High Martial Arts: Enlightenment after Practices

The two sat across from each other, drinking tea without a word.

The slender bamboo in the courtyard swayed gently in the breeze, producing a soft RUSTLE. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

A long time passed.

Shao Yu set down his teacup and looked at Xu Wuyi. "Where did you learn that fighting style?"

Xu Wuyi knew exactly what he was asking. "I previously encountered an opponent who used a Fast Sword in a special environment," he said. "His sword was even faster than yours, Mr. Shao. I almost couldn’t block it at the time."

Shao Yu’s eyes narrowed slightly. "Faster than the one you just dealt with?"

"Much faster," Xu Wuyi said. "So fast that its trajectory was nearly invisible, as if every strike could sever time and space."

Shao Yu fell silent for a few seconds before asking, "Ye Yixin?"

Xu Wuyi paused for a moment but quickly realized that Shao Yu must have participated in the challenge against Ye Yixin back then. "Yes."

"Ye Yixin’s sword is indeed faster than mine. I am far inferior to him," Shao Yu said, shaking his head slightly.

Despite both of them using a Fast Sword, when there was such a gap in Realm, Shao Yu had almost no ability to fight back.

"And then what?" Shao Yu asked.

"Then I adapted," Xu Wuyi replied. "I spent a month fighting him every day, gradually dismantling his Sword Technique and analyzing his patterns. Finally, I found a way to break it."

Shao Yu didn’t reply immediately. He poured himself another cup of tea and sipped it slowly. It took him a long time to speak again.

"So the method you used against me just now was that exact same approach?"

"Yes." Xu Wuyi nodded. "Your sword is very fast, Mr. Shao, but there is still a gap compared to Ye Yixin. Therefore, adapting to it was easier than that time."

Shao Yu suddenly smiled. The smile contained no resentment or bitterness; instead, it carried a sense of relief.

"Good kid," he said. "You speak bluntly, but I like hearing it." He set down his teacup and looked at Xu Wuyi. "Do you know why I set that rule, that you must defeat me first before we can spar?"

Xu Wuyi shook his head.

Shao Yu said, "Because I don’t want to waste time.

"I am fifty-three this year. I have been obsessed with the Sword Dao my whole life, and I consider myself a Number One figure among my peers. But the further I go, the more uncertain the path ahead feels.

"Those who are stronger than me disdain fighting me. Those who are weaker are boring to fight. I’m stuck right in the middle, trapped halfway up the mountain. I see a mountain as a mountain, yet I also see a mountain as not a mountain."

He paused, his tone growing calm. "That is why I set this rule. Those who can defeat me prove they are at least not beneath me and are worth taking seriously. Those who can’t prove they still lack refinement. For them, coming here is just a waste of time."

Xu Wuyi listened in silence.

Shao Yu continued, "Your battle just now showed me many things.

"It wasn’t how exquisite your Spear Technique was, nor how powerful your Gravity Manipulation was, but rather your temperament.

"From the beginning to the end of the fight, you remained perfectly calm. You didn’t panic when put on the defensive, nor did you rush when gaining the upper hand. You were constantly observing, analyzing, and adapting.

"This kind of temperament is more important than talent."

He looked at Xu Wuyi with a serious gaze. "Who else is on your upcoming travel list?"

Xu Wuyi brought up his personal terminal and projected the list into the air.

Shao Yu pondered for a moment before pointing out seven or eight people in succession, offering brief comments on each. Given his obsession with Martial Arts, he had surprisingly fought all of them before. Xu Wuyi committed everything to memory earnestly.

"Thank you for the guidance, Mr. Shao."

Shao Yu waved his hand. "It’s not guidance, just a few reminders."

He stood up and stretched. "Alright, you’re tired today. Just stay here at the Sword-Listening Hut. There’s a guest room in the back; you can tidy it up yourself. We can spar for a few days if you want. My old bones can still accompany you for a few rounds."

Xu Wuyi stood up as well. "Then I will intrude upon your hospitality, Mr. Shao."

"What intrusion?" Shao Yu chuckled. "I live here alone, and I usually don’t even have anyone to talk to. I couldn’t ask for anything better than you being here."

***

Xu Wuyi stayed at the Sword-Listening Hut for five days. During these five days, he sparred with Shao Yu four times. After the first match, Shao Yu no longer treated him with a "win to stay" attitude, but truly regarded him as an equal opponent for exchange.

Every morning, the two of them crossed swords on the martial arts training ground.

Shao Yu’s Thunder Shock Nine Swords was still as fast as lightning, but Xu Wuyi was now able to handle it with ease. He could even find openings for counterattacks amidst the sword light, occasionally forcing Shao Yu to retreat a few steps. After every sparring session, the two would sit by the stone table at the Sword-Listening Hut, drinking tea and discussing the Sword Dao, Heart Images, and their respective confusions and comprehensions in Martial Arts.

Shao Yu was a man of few words, but when it came to the Sword Dao, he had quite a lot to say.

"Your Spear Technique has already reached the Transformation Realm," Shao Yu said on the evening of the fifth day, setting down his teacup and looking at Xu Wuyi. "But your problem does not lie there."

Xu Wuyi looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

"Your problem lies in your Heart Image," Shao Yu said. "The day you first fought me, I could feel that your Heart Image was incredibly strong—too strong for someone who is twenty-three.

"I don’t know exactly what the problem is, but I understand a principle: when water is full, it overflows; when the moon is full, it wanes.

"If you were to go to a research institute for a test right now, your data in all aspects would probably far exceed the Quasi-Grandmaster Level. Therefore, if there is a problem, it originates from your true heart."

Xu Wuyi stayed silent for a moment before nodding. "You are right, Mr. Shao."

Shao Yu waved his hand. "Stop calling me Mr. Shao. Just call me Shao Yu. Even though I’m decades older than you, you’re already ahead of me on the path of Martial Arts."

He stood up, resting his hands behind his back as he looked at the slender bamboo in the courtyard. "You still have a long way to go. There are a few other decent Quasi-Grandmasters in Su’an Province. Go meet them; you might gain something new."

Xu Wuyi also stood up and gave Shao Yu a deep bow. "Thank you for your guidance over these past few days, Mr. Shao."

Shao Yu did not turn around, merely waving his hand. "Go on. Come back when you have time."

Xu Wuyi strapped the Liaoyuan Long Spear to his back and walked out of the Sword-Listening Hut.

***

In the days that followed, Xu Wuyi began his true journey.

After Su’an Province came the Northern Plain Province, then the Eastern Domain Battle Zone, and finally the various provinces of the Southwest.

Like a tireless migratory bird, he migrated endlessly across the Earth of the Federation. Wherever he went, he visited local Quasi-Grandmasters, sparring in Martial Arts and exchanging insights.

Some Quasi-Grandmasters were warm and hospitable, just like Wang Hanshan, keeping him for a few days to spar daily and talk late into the night. Others were cold and aloof, fighting him only once and seeing him out after a brief exchange of words.

And there were also Quasi-Grandmasters who, like Shao Yu, had established eccentric rules.

Xu Wuyi dealt with them one by one, overcoming every obstacle.

He witnessed a vast array of Martial Arts styles.