Qiu Tianhe secretly sighed for a moment and then said coldly:
"Raise the status of this saber a little higher? Just relying on you?"
Yejing Hall wrote the name Zhe Yunli with the simple intention that there was a silly girl who dragged her mistress to the capital to court death. Old man, don't be stubborn. Hurry up and teach the saber technique so you can get out. He never expected Qiu Tianhe to make up so many things in his mind.
However, although their thoughts were miles apart, they managed to reach an agreement on the matter.
Seeing that Qiu Tianhe had relented, Yejing Hall said with great pride:
"Just relying on me."
Qiu Tianhe didn't say any more of these empty words on the surface. He gave a cold snort, slowly propped himself up, and lifted the chain:
"Bring the saber here."
As he spoke, he looked up at the wellhead.
Shang Jianli knew the rules and didn't try to steal the skills. He retreated from the basement.
Clang—
Yejing Hall flicked his finger lightly, and the Chilong Huan Shou Saber flew forward. Qiu Tianhe caught it steadily.
Qiu Tianhe, who had practiced the saber all his life, hadn't touched a saber for almost a year. After gripping the handle of the saber, a trace of nostalgia appeared in his eyes, and his aura also changed—it was as if an old man who was half in the grave had instantly transformed into an unyielding pine standing between heaven and earth.
Whoosh, whoosh...
Amid the sound of the iron chain shaking, Qiu Tianhe's feet moved, and his body followed the saber. His movements were smooth and unhurried.
Even though his body was extremely weak, one could still see the profound foundation contained in his steps and movements.
Whoosh whoosh...
Qiu Tianhe's saber technique was very complex. Just for one move, there were many postures, as if all the joints in his body were moving.
After the demonstration was over, Qiu Tianhe threw the saber to Yejing Hall and said in an old-fashioned tone:
"This saber is named 'Tianhe', which is taken from the meaning of 'the unity of man and nature'. The saber intent is completely opposite to that of the 'Eight Steps Crazy Saber' and the 'Dragon-Slaying Order'. It emphasizes the artistic conception rather than the moves and focuses on 'following nature'. When practiced to the highest level, in the powerful parts, it is like the surging Nu River across the wilderness, and in the gentle parts, it is like a butterfly flying among the flowers... butterfly..."
The passionate voice gradually faded away and then stopped.
Qiu Tianhe was guiding the younger generation like an expert from outside the world. However, the younger generation in front of him didn't listen to a single word. He just took the saber and imitated the actions he had just demonstrated.
At first, Qiu Tianhe thought that Yejing Hall was a "useless talent", too eager for quick success and instant benefits. He started to imitate without even understanding the "saber intent". The more he imitated, the more he would go astray—because the "Tianhe Saber" had no fixed moves at all and was all about the artistic conception.
But soon, Qiu Tianhe's dissatisfied expression turned into confusion.
After practicing twice, Yejing Hall found that the saber technique taught by Qiu Tianhe was not right—the route of channeling qi was erratic. At first glance, everything seemed right, but upon closer examination, it was all wrong.
Regarding this strange feeling, Yejing Hall didn't get stuck in it. He trusted his own judgment more. If it was taught wrongly, he wouldn't follow the so-called "teaching material". Instead, he carefully sensed how the saber should be wielded and let the "feeling of the saber" lead the way.
"Huff... puff..."
It was completely silent in the stone room. Yejing Hall held the saber in one hand and slowly repeated Qiu Tianhe's movements, but each time it was a bit different.
Qiu Tianhe looked surprised. He didn't expect that Yejing Hall had such good understanding ability. Without his explanation, Yejing Hall had found the way to get started and began to feel the hidden mystery among the moves.
The Tianhe Saber was not the most powerful saber technique in the world, but it was the most difficult to learn.
Because the Tianhe Saber didn't have high requirements for the physical fitness of martial artists, while saber techniques like the "Dragon-Slaying Order" and the "Eight Steps Crazy Saber" were difficult for women and even weaker men to practice well.
