Chapter 423: Chapter 19 Hands-on Teaching
“Right two.”
“White Rainbow.”
“Left three.”
“Hundred Birds, followed by a backward jump, landing as the Pine of Frost.”
“Move straight on the right four… Stop! All directions!”
Yan Yu stood on the sidelines, continuously giving instructions through voice transmission, commanding non-stop.
...
Tang Xiaolian, like a puppet on strings, followed his commands to the letter, her swordplay and footwork meticulous… Although she was in the midst of the Sword Array, repeatedly falling into danger, she kept turning peril into safety, the subtleties of which she couldn’t comprehend at all.
Of course, more than understanding “how she could turn peril into safety,” she was even more puzzled by Yan Yu’s method of command, an entirely new and novel experience for her.
In the team, the vice-captain was responsible for tactical command, and each vice-captain’s commanding style differed. For example, Li Minghu and Ye Jun would issue direct tactical orders, such as “go entangle the enemy ahead,” but as for how to do it, that was up to you, a common habit among most vice-captains.
On top of that, Zhang Huaide’s command was a bit more detailed; while telling you to “go entangle the enemy ahead,” he would remind you to “use more gu arts to ensure the obstruction of sight,” “don’t let them have a chance to attack our team,” and so on, offering clearer tactical commands and explanations.
The one who took this approach to the extreme was Chen Lingyun, whose commands were extremely detailed and meticulous, reportedly precise to “how many meters to advance,” sparking heated debates in the cultivator community as to whether such micromanagement was necessary in commanding a team.
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At this moment, Yan Yu’s method of command was undoubtedly similar to Chen Lingyun’s… No, it was even more exaggerated than Vice-Captain Chen’s.
If Chen Lingyun’s command was like playing chess, then Yan Yu’s was like manipulating puppets, playing with puppets, with the attitude of “even if you’re a brainless fool, just understanding and following my orders is enough” kind of step-by-step teaching.
Dammit! Am I that stupid?
Inside, Tang Xiaolian felt unhappy but didn’t dare to complain out loud; instead, she continued to “dance to the voice,” seriously carrying out the tactical orders transmitted by Yan Yu.
Compared to Yan Yu’s distrust in her abilities, she had absolute, undoubted full trust in Yan Yu’s abilities. Even if there was a Flying Sword in front of her, if Yan Yu ordered her to crash into it, she would close her eyes in fright and then crash into it head-on.
Although she hated to admit it…
The feeling of not having to think was quite nice! Just do as told and nothing will go wrong, so relaxing~
“Sky Light Piercing Clouds,” Yan Yu suddenly said.
“Huh?” Tang Xiaolian was momentarily stunned and subconsciously executed a White Rainbow Across the Sky.
The Peach Blossom Tender Sword shot out, breaking most of the Sword Array’s lines, but still left a few that slipped through. It was too late to recall the Flying Sword to defend… Then they heard the female Sword Immortal suddenly say:
“Hit in the neck by a sword, out of the game.”
“Captain Yan!” Tang Xiaolian hurried over to Yan Yu’s side and complained, “What Sky Light Piercing Clouds? I don’t know that one!”
“Haven’t you learned it?” Yan Yu asked in surprise.
“I haven’t learned it!” Tang Xiaolian stressed.
“Didn’t we see it in the cave when we entered the Mysterious Realm? Isn’t it already depicted on the wall painting?” Yan Yu reminded her.
“But…” Tang Xiaolian lamented tearfully, “But I didn’t learn it.”
“Isn’t that the kind of thing you just get by looking at it?” Yan Yu was utterly puzzled.
Tang Xiaolian: ………
“Captain Yan.” She pretended to be pitiful and said with a wry smile, “I know you are a swordsmanship genius, but I’m not, okay? I’m just a clumsy girl with no talent for swordsmanship. I really can’t ‘learn any sword technique with just one glance.’ How about you teach me?”
“Alright, then.” Since she put it that way, Yan Yu looked embarrassed and slowly said, “In that case, I’ll just have to treat you like an idiot.”
You’re the idiot! Tang Xiaolian grumbled inwardly, but outwardly she seemed more obedient, all ears.
“When I first saw that wall painting, I was quite surprised; I thought some techniques were really eccentric.” Yan Yu looked again toward the Sword Immortal in white and said solemnly, “But now, after seeing the Liang Yi Dust Sword Array, I realize—those Sword Techniques were meant for extreme situations.”
“Exactly.” The female Sword Immortal sounded quite satisfied, “For instance, Sky Light Piercing Clouds is an advanced version of White Rainbow Across the Sky. It’s faster, more powerful, and also more difficult to execute.”
