The Reticent Blade-Chapter 89 - Formless Blade

The sound of the blade hummed like the roar of a dragon.

After the blade was drawn, Stormqueller gripped his blade with both hands, holding it upright in front of his forehead and blocking Shi Wufeng's twin curved blades.

Stormqueller stared into Shi Wufeng's eyes from behind his blade.

"No need to probe. Just come at me with your true abilities."

With that, he pushed his blade upward, shoving Shi Wufeng back.

The Valley Master borrowed the force and flipped backward midair before landing stably on the ground.

"Your reaction speed isn't bad." Shi Wufeng began twirling his curved blades again. "But can you still catch this next strike?"

Stormqueller said nothing, only pointing the blade directly at Shi Wufeng in a clear show of disrespect and contempt for the Valley Master.

Enraged, Shi Wufeng laughed coldly and shouted, "Such audacity! Watch closely!" With that, his figure flickered and disappeared.

Boom!

The air exploded with a sharp cracking sound.

Stormqueller frowned, gripping his sword in front of him in a defensive stance. He deliberately slowed his breathing and focused on the sounds around him.

"The blade is formless..." A voice came from behind.

Stormqueller clearly felt a chill creeping against his throat. He looked down and saw a pair of curved blades crossed like a pair of scissors ready to cut his throat open!

"The blade is formless... how could you possibly find me?"

Shi Wufeng's figure appeared behind Stormqueller with a slight nod. As long as he even twitched his finger slightly, Stormqueller would be sent to his death with a slit throat.

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With a whoosh, Stormqueller Ye Beizhi slashed backward without concern for his precarious position. Although the strike was quick and decisive... it hit nothing. Shi Wufeng had vanished again.

"This blade technique is called Formless..." The voice came from behind Stormqueller, but he didn't wait for him to finish. He instantly slashed backward, but saw a figure flicker as it disappeared, striking nothing once more.

"This technique can be said to reveal the essence of the sword in a single stroke..." The Valley Master's voice lingered like a persistent pest, always coming from behind Stormqueller, but there was nothing for him to strike whenever turned around.

Shi Wufeng didn't attack, he simply harassed Stormqueller like a cat toying with a mouse.

Yet, there was no sign of impatience or frustration on Stormqueller's face. Even while being toyed with, he maintained his composure and stayed focused on his surroundings.

The frequency of voice increased, as did Stormqueller’s strikes. Gradually, shadows and flashes of blades intertwined, becoming so fast that it was impossible to tell whether the figure or the blade was faster. Anyone watching would see nothing but a blur.

"Young man"—the voice came louder now and was filled with arrogance—"your helpless appearance is no different from the others."

"It’s different." This was the first time Stormqueller had responded since the fight began.

"Oh?" Shi Wufeng was surprised to get a response. He had half expected the young man to remain silent throughout, but it changed nothing. "How is it different? You're just as hesitant, just as clumsy—"

"I've caught you."

Shi Wufeng froze upon hearing this, and the next moment, he felt a fierce wind rushing toward him! A Tang blade was aimed directly at his forehead!

What?!

How is this possible?!

The strike came so suddenly that it completely caught Shi Wufeng off guard. In his panic, he executed a desperate roll to barely avoid it.

This kid really tried to kill me just now!

As Shi Wufeng stood up again, slightly disheveled, he recalled the look in Stormqueller’s eyes behind the blade.

A chill crept into his heart...

What kind of bloody experiences could give someone so young such eyes?

Shi Wufeng’s expression became serious. He patted the dust off his sleeve and judged Stormqueller who stood motionless across from him.

"Indeed, you are exceptional, different from ordinary people... I have one more technique, watch closely."

After speaking, Shi Wufeng gripped the female blade in his right hand, pointing it straight at Stormqueller. His left hand hid the male blade in a reverse grip behind him.

"One strike brings life, one strike brings death." Shi Wufeng, Valley Master of Xuanfeng Valley, paused before announcing, "Young man, I won't hold back with this strike. Whether you live or die is up to you."

Just as Shi Wufeng finished his last word, Stormqueller moved first. A hint of admiration flashed through Shi Wufeng’s eyes. "Advancing instead of retreating? Not bad."

A fierce wind rushed in, and a direct vertical slash, without any embellishment, aimed straight for Shi Wufeng’s face.

"So fast!"

Shi Wufeng was secretly astonished, but his movements didn’t slow down. He quickly sidestepped to the other side, narrowly avoiding the blade.

Stormqueller didn’t get upset after his strike missed. He rotated his grip on the Tang blade with his right hand, spinning the blade in his palm and switching to a reverse grip.

Shi Wufeng took all of this in, his years of experience already told him how the young man would strike next.

