Chapter 429 - 411: Unity of Man and Blade, New Blade Stance

That evening, upon returning to the gates of the Su Mansion, the lovely figures of Yang Zhen and Yang Ai stood waiting, craning their necks in anticipation.

Seeing Su Yu step down from the carriage, the two of them immediately pounced on him like fledgling swallows returning to their nest.

"Brother Su!"

"Brother Su!"

He wrapped an arm around each of their willow-like waists. With Ai’Er practically hanging off him on his left, Su Yu gave a wry smile.

"I only went to raid a noble house. Why were you two so worried?"

"But that was the Huyan Family, a century-old noble house!" Yang Ai said, hugging Su Yu’s arm, her big, round eyes filled with pride.

"And Brother Su took them down just like that, acting so nonchalant about it. You’re amazing!"

The three of them walked into the mansion together. The Protectors on guard duty stood at attention, their gazes fixed forward, but their eyes were filled with pride.

’A century-old noble house? How can they compare to our Su Mansion!’

’In the future, the Su Mansion will be the true century-old noble house! I wonder if my son will have the chance to become a servant for the Master one day!’

...

"Brother Su, is Huyan Muyuan dead? Was he really after Zhen’Er’s Wood Spirit Body?"

In the main room of the Inner Courtyard, Yang Zhen asked for confirmation, her face etched with a hint of worry.

Su Yu took the honey wellness soup Ai’Er had prepared, took a sip, and said, "Huyan Muyuan is dead. You can rest easy."

"However, we didn’t find anything unusual at the Huyan Family’s estate, so I’m not certain if he was truly after your Wood Spirit Body."

Su Yu found this strange as well. ’I’ll have to see what comes of the interrogations of the Huyan Family members over the next few days.’

"Brother Su, thank you for solving this problem for Zhen’Er."

Yang Zhen stood up and bowed earnestly to Su Yu.

Su Yu shook his head, pulled her onto his lap, and inhaled the scent of her dark hair.

"Zhen’Er, this wasn’t a problem. It’s my duty as your Brother Su to protect you. You shouldn’t be so formal with me, you silly girl."

"I can’t do that. Brother Su is a great hero in the making, and Zhen’Er must always respect you."

The two exchanged a few sweet nothings. Nearby, Yang Ai pouted and left with a look of playful disdain.

The night was long.

Holding the beauty’s delicate body, Su Yu buried his head in her soft, full bosom and fell into a deep sleep.

The consecutive battles today had truly exhausted him.

There was nothing more comforting than being held in such a reassuring, soft embrace.

...

「The next morning.」

After washing up, his energy completely restored, Su Yu began practicing his martial arts in the backyard, following his usual routine.

"Demon Ape Splits the Heavens!"

"Demon Blade Crosses the River!"

"Demon Shadow Sheds its Skin!"

"..."

The long saber in Su Yu’s hand moved like a black bolt of lightning. Each downward slash produced a deafening boom as it tore through the air.

His movements were even more astounding. Empowered by his Two-Step Rushing Thunder footwork, his body flickered unpredictably as he continuously circled the Iron Locust Tree.

In that instant, he seemed to grasp something. He appeared, his saber struck, and a thunderous slash echoed through the air.

The startled koi in the lotus pond leaped from the water, scattering in a panic.

After he finished a set of the Demon Ape Demon-Vibrating Saber, a delightful line of text flashed before his eyes.

[Demon Ape Demon-Vibrating Saber Skill Level +20]

[Martial Arts]: Demon Ape Demon-Vibrating Saber (Minor Achievement 1/3000)

At the same time, a profound insight flooded his mind.

’Demon-Vibrating Intent?’

After a long moment, Su Yu’s eyes snapped open, his heart stirred with realization.

’I can’t believe this saber art has allowed me to comprehend another form of Saber Intent!’

’Let’s test its power!’

A sharp glint flashed in Su Yu’s eyes. He held the Mo Yuan Saber in a reverse grip, took a deep breath, and lunged forward like a Demon Ape emerging from an abyss, slashing out with his saber!

VMMMM!

The moment he swung the saber, he felt a difference.

At that moment, it was as if man and saber had become one, and he gained a deeper understanding of the weapon. The Mo Yuan Saber’s Saber Spirit even emitted a ripple of joy.

’The saber, a pictograph of a soldier, the weapon of a hundred battles.’

’Its purpose is to arrive, to slash, to fell its target!’

’Wielded with one hand, its value lies in advancing and retreating, dodging and feinting...’

As he slashed, the Qi Flow vibrated violently, and the tip of the saber trembled intensely. What reached his ears was no longer the chaotic shriek of the wind, but a deep, powerful roar, like that of a Demon Ape.

