Chapter 23 Awakened Arts <TOC> Chapter 25 Hunting
Translator: SumTLMan
“It’s said that when faced with an opponent, one should be like being in a dream, suddenly waking up with a realization, like a spark igniting on the skin, like shivers running through the bones. You must have heard this line before,” Li Mei sheathed her sword. She had noticed that Li Mu was solid in his basic techniques, but lacked guidance on how to utilize what he had learned.
“I can’t teach you advanced sword techniques because they are easily recognizable, but I can impart to you the principles of martial arts. The differences in advanced techniques are just variations in how one channels their spiritual energy.”
Different schools of advanced martial arts usually have a distinct style, easily recognizable by those knowledgeable in the field. However, the principles are similar and not easily discernible.
“When facing an opponent, it’s like being burned by fire, doused with cold water. You should either attack or dodge without hesitation. A moment’s delay could mean the difference between life and death. This is the key to mastering the coordination of mind, intention, breath, and strength.”
Li Mu rummaged through his memories and remembered that his father in his previous life had asked him to memorize this line.
“So how do I do it?” he asked, somewhat puzzled.
“It’s simple, just get beaten up a lot. In the end, martial arts are skills developed through practice, through sparring with others. The more you get beaten up, the more you’ll understand how to fight. You’re still far from that level. Let’s see what you can do, show me a few moves.”
Li Mei spoke and thumbed the hilt of her sword, sending a section of it flying out. This was how she had come to be. Learning martial arts and swordplay involved constantly sparring with others, through fighting and being fought, to understand the principles in the teachings.
Within six months, there was no one in the new town who could match her in swordplay.
She believed that Li Mu was a prodigy and would also be able to achieve this.
“Draw your sword. In the end, martial arts are just basics for beginners. When facing an opponent, one should use a weapon.”
Li Mu placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. The ring sword in his hand was similar in shape to the swallow-tailed sword, but with a long hilt that could be wielded with both hands, a straight blade, a curved tip, and a sharp edge on both sides.
“I’m ready,” Li Mei said as she pulled out her sword, her back slightly arched, her spine resembling a bow fully drawn. With a step forward, she swung her long sword towards Li Mu’s foot.
The dazzling cold light made Li Mu jump in surprise and hurry to lower his blade.
But he didn’t expect that Li Mei only pointed down and struck, with the sword slanted vertically, the sharp sword tip tapping on Li Mu’s jaw, causing a rash of chicken skin.
“You were slow. If it were a real battle, your head would have been pierced by me.”
Li Mei withdrew after she sheathed her sword.
“Come again!”
A feeling of dissatisfaction rose in Li Mu’s heart, he regrouped and held the knife with both hands, chopping down.
His nimble knife was chopped out with the sound of a large knife.
Li Mei stepped back, easily dodging the knife, and swung her long sword to build up momentum. Then she used the sword ridge to tap on the back of the goose feather knife.
With a light hum, the knife was directly swung away. Taking advantage of Li Mu’s loss of knife skills, Li Mei took a step, avoiding the blue and entering the red, stepped forward and straightened her sword, lightly tapping it on Li Mu’s chest.
“You should have learned this sword technique.”
Li Mei stepped back two steps and sheathed her sword.
“This is Wudang Sword.”
Li Mu recognized the sword technique used by Li Mei.
“What is the key to Wudang Sword?”
“Operate the sword with the body, move like a dragon, the sword moves like lightning, the sword god is one, the intention arrives, the spirit arrives, the sword arrives, the force runs through the sword tip, the energy penetrates the sword end; enter and exit with vertical energy, use the sword like a gun.”
“Then the few chops you randomly chopped just now, did you use body techniques? What’s the difference between sword techniques and knife techniques?”
There was still a sense of majesty on Li Mei’s chubby baby face.
Li Mu, feeling a little frustrated, sheathed his knife.
“How can the strength of wrist striking compare to the power generated from the waist and abdomen, and how can the power generated from the waist and abdomen compare to the power generated from the steps, transfer the power, and then penetrate the sword ridge with force? Once you understand this principle, you can grasp the main vein of sword and knife techniques and barely be considered able to use them.”
As Li Mei spoke, she sliced a piece of fish meat from the grilled fish, and after some activity, her stomach finally emptied out a little.
“Digest what I taught you first, then come back and practice later.”
Li Mu remembered Li Mei’s moves that defeated him, gesturing with the ring sword in his hand and thinking about how he should respond.
In the past, the enemies he faced, whether they were zombies or Yue Zhe, were all solved with one sword, and he thought he was a master until he fought with Li Mei and realized how far he was from being one.
This not only didn’t demoralize him, but instead ignited his competitive spirit and sparked the wildness in him.
“Again!”
After only two moves, Li Mu was once again defeated and lying on the ground.
He sat directly on the ground and thought deeply, then practiced his steps again.
“Again!”
But this time he was defeated even faster, with Li Mei thrusting her sword and holding him in check.
Li Mu was not discouraged and after each defeat, he would summarize how he failed and how to avoid it next time.
Even after they fought for an afternoon, Li Mu still couldn’t endure five moves. Li Mei’s sword technique was simply too terrifying, and with one sword, she could penetrate the flaws in his sword technique and hit every time, making him confused and defeated.
Although Li Mei won easily, she was also sweating, and her clothes were all soaked through. Her cheeks were red and her hair was sticky to her face, making her look even more disheveled than Li Mu.
Although she was highly skilled with the sword, she did not master the psychic energy of the strengthening system, so her physical strength and power were much worse than Li Mu’s now. By relying on her highly skilled sword technique, she was able to easily suppress Li Mu.
She casually threw her sword and it stuck into the ground, stretching out a lazy waist.
“No more, no more, I’m exhausted.”
At low levels, it is best not to cultivate too many psychic bias to avoid being scattered and inefficient. Because low-level awakeners already have limited psychic energy, they cannot support prolonged consumption. Even if they learn many psychic skills, they cannot use them.
Li Mei’s psychic bias is manifestation, and manifestation awakeners are most suitable for cultivating both mental and control bias. Her favorite enhancement bias can only be cultivated after she is promoted to the fourth level.
Even though she is talented and quickly mastered the mental and control bias, she still only dabbled and devoted more energy to the manifestation bias. The mental and control bias are only auxiliary, and manifestation is her main means of combat.
There was only a thin layer of sweat on Li Mu’s body. Although he trained in psychic energy for a short time, with the assistance of Shock and Gluttonous Stomach, he had superhuman physical strength.