The old things I repaired have become fine

Chapter 619 Practicing swordsmanship, killing, and desiring to turn the world upside down with his own body!

Practice sword?

I? !

Shen Le was taken aback. Upon closer inspection, he realized that what stood before him was not a human, but an old ape, more than half the height of a human, with silver fur and long, long eyebrows that reached all the way to its cheeks.

Did we really encounter an immortal, no, an immortal ape?
This is a great opportunity! No matter how things develop, I must learn swordsmanship!

The copper plate gave him a set of Five Animal Frolics exercises, but not any other combat skills. Being able to learn a sword technique would be a good thing!
As she was thinking this, she suddenly felt a weight lift off her shoulders, and she was transported from a third-person perspective back to the young man's first-person view. Shen Le didn't have time to adjust to the change in perspective; she straightened her clothes and bowed deeply.

"I wish to learn swordsmanship from the immortal master!"

"I'm not a celestial master. — If you want to learn, come with me!"

The old ape chuckled and leaped into the air. Amidst the cliffs and bushes, its claws twitched and gripped, its body swaying and bouncing, the star-shaped pellets were launched, disappearing into the distance in an instant. Shen Le shouted:
"Hey, wait!"

Aim in the direction and run as fast as you can. The terrain is rugged and the trees are lush. Run a few steps, slip, climb a few more steps, slip again.

Staggering and using both hands and feet, they finally managed to climb onto the ridge. Looking up, they saw sheer cliffs ahead, with a bottomless ravine blocking their way.

Meanwhile, the old ape swiftly climbed the opposite mountain wall, appearing from a distance like a winding silver thread...

Shen Le muttered to himself as he began to climb down. When he reached the bottom of the cliff, he saw a ravine full of miscellaneous trees, their branches growing horizontally, their fruits red, plump, and sweet, covering the ground.

His stomach was rumbling loudly, so he picked two fruits and ate them, then chose a direction and continued onward, determined to catch up with the old ape.

As they walked, nearing the end of the ravine, two small monkeys, one black and one white, leaped down in front of them, each carrying a wooden stick.
"Grandpa said you should learn swordsmanship from us first. You can move on to the next level only when you can beat us!"

Ah this...

Fine……

It's perfectly reasonable to complete the beginner courses first, then move on to the advanced courses...

Shen Le settled down in the ravine, drinking from mountain springs when thirsty and eating mountain fruits when hungry. He would cut a tree branch and playfully poke and stab the little monkey every day.

Perhaps it was because the mountain springs and fruits were full of spiritual energy, or perhaps it was because he lived alone deep in the mountains and had nothing else to do to distract him, or perhaps the young man who provided Shen Le with the memories was himself extraordinary.

In short, his skill level improved very quickly:

In the first month, they suffered heavy defeats and couldn't even scratch the opponent.
From the second month onwards, both sides were on the ground and could occasionally exchange blows.
In the third month, he was able to fight a single little monkey to a standstill;

In the fourth month, he gradually became light and agile, and was able to leap and fight with the little monkeys on the treetops;

Six months later, I figured it out and could take on two opponents at once...

Finally, one day, Shen Le used a wooden stick to pry the sticks out of the hands of the two little monkeys, and then used the tip of the stick to tap each of their foreheads.

Standing atop a tree, it leaped and let out a long howl. The two apes, one black and one white, huddled together, their four eyes glaring at Shen Le, puffing out their cheeks in anger.
"You people are so unreasonable! We've cultivated for a hundred years, and our swordsmanship has only reached this level. You think you can beat us after only half a year of cultivation!"

Ah... I didn't want to either. Shen Le helplessly spread his hands, shrugged, and tilted his head. The white ape puffed out its cheeks and pointed to the mountain peak above its head:
"Grandpa is right there, go up!"

Shen Le followed his gaze. The mountain, which had looked as high as it did before, still looked as high; and the mountain, which had looked as steep as it did before, had not become any gentler.

The only difference was that after six months of sword training in the valley, the cliff had countless details in his eyes: there were cracks in the rocks, protrusions, vines, and grooves.

No wonder I saw the old ape climbing the mountain wall so quickly that day; it turns out there was a path here...

Shen Le took a deep breath, grabbed an old vine, tied the stick to his back, slung a bag of dried fruit over his shoulder, rubbed his hands together, and strode forward:

"Thank you both, brothers apes, for practicing swordsmanship with me. I will definitely repay you if I have the opportunity in the future—I'm off!"

He stood at the foot of the cliff for half an hour, carefully identifying the various handholds and footholds, before finally leaping up. He gripped the footholds, used the momentum to swing, and then used the momentum again to swing.

There were no pitons, no climbing ropes, no magnesium powder to absorb sweat, only a vine and a bag of dried fruit. Yet Shen Le remained remarkably calm, continuing to climb upwards:
I took a step up!
Another step up!
We're almost halfway up the mountain! Great! Just halfway up and we'll see the summit!
There's a crevice in the rocks here. Let's rest for a bit, have something to eat, and then continue on our way!

