People in the Dragon Clan planted a sacred tree, infinite moon reading

Chapter 14 Pick it up

It’s still a familiar place, still a familiar venue.

However, the training ground of the kendo class had been cleared, leaving only Qi Xiuyuan, Chu Zihang and Old Man Yuan.

Qi Xiuyuan stood quietly in the center of the venue, holding a green-glowing sword across his chest, and the deerskin in his hand slowly swept across the blade.

This action is like an executioner silently wiping his long sword, about to chop off the victim's head with awe.

At this moment, Old Man Yuan was still standing outside the venue, taking out pills from the drawer of the table, holding a mouthful of water and swallowing them with his neck tilted back, while Chu Zihang was helping him apply the plaster from behind.

Blood pressure medicine, stomach medicine, cataract eye drops, pain-relieving plasters...

All these things show that he is really old.

But old man Yuan just held up the broken sword in front of him with both hands. It was not difficult to see that if this sword was complete, it would be longer than an ordinary Japanese sword.

Ten-grip sword, "grip" is an ancient unit of measurement, equivalent to the horizontal length of a fist. In Japanese mythology, the ten-grip sword is also called the "ten-fist sword", which is three "grips" longer than an ordinary sword.

However, this is the sword that was broken by his teacher, and its length is the same as that of an ordinary katana.

"Let's end it like this."

The old man, who had made all the preparations, murmured something in a low voice, turned around and stepped onto the battlefield where he had fought countless times, and stood in front of Qi Xiuyuan who had been waiting for a long time.

"Yuan Yixin, please teach me."

The old man raised his sword above his head in a standard straight-looking stance in Japanese swordsmanship. His whole body gave people a sense of heaviness, like a rock falling to the ground and taking root. The ten-grip sword in his hand was so steady that it seemed to be integrated with his body.

"Qi Xiuyuan," he said, "please enlighten me."

Seeing Qi Xiuyuan standing there without any movement, the old man did not feel insulted or angry. He put the knife he was holding into the sheath and placed it at his waist. He took light steps and slowly approached to shorten the distance.

As they confronted each other, the surrounding atmosphere froze. The scene was eerily quiet, with only the steady breathing rising and falling.

Only the tender green leaves of the locust tree outside kept swaying in the wind.

Finally, Qi Xiuyuan let out a deep breath.

"what!"

The old man, who had caught the moment of his alternating breathing, moved. He took a step forward but did not draw his sword. Instead, he shouted loudly. His voice was so powerful that it even shook off the leaves outside the window, causing ripples in the dead silence.

Roaring is one of the most primitive reactions of organisms when facing "danger" and "pressure".

Tigers and lions, which are at the top of the food chain, will declare their power and strength through roaring.

The powerful roar of the "predator" is enough to arouse the timidity in the "prey" and even make it kneel on the ground in fear.

This is the "Kai" in Japanese Kendo, which is to shock the opponent while mobilizing yourself, allowing yourself to quickly enter the resistance period and bring your body to the optimal state.

However, Yuan Yixin's Qi He was completely unlike that of an old man. It was like a lion or tiger, causing the eardrums to resonate and tremble. A suffocating feeling of oppression poured towards Qi Xiuyuan.

Bang! !

The next moment, he stepped on the ground with both feet, and his whole body shot out like a crossbow arrow, making it difficult for people to react.

Sword drawing technique.

Look, breathe, cut with the mouth, pull out and cut off.

The old man completed the whole process at an incredibly fast speed.

He drew the ten swords in his hand from the scabbard and slashed forward. The arc of the blade was like an open white folding fan. Anyone in front of him who was distracted by his breath would have his throat cut by this sudden blow.

But Qi Xiuyuan's eyes remained calm, staring at the old man like a pool of stagnant water.

His hand holding the sword was still steady, his breathing was not interrupted, and his body did not even tremble.

Until the ten-handed sword swung in front of him, Qi Xiuyuan "collapsed" without any warning, flashed under the bright arc, and the clear light of the sword in his hand stabbed from bottom to top at the old man's jaw.

Clang! !

The old man, who was originally testing the opponent, suddenly blocked with his sword. The sword body and the tip of the sword collided with each other, making a sharp sound. This was the defense of the Suigetsu kodachi in the Shinto style.

The force of the knife's rebound made their palms numb. In the first attempt, neither of them gained any advantage.

Qi Xiuyuan did not hesitate for a moment and took advantage of the rebound force. The knife was heavy, sharp and fierce with unparalleled ferocity, cutting towards the old man's abdomen and waist like a spring breeze cutting through willow leaves!
Offense and defense change shape.

The old man's legs were firmly planted on the ground. No matter where one was practicing swordsmanship or knife skills, the lower body was always the foundation of the foundation.

Bang! !

