Chapter 327: Chapter 176: Flowery Sword Dance
She tightened her grip on the Cold Iron Longsword, its faint chill dispelling the romantic notions in her mind. Shen Qingyao’s slightly hazy eyes regained their clarity.
She was ashamed of having such thoughts and terrified that Chen Cheng might notice her expression.
However, Chen Cheng clearly hadn’t noticed her strange behavior. The man was still completely engrossed in fiddling with the three-foot-long cyan blade in his hands.
This Longsword was made of Profound Gold, with a tiny bit of extremely precious Fire-attribute Flame Crystal Ore added, and was personally forged by the Shen Family’s Artifact Refining Master.
Shen Qingyao had originally set it aside for her own future Cultivation of the Flame Sun Sword Skill, but now Chen Cheng was the one to benefit.
Whether to wield a sword or a saber—that was the question on Chen Cheng’s mind.
Accustomed to wielding a Long Saber, Chen Cheng had long since developed muscle memory. For a moment, the sword felt unfamiliar and awkward in his grip.
It was like a three-year-old toddler, used to wearing open-crotch pants. Whenever he felt the urge, he’d naturally spread his legs and let it flow, smooth as can be.
But if he suddenly wasn’t wearing them anymore, he’d have to unbuckle his pants and fumble around for ages. By the time he finally got it out, he might have already dribbled a little...
Fortunately, Chen Cheng was no three-year-old toddler. He already possessed a profound mastery of Outer Sect Cultivation Techniques.
After fiddling with it for a while, he gradually got a feel for the Flame Crystal Profound Gold Sword.
It was a little over three feet long, slightly shorter than Chen Cheng’s Profound Gold Long Saber. It weighed fifty-seven jin, also making it a bit lighter than the Long Saber.
The Sword Techniques were also more precise: thrusting, cleaving, tapping, parrying, lifting, slicing...
Ultimately, all techniques followed the same core principles. And when it came to the path of weaponry, Chen Cheng was, for the most part, a master of those principles!
His body began to move slowly. The Longsword in his hand twisted and turned, executing a flourish. The feeling was just like when he had first started cultivating the Wind Chasing Saber Technique.
’Practicing swordsmanship starts with fancy flourishes!’
’That guy Chen Cheng... who on earth practices Swordsmanship like this?’
Shen Qingyao frowned as she watched from the side. She was tempted to scold him, but seeing how engrossed he was, she held her tongue so as not to disturb him.
’Novices are always a bit headstrong at first. Only when they hit a wall and can’t figure something out will they remember to humbly ask an old master for guidance.’
And she, Shen Qingyao, this "old master," was just waiting. She imagined Chen Cheng’s brow furrowing in thought, his failure to grasp the technique, and then his humble, polite request for her guidance. It would all happen as a matter of course.
The image of that wild, untamable novice Swordsman humbly asking for her help brought a faint smile to Shen Qingyao’s lips.
’Hmph... Looks like I, Shen Qingyao, will have to reluctantly play the part of a patient Martial Arts Hall Instructor this one time. How amusing!’
Under the autumn sun, the smile on Shen Qingyao’s exquisitely beautiful face was radiant.
In her eyes, Chen Cheng’s swordsmanship was simply too slow. It was, to be frank, pathetic.
At first, Chen Cheng’s movements were indeed very slow. He would even pause awkwardly from time to time, and only continue after a moment of thought.
It was like being used to open-crotch pants, and just as you’re about to let loose, you realize you haven’t unbuckled your waistband and have to make an emergency stop.
After a bit of fumbling, you unbuckle it and continue.
Then the next time, you realize you’ve forgotten again, and the cycle repeats...
But there are always differences between people. Some, even at the age of ten, still have to wear open-crotch pants because they can’t get used to anything else.
While others are flashing their junk at three, taming dragons and tigers at five, and learning to sweet-talk girls at seven...
When it came to cultivating Swordsmanship, Chen Cheng was the type of prodigy who could visit a brothel at age one, compose breathtaking poetry on the spot, and win a standing ovation from everyone present!
The Longsword in his hands moved slower and slower. In fact, each Sword Technique often took several breaths to fully execute.
But each technique possessed an exquisite, hidden subtlety.
As Chen Cheng practiced the Flame Sun Sword Skill move by move, the smile vanished from Shen Qingyao’s beautiful face.
In its place, her lovely eyes began to gleam. Her pretty, small mouth fell open, unconsciously forming an "O" shape.
The newer he was to something, the more seriously Chen Cheng took his Cultivation. His focus was absolute, and he unknowingly entered a state of selfless immersion, forgetting everything around him.
...
[Flame Sun Sword Skill Cultivation Progress increased.]
...
[Flame Sun Sword Skill Cultivation Progress increased.]
...
System notifications appeared from time to time.
The starting point for this particular Cultivation Technique was clearly extremely high; it began at the Great Success Level.
If Chen Cheng had stopped to check his status panel, he would have discovered that his Cultivation Progress in the Flame Sun Sword Skill was advancing by leaps and bounds.
[Skill: Flame Sun Sword Skill (Great Success 8890/10000)]
...
[Skill: Flame Sun Sword Skill (Great Success 9623/10000)]
...
Half an hour later, a sound like wind and thunder suddenly erupted in the courtyard. Chen Cheng’s movements were as agile as a dragon’s, the Longsword in his hand striking with heavy, fierce power and stirring up gusts of wind.
And these gusts of wind actually carried a faint, scorching power.
By now, Shen Qingyao was completely gobsmacked.
She could already tell that Chen Cheng’s Flame Sun Sword Skill had reached the Perfect Level!
He even seemed to be on the verge of comprehending the Flame Sun Sword Stance.
’How long has he been cultivating?’
If he had previously practiced other Swordsmanship, or even comprehended a Sword Momentum, or if he were already extremely familiar with the Flame Sun Sword Skill, this might have been understandable.
But she had seen it with her own eyes: just a short while ago, even his posture for holding a sword was awkward, and his Sword Techniques were an utter mess.
From a novice who could barely hold a sword to achieving Sword Technique Perfection in less than two hours.
Shen Qingyao considered her own aptitude to be exceptionally high, but even she could never have accomplished such a feat.
’This Chen Cheng... what kind of monster is he?’
Time slipped by as Shen Qingyao stared in utter disbelief. Two hours passed.
Chen Cheng lowered his Longsword, stopped his Cultivation, and summoned his status panel.
[Skill: Flame Sun Sword Skill (Perfection) (Flame Sun Sword Stance 355/100000)]
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