He changed Tiwat

A sword in one's imagination can only be used to defend oneself in one's imagination.

The swords of fantasy do not exist in reality.

However, if one cannot withstand this sword strike in their imagination, they will be injured or die.

Simulated combat using imaginary enemies isn't exactly unique to the Nata people or the "flow" style. Various martial arts schools around the world actually have similar training methods, generally conducted through meditation. However, the ability to kill in a simulated battle is unique to the "flow" style.

The meditation practiced by martial artists differs from the seated meditation of immortal cultivation. It doesn't require emptying one's mind; during meditation, the mind is mostly focused on recalling past battles and analyzing gains and losses. Before a duel, martial artists often study their opponent's strengths and conduct targeted training, in which simulated combat plays a significant role.

For example, the "Southern Cross Martial Arts Tournament" was organized by Hokuto, the leader of the "Southern Cross" fleet.

The Southern Cross Tournament is an annual martial arts event held by Liyue in recent years, and it is also a selection event similar to a "martial arts examination"—which actually hides Ningguang's intention to recruit talented people.

Almost every martial artist without the Divine Eye wants to win this competition and make a name for themselves. In addition to the prizes, the champion may also be granted a position in the Thousand Rock Army or the Eight Gates. For example, Master Qin, the "Thunder Hand" of the Ancient Flower School, won the "Southern Cross Martial Arts Tournament" and was specially recruited by the Hutchison Whampoa as a maritime security officer.

Before such duels, participants gather information about their opponents, simulate their martial arts styles, and devise strategies for victory. Once they actually enter the arena, unless they truly overwhelm their opponent with superior skill, the outcome often depends on the adequacy of their pre-match preparations.

In some ways, martial arts duels are similar to "taking an exam".

In martial arts combat, victory or defeat can be decided in an instant. There is simply no time to think about countering or deflecting attacks. Almost all actions are conditioned reflexes developed from accumulated martial arts experience. If you have simulated how to counter your opponent's attacks beforehand, you can use them naturally during the battle, which often gives you the upper hand.

Many sports actually utilize this kind of simulation training—as long as the opponent is identified and there is time to prepare, simulation training is a very practical training method.

Those like Han Fulai, who don't need to simulate or prepare, but simply put on a shield and immediately devise a way to defeat the enemy, are truly exceptional. This is the true value of the Jade Shield.

But the Nata people's "Shadow Fighting" is not about sitting in meditation; it requires actually standing up, picking up a weapon, and fighting an imaginary enemy. It involves envisioning how the enemy will attack, how you should parry and dodge, how the enemy will pursue you, and how you should counterattack…

Such training is far more realistic than mere meditation, allowing the body to remember the combat simulated in this exercise. This results in faster reactions and more accurate and sharper movements during actual combat, which is the secret to the Nata people's powerful combat capabilities as a "fighting nation."

"Flow" takes this simulated combat to the extreme, requiring practitioners to realistically simulate even the state of injury in their minds. The deeper the practice, the more blurred the boundary between fantasy and reality becomes, until fantasy becomes reality, which is when "flow" is perfected.

In fact, the principles of Liyue's Celestial Arts are quite similar to "Flow." Celestials create furniture and utensils with a thought within the Dust Song Pot Grotto, relying on this same power.

If Zhongli were to witness the practice of "flow," he would likely lament that humanity's mastery of "human power" is beyond the control of natural law.

When Keqing faced the three sword demons, all she could think about was how to protect Han Fulai while fighting off the three Iwazo-ryu masters.

Because Keqing is very familiar with the Iwazo-ryu style of fighting, she can easily predict the enemy's various actions and has also deduced how to counter the moves. This is why she was able to kill three sword demons at the cost of only injuring one of her hands.

Don't be fooled by the fact that the battle only lasted half a minute; behind it lies Keqing's more than ten years of arduous training in swordsmanship.

But the injuries Keqing sustained weren't inflicted by those paper-doll shikigami; those sword demons were merely illusions. What truly wounded Keqing was the simulation within her own mind.

Because she had a clear understanding of the strength of the Iwakura-ryu masters, she had a deeply ingrained judgment in her mind—it was impossible to defeat the sword demon in a short time without paying a price, and there was no way to escape unscathed from the secret sword "Tengu Shou".

So she got injured.

The injury was exactly as Keqing had predicted, and it was a real injury.

She was now completely caught in the "Flow Fantasy Sword" technique.

