The Legend of the Condor Heroes: From Being Expelled from Peach Blossom Island

Chapter 172 Looking for the Sword
There are three swords in the sword tomb: a sharp sword, a heavy sword, and a wooden sword. Apart from the missing Ziwei soft sword, the most conspicuous one is this Xuan Tie heavy sword. It is big, thick, and black.

It was over three feet long, pure black, without a blade, and the top was oval, lacking any sharpness. It barely resembled a sword, but looked more like a fire poker.

The original text says it weighs seventy or eighty jin. Wu Chengyu lifted it with one hand, so it must have weighed at least a hundred jin. But this is a one-handed sword. The hilt is very short, so it cannot be held with both hands. The overall size is not as big as one might imagine. It is just that the blade is thicker and heavier.

If this sword were made of ordinary steel, it would weigh at most thirty kilograms for the same volume, which shows how dense this so-called mysterious iron is.

Wu Chengyu waved his hand a few times. He now only had half the strength he used to have. He could barely wield the hand, but if he used it to perform sword techniques, he would inevitably run out of strength in a long battle.

Or rather, a sword of this weight is not meant for swordsmanship at all; the more exquisite the swordsmanship, the more difficult it is to execute.

He looked at the stone inscription beneath the Xuan Tie Heavy Sword: "A heavy sword has no edge, great skill is without artifice. Before the age of forty, I relied on it to roam the world."

Whether it's swordsmanship or palm techniques, they're all ultimately for fighting. At their core, fighting is about being fast enough, strong enough, quick enough, and tough enough. If you can achieve these things, the specific moves aren't that important.

They only resort to sophisticated techniques to compensate for their shortcomings when they can't do something themselves.

The most important point in using the Xuan Tie Heavy Sword is to achieve effortless mastery. No matter how heavy something is, it should appear light in your hand, yet a single strike should be irresistible, making you invincible.

Everyone can talk about principles, but how many can actually put them into practice? According to Wu Chengyu's conjecture, if one could do this, one would have essentially reached the realm of subtlety. Perhaps when Yang Guo stormed into Chongyang Palace with one arm and one sword, and defeated several masters with the aid of a heavy sword, he had already touched the threshold of subtlety.

In terms of aptitude, talent, and martial arts skills, Yang Guo suffered many hardships in his youth, but under the stimulation of losing his arm and the tutelage of the Bald Eagle, he finally took this step.

Wu Chengyu turned his gaze back to the wooden sword, but did not pick it up. Presumably, the wooden sword was already mostly rotten and only its shape remained.

"After the age of forty, one is no longer attached to material things; grass, trees, bamboo, and stones can all be used as swords. From then on, one refines one's skills and gradually progresses to the realm where having no sword is better than having a sword."

What is the meaning of "no sword is better than having a sword"? If Dugu Qiubai, who wielded the Xuan Tie Heavy Sword before the age of forty, reached the level of "entering the subtlety", then what level would Dugu Qiubai reach after the age of forty, who put down his sword and was no longer attached to material things?
When Dugu Qiubai used the wooden sword, he must have achieved the ability to make light work feel heavy. He no longer needed the Xuan Tie Heavy Sword to enhance his power. When he slashed with the sword, he was as unstoppable as when he had the Xuan Tie Heavy Sword in his hand. So, can this be considered sword power?
The realm of subtlety is the essence of intention, sword intention, fist intention. The intention is to strike before the move, without needing to think, naturally finding the opponent's weakness and attacking the enemy's defenses.

When it comes to making light things seem heavy, it is about momentum. When a move is made, the momentum is overwhelming and devastating. The opponent should feel as if they are locked on, and can only try to block it, but cannot actually block it. This should be the fusion of sword intent, fist intent and one's own power. Only when both power and intent have reached the pinnacle of creation can one achieve this.

What Yang Guo comprehended upon seeing these four swords was something Wu Chengyu already knew. Everyone who has read the original novel is familiar with it, but they only know the surface without understanding the underlying principles. If one's own level of understanding is not reached, all the flowery words spoken are in vain.

