Legend of Zhan Zhao

Chapter 95 Am I truly an unparalleled swordsmanship prodigy?

"Is the world's greatest thief coming to steal the Killing Ring?"

Jie Wen's face showed surprise.

He's been all smiles lately.

He looks more and more like Maitreya Buddha.

He finally stopped laughing.

Zhan Zhao comforted him, saying, "Based on past cases, the Six Doors can't determine whether Bai Xiaofeng's letter is genuine or not. We can't confirm yet if it's really a warning from the world's number one thief. We're just here to give you a heads-up."

"That's weird!"

Gu Lin was also present and asked in surprise, "If they want to take things from my temple, why send it to the Six Doors? Is this notice fake? But if it's fake, why would Su Wuqing send it over in the first place?"

It must be said that in the case of the Zhong Kui painting, Gu Lin may still dislike Su Wuqing, but he was deeply impressed by her scheme.

Since the other party made a special effort to send it, there must be some truth to it.

"This master thief's actions are unpredictable, he plays tricks on the martial arts world, and he's hard to guard against!"

Jie Wen clearly thought so too. Looking at the letter, he sighed: "This person always leaves a notice before he makes a move, so it is indeed difficult to distinguish between the real and the fake. Many thieves also like to use his name to commit crimes, and Bai Xiaofeng does not stop him."

"Why not stop it?"

Zhan Zhao was puzzled: "The number one thief in the world, isn't he afraid that his reputation will be tarnished by those people?"

Jie Wen smiled wryly: "Because Bai Xiaofeng believes that being able to distinguish between true and false prophecies is a skill that the person in charge of the treasure should have. If someone takes a fake as the real thing and gets tricked by some scoundrels, he can't be held responsible."

"Bai Xiaofeng even deliberately left behind some notices that looked like imitations, but were actually carefully crafted by himself."

At this point, Jiewen gave a practical example:
"The case of the great robbery at the Xiangyang Prince's Mansion two years ago is just like that. The Xiangyang Prince's Mansion received a notice that the handwriting was copied perfectly. However, the Prince's Mansion's staff saw through the trick and believed that it was another group of great robbers, Yuexiahu, imitating Bai Xiaofeng's handwriting in order to make a diversion and rob the money shops in the city."

"The experts in the Prince's mansion set a trap and successfully ambushed Moon Fox at the money exchange in the city, capturing the gang of thieves."

"Thinking that the mission was accomplished, he returned to the palace and found that the three treasures that the Prince of Xiangyang cherished had disappeared. The Prince of Xiangyang was furious."

"It turns out that the Fox Under the Moon was also manipulated. Hearing that Bai Xiaofeng wanted to rob the Prince's Mansion and planned to take the opportunity to rob the banks in the city, Bai Xiaofeng planted false clues in the real thief's notice, which turned into a pretext to lure away the experts of the Prince's Mansion. Those thieves imprisoned him and cursed him for three days and three nights..."

"A complex scheme involving both truth and falsehood!"

Zhan Zhao listened with great interest: "And then what?"

Jie Wen said, "The Prince of Xiangyang offered a generous reward, and experts from all the sects came out, but they still couldn't even catch a glimpse of Bai Xiaofeng."

Gu Lin also recalled many rumors he had heard while traveling the world, and added: "All the talented people in the world despise those who imitate them, regarding them as blasphemy."

"Bai Xiaofeng doesn't care about his reputation at all. He lets those imitators run around in the martial arts world as if they're watching a monkey show, and finds it amusing. He's definitely not an ordinary person."

"It's even said that this person stole the treasure not for its intrinsic value..."

Zhan Zhao asked, "Was it to rob the rich and help the poor?"

"It's not about robbing the rich to help the poor."

Gu Lin paused, then said in a tone that was hard for someone of his temperament to understand, "It's said to be for fun."

"Just having some fun?"

Zhan Zhao's brow twitched.

Bai Xiaofeng, the "Number One Thief in the World"...

If you change your surname to Xie, it will sound even more impressive.

It's a pity that it can't be replaced.

However, if a lecherous person is a master thief, their motives become very difficult to predict.

Of course, the above are just rumors.

Whether he is truly the "world's number one thief" remains to be seen.

"The key question is, why did he choose to take the precept against killing?"

Jiewen didn't have time to investigate who the other party was. After thinking it over and over, he still dared not be careless: "This matter is of great importance. I will go and report to my Uncle-Master Chihui first!"

The Daxiangguo Temple is divided into four courtyards, each named after one of the four great Bodhisattvas.

The abbot of Guanyin Temple, the monk Chiyuan, is a martial arts master who brought Zhan Zhao from Yunqi Manor to Daxiangguo Temple.

The abbot of Dizang Temple, Zen Master Chihong, stepped forward to handle the case of poisoning during morning prayers.