The roar was low and sustained, its pressure as heavy as the sea, shaking one’s very soul!

Upon hearing this astonishing ape’s cry, the precious fish in the lotus pond instantly went stiff and fainted, floating rigidly in the water.

The little croco-dragon also grew agitated. It twitched its thick tail, slamming it on the ground—BANG! BANG!—in indignant protest.

"So this is the Demon-Vibrating Intent!"

Su Yu sheathed his saber, closing his eyes to savor the feeling of that last slash. A moment later, his eyes opened, revealing a sharp glint.

As his comprehension and perspective broadened, his understanding of Martial Arts grew ever deeper, allowing him to extrapolate complex principles from a single concept.

’Demon-Subduing Intent and Demon-Vibrating Intent are two different types of Intent. They have similarities, but their focus is completely different.’

’Demon-Subduing Intent focuses on alternating between light and heavy saber strikes to suppress the enemy and achieve a demon-subduing effect.’

’To use an analogy, it’s like a Spiritual Ape. One moment, it hurls a mountain as heavy as Mount Tai down upon you.’

’The next moment, it throws a pebble as fast as a shooting star, giving you no time to dodge.’

’Demon-Vibrating Intent, on the other hand, focuses on the unity of user and weapon, mastering the use of all weapons as if they were extensions of one’s own limbs.’

’In battle, it’s like facing a Demon Ape with three heads and six arms, wielding various weapons. Every one of its strikes unleashes the weapon’s maximum power, making it impossible to parry.’

’So with that last slash, I truly grasped the essence of man and saber becoming one, and the Saber Spirit responded in kind.’

Su Yu nodded slightly and walked over to the Ironwood Stakes in the front courtyard.

After recent upgrades, all the ordinary Ironwood Stakes in the front courtyard had been replaced with ones designed specifically for the Muscle Forging and Profound Bone Realms.

They were extremely expensive, costing over a thousand silver, but for Su Yu, this was a minor expense.

"Demon Ape Splits the Heavens!"

This was the defense-breaking move of the Demon Ape Demon-Vibrating Saber. His Qi and Blood surged violently, and as he slashed, it was as if an ordinary Demon Ape were splitting the heavens and the earth!

BOOM!

Su Yu’s saber struck the sturdiest of the Muscle Forging Realm Ironwood Stakes.

This type of stake could withstand a full blow from a Jiao Tendon Realm expert.

But now, under Su Yu’s slash that embodied the unity of man and saber, it had been sliced a full three inches deep.

’It really broke through!’

Su Yu withdrew the Mo Yuan Saber and carefully inspected the blade. ’As expected of a Profound Tier Treasure Saber,’ he thought, ’there isn’t a single nick or rolled edge.’

After the constant battles of the past few days, there was likely some unseen wear. An ordinary saber would have required meticulous maintenance.

But a Profound Tier Treasure Saber possessed a Saber Spirit and could recover on its own.

’Now that I’ve mastered two types of Saber Intent, and with my enhanced Ape-Demon Evil Qi, an ordinary Jiao Tendon Realm expert is no longer a match for me. Next, I’ll break through to the Tiger Tendon Realm. By then, I’ll be able to defeat Jiao Tendon Realm geniuses, maybe even those at Jiao Tendon Perfection!’

Su Yu was brimming with confidence. His strength was advancing by leaps and bounds, and he felt he might be able to take another step forward before the Inner City’s integration.

By then, even if Pang Xuanzhen ordered him to stand guard in the Inner City, he would have more confidence to fall back on.

’One more thing... What Ding Yi mentioned before, about transforming intent into force... no matter how I look at it, it sounds just like my Demon-Subduing Force!’

A flash of insight struck Su Yu. After Breaking Limit, his Demon-Subduing Intent had already transformed into Demon-Subduing Force. When he slashed, he could feel an intangible power.

This force was far stronger than mere intent, which was the reason for the astonishing power of his saber arts.

’Perhaps I’ve already grasped the power that Profound Bone Realm experts comprehend. It’s just that they can control this force at will, while I can only attach it to the Mo Yuan Saber for now!’

’I don’t know what the secret is. If I could also control the Demon-Subduing Force at will and have it envelop my body...’

’I wonder what the effect would be!’

’Huyan Muyuan’s seemed to be an invisible blade that carried a chilling air.’

’I couldn’t tell what Ding Yi’s or my master’s were.’

Su Yu felt a sense of anticipation but immediately suppressed it. ’I’ll find out naturally once I reach the Profound Bone Realm.’

’For now, the most important thing is to continue steadily improving my strength!’

’Next, there’s that drop of Divine Blood. It’s time to absorb it!’