The world of martial arts, the immortal swordsman in the mortal realm.

Chapter 27, 27: From the simplest to the most complex, both hold true reason.

Dugu Qiubai did not leave any sword manual or sword treatise at the Sword Tomb.

The Condor does not teach swordsmanship; it only serves as a sparring partner, and its attack movements are somewhat reminiscent of Dugu Qiubai's martial arts style.

However, it cannot speak, nor can it wield a sword, and cannot demonstrate exquisite and complex sword moves. Naturally, it cannot teach the "Nine Swords of Dugu," whose general principles originate from the Book of Changes, has extremely precise and complex mental techniques, and whose general formula has three hundred and sixty variations.

Therefore, the sword tomb only contained the remains of the "Sword Demon," his life story, and four swords—or, to be precise, two swords.

A four-foot-long sword gleaming with a bluish light, and the famous Xuan Tie Heavy Sword.

There was also a Purple Rose Soft Sword, which, after accidentally injuring a righteous man, was abandoned by Dugu Qiu in a deep valley.

The last sword, a rotten wooden sword, symbolizes the highest level of swordsmanship that Dugu Qiubai achieved in his life—not being bound by material things, where grass, trees, bamboo, and stones can all be swords, gradually progressing to the realm where having no sword is better than having a sword.

"A heavy sword has no edge; true skill lies in simplicity."

Inside the Sword Tomb, Huang Rong tried to pick up the Xuan Tie Heavy Sword, but at first she couldn't lift it. The Xuan Tie Heavy Sword was only a little over three feet long. Although it was thick and blunt like an iron rod, if it were just ordinary steel, it would weigh at most ten or twenty pounds. With Huang Rong's wrist strength, she certainly couldn't swing it freely, but she could still pick it up with one hand.

"Why is it so heavy? What kind of iron is this?"

Huang Rong looked surprised.

Lu Chen said, "It must be the legendary Xuan Iron."

"Mysterious Iron? No wonder!"

Huang Rong's eyes lit up:

"It is said that black iron is several times heavier than ordinary steel. Moreover, even if you only have one or two ounces of it, if you mix it with ordinary iron and forge it into a sword, it can become a divine weapon. If this heavy sword is really forged entirely from black iron, then it is truly a rare treasure!"

As she spoke, she gripped the sword hilt with both hands, mustered all her strength, and barely managed to lift it. After only a few swings, her face turned bright red, and fine sweat beaded on her forehead. With a clang, she slammed the sword to the ground and leaned on the heavy sword, panting heavily.

Seeing this, the eagle puffed out its chest and belly and croaked a few times, as if it were laughing at her.

Huang Rong was somewhat unconvinced, but she really couldn't wield the heavy sword. After thinking for a moment, she said with a smile:
"A heavy sword has no edge, and great skill appears effortless; this saying is true, but also false."

The eagle stared at her with wide eyes, its sharp gaze conveying an attitude of telling a child not to speak carelessly.

Huang Rong said with a smile:
"There has been an old saying that 'a general wielding a club or hammer is invincible.' This club or hammer refers to heavy weapons that are heavier than ordinary weapons. This heavy sword must weigh about seventy or eighty pounds. Such a heavy weapon has rarely been wielded by anyone throughout history."

"If anyone can wield such a heavy weapon with ease, they must either be born with superhuman strength or have cultivated to the point of effortless mastery. With such strength and cultivation, what need is there for fancy moves? Just swing it around and smash it at will, and how many people can withstand it?"

Seeing the Condor's eyes widen and its gaze seem somewhat confused, Huang Rong pressed on:
"This Xuan Tie Heavy Sword can be described as a sword, but it can also be described as a heavy staff or a heavy mace. After all, it has no edge or blade, and even the tip is rounded. Compared to a sword, I think it is more like a staff, a mace, or even a hammer."

"Anyway, if I can wield this heavy sword weighing seventy or eighty pounds with ease, then I can also flatten my enemies with a few simple slashes and sweeps using an iron rod, a copper mace, or a sledgehammer. I can say that my martial arts are skillful without being cumbersome. But can that mean that my swordsmanship is superior? It can only prove that I am strong enough, have deep enough skill, and have the advantage of a weapon, so I can overcome all techniques with sheer force."

Lu Chen also felt that Huang Rong's statement made some sense.

If he remembered correctly, the weight of the Xuan Tie Heavy Sword was eighty-one jin.

Such a heavy weapon, possessing the "indestructible" properties of Xuan Tie, is indeed a heavy weapon that ordinary people cannot defeat, even in a world with lower martial arts levels, let alone in a world with higher martial arts levels.

As long as one can wield an 81-pound heavy weapon with ease with one hand, whether it's a sword, knife, staff, mace, or hammer, there are indeed few people in the low-level martial arts world who can withstand it.

However, this is essentially relying on strength and the advantage of weapons to suppress others with force, and it does not mean that "martial arts skills" are necessarily the best in the world.

After all, even Dugu Qiubai himself believed that "not being bound by things, grass, trees, bamboo and stones can all be swords, and even having no sword is better than having a sword" is the pinnacle of skill and cultivation.

Of course, before reaching the point of "not being bound by things", it is perfectly acceptable to rely on strength and weapons as a transition - if I can swing such a heavy weapon, that is my skill!

The eagle flapped its wings, looking angry, seemingly very dissatisfied that Huang Rong, a young girl, was so outspoken in refuting its master's theories.

