Be a proper Taoist priest in The Condor Heroes

Night fell over the gray bricks and tiles of Chongyang Palace, leaving only a flickering oil lamp in the courtyard, casting their shadows in shifting light. Su Yan reviewed the essence of the Quanzhen Swordplay taught by Yin Zhiping that day in his mind, then turned to look at the little boy sitting obediently to the side, and took a light wooden sword from his bundle, handing it to him.

"I asked Senior Brother Yin, and he said that even though you are a handyman, you can still learn basic sword techniques. I only know one move with seven steps, so I will teach you this move, 'White Clouds Emerging from the Mountain,' as a way to strengthen your body."

Little Nianba's eyes lit up. He took the wooden sword with both hands, gripped it tightly, and looked very serious.

Su Yan slowed down her movements, demonstrating step by step from the initial sinking of her waist and falling from her horse, to the light and agile protrusion of the sword tip, and then to the return of her aura to its origin when she finished the move.

"This move emphasizes lightness and agility, without brute force. It follows the rhythm of breathing; the sword rises with the energy, and the sword falls with the energy."

Little Nianba studied with exceptional focus. Though slender, she diligently imitated Su Yan's stance. The sound of the wooden sword slicing through the air was faint, yet it conveyed a sense of resilience. Su Yan patiently corrected her posture from the side.

"Loosen your grip a bit, don't clench so tightly."

"Take steadyer steps, and keep your back down, not bent over."

Occasionally, he would gently tap her wooden sword with his longsword to help her find the right point to exert force.

On the panel, Su Yan's proficiency in the Quanzhen Swordplay was slowly increasing.

【Grade C (Incomplete) - Quanzhen Swordplay (Beginner, 199/200)】

Although Xiao Nianba didn't have a display panel, he gradually improved through repeated practice, and his moves became more and more precise.

Looking at her earnest expression, Su Yan felt a warmth in his eyes. In chaotic times, the more skills one has, the more confidence one has to survive.

For the next ten days, Su Yan became a "regular" at the martial arts hall. He maintained his pragmatic style, heading straight to the sword training ground after his morning lessons each day, with a clear goal: to challenge his fellow students who had been practicing swordsmanship for less than a year, honing his swordsmanship and maxing out his proficiency.

In the past few days, his targets were almost entirely focused on the disciples of Zhao Zhijing's lineage. Those spoiled brats who joined the sect through connections and who usually acted arrogantly under Wang Chengye's patronage were all approached by him.

Su Yan's swordsmanship remained the same seven moves, but it became increasingly refined in actual combat. Supported by the blood and qi of a third-rate martial artist, his sword moves, though few, were all precise. In addition, he could always see through his opponent's weaknesses at a glance, and he often ended the battle in three to five exchanges.

"Senior Brother Li, your 'Three Rings Encircling the Moon' sword technique has lost its momentum. You need to use the remaining force of the first sword to launch your attack."

"Junior Brother Zhang, when you strike down with 'White Rainbow Piercing the Sun,' you are too forceful and lose the fluidity of the Quanzhen Swordplay. It is easy for the force to be neutralized."

After defeating each person, Su Yan would truthfully point out their weaknesses, his tone calm yet incisive.

But to Zhao Zhijing's disciples, this was not guidance, but blatant humiliation. In less than three days, he had challenged all of Zhao Zhijing's disciples who had been practicing swordsmanship for less than a year, and without exception, they were all defeated. A few with weaker willpower were beaten so badly that they shut themselves away, but Su Yan still came knocking on their doors.

He shouted outside the courtyard, "Senior brother, if you wish to avenge yourself, you are welcome to spar with me anytime."

The disciples were furious, but there was nothing they could do.

When the news reached Zhao Zhijing's ears, he was so angry that he smashed several tea sets over the next few days. He wanted to personally teach Su Yan a lesson several times, but Yin Zhiping stopped him each time.

"Senior Brother Zhao, sparring within the sect is a common occurrence. Junior Brother Su did not violate any rules. Your personal intervention only gives others ammunition to criticize you."