If we explain the underlying principle using a more scientific method, it is actually related to the neural signals in the human brain. All human perception is actually just electrical signals given by the brain. Hot, cold, pain... these sensations are merely the brain's cognition. If we can trick the brain into receiving signals representing pain, the human body will experience real pain.

For example, the so-called "quenching thirst by looking at plums" means that when a person imagines plums, their body automatically secretes saliva to quench their thirst.

For example, an experiment was once conducted—a prisoner was locked in a quiet room, blindfolded and tied up, his finger was cut with a knife, and a leaky bucket was placed next to him. Listening to the dripping water, within an hour, the prisoner's face would turn pale, and he would experience dizziness and weakness, thinking that he was bleeding to death. But in reality, the wound healed very quickly.

In some extreme real-world examples, humans can indeed cause physical injuries due to their imagination.

The principle behind "Flow Fantasy Sword" is the same.

Rouran's cultivation of "flow" has not yet reached the level of transforming the ethereal into the tangible. His "flow fantasy sword" requires two people to complete it together—himself as the one who makes the move, and Keqing as the one who receives the move.

He would say so many things that seemed to introduce martial arts lineages, but in reality, he was influencing Keqing's subconscious. Combined with the training ground function of the "Mirror Return Secret Realm", he created an incredibly realistic illusion, changing her perception of her opponent.

At the same time, the dark and enclosed environment of the "Mirror Return Secret Realm" can block people's senses, making it easy for them to have illusions. The amplified hearing in the dark makes people particularly susceptible to the influence of sounds, making them more subconsciously receptive to the information spoken by Rouran.

This is equivalent to a kind of "hypnosis".

—If Keqing believes those three shikigami are just three pieces of paper, then they are just three pieces of paper. But if Keqing believes these three shikigami are masters of the Iwazo-ryu style, and even know the secret sword technique "Tengu Shou," then they can truly use "Tengu Shou" to hurt her.

Moreover, such "real damage" cannot be blocked even with the Jade Shield, because it is a wound that appears on the body itself.

"Miss Keqing's Cloud Sword Technique is indeed as renowned as it is said to be. Rou Ran is truly impressed. To express my respect, I will challenge Miss Keqing to demonstrate the strongest move of 'Shinryu'—Miss Keqing, please try, can you cut through the lightning?"

Ke Qing snorted coldly and did not answer.

Rouran was not offended, and pointed a finger at the shikigami beside her, silently chanting:

"Praise be to the great power of the Thunderous Sound, may the faithful be gentle, and may you pray for the purple lightning. Svaha!"

Another shikigami appeared before Keqing—a moth taller than a person.

"This is the 'Thunder Crystal Butterfly,' the strongest creature in the world, and the one closest to that Thunder General."

"The strongest creature in this world... is probably the 'Thunder Crystal Butterfly'."

Rouran still remembered that Shechuan Gangqi had once said this to her.

In the simulation of "flow," Shibukawa Goki had defeated countless monsters, including legendary monsters from hundreds of years ago that only appeared in the Dark Calamity, but only the Thunder Crystal Butterfly could make this old man, who was known as the "Martial Saint," feel lingering fear.

The former head of the Inazuma Iwazo-ryu school, the one who follows the Kujo family's "Sword Technique Guide" in Tenryo and inherited the title of "Yon" is Iwazo Nagatane. He once proposed to Shibukawa Goki that he would use "Shinryu" to challenge the Raisencho—a Raisencho the size of a human.

However, the swordsman who possessed the "Tengu Shou" secret sword couldn't even last ten seconds.

—There are many creatures in this world that seem weak, but under certain conditions, their power can be astonishing.

Thunder Crystal Butterflies are pure elemental life forms formed from the aggregation of unstable thunder element particles drifting in the air. They are thunder element creatures that shimmer with beautiful light in the darkness. They usually roam freely like butterflies, but instead of collecting nectar, they survive on the omnipresent thunder element.

In the legends of the Inatsumi people, these flashes of lightning that leap in the night were actually a symbol of their faith.

On Tianyun Pass of Qinglai Island, there is a giant "Thunder Crystal Butterfly".

Its name is—

"Thunderous Power Appears".

Inatsume also refers to Raijin as "Narukami Daigongen".

In the language of Inatsume, "Gongen" means "the incarnation of a god or demon who descends to the present world".

