The world of martial arts, the immortal swordsman in the mortal realm.

Chapter 3, Miss Huang, do you think there's any hope for me?

Lu Chen got to taste Huang Rong's legendary cooking skills.

It was truly amazing; in fact, Lu Chen had never tasted such delicious seafood in either his past or present life.

Even though the cooking utensils on the small boat were simple and the seasonings were not plentiful, Huang Rong simply made a grilled fish, a grilled shrimp, and stewed a pot of fish soup. Lu Chen still ate with great relish and praised it highly.

After enjoying a delicious meal, Huang Rong cleaned up the dishes and swept all the fish piled up at the bow of the boat back into the sea, returning it to nature. Then, she found a wooden sword in the cabin and said to Lu Chen with a smile:

"Since you want to learn swordsmanship, have you practiced the basics?"

Lu Chen nodded: "I have practiced it."

He had searched for many swordsmanship tutorial videos on the main world network and collected many so-called ancient secret sword manuals. Although he had not found a sword technique that could cultivate internal energy, he had indeed worked hard on the basics of swordsmanship.

Huang Rong handed the wooden sword to Lu Chen:

"Then let's practice and see how good your swordsmanship is."

Lu Chen didn't hesitate. He took the wooden sword and immediately began practicing basic sword techniques such as thrusting, slashing, parrying, and striking on the bow deck.

Huang Rong crossed one arm over her chest and rested her chin on her hand as she watched Lu Chen practice his swordplay.

At first she was quite serious, but as she watched, she couldn't help but smile.

I really want to laugh.

But you can't laugh.

I'm holding it in!

With unwavering willpower, Huang Rong kept her face taut, forcing a smile, and watched Lu Chen practice his swordplay until the very end.

After Lu Chen finished demonstrating a basic set of sword techniques, he looked at Huang Rong with anticipation:

"Miss Huang, how am I doing in my practice?"

Huang Rong's face was serious:

"Hmm, it's clear that Brother Lu has put in a lot of hard work to master this basic sword technique."

Lu Chen didn't mince words and laughed:
“I have been practicing for three whole months, practicing for two hours every morning and evening, rain or shine. I also practice whenever I have free time.”

Huang Rong nodded:

"Brother Lu, your hard work over the past three months has not been in vain; at least it must have exhausted you."

"..."

Lu Chen looked at Huang Rong speechlessly.

Is this a rant?
This must be a rant, right?
Huang Rong burst into laughter, finally unable to hold back any longer.

"Pfft, hahaha... Well, Brother Lu, please don't be offended, I just blurted out my true feelings!"

"..."

Lu Chen looked unwilling:

"Miss Huang, is my basic swordsmanship really that bad?"

I practiced diligently for three months, rain or shine!
"It's not that it's unsightly, but... you're so rigid and inflexible... well, I'll show you how."

Huang Rong took the wooden sword from Lu Chen and imitated him meticulously.

She imitated it so perfectly, with her tense little face, the pauses and hesitations of each sword strike, and the mechanical swordsmanship movements that seemed to be stuck in a frame, making her look just like a doll girl whose joints weren't lubricated.

"...I really trained like this?"

"Really, I'm not kidding you, that's exactly how you practiced just now. I think your basic swordsmanship might have a surprising effect. Maybe the enemy will find your swordsmanship so funny that they'll laugh so hard they'll roll on the ground. Then, Brother Lu, you can just walk over and casually stab the enemy to death with your sword, right?"

"..." Lu Chen stared blankly at Huang Rong: "Is there any hope for me?" Huang Rong quickly patted her chest to assure her:
"Don't worry, of course you can be saved. Now that you've met me, how could you be beyond saving, Brother Lu?"

If there's no hope, then my trip to the immortal realm is going to be ruined.

In order to travel to the immortal realm, I must also correct your distorted basic swordsmanship!
"Brother Lu, your problem now... Let's not even talk about how you didn't have any footwork or breathing techniques when you were practicing your sword just now. Just look at how you hold the sword. Brother Lu, you don't even hold the sword correctly."

