Chapter 35: Three No-Training

The crisp, pleasant rustle of turning pages.

However, Li Feiyu found this sound quite irritating.

Ignoring Han Li, who was engrossed in his studies, he walked back to the edge of the pond, pulled the long saber from the mud, and began practicing on his own.

Han Li cast a sidelong glance at him, and seeing his boundless energy, he decided to ignore Li Feiyu's actions and refocus on the book in his hands.

Han Li's astonishing reading speed, often described as "reading ten lines at a glance," meant a thick book was quickly scanned. With his head still bowed, he would instinctively grab another book and continue flipping through the pages without even looking up.

His eyes squinted as he read, occasionally revealing a thoughtful expression. His gaze remained glued to the pages, unwilling to stray for a moment, and his head swayed back and forth with his eyes, much like a scholar immersed in study.

Time flew by, and one by one, the "Blink Sword Manuals" were swiftly skimmed by Han Li.

When Han Li finished the eleventh manual, he abruptly stopped his remarkable reading spree. The recently finished manual was tossed back into his pack.

He closed his eyes to rest and clear his mind.

Once his mind felt somewhat refreshed, he sat cross-legged and began to practice the Evergreen Skill, replaying the contents of the dozen or so books he had just read in his mind.

Soon, various emotions flitted across Han Li's face: at times he was excited, at others he frowned in deep thought, and occasionally he grimaced in frustration.

After an unknown amount of time, Han Li finally opened his eyes, only to be startled by what he saw.

Li Feiyu's face was suddenly right in front of his, so close their noses almost touched.

"What are you doing? Weren't you practicing your saber technique?"

"Junior Brother Han, do you even know what time it is? How can you ask such a silly question?" Li Feiyu pulled back, pouting.

Only then did Han Li realize the surrounding light had grown dim.

He looked up at the sky; it had turned a hazy gray, indicating that evening had arrived.

"Oh! Time really flies. I didn't even notice how much time had passed."

Han Li stood up and stretched his limbs.

"Well, did you find anything interesting in those books?" Li Feiyu asked, gazing at him eagerly, hoping to hear the final outcome.

"Hmm, not bad. It suits me well."

"What do you mean, 'not bad'?" Li Feiyu said, slightly displeased. "Tell me something more specific."

"Specifically," Han Li slowly explained, "these manuals are a hodgepodge, nothing complete, just bits and pieces patched together."

"So what about the Blink Sword Technique? Does it really exist? And why does it have such a strange name?" Li Feiyu was still not satisfied and pressed on with his questions.

"The Blink Sword Technique does indeed exist," Han Li patiently replied, "but it's only a small part of this hodgepodge of manuals."

"As for why it's called that, there's a good reason."

"What reason?" Li Feiyu glared at Han Li, unable to tolerate his slow pace. "Can't you just say it all at once? Don't keep spewing it out one sentence at a time, like the old scholar in our town!"

Han Li realized he had no choice but to pick up the pace of his explanation.

"According to the books," Han Li explained, "this sword technique exploits various light conditions and human visual errors to defeat opponents. It often leads to someone losing their life in the blink of an eye, hence the name."

"There's such a bizarre sword technique? The world truly has many eccentric people!" Li Feiyu was greatly interested upon hearing this, but his enthusiasm quickly waned with Han Li's next sentence.

"However," Han Li continued, "there are three conditions for practicing this sword technique: it cannot be practiced by those with even a small amount of internal energy; it cannot be practiced by those without great perseverance; and it cannot be practiced by those without natural talent."

Upon hearing the first condition, Li Feiyu immediately gave up any thoughts of learning it. His internal energy had already reached a considerable level, and he couldn't possibly abandon his cultivated skill just to learn a technique whose true power was still unknown.

With Li Feiyu having completely lost interest in the manuals, he no longer wished to stay.

He stood up to leave, but before departing, he instructed Han Li to copy the manuals as quickly as possible. He would take the originals back during their next meeting. He reminded Han Li that while these manuals weren't highly valued by others, such a large collection going missing for too long would surely attract unwanted attention.

Soon after Li Feiyu left, Han Li also departed from the area.

The entire mountain range was shrouded in a thin layer of mist, making it appear somewhat dim. Dense coniferous forests grew on both sides of the narrow mountain path. A gust of mountain wind rustled through the trees, making the branches on either side sway menacingly.

Han Li hurried along the eerie mountain path, heading towards Divine Hand Valley.

As he had started his journey quite late, darkness completely enveloped the sky by the time he reached halfway.

If not for his Evergreen Skill, which paradoxically sharpened his vision in the dark, Han Li would never have traveled in such dim conditions. The path was treacherous, winding with numerous sharp turns and dangerous spots, where a single misstep could easily lead to an accident and cost him his life.