He drew a line with his hand, and the blade wind was like a stone wall, slashing on the blade of the horizontal sword, and Qi Xiuyuan's sword trajectory deviated.

Qi Xiuyuan advanced again, and Yuan Yixin defended again.

The previous moment, Yuan Yixin was still using the defensive sword technique of Yagyu Shinkage Ryu, blocking the Spring and Autumn broadsword of Qi Xiuyuan's Baji Sect.

The next moment, Yuan Yixin tried to snatch Qi Xiuyuan's wrist with the "no-sword" technique, but Qi Xiuyuan used the "snake belly sword" technique from the Xingyi sword technique to attack quickly and fiercely.

In the eyes of Chu Zihang who was watching the fight, the sword techniques used by the two were dazzling and changed in every second.

Qi Xiuyuan is light and fierce, like wind and thunder.

It originates from one heart, is solid and steady, like a mountain and jade.

Just like their different ages, their swords also have different styles.

Qi Xiuyuan felt like he was chopping at a stone wall. No matter what kind of attack he launched, it would be bounced back by the wall. Yuan Yixin also felt that his attack was like a storm. Surrounded by the wind and rain, he could only look for gaps in defense.

The indigo cotton hakama tightened the two men's bodies. Although it had a certain protective and cushioning effect, it could hardly pose any obstacle to the knives in the hands of the two men.

They were practically dancing on blades, and any strike would rip them open.

Clang! !

As the blades collided again, a sound of swords rang out, nearly tearing the eardrums.

Dazzling sparks flew everywhere, and the two close people looked at each other over the back of the knife, attacking and defending at the same time.

"Old man, you've learned so many things." Qi Xiuyuan couldn't help but sigh.

"I should say this." Yuan Yixin's face twitched, "I don't remember teaching you this nonsense."

"You have collected several sword manuals in your study. I flipped through them and memorized them when I was bored. I practiced them at home when I had nothing to do." Qi Xiuyuan said with a smile.

Even without a teacher's guidance, can I reach this level by just practicing on my own?

Yuan Yixin could see that Qi Xiuyuan was still unfamiliar with these sword moves when he first started using them, but he could also feel that he was integrating them into his skills through their actual combat.

Yes.

He seemed to have become Qi Xiuyuan's whetstone.

He was being "devoured" by the young man in front of him.

He could already vaguely see the demeanor of a young and accomplished swordsman from Qi Xiuyuan.

"So," Old Man Yuan gritted his teeth and said bitterly, "Genius or something like that is the most abominable thing!"

Chi! Both sides simultaneously tensed their arms and drew their swords to the side, the blades biting and clashing with each other, making a sharp and piercing sound.

Immediately, the two of them stabbed out almost at the same time, stabbing fiercely into each other's hearts!

At this moment, Yuan Yixin looked at the pair of black eyes that reflected his own face. There was not a trace of fear in those eyes, but the face reflected in them showed a hint of fear.

That was his face, it was him in fear.

Almost driven by his body's instinct, the knife that was stabbing towards Qi Xiuyuan stopped, and Yuan Yixin's body chose to retreat backwards.

puff! !
The tip of the sword pierced his shoulder, and blood drew an arc in the air.

Even the broken sword fell to the ground, making a sound as clear as a wail.

"Boring."

Qi Xiuyuan didn't continue to pursue. He stood there and sighed deeply, looking up at Yuan Yixin in the distance: "It's really boring, old man, you don't even have the heart to fight to the death. If it's just this extent..."

After saying that, the smile on his face faded, and the coldness in his eyes pierced Yuan Yixin. He took a step forward suddenly, and the power like a tide in his body came down to destroy him.

"Huh...huh..."

Yuan Yixin, who was looking at him, was panting and felt the indomitable determination. He felt a sharp pain and twitching in his head, and his heart felt like a squeezed water pipe, and the blood in his body became stagnant and sluggish.

"I, I avoided it?" He felt humiliated and confused. "Why? Am I getting old?"

No, although he was old, his experience and skills should have been stronger than Qi Xiuyuan's, but he was never able to find a chance to break through and win from the opponent's offensive.

It only means that Qi Xiuyuan has caught up with his level of decades in just a few years. He can't even compare to Qi Xiuyuan's determination to win.

Qi Xiuyuan exudes a strong will and tenacity from the inside out, like a bamboo with straight joints that is unmoved by wind and rain, constantly growing upwards as if to poke a hole in the sky.

"What about me?" the old man asked himself. "If I were to be compared to a metaphor, what would I be?"

I don’t know, I don’t know. There is no one who understands him anymore. There is no one behind him.

Looking at the extremely young Qi Xiuyuan in front of him, Yuan Yixin could already foresee his own failure, and a deep sense of powerlessness once again surged in his heart.

Whether in terms of swordsmanship skills or desire to win, he has been completely defeated at this moment.

