Chapter 31: Er Niu and Shuhan's Conflict! The Radiant Star Sword Technique!

Chapter 31: Er Niu and Shuhan's Conflict! The Radiant Star Sword Technique!

Su Changqing's excitement was evident, but Shuhan's brow furrowed in concern.

In Shuhan's opinion, his junior brother's scholarly talent was on par with the reincarnation of the Cultural Emperor. He should focus solely on the Scholarly Path.

How could he be reading books while also practicing sword techniques? That's not sticking to the main task!

"Brother, listen to your senior. You should focus on your studies. Don't waste time on other frivolous things!"

Shuhan looked at Su Changqing with a serious expression.

Su Changqing was taken aback by this, but before he could respond, Er Niu, who had just arrived, was already annoyed.

"Who are you to say what's frivolous?"

Er Niu glared at Shuhan. "Changqing learning sword techniques, do you have a problem with that?"

"Of course, I do!"

Shuhan didn't back down. "Changqing has a teacher for his studies, but who teaches him sword techniques?"

"Why abandon the scholarly path to learn sword techniques? Isn't that putting the cart before the horse?"

Shuhan had seen Changqing's scholarly talent and feared he might take the wrong path, so his words were sharp.

"Putting the cart before the horse? I think Changqing should focus on sword techniques!"

"After all this time of studying, he hasn't even cultivated the righteous aura. Isn't that a waste of talent?"

Er Niu was equally angry. In his view, Changqing's sword talent was terrifying.

A Heaven-Rank secret manual, and he condensed his innate Dao Seal in just two days. Wasn't he a born sword prodigy?

Yet, he went to study books and, after a year, couldn't even cultivate the righteous aura. To Er Niu, this was a massive waste of talent! If he were the family head, he would definitely have Changqing focus on sword techniques!

"Nonsense!"

Shuhan was nearly laughing with anger. "What do you know! Changqing's scholarly talent is beyond your understanding!"

"Righteous aura? For him, isn't it just a matter of raising his hand?"

Er Niu also looked fierce and sneered, "I may not understand the scholarly path, but do you understand sword techniques?"

"Do you think Changqing's sword talent is lacking?"

Shuhan took a step forward. "I think his sword talent is poor! So what?"

Er Niu raised an eyebrow. "Bookworm, want to find a place to spar?"

Shuhan sneered. "Afraid of you? Not a chance!"

Both were of similar age and at the Fourth Realm, and neither was intimidated by the other.

A few words of disagreement had escalated into a conflict over their respective paths.

Su Changqing, watching from the side, was bewildered. How did they start arguing like this? Was studying or learning sword techniques really that important?

Before he could think more, Su Changqing grabbed Shuhan and Er Niu, who were about to leave, and said helplessly:

"Are you both still acting like children, making plans to fight?"

Then he looked at Shuhan and smiled wryly.

"Senior Brother, you must be out of your mind. You're a scholar, weak as a kitten. How can you be a match for Second Brother Niu?"

Er Niu burst out laughing, crossing his arms and looking at Shuhan sideways.

"Heh, Changqing is right. I'll beat you so badly you'll be crawling on the ground, bookworm."

"Me," Shuhan's face turned red with anger at Er Niu's smug look.

But with Changqing there, he couldn't say anything, which made him feel incredibly frustrated.

"Second Brother Niu."

Su Changqing looked at Er Niu and said helplessly, "This is my senior brother. Don't be too rough."

"I was thinking of asking my senior brother to write a few poems for me. Isn't your crush a big fan of poetry?"

Shuhan gritted his teeth. "Write poems? Like a bull chewing on a peony. She wouldn't understand."

Er Niu sneered. "Who needs your poems? A few from Changqing are more than enough."

Over the past year, despite being busy, Changqing had managed to send him a few poems.

But he no longer needed them because Qingqiu had said she had enough and to wait for good news after the wager.

"Oh, come on, let's go. Let's see what sword technique it is, just for fun."

Seeing that the two were still about to argue, Su Changqing pulled them both and headed straight for the small forest.

Er Niu glanced at Shuhan smugly, while Shuhan gritted his teeth and followed behind.

He wanted to see how this Second Brother Niu was misleading his junior brother!

...

