Huff… huff…
The howling gusts swept across the martial arts training ground in succession. Two human silhouettes violently collided in mid-air. The strong winds stirred up dust from the ground. Amidst the constantly shifting afterimages, the continuous sound of fist winds, almost breaking the sound barrier in the air, could be heard.
Bang, bang, bang!
After an unknown amount of time, the dull sound of body collisions abruptly ceased. Two equally slender figures, one tall and one short, crossed paths in the arena. The taller one stumbled upon landing, immediately dropping to one knee on the ground.
Liu Ningshuang’s fist, hanging at her side, was still trembling uncontrollably. She felt as if her entire arm was no longer her own. After the intense battle, every inch of muscle was immersed in pain.
Her knee had just touched the ground.
“Huff… I admit defeat… Indeed, I’ve lost to you again.” Visible white breath gushed out with her breathing. Liu Ningshuang looked up helplessly at the person standing opposite her. “Is this what they call a genius? At such a young age, and with your main focus not even being fist techniques, you can achieve such a high level of mastery? If I hadn’t suppressed my inner power level and we were purely comparing fist techniques, I’m afraid I wouldn’t even be qualified to fight you.”
The young girl standing opposite her looked slender and frail, with black hair and a red dress. Though young, she had an extraordinary aura that was even more outstanding than her beautiful features. After going through the same battle, she didn’t appear to have the slightest bit of fatigue. Even her breathing wasn’t particularly disordered, as if she had just warmed up.
Hearing Liu Ningshuang’s surrender, Qing Fei didn’t seem to show much joy or pride in her victory. After all, in the past half month, the same battle had occurred many times, always with the same result.
She tilted her head. “Sister Liu, you’re already very good.”Qing Fei was telling the complete truth.
But Liu Ningshuang pursed her lips, not believing it one bit.
She had been beaten by this little girl to the point of almost losing confidence.
Not long ago, when Liu Ningshuang had achieved some proficiency in her fist techniques, adhering to the belief that “training behind closed doors is just an empty framework, true martial skills must be forged in actual combat,” she began to seek sparring partners everywhere—suppressing her inner power to the same level, purely competing with martial skills, improving her martial arts through battle.
—Most people probably couldn’t imagine that such a seemingly valiant and heroic girl would actually be practicing fist techniques.
Liu Ningshuang, who had been practicing martial arts since childhood, already had talent in this area. However, the limited level of martial arts on Blue Star had restricted her strength.
After encountering the martial arts techniques of this world, Liu Ningshuang took to it like a fish to water. Over the past two years, her progress in inner power cultivation could only be considered average, but her learning of martial arts skills could be described as advancing by leaps and bounds.
Yao Country had always strictly controlled cold weapons, so Liu Ningshuang, who had practiced martial arts for over twenty years, had focused most of her skill points on unarmed combat. Therefore, when choosing martial arts techniques, she didn’t select the most widely spread sword or knife techniques, but chose fist techniques instead.
Facts proved that her choice was correct.
Starting from half a month ago, disregarding inner power cultivation and solely considering fist technique proficiency, she had already surpassed everyone in the martial arts school where she studied, including the teacher who taught her fist techniques.
So, Liu Ningshuang set her sights on Qing Fei.
—And then, she was beaten in return.
“You, you haven’t really practiced fist techniques much, have you? Don’t think I can’t tell—you’ve been using just the simplest set of fist techniques from start to finish, so why can you still pummel me?” Feeling she had improved again, yet once more challenged and beaten, Liu Ningshuang sat down on the ground in frustration, beginning to question her life.
…Was her talent in fist techniques really that strong?
…Could it be that the martial arts school teacher who praised her as a genius and then got beaten by her was actually too lazy to teach her anymore because her talent was too poor, so he deliberately acted to send her away?
Of course, the truth couldn’t possibly be that ridiculous… The heavily impacted Liu Ningshuang had started to imagine things illogically.
At this moment, a hand fell on her head.
Qing Fei had come over at some point and ruffled Liu Ningshuang’s dejected head. She smiled and said, “Actually, you’re already very strong, Sister Liu~”
“—Really, don’t doubt it. In terms of inner power cultivation, your talent can only be considered average. But when it comes to martial arts skills, being able to reach this level in just two years shows extraordinary talent.”
Facing Liu Ningshuang’s disbelieving gaze, she pointed at herself again. “As for me, I’m indeed not proficient in fist techniques. The reason I can win against you is that mastering one technique means mastering a hundred. Not being proficient in fist techniques doesn’t mean I’m not proficient in other martial arts. Sword techniques, knife techniques, fist techniques—mastering one means understanding all.”
Liu Ningshuang vaguely understood, but it still seemed like there was a layer of hazy curtain. “You mean…”
Qing Fei sat down beside her and casually picked up a twig, drawing two large characters on the ground. “Martial Way!”
“What does Sister Liu think the Martial Way is?” (TL: or Martial Dao)
Without waiting for Liu Ningshuang to answer, Qing Fei continued. “The Martial Way is simple—it’s martial arts and the Way. Understanding the Way without practicing martial arts leaves you with only realm but no strength. Practicing martial arts without cultivating the Way means you can never enter the realm.”
“—Only by comprehending one’s own Way can one enter the realm of martial arts. At that time, any fist technique, palm technique, or sword technique is simply infused with one Way.”
As she spoke, Qing Fei stood up, and the twig in her hand suddenly thrust forward.