The Tianhe Saber had a wider audience and was quite powerful. Naturally, the price was that it was extremely difficult to master, which tested the understanding ability of martial artists and was even a bit "mysterious". Stupid people might study it for a lifetime and still not be able to enter the realm of mastery.
Yejing Hall was able to find the trick so quickly. It was only a matter of time before he got started. In Qiu Tianhe's opinion, it would take at most three months... months...
Before Qiu Tianhe could finish his thought, he was stunned by the scene in front of him.
He saw Yejing Hall holding the saber in one hand. After practicing more than ten times, he suddenly stopped and didn't move at all.
The flame of the oil lamp on the wall was straight, and the saber in Yejing Hall's hand was as still as a solitary lamp.
When the aftershock brought about by his breathing and movements made the flame shake slightly, the saber in Yejing Hall's hand would tremble accordingly.
Qiu Tianhe looked错愕. After a moment of silence, he lightly shook his wrist.
Whoosh—
An ear-piercing sound of metal rubbing against metal came from the dungeon.
Qiu Tianhe, who had been poisoned by the Soft Bone Incense and had lost most of his martial arts skills, just slightly raised his right hand, and the thick iron chain tied to his wrist instantly tensed up and turned into a steel whip, lashing towards Yejing Hall.
But before Qiu Tianhe made his move, Yejing Hall had already taken action.
Whoosh—
A flash of saber light appeared in the dungeon, and the wind of the saber instantly blew out the remaining candle on the wall.
Just as the iron chain in Qiu Tianhe's hand was pulled up, a silver light passed through the middle of the chain, blocking the chain that was about to tense up. The tip of the saber also stopped at the place where his elbow exerted force, just right to pierce the prison uniform without hurting the skin at all.
Whoosh—
The chain lost its strength and fell to the ground again. The commotion suddenly stopped, and the light dimmed.
Screech~~~
Yejing Hall slowly sheathed the saber, took out a fire starter from his waist, and walked towards the oil lamp, praising:
"What a great saber technique. I won't move until the enemy moves. If the enemy moves, I'll move first. By sensing the subtle changes of the opponent, I can break the moves and counterattack in advance, thus always being one step ahead. The senior who created this saber technique must be a strange person with ordinary physical conditions but an unparalleled understanding ability..."
There was no response at all in the stone room.
Qiu Tianhe looked at him in disbelief. After a moment, he opened his mouth and asked:
"Why do you know the Tianhe Saber technique?"
"Hmm?"
Yejing Hall lit the oil lamp with the fire starter and turned around. He found Qiu Tianhe staring straight at him and blinked his eyes.
"Didn't Master Qiu just teach it?"
"I just taught it..."
Qiu Tianhe almost said the same thing as Luo Ning. But last time he had witnessed Yejing Hall's "Eight Steps Crazy Saber" and had a high opinion of him. Finally, he came to his senses, nodded slightly, and waved his right hand:
"Go out and let this old man be quiet."
"Could it be that I misunderstood?"
"No. The master leads you to the door, and your practice depends on yourself. Go back and practice on your own. Don't come to disturb my peaceful cultivation if there's nothing important in the future."
"Is there only this one move in the Tianhe Saber technique?"
"The Tianhe Saber pursues the artistic conception and can be regarded as an internal martial art. In a word, it's just 'a backhand saber strike', but it has countless changes and no fixed form, and it becomes more powerful as one gets older. You've just caught a glimpse of it. Don't underestimate this saber technique. When you've practiced it for a long time, you'll understand its domineering nature."
Yejing Hall felt that the Tianhe Saber technique was indeed mysterious. Although at first glance it didn't seem as powerful as the saber technique taught by his adoptive father, there were many more subtleties in it and it had great potential, which required careful study and comprehension.
Thinking of this, Yejing Hall saluted with his hands clasped:
"Thank you, Master Qiu, for your generous teaching. If I have any questions in the future, I hope Master Qiu can give me some guidance. I'll take my leave now."
"Sigh..."
Qiu Tianhe really wanted to say: "It would be great if you don't give me guidance in the future, and you still want me to guide you."
But this sentence was too detrimental to the demeanor of a grandmaster, so he didn't say it in the end. He just leaned against the wall and became withdrawn...