Decaying World

Chapter 8 008 Variable Two

Time flies by in the blink of an eye.

Lin Hui followed the plan step by step, practicing the Seven-Section Fast Sword every day at Qingfeng Temple. His proficiency increased rapidly, and his physical strength and reaction speed also gradually improved with hard work.

Although he had promised his parents he wouldn't train too hard, once Lin Hui actually saw the foggy area and the strange shadows that flashed by inside, his sense of security, which had just begun to settle down, was disrupted again.

He briefly simulated the shadow he saw in the fog rushing towards him, wondering if he could react in time.

The simulation results immediately motivated him to practice even harder.

As time went by, in addition to his own hard work in gradually mastering the seven-section fast sword moves, Blood Seal's evolution of the first move of this fast sword, "Looking Far from the Top," was also coming to an end.

Early morning, in the backyard of Qingfeng Temple, at the martial arts training ground.

Each student and disciple held a wooden stick and found an empty space to practice sword moves repeatedly.

Some people could clearly see that their posture was slightly crooked, but most people were relatively skilled and practiced this sword technique, which looked like a health exercise, repeatedly.

Lin Hui found a spot next to a wooden stake, and repeatedly practiced the first move, "Climbing High to Look Far," by spinning the wooden stick in his hand.

He suddenly felt a surge of excitement. With the evolution of the Blood Seal approaching, he was wondering how the Blood Seal would demonstrate its evolutionary effects.

It now appears to be a method that induces the body to spontaneously undergo changes, ultimately leading to a qualitative transformation.

Swish.

The wooden stick accelerated faster and faster in his hands. Although it was just repeating the first move, there were very few students who could reach this speed and be so precise.

However, it was still dark at this time, and it was only just dawn. Many people were so engrossed in their practice that they didn't notice the details here at all.

Soon, about three minutes later.

Snapped.

Lin Hui stopped holding the wooden stick. He slowly withdrew from his stance, stood upright, and quietly adjusted his breathing.

Just then, the bloodstain on the back of his hand flashed and changed from a circle back to its previous diamond shape.

A surge of indescribable insights and sword-training experience quickly flooded into Lin Hui's mind.

His body trembled, and he fell into a kind of special enlightenment.

A vast amount of memory about the advantages and disadvantages of the first move, "Climbing High to See Far," as well as methods for improvement, optimization, and even trial and error, flooded into his mind.

It was as if he himself had spent many years trying and failing, gradually perfecting and optimizing this sword technique to perfection.

Tens of breaths later.

Lin Hui slowly raised his hand again, and the wooden stick drew a perfect arc forward with incredible agility. Then it turned downwards and then tilted upwards diagonally. His footwork also changed accordingly, and it was all natural and harmonious.

"It's done!" Lin Hui felt a strange sense of certainty.

Although the move he just used was still about climbing high and looking far, it was at an absolutely perfect level, so it can be called climbing high and looking at the mountain.

Furthermore, as he mastered this perfect sword move, he gained a considerable understanding of the other fast sword moves that followed.

"Fast sword, fast sword, so that's how it's fast. The seven-section fast sword technique essentially relies on muscle power accumulation. The first six strikes are like a constantly tightening spring, only entering a state of readiness for the final strike. This entire sword technique doesn't actually unleash a killing move. Clearly, the killing move is reserved for another sword technique."

Lin Hui realized that after practicing for two months, when he looked back at the moves practiced by the other students, they all looked crooked and distorted, full of mistakes.

"Ahui, why are you practicing here all by yourself?" Suddenly a familiar voice drifted from behind.

It's Chen Zhishen.

He yawned and slowly approached, carrying a wooden stick.

Why didn't you call me when you were practicing swordsmanship?

His progress was actually similar to Lin Hui's, which is also the progress of most students and disciples in the Seven-Section Quick Sword.

This sword technique is a training method, not a fighting method. The power generation hidden within it is extremely complex and requires training to develop more than fifty power generation points in the body.