Meanwhile, the abbot of Puxian Temple, Zen Master Chijue, who is skilled in pharmacology, is currently in retreat with the abbot, healing his injuries while also serving as a protector of the Dharma.

The last one is Zen Master Chihui, the abbot of Wenshu Monastery.

As the head of the four academies, even the martial arts master, the Venerable Monk Chiyuan, is subordinate to him, so he must have extraordinary abilities.

The precept against killing is of great importance, and Jiewen dared not be careless, so he went to report it immediately.

Watching the large, stout figure disappear like the wind, Zhan Zhao remained calm, while Gu Lin frowned and sighed softly, "I'm afraid this is going to be another turbulent time!"

"Storms and turmoil are the norm in the martial world, so why worry about them?"

"Even if there are disturbances, I'll simply block them with a sword and laugh them off!"

Zhan Zhao laughed heartily: "Let's go practice the Heart Sword Divine Technique!"

Gu Lin smiled and said, "Okay."

The two returned to the adjacent monks' quarters, stood at the back of the building, assumed their stances, and simultaneously drew their swords.

For some time now, Gu Lin had been aloof and rarely communicated with him. Zhan Zhao didn't waste words with him either, only calling him over when practicing martial arts.

Both practiced their swordsmanship in silence.

All that he used was the Heart Sword Divine Technique.

It has a sense of sparring between fellow students.

At this stage, Zhan Zhao is mainly learning how to use the Seven Emotions Sword Qi.

The Seven Emotions Sword Qi refers to seven different kinds of true qi.

The six acupoints of the Six Lines Formless Sword Qi can nurture two different types of true qi.

One is the supremely strong sword essence of Shaochongli Mingxue, and the other is the supremely gentle sword intent of Laogong Xuanmingxue.

Sword energy circulates and flows through the meridians, combining strength and gentleness, suddenly piercing the air like a gentle breeze, yet capturing the entire battle within a small space.

The seven condensation acupoints of the Heart Sword Divine Technique are for nurturing seven different kinds of true energy.

This is also reflected in the process of refining acupoints.

The single-path sword form is described as "Azure thunderous, fierce and violent."

The single-path sword form is described as "crimson clouds and flowing fire, endlessly."

...Therefore.

Swords of Anger, Swords of Joy, Swords of Sorrow, Swords of Grief, Swords of Fear, Swords of Surprise, Swords of Calm.

Seven major acupoints, seven paths of sword energy.

What's most amazing is that these seven sword energies can also be combined with each other, creating different and wonderful effects.

For example, when Li Kong uses the Sword of Wrath, it can only provoke anger because he can only use a single sword technique. The effect is that the true energy vibrates, stimulating the enemy's anger.

Gu Lin goes a step further; he can use anger as a trigger to transform joy into a bridge.

As the raging sword suddenly unleashed its fierce winds, the joyful sword had already quietly channeled its true energy, much like the river tide riding the east wind, surging ever stronger, even capable of transforming the opponent's inner energy into its own.

As for Madam Gu's level of attainment, it was a balance of the seven emotions, allowing her to act as she pleased.

With a single sword strike, she could extinguish any anger in her opponent, even their fighting spirit vanished. In terms of true energy, this was actually a combination of seven streams of true energy, which could dismantle the opponent's will to fight without them even realizing it.

With the help of his opponent's skill, Zhan Zhao condensed the seven major acupoints in one go and mastered the seven paths of true qi.

At that time, it was directly paired with the more skilled Yao Guang.

With the addition of extraordinary internal energy and miraculous acupoints, and by borrowing ninety percent of Madam Gu's power, he first broke Han Zhaoye's mental state, and then defeated this formidable enemy in one fell swoop.

But that's a special case.

If he wants to truly master the Heart Sword Divine Technique, he still needs to learn how to use the Seven Emotions Sword Qi step by step.

Therefore, for the past three months, Zhan Zhao has been practicing swordsmanship and sparring with Gu Lin from time to time.

At this moment, two figures behind the house also began to tumble and fly.

Zhan Zhao's sword suddenly shone like autumn water, and then flowed with crimson clouds; every move he made was extraordinary.

Even when it touches the opponent's sword, it can burst into tiny sparks of light, like sparks falling into a pool.

Gu Lin's moves, on the other hand, were much simpler.

But upon closer inspection, the flowing true energy was concise and decisive, each sword strike perfectly intercepting Zhan Zhao's sword light, forcing the opponent's true energy to change, and countering each move with a single strike.

In terms of mastery of the Heart Sword Divine Technique, the difference in skill level is immediately apparent.

The two swords moved faster and faster, but their movements gradually slowed down.

Zhan Zhao gradually fell into a disadvantageous position, but he remained calm and composed. As he circulated his true energy, his swordplay became increasingly unrestrained, often turning the tide of battle unexpectedly.