"Heh, another shikigami. Do you want to compete in swordsmanship or summoning magic?" Keqing's voice sounded disdainful, but she was actually very wary.

If this is the strongest move of the Rouran's so-called "flow," then it must be even more difficult to deal with than the three sword demons just now. And how powerful must the creature that is closest to General Thunder be?

Rouran chuckled softly and said, "Miss Keqing, you are mistaken. Most human martial arts, unless directly passed down by gods, come from 'imitation'. Our Liyue martial arts school also has fist styles like 'Tiger Crane' and 'Mantis'. It's not unimaginable that swordsmanship would draw inspiration from Crystal Butterflies, is it?"

"So that Miss Keqing may know that many creatures in this world are not as weak as we humans imagine. Tiny insects like the 'Horned Beetle' can overturn objects several times their own weight. If it grew to the same size as a human, how powerful would it be?"

"The butterflies we see every day seem to fly gracefully, but if you reach out to catch them, you'll often find them incredibly agile. The Rathalos butterfly is the fastest-flying and most nimble of all butterflies. What if they were the same size as humans?"

"In the war between demons thousands of years ago, these giant Thunder Crystal Butterflies destroyed several islands in Inazuma, but were ultimately defeated by General Raiden."

"This is the fastest sword, surpassing even the 'Tengu Shou'. Let me see if human hands can catch lightning?"

Ke Qing remained silent, only staring at the Thunder Sound Manifestation before her, and gripping the Dragon Roar in the Box tightly in her hand.

"Thunder of the Heavenly Clouds - Instant Thunder".

The moment Rou Ran's voice rang out, Lei Yin's figure vanished from Ke Qing's sight.

A buzzing sound rang in Ke Qing's ears, and almost instinctively, Ke Qing raised her sword and thrust it towards her head.

The dragon's clear cry collided with the thunderbird's roar, causing Ke Qing to stagger back several steps, almost knocking over Han Fulai, who was sitting cross-legged in meditation behind her.

The long sword in her hand was still trembling.

Even in her current state of "Heavenly Punishment," with her entire body covered in lightning-elemental nerve reaction speed and dynamic vision, she is still unable to track the opponent's movements.

As the holder of the Lightning-type Vision, Keqing knows best the power that speed brings.

Even a dull hairpin, when combined with electromagnetic repulsion, can easily pierce a samurai's heavy armor. A longsword weighing only a few pounds, amplified by her extreme swinging speed, can shatter spatial barriers...

If a human-sized Thunder Crystal Butterfly were to possess the extreme speed of lightning, what kind of destructive power would it have?

Moreover, that attack just now was definitely not the full power of Lei Yin's authority; it was more like... "greeting".

Ke Qing's intuition was correct; the attack just now was merely a collision between Lei Yin Quan Xian and her during his teleportation.

Rouran was certainly not "greeting" her out of kindness, to let her get used to the speed of Lei Yin Quan Manifestation, but rather to make Keqing have a firm impression of Lei Yin Quan's authority.

Then gradually deepen this impression until it becomes powerful enough to kill Keqing.

The Thunderous Manifestation above Keqing's head spread its wings and tensed its entire body, seemingly gathering strength. Keqing had no doubt that the next attack would be even more ferocious than the last.

She lowered her center of gravity, adopting a crouching posture, and the Dragon Roar in the box in her hand was covered with the brightest lightning element light to date.

"Thunderous Roar of the Heavenly Clouds - Thunder Cutter".

Rouran's voice rang out again.

Almost simultaneously, Lei Yinquan flapped his wings, his body spinning like a top, the purple lightning from his wings like a lightning saw, determined to tear the human before him to pieces.

Suddenly, numerous afterimages appeared around Keqing, as if many Keqings had appeared beside her in an instant. Then, these afterimages all returned to Keqing and to a single sword.

"The light of the sword is like mine, cutting off everything!"

The Dragon's Roar in the Box and the Thunder Sound's permissions clashed once again.

Two extreme speeds and forces collided in mid-air, like two bolts of lightning.

There was no sound, because sound couldn't keep up with their movements.

The "ding" sounded only when Ke Qing's body bounced heavily to the ground.

Ke Qing barely managed to sit up, spitting out a mouthful of blood. A broken sword was stuck in front of her.

The dragon's roar from the box has ceased.

