Comprehending Myriad Techniques as Woodcutter

A slash, yet it was the force of a saber.

Its power and sophistication were in no way inferior to his own Swordsmanship.

Yao Tianchuan’s hand trembled violently. Suddenly, he could no longer grip his sword. CLANG! It fell to the ground.

Yao Tianchuan stood frozen in place like a statue. A moment later, a figure swiftly appeared by his side. With clear features and a dashing air, it was none other than Song Qingping.

While all members of the Sword Storage Pavilion wore indigo robes, Song Qingping exclusively favored white. He had always been a maverick, and not even Wei Dong could do anything about him.

Hearing the commotion, Song Qingping rushed over. He frowned as he looked at Yao Tianchuan:

"Tian Chuan, what happened?"

Yao Tianchuan’s eyes were vacant. He just muttered under his breath:

"Over a decade of hard work is no match for three months of swinging a sword... Swordsmanship is a minor path; he has his own Great Dao..."

Seeing that Yao Tianchuan’s mind had been completely overwhelmed and he was oblivious to his surroundings, Song Qingping’s brow furrowed even tighter. He bellowed:

"Yao Tianchuan, wake up!"

The shout was infused with True Essence. Yao Tianchuan’s whole body jolted, and he finally came to his senses.

Looking at Song Qingping, he said through gritted teeth:

"Master Li, I lost... I was no match for him at all."

"Who is he?"

Song Qingping’s gaze sharpened as he asked.

By now, several other disciples had arrived, drawn by the sounds. They formed a circle, looking at each other in dismay when they heard that Yao Tianchuan had lost a duel and been left in such a state.

Yao Tianchuan mumbled:

"I don’t know."

"You don’t know? Did he not give you his name?"

Song Qingping said with a grave expression.

Yao Tianchuan shook his head:

"He only said he was a handyman... But while his cultivation isn’t high, his Swordsmanship is transcendent, just like a Grandmaster. I... I was no match at all... He... three months..."

His voice trembled and his eyes went vacant again. Seeing his condition, Song Qingping took a breath and instructed several disciples:

"Help him inside to get some rest!"

The disciples all wore grim expressions. Yao Tianchuan’s state was a sign that his Sword Heart had shattered.

As they supported Yao Tianchuan, they secretly exchanged glances.

’What kind of person could beat Junior Brother Yao into this state?’

’Junior Brother Yao is exceptionally talented and powerful. His combat record is brilliant, both inside and outside the sect. Just this afternoon, he easily defeated an opponent from the Sword Sect. He already has the air of someone invincible within his realm.’

’With his level of strength, even if he were defeated by someone from the Qi and Blood Second Transformation Realm—a senior bullying a junior—he should never be this devastated and have his Sword Heart damaged.’

’Only by feeling an insurmountable, chasm-like gap in skill would he question himself, question the sword in his hand, and end up like this.’

’A Martial Artist at the Qi and Blood Second Transformation Realm probably couldn’t do this to him. When it comes to pure Swordsmanship, not many in the Qi and Blood Second Transformation Realm could best Junior Brother Yao.’

’Even if they did win, it would be due to the difference in cultivation. With Junior Brother Yao’s willpower, he should have felt ashamed but then been motivated to strive harder and catch up.’

’Unless... it was truly an opponent of the same realm who defeated Junior Brother Yao. But even if they won, there’s no way someone in the First Transformation Realm could create such a gap in Swordsmanship that it would leave him like this...’

’What kind of enemy, what kind of Swordsmanship, could achieve something like this?’

’Could a Grandmaster have actually taken the field?’

The disciples were deeply shaken. Seeing Yao Tianchuan walking away mechanically, leaving his sword on the ground, they all sighed to themselves.

’He doesn’t even want his sword anymore...’

One of the disciples broke away to pick up his sword before escorting Yao Tianchuan into the guest courtyard.

Song Qingping watched Yao Tianchuan enter the courtyard, his brows knitted tightly together.

He retracted his gaze and swept it across the cliffside battlefield. Spotting faint traces of residual Sword Qi, his expression turned cold.

’Tian Chuan went all out, but it seems he still couldn’t do anything to this opponent...’

’The Blood Qi realm is indeed Qi Blood First Transformation. How can this be?!’

’Losing is one thing, but for someone of the same realm to defeat him so completely that his Sword Heart is shaken... that’s simply impossible!’

Song Qingping’s Sword Heart was clear and his gaze was like a torch. In an instant, he pieced together the course of the battle from the subtle clues left behind.

However, after reviewing it, he found it even more incomprehensible, and an expression of disbelief appeared on his face.

He lowered his head and looked at the mark on the ground, his brow furrowed tightly once more.

’Using a sword to channel a saber’s force? What’s that about? Are there people who practice the saber in the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect?’

Song Qingping thought for a moment, then snorted.

"It couldn’t be some treacherous old bastard suppressing his realm to get revenge, could it? Despicable! Unacceptable! No, I have to go demand an explanation from them!"

With a flick of his sleeve, he vanished in the blink of an eye, heading for the main peak to demand justice.

Xie Yuan quietly returned to the handyman’s courtyard. Pretending he had just woken up to relieve himself, he staggered back to his spot on the communal bed, once again becoming just another handyman.

He closed his eyes, replaying the recent duel in his mind, and nodded to himself.

’My first battle after reaching the Qi and Blood Metamorphosis Realm. It felt pretty good.’

After reaching the Qi and Blood Metamorphosis Realm, the speed and power of his moves were on a completely different level than before. Coupled with his sublime Swordsmanship, his strength was now immense, even among those in the same realm.

In this battle, he had brought his Swordsmanship to its fullest potential, completely demonstrating the power of his perfected basic Swordsmanship.

In terms of Qi and Blood or cultivation, having just broken through, he was considerably weaker than Yao Tianchuan. In a true contest of strength and speed, he would have been at a disadvantage.

However, he had already grasped the essence of the Sword Dao and perfected his fundamentals. Whether attacking or retracting his sword, he was a cut above in speed.

It was just like the External Training competition yesterday. When two Swordsmen fought, the disciple from the Sword Storage Pavilion was a fraction faster than the one from the Sword Sect, and the result was a complete rout.

If Yao Tianchuan hadn’t been a Swordsman, so fixated on Swordsmanship, Xie Yuan probably wouldn’t have won so easily.

Of course, if Yao Tianchuan hadn’t used a sword, then Xie Yuan wouldn’t have used one either. He always had a formidable treasure tied to his belt.

’The power of the Cloud Dragon Nine Forms is immense. It truly is a Swordsmanship technique worthy of pointing directly to the Grandmaster Level!’

Xie Yuan was quite pleased. Even if it was just the First Form, its effects—deceiving the eyes, captivating the mind, and striking down the enemy with overwhelming force—made it irresistible to opponents of the same realm.