But now, when Wu Chengyu picks up the Xuan Tie Heavy Sword, he has truly gained some understanding.

He once again held the Xuan Tie Heavy Sword horizontally, mentally simulating the scene where he single-handedly confronted several masters, imagining himself wielding the sword with effortless skill, how he would fight against those masters. Soon, his mental self lowered the sword again. He felt that the Xuan Tie Heavy Sword wasn't suitable for him. After all, he wasn't a swordsman; forcing a sword into his hand, even a divine weapon, always felt restrictive.

Next, the self in his mind began to use all kinds of martial arts he was good at, such as Nine Yin Divine Claw, Great Subduing Demon Fist, Canhe Finger, Bone Dislocation Capturing Hand, etc. He used the insights he had when he was holding the Xuan Tie Heavy Sword to control the moves. The connection between each move gradually became smooth, and various different martial arts actually began to merge together.

In this state, the self in his mind could suppress the three masters without resorting to tricks or blunders. Even when facing Guhua, he was no longer constantly restrained. Although his skill and moves were still slightly inferior, he could still hold his ground and not be at a disadvantage without resorting to tricks or cheating.

When the scene simulated in his mind ended, Wu Chengyu breathed a sigh of relief. He suddenly understood what it meant to be "attaining the subtlety of details," and realized that he was not far off from achieving it.

Ultimately, although he is now severely injured and his foundation is destroyed, he fought to the death with several experts in the great battle to assassinate Shi Miyuan. In particular, when he took the pill to break through his own limits and even suppressed Guihua, who had reached the microscopic realm, he also touched the threshold of the microscopic realm.

There is great terror between life and death. After crossing the line between life and death, Wu Chengyu was left with only one step left. However, he never expected that this step would fall on Dugu Sword Tomb. As long as he recovers his foundation and takes another step forward on this basis, reaching the Microscopic Realm will not be a dream.

If it weren't for that assassination attempt that nearly killed him, Wu Chengyu would have wasted countless years trying to reach the Subtle Realm. This step is not easy to cross. Just look at Qiu Qianren, who was controlled by the Five Greats his entire life because he was just one step short.

Wu Chengyu put down the Xuan Tie Heavy Sword. He had no intention of practicing swordsmanship. His martial arts had already followed its own path, the path of Dugu Qiubai and Yang Guo, which were not his own.

This realization today was truly unexpected, yet it can also be described as a natural progression.

Finally, his eyes fell on the first sword, a four-foot-long sword, gleaming with a blue light, a foot longer than the Xuan Tie Heavy Sword.

"Sharp and fierce, invincible, I used it to compete with the heroes of Hebei before I came of age."

The original text does not seem to give the name of this sword. Wu Chengyu picked up the sword and saw the words "Qingfeng" engraved on the hilt. The name was quite ordinary.

Wu Chengyu picked up the Qingfeng sword, and before his hand even touched the blade, he could vaguely feel the cutting sensation on his skin.
In fact, this Qingfeng sword is Wu Chengyu's real target today.

That day, when Wu Chengyu was being chased by the Snake Queen, his iron spike pierced her body, barely managing to pry off a few scales, but it didn't break through her defenses at all. The Snake King's golden scales were probably even tougher, so Wu Chengyu urgently needed a sharp blade that could pierce through the Snake King's golden scales.

Dugu Qiubai's Qingfeng sword, made of some unknown material, has been placed in the sword tomb for at least several decades, yet it remains as sharp as new, comparable to the Qingli sword passed down from the Wu-Yue period by Zhao Feng, the deputy commander of the imperial guards who died at the hands of Wu Chengyu.

　This is the fifth update today. I kept my promise. I don't know how long I can keep up with five updates a day; the pressure is immense. I also don't know how those geniuses who write 20,000 words a day manage it. Let's all keep going!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)