Martial Dao: I Can Enhance My Talents

"Such a sharp tongue. I’ll teach you a lesson today, so you don’t suffer for it out in the world!"

Chu Chong’s expression turned cold. He knew that as a mere disciple, he had no right to critique the Sect’s ranking system.

Stomping his foot hard, he pounced toward Fang Han like a fierce tiger, his short spear sweeping heavily toward him.

’Now!’

As Chu Chong’s spear swept toward him, a sharp glint flashed in Fang Han’s eyes.

The faint cyan Inner Qi in his body surged at an unprecedented speed. The Wind Momentum from his Perfection Level Startled Swan Step erupted.

SWOOSH—!

His figure seemed to blur for an instant as his speed suddenly increased several times over.

This was no longer the nimble evasion from before. Like a phantom, he moved with an angle and speed that far exceeded Chu Chong’s expectations, easily bypassing the powerful sweep and breaking through Chu Chong’s center guard.

’What?!’

The smug look on Chu Chong’s face instantly froze, replaced by sheer horror. He had never imagined Fang Han could be so fast.

A flash of faint cyan sword light, like a gentle breeze, grazed lightly across his ribs.

RIP!

His clothes tore open, and a shallow cut appeared, welling up with beads of blood.

The wound wasn’t deep, not even enough to hinder his movements, but the searing pain and sudden chill sent a jolt of shock and fury through Chu Chong.

"You... you were hiding your strength?!"

Chu Chong was both shocked and enraged.

In all their time together, he had never seen Fang Han use such a swift Body Technique. If he had, he never would have been so reckless as to provoke him.

"I just had a small breakthrough under your pressure, Senior Brother."

Fang Han’s voice was calm, but his movements didn’t pause for a second.

Having landed a blow, he no longer held back.

He unleashed his Perfection Level Startled Swan Step to its full extent, combining it with the ferocity of his Minor Achievement Wind-Splitting Swordsmanship. His figure became a series of afterimages, impossible to track.

He stopped clashing head-on, instead using his absolute speed advantage to circle Chu Chong relentlessly.

His Cyan Blade Sword was like a viper striking, attacking from all sorts of unexpected angles.

SWISH! SLASH!

CLANG! SHINK!

Shocked and furious, Chu Chong swung his short spear in a seemingly impenetrable defense, yet he always felt half a beat too slow.

Fang Han’s Body Technique was too fast, his Swordsmanship too tricky!

Every exchange left another cut on his body. Stinging wounds appeared on his arms, shoulders, and back.

None of the wounds were deep, merely breaking the skin and drawing a little blood, but their number kept growing.

His cyan Disciple’s Robe was soon tattered and stained with blood, leaving him in a wretched state.

He possessed powerful Inner Qi, but he couldn’t even touch the corner of Fang Han’s robe. He was like a clumsy bear being toyed with, waving its paws in vain.

"Bastard!"

Chu Chong’s face twisted with rage, his eyes bloodshot. He roared again and again as his Spear Technique lost all form, revealing even more openings.

The expressions of the spectating disciples had long since shifted from observation to surprise, and now to a faint disdain for Chu Chong.

"This Fang Han... he’s so fast!"

"To have cultivated his Body Technique to this level at such a young age... he truly is the seventh-ranked of the Sub-Branch!"

"I can’t believe Chu Chong, with his Middle Stage of Eighth Grade cultivation, is being suppressed so completely..."

"This is... just embarrassing for us senior brothers and sisters. He’s two whole grades higher in cultivation, yet he’s being played like a fool."

Though the murmurs were quiet, they reached Chu Chong’s ears clearly, driving him mad with shame and indignation.

He wanted nothing more than to tear Fang Han to pieces, but the more frantic he became, the more openings he exposed, and the faster the wounds on his body accumulated.

SHINK, SHINK, SHINK—

Fang Han’s gaze was cold as he struck again and again, leaving wound after wound on Chu Chong’s body.