Snapped!
Finally, he unleashed a powerful sword strike, sending out an astonishing burst of cold energy. Gu Lin's figure faltered for a moment, but by the time he recovered, the sword tip was already upon him.

"What a stunning sword move - Cold Lightning Soul Chaser!"

"This is a combination of the Fear Sword and the Startling Sword. The icy cold penetrates to the bone and the golden wind is faster than thunder. When this sword is unleashed, the opponent will feel as if they have fallen into an ice cave. In the moment their movements become sluggish, they will have already been defeated by the fast sword."

Gu Lin sincerely praised, "Senior Brother, you've made progress every time you practice the Heart Sword Divine Technique compared to last time. You're truly a genius!"

"I am indeed particularly adept at cultivating the Heart Sword Divine Technique..."

Zhan Zhao was also quite surprised.

He was very confident when he practiced martial arts, always believing in his natural talent and innate ability.

The human body is a great treasure trove, possessing all supernatural powers and transformations.

Believe in your potential and future without reservation, and strive diligently; only then can you awaken to the first acupoint's wondrous light.

But practicing the Heart Sword Divine Technique made him feel somewhat apprehensive.

I thought that learning another sword technique would distract me and slow down my progress.

The reality turned out to be quite the opposite.

Did I underestimate myself?
Actually, I am an unparalleled swordsmanship prodigy?
If he had known this would happen, he would have shamelessly asked Madam Gu for advice long ago, and he wouldn't have had such a terrifying experience when he beat Han Zhaoye.

It was precisely because of this progress in martial arts that Zhan Zhao's state of mind became more and more peaceful, and he practiced the Divine Wandering Steps again.

This was passed down to him by Gu Lin; it was a light-body skill that complemented the Heart Sword Divine Technique.

The Six Lines Formless Sword Qi does not have a matching lightness skill, so Zhan Zhao really has some shortcomings in lightness skills. Of course, he would not refuse to learn such a superior skill.

However, the progress in the Divine Wandering Steps is not as obvious as that in the Heart Sword Divine Technique.

Because I haven't devoted enough energy to it, I haven't really mastered it yet.

Zhan Zhao wasn't in a hurry; he found endless joy in practicing his skills and studying.

After practicing for more than an hour, the two went to the monks' quarters to rest, and Zhan Zhao even took out the "Lotus Heart Mirror".

Grand Eunuch Guo Huai kept his promise.

With the case of the "Zhong Kui Picture" resolved, the incomplete copy of "Invincible Divine Mirror" and the complete copy of "Lotus Heart Precious Mirror" were delivered immediately.

With the two classic texts, Zhan Zhao's resources for learning martial arts became richer than ever before.

The Heart Sword Divine Technique, ranked sixth on the Sword Dao Ranking.

The fourteenth skill on the Lightness Skill Ranking is the Divine Wandering Step.

The Invincible Divine Mirror, ranked ninth on the Heart Sutra List.

The Lotus Heart Treasure Mirror, ranked thirteenth on the list of mental cultivation methods.

So happy!

At this moment, he opened the "Lotus Heart Precious Mirror" and read it with great interest.

Gu Lin knew what he was looking at, but he hadn't asked before. This time, however, he couldn't help but ask, "Senior brother, these two martial arts are used by eunuchs and are of little use to us swordsmen. Why do you often look at them?"

He acknowledged the benefits of applying knowledge to other situations.

But efficiency is also important.

Seeing that Zhan Zhao was making rapid progress in the Heart Sword Divine Technique, Gu Lin felt that it was a waste of his time to spend studying these two eunuch martial arts manuals.

Zhan Zhao laughed and said, "If it weren't for the Heart Sword Divine Technique and the Divine Wandering Step, I might still use these two mental techniques as a reference to improve my martial arts skills. But now I need to prioritize and definitely learn the Heart Sword Master's ultimate technique first..."

Gu Lin asked, puzzled, "Then why are you still asking?"

"I'm not trying to comprehend the essence of the mental cultivation method right now; I'm just studying miscellaneous knowledge."

Zhan Zhao explained: "The Invincible Divine Mirror is fine, but this Lotus Heart Treasure Mirror contains disguise techniques, poisoning methods, acupuncture point opening, Miao people's use of Gu poison, mind-controlling and soul-stealing techniques, oh, and also the art of stealing with nimble fingers."

"What's most valuable is that each skill is accompanied by anecdotes from the martial arts world."

"For example, the method of opening acupoints with golden needles is related to a mysterious case in the Imperial Medical Academy back then, while the origin of the Mind Control Technique can be traced back to the Persian illusion troupe..."

"This is more than just martial arts training; it's about gaining experience and knowledge."

Zhan Zhao gently stroked the yellowed pages of the book with his fingertips: "We're not just looking at the martial arts manual of this powerful eunuch Lianxin, but at the world of martial arts in his era!"

(End of this chapter)