Hearing these words, Mu Yun focused his mind and nodded solemnly.
Then, holding his breath and concentrating, he opened the book. His eyes fell upon the text, reading word by word, his expression gradually turning serious…
"I have divided the world's blade techniques into seven forms. They are: Thrust, Stab, Chop, Cleave, Sweep, Upward Slice, and Push."
"Each form surpasses the previous one in power, yet each is also increasingly difficult to master."
The pages were slightly yellowed, the handwriting bold and forceful, as if an invisible blade were pressing to break through the paper.
Mu Yun opened the first page. Aside from the creator's name, this was the general outline of the Seven Forms of the Blade. As his eyes swept over it, his mind shook, as if he could feel a sharp, oppressive blade intent leaping from between the lines.
Taking a deep breath, he turned to the second page.
"Thrust Form – Thrust like a ghostly apparition, shield like a phantom shadow, aim straight for the throat, heart, kidneys, and lungs!"
A single line, yet it felt like blade energy tearing through the air, cold with killing intent!
Mu Yun's eyes narrowed, a chill running down his spine.
"This Thrust Form emphasizes speed, ruthlessness, and precision. It is a technique for instantly killing an enemy. Once you strike, it is a fight to the death!"
He pondered for a moment, thinking to himself: "If I master this, a single thrust through the wind will be unstoppable…"
He silently memorized the core method and turned to the next page.
"Stab Form – The blade dances with the heart, light as a gentle breeze. Touch and withdraw, and blood must appear!"
These few words made Mu Yun's mind tremble!
He lowered his head in thought, frowning slightly.
"Stab and thrust may seem similar, but they are fundamentally different… The Thrust Form moves the body with the blade, focusing on elusive footwork, while the Stab Form follows the heart with the blade, excelling in speed and power. Touch and withdraw, killing without a trace!"
At that thought, the image of the silver-armored youth thrusting his spear flashed in Mu Yun's mind.
"Once I master these two forms, breaking his spear technique will be easy!"
With that settled, he turned the page again.
"Chop Form – A single chop is like a startled dragon emerging! Even heaven and earth shall submit!"
Seeing this, Mu Yun's eyes gleamed, his mind shaken…
Holding his breath, Mu Yun carefully studied the "Chop Form."
"The Chop Form values momentum above all. Only by charging forward without hesitation, with a clear and open mind, can you split the heavens and earth!"
A single sentence, like a thunderclap, shook his spirit.
"A clear and open mind?" He frowned slightly, thinking to himself, "Does this Chop Form not speak of pure blade technique, but rather of mental cultivation? What does it mean to be unafraid? What does it mean to be unflinching?"
He slowly closed the book, looked up into the distance, his eyes deepening with thought.
Then he opened the following sections, reading through the Cleave, Sweep, Upward Slice, and Push forms in order.
But the further he read, the more he frowned!
He could still understand the Thrust and Stab forms—they relied on technique and footwork. But the remaining five forms—Chop, Cleave, Sweep, Upward Slice, and Push—had transcended the realm of technique and were deeply tied to mental state!
"Cleave Form – Requires merging the body with heaven and earth, cleaving mountains and breaking cliffs. No breaking, no establishing!"
"Sweep Form – Emphasizes momentum following the heart, body and blade as one, swallowing the eight directions!"
"Upward Slice Form – Agile as the wind, life and death hanging on a single thread!"
"Push Form – Pushing momentum like rivers and seas reversing, swallowing the sky and splitting the earth, irresistible!"
"This…"
Mu Yun's mind surged. Though he could understand the words on the page, he felt that these five forms were profoundly mysterious, ethereal and elusive.
After a moment's thought, he looked up at Old Man Zhu and could not help but ask, "Grandfather, I can understand the first two forms of the Seven Forms of the Blade, but the last five are too obscure. What the book calls 'mental state' and 'clear and open mind'—I understand the literal meaning, but how do I actually cultivate them?"
Hearing this, Old Man Zhu chuckled softly, a deep meaning in his eyes.
"Yun'er, the first two forms can be seen as techniques that mortal martial artists can practice. If you master them, you will already be unparalleled in the current age. Even a Qi Refining cultivator could hold his own for a while against a Foundation Establishment cultivator."
He paused briefly, then continued slowly:
"But the last five forms are no longer mortal methods—they are the path of cultivators!"
"The path of cultivators?"
Mu Yun was stunned, his mind shaken.
"Correct!" Old Man Zhu said solemnly. "These five forms, even in the cultivation world, are considered great supernatural powers. Because they incorporate 'Blade Intent'!"
"Blade Intent?"
Mu Yun's heart trembled. Hearing this term for the first time, he felt an inexplicable stirring.
Old Man Zhu glanced at him, pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "You are not even a true cultivator yet. Speaking of this is premature."
Mu Yun's eyes showed a strong thirst for knowledge…
Seeing this, Old Man Zhu shook his head and continued.
"'Intent' is a state of being. Even I, old as I am, have only occasionally experienced the word 'intent'… That time, I delivered the strongest chop of my life."
At these words, Mu Yun's eyes lit up!
"The strongest chop?" His heart shook, and he eagerly pressed, "What did it feel like?"
Old Man Zhu just smiled, his gaze profound, as if he had not heard the question, and said calmly, "That was a very long time ago… If the mood strikes me one day, I will tell you. But not now."
Mu Yun pouted, disappointed but knowing that Old Man Zhu had always been like this, so he asked no more.
After a moment of silence, Old Man Zhu suddenly changed his tone and said gravely, "For now, you only need to master the first two forms to perfection. Biting off more than you can chew will only harm you… Now watch carefully!"
As he spoke, he reached out and grasped a wooden blade, already in his hand.
"Mu Yun, take this—Thrust Form!"
The words were still echoing in the air when Mu Yun's gaze sharpened. But in the next instant, his pupils contracted sharply!
—Old Man Zhu had vanished into thin air!
In an instant, wind rose from nowhere, and a faint chill spread quietly!
Relying on instinct, Mu Yun felt killing intent from all directions, yet could not determine the direction of the attack!
He took a deep breath and immediately used the Sharpening Senses technique. His eyes half-closed, his energy sank into his dantian. The sound of wind in his ears suddenly sharpened, and his field of vision abruptly changed—
All around him, white mist filled the air. Amid the haze, countless versions of Old Man Zhu were thrusting at him from all directions!
"Ghostly shadows…? No! It's footwork!"
Mu Yun's heart shook. Suppressing his fear, his mind raced and suddenly locked onto one figure!
"There!"
He shouted softly, raised his blade, and chopped forward!
But—
Swish!
The moment the blade fell, that figure dissipated like smoke, turning into nothing!
"What!"
Mu Yun was horrified. He leaped back half a step, every hair on his body standing on end, as if he were being stalked by a vengeful ghost!
He tried to catch Old Man Zhu's figure again, but no matter how he used his sensory techniques, Old Man Zhu's form drifted like a phantom, as if he did not exist in this world at all!
"So this is the Thrust Form?"
Mu Yun's heart pounded, his chest heaving, his shock deepening!
But just as he lost focus—
A cold touch fell upon his throat.
—The blade tip had stopped abruptly!
"Boy, you are already dead."
Old Man Zhu slowly withdrew the wooden blade, his expression calm, as if the previous scene had never happened.
"Just now…" he said casually, "I used only the same level of cultivation as yours."
With that, he walked away with his hands behind his back, disappearing into the dim lamplight of the house.
"If you can master the first form, there will be other tasks for you."