Extreme Spirit Chaos Technique

Lingyun nodded. "It’s nothing. I just came to see if your injuries were better. The school break will be over in a few days."

"Yes, I’ve fully healed. By the way, Senior Sister, there’s something I haven’t been able to figure out." Ever since seeing Lingyun’s fighting style that day, Mu Chen had been wondering what made their attacks so different. He felt his own movements were already as streamlined as they could be.

Lingyun smiled. "Oh? Let’s hear it. I may not be as formidable as our Master, but I should be more than capable of guiding you." 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Mu Chen felt a bead of sweat. "I just want to know how you achieve such incredible attack speed, Senior Sister."

Lingyun was skeptical. ’Even a Martial Sect would struggle to perceive my movements, let alone a mere Martial Master like Mu Chen.’ "You saw my attacks during the last battle?"

Mu Chen nodded. "Yes."

"That’s impossible. You’re only a Martial Master. Even if you can fight opponents above your level, like a Three-Ring Martial Spirit, there’s no way you could have seen my movements."

Mu Chen considered it for a moment. ’I can probably trust Lingyun with the secret of my eyes.’ He pointed to his own eyes and said, "Senior Sister, my eyes have a special ability. They can make me perceive a person or object’s speed as many times slower than it is. That’s why I could see all of your movements clearly."

Lingyun glanced at Mu Chen’s closed eyes and was struck by a sudden realization—it seemed as though his eyes were *never* open. "Then tell me, what did I do when I killed Fei Yun?"

"Forty-one."

Mu Chen didn’t describe her actions, he only gave a number. But that number alone made Lingyun’s jaw drop. "How is that possible..."

In truth, Mu Chen’s number was incorrect. She had struck a total of forty-three times, and the final two strikes were so fast that even she could no longer perceive them. Yet Mu Chen had managed to see forty-one of them. This meant his eyes’ ability was pushing the very limits of her own speed. Furthermore, it was common knowledge that once a Martial Artist possessed a Pupil Technique, it would evolve as its user grew stronger. ’This must mean Mu Chen’s Pupil Technique is a Top-Level one, or perhaps even higher. Heavens, how did I end up meeting such a freak?’

Her expression a mixture of complex emotions, Lingyun looked at Mu Chen and sighed. "I suppose there’s no arguing with a true prodigy. Since you’re so interested in my fighting style, I might as well fulfill my duty as a mentor. Is there an open space nearby?"

A familiar place instantly surfaced in Mu Chen’s mind—the place where his destiny had changed. He nodded. "Yes. On the mountain behind my family’s home."

With that, Mu Chen started walking outside. The rain was gradually letting up. He enveloped himself in Primordial Power, creating a barrier that kept the raindrops from soaking his clothes. Lingyun quickly followed, and one after the other, they disappeared from Bifeng Garden.

As they walked along the misty path, a trance-like expression came over Mu Chen. Three years ago, the walk from the courtyard to this mountain had left him on the verge of collapse. Now, the entire distance felt like a single step.

Gazing at the unchanged scenery, Mu Chen was filled with emotion. He turned to Lingyun and smiled. "How about here, Senior Sister?"

Lingyun surveyed her surroundings, a hint of surprise on her face. The tranquil forest, fragrant flower groves, trickling stream, and strangely shaped, natural rock formations left her feeling utterly refreshed. She had to admit, she loved this place; it was so serene and elegant. "I never thought a clan from a small town would possess a place like this. This will do perfectly."

Mu Chen simply smiled without a word. Lingyun’s expression suddenly grew serious. "Take out your weapon. Execute a sequence of attacks using only your most basic forms."

"Alright." Mu Chen nodded, reached out, and grasped the Profound Jade Box, drawing from it in a single, swift motion. With a flick of his will, the Profound Jade Fan appeared in his hand with a SWISH. Lingyun was a little surprised when she saw the Profound Jade Fan. After all, back at the academy, Mu Chen had used a Giant Fan condensed from Profound Ice. This time, it was a physical weapon. The difference was like watching a concert live versus on television.

"You certainly are an odd one," Lingyun said with a frown. "On the entire Extreme Martial Continent, countless people use bizarre weapons, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen someone use a fan."

Mu Chen rubbed his nose, offering no reply. Instead, he executed the Combined Form of the Nine Waves Technique at his top speed. With his mind in full control, each of his attacks was nearly free of any wasted motion. Lingyun’s expression told him he was doing exceptionally well, but Mu Chen still felt he wasn’t unleashing the full power of the Nine Waves Technique.

Lingyun sighed in admiration. "The more I learn about you, the more of an enigma you become. I have no idea how you’ve trained. To have refined your movements to this degree at such a young age... You should know, it took me until I was in my twenties to eliminate all my own wasted motions."

Mu Chen was surprised to hear that. ’It only took me about a month to reach this stage,’ he thought. ’Although I did spend several more months getting used to the movements, it never felt as difficult as Lingyun is making it sound.’