A short while later, the three arrived at a quiet, open forest.

Su Changqing couldn't wait to ask, "Second Brother Niu, does this sword technique have a cultivation method?"

The sword techniques without cultivation methods were already powerful. If this one was complete, he could start practicing right away!

"No."

Erniu nervously shook his head. "I found this sword technique in that cave, but there was no cultivation method to go with it."

Shuhan, standing nearby, sneered and whispered, "You're fooling Changqing like this?"

"Is this the sword technique you said you'd teach Changqing?"

A sword technique without a cultivation method? Shuhan had never seen such a thing in his life. If it could be practiced, he'd be a ghost.

"You don't know anything, just watch quietly."

Erniu replied, then looked at Changqing with anticipation. After obtaining this secret manual, he had trained hard for a year before coming to Changqing.

If he didn't understand anything, even if Changqing taught him, he wouldn't be able to learn.

Now that his sword technique was somewhat accomplished, if he had a master to guide him, his learning speed would greatly increase.

Shuhan, who had been silenced, gritted his teeth and glanced at the secret manual out of the corner of his eye.

But this glance shocked him instantly.

He wasn't Changqing, but even though he didn't specialize in sword techniques, his discernment was still sharp. He immediately recognized the extraordinary nature of the secret manual.

"At the very least, it's a Low-Grade Heavenly Rank technique. If it had a cultivation method, it would definitely be a Mid-Grade Heavenly Rank level."

"Erniu is showing his junior brother a Mid-Grade Heavenly Rank incomplete secret manual. Can he even understand it?"

Shuhan, filled with doubt, looked at his young junior brother, who was studying the manual intently.

"This sword technique is powerful, even stronger than the last Wave Sword Technique!"

Su Changqing took a quick glance and immediately exclaimed with excitement, "This sword technique can actually invoke the power of the stars. It's not just about the sword moves, but also the footwork and the enhancement of celestial timing."

"In terms of difficulty, it far surpasses the last secret manual."

Compared to the Confucian path, which he had studied for a year with little improvement, Su Changqing preferred practicing sword techniques.

Even though it was incomplete and he had no teacher, the feeling of breaking human limits fascinated him.

"Can you master it?" Erniu asked, full of anticipation.

Shuhan was completely bewildered.

What does he mean, can he master it? Just because you throw a sword technique manual without a cultivation method at him, he should start practicing?

"It's a joke!"

"If he can master this, I'll tear up all my books when I get back!"

"If sword cultivation was that easy, why would I even read books?"

Shuhan shook his head irritably and walked to the side, sitting down to avoid the frustration.

Meanwhile, Su Changqing was no longer concerned with the outside world. He was fully immersed in the sword technique manual.

He occasionally waved his hands in the air, moved his feet in a disordered manner, and frequently looked up at the sky.

This bizarre way of practicing sword techniques almost made Shuhan laugh, but he shook his head helplessly.

What Shuhan didn't see was that Su Changqing's understanding was growing more and more profound.

After reading through the entire manual, he closed his eyes and mentally rehearsed for a long time. The image of practicing sword techniques in his mind sped up, with points of starlight flickering continuously.

When he opened his eyes again, Erniu immediately handed him a carved wooden sword.

Su Changqing took the sword as if he had practiced it countless times, stepping in the pattern of the Seven Stars, and the wooden sword danced like a snake.

"Hum!"

Instantly, points of starlight emerged from the wooden sword, and the sword technique fell like a storm.

Su Changqing's footwork was highly intricate, complementing his sword technique. As the sword moves overlapped, a strong wind surged around the area.

When the momentum of the sword reached its peak, Su Changqing moved with the sword and shouted, "Starlight!"

Swoosh!

As the sky darkened and the stars and moon began to appear, when Su Changqing delivered the final strike, dozens of stars emitted a bright glow, being invoked by the wooden sword.

Boom!

Dozens of starlights intertwined and fell from the sky.

A deafening explosion echoed, and the tree that the wooden sword pointed at was split in half.

Erniu was still in shock, but Shuhan had already sprung up from the ground.

He rubbed his eyes, looked up at the sky, and then down at the broken tree.

Then, he pointed at Su Changqing, who was bathed in starlight, and said in disbelief, trembling, "He... mastered it?"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end