Chapter 135: 绕剑式

The Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace appeared before the Grand Academy Hall and smiled, "Grand Libationer, I shall now presume."

Fu Yuanqing followed behind him, glancing around and frowning slightly, "Which one is my junior martial brother?"

Qin Mu had cured the Empress Dowager of the Thousand Mechanism Poison, and Fu Yuanqing had seen Qin Mu's face through his insect-like eyes. However, there were too many people present, and he couldn't immediately locate Qin Mu.

The young Grand Master smiled, "You used to serve as a supervisor at the Imperial Academy from time to time, lecturing to the scholars. Your recent absence doesn't count as overstepping. Please."

The Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace walked to the steps, surveying the crowd, and declared, "The Grand Libationer's kind invitation is hard to decline. Today, I will lecture on swordsmanship for only two days, nothing else."

Libationer Ba Shan quietly muttered, "Isn't it supposed to be three days?"

The young Grand Master shot him a look. "The Dao Sect blocked the entrance to my Grand Academy for only three days. Half a day has already passed. If the Imperial Preceptor lectures for three days, the chance will be long gone."

Libationer Ba Shan sighed. "It's a pity that the Imperial Preceptor, after such difficulty, can't lecture for more than two days... For the Imperial Preceptor to personally lecture is as rare as the Tathagata expounding scriptures at the Great Thunderclap Temple, the Dao Master of the Dao Sect imparting their methods, or the Cult Master of the Heavenly Devil Cult bestowing their teachings."

The Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace slowly descended the steps, leisurely stating, "What is a sword? Is it confined to a fixed form and nature? I strongly disagree. Some claim a sword has myriad techniques, while others argue it possesses only fourteen fundamental moves: thrust, pick, cloud, chop, cleave, point, collapse, hang, scoop, wipe, sweep, parry, intercept, and flower. This is a fallacy!"

As he descended, the numerous scholars below instantly felt an immense pressure, as if an incomparably sharp sword hung suspended above their heads, poised to strike. That unparalleled aura seemed capable of tearing apart their bodies, their spirit embryos, their consciousness, and their souls!

"If the sword is confined, it ceases to be the Dao. The Great Dao is boundless; how could it be limited to merely fourteen moves?"

He descended step by step, the pressure intensifying with each stride, yet his voice remained calm. Suddenly, his voice pierced everyone's eardrums like sharp swords: "Why can't a sword be sound? Why can't a sword be light? Why can't it be color? Why can't it be vital qi? Why can't it be a mere gaze?"

His gaze swept across the faces of the scholars below. Many instinctively drew their swords and positioned them to block, yet they found themselves parrying nothing at all, breaking out in cold sweat from the shock.

The Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace smiled faintly, "So, it seems the sword is still limited to just fourteen moves?"

Cold sweat beaded on Qin Mu's forehead, as he truly grasped the formidable power of the Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace.

The village chief had taught him the fourteen most fundamental sword techniques, which Qin Mu had internalized by conceptualizing them as numerical sequences, allowing him to replicate any move after seeing it just once. At the time, Qin Mu believed this represented the pinnacle of swordsmanship.

Now, however, the Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace was clearly innovating upon traditional swordsmanship, developing it in novel ways.

His expansive thinking had led him to create fundamental sword forms beyond the original fourteen.

"Truly extraordinary achievements. No wonder he is considered the foremost person below the gods."

Qin Mu was filled with admiration. The Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace's thinking was remarkably advanced – perhaps not just advanced, but actively propelling the era forward, advancing divine arts and Dao methods, and driving the people of this age forward!

"Therefore, building upon the fourteen fundamental sword techniques, I have developed several new moves. Over these two days, I will teach you these most basic sword techniques, and no others."

The Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace stopped, his smile fading, and his expression became solemn. "But before that, I want you to forget the very form of a sword. A sword can be light, it can be sound, it can be color, it can be a gaze. Therefore, a sword requires no fixed shape. It can be long or short, rigid or pliable, and can attack from any angle. Once you can truly forget the form of a sword, you can begin to learn my sword techniques. My first technique is 'Coil'."

With a flick of his fingertip, countless fine strands of vital qi, resembling sword light, surged forth, coalescing into a sword pillar that thrust forward. "This is 'Coil'!"

This was a technique from the Grand Six Harmonies Sword Art. Although it appeared to be a simple thrust, the sword pillar was actually composed of countless interwoven streams of sword light, constantly flowing and shifting positions!

Qin Mu had previously witnessed a similar swordsmanship from Qu Ping, though Qu Ping's execution had been a cleave.

Both the 'thrust' and 'cleave' appeared to be fundamental sword moves, but their underlying internal structure was the Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace's 'Coil' sword form.

The 'Coil' sword form differed from the 'Entwine' sword form among the fourteen fundamental techniques. 'Entwine' involved using force from the hilt to entangle the opponent's weapon, whereas 'Coil' focused on gathering power to unleash a devastating strike.

The most significant difference between the Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace's 'Coil' sword form and Qu Ping's execution was that each individual sword within his sword pillar underwent unique changes, whereas Qu Ping's control resulted in identical changes for each sword, which is why Daoist Lin Xuan defeated him by using a whisk as a sword.

Had it been the Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace, he would have been more than capable of blocking Daoist Lin Xuan's whisk.

Furthermore, to Qin Mu, the Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace's strike appeared as a unified whole.