Zhao Zhijing gritted his teeth, but he knew that Yin Zhiping was right. He could only watch helplessly as Su Yan "run rampant" in the sword training ground, his teeth itching with hatred.

Since Zhao Zhijing's disciples avoided him like the plague, Su Yan turned his attention to the other six lineages.

Initially, disciples from other branches were indeed eager to participate, and the sword training ground was filled with the sharp sounds of clashing swords every day.

Senior Brother Ma, who had been practicing Quanzhen swordplay for half a year, took the lead. His first move was "White Rainbow Piercing the Sun" followed by "Three Rings Encircling the Moon". The two moves were connected smoothly, and his longsword made a sound as it cleaved through the air, showing that he had worked hard.

But Su Yan only moved her feet slightly, and with the movement of her leaping technique, her figure was as light as a breeze, dodging the sword blade. At the same time, she flipped her wrist and began the "White Clouds Emerging from the Mountain" opening stance. With a light touch of her sword tip, she accurately struck the spine of Senior Brother Ma's sword.

With a crisp "clang," Brother Ma felt a numbness in his wrist, and his subsequent "Three Rings Encircling the Moon" move instantly went awry.

Taking advantage of the momentum, Su Yan spun around and raised his longsword in a smooth motion. It was the third variation of "White Clouds Emerging from the Mountain". The blade grazed past Senior Brother Ma's sword and went straight for his wrist, forcing Senior Brother Ma to hurriedly withdraw his sword and retreat, with beads of sweat already seeping from his forehead.

"Your 'White Rainbow Piercing the Sun' has enough power, but when you connect it to 'Three Rings Encircling the Moon,' your breath sinks too quickly. The sword move is more powerful than smooth."

Su Yan sheathed his sword and stood still, his tone calm, yet every word he uttered hit the nail on the head.

"Try again, and pay attention to synchronizing your breathing with your sword movements."

Senior Brother Ma nodded in agreement and made another move. However, no matter how he adjusted his moves, Su Yan could always accurately find the flaws in his techniques whenever he used those seven moves. After three rounds, Senior Brother Ma's longsword was knocked away by Su Yan's sword and landed on the ground with a crisp sound.

He shook his head with a wry smile.

"Junior Brother Su, your 'White Clouds Emerging from the Mountain' technique is almost rendering my five or six sword moves useless!"

Zhou, the junior disciple who had been practicing for eight months, was unconvinced and stepped forward with his sword.

"I'll give it a try!"

His moves are more varied

"White Clouds Emerging from the Mountain Peak," "White Rainbow Piercing the Sun," and "Colorful Boat Amidst Light Clouds" were used in turn, with sword moves as dense as raindrops, attempting to suppress Su Yan's single move with multiple techniques.

Su Yan remained calm and composed, his dantian circulating smoothly with the Quanzhen Basic Breathing Technique, his qi and blood flowing through his limbs. When Junior Brother Zhou's "Colorful Boat and Light Clouds" came slashing diagonally, he lowered his stance, fell from his horse, and blocked with his longsword. Using the momentum of the opponent's attack, he lightly deflected the blow, simultaneously twisting his wrist so that the sword tip flicked like a snake's tongue, aiming directly at the opening in Junior Brother Zhou's sword strike.

That is precisely the flaw that inevitably appears during multi-mode switching.

Junior Brother Zhou hurriedly changed his move, wanting to use "Three Rings Encircling the Moon" to defend, but Su Yan saw through it first. He slashed his longsword horizontally, and the wind of the sword swept past his wrist, forcing him to let go and abandon the sword.

"You were too eager to switch moves, and you didn't use your full strength in any of them, which gave them an opening."

Su Yan bent down, picked up the longsword, and handed it to him. The proficiency level on the panel subtly increased.

What frustrated the disciples even more was that some of them later discovered that Su Yan sometimes didn't even bother to use the complete seven moves of "White Clouds Emerging from the Mountain".

After practicing for nine months, Junior Brother Zheng tried to force Su Yan to retreat with desperate moves, but Su Yan only used a simple basic rapier. Taking advantage of the reaction speed of a third-rate martial artist, he struck the blade of Zheng's sword after being caught off guard, thus dissipating most of the force.