"However, I’ve also spotted your weakness," Lingyun continued, "and it’s the real reason you can’t increase your speed. First, let me ask you a question: as a Martial Artist, what do you believe is the most important part of Cultivation?"

"The fundamentals," Mu Chen replied without hesitation.

Lingyun smiled and nodded. "Mm-hmm... Exactly, the fundamentals. The fundamentals determine how solid a Martial Artist’s foundation is, and that foundation determines how far you can walk on your path. The same principle applies to a weapon, especially one you’ve decided to master. The most important thing is, again, the fundamentals."

"Take my Cyan Blade, for instance." As she spoke, the ring on her finger flashed, and the three-meter-long Giant Blade appeared in her hand. Mu Chen was stunned. Seeing the Cyan Blade up close was far more intimidating. The sheer size of the blade was shocking enough, but the fact that it was held by such a slender woman created a stark contrast that only served to emphasize her immense power.

Lingyun saw Mu Chen staring blankly at the Cyan Blade in her hands and gave a charming smile. "What’s the matter? Is my Cyan Blade that ugly?"

Mu Chen was taken aback. "Of course not! I’m just curious why you chose a sword like this, Senior Sister. Martial Artists with the Gold Attribute who follow the Sword Dao usually choose blades that are light and sharp, but this Heavy Blade has no edge at all."

Lingyun explained, "It’s true that Gold Attribute Martial Artists who practice the Sword Dao usually opt for a sharp Sword Blade. But you can’t judge my Cyan Blade by its appearance alone, or you’ll be in for a nasty surprise..."

As she spoke, a burst of Primordial Power erupted from her arm, flowing down to the Cyan Blade. Since Gold Attribute Primordial Power naturally has properties of sharpness and durability, it instantly formed a razor-sharp, golden skin over the blade. This coating was perfectly formed, just a thin layer over the Cyan Blade’s exterior, but that thin layer made the thick, Heavy Blade unbelievably sharp.

"See? With the right application of Gold Attribute Primordial Power, even the dullest weapon can become exceptionally sharp. Your Primordial Power is the Ice Attribute, but the Ice Attribute has its own unique effects as well. You can explore those on your own time. Now, I’m going to explain your weakness."

Lingyun withdrew her Primordial Power from the Cyan Blade. She raised the weapon high and brought it down in a powerful slash. The motion was clean, simple, and unadorned, with no flashy or unnecessary movements.

"This is the foundation of weapon techniques I mentioned. My Cyan Blade is a blunt weapon, so its fundamentals are generally swinging and smashing. But because I’m a Gold Attribute Martial Artist, I can add a third fundamental: slashing, since I can make the blade sharp. This allows my techniques to extend from these three fundamentals."

"So, as I was streamlining my movements, I was also drilling these three fundamentals relentlessly. For a long time, I would repeat a single motion tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of times a day. With each repetition, I would adjust for the limits of the basic technique based on my body’s coordination and the angle of my arm. Once you find that limit, you’ll discover that the force and movement required to execute the action are surprisingly small."

As she spoke, with a quiver of her arm and a flick of her wrist, she executed a slash. There was no fluctuation of Primordial Power; she hadn’t even raised her arm. With what seemed like a mere twitch of her fingers, the Cyan Blade dropped from on high, moving so fast it was just a black blur.

"See? That’s an Extreme Slash. If I were to use Primordial Power, a slash like that would be as fast as lightning. Hah!"

With a sharp cry, Lingyun’s arm was once again enveloped in Primordial Power. Then, with a SWISH, a piercing Sword Qi shot through the air, slicing off a large chunk of rock from the cliff face. But in Mu Chen’s eyes, Lingyun’s arm and the Cyan Blade hadn’t moved an inch. It was as if the Sword Qi had materialized from nothing.

"Did you see it? That is the limit of a basic motion. However, it’s just *my* limit, not the ultimate limit. The reason you can’t see my movements is that your Martial Artist Realm is still too low. I’m certain there are many people stronger than me who have broken through even greater limits. They might execute a technique without you ever seeing them draw their weapon. But all of this requires a period of intense, arduous practice."

"Just now, I was watching your Fan Technique. What surprised me is that it seems to contain the fundamental forms of nearly every weapon type: thrusts, slashes, pierces, smashes, blocks, spins, chops, swings, and binds. This means the potential variations of your Fan Technique are immense. I’ve never seen a single weapon style encompass so much. This is a strength, but it also comes with a major weakness: you will have to spend far more time than anyone else practicing your fundamentals. For example, I only need to master the slash, the smash, and the swing. You, however, need to practice all of those basic forms. The time you’ll have to invest will inevitably be much, much greater than others."

But then, Lingyun’s expression shifted, and she broke into a smile. "Fortunately, you’re still young and have plenty of time. It’s not too late to start practicing now. I’m truly curious to see what kind of combat power a Martial Artist who has perfected every single fundamental technique can unleash. So, once school starts again, this will be your assignment from me: you will practice at least one fundamental form for more than eight hours a day. Focus on one form for a full week, then rotate to the next."