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Chapter 17: Lin Sai's Wooden Blade
Chapter 17: Lin Sai's Wooden Blade
An Rui prepared a set of linen clothing for Lin Sai, tailored to fit the body comfortably without any tightness on the muscles. It was durable and provided extra warmth during the winter, making it ideal for Lin Sai's current situation.
After changing into the new attire, they headed to the back of the manor. Here, a gate in the surrounding fence led to a spacious training ground, cleared by cutting down trees to ground level, leaving only a few survivors as natural wooden stakes. The area was devoid of any wildlife, and in the distance, some remaining trees had archery targets attached at various heights.
When they arrived, several guards from the frontier town were already practicing with wooden swords and spears. Among them were younger ones whom An Rui deemed promising, but they had yet to awaken their essence.
In the hidden frontier, only three individuals, including An Rui, had truly embarked on the path of war.
Before commencing the training, An Rui asked, "Child, have you learned any combat techniques before?"
Lin Sai replied honestly, "I was just a farmer's child and didn't even know how to write."
An Rui nodded in understanding, not showing any disdain. Instead, he led the way to an open area while explaining, "Generally, the entry point for the War Sect is physical training, but since you possess the Life Essence... Oh, right, has the Crimson Moon Sect taught you how to cultivate the Life Essence?"
Seeing Lin Sai's nod, An Rui continued, "Then your daily training will be overseen by the Crimson Moon Sect, so I won't have to worry about it."
"In that case, let's get straight to the point and start with martial techniques."
"Is there any weapon you'd like to learn or have a preference for?"
Lin Sai asked curiously, "Can you teach me any weapon I want to learn?"
"Hahaha!"
Once again, Lin Sai's words amused An Rui.
He burst into laughter, took a sip from his silver flask, and continued, "In our War Sect, especially for warriors like me who study the essence of combat, upon completing the fifth stage of ascension, we effortlessly master the use of all weapons in the world."
"Whatever you wish to learn, I can teach you!"
Lin Sai noticed a particular term, "The ascension of the fifth stage?"
An Rui promptly explained, "Ascended ones, this is a term of respect for Awakened ones, and also a description of the truth."
"In the world of the Awakened, when a person's skill undergoes five stages of sublimation, it brings about an essential change. We refer to this process as ascension."
Lin Sai's expression cleared as he understood.
He smiled and requested, "Since that's the case, I'd like to learn your most proficient martial technique."
"..."
An Rui was momentarily stunned by Lin Sai's response.
After a few seconds, he shook his head with a nostalgic sigh and chuckled, "You little rascal, you're a clever one! I wish I had your wit back then!"
"But since I promised, I'll teach you to the best of my ability."
As he spoke, An Rui drew two gleaming blades from his back, unsheathing them from his waist.
"If we're talking about my specialty, it's naturally these."
Lin Sai examined the pair of blades curiously.
These blades were neither long enough to be considered long swords nor short enough to be daggers. At first glance, the blade measured about 30 centimeters, and with the handle, it exceeded 40 centimeters. The tip was slender, giving it a resemblance to an oversized European kitchen knife.
"My martial art originates from Narckbondok, a legendary Martial Cultivator who sublimated his technique seven times—Klebers. The core principle lies in the four words 'Advantageous Strike.'"
"However, to delve deeper into this path, you'll need to sublime your martial art first."
As An Rui explained, a subtle mischievous smile played on his lips, and he handed one of the blades to Lin Sai.
"Here, hold her, and I'll teach you how to grip the sword first."
Naturally, Lin Sai reached out and gripped...
"So heavy!"
The weapon An Rui used was nearly ten pounds in weight!
Lin Sai could hold it if she wanted to.
But to say she could fight with such a weapon, her wrists might break from the strain, it was truly an exaggeration!
"It's so heavy because it needs to be sturdy enough."
Seeing Lin Sai's surprised expression as she gripped the sword, An Rui burst into laughter.
Then, he stopped teasing Lin Sai and took his sword to the edge of the forest, selecting the largest beech tree in the area.
A flash of silver light passed by.
Nothing seemed to have happened in front of An Rui.
But the next second, he pushed the beech tree in front of him.
Crack—
The originally invisible crack split open.
This tree trunk was over a meter in diameter, and even one person couldn't embrace half of it. The beech tree started to tilt. Especially with its large crown, it looked like a collapsing house at this moment!
An Rui said nothing and walked straight to the beech tree.
Boom!
The beech tree that was falling towards him was smashed and changed direction mid-fall.
Finally, it lay slanted at the edge of the forest, like a giant that had fallen there.
Throughout the process, An Rui remained silent.
He walked to the fallen beech tree, chopped off a section with one swing, and then quickly carved out a wooden sword the same size as his own weapon.
"Hmm..."
An Rui held the wooden sword in his hand, weighing it.
Then, he carved a few holes in it, adjusting the weight and balance to match the feel of a real sword, before handing it to Lin Sai.
"Here, you use this first."
"Once you have a basic understanding of this technique, I'll prepare a real pair for you."
An Rui was direct and to the point, immediately starting the lesson:
"First, the position of your grip. Don't hold the end of the hilt, as it's easier for enemies to knock the weapon out of your hand."
"Then, your hands should be one in front and one behind."
"In actual combat, usually one hand blocks while the other attacks, and the front hand can also conceal the movements of the rear hand."
"Defense, evasion, blocking, ensuring your safety is also the core of combat. The techniques include maintaining balance, dodging and maneuvering, and disrupting the enemy's weapons..."
An Rui wasn't joking when he said this.
When explaining to Lin Sai, he demonstrated the techniques himself, then had Lin Sai imitate him, correcting her mistakes and adjusting the details, even down to the tension of her muscles and the rhythm of her breathing.
The most basic and crucial elements of martial techniques."
An Rui held nothing back, laying it all out for Lin Sai.
However, as the local lord, he couldn't stay here with Lin Sai forever.
After about half an hour, An Rui had to leave. Before he did, he called his only formal apprentice from the manor:
"Alan, I have to deal with some matters in town. I'll leave this child's initiation to you."
Then, An Rui left.
But his apprentice, Alan, stared at the fallen beech tree with wide eyes, as if something incredible had happened.
"You... You practice on your own first, and I'll check on the situation."
Alan looked at the beech tree lying on the ground, a section missing from its trunk.
Feeling dizzy, he muttered to himself:
"This was the tree that Master cut down... Why did he do it?"
Alan suddenly realized something.
He turned and saw the long dagger in Lin Sai's hand.
"Where did you get this?"
Alan was speechless, watching Lin Sai practice alone.
In his eyes, Lin Sai's movements were stiff, and she hadn't mastered many of the techniques, not even the basics.
But this wasn't a problem, as these were common mistakes for beginners.
As long as she corrected them gradually through practice, it would be fine.
Alan thought this to himself, but he was still confused about the beech tree.
He couldn't guess why An Rui had demonstrated his strength by cutting down the tree, trying to attract Lin Sai to the path of war.
About a quarter of an hour passed.
Alan hadn't had time to organize his thoughts about guiding Lin Sai, nor had he figured out why his master had cut down the beech tree.
Then, Lin Sai approached him and said:
"Mr. Alan, I think I understand it now."
"Is there anything else I should learn today?"
[Please collect and vote!]
(End of Chapter)
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