The Regressor of Mount Hua-Chapter 355. Preceding Heaven Sword Technique (1)

"What can you make with it?"

"In terms of weapons, as long as they aren't too large, I should be able to forge anything. For defensive equipment, something about the size of gauntlets would be possible."

"Hmm."

Zhou Xuchuan couldn't answer easily and was lost in thought.

"That's unexpected."

Gan Yezi tilted his head at Zhou Xuchuan.

"What do you mean?"

"Aren't you supposed to be a swordsman at the pinnacle of swordsmanship? Naturally, I thought you'd choose a sword."

"That would be the case for a normal martial artist, but once you reach my level, something like that is meaningless."

"How so?"

"Because of aura. Even a treasured sword with an edge sharp enough to cut flesh just by being near it still would not compare to the power of aura. Yes, one must reach the Harmony Realm to use aura, and it cannot be sustained for long due to the heavy qi consumption, but once someone reaches my level, barring special cases, those limitations no longer matter."

It's not that a medium wasn't needed. It was just that as long as one's main weapon had the right form for one's techniques, there weren't any major problems.

"But, if the weapon is bad, wouldn't it be difficult to imbue it with aura?"

"If there really is such a person who can't overcome that difficulty among Coruscant Realm Masters, they would either be on the verge of death or a braggart who wasn't actually at this level."

As long as his weapon maintained the form of a sword, it didn't really matter.

"Well, it’s not that I don't like good swords. I cannot imbue my weapon with qi every time I train or swing it. Also, quality swords reduce the burden of maintenance."

Things wore out when used, but well-made weapons surely wore out more slowly.

In particular, treasure-grade weapons such as the Three Swords of the Spring and Autumn Annals maintained their sharpness and form as if they were brand new, even after long periods without maintenance.

"As a swordsman, it's not that I dislike good swords, if there isn't going to be any major difference in performance, I think it's better to have something else that's a bit more useful."

"That's true."

"By the way, elder, you really do seem quite composed. You haven't paid much attention to Longyuan even after seeing it."

Zhou Xuchuan tapped the handle of the Longyan hanging on his waist.

Who were the ones that forged the Longyuan of the Three Swords of the Spring and Autumn Annals?

The legendary blacksmiths of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Ou Yezi and Gan Jiang.

Things were only quiet because Zhou Xuchuan hadn't said anything—if it became known that he possessed the Longyuan, there would be chaos everywhere.

Of course, no one in their right mind would dare go after the sword of one of the Six Empyrean Overlords, especially not the sword of the Sword God himself. Still, people could be unpredictable.

Haven't famous swords and beauties always driven people crazy in history? Zhou Xuchuan had just stayed quiet in order to rule out the possibility of it becoming a source of trouble.

In Gan Yezi's case, Zhou Xuchuan had only mentioned it as the blacksmith had already noticed that his sword wasn't ordinary the moment he saw it, and in case he needed to leave it to the blacksmith for maintenance.

While the blacksmith had been surprised at the name, Longyuan, he didn't show much interest after that, which was a bit surprising.

Zhou Xuchuan had not expected the man to gape in astonishment, but even so, his reaction was more subdued than anticipated.

"Oh, come to think of it, your name is..."

Zhou Xuchuan made a face as if he had realized something when he thought about the blacksmith's name.

"Gan of Gan Jiang, Yezi of Gu Yezi," Gan Yezi replied in a displeased tone.

"Just in case you misunderstand, I don't have a single drop of Gan Jiang's blood in me. It's just a name that my master gave me after finding me abandoned in the mountains with no parents."

After answering, Gan Yezi frowned.

"As I lived my life as a blacksmith, there have been many things related to that name, and it's been quite annoying. Still, what can I do since it was given to me by someone who was like a parent to me? Hmph."

Zhou Xuchuan made a guess after seeing Gan Yezi's reaction.

Maybe that's why he's ignoring it on purpose?

It seemed plausible, but he didn't ask directly. He was worried that the blacksmith's pride would be hurt and he might feel offended.

Zhou Xuchuan tried to put his doubts aside, thinking that any unnecessary curiosity could invite anger, but Gan Yezi seemed to happily answer them.

"I don't want to be misunderstood unnecessarily, so I'll explain. I'm not such a narrow-minded person that I would deny the divine skill of a figure from the past based on personal feelings."