If any one of these fifty points of force application is incorrect, the effect will be greatly diminished. However, once you have fully mastered this sword technique and correctly applied all the points of force application, the tempering of your body will officially begin.

For an average student to start from scratch and fully master all the power generation techniques and completely learn this swordsmanship, it would take at least three years.

This is only a rough understanding and mastery. When practicing alone, if you can get a good point of force even once in ten times, you should be thankful.

This is also why many students eventually give up and quietly leave. After all, mastering the skills is one thing, but it's not always possible to consistently complete a good practice session.

Lin Hui calculated the time he would need. With his hard work and the evolution of the Blood Seal, he would only need about a year to fully master it, and even then, to master it perfectly.

Furthermore, he discovered a formidable point during his practice.

That is, after he completed his evolution and ascended to the top of the mountain, every time he practiced this move, it was perfect without the slightest mistake. That incredibly smooth feeling, without thinking, without hesitation, everything was executed naturally.

He knew exactly what this meant.

"What did you do last night? You look so listless." Coming to his senses, Lin Hui looked at Chen Zhishen.

"Don't even mention it, I had dreams all night long. My dreams were full of..." Chen Zhishen's cheeks flushed, and he didn't finish his sentence.

"How's your swordsmanship?" Lin Hui asked, speechless, changing the subject.

He knew that the other person had recently become very close to a new female student. The two had been going back and forth and helping each other with small favors over the past few days, and were gradually getting to know each other.

"Not bad. I feel like it won't be long before I completely master all the sword moves. As for the power points, I've already figured them out. I got four right a few days ago!" Chen Zhishen's attitude became serious when he talked about practicing swordsmanship.

"Not bad," Lin Hui nodded.

"That's nothing. Huang Shan and Qiu Yi are truly amazing. One mastered it completely in a week, and the other only took four days. I really don't know how these geniuses' brains work," Chen Zhishen sighed.

Lin Hui remained silent.

He had watched these two newly arrived geniuses practice their swordsmanship; they were newcomers who had only joined in the last half month.

He mastered all the sword techniques of the Seven-Section Fast Sword in a very short time, and the accuracy of his power application was over 80%, which was simply terrifying. Compared to that, his Blood Seal was as slow as a snail.
With another sigh, Lin Hui stopped thinking about it. At least the biggest advantage of the Blood Seal was that once it was correct, it would keep being correct. During the test just now, the terrifying accuracy rate was even more mechanical than a machine.

Although I started slowly, I caught up much faster later on!

He comforted himself like this.

After chatting for a few minutes, the two practiced swordsmanship together again.

Aside from taking breaks to drink water and use the restroom, the two of them didn't stop for a moment.

Before we knew it, it was noon, and the logistics staff brought up various meals in large buckets.

Thick, dark red mixed grain rice, large chunks of braised pork ribs, and various green wild vegetables and sliced ​​brown mushrooms cooked together in a soup.

Meals were served in a special canteen on the side, with rows of wooden benches that resembled the university canteen in Lin Hui's previous life.

At this moment, men and women began to walk inside.

Many students from well-off families formed small groups around the eldest brother Chen Sui and the second brother Zhao Jiang'an.

Senior Sister Mu Qiaozhi doesn't come here often; you only see her occasionally.

In addition, several smaller groups have teamed up with the newly emerging geniuses Huang Shan and Qiu Yiren.

The rest of the people sat down in twos and threes and waited for their meals.

The meals were prepared by a designated person carrying a large ladle and a wooden bucket, going from one person to another and filling each person's meal with a ladle.

Lin Hui had been sitting with Chen Zhishen, but this time, he had just sat down and was about to greet Chen Zhishen when he saw that the guy had come to sit opposite him with a girl with shoulder-length hair. The two of them had flushed faces and were talking about something with their heads down.

"It's only been a few days. You haven't even mastered your swordsmanship yet, and you still have the mind to talk about love?" Lin Hui was speechless.