Then, with a flick of his wrist, he delivered another basic upward sword strike, precisely timing it at the moment when Junior Brother Zheng was retracting his move, causing him to instantly lose all his strength and stagger back three steps.

"Junior Brother Su, can't you use a different move? I've almost memorized all seven of these moves!"

Junior Brother Zheng rubbed his aching wrist, his face full of helplessness, his tone tinged with a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

"Yes, Senior Brother Su, if we keep losing, I won't even have the face to hold a sword anymore!"

Another disciple, who had been defeated three times in a row, chimed in. He had just used his most prized move, "Setting the Moon with Clouds," but Su Yan easily countered it with the fifth move, "White Clouds Emerging from the Mountain." The frustration of hitting cotton with all one's might was even more stifling than losing a fierce battle.

The initial excitement gradually faded. Although the disciples all knew that sparring with Su Yan could quickly reveal their own weaknesses, their swordsmanship was indeed improving.

For example, Senior Brother Ma's moves flowed much more smoothly, and Junior Brother Zhou's breathing became much more stable.

But no one can withstand the taste of defeat time and time again.

The once bustling sword training ground gradually lost its previous noise, and fewer and fewer disciples took the initiative to challenge. Only a few resilient individuals who wanted to take the opportunity to hone their foundations persisted. Most of the others watched from the sidelines, occasionally whispering a few words, their eyes filled with complex emotions, including admiration and a sense of helplessness at having to give up.

Su Yan didn't seem to care much about this; his gaze was fixed on the steadily rising data on the panel.

Host: Su Yan

Age: 16

Internal strength:

Level C - Complete Authentic Basic Breathing Techniques (Beginner, 138/200)

skill:

Rank E - Su Family Sword Technique (Perfect, 268/500) [Consumable -30%, Armor Penetration +30%, Pressure +40%]

Rank E - Leap Technique (Perfect, 500/500) [Consumer Cost -30%, Agility +40%, Evasion +40%]

Rank E - Monument Smasher (Mastery, 305/400) [Consumable Cost -25%, Critical Hit +30%, Fist Power +25%]

Rank C (Incomplete) - Quanzhen Swordplay (Mastery, 37/400)

Realm: Third-rate martial artist (52%)

The cultivation of Quanzhen Basic Breathing Technique is much slower, after all, there are many taboos during cultivation, and only slow and meticulous work can produce results, but the effect is obvious. The internal energy in the dantian is already more than half full. Quanzhen Sword Technique is quite fast at the beginning, but after mastering it, it becomes as slow as a tortoise crawl. It often takes two matches to gain a little proficiency.

Having experienced the rapid increase in proficiency firsthand, Su Yan was naturally not satisfied with this speed. However, he knew that it was because his opponents were too weak, and he would have to find disciples who had trained for two or even five years to compete with in the future.

Su Yan was puzzled as to why no entries appeared after mastering the Quanzhen Sword Technique. However, he guessed that it might be because the Quanzhen Sword Technique was incomplete. He would wait until he learned the entire sword technique before checking. On the other hand, he had mastered the Lifting and Leaping Technique a few days ago and could not make any further progress. He had also made some progress in the Smashing Stele Hand and the Su Family Sword Technique.

As for the frustration of others, he saw it but only gave them honest advice. After all, improving one's strength inevitably involves such repeated refinement and facing the gap directly.

Su Yan didn't care about this. His goal was to improve his proficiency. As long as there were people willing to spar, he would remain calm and composed. He carefully studied the connection of moves in each exchange, and his proficiency on the panel continued to rise steadily.

He knew that in Chongyang Palace, only strength was the foundation for survival. The challenges of the past ten days not only made his Quanzhen swordsmanship more and more exquisite, but also earned him the reputation of "one move can break ten thousand moves" among his fellow disciples. However, behind this reputation, there was both respect and many disciples secretly muttering "I'm scared."

The oil lamp in the courtyard still burns every day, and Su Yan's figure teaching Xiao Nianba sword practice never stops. On the sword practice field, Su Yan's challenges continue, but the figures opposite him are gradually becoming less enthusiastic than before.