Chapter 29: CH-29: Training, training and even more training!!

The next morning came too early.

The group once again assembled at the Sword Arena, this time for Elder Jian’s personal ’guidance’.

Though she won’t be as brutal, they are still up for a beating.

Elder Jian stood in the center of the arena, seemingly liking being the center of attention.

Her black robe seemed to absorb the light, making her appear as a void in the brightly lit space, further solidified by the dull sword she wielded.

Seeing everyone was in place, she began, her voice cutting through the silence like a blade.

"Today, you will learn the meaning of ’sharpness’. It is not merely an attribute of a well-forged sword, but a state of being."

"And you all, right now as you are, are as dull as a piece of tofu."

Dong Mulan felt a surge of indignation, having tofu as one of her favorites, but she forced it down. She knew that reacting would only prove her point.

"Your stances are weak, your forms are sloppy, and most importantly, your purpose of battle is too superficial."

Elder Jian continued, apparently on a mission to destroy their self-confidence.

She stopped in front of Ye Che, her eyes narrowing. Gesturing with her hand, she warned him of the upcoming beating.

"Let me see how Elder Ye has raised you up, shall we?"

Raising her blade, she gave out the invitation to battle. Even knowing a beating was coming, he couldn’t avoid it, since the one she wanted to test wasn’t Ye Che, but Elder Ye’s son.

"Please teach me!"

Ye Che accepted the challenge. Though he didn’t want to, there was no other way.

He drew his own sword, a fine blade gifted by his father, its shine a stark contrast to Elder Jian’s dull weapon.

He adopted a standard opening stance, the ’Crane Unfurls Its Wings’, a popular form in their sect, known for its balance and graceful transitions.

But as he settled into the stance, Elder Jian didn’t move, simply watching, her expression unreadable.

"Your form is pretty," she said, her voice dripping with disdain. "Like a dance for an audience. But this is not a stage, and I am not here to applaud your grace."

Before Ye Che could even process her words, she moved. There was no blur of motion, no explosion of speed. When he saw her again, it was as if she simply... was there all along.

Her sword, which had been resting at her side, was now an inch from Ye Che’s throat, its tip ready to hum a death whisper. Ye Che froze, his eyes wide with shock.

The lady in front of him was by far stronger than his old man, since his old man couldn’t do this, or simply disdained to do this to a child.

"Your form is good. It teaches you structure, but it also limits you. True swordsmanship is formless. It adapts, flows even, it strikes where it is least expected, attributing to unpredictability."

Said Elder Jian, pulling back her sword with the same unnerving slowness.

Ye Che swallowed, the phantom sensation of the blade still at his throat. His pride stung, but a new understanding began to dawn in his eyes.

Gu Changsheng watched, both fascinated and worried about her profound strength. He checked Elder Jian’s status again, half expecting some new revelation.

___

『Name』: Jian Yulan

『Cultivation』: 8th Stage of Core Formation Realm

『Talent』: Sword Heart

『Innate Ability』: Remorseless Sword Intent, Blade Weave...

『Fate』: Red

『Fortuitous Encounter』:

1. Training for a decade alone, trapped, she develops...

...

___

She was a Core Formation Realm cultivator, a higher-end one at that. Elder Ye was at the 6th Stage, so she was definitely stronger.

Her opportunities, meanwhile... were rather gruesome to look at.

While he examined the status panel, Jian Yulan’s gaze shifted towards Ning Rongrong, her blade ready to teach.

Though Ning Rongrong felt uneasy, she still took a sword and agreed, reassured by the fact that Ye Che wasn’t rubbed against the ground.

But what she seemed to forget was... Ye Che hadn’t said anything bad that day.

Ning Rongrong stepped forward, her face the representation of forced bravado. She picked up a training sword, its weight unwelcome in her hands.

Her own specialty lay in subtle arts, not in this brutal, direct confrontation.

She adopted a defensive stance, the ’Earth Guard’, a technique from the Cloud Piercing Sect that emphasized creating openings for counterattacks. Her posture was right, her muscles were tight.

"Another pretty form. You all fight like you expect your opponent to admire your footwork before striking."

Elder Jian watched, her head tilting slightly, this time advancing her own sword.

Ning Rongrong tensed, waiting for the attack, focusing all her attention on Elder Jian’s sword arm.

But the attack didn’t come from there.

Elder Jian’s left foot shot out, not with the intention of a kick. Rather, it struck the handle of Ning Rongrong’s training sword, a seemingly light tap.

The impact, however, was anything but light. ℯℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

A shockwave traveled up the blade, through Ning Rongrong’s wrists, and up her arms. The sword flew from her grasp, clattering uselessly across the polished stone floor.

And Elder Jian didn’t stop there.

She pivoted on her other foot, closing the distance in a heartbeat, her practice sword now tapping Ning Rongrong’s stomach, her ribcage, and finally, the side of her neck.

Ning Rongrong gasped, stumbling backward, her arms wrapped around her midsection where a phantom ache bloomed. Her face, on the other hand, burned with shame.

"Your focus is on my sword, but who you were battling wasn’t the sword, it was me!"

Jian Yulan stated, sheathing her blade as if the demonstration was over.

"In a real battle, your opponent’s body is the weapon. Every shift in weight is an attack or a feint leading to one, and you are blind to anything but the blade!"

She turned her gaze to the others, her disappointment becoming a physical presence in the arena.

"Who’s next to waste my time?"