But it couldn't speak and didn't know how to refute, so it could only gesture haphazardly with its short wings. Lu Chen laughed and said:

"Brother Diao, don't be angry. Whether it's the principle of 'great skill without artifice' or 'infinite variation,' they are all the correct principles of martial arts. I believe that Senior Dugu Qiubai must have not only the simple principle of 'great skill without artifice,' but also the infinitely complex principle of 'infinite variation.'"

The general principles originated from the Book of Changes and contained a set of extremely precise calculation formulas. It was said to be able to defeat all martial arts in the world. The "Nine Swords of Dugu" had 360 variations in a single "general formula" move, which was obviously the ultimate and complex way of Dugu Qiubai.

It is unknown where Dugu Qiubai hid the sword manual of "Dugu Nine Swords" until it reappeared in the era of The Smiling, Proud Wanderer.

The eagle clearly agreed with Lu Chen's statement, nodding vigorously and pointing at Lu Chen with its short wings, then at the heavy sword.

Lu Chen understood, gripped the hilt of the heavy sword with one hand, and with a pull, lifted the Xuan Tie Heavy Sword.

Since meeting the Divine Condor, Lu Chen has been able to consume three Bodhi Serpent gallbladders every day. Not only has his true qi cultivation increased dramatically, but his strength and physique have also improved day by day. He can now lift the 81-pound Xuan Tie Heavy Sword with one hand without feeling too strained.

Of course, to wield the heavy sword, one still needs to activate their inner energy.

Before Lu Chen could even familiarize himself with the heavy sword, the eagle swung its left wing and swept towards him.

It is a unique and exotic divine eagle, born with superhuman strength and often eats Bodhi snakes for nourishment, making its strength an unbelievable level. When it sweeps its wings, the wind it stirs up is just like the palm strike of a martial arts master. Before the wings even arrive, the fierce wind pressure makes Lu Chen feel pain in his face and his breath catch in his throat.

Lu Chen dared not be negligent. He held his heavy sword horizontally in front of the Divine Eagle Iron Wings. With a loud clang, Lu Chen felt as if he had been hit by a heavy hammer. His sword-wielding hand suddenly lurched, and his feet involuntarily plowed the ground as he slid backward.

Before he could regain his footing, the eagle pounced again, flapping its right wing and slashing down like a heavy axe.

Lu Chen quickly gathered his inner energy, channeled it into his arm, and swung his heavy sword upwards. With another loud bang and a gust of wind, Lu Chen was once again thrown backwards.

The eagle didn't even flinch, continuing its forward lunge, its iron beak swooping down on him like lightning, resembling a rapier strike with perfect timing and aim.

Lu Chen took a deep breath, channeled his true energy into his legs, and forcefully stabilized his lower body. In a flash, he used the basic sword technique of thrusting his sword to meet the iron beak of the divine eagle.

The heavy sword was too heavy, which not only prevented him from freely using his light-footed movements, but also made it difficult for him to use even slightly complex sword moves, so he could only use basic sword techniques.

However, his basic sword techniques have already incorporated some elements of "Sword One," making his speed, accuracy, and power extraordinary.

clang--

Amidst the clanging of metal, the iron beak of the divine eagle collided with the blunt, rounded tip of the heavy sword, bursting into a burst of brilliant sparks.

This time, the Divine Eagle was finally forced to stop by the rapier-style attack that contained some of the essence of "Sword One". Lu Chen was only forced back two steps before he stood firmly.

A hint of appreciation flashed in the eagle's eyes. It nodded to Lu Chen and pounced again, its short wings sweeping and slashing, its iron beak occasionally pecking out. Although the attack was simple, each strike was powerful and heavy, and the strong wind it stirred up caused sand and stones to fly and dust to fill the air, as if a martial arts master was exerting all his strength, his true energy overflowing and stirring up the sand and dust.

Lu Chen channeled his true energy to the fullest extent, using the simplest basic sword techniques such as thrusting, chopping, sweeping, and parrying to counter the attacks. He didn't use his movement techniques when they were not agile, focusing on stabilizing his lower body and moving slowly in small steps. He countered the Divine Eagle's moves and managed to steadily block its attacks for a time.

At the same time, he was carefully studying the shadow of Dugu Qiubai's swordsmanship in the Divine Condor's offensive.

Since acquiring the "Sword Imprint," Lu Chen has been reflecting on his swordplay daily, gradually understanding its principles, and his comprehension of the swordsmanship has increased day by day.

Even though the Divine Condor could not offer verbal guidance or perform overly sophisticated and complex moves, he could still glean many insights from its attack stances that resembled those of Dugu Qiubai's swordsmanship, and he benefited greatly from them.

Even before the two had started fighting, Huang Rong had already stepped aside, took out watermelon seeds from her small purse, and watched them practice intently while cracking the seeds.

Upon seeing the Divine Condor unleash a fierce gust of wind, resembling the powerful palm strike of a martial arts master, Huang Rong thought to herself that if it were her, unable to wield a heavy sword to counter it, she probably wouldn't be able to withstand even ten moves and would be sent flying by a single wing from the Divine Condor.

Even if she wanted to use her lightness skill to fight, with her lithe and petite body, she would probably find it difficult to maintain her balance in the strong winds of flying sand and stones.

Lu Chen quickly stabilized his defensive position, and in his fight with the Divine Eagle, the power of his simple basic sword techniques gradually increased, even showing a tendency to form a set of sword techniques that matched the Xuan Tie Heavy Sword. He went from simply defending at the beginning to being able to occasionally counterattack.

Seeing his rapid progress, Huang Rong cracked melon seeds quickly, her face beaming with delight, and she cheered him on in her heart.

(End of this chapter)