Chapter 329: Chapter 177: Azure Sea’s Rising Tide
After lunch and a short rest, the courtyard in the White Tiger Position of the Zheng Martial Arts Hall began to liven up.
Shen Qingshuang was teaching Chen Cheng the Green Wave Sword Technique, and she had Mu Xiaowan join them to practice as well.
Meanwhile, Shen Qingyao sat at a stone table by the flowerbeds, leisurely sipping her tea while her maid, Xiaolan, stood dutifully by her side.
The mistress and her maid appeared to be at ease, but they were actually focused on Mu Xiaowan practicing her swordsmanship, only occasionally glancing over at Chen Cheng, who was not far off.
Chen Cheng stood under a large tree, a yellowed book in his hands. He was studying it intently, completely absorbed and oblivious to the world around him.
Normally, Shen Qingyao couldn’t be bothered to watch Shen Qingshuang practice her cultivation.
But she was extremely curious about Chen Cheng’s aptitude for learning swordsmanship.
She wanted to see if he could master the Green Wave Sword Technique as he had the Flame Sun Sword Skill—reaching the Perfect Level within a single hour.
Shen Qingshuang taught Mu Xiaowan the Green Wave Sword Technique by carefully demonstrating and explaining each and every move.
As for Chen Cheng, he had immediately asked to see the Cultivation Technique Manual, clearly intending to learn the Green Wave Sword Technique on his own, relying solely on the manual.
Trying to become proficient without a teacher was practically a taboo in the world of Cultivating Martial Dao. Displeased, Shen Qingshuang simply tossed the Secret Manual to him and let him study it on his own.
Shen Qingyao had mentioned that Chen Cheng’s aptitude was astonishingly high—he had mastered the Flame Sun Sword Skill to the level of Perfection in just an hour.
But the moves of the Green Wave Sword Technique were far more complex and refined than those of the Flame Sun Sword Skill.
Even heaven-defying prodigies with an aptitude for mastering multiple types of Sword Momentum would need ten to fifteen days of personal instruction from a master teacher to achieve Perfection.
For Chen Cheng to attempt to learn it on his own just by reading the Cultivation Technique Manual was, without a doubt, taking the hard way.
An idea formed in Shen Qingshuang’s mind. ’I’ll hold nothing back and teach Mu Xiaowan everything I know, helping her master the Green Wave Sword Technique to the Perfect Level as quickly as possible.’
’By then, Chen Cheng will probably still be poring over that Cultivation Technique Manual, completely stumped!’
’And I won’t be able to resist giving him a piece of my mind and teaching him the importance of respecting one’s teachers.’
The observant Shen Qingyao was clever enough to have already guessed Shen Qingshuang’s thoughts from her expression. In fact, Shen Qingyao had been thinking the exact same thing that morning.
But the facts had proven her wrong. She had to admit her own biases; Chen Cheng’s aptitude for learning swordsmanship was so high that even she couldn’t begin to compare.
Shen Qingyao lifted her White Jade Tea Cup and took a small sip. Her beautiful eyes darted back and forth between Shen Qingshuang and Chen Cheng, and she found the situation increasingly amusing.
’The Green Wave Sword Technique is much harder to learn,’ she thought. ’If Chen Cheng’s cultivation progress is slow, he’s probably in for a lecture from that girl, Qingshuang.’
’On the other hand, if Chen Cheng puts on another genius performance and opens Qingshuang’s eyes a bit, that would be wonderful too.’
’Either way, this is going to be very interesting. It’ll be worth enduring Qingshuang’s disdainful glares to watch the show!’
Mu Xiaowan already had an extremely high aptitude to begin with. Furthermore, having long since mastered the Phantom Sword Technique to the Perfect Level, she possessed a deep understanding of the Sword Dao.
By drawing on her existing knowledge, she not only mastered all the moves of the Green Wave Sword Technique in just half an hour, but she even integrated them, reaching the Great Success Level.
Teaching such a disciple on her first try as an instructor made Shen Qingshuang incredibly happy.
She even started to feel a bit smug, thinking that if she were to become an instructor at a Martial Arts Hall, she would surely become a famous one!
"Xiaowan, let’s take a break. We can have some tea to quench our thirst before we continue practicing."
Shen Qingshuang said with a smile, sheathing her longsword.
"Alright." Mu Xiaowan smiled back. She was always very serious when Cultivating Martial Dao, and a light sheen of sweat had already formed on her forehead.
The two of them went to the stone table and sat down for tea. Neither said a word; both looked toward Chen Cheng.
Mu Xiaowan was used to not disturbing Brother Cheng while he was in the middle of his cultivation.
As for Shen Qingshuang, she looked at Chen Cheng with a complicated expression. She had to admire his intense focus while studying the Secret Manual.
Yet, at the same time, she resented him for ignoring her, his supposed master teacher.
’Reading something a hundred times isn’t as good as practicing it once,’ she thought. ’Even if he reads that Secret Manual for an entire day, how could it possibly compare to a single hour of serious practice with a master teacher like me?’
Chen Cheng was so engrossed in the Secret Manual that he had no idea what everyone else was thinking.
Although both were types of Superior Swordsmanship, the Flame Sun Sword Skill and the Green Wave Sword Technique were vastly different.
The Flame Sun Sword Skill focused on mobilizing one’s own Primordial Yang Qi to perceive the Radiant Sun True Fire. All its movements were grand and sweeping, swift and decisive.
Among Perfect Level Sword Skills, it was relatively unremarkable. Only by cultivating the Flame Sun Sword Stance could one truly unleash the power of this Superior Swordsmanship.
And among types of Superior Swordsmanship, the Flame Sun Sword Stance was considered a very powerful Sword Momentum.
After all, once the Flame Sun Sword Stance was unleashed, every move carried the searing power of crimson flames, and few could stand against it.
The Green Wave Sword Technique, in contrast, was more systematic. Its movements followed a strict, progressive structure, building upon each other layer by layer.
From the Beginner Level, to Small Success, Great Success, and all the way to Perfection, it was consistently powerful. The resulting Green Wave Sword Stance was like a surging, unending tide, its power undeniably impressive.
The Fundamental Diagram of the Green Wave Sword Technique depicted a boundless, jade-green ocean. At first glance, it appeared calm, heavy, and bottomless.
Upon closer inspection, however, one would discover turbulent undercurrents beneath the calm surface, capable of birthing monstrous waves and countless tides at any moment, threatening to suffocate the observer.
And if one perceived it more deeply still, one would find a figure in a Daoist Robe holding a sword, so small as to be almost invisible, within that vast ocean.
No matter how vast the ocean, no matter how immense and deep the jade sea, the figure remained firm and unmoving.
With but a single thought, he could command the tides of this jade sea to rise and fall as he wished.
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