In the sharp sound of cutting through the air, Liu Ningshuang seemed to see a divine sword suddenly unsheathed. In the next moment, the young girl’s palm turned, and the twig slashed downward in the air, the sharp sword light instantly transforming into the chopping wind of a falling blade.
The transformation between them was natural and flawless.
“—Is this the realm of martial arts?”
Liu Ningshuang widened her eyes in disbelief and spoke in a daze.
“This is the realm of martial arts,” Qing Fei threw down the twig and gave her an affirmative answer. “Inner power cultivation can be improved by following a step-by-step process, but for martial techniques to enter the realm, it requires countless refinements and a bit of coincidental opportunity. Therefore, most people won’t choose this path, spending a lot of time honing martial techniques and trying to enter the realm. They just need to diligently cultivate inner power techniques and improve their cultivation level. After all, with high enough cultivation, one can overwhelm all techniques.”
“It’s almost like inner power cultivation adds to constitution and internal force, while entering the realm of martial arts adds to wisdom, skill, and martial arts proficiency…” Liu Ningshuang related it to a game, indicating she fully understood. “Only children make choices, adults naturally want it all!”
She looked at Qing Fei with sparkling eyes. “Little Qing Fei~”
“Alright, alright, I can tell you. Ultimately, you’ll have to comprehend it yourself, Sister Liu.” Qing Fei reached out again, skillfully ruffling the head beside her.
“To enter the realm of martial arts, whether it’s sword techniques, palm techniques, or blade techniques, there are only three steps—see yourself, see the world, see all beings.”
As she said this, her young face became serious.
“—Seeing yourself means understanding your own Martial Way; seeing the world means comprehending the Way of Heaven and Earth; seeing all beings means all beings can become the Way. Those who can take the first step are already exceptionally talented. To take the second step requires not only talent but also opportunity. As for the last step of seeing all beings… I’ve never heard of anyone achieving it yet.”
“So you’re at the first step now, having comprehended your own Way, which is why you can directly master even unfamiliar fist techniques?” Liu Ningshuang suddenly realized, feeling her horizons had been broadened.
“For the first step, that’s indeed possible,” Qing Fei tilted her head in thought, then nodded firmly.
Liu Ningshuang wanted to ask more, but she felt a gentle touch on her head again, as a small hand ruffled her forehead.
Qing Fei squinted her eyes, a satisfied smile appearing on her face.
She, who had been immersed in the desire for knowledge, finally came to her senses and realized what had happened repeatedly before.
Looking at the little girl’s contented expression, a question mark slowly floated up in her mind: “…?”
Come to think of it, was she being petted like a cat?
…It must be a misconception, definitely a misconception!
****
Meanwhile, at the mansion of the city lord of Daliang City.
Li Fufeng stood before the city lord, repeating the new term from the other’s mouth with confusion and surprise. “The Heavenly Capital Summons?”
“—What is that?”
This direct question didn’t arouse the city lord’s suspicion. At this moment, the young city lord’s face also carried a slight puzzlement. “It’s not your fault for not knowing. Until this summons appeared, even I thought it was just a legend. I never imagined that the summons from the Heavenly Capital would actually be real.”
He shook his head helplessly. “Since it’s real, I must follow the agreement passed down through generations of ancestors and go to answer the summons.”
“???” Li Fufeng was still completely confused, not understanding a word. The expression on his face fully conveyed his bewilderment.
The young city lord, who was always approachable and had a good impression of this advisor who often offered him valuable insights and had a gentle demeanor, patiently explained. “It’s like this. Since ancient times, there has been a legend among the twelve cities, its truth unverifiable, concerning the origin of the twelve cities…”
“It’s said that the twelve cities are not a complete world, but a realm created by a being who transcends heaven and man.” The city lord’s opening statement gave Li Fufeng a big surprise.
“—Long ago, the world we lived in was supposed to be a much vaster land. Some say it was a blue star, and all our ancestors came from the land of the rising sun in the east of that great land.”
Hearing this, Li Fufeng’s pupils shook.
…A blue star?
…The land of the rising sun in the east?
The precision of the description was striking. Was it coincidence, or…
“…Legend has it that one day, something changed on that star. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth gradually thinned, and martial arts lost its fertile soil. What’s more terrifying was that every martial artist, just by continuing to exist in the world, would inevitably absorb the spiritual energy, making the already scarce energy even more scarce. In the end, no one could survive in that age of declining laws. Unless everyone chose to disperse their cultivation and become ordinary people.”
“—Finally, that martial arts expert who transcended heaven and man used his life-bound divine sword as a carrier, and with his inconceivable realm, he created this realm, accommodating all martial artists willing to follow him in the sword realm. They are the ancestors of our twelve cities.”
“And the Heavenly Capital City is the residence of that sword master.”
“To find a new world with spiritual energy, that person, carrying his life-bound divine sword and the people of a realm, left their former home and drifted in the vast void, constantly devouring special energy in the void and converting it into spiritual energy for the realm. This allowed the martial artists of the twelve cities to survive here and prosper.”
“To avoid life expectancy depletion, the sword master also fell into slumber. He would only awaken again when encountering a new world.”
“—This is the original version of the legend.”
“There’s another version which says that from the beginning, our ancestors never planned to leave their homeland forever. That world that had entered the age of declining laws would one day welcome the revival of spiritual energy. At that time, the sword realm drifting in the void would follow the coordinates left behind back then, bringing all of us back to our homeland.”
“—When that day comes, the summons from the Heavenly Capital will be sent to the twelve cities, awakening the slumbering sword master.”
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