"Listen closely, there's a difference between swinging a knife, and actually using a knife. The common denominator being the techniques, but behind every technique are steps to follow to ensure maximum results. Hence, that's why breathing techniques were created." He unsheathed the knife.
"There's a difference in striking when a proper breathing technique is added, than when you strike so casually."
"Watch closely, for this is a technique so basic, but when used in the hands of a true Murim master, can be deadly. The basic knife technique."
The middle-aged man took a steady step forward, planting his foot firmly on the ground as if to anchor himself. His arms tightened, elbows tucked in close to his sides to gather strength.
For a brief moment, he drew in a slow and steady breath and closed his eyes, his body aligning with the motion he was about to make. Then, almost immediately, his eyes shot open, and with a burst of force, he drove the knife forward in a strong thrust, the strike sharp and direct.
At first, it felt like nothing to Li Yao than just a normal stab. Then, the air around him felt uneasy, almost like it was twisting upon himself.
The man's thrust was so sharp and full of strength that it created a sudden burst of force in front of him. The air itself split apart, rushing forward in a powerful wave. It slammed against a tree nearby, shaking its roots and snapping its trunk in half. With a loud crack, the tree toppled over.
Li Yao's eyes widened in shock, his breath caught in his throat. For a moment, he simply couldn't believe what he had just seen.
'Impossible...' He thought.
To him, it was nothing more than a basic strike, a simple knife technique as the cultivators would call it. Yet the force behind it was strong enough to topple a tree without the blade even touching it. The sight left him stunned, questioning if such power could really come from something so simple.
The middle-aged man let out a soft chuckle, clearly amused. The look on Li Yao's face said it all, his wide eyes and disbelief written all over him. It only proved the man's point. If Li Yao was this shaken by a mere basic knife technique, then he was far from ready to face the trials of the Demonic Cult Academy.
"Like I told you kid, even a simple knife technique is deadly when used in the hands of a murim master. Well, think you could do it?"
The middle-aged man sheathed the blade with a smooth and slow motion, then tossed it at Li Yao. Without hesitation, Li Yao caught it, and gave a small nod, as though bracing himself, then slowly rose to his feet.
Turning his gaze toward a nearby tree, he positioned himself, ready to attempt the technique he had just witnessed.
He took a deep breath, then planted his foot firmly in the ground just as the middle-aged man did. He had a good memory, shaped by a lifetime under the influence of the heavenly pearl, so he remembered every single detail of the middle-aged man's movement.
In martial arts, every step was critical.
Just like the middle-aged man portrayed, his arms tightened, elbows tucked in close to his sides to gather strength.
For a brief moment, he drew in a slow and steady breath and closed his eyes, his body aligning with the motion he was about to make. Then, almost immediately, his eyes shot open, and with a burst of force, he drove the knife forward in a strong thrust, the strike sharp and direct.
But nothing happened. The tree stood untouched, the air around him calm and still. Not even the ground beneath his feet bore a single mark of his effort, no footprint, no trace that he had even moved at all.
"Hmph." The middle-aged man scoffed.
"If this is all you can do, then it's best you get going kid, don't even think about taking the cult's exams."
The middle-aged man turned around and began walking back toward his cottage, his hands folded calmly behind his back. At first glance, Li Yao's determination was admirable, so much so that it was the very reason he had chosen to take him as a student in the first place.
But now? He discovered that Li Yao had no talent at all. To make matters worse, every cultivator worth the name already understood the basic principles behind even the simplest techniques, but Li Yao did not.
That made this lesson feel utterly pointless, almost like trying to draw water from an empty well.
'What happened...' Li Yao thought. He replicated the old man's movements with frightening precision, each step and motion flowing so naturally that it seemed to go beyond mere perfection.
So why?
Then, his eyes twitched slightly as a sudden realization struck him, one that made a smile curl up the side of his lips.
"Of course...." He chuckled slightly.
He closed his eyes and drew in a long, steady breath, letting it fill his lungs before slowly exhaling.
After a few seconds, his eyes snapped open. He planted his feet firmly into the ground, steadied his stance and once again replicated the man's movement, then thrusted the blade forward with a precise strike.
Just like the middle-aged man, Li Yao's thrust was so sharp and full of strength that it created a sudden burst of force in front of him.
The air itself split apart, rushing forward in a powerful wave. But this time, it slammed against nearby, shaking their roots and snapping its trunk in half. With a loud crack, they all toppled over.
The sudden crashing noise caught the middle-aged man's attention, and he turned around immediately. His eyes went wide in horror at the sight before him. Not just one tree, but several trees were falling to the ground at once, their trunks split and broken apart as though struck by a force far beyond what he had shown.
"I—Impossible!"
Li Yao stood firmly in place, sliding the blade back into its sheath with a calm, steady motion. His face remained completely blank, showing no signs of joy or pride that he was able to master the basic knife technique.
'It's simple. Just like in my previous world, the way of the sword was more complex than you can imagine. It required immense focus, skills carefully polished over years of vigorous training. But a mage's techniques couldn't be completed without the use of magic. That was precisely what I was lacking in the first attempt, Qi."
The difference between the middle-aged man and Li Yao at the first attempt was, he never imbued any Qi.
For the basic knife technique, even the slightest touch of Qi from a Murim master was said to make it deadly. Yet, because Li Yao had not fully grasped the true concept of Qi, his strike should have been nothing more than ordinary.
Only the 0.0001% used was all he could muster at his current level.
"Thank you for your lessons, I'll be on my way now." Li Yao handed the sheathed knife back to the middle-aged man, then turned around and walked away without another word. The academy entrance exams were drawing near, and he knew he had to leave early if he wanted to make it in time.
The middle-aged man kept his eyes locked on the fallen trees.
'Impossible... He did this much damage with only the basic knife technique?' The middle-aged man turned to face Li Yao as he walked away, then he focused his gaze on him.
Then the next moment, his eyes widened once again.
"I—It can't be!" At first, he assumed the fallen trees were the result of Li Yao recklessly pouring more Qi into the blade than necessary. But he barely sensed any Qi from the boy at all, almost as if the strike had been born from something deeper, something that defied normal cultivation.
"Hm?" Li Yao turned around as he heard the man's voice. "Is there any problem?"
'This kid... To be able to cause this much damage with such tiny Qi... He must possess an affinity for martial arts more than anyone I've ever seen... I wonder...'
"Yes." The middle-aged man cleared his throat, snapping out of his thoughts. "That was impressive kid, but the basic knife technique can only get you do far in the demonic cult academy."
"I know, but it's not like I have a choice."
"What if you did?" The man's question froze in the air as Li Yao's brows jerked.
"What do you mean?"
"Kid... Would you like to learn the 3 Saber forms?"