Chapter 56: The Thrust
The young patriarch's expression was strange. That arm-thick primal qi of Tần Mục's — he called that a primal qi thread?
Was there such a thick primal qi thread?
Was there a primal qi thread with such formidable power?
And besides, what did he mean by saying his own primal qi wasn't strong enough? He had never seen anyone at the Thai Thai realm with such abundant primal qi cultivation!
This youth from Tàn Lão Village had pierced through a water-bucket-thick wooden pillar with a single sword thrust, and then pierced through two-chi-thick mountain rock with another. The power contained within his primal qi thread already surpassed who knew how many sword cultivators at the Thai Thai realm!
The village chief smiled slightly and guided Tần Mục, saying: "That's right. You haven't mastered the most basic movement in swordsmanship — the thrust. What if you could concentrate all your strength into the single action of thrusting? What if you could unleash all the power you possess?"
Tần Mục found it hard to believe and shook his head: "Using qi to control the sword only means using a primal qi thread to control it. The primal qi thread is too soft — how could it possibly unleash all my strength?"
"It can be done."
The village chief said leisurely: "You must treat the sword as a part of yourself, just like your own hand. Now, raise your hand and imagine that your hand is gripping a sword. Your index and middle fingers press against the blade. When your hand thrusts out, the sword thrusts out with it!"
"Treat it as part of my own body?"
Tần Mục was puzzled, but the arm-thick primal qi thread curled around the precious sword once more. His right hand formed a loose fist, thumb pressing against his ring and little fingers, index and middle fingers extended as if pressing against the blade.
Tần Mục thrust forward. With a *chi* sound, his primal qi thread carried the sword forward as well. The sharp blade cut through the air, producing a piercing whistle!
He was both startled and delighted. Previously, when he used qi to control the sword, the power contained within it was at most one-tenth of his own strength. Now he could feel the power in the sword had doubled!
The young patriarch laughed: "This is called the sword-finger seal — the starting posture for practicing swordsmanship. You didn't even use the sword seal just now, yet you could already pierce through mountain rock. It seems your primal qi is even more abundant than mine was back in the day!"
The village chief shook his head: "But what he's done isn't enough. Relying only on the sword-finger seal cannot defeat a master who has immersed himself in the sword path for decades. Mục nhi, let your primal qi burst forth from your palm and try again."
Tần Mục followed the instruction. The primal qi thread in his palm wrapped around the precious sword, he surged his primal qi, and once again pressed his fingers together and thrust forward.
*Whoosh!*
This single thrust actually stirred up a whirlwind! Within the whirlwind, the sharp sword howled, extremely piercing to the ears!
The young patriarch's eyelids twitched. He immediately sensed that the power of this thrust had increased by about ten percent compared to the previous one. This old cripple in front of him had only given two sentences of guidance, yet he had already brought about such a tremendous improvement in Tần Mục — truly awe-inspiring and worthy of respect!
The village chief barked: "The primal qi thread isn't wrapped around the sword — it's rooted *inside* the sword. The sword is part of your body, the primal qi is also part of your body — both are your flesh and blood! Try again!"
Tần Mục's primal qi merged with the sharp sword, soaking into the blade. He suddenly felt as if he had grown an extra hand.
When he thrust this time, he immediately felt his strength surge like a great flood finding an outlet. Seventy to eighty percent of his power gathered within the sharp sword, thrusting toward the direction of the village!
Wind howled through the village. Suddenly, the wooden stake where the butcher often stood split in half with a sharp *crack* right in front of the sword's path!
Tần Mục was stunned. His sword hadn't even touched that wooden stake — it was the sword wind that had split it in two!
The young patriarch praised inwardly. This old cripple in front of him had unleashed Tần Mục's astonishing potential with just a few words. His attainments in swordsmanship were indeed extremely high.
"Still not enough."
The village chief said: "Your strength hasn't been fully unleashed yet. You've channeled your own power into the sword, but what about your Thai Thai? Where is your Thai Thai's power? The Thai Thai must also grip the sword — thrust again!"
Tần Mục steadied himself. Within his Thai Thai divine treasury, the Thai Thai moved in unison with his own body, pressing its fingers together and thrusting forward!
"Not good enough! Where is the Đan Tâm Quyết? The Đan Tâm Quyết doesn't just require you to forge a dan heart — it requires you to plant that dan heart *into* the sword! Plant the sword for me!"
"Still not enough, do it again! Planting the dan heart into the sword — this is the most crucial point of the Đan Tâm Quyết!"
"Your legs connect to the earth — that is the source of strength. Use the leg techniques the cripple taught you to borrow power from the ground!"
"What about your eyes? Where is the heavenly eye the blind man taught you? Let your sword grow eyes too!"
"You learned boxing from Uncle Mã, tempering your muscles and sinews to be like a dragon's. You've also seen a true dragon. Why is there no majestic, overwhelming spirit of a dragon in your sword? Why is there no crushing, devastating force like Uncle Mã's boxing?"
...
Tần Mục thrust his sword again and again. The village chief's demands grew higher and higher. First, he only required Tần Mục to mobilize his own strength. Then he required him to mobilize the power of his primal qi and his Thai Thai. Then he required him to fuse Uncle Mã's boxing and the cripple's leg techniques into his swordsmanship — more and more difficult.