If he had wanted to, he could have seriously injured Chu Chong long ago, but he chose not to.

He knew that if he struck a heavy blow, Lei Lie would surely intervene, and he would lose the opportunity to continue teaching Chu Chong a lesson.

SHINK—

His sword flashed again, adding a new wound to the outside of Chu Chong’s thigh.

Chu Chong cried out in pain and staggered.

"The spar ends here!"

Just then, Lei Lie, who had been watching in silence, finally spoke, his voice carrying an unquestionable authority.

Hearing the command, Fang Han immediately withdrew his sword and retreated, landing gracefully more than ten meters away. His Cyan Blade Sword pointed diagonally at the ground, his breathing steady, as if the high-speed battle had barely consumed any of his stamina.

Chu Chong, on the other hand, leaned on his short spear, panting for breath. His clothes were in tatters, covered in blood, and though they were only superficial wounds, he looked utterly miserable.

He glared at Fang Han, his eyes filled with venom and humiliation, but he didn’t dare to make another move.

"Chu Chong, your injuries aren’t serious, but continuing might affect the mission. Go treat your wounds first."

Lei Lie walked forward, his gaze first falling on Chu Chong as he spoke in a deep voice.

Chu Chong gritted his teeth and said in a low voice, "Yes, Senior Brother Lei."

He shot Fang Han a venomous glare before leaving in disgrace under the complicated gazes of a few familiar disciples.

Afterward, Lei Lie turned to Fang Han, his profound gaze lingering on him for a moment.

A rare trace of appreciation and gravity flickered in the eyes of this usually stern captain.

"Junior Brother Fang Han, excellent Swordsmanship, excellent Body Technique."

Lei Lie said slowly.

"To be able to suppress a Middle Stage of Eighth Grade disciple with your Late Stage of Ninth Grade cultivation, it’s no wonder you stood out in the Sub-Branch."

He paused before adding with praise.

"Cultivate well. With your Talent and temperament, a future as... a True Inheritor is within reach."

As soon as he said this, the gazes of the surrounding disciples on Fang Han became even more serious.

As a Seventh Grade Martial Artist, Lei Lie was not far from the rank of True Inheritor himself, so his evaluation carried significant weight.

Those words were, without a doubt, a great affirmation of Fang Han’s potential.

"You’re too kind, Senior Brother Lei. I will certainly continue to cultivate diligently."

Fang Han was inwardly moved, but his expression remained humble as he cupped his fists and spoke.

Lei Lie nodded, said no more, and waved for the crowd to disperse.

Fang Han sheathed his sword, feeling the gazes of admiration, fear, and curiosity from those around him, yet his heart remained untroubled.

’After this battle, Chu Chong probably won’t dare to cause trouble again anytime soon. I can finally cultivate in peace.’

He looked up at the sky. The sun was shining brightly.

Ignoring the discussions behind him, he immediately resumed his cultivation of the Wind-Splitting Swordsmanship in the open space.

...

Ever since that spar, Chu Chong never appeared before Fang Han again.

Even when they crossed paths during patrols, Chu Chong would immediately scowl, give him a wide berth, and avert his gaze, not daring to meet Fang Han’s eyes.

However, the venom and hatred hidden deep within his occasional glances had not dissipated. Instead, like a forcibly suppressed volcano, it had only grown more sinister.

A flicker of killing intent rose in Fang Han’s heart, but he forcibly suppressed it.

’Unless absolutely necessary, I can’t repeat what happened with Zhao Qianjun. If the Sect finds out, the consequences will be dire.’

Even now, the memory of the Sect’s investigation into Zhao Qianjun’s disappearance sent a faint chill of fear through him.

Life at the mine returned to a peaceful, three-part routine: patrol, cultivate, rest. It was simple but fulfilling.

With no external disturbances, Fang Han immersed his entire being in his cultivation.

