Chapter 18: Brother Niuniu, You're a Genius

Chapter 18: Brother Niuniu, You’re a Genius

As Su Changqing stood in the training ground, wooden sword in hand, surrounded by a torrent of flowing water, Niuniu was utterly dumbfounded.

His mouth hung open, and a series of incoherent sounds escaped his lips. The faint green glow of the sword light left him bewildered.

Su Changqing's current state was all too familiar to him.

When one's sword technique reaches the pinnacle of its concept, it resonates with the heavens, allowing the practitioner to condense their life-bound secret technique, significantly enhancing their power.

If it were any ordinary person, even a sword-wielding dud, he could accept them condensing a life-bound secret technique.

But this was Su Changqing!

For eighteen years, Su Changqing had never touched a sword, let alone practiced. He had only started reading a couple of days ago.

Worse yet, the sword technique was incomplete!

"Can you even condense a life-bound secret technique with just a few sword moves?"

Niuniu pulled at his hair in frustration. "Even if it's possible, the young master only practiced for two days!"

"Two days to condense a life-bound secret technique from an incomplete sword technique?"

"By the Sword Emperor! What kind of joke is this?"

Niuniu stood frozen, his mind raging with disbelief.

Meanwhile, Su Changqing gazed at the wooden sword in his hand with a peculiar expression.

The wooden sword now emitted a soft, green glow, radiating a sharp and cutting aura.

At the same time, a special force flowed through the sword and into his body.

"Is this what a life-bound secret technique feels like?"

Su Changqing closed his eyes and savored the sensation. "It feels incredibly powerful."

It wasn't an increase in physical strength but a kind of divine enhancement from the heavens.

"Roar!"

At that moment, the black bear, sensing the threat, roared and lunged at Su Changqing.

Su Changqing's eyes snapped open, and the tension in his expression vanished, replaced by calm.

He swung the wooden sword lightly, and the space around him rippled like a lake, emitting a flowing water sound.

"Buzz!"

A faint, almost inaudible sword cry echoed as the wooden sword sliced through the black bear's arm in an instant.

"Roar!"

The black bear let out a piercing scream. The wooden sword cut through its arm as if it were nothing, severing it effortlessly.

Su Changqing moved with the flow of the sword, and the sound of flowing water grew more intense and vast.

His sword technique, fluid and graceful, struck the black bear like a torrent of waves.

In a blink, the massive black bear collapsed to the ground, its body riddled with sword wounds.

"Is this the power of a sword technique enhanced by a life-bound secret technique?"

Su Changqing looked at the wooden sword in his hand with surprise.

It was just a wooden sword, yet it was sharp enough to pierce through the black bear's tough hide.

He had underestimated the amplification the imprint could bring to the sword technique.

"If only it were a complete technique, but alas."

Su Changqing shook his head and then turned to look at the stunned Niuniu, teasing him, "What do you think? I told you I could do it."

Niuniu nodded dumbly and then took a step forward, urgently asking, "Changqing, have you practiced this sword technique before?"

Su Changqing shook his head. "No, didn't you give it to me a couple of days ago?"

"Two days to master it?"

"Sure, it's not that hard. Practice a bit, and you get it."

Niuniu stood rooted to the spot, as if struck by five thunderbolts.

Not hard?

This was a Heaven-tier secret technique. He had practiced for over half a year to reach the pinnacle, and he was already considered a sword prodigy.

And yet, the young master, in just two days, had taken an incomplete sword technique and condensed it into a life-bound secret technique?

For a moment, Niuniu's gaze towards Su Changqing changed.

He had grown up with the young master and always thought Su Changqing was smart, but he never truly realized the extent of his talent.

Now, with Su Changqing's initial foray into cultivation, his terrifying insight left Niuniu in awe.

He was a prodigy, no doubt, but the young master was a hundred times stronger than any prodigy!

"This is the monster the family head has raised for eighteen years."

Niuniu gazed into the distance, his eyes filled with uncontainable excitement.

With the young master by their side, the Su family would surely have a seat at the pinnacle in this coming era!

"Why are you so excited? Don't forget, I'll teach you this sword technique."

Su Changqing patted Second Ox on the shoulder and smiled.

Before Second Ox could say anything, the depths of the forest suddenly echoed with howls of wolves.

Without time to clean up the battlefield, Su Changqing quickly pulled Second Ox and started running.

"Quick, the wolf pack is coming!"

...

After running for a while, Su Changqing finally stopped when he felt they were safe.

Seeing that Second Ox was still staring at him in a daze, Su Changqing raised an eyebrow and smiled. "You want to learn?"

Second Ox's eyes lit up, and he nodded vigorously. "Yes, I definitely want to learn!"

He had been worrying about not finding a teacher for this sword technique, but now that the young master had learned it, he wouldn't hesitate to ask.

In two years, the young master would start his cultivation journey, and it was clear that his progress would be astonishing.

As the young master's future right-hand man, he couldn't fall too far behind.

Su Changqing smiled and pulled out the tattered sword technique manual from his pocket, tossing it to Second Ox. "Review it first, then I'll teach you."

Second Ox inwardly sighed, as he had almost worn out the manual with his frequent readings.

But to dispel Su Changqing's suspicions, he carefully read through it again.

"Show me a run-through, and I'll point out where you're going wrong."

Su Changqing broke off a wooden stick and threw it to Second Ox.

Second Ox nodded, took a deep breath, and began with the standard opening stance of the Surging Tide Sword Technique.

As a sword genius who had practiced this technique for a long time, he performed it with fluid grace, the unique sharpness of a sword practitioner radiating from his movements.

Swish!

The air was filled with the sound of surging water, the waves of energy shaking the very core of one's being.

In no time, he completed the entire Surging Tide Sword Technique.

Without using his cultivation, he had given it his all, even showcasing the sword technique's deeper meaning.

Only by doing so could the observer spot his flaws.

"Changqing, did you see any problems?" Second Ox asked hopefully.

Having a teacher was a great advantage; it saved him from guessing and taking detours.

However, Su Changqing didn't answer immediately. Instead, he exclaimed, "Second Ox, you're a genius."

"Just your first practice, and you already perform it so well."

These were Su Changqing's sincere words. When he first practiced, he had only been a bit better than Second Ox.

"The teacher is right; I'm just a bit stronger than the average person."

"I thought I was a prodigy in swordsmanship, but it turns out I'm just average."

Su Changqing inwardly sighed.

After seeing Second Ox practice, his dreams of being a genius were shattered.

It made sense; he was viewing this world with the perspective of his past life. This world had immortals and martial arts, so even ordinary people were naturally stronger than those from his past life. Hadn't he seen a black bear grow to over ten feet tall?

"Me, a genius?"

At this, Second Ox's face turned red with embarrassment.

He was far from a genius. He had been practicing this sword technique for half a year and still couldn't match what someone else had learned in just two days. What kind of genius was that?

Su Changqing's words made him want to find a hole to hide in.

"Cough, Changqing, did you see any problems with my sword technique?"

Second Ox quickly changed the subject, asking aloud.

"The problem is quite obvious."

After just one look, Su Changqing casually said, "This sword technique is called the Surging Tide Sword, but it doesn't start with overwhelming force."

"This technique requires building momentum, like a small stream gradually merging into a lake, then the lake flowing into a river, and finally, all streams converging to form a mighty tide!"

"You, on the other hand, are too hasty and use too much force."

With just a few simple words, Second Ox felt as if he had been struck by lightning, the fog in his mind suddenly clearing.

"Ah, I see."

Second Ox looked at the wooden stick in his hand, his eyes filled with realization.

"The problem that held me back was so simple."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end