In just a short moment, he had already thrust who knew how many times. Yet the village chief was never quite satisfied, making him continue practicing.
Granny Tư, the cripple, and the others watched Tần Mục practicing his sword, each revealing looks of astonishment. They saw Tần Mục controlling the sword with qi. With each thrust, a short, urgent whistle sounded, followed by a great gale blowing to both sides. Even the banners of the blacksmith's shop, the medicine garden, and the butcher's shop were blown taut, fluttering backward!
And with every thrust he made, a sword mark appeared on the ground — that was the result of the sword wind grazing the earth!
Granny Tư found it somewhat unbelievable and murmured: "In such a short time, the village chief has already trained Mục nhi into a swordsmanship expert. This is just too..."
The village chief shook his head: "I haven't taught him any sword techniques. I'm only helping him integrate his strength — integrating everything you all have taught him into one. Right now, he has only just begun to understand the single movement of thrusting. There's still a considerable distance before he truly masters the thrust. And the most basic movements of swordsmanship also include slash, lift, hook, cloud, point, collapse, intercept, and shear. Only after he practices these basic movements well can he be considered to have entered the gate, and only then can he learn sword techniques. Mục nhi, thrust the butcher knife one more time!"
The moment he finished speaking, Tần Mục tossed the butcher knife into the air, controlled the sword with qi, and thrust out like lightning!
*Clang!*
The sharp sword met the butcher knife and pierced straight through the treasured blade forged from cold iron and gold crystal, the sword tip emerging from the back of the knife.
Both the butcher knife and the sharp sword fell to the ground. Tần Mục was stunned for a moment, then stepped forward to examine them. He never imagined he could have improved so much in such a short span of time.
The most basic movement of swordsmanship — the thrust — could actually possess such formidable power!
The village chief's heart trembled slightly. That Tần Mục had grasped the technique of thrusting so quickly also exceeded his expectations. He said: "Mục nhi, you may now go see the Sword Hall master."
"Wait a moment!"
The young patriarch across from him quickly raised his hand. A wooden staff floated over from the forest. The young patriarch extended a finger and shaved at the staff, quickly carving it into a three-chi-long wooden sword. He handed it to Tần Mục, saying: "Use this sword to see him. Don't use a real sword."
Tần Mục took the wooden sword and looked at Granny Tư. Granny Tư said: "The Sword Hall master has sealed away his other divine treasuries, keeping only his Thai Thai divine treasury. He's currently at the Thai Thai realm. If you use a real sword, you'll stab him to death. Go on."
Tần Mục thought for a moment, then took off his sword pouch and the Thiếu Bảo sword, placing them at the village entrance. Carrying the wooden sword on his back, he walked into the wooden building of the neighboring village to meet the Sword Gate hall master.
The Sword Gate hall master was still half-kneeling, half-sitting, one hand resting on his sword case, his gaze as sharp as a sword: "Have you come back from consulting the number one swordsmanship in the world? Use the number one swordsmanship you've learned to attack me! I want to see who dares to boast so arrogantly, claiming to be number one!"
Tần Mục shook his head: "I didn't learn any sword techniques. The village chief only taught me one movement."
The Sword Gate hall master frowned and said coldly: "I'll give you time. Go learn more. Come back to me after you've learned a sword move!"
Tần Mục said with difficulty: "The patriarch of your Thiên Ma Sect said I should come see you with a wooden sword, not a real one, for fear of killing you..."
"Absurd!"
The Sword Gate hall master's aura exploded. The very air seemed to be filled with a fierce, tragic atmosphere, mixed with the clashing sounds of metal striking metal, as if countless sharp swords were colliding and striking against one another.
It was the scent of iron and blood mixed together — the smell of rust and gore combined. Only someone who had killed countless people and living beings could possess such a fierce, tragic aura!
The latch of his sword case opened automatically. The long box opened, and the precious swords hummed. One by one, the swords flew joyfully out of the case!
He resonated with his swords. When he was happy, the swords were happy. When he was angry, the swords were angry. When he wanted to fly, the swords would carry him flying. When he wanted to kill, the swords would kill.
He was the Sword Hall master — a sword maniac.
Now, he wanted to kill. The swords in the case flew out, and in an instant, sword light surged through the room!
Without a second thought, Tần Mục controlled the sword with qi, formed the sword-finger seal, and thrust forward!
The sword light in the case erupted — and then there was a soft *ding* sound, and the sword light shattered into pieces!
*Bang!*
The Sword Hall master's tall body crashed through the wall behind him, flying backward like lightning. Then he slammed hard into the wooden building across the way, a wooden sword embedded in his chest.
Tần Mục was startled. He quickly withdrew the wooden sword and hurriedly looked. The sword tip only had a bit of blood on it — it hadn't pierced through the Sword Hall master. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.
On the wooden building across the way, the Sword Hall master's body slowly slid down, falling faster and faster, until he landed with a thud on the ground, sitting there with vacant eyes, as if he hadn't yet come back to his senses.
"Are you alright?" Tần Mục waved to him.
The Sword Hall master shook his head woodenly. His body hadn't suffered serious injury, but his spirit had been dealt a devastating blow.