Chapter 5 Special Training Angel Swordsmanship Ascends!
Qian Daobai turned around and walked towards a bamboo house deep in the mountain.
The bamboo house, nestled among clouds and ancient pines, is simple and unadorned, yet possesses a transcendent and otherworldly charm.
Qian Renxue and the two titled Douluo quickly followed.
Upon entering the bamboo house, one finds the main hall furnished very simply, with only a small table, a few cushions, and a simple, antique armchair directly above.
"Please wait here."
Qian Daobai gave her a single instruction and then told her to prepare on her own.
Qian Renxue nodded, stepped aside, and tidied her appearance.
She took off her slightly tight-fitting combat-ready outfit and changed into a plain white, elegant long dress that had been prepared beforehand.
Her skirt trailed on the ground, making her already tall figure appear even more graceful.
Her snow-white skin glowed faintly against her plain clothes, giving her a pure and noble appearance.
Those long, straight, beautiful legs were hidden beneath the hem of her skirt. With each graceful step, they traced breathtaking curves, adding a touch of deadly allure.
Everything is ready.
Qian Daobai was already sitting upright in the grand chair above, his expression calm and composed, like a deep pool and a towering mountain.
Qian Renxue took a deep breath, walked to the center of the main hall, and knelt down.
With a solemn expression, she performed the formal apprenticeship ceremony before Qian Daobai.
Three kowtows and nine prostrations.
"I bow in gratitude to my teacher for their boundless kindness in imparting knowledge and resolving my doubts!"
Thump!
A slight thud was heard as his forehead touched the ground.
"Second bow, I accept your disciple's heart and will study diligently without ceasing!"
Thump!
"Three bows, to uphold the righteous path of the sword, and not to stray into evil ways!"
Thump!
After bowing nine times, Qian Renxue slowly stood up and took out a handwritten apprenticeship certificate from her soul tool.
She held it with both hands and respectfully presented it to Qian Daobai.
"Disciple Qian Renxue sincerely wishes to join the sect and humbly requests Master to accept her as a disciple."
Qian Daobai reached out and accepted the apprenticeship certificate, which still carried the warmth of the young girl's body and a faint fragrance.
He opened it, glanced at it, nodded, and put it away.
His gaze fell on Qian Renxue, with a hint of scrutiny and a hint of approval.
The ceremony is complete.
"From this day forward, you will be my only personal disciple, Qian Daobai."
He spoke slowly, his voice echoing clearly within the bamboo house.
"Based on your six-winged angel martial soul and your own talents, I will select the most suitable sword technique for you and teach it to you without reservation."
Upon hearing this, Qian Renxue felt a huge weight lifted from her heart, replaced by boundless joy and excitement.
She bowed gracefully again, her voice clear and firm.
"Yes, Master."
The young girl stood tall and graceful, her beautiful purple eyes now devoid of all sharpness and arrogance, filled only with boundless longing for the future and deep respect for the person before her.
Right at this moment.
A voice that only Qian Daobai could hear echoed in his mind.
[Congratulations, host, on completing the apprentice-recruiting mission! You have received the reward: Supreme Sword Path!]
Buzz—
A profound and mysterious realization instantly flooded into Qian Daobai's mind.
Countless profound understandings of the sword, and the most fundamental sword principles in the world, were like a sudden enlightenment, flowing into his soul.
He slowly closed his eyes, and in that instant, his aura became even more unfathomable.
Qian Daobai slowly opened his eyes.
Inside the bamboo house, all was as quiet as ever.
The world before me seemed no different from what I had just seen, yet it also seemed different in every way.
He raised his hand, his gaze falling on his palm.
The texture, the bones, the flow of blood—an unprecedented sense of clarity welled up in my heart.
Everything has its own trajectory of operation, and everything has its own "Tao" of existence.
The sword is the ultimate embodiment of cutting through, conforming to, or mastering this "Tao".
He glanced at a bamboo sword on the table beside him, which he had casually carved for practice.
He could see the slightest tremor of each bamboo leaf as the wind blew across it, and he could predict which vein would be the first to catch the dew.
All the myriad moves and complex variations of swordsmanship shed their ornate exteriors at this moment, returning to their most fundamental essence.
Thrust, chop, flick, hook, point...
Every most basic movement contains the profound principles of the universe.
The so-called "supreme swordsmanship" is not about stronger sword techniques, but about returning to simplicity.
His lips moved slightly, revealing a hint of a smile.
"Master?"
Seeing his changing expression, Qian Renxue called out softly with some concern.
She could sense that, at the very moment the apprenticeship ceremony was completed, her new master's aura underwent an indescribable transformation.
It has become more...ordinary.
Yes, ordinary.
The previous feeling of being deep and unfathomable has disappeared, replaced by a natural sense of being one with the mountain breeze and the stubborn rocks in the forest.
But it was precisely this ordinariness that made her feel even more awe.
Qian Daobai snapped out of his daze, looked at her, and nodded.
"Um."
"From today onwards, I will arrange your spiritual practice."
He stood up and slowly walked outside the bamboo house.
"Your foundation is good, and your soul power cultivation far surpasses that of your peers, but in terms of swordsmanship, you are still just a rough diamond."
"A piece of... an unpolished gem."
Qian Renxue followed respectfully behind him, listening quietly.
"The way of the sword begins with the feet."
Qian Daobai pointed to a piece of bluestone in front of the door that was damp and slippery from the mist.
"Every morning, I stand here in this posture for one hour."
"Horse stance".
Qian Renxue was slightly taken aback.
Standing meditation?
Isn't this... the most basic foundation-building technique for ordinary martial artists?
With her level of cultivation, what use could such tedious practice possibly be?
Seemingly seeing through her doubts, Qian Daobai spoke calmly.
"Your power originates from your martial spirit, but it remains superficial. Your lower body is unstable, your aura is weak, and your sword strikes are like a rootless duckweed."
"When you can stand on this bluestone and feel your feet connect with the aura of the boulder, becoming one with it, then you can be considered to have entered the path."
Qian Renxue's heart tightened, and she dared not underestimate him in the slightest.
"Yes, Master."
The next day, as dawn broke.
Qian Renxue appeared on the bluestone right on time and assumed a standard horse stance.
At first, she felt extremely relaxed.
But after half an hour, her body, which was used to the flow of soul power, began to feel a slight tingling and numbness.
Sweat slowly slid down her smooth forehead.
Qian Daobai sat on a stone bench to the side, holding a bamboo stick in his hand, occasionally pausing it on the ground in front of him.
He didn't go to see Qian Renxue, yet he knew her condition perfectly.
"Sink your Qi to the Dantian and unify your mind and spirit."
"Forget your soul power, forget your identity. You are now just a tree, rooted here."
The gentle voice, like a morning bell and evening drum, struck Qian Renxue's heart.
She gritted her teeth, cleared her mind of distractions, and tried to regulate her breathing.
Days passed like this.
Qian Renxue went from gritting her teeth and persevering at first to eventually getting used to it.
She could feel a strange change happening to her body.
The power seemed to have become more solid and more stable.
(End of chapter)