Chapter 130: Chapter 121: Comprehension

Chu Lingguang had started by asking about the point of resonance for the Unity of Man and Gun. This was a Martial Arts Essential that could only be grasped intuitively, not articulated in words, so Feng Junyi truly couldn’t answer—it wasn’t that he was holding back.

Chu Lingguang seemed lost in thought. He believed Feng Junyi was right. If Guo Wei had been able to explain it clearly, he would have shared the essentials with him long ago and wouldn’t have left him to puzzle it out all by himself.

He relented and tried another tack. “Yesterday, when you were practicing on the ship’s upper deck, Lord Feng, I thought I saw your long sword merge with the morning light. May I ask, is your point of resonance the long sword and the morning light?”

“You saw that?”

Feng Junyi’s smile froze. He stared at Chu Lingguang in disbelief.

“My lord, you are a man of great kindness, and I wouldn’t dare deceive you. I’m not sure if I truly saw it or not. I just felt that your Sword Technique had a unique quality when it merged with the morning light. I don’t know if that is the secret to how you achieved the Unity of Man and Sword.”

Chu Lingguang answered honestly.

Feng Junyi’s brow furrowed, and for a moment, he didn’t know how to explain.

“You may find this hard to believe, but I don’t know what my point of resonance is, either. The year I achieved the Unity of Man and Sword, I was practicing at dawn, facing the rising sun, and I stumbled upon the secret unconsciously. Not even Master Guo could answer the question you just asked, nor could the teachers at the academy. However, the fact that you can see something special about my Sword Technique suggests you may have already grasped something important.

So, how about this? For the next few days, come watch me practice my sword every morning. Whether or not it helps you find your own point of resonance will be up to your own aptitude and luck.”

Feng Junyi said seriously after a moment of thought.

“Thank you, Lord Feng.”

Chu Lingguang was immensely grateful.

「Three days on the water.」

For three consecutive mornings, Feng Junyi practiced his Sword Technique on the ship’s upper deck.

Chu Lingguang and Lin Longde watched intently each day.

Lin Longde searched for openings in Feng Junyi’s Sword Technique, envisioning himself crossing swords with the man once more.

Chu Lingguang, on the other hand, focused on the state of Feng Junyi’s long sword as it merged with the morning light. ’Master Guo could channel the might of the Canal, silencing the river’s surface with a single spear strike.’

’When Lord Feng’s long sword merged with the morning light, dazzling flashes would occasionally erupt from his Sword Technique. Even though they weren’t tangible, I feel like he could probably produce that same gleam even in the dead of night.’

「The journey by water ended.」

Two days of travel through the mountains remained.

The mountain path was rugged, shrouded in a misty rain.

On the final day, Chu Lingguang could no longer contain himself. He bowed to Feng Junyi and said, “Lord Feng, would it be possible for you to practice your Sword Technique once more tonight?”

“Insolence! What do you take Lord Feng for?”

A Deputy berated him angrily.

For the past few days, Lord Feng had risen at the crack of dawn to practice his Sword Technique for the two youths, guiding them in their training. The Deputy and the other Martial Artists had seen it all and felt Lord Feng’s benevolence had reached Perfection. They couldn’t believe that Chu Lingguang would dare to disturb him during their time of rest.

“I’d first like to see what you’ve managed to grasp over the past few days.”

Feng Junyi raised a hand, signaling the Deputy to stand down, and smiled at Chu Lingguang.

’The information I’ve gathered indicates that Chu Lingguang is untalented but incredibly diligent. He only managed to become a disciple of Guo Wei because he practiced the Iron Mountain Fist day and night, finally manifesting Fist Force at the very last moment, which was what won Master Guo over.’

’His victory over Yan Chengdu in this year’s South City Martial Arts Examination, securing first place in the South City Daoist Examination, was a surprise to everyone—including Guo Wei himself.’

’After spending these few days with him, I expected him to train relentlessly and take the opportunity to ask about everything he didn’t understand. But who would have expected his first question to be about the point of resonance for the Unity of Man and Gun?’

’Aside from watching my sword demonstrations, it seems all he’s done these past few days is search for that point of resonance.’

’I really want to figure out if Chu Lingguang is a genuine fool or just playing dumb.’

“How would you like to see, Lord Feng?”

Chu Lingguang inquired.

“Lin Longde, come over here.”

Feng Junyi waved to Lin Longde, who was leaning against a tree.

To take a shortcut to Jin City, their group had chosen to travel two days through the mountains. With no inns along the path, they had to make camp wherever they stopped.

They gathered around a campfire to rest.

“Lord Feng, you were looking for me?”

Lin Longde trotted over eagerly.

“For the past few days, you’ve been asking me how you can defeat Chu Lingguang’s Spear Technique. Now, I’m giving you a chance. The two of you will fight again, right here in front of me.”

Feng Junyi said.

“Huh?”

Lin Longde was taken by surprise.

“Are you afraid?”

“No! I