CHAPTER 44: CHAPTER 47: CHESS SWORDSMANSHIP

Upon opening the sword manual, Wang Junze discovered that this sword manual was named Yi Swordsmanship.

The opening sentence immediately provided an overview of this swordsmanship.

The world is like a chessboard, wielding the sword is like making a move.

With just this simple sentence, Wang Junze’s mind was completely captivated, and soon he was deeply immersed, oblivious to the passage of time.

When Wang Junze came to his senses and raised his head again, it was already noon.

"How do you find it?"

With her gaze falling on Wang Junze, Luo Qingxuan smiled and asked.

"Saintess, is there truly such magical Sword Dao in this world?" Meeting Luo Qingxuan’s eyes, Wang Junze couldn’t help but ask.

It’s no wonder he had such doubts, as the records in this sword manual were simply too incredible.

According to the records in the sword manual, the core of this Yi Swordsmanship lies in anticipating the enemy’s moves. When trained to a high level, no matter who the opponent is or what weapon or technique they use, one can always be a step ahead and penetrate the opponent’s attack. Unless the difference in realm is too vast, one can always remain undefeated.

However, this sword manual, after all, is just a fragment, although it includes a general outline, it lacks the corresponding Heart Method. The recorded sword techniques, although exquisite, have not reached the level of mystery spoken of in the sword manual.

Of course, Wang Junze understood that it was precisely due to the missing core Heart Method that he had the chance to obtain this sword manual. Otherwise, even if Luo Qingxuan thought highly of him, she could not possibly offer such a precious sword manual.

"Purely from the theoretical standpoint, there is indeed this possibility."

Facing Wang Junze’s inquiry, Luo Qingxuan did not beat around the bush and directly gave her opinion: "Of course, truly reaching the level recorded in the sword manual is extremely challenging, not only needing the complete Heart Method but also requiring highly demanding Sword Dao talent, without a world-class genius it is impossible to succeed."

"So, even if the sword manual is genuine, it might not be possible for anyone to succeed in mastering it, which perhaps explains why this cultivation technique has been lost."

"Your talent in Sword Dao is exceptionally high, so it doesn’t hurt to give it a try. Even if you don’t obtain the complete cultivation technique, you can still gain something from it, at least... temporarily use it as a transition without any issue."

Upon hearing this, Wang Junze couldn’t help but immerse himself once again in thought.

Putting aside the high-level realm in the sword manual, at least the simple anticipation of the enemy’s moves is certainly effective. Just like when he once defeated Lin Binqiang, it was because he could instantly discern the opponent’s strike point, which is essentially what is referred to as anticipating the enemy’s moves in the sword manual.

Of course, this is also due to Wang Junze’s deeper understanding in Sword Dao, which was far beyond that of Lin Binqiang, aligning perfectly with Luo Qingxuan’s statement that to practice this swordsmanship, even just entering the basics requires exceptionally high talent in Sword Dao, not something that ordinary individuals can cultivate.

"Thank you, Saintess, I will give it a try."

After pondering for a moment, Wang Junze once again clasped his fists in gratitude.

"No hurry, eat something first, then continue practicing. Leave the City Lord’s Mansion only when your practice has progressed sufficiently." Waving her hand, Luo Qingxuan said softly.

As she spoke, a servant had already delivered lunch, quickly filling the table.

Compared to before, the meal now was far more sumptuous, and soon Wang Junze discovered that many of these dishes even contained faint traces of Spiritual Qi, clearly consisting of rare ingredients beneficial to cultivation.

Before Wang Junze could ask, Luo Qingxuan began explaining: "After entering Condensing Truth, cultivation indeed requires many resources. Moreover, the greater one’s talent and more veins opened, the more resources one needs! Some of these resources are provided by the Sect, while others have to be earned personally, which is why I mentioned before that cultivators need to compete for more resources, and it’s worthwhile to pay some price or take some risks for them."

Silently nodding, Wang Junze didn’t refuse, he loosened his belt and began eating heartily. Shortly thereafter, the table was left spotless.

Soon, Wang Junze felt a warm stream surge within him, spreading throughout his body. The previous damage to his meridians from his breakthrough was rapidly healing.

Obviously, this meal was deliberately prepared for him by Luo Qingxuan, and this thoughtfulness moved Wang Junze’s heart.

However, Wang Junze did not express further gratitude but instead kept this gesture in heart. He then opened the sword manual and began practicing the sword techniques recorded within.

The swordsmanship in the manual is actually quite simple, consisting only of five techniques, namely, Initiate the Game, Laozi, Layout, Strangulation, and Endgame.

The names of these five sword techniques are derived from the metaphor of playing chess, fitting perfectly with one of the opening sentences of Yi Swordsmanship: the world is like a chess board, wielding the sword is like making a move.

The sword techniques themselves are quite simple, yet the changes contained within are extremely complicated, with many aspects requiring personal comprehension without direct explanation. This underscores that mastering these five sword techniques is extremely challenging.

Fortunately, Wang Junze had long been accustomed to practicing swordsmanship. In the past, he practiced a single sword technique for three years, and now with direction, he naturally won’t shy from difficulty and quickly immersed himself in practice.