They climbed with all their might, from dawn to noon, and from noon to dusk.

As night fell and the cliff top seemed to be only two or three zhang away, a long, earth-shattering cry suddenly rang out, and a giant bird swooped down. Before it even reached the top, the wind pressure from its wings made it difficult for Shen Le to breathe!

If we were to hide, there were no rocks or hollows around, nowhere to take cover;

If they retaliate, and one hand slips, they could easily fall off the cliff.
If one tries to climb the mountain desperately, it is obviously impossible to reach the summit before the giant bird's attack arrives.

At the critical moment, Shen Le held his breath, gripped the protruding rock face with his left hand, pulled out the wooden stick from his back with his right hand, stared at the giant bird, and thrust it out with all his might:

"when!!!"

The tip of the wooden stick pierced the giant bird's claws with a sound like metal clashing. The giant bird flinched in pain, flapped its wings to retreat, but then, still feeling resentful, it rose higher and swooped down again.

This time, it didn't attack Shen Le directly, but instead pecked fiercely at the top of the cliff. With claws pawing and beak scratching, in an instant, rocks tumbled and collapsed from the cliff top, crashing straight down towards Shen Le's head!
This almost cornered Shen Le. Seeing a boulder half his size hurtling towards him, Shen Le narrowed his eyes, braced his arms, and leaped diagonally!

Jump!

He drew his sword and struck the rock!

Leverage external forces to move upwards!

Draw the sword again, upwards again, slash the rock wall again, and use the momentum to move upwards again!

Adrenaline surged. Large and small stones continued to fall, but in Shen Le's eyes, the fall seemed to slow down tenfold or even a hundredfold, allowing him to constantly find gaps and use their force to climb upwards.

My lungs expanded with all their might, drawing in air, and blood circulated throughout my limbs and bones, bringing my body ample strength and nutrients. After an unknown amount of time, the sky cleared, the pebbles vanished, and a clear blue sky appeared!

"Brilliant, brilliant." The giant bird was gone, and the rubble was nowhere to be found. On the cliff top, only an old ape with silver hair and beard stood bowing, a wooden stick tucked under his arm, clapping softly.

The battle just now, the struggle just now, the heart-stopping life-or-death struggle, all seem like a dream, and even the cliff top is completely intact.

The rock that had just been struck by Shen Le's sword was now firmly embedded in the cliff top, as if it had never collapsed.

"Now that you're here, you'll learn swordsmanship from me. Once you've mastered it, you can receive instruction from a celestial master." The old ape chuckled, sitting cross-legged atop the cliff and pointing to his dantian: "I'll first teach you breathing techniques and the ability to lightly leap and bound. After you learn them, you can move freely up and down this cliff, or even ride your sword through the air, covering a thousand miles in a single night. Listen carefully..."

The breathing techniques taught by the old ape were quite different from those given by the copper piece. Shen Le focused intently on learning them, and while he couldn't say he made no progress, the progress wasn't significant either.

It's similar to leaping onto the clouds; by stepping on the right foot with the left and the left foot with the right, one can take seven consecutive leaps in the air.

Once you master this technique, you can indeed move freely up and down cliffs, reducing a whole day of rock climbing to half an hour.
But, well, how should I put it... compared to the sword immortal he imagined, soaring through the nine heavens on a sword, moving freely in and out of the azure sky, it felt so much less sophisticated...

If it weren't for the promise of "personal instruction from a celestial master," Shen Le wouldn't have had much enthusiasm for learning.

However, within this body, there seemed to be an inexplicable spirit that sustained him in his studies whenever he felt listless or bored.
The original owner of this body wanted to learn the skills of a sword immortal, go to the battlefield to kill the Tibetans, and carve out a bright and clear world!
After another six months of training, Shen Le was able to leap up and down cliffs with his sword, circling freely seven steps away from the cliff and stabbing down birds.

Fighting the old ape, he went from being struck in the throat by its sword, to occasionally managing to retaliate, to a draw lasting fifteen minutes. Finally, the old ape let out a long roar and leaped into the air:

"follow me!"

Ah, we've finally reached this point!

Is the immortal master about to impart his skills?

Can I finally get the Legend of Sword and Fairy?

Shen Le was greatly encouraged and followed the old ape, moving forward at a rapid pace. They crossed one mountain peak after another, climbing higher and higher until he felt he was no longer in the Zhongnan Mountains—

Is Zhongnan Mountain really that high?

Could it possibly be higher than Mount Hua?

Where exactly is this so-called immortal master? Could he actually be hiding in a secret realm and not even in the mortal world?

The shady slopes of Zhongnan Mountain are beautiful, with snow piled up at the top of the clouds. Shen Le followed the old ape over countless mountains, and finally, a towering peak with sheer cliffs and a snow-capped summit appeared before them.