Chapter 407 I am a barbarian [4k]

"The Emperor possesses the Shadowless Sword, which soars through the air and extends. If there are soldiers in the four directions, this sword will fly up and point in their direction, thus defeating them. When not in use, it is always in its sheath, where it sounds like the roar of a dragon and a tiger."

This is the origin of the name "Dragon's Roar in the Box".

The sword guard of the Dragon's Roar sword is carved with a golden dragon, which looks like the Rock King Emperor who appears in the clouds during the "Invitation to Immortals Ceremony".

According to folklore, this sword was once the favorite weapon of the Rock King, and the God of War relied on it to conquer the world. Its blade is so sharp that it can penetrate a human body without leaving a mark, and an enemy pierced by it will not realize that he is dead for an hour.

The Emperor once crafted a magnificent scabbard for this sword, made of agarwood and adorned with mica, carved with scenes of war between demons and gods. Legend has it that the scabbard alone was priceless, and only such a precious scabbard could be worthy of this treasured sword.

Yet this sword would emit a restless, dragon-like roar from within its scabbard, for this ornately decorated blade forever thirsted for the blood of its enemies, and even the finest scabbard could not restrain it. To it, the scabbard was merely a shackle, imprisoning it and preventing it from doing what it was meant to do. A sword possesses a spirit and can break free of its constraints.

Therefore, the Dragon's Roar sword has been passed down to this day, and no one has ever seen that precious sword case. Compared to the sword itself, the sword case is more like a legend.

However, as the current owner of the Dragon's Roar in the Box, Keqing knows the true origin of this sword.

The materials and carvings of this sword are indeed related to the Emperor, but it was not made by the Emperor himself.

It is a sword forged a thousand years ago by Kunwu, the master craftsman of the Kun clan, a renowned forging family in Liyue.

Generally speaking, the sharper the sword, the easier it is to break. However, the Dragon's Roar in the Sheath combines sharpness and flexibility, so even if a great force is struck on the blade, it will not break.

Its sharpness and flexibility are due to the inclusion of the core of the rock pillar from the Lonely Cloud Pavilion within its blade.

The towering rock pillars of Lonely Cloud Pavilion were once the rock spears that Morax lowered to subdue his enemies. Over time, the body of the demon god seeped into the rock pillars, giving them holiness—and a trace of the demon god's ominous resentment. If one could dissect the rock pillars and delve into their core, one could find the rock marrow that emits a dim glow; that is the sacred remains formed by the power of the defeated demon god penetrating into the rock.

The golden dragon carved on the hilt is actually the emperor's power to suppress the trace amount of demonic resentment hidden in the sword.

When Kunwu forged this sword, he was blessed with good fortune and his skill was extraordinary. He completed this sharp sword in just one day and one night.

But his elderly master, seeing his disciple's masterpiece, sighed with regret and struck the ground with his cane: "What a pity! This is the only thing that lacks compassion!"

Therefore, the sword was far too sharp, its edge sharp enough to pierce the eyes of a swordsmith who had dedicated his life to forging swords.

As the saying goes, "He who possesses a sharp weapon will naturally have the will to kill." This sword, from the day it was born, was destined to drink its fill of blood.

Kunwu watched his master's unsteady departing figure and pondered for three days, during which time he did not touch any swords or blades.

After that, he spent a year meticulously crafting a sandalwood sword case to seal the sword away.

The young Kunwu thought he could control the unruly sword in this way, but after Kunwu passed away, the sword fell into the hands of ordinary people and drank the blood of enemies on countless battlefields over the past thousand years, while the sword box disappeared without a trace.

After the Battle of the Layered Rock Abyss, this sword lost its original owner on the battlefield and was later acquired by the Jade Balance Star family.

Even with the wealth of the Yuheng Star family, they couldn't produce a second sword of the same caliber as the Dragon's Roar in its Sheath. This sword was originally meant to be a family heirloom, kept in the treasury for future generations to admire.

However, like this Jade Balance Star Keqing, the current generation of Jade Balance Star Keqing is never willing to hide its sharpness in its box.

People say that extreme rigidity is easily broken, and extreme sharpness is easily blunted, but Ke Qing insists on proving that true sharpness cannot be defeated by anything.

So Keqing, who had just come of age, traveled the world with this unsheathed sword. This sword was inseparable from Keqing, and it witnessed her growth and her becoming the Yuheng Star of Liyue.

Until now.

This famous sword, passed down for a thousand years, has finally broken.

A broken sword is an ominous sign.