Huang Rong held a sword in one hand and had the other behind her back. She looked at Lu Chen with a solemn expression, her tone no longer joking, but extremely serious:
"The way you gripped the sword just now was as if you had a deep-seated hatred for the hilt, as if you wanted to crush it. You used too much force! If you don't hold back and use all your strength to grip the hilt, your wrist and arm will become stiff. And how can you wield a sword with lightness and agility when your wrist and arm are stiff like that?"

Seeing Lu Chen listening attentively and seemingly deep in thought, Huang Rong nodded in satisfaction and continued:
"Furthermore, you also exert too much force when you strike with your sword. You seem to want to use all your strength in every strike. I know you are seeking speed, but in martial arts, one should not go to extremes. Unless it is the final moment when you are willing to die with your enemy, risk everything, and fight to the death, you should not easily use all your strength. You must leave some strength in reserve to deal with unexpected situations."

“Brother Lu, you use all your strength in every sword strike. This will not only make your moves stiff and expose huge flaws, but it will also leave you with no strength left to deal with unexpected changes. Just watch me…”

As she spoke, she demonstrated the basic sword technique once more.

This time, she didn't imitate Lu Chen. Instead, she used her own method to wield the sword. Although the basic sword stances were exactly the same and simple, when she used them, they had a smooth and effortless quality, as well as agility and ease.

Not only is her sword-wielding posture elegant and graceful, but when the wooden sword cuts through the air, it also subtly reveals a kind of sharp edge that is not revealed but rather hidden, making people feel that even if it is just a wooden sword, if she were to stab it, it would probably cause serious injury.

After demonstrating it to Lu Chen, Huang Rong said with a grin:

"But Brother Lu, you don't need to worry too much. After all, you've only been practicing for three months. If you continue to practice for three more years using this wrong method and the skill becomes ingrained in your bones, then it will be extremely difficult to save you!"

Huang Rong's comments were anything but polite.

But Lu Chen didn't feel embarrassed because of her young age.

Because he knew very well that Huang Rong, at her current age, might not be the most skilled in martial arts—of course, she could easily defeat Lu Chen—but her insight and knowledge were absolutely top-notch, making her more than qualified to be his swordsmanship teacher.

Therefore, Huang Rong's comments actually relieved Lu Chen, who happily replied:

"Thank you, Miss Huang, for pointing out these flaws. Since there is still hope for me, I would be grateful if you would be so kind as to offer your guidance."

Huang Rong smiled sweetly, revealing two delicate and adorable dimples on her cheeks:
"I dare not presume to offer my guidance. However, I can indeed help you correct those flaws."

She dared not teach the swordsmanship of Peach Blossom Island without her father's permission.

But teaching him the basic stances common to all sword techniques wouldn't be a problem.

"Let's practice holding the sword first... Brother Lu, relax your fingers a little more, yes, that's it, hold the sword horizontally, oh dear, why are your fingers clenched again..."

"Sorry, I'm used to it."

"Forget about this bad habit of yours."

"We're working on it!"

"Sigh, these bad habits I developed after three months of hard work, rain or shine, are really troublesome... Looks like I'll have to be ruthless. Brother Lu, please don't blame me..."

Then Huang Rong found a thin bamboo pole used for skewering grilled fish, and if Lu Chen's sword-wielding technique was wrong, she would whip him with the bamboo pole.

Her technique was skillful, and her strength was just right. She struck Lu Chen's hand, causing a sharp pain, but without damaging his skin or flesh, leaving only a faint red mark at most.

This kind of painful education was indeed effective. In less than fifteen minutes, the bad habits that had accumulated over three months were forcefully corrected.

Then Huang Rong taught Lu Chen how to "poke" with a sword.

He was taught every detail, from how to stand properly to how to generate power from different parts of his body when drawing his sword.

Yes, Huang Rong has done everything she can to travel to the celestial realm.

Fortunately, although Lu Chen had made mistakes in his training and developed a lot of bad habits, his aptitude and comprehension seemed to be quite good. Under her painful training, he could basically understand things quickly and learn them after being taught. He was also able to correct the bad habits that he had developed over three months very quickly, which saved Huang Rong a lot of trouble.

A gentle sea breeze caresses the shore, and the waves murmur softly.

The lanterns swayed gently in the sea breeze.

Lu Chen lost track of time, completely immersed in Huang Rong's teachings under the flickering, dim light.

(End of this chapter)