“If White Rainbow Across the Sky could fell an enemy, why would there be any need for Sky Light Piercing Clouds? The reason why most Sword Immortals think this way is because they severely lack the experience of fighting with unbeatable foes, and when they actually encounter such situations, they die too quickly to have time for regrets.”
“Sky Light Piercing Clouds, Sword Dividing Mountains and Seas… these Sword Techniques are designed to be used against formidable enemies, with some consuming True Yuan on a scale that can rival the Taoism Method. If you can’t master these Sword Techniques, you will definitely not be able to endure within the Liang Yi Microcosm Sword Array, even if it is an incomplete version of the array.”
“The problem is, I have already mastered those Sword Techniques,” Yan Yu said with a wry smile, “but it is she who needs to pass the test.”
“That’s not my problem,” the woman in white said with a laugh. “Figuring out how to cultivate and support your juniors is also an important aspect of being a Sword Immortal. Just treat it as an extra test for you.”
Yan Yu thought that he had no other choice at the moment, so he called Tang Xiaolian over and said:
“Although I can learn those Sword Techniques just by looking at them once, they might be a bit too difficult for you. If you were to learn them on your own, it could probably take as long as I need to rest and recover.”
“What should I do then?” Tang Xiaolian asked worriedly.
“Come here and stand with your back to me,” Yan Yu instructed.
Just as Tang Xiaolian turned around, Yan Yu suddenly embraced her from behind.
She instantly panicked, about to struggle, when suddenly she heard Yan Yu’s deep voice:
“Circulate Qi with Sword Control!”
His right hand pressed his fingers against Tang Xiaolian’s, impressing upon her the gesture of a Sword technique, while his left hand, formed into a sword finger, tapped several large acupoints on her abdomen, chest, shoulders, and right arm, sealing off these meridians with Runescript.
With several meridians sealed, completely unable to circulate Qi, there was only one path left for Qi circulation, leaving no other option.
Subconsciously following this sole path, Tang Xiaolian’s right hand went through a series of Sword techniques—more precisely, it was Yan Yu guiding her hand through the motions, ending with a grasp on her index and middle fingers, pulling them out to form a sword finger and thrusting forward forcefully.
Suddenly, the Peach Blossom Tender Sword transformed into a beam of light, shooting straight forward with a speed that was even faster than White Rainbow Across the Sky, and its sword light was even more majestic!
Sky Light Piercing Clouds!
“Like this,” Yan Yu asked. “Did you get it?”
“No!” Tang Xiaolian finally came to her senses, and with a mixture of shame and annoyance, she pushed him away and then wrapped her arms around herself in a fluster, saying, “Not at all!”
“Then there’s nothing that can be done,” Yan Yu said, stroking his chin, pondering. “Let’s leave for now. Once I’ve recovered, I can come back in and tackle this challenge on my own.”
Tang Xiaolian was silent for a moment, her expression wavering with hesitation and struggle.
Being touched and prodded by Yan Yu, she was certainly unwilling; yet, the idea of missing out on the treasure due to her pride was even more regrettable and difficult to accept.
Stepping back a moment, whether it was touching of hands or acupoint stimulation, on further consideration, it wasn’t that unacceptable.
After all, if one were to see a Chinese medicine practitioner, they would have to be subjected to pulse-taking and acupressure too… It’s not like we’re in some feudal era, and Captain Yan isn’t some inappropriate man, so being touched by him doesn’t seem to be a big issue.
Under the lure of the treasure and the trust she had in Yan Yu, Tang Xiaolian finally completed her self-deception and clarified:
“No, no! I was just a bit nervous just now and didn’t learn it in one go.”
She bit her lip and said with embarrassment:
“Let’s do it again!”
Yan Yu didn’t say much more, and once again embraced her from behind to guide her hands through the Sword technique.
“Did you get it this time?”
“Not yet…” Tang Xiaolian said, feeling somewhat ashamed.
She wasn’t annoyed this time, but still felt very embarrassed. Captain Yan’s hands were warm, and she had been so focused on the sensation of his touch that she hadn’t remembered how to perform the sword gestures at all.
“Then I’ll teach it again… You wouldn’t be deliberately making me do this a few more times, would you?” Yan Yu suddenly asked with suspicion.
“Pfft, absolutely not!” Tang Xiaolian immediately reacted as if she were a cat whose tail had been stepped on, jumping up at once, “Teach it again! This time I’ll definitely learn it in one go!”