He seemed to be able to feel that the strips of cloth that were wrapped around him day and night, the expectations that tormented him day and night, were also beginning to drift away from him.

After all, he had failed. He could no longer fulfill the wishes of those who had not fulfilled their wishes, nor could he complete the entrustment. Like his former friends and teachers, he had to leave the path of kendo.

Perhaps, the previous persistence was just a dream after all.

All the tangled threads are gone now. After forty years of hard work, I am still not as good as a genius in one night.

At this point, he should have been relaxed, but...

"What do you have left?" Qi Xiuyuan suddenly asked, "Without your so-called expectations and obsessions, what do you have left?"

"Are you really willing?"

"Do you really like swords?"

"Is this all you are after all?"

He heard his emotionless words, and Yuan Yixin just shook his head, an extremely strong feeling of unwillingness and pain surged in his heart.

When you win, you will be so happy that you will lie on the ground and laugh out loud. When you lose, you will feel as if your internal organs are being stepped on. You will constantly blame yourself in your heart and feel that you have lost the value of living.

But even so, he couldn't give up.

How can I express this feeling in just a few words?
呲!
Qi Xiuyuan picked up the broken sword with one foot and kicked it over, and it sank vertically into the floor in front of Yuan Yixin, making a buzzing sound.

"Pick it up," he said.

"..."

Gen Yixin released his hand that was covering his shoulder, stood up without a word, and gripped the knife in front of him, letting it get stained with blood.

He slowly raised the knife above his head, with the blade pointing to the sky. His left hand gently held the back of the knife. His gaze passed from the blade to Qi Xiuyuan in the distance. His cloudy eyes were calm, without any trace of weakness or hesitation.

The tip of the knife trembled slightly, and a thin sound of wind was emitted when he took a deep breath, as if it had turned into an evil ghost that was about to attack and devour people.

Feeling the inexplicable chill, Qi Xiuyuan smiled again.

"very good."

The next moment the words fell.

Bang! Bang! !

Two blue figures rushed towards each other, so fast that only two afterimages were seen, as if two blue scrolls were unfolding.

Qi Xiuyuan swung the sword in his hand, and the left horizontal cut that he had practiced thousands of times cut through the air, making a sharp scream.

He stepped forward and swept his sword across in one smooth motion.

However, facing the horizontal sword that was slashing towards his face, Yuan Yixin let out a breath.

呲! !

The ten broken swords held in front of the chest were slashed out, and the murderous aura of this sword was condensed on the blade, as if one could smell the stench of the sword.

Ancient style killing sword·Heart-shaped sword style·Four grades and eight phases.

After the Meiji Restoration, swordsmanship, like tea ceremony, has become a part of traditional culture.

The cute bamboo sword was invented for students in kendo halls to hit each other for fun. Students who graduated from kendo halls may only take photos holding real swords when they graduate.

However, before the Meiji Restoration, those who set up schools to teach were always waiting for someone to come and challenge them and kill them with their swords. Ronin even walked through the streets with wolf-like eyes, ready to kill people if they disagreed with them.

Whoever carries a knife has the right to kill. Without legal sanction, human life is as fragile as a thin cherry blossom.

Therefore, the swordsmanship at that time was sinister, cruel and cruel, and not at all as elegant and decent as the swordsmanship of today.

In that era, swordsmanship was used to kill people, and only those who survived could be considered respectable.

In order to kill people, you can be like a demon, like a wolf, or even like a rat.

This is the so-called "Ancient Killing Sword".

The so-called eight phases are eight terrifying scenes, including red flame, Shura, Rakshasa, and Netherworld. When learning this forbidden move, you need to imagine these eight most terrifying scenes in turn.

Moreover, when he was imagining the red flame, there really was a red-hot iron ruler close to his back, giving him the illusion that he was being burned by a raging fire.

Students must pass the test of these eight illusions before they can control this unstoppable and brutal sword.

To use this knife, one must be prepared to give up everything. Even if it means rushing into a furnace, one must not be afraid. Even if there are iron nails under one's feet, one must step on them without hesitation.

In Qi Xiuyuan's eyes, Yuan Yixin seemed to have become a hazy shadow in the air, or like a gust of wind blowing towards the lake with dead leaves.

The sword in his hand lost its shape due to the extreme speed, and only the blade light stained with a thin halo could be seen. The speed of swinging the sword was so fast that the full appearance of the sword could not be seen clearly, and only the terrifying and sharp whistling of the wind breaking through the air could be clearly heard!
Seeing this knife, Qi Xiuyuan gradually opened his eyes wide, and a hot and boiling light overflowed from the bottom of his eyes. A more joyful smile gradually climbed up his cheeks.

　This chapter has 4,000 words, and there will be another chapter later. I will finish writing this plot together, otherwise it will make you feel bad if I don’t finish writing.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)