Chapter 162: The Art of Sword Flying 2

"Besides our hands and feet, we also have spiritual power!"

A flash of inspiration struck Yue Kai, and he tossed his curved blade into the air once more. The curved blade traced an arc across the sky, spinning and whistling. Instead of falling according to the laws of physics, it suddenly rose as it descended, hurtling straight toward Li Xiuxiang.

"Brother Yue is truly a genius! Those with strong spiritual power certainly hold the advantage."

Li Xiuxiang sighed in astonishment, his figure shifting rapidly. His short sword seemed glued to his surroundings, dancing up and down to directly deflect Yue Kai's curved blade.

Yue Kai stepped forward, but his figure bizarrely reappeared to the right. Grabbing the curved blade, he threw it again with a hearty laugh, saying, "My footwork is as simple as it is complex, Brother Xiuxiang. Watch closely."

The two of them were sparring without using true qi, keeping their force within a controlled range—a technical exchange.

Li Xiuxiang stood in place, his eyes locked firmly onto Yue Kai's movements.

Yue Kai's figure was like an illusory shadow, instantly weaving back and forth around Li Xiuxiang. Although he moved too fast to catch as a mere shadow, it was eerily and flawlessly clear. Every single step seemed as though it wanted to burn itself deep into one's soul.

Li Xiuxiang's heart trembled. Watching this unbelievable scene, his mind worked at lightning speed to memorize it.

At the same time, his short sword kept darting through the air, executing various maneuvers to intercept Yue Kai's attacks.

Initially, when Yue Kai threw his curved blade, it could only stay aloft in the air for three to five seconds, capable of only stiff and awkward shifts. But as time passed, his movements grew increasingly fluid; the blade remained airborne longer, and its maneuvers grew progressively more bizarre.

Feeling the intricate, unbreakable yet tangled connection between himself and the curved blade, a sudden spark of enlightenment rose in Yue Kai's heart. Spiritual power was like an extended arm, firmly grasping the curved blade. A human arm was restricted by joints, but spiritual power had no such limits, easily reaching any conceivable angle, which made the attacking style even more unpredictable and versatile.

On the other hand, guided by Yue Kai's deliberate movements, Li Xiuxiang's comprehension of the footwork was astonishingly profound. Even before Yue Kai explained the mental cultivation method, Li Xiuxiang was already able to mimic it with uncanny resemblance. As he moved, even afterimages began to appear—such learning talent was truly staggering.

Both men were awed by each other's innate genius, and a deep sense of mutual appreciation blossomed between them. Holding nothing back, they spurred each other onward, and the speed of their progress under this mutual validation could scarcely be described merely as advancing by leaps and bounds.

"At the origin of heaven and earth, the Great Dao is One; it manifests in a myriad of ways, returning ultimately to the One!" Yue Kai chanted, his feet tapping lightly upon the empty air as his figure shifted like a dream and an illusion.

"Guide the sword with the spirit, command the sword with qi, nurture the sword with the heart—this is the Sword-Wielding Art!"

Li Xiuxiang also slowly articulated the essence of the Sword-Wielding Art. At that moment, they acted as both master and friend to each other, casting aside all reservations just like lifelong confidants.

Countless years later, when both had grown into towering figures traversing the starry expanse, looking back upon this time would still move them deeply and remain forever unforgettable!

The saber and sword crossed and clashed in mid-air, creating an incessant roar like a blacksmith's hammer. Below, the two figures moved like phantoms, darting back and forth across a hundred meters in a fraction of a second, twisting and turning so swiftly that their true bodies were impossible to locate.

Startled by the noise, the others merely glanced from afar before retreating. Shortly after, Lancelot gave a strict order that no one was allowed onto the rooftop.

The Returning One Footwork was profound and vast, and Yue Kai did not impart all of it. Besides, his instructor had repeatedly warned him never to leak this supreme technique. Therefore, what Yue Kai taught Li Xiuxiang was strictly the footwork used in frenzied combat—the exact same version learned by the Berserker Gun God and the others.

After all, Yue Kai had no wish to reveal the true Returning One Mental Method, and without it, reaching the ultimate realm of the Returning One Footwork was an impossibility.

Even so, once mastered to a high level, it was terrifyingly potent.

Likewise, Li Xiuxiang would not share his own mental cultivation method with Yue Kai. After all, everyone had their own sect, and revealing supreme techniques without permission was a capital crime.

Even so, Yue Kai benefited immensely, as Li Xiuxiang taught him three sword techniques. Just hearing the names of these three sword techniques revealed them to be formidable offensive arts.

Though Yue Kai could not yet use them, they were still rare and precious ultimate skills.

First Ultimate Skill: Hundred Swords Splitting the Void—Thousand Swords Splitting the Void—Ten Thousand Swords Splitting the Void!

Second Ultimate Skill: Storm Sword Rain!

Third Ultimate Skill: Formless Sword!

Hundred Swords Splitting the Void was the initial peak of the Sword-Wielding Art; with a single sword strike, it felt as though a hundred swords were attacking simultaneously, and its sharpness and speed were simply unimaginable.

Storm Sword Rain was an even wider-range lethal technique. According to Li Xiuxiang, he had only scratched its surface and was not yet confident enough to deploy it.

The third technique was even more terrifying, representing the pinnacle state. At that level, the presence or absence of a physical sword made no difference; with a casual wave of the hand, the entire universe became a sword—formless, substance-less, and impossible to defend against!

The Dao of the Sword-Wielding Art was truly terrifying, belonging to the realm of pure offensive arts.

Yue Kai did not intend to reach Li Xiuxiang's exact height. After all, he was a lightning-attribute martial artist who was also studying the Sword-Wielding Art; with his cultivation talent, his future achievements would undoubtedly be unfathomable.