Climbing over the boulders covering the slope to the summit, a deep pool below stretched straight down into the earth, a sight that made one dizzy. The old ape, however, did not stop. With a long howl, it leaped into the pool:

Does the immortal master live here?

Shen Le was stunned for a moment. She took a step, stopped, took another step, stopped again, and finally gritted her teeth:

We can always restart!

Let's go down and take a look, just in case!
He leaped forward and plunged into the pool. Flowing clouds swept past, catching his body. Shen Le kept gathering his breath to slow his descent, making himself land slower and slower.

Unfortunately, this rudimentary breathing technique was no match for gravity. He could only feel the wind growing louder in his ears, and as he looked up, the sky above him shrank smaller and smaller until only a beam of light fell down...

Are we reopening?

He held his breath, anxiously awaiting the outcome. Suddenly, he felt a lightness all over his body, as if he had landed on a thick, soft white cloud, bounced twice, and was completely unharmed.

A loud laugh rang out from not far away:
"You are indeed steadfast in your pursuit of the Way, worthy of being among us! Come, step forward!"

Shen Le stepped forward in response. There was a small recess in the mountain wall at the edge of the pool, just big enough for a person to fit in.

Inside sat an old man, his hair and beard completely white, so thin he looked like a skeleton. His clothes clung to his body in tattered strands, as if he hadn't changed them in years.

Or perhaps, no one knows how many years he has been sitting in this recessed space. With this outfit, if he were to stand up, it might just crumble into ashes.

Shen Le waded forward through the water, looking up at him somewhat blankly, unsure of what to call him or what to do.

The old man, however, flicked his hand, sending a beam of cold light shooting towards Shen Le, which he caught in his hand.
"Since you've come this far, you're destined to inherit my skills. Here, take this sword. Practice with it first, and once you're proficient, you can forge your own sword using the finest metals—"

The sword techniques passed down by the immortal master are different. First, one can release the sword from the hand and wield it, swirling and thrusting around the body, increasing the number of swords from one to seven, arranged in the Big Dipper formation;

Next, spray a mouthful of talisman water onto the flying sword and command it to fly a hundred steps.

Next, he could make the sword light flow like a curtain, covering a distance of about ten feet, cutting through wood and shattering stone, nothing could withstand its attack. Shen Le then inquired about further spells, but the immortal master kept shaking his head:

"Difficult, very difficult! Taking another step up, if one wants to control the sword with one's body and travel a thousand miles in an instant, it will take at least a hundred years of effort!"

A hundred years? That's definitely not going to work. The young man sighed deeply, stepped back, and bowed down.
"In that case, please allow me to take my leave of the Immortal Master. I... still have matters that must be completed. If I return from the battlefield alive, I will then repay the Immortal Master's kindness."

He bowed three times and resolutely left. A gust of wind blew behind him, and a small porcelain bottle was tossed, gently striking the back of his head.
"Take this. In a life-or-death situation, this pill can save your life."

The young man bowed again and left. He drew his sword, descended the mountain, and headed straight for the battlefield.

kill!

kill!

Kill all those Tibetans!

His longsword flew, its light as white as snow. The ordinary Tibetans were no match for him, and he killed them so badly that they dared not show their faces.

However, the young man fought his way from Tianshui to Longxi, from Qinzhou and Weizhou to Guazhou, growing more and more exhausted and desperate with each battle.

It's useless!
It's no use at all!

So what if he can kill a thousand? So what if he can kill ten thousand?
The forces behind them couldn't get up, the Tang army couldn't push forward, and each military governor was only thinking about protecting himself and didn't want to recover the lost territories. They had no way to occupy these lands!
It's impossible for him to open up the Hexi Corridor on his own!
There was no other way. The young man flicked away a drop of blood, looked at the corpse lying before him, at the sword that remained as still as an autumn pool, unchanged in the slightest, and slowly raised his head to gaze at the setting sun:
There wasn't enough time. After the envoys from Anxi and Beiting returned, he joined the army, suffered a crushing defeat, went into the mountains to learn martial arts, and then descended to kill…

Nearly ten years have passed. How much longer can Anxi hold out? How many more decades?

There is only one way. There is only one possible way... to kill the Tibetan nobles, to kill the Zanpu (Tibetan king), to kill all the nobles who can be killed, to cause internal strife in them, to render them incapable of launching an invasion!
With a firm decision, the young man shouldered his pack and turned back. He returned to Chang'an, took one last look at the majestic Daming Palace, and resolutely crossed the Qinling Mountains southward, entering Sichuan and ascending the plateau!

Go kill someone!

A long string of memories flashed by, like a cutscene. When Shen Le took over again and was able to control the body, he stood on a somewhat familiar snow-capped mountain, completely bewildered.
I?
Climbing this snow-capped mountain?

What I'm saying is, can't we take a detour and go down the mountain?!

(End of this chapter)