His sword pillar was composed of countless streams of sword light, each an individual entity. Yet, when he unleashed his strike, it functioned as a cohesive whole. To break this move, one would need to overpower the entire sword pillar's force during confrontation before having any chance of disrupting its individual sword lights.

The methods Daoist Lin Xuan used against Qu Ping would be utterly ineffective against the Imperial Preceptor!

"The Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace's foundation is as solid as mine, even more so than Daoist Lin Xuan's!"

Qin Mu was astonished. How could such a being exist?

He was practically a celestial god!

On the steps, the Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace meticulously explained the intricacies of power generation for the 'Coil' sword form. His detailed instruction made Qin Mu feel as if the village chief himself were teaching him swordsmanship.

The 'Coil' sword form was an extension of fundamental swordsmanship. Given Qin Mu's already incredibly solid grasp of the fourteen basic sword techniques and the village chief's tutelage, he found learning this 'Coil' technique remarkably easy. He understood it instantly, grasping every concept clearly, listening with rapt attention.

But this ease was unique to him. The other listeners struggled to comprehend the Imperial Preceptor's explanations. Some opted not to ponder but instead diligently commit the words to memory. Others used their vital qi to control brushes, rapidly transcribing the Imperial Preceptor's words with the intention of slowly deciphering them later.

After all, only a few could immediately understand and thoroughly grasp the teachings; most wore bewildered expressions.

After concluding his explanation of the 'Coil' sword form, the Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace announced, "Scholars, you may now attempt to perform it."

The numerous supervisors of the Imperial Academy, Secretarial Bureau, and libationers all perked up. They, too, had been listening intently, but now they had to refocus their attention on the more than a thousand scholars below.

The Imperial Preceptor's request for them to practice was actually a way to identify any outstanding individuals among them. Those with strong comprehension would undoubtedly be chosen to prepare for a duel with Daoist Lin Xuan in two days.

Before the Grand Academy Hall, scholars began their clumsy attempts, trying to transform their vital qi into sword qi to execute the 'Coil' technique. Some lost control, their vital qi scattering and shooting in various directions, almost injuring nearby scholars and causing a minor commotion.

Others managed to gather their vital qi into a sword pillar, but when attempting to make the sword qi rotate concentrically, it stubbornly refused to move, remaining rigidly straight.

Many practitioners of divine arts had already learned the Grand Six Harmonies Sword Art, which was taught at the Grand Academy and originally created by the Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace. Consequently, those who had studied it performed the technique with noticeable proficiency.

A handful of individuals received direct guidance from the Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace, and their swordsmanship advanced considerably. While they didn't fully grasp the profound essence of the 'Coil' sword form, its power was significantly enhanced compared to their previous attempts.

A few exceptionally intelligent individuals, despite not having previously learned the 'Coil' sword form, managed to discern some of its profound mysteries after receiving guidance. They were able to project the sword pillar, and although their technique's variations remained somewhat obscure, it became more fluid with each attempt.

Qin Mu was also attempting the 'Coil' sword form, but he quickly furrowed his brow, staring blankly at his "vital qi threads."

Other people's vital qi was as fine as hair, so when they manifested a sword pillar, it was composed of incredibly delicate sword qi. But his vital qi strands were as thick as an arm. How could he possibly perform the 'Coil' sword form with such thick "vital qi strands"?

How thick would the resulting sword pillar be?

The young man shook his head. A sword pillar of that thickness wouldn't be a pillar; it would be a veritable sword peak!

A mountain peak made of sword qi thrusting forward?

"While my vital qi is abundant, it's not so vast that I can conjure a sword peak like that."

Beside Qin Mu, even the little fox was diligently mimicking the 'Coil' sword form. Wei Yong, Yun Que, and others were already experimenting with rotating their sword qi. Ling Yuxiu and Shen Wanyun made the quickest progress, yet Qin Mu alone remained lost in thought.

A moment later, Qin Mu attempted to release an arm-thick "vital qi strand," musing, "Since this isn't working, perhaps I can use the 'Coil' sword form to refine my vital qi strands?"

He acted on the thought, immediately and enthusiastically attempting to refine his vital qi strands using the method taught by the Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace.

His vital qi was remarkably robust and exceedingly pure, making it challenging to refine into fine threads. This was especially true after cultivating the Dan Heart Art, which had made his vital qi even more refined.

No one in the village had ever taught him how to refine qi into threads, as the village chief, the master of swordsmanship, had only taught him one sword technique consisting of fourteen forms, leaving everything else untouched and allowing Qin Mu's "vital qi strands" to develop unhindered.

This time, a flash of inspiration struck Qin Mu: he felt certain that using the 'Coil' sword form to refine his vital qi into threads would yield results.

The 'Coil' sword form imparted by the Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace was indeed remarkably ingenious, and Qin Mu quickly grasped its secret, his face lighting up with delight.

Before the Grand Academy Hall, the young Grand Master's gaze fell upon Qin Mu, and he couldn't help but frown slightly. "What is that rascal doing fiddling with a rod instead of learning swordsmanship?"

Not far away, Shen Wanyun noticed Qin Mu's vital qi "rod" and smiled. "Although he is powerful, his comprehension is mediocre, far inferior to mine!"

Just then, Qin Mu suddenly erupted in a joyous, booming laugh that echoed throughout the hall. "It's done! It's finally done! Heaven has eyes! I've finally managed to refine vital qi into threads!"