Every day, after completing his necessary patrol duties, he would spend his time in that secluded clearing, accompanied only by the Cyan Blade Sword in his hand.

The battle with Chu Chong had indeed served as a great trial, giving him a deeper understanding of the Wind-Splitting Swordsmanship.

The subtle imperfections that were hard to notice during solo practice were magnified under the pressure of actual combat, becoming clear one by one as he calmly reviewed the fight.

He was no longer in a hurry to achieve results. Instead, he slowed down, deconstructing and pondering each sword move, one by one.

His mind was completely immersed in the world of swordsmanship, feeling the path of his Inner Qi as it flowed through specific meridians and sensing the subtle transformations as the air was pulled and torn by the edge of his blade.

A few days later, at dusk, the setting sun painted the clouds in magnificent shades of orange and red.

Fang Han was practicing a move from the Wind-Splitting Swordsmanship called "Wind Vortex Sky Splitter."

This technique required the sword to follow the body and the body to follow the sword, erupting with multiple tearing Sword Qi during a rapid spin. It demanded an extremely high level of Inner Qi control and coordination with one’s Body Technique.

His figure spun, the Cyan Blade Sword tracing sharp arcs through the air. The wind from his sword howled, kicking up a flurry of fallen leaves.

At first, his Sword Techniques still felt a bit forced, but as his mind cleared and he continuously adjusted his breathing and rhythm, the moves gradually became fluid and seamless.

At a certain moment, just as he perfectly combined the momentum of his spin with the sharp force of his blade—

HUM!

More Wind Momentum than ever before coiled around the blade, and the Cyan Blade Sword let out a clear, joyful hum.

Where the blade passed, the air no longer just whistled sharply. Instead, a minuscule vacuum trace was torn open, emitting a low-pitched but far more piercing hiss.

A thought flashed through Fang Han’s mind. With a flick of his wrist, he slashed the Cyan Blade Sword at a nearby bluestone used for strength training.

HISS!

There was no loud crash. Like a hot knife through butter, the Cyan Blade Sword easily sliced the bluestone in two. The cut surface was as smooth as a mirror.

’The Wind-Splitting Swordsmanship... I’ve reached Mastery!’

Fang Han slowly withdrew his sword, his eyes shining with irrepressible joy.

The power of his Wind-Splitting Swordsmanship had advanced again, reaching the Mastery Realm.

He carefully savored the feeling of that last sword strike.

Compared to when his Wind-Splitting Swordsmanship was at Minor Achievement, his control over Wind Momentum had now taken a qualitative leap.

If his comprehension of Wind Momentum were to be roughly quantified, at Minor Achievement, he had merely touched the threshold, grasping just one-tenth of its essence.

Now that his Wind-Splitting Swordsmanship had reached Mastery, his comprehension and application of Wind Momentum had reached three-tenths!

This improvement was directly reflected in the power of his swordsmanship.

The wind from his sword was more focused, its penetrating power was stronger, and its speed was greater.

’If I were to fight Chu Chong again now...’

Fang Han’s gaze drifted toward the direction of Chu Chong’s quarters.

If he fought Chu Chong again now, even without relying on the absolute speed advantage of his Perfection Level Startled Swan Step, he was fully confident he could easily defeat Chu Chong with his Mastery Realm Wind-Splitting Swordsmanship alone.

The increase in strength brought with it inner peace and greater self-confidence.

Fang Han stood with his sword in hand, feeling the ceaseless flow of Inner Qi within him and the exhilaration of his swordsmanship breakthrough. The path of the Martial Dao before him felt clearer and brighter than ever.

He looked in the direction of the Qingxuan Sect, his gaze calm and resolute.

There was still some time left on his guard duty at the mine. He had enough time to further consolidate and perfect his Mastery Level Wind-Splitting Swordsmanship.

’When the mission ends and I return to the Sect, the Sub-Branch rankings will have to change again.’