yang Hand Wrist Shear'.

The sword tip shook incessantly with a distinct frequency, thrusting toward the throat, chest, jaw, bridge of the nose, and eyes.

With just a slight forward thrust, the sword would strike like a bird's beak pecking at insects. No matter how Gao Qiang your skills were, you would lose your life on the spot.

When Li Cunyi used this move in the battle at the Tianjin Railway Station, he had cut down countless foreigners.

This kind of rapid-fire offensive specifically targets vital points, and its precise force can even pierce through the light and soft armor of ancient times.

Wan Qianhe felt a crisis of life and death surge in his heart. Because Li Changsheng's move felt somewhat like a Returning Horse Spear, the sudden explosion of killing intent caught him off guard.

He could only hurriedly sink his waist, his legs building and releasing power in an incredibly short time. Walking, turning, twisting, and flipping, his body followed his steps.

In this critical moment, Wan Qianhe completed the most appropriate movements for the situation based solely on muscle memory.

His ten toes gripped the ground as he suddenly retreated. His waist, legs, and arms completed a transition of the Three Forms and Three Postures within the Eight Trigrams Palm.

Walking like a Dragon, moving like a monkey, changing postures like an eagle. Steps like wading through mud, arms like twisting rope, turning like a grinding millstone.

“Not good!”

However, while he dodged the previous shakes, flicks, and thrusts, he failed to dodge Li Changsheng's final point, a direct thrust toward the eyes.

Seeing this scene, Wan Qianhe was terrified. Looking at Li Changsheng again, he realized the other party had clearly practiced his sword techniques to the point of complete self-oblivion, and his heart skipped a beat.

He probably wouldn't be able to dodge this strike!

Crack!

However, just then, a sudden muffled sound came from his waist and pelvic area. In the next instant, Wan Qianhe directly fell forward, and it was this fall that allowed him to just barely dodge the strike.

“Eh?”

As the move ended, Li Changsheng finally snapped out of it. Seeing Wan Qianhe looking somewhat disheveled on the ground, his expression changed drastically.

“Master Wan! Master Wan, I have offended you. This Li forgot his restraint when attacking.”

Li Changsheng quickly flicked his hand and tossed the sword toward the weapon rack. The blade landed accurately into its scabbard with a sound, and he then hurried over to help Wan Qianhe up.

“It's fine, no harm done. What was that move you just used? It was quite interesting.”

Wan Qianhe spoke very casually, but Li Changsheng still didn't dare let go of him. After all, he really had been a bit too careless.

Swinging the sword had made him lose himself in the moment; Li Changsheng's feeling was one of pure exhilaration and flow.

He finally understood why some sword masters of the past didn't like to parry. This high-frequency, wave-after-wave style of attacking without defending, advancing without retreating, was extremely smooth and satisfying.

It was like some arcade games from his childhood when the limit combo mode was activated; he simply couldn't stop.

Although the spear was also very satisfying, it was nowhere near as flexible as the sword. The sword was shorter, and the space in which it could be used was much larger. It was no wonder everyone loved such a delicate thing as the sword.

Amateurs like the sword for its coolness, while masters like the sword for that sense of exhilarating flow.

“It's a pity this wasn't a duel with real weapons. If I could spar with Master Wan using weapons, perhaps I could experience the thrill of the tactical play when using a sword.”

Indeed, the sword places great emphasis on tactical play.

When the gap in Realm is too vast, tactical play does not exist.

Just like Li Changsheng, when facing a sword amateur, there was no need for tactical play; one strike could defeat the enemy. But once he encountered a master of the same level, that sense of tactical play appeared.

Everyone's reactions were similar, and their vision was equally sharp; what they competed in was a kind of tactical game.

When a master wins a tactical exchange, even if it's only by half a stance or a slight upper hand, it is an indescribable sense of satisfaction.