The outcome of this fight was already decided. Shi Wufeng smirked coldly, narrowing his eyes. His curved blade was poised, ready to finish things off!

Stormqueller, with a reverse grip on his sword, saw that Shi Wufeng, having sidestepped to his left, now left himself wide open. Stormqueller’s eyes gleamed as he forcefully twisted his body left, following up with a swift horizontal slash!

Clang!

Amid the dazzling flash of blades came a crisp metallic clash.

Stormqueller glanced sideways to see that the strike he aimed at Shi Wufeng was now blocked by his right hand's female blade. He was unable to advance any further.

"Heh..." the Valley Master’s voice came from above. "Young man, you chose the wrong blade."

As soon as the valley master finished speaking, Stormqueller heard the sound of wind tearing above his head!

The male blade, which had been hidden behind the Valley Master, was now thundering down toward his head!

"I didn’t choose wrong," a calm voice said, so softly that Shi Wufeng almost didn’t hear it.

Hmmm? Confident in his victory. Shi Wufeng didn't understand what Stormqueller was implying.

Before he could look down, he felt a tremendous force slam through the male blade gripped in his left hand! Caught off guard, his wrist throbbed in pain, and the curved blade was knocked out of his hand!

Shi Wufeng was shocked, his eyes wide with disbelief, and stared blankly... Ye Beizhi's jet-black blade had been replaced by a military-issue blade!

After knocking the male blade aside, he didn’t slow down, bringing it down fiercely into Shi Wufeng’s chest!

"I"—Stormqueller gripped the military blade tightly in his left hand—"Can also use two blades."

Clink!

The moment the blade touched the Valley Master’s robes, it shattered into pieces, scattering across the ground.

The military blade had finally swung its last strike and shattered.

Gulp.

Shi Wufeng swallowed hard, sweat forming on his forehead.

Stormqueller lowered his gaze to look at the remaining hilt of the blade in his left hand and blinked.

Shi Wufeng opened his mouth and finally said, "I... I lost."

"Mm." Stormqueller nodded as if it were only natural.

"You..." Shi Wufeng pursed his lips, hesitant to speak.

Stormqueller looked at him, puzzled.

Shi Wufeng finally asked, "You... who taught you your bladesmanship?"

Stormqueller froze for a moment before replying, "My captain."

"Captain? Who’s that?" Shi Wufeng was puzzled again. He couldn’t recall any blademaster with the title of "Captain."

"Captain... His name was Niu Dayong." Stormqueller Ye Beizhi’s eyes dimmed slightly.

"Niu... Dayong?" Shi Wufeng’s eye twitched as he looked at Stormqueller doubtfully. "He was your master?"

Stormqueller looked at Shi Wufeng like he was a fool and said, "He was my captain."

That look clearly said... Are you stupid? Didn’t I tell you already?

Shi Wufeng finally realized what "Captain" meant, and he asked in surprise, "You’re a soldier?!"

Stormqueller Ye Beizhi nodded matter-of-factly.

Shi Wufeng stared at Stormqueller intently. "Are you telling me... you’ve never formally studied the blade?"

Stormqueller lowered his eyes, tidying his somewhat messy collar, and said, "My captain always said, a blade is for killing. When you pick it up, you either kill others, or others will kill you."

Stormqueller raised his head, fearlessly meeting Shi Wufeng’s gaze.

"If the blade has no form, how can there be a blade technique?"

Boom—

At that moment, Shi Wufeng felt as if his world had been shaken. This young man's simple words had shattered his years of diligent study of blade techniques.

Yes, the essence of a blade is to kill. It has no inherent form. All those elaborate sword techniques were just means to one end, killing. As long as that goal was achieved, there was no need for any bladesmanship.

"Heh... heh heh..." Shi Wufeng couldn’t help but laugh bitterly, laughing at himself for priding himself as a blade master, only to realize that a mere captain had understood the essence more deeply than he had.

Stormqueller Ye Beizhi carefully picked up the shards of the shattered military blade from the ground, placing them into his bag, and turned to look at the Valley Master of Xuanfeng Valley.

"I’m taking the blade."

After saying that, he turned and walked down the mountain without looking back.

"Wait!" Shi Wufeng called out as he looked at the young man's retreating figure. "What’s your name?"

The young man stopped but didn’t turn around. After a brief pause, he spoke.

"You can call me... Stormqueller."

***

"Stormqueller!" Like a clap of thunder, a shout exploded in Ye Beizhi’s ears, interrupting his reminiscence.

"Do you still have time to be distracted?!"

Ye Beizhi slowly raised his head to see Lin Jiulao, gripping his horse-slaughtering blade with both hands, slashing down toward him as if to split the heavens and earth!