He simply wanted to find a better attacking method. After all, Yue Kai had always relied on his innate abilities and instincts in combat, lacking formalized techniques. While the tactical calculation arts were wondrous, they still fell somewhat short when facing complex combat situations.

When confronting opponents stronger than oneself, fighting head-on was clearly not the wisest strategy.

Especially since his true forte was spiritual power; mastering the Sword-Wielding Art would be immensely advantageous.

As for Li Xiuxiang, his power and attacking style were already near perfection, lacking only flawless footwork. Yue Kai's miraculous footwork undoubtedly made him like a tiger that had grown wings.

The two were entirely summarizing their experiences and familiarizing themselves with their skills through actual combat.

In mid-air, the Sword-Wielding Art clashed fiercely, while down below, the footwork contest raged like a raging fire, making the two realms appear entirely independent of one another.

Such a learning rate truly justified the title of genius.

"Brother Xiuxiang, observe my improved Saber-Wielding Art!" Yue Kai shouted, his figure flashing as he lunged toward Li Xiuxiang. At the same time, the curved blade in the sky flickered, suddenly transforming into a streak of light that slashed downward, perfectly coordinated as if two people were attacking in tandem.

"Brother Yue, although you are a peerless talent, the Sword-Wielding Art is unfathomably deep. Improving it in such a short time is easier said than done."

Even as he spoke, his short sword moved with an independent consciousness, spinning flexibly to charge from a flank and forcefully knock the curved blade aside.

Yue Kai smiled faintly. "Not necessarily. The sword favors lightness and agility, fluttering like a dragon, whereas the saber emphasizes raw power, heavy as Mount Tai. The ways of offense differ; how can they be spoken of in the same breath? Behold my Saber Slashes a Thousand Mountains!"

With that, the curved blade seemed grasped by a giant in mid-air, hacking down heavily stroke by stroke.

Li Xiuxiang's eyes brightened. When his short sword met the blow, it was actually bounced away. He couldn't help chuckling as he increased his strength once more, launching a ferocious collision. But to his shock, the curved blade did not change its trajectory much, continuing its downward plunge through the air—yet this time, the force behind it was vastly different.

"You can actually stack power for an attack? Brother Yue, you are truly a combat genius; Xiuxiang is deeply humbled!"

Upon contact, Li Xiuxiang was startled. The curved blade contained three distinct waves of force, each one greater than the last, descending in continuous blows. Though it appeared stationary, the high-frequency vibration was agonizing. Compared to a short sword's instantaneous omnidirectional assault, such heavy, earth-shattering slashes possessed an even more overwhelming might.

If infused with spiritual power to lock onto an enemy from afar, it would give the victim a sense of inescapable doom, leaving no option other than to face it head-on.

Such a variation completely exceeded Li Xiuxiang's expectations and defied the common sense of the Sword-Wielding Art, yet it produced a sensation of absolute unblockability.

This Yue Kai was truly a prodigy of combat. In such a short span, he could apply what he learned flexibly, absorbing the essence of the Sword-Wielding Art for his own use. Given time, he would undoubtedly become a rare and invaluable talent.

Yue Kai laughed heartily. The benefits of having powerful spiritual cultivation were fully displayed: the curved blade felt as though it were grasped firmly in his own hand, slashing downward heavily stroke by stroke in accordance with the "Frenzied Combat" style. Although it hadn't truly reached the exaggerated count of a thousand strikes, the fusion of three consecutive blows still caused his attack power to surge threefold.

Theoretically, the stacking of "Frenzied Combat" had no limit; as long as one had sufficient strength, one could unleash even greater attacks.

However, such a technique also consumed vast amounts of mysterious qi. With Yue Kai's current first-star "Novice" realm and over twenty thousand units of Anke strength, a single strike consumed a third of his reserves, making it unsustainable for long periods. Yet Yue Kai was different from ordinary martial artists; his identity as an alchemist destined that he would never have to worry about a mere shortage of physical energy.

Thus, having realized this offensive technique, Yue Kai felt ecstatic in his heart.

If he could amplify his combat power threefold, matching an opponent boasting seventy thousand units of Anke strength would no longer be out of the question.

Influenced by his instructor, Yue Kai never viewed things through rigid, conventional thinking. Therefore, from the very beginning, he had never intended to simply copy Li Xiuxiang's Sword-Wielding Art; what he needed was merely the underlying offensive concept.

Facts proved that as long as one dared to imagine, nothing was impossible!

Over the following days, Yue Kai spent most of his time sparring with Li Xiuxiang. From initially fighting without spiritual qi to Li Xiuxiang eventually unleashing fifty percent of his power, their sparring sessions increasingly resembled genuine battles.

As for Li Xiuxiang, he had fully accepted the reality that Yue Kai had twisted his Sword-Wielding Art beyond recognition.

The curved blade became much easier to control. Under Yue Kai's spiritual power, its offensive might increased dramatically. "Frenzied Combat" no longer relied solely on physical strength and mysterious qi; the addition of spiritual power rendered its shifts even more bizarre. Relying solely on physical force could only achieve a threefold stack, but after adopting the Sword-Wielding Art—or perhaps it should be called the Saber-Wielding Art—he could achieve a fivefold stack, elevating his combat effectiveness by an entire tier instantly.

Naturally, he had mainly Li Xiuxiang to thank for acting as his sparring partner, always controlling his strength so impeccably that he wouldn't injure Yue Kai while allowing him to unleash his maximum combat potential.

Time flew by in a blur, and New Year's Day finally arrived!

The great battle was also about to begin!