Despite this, Chen Zhishen was not affected much, and he continued to practice his swordsmanship on time and in the required amount these past few days.

Without his friends to chat with, Lin Hui ate much faster than usual. Plus, having mastered the perfect first move, "Climbing High to View the Mountain," he could now practice all eight points of force application for that move flawlessly.

This put him in a great mood, and his appetite improved considerably. He finished a large bowl of rice, gnawed on seven or eight pieces of ribs, and then spent money to order an extra portion of meat to continue eating.

While I was eating my second portion, when it was about 70-80% done, a commotion and shouting suddenly came from not far away.

This was accompanied by shouts and groans from the trainees.

Lin Hui frowned and quickly looked up.

In one corner of the cafeteria, two groups of people were engaged in a fierce confrontation around a bucket of vegetables.

One of the girls in the group was clutching her buttocks, her face flushed, glaring angrily at a tall, grinning boy opposite her.

The boy laughed while making a kneading motion with his hands.

People on both sides were cursing and pushing each other.

To avoid being caught in the crossfire, Lin Hui quickly got up, stopped eating, and stepped back to keep his distance.

Chen Zhishen also hid there with the young girl he had just met.

"It was Huang Shan who got his butt pinched!"

"Who's so bold? Huang Shan is so talented, the teachers must be watching him, right?" a little girl whispered.

“It’s that guy Chen Chong. He’s harassed quite a few pretty girls in the temple. As for his high talent, what use is it to him given his Chen family background? Even though he’s a distant relative, he’s still part of the Chen family,” Chen Zhishen said, frowning.

After explaining, he quickly introduced Lin Hui and the girl.

The girl's name was Lu Baihua. She came from a family of herbal medicine farmers. She had a pretty and pleasing appearance. Although she was a bit thin, her personality suited Chen Zhishen's taste.

"Huang Shan might suffer a loss, but the boys next to her are not from ordinary backgrounds. They dare to confront Chen Chong head-on, so they must have some confidence. Let's stay away and not get involved," Chen Zhishen reminded.

"If Chen Chong is so arrogant, don't the elders in the temple care?" Lu Baihua couldn't help but ask.

"How can we manage this? Qingfeng Temple can't afford to offend the Chen family either, there's nothing we can do." Chen Zhishen shook his head.

“But this time it’s Huang Shan. What if it’s a girl without talent or background?” Lu Baihua asked worriedly.

Chen Zhishen remained silent for a moment.

"We can only hide now. I heard from a senior student before that two female students were harassed by Chen Chong two years ago. After they went home, one of them managed to escape, but the other was seen near Chen Chong's house by someone. She was acting crazy and was no longer human."

The atmosphere suddenly became tense.

Lin Hui clearly saw Lu Baihua's eyes tighten and her face turn pale.

She was clearly worried about herself.

"It's alright, don't worry. Even if you dress up a little ugly or dirty, Chen Chong won't pay any attention to you," Chen Zhishen comforted him.

Lin Hui didn't say anything, but just sighed and turned to leave.

Back in the dormitory, lying on his own bed, he silently focused his attention on the second move of the Seven-Section Swift Sword – Hundred Turns and Thousand Twists.

'Hundred Twists and Thousand Turns—The second move of the Seven-Section Swift Sword, one of the basic sword techniques, contains eight points of force. Upon mastery, it allows for accelerated training of the sixth move. Evolutionary branch: 1.'

'1—A thousand thoughts, a hundred turns.'

'Has it evolved through countless twists and turns?'

'Required resources: One wooden sword, sixty days of stamina reserves.'

Time required: Sixty days.

Lin Hui recalled Chen Zhishen and Lu Baihua's fear and worry today, and Chen Chong's arrogant, long, thin face.
'It seems that sometimes, just running fast isn't enough.'

Even if Huang Shan ran away, she still had her parents and family, so there was nothing she could do.

(End of this chapter)