Gan Yezi spoke with a very serious expression.

Judging from the fact that he was talking about divine skill, it seemed that he acknowledged the two figures as a blacksmith.

"However, I think it's unnecessary to be obsessed with other things too much. The techniques that my master taught me and refined were just as great as those of the ancient figures."

Gan Yezi's words were filled with pride.

After hearing those words, Zhou Xuchuan was able to understand.

Acknowledge that it's great, but don't become obsessed and fixated.

In terms of martial artists, it was like being obsessed with someone else's legendary martial cultivation and losing their own self enlightenment, or getting too absorbed in someone else's teachings to the point that they weren't helpful but rather poisonous and stagnant.[1]

"We got sidetracked, have you decided what you want?"

"Um... could you give me a moment? I need to think."

"Do whatever you want."

Gan Yezi nodded and went back to work. fгeewebnovёl.com

Hmm. What should I do?

Zhou Xuchuan stood in the corner of the workshop and pondered.

If it were a full suit of armor like the Black Iron Armor, that would be different. But if it were just regular armor, he could simply use a defensive qi barrier instead. It would not be necessary. Swords and spears aren't that useful either, but it would be a waste to forge it into multiple hidden weapons...

The more he thought about how to use the forged item, the more it seemed there was nothing that truly suited him.

No, wait.

Zhou Xuchuan blinked as if he remembered something.

If it's difficult for me to use, then it doesn't have to be limited to just me.

He closed his eyes and thought for a moment.

After a moment, his worries ended.

"Elder, I've decided."

Zhou Xuchuan told Gan Yezi what he had in mind.

"Okay. Since it's Ten Thousand Year Cold Iron, it'll take quite some time to refine it."

"I'll leave it to you."

"Oh, and can I borrow this for a while?"

Gan Yezi held up the Flame Point Spear.

"It doesn't matter to me, but what are you going to use it for?"

"Hey! Workshop Phantom!"

At Gan Yezi’s call, the Phantom working in the corner blurred and appeared before them.

The Phantom had originally been assigned as Gan Yezi’s guard, but the blacksmith had found that a waste of manpower and turned him into an assistant instead.

Perhaps because of that, his skin had been tanned and turned copper-colored from being exposed to the heat for a long time.

"Now, shoot it over there."

Gan Yezi placed the Flame Point Spear into the Phantom’s hand.

"No way..."

Zhou Xuchuan wore a dumbfounded expression.

But his "no way" had become reality.

Workshop Phantom poured his qi into the spear aimed at the brazier.

Woosh!

A flame shot out from the tip of the Flame Point Spear, filling the brazier.

Seriously...

This was the moment that the divine weapon, the Flame Point Spear, had been relegated to being a flamethrower.

If there was a martial artist who specialized in the spear present, they would be furious. It was such an absurd use of the weapon.

"It's a shame I can't use it myself, but it looks like it's still quite useful," Gan Yezi quipped.

"..."

***

Zhou Xuchuan decided to stay in Jinan for the time being.

He planned to wait for a response from Hainan Island, monitor the Dark Heavens Association, and act accordingly.

Of course, he did not just idle away the time.

It was good to take a break after a long time, but since they were clearly in the middle of a war, it was better to build up his strength even a little.

Zhou Xuchuan went to the personal training ground set up in the basement of the Gold Will Merchants and focused on training for a while.

A few days later.

"Ha..."

Zhou Xuchuan exclaimed in amazement.

"While Regression itself is incredible, Imitation really shouldn’t be underestimated either."

Yes, Zhou Xuchuan had been training intermittently whenever he had time. But now, with consistent focus, he had achieved remarkable progress.

Including the South Sea Single Sword Flow that he recently acquired, he had managed to raise the various martial arts he had learned through the Ten Thousand Convergence Art by half a stage.

"I need... even more diversity in my techniques."

His desire for martial arts had always been endless, but after hearing about the battle with the Dark Heavens Association Lord from Yun Guang, his desire grew even stronger.

It would be great to have a combat technique so that I could fight without a weapon...

Zhou Xuchuan put away his sword and shook out his hands.

This was also the reason he had chosen to practice fist techniques instead of swordsmanship while in Weng'an, Guizhou not long ago.

Even Zhuge Liang could not perfectly predict the battlefield.

There could come a moment when he might be unable to use his sword. And his final opponent was the Dark Heavens Association Lord, widely known as the strongest under the heavens.

He wanted to be fully prepared.

Boundless Righteous Tranquility Fist...

Thinking about combat techniques, the Juvenile Fist Emperor's creative martial arts came to mind. However, Zhou Xuchuan soon shook his head left and right.

The Juvenile Fist Emperor's personality is such that he hadn't wanted to take on any disciples, so he wouldn't have left behind a sutra. Even if he did, I don't want to continue the techniques he left behind.

Just the thought of accepting the Juvenile Fist Emperor’s teachings made him uncomfortable.

Now, where would there be any good techniques...

Zhou Xuchuan climbed back up to the surface for fresh air, thinking about the past and future.

"Benefactor."

"Huh?"

Zhou Xuchuan blinked in confusion. Access to the private training grounds had been restricted so he could train alone.

But his confusion disappeared the moment he recognized the voice.

"Elder!"

It was the Sword Demon, Wu Qu.

"It's been a while."

He had been so busy that he hadn't had a chance to see the Sword Demon since the Great War of Good and Demonic.

It was nice to see the man again after a long time.

"Why do you look worried?"

"Oh, that's..."

Zhou Xuchuan hesitated, a conflicted expression on his face.

It's not that I don't trust the Sword Demon, but when I think about the impact the Ten Thousand Convergence Art would have, it makes it difficult to answer. It's best to keep it hidden as long as I can. Above all, this geezer is bound to answer immediately if his daughter was the one asking...

Since the impact Ten Thousand Convergence Art would have was so great, it was hard to come up with words. So, he answered indirectly.

"I was thinking about how to deal with the Dark Heavens Association Lord."

That wasn't wrong. He didn't lie.

"Oho."

Wu Qu's eyes showed an interesting look.

It wasn't because he had regained his memories of his previous life, but because the man in question was the head of the Dark Heavens Association that Zhou Xuchuan had warned him about long ago.

"It seems like something happened."

"That... ah! This is great timing."

Zhou Xuchuan’s face lit up as if something had come to mind.

"If it's not too much trouble, may I ask for advice on martial arts?"

Zhou Xuchuan didn't know much about Wu Qu either.

He was aware that Wu Qu came from a mysterious sect, but beyond that, he knew little.

Even if someone was a benefactor, there were lines that should not be crossed.

That was often the case with monks and martial artists. If he was not careful, even his relationship as a benefactor could fall apart. Zhou Xuchuan wanted to preserve this relationship until the end, unwilling to relive the nightmare that had been the Sword Demon.

That was the reason why he couldn't help but be cautious.

"Of course."

Wu Qu nodded coolly, but Zhou Xuchuan's attitude was still cautious.

"Is your sword technique by chance... a quicksword technique?"

Zhou Xuchuan had seen the Sword Demon, Wu Qu's sword, before, when the man had helped him after he defeated the Heavenly Demon during the Great War of Good and Demonic.

It was a sword that even a Coruscant Realm Master, and a swordsman at that, couldn't help but admire.

The exact principles behind it were unclear, but the sword had moved so fast that it seemed to fall under the category of quicksword techniques.

"It's similar."

The answer was vague, but Wu Qu didn't deny it.

"I heard that the Dark Heavens Association Lord also wields a quicksword technique, so I would like to hear your opinion."

Zhou Xuchuan's main martial art, the sword techniques of Mount Hua, were focused on illusion swords and unfettered swords.

Thanks to the South Sea Single Sword Flow, he knew how to use a quicksword technique, but his enlightenment on its principles wasn't at the Coruscant Realm.

It was only something that he used by roughly applying his enlightenment gained through the sword techniques of Mount Hua.

So, Zhou Xuchuan asked for Wu Qu's opinion, thinking that if he were a master of the same quicksword, he might be able to find some clues.

Zhou Xuchuan then relayed the account he had heard from Yun Guang, leaving out nothing.

And the answer he got was unexpected.

"It's the Preceding Heaven Sword Technique," Wu Qu muttered.

"Pardon?"

"There are few sword techniques that can either match a preemptive strike with a reactionary one or even move faster than that," Wu Qu said with a confident voice.

"The Sword Saint of Eagle Grotto. This must be his martial art."

1. This is the reason the Coruscant Realm Masters won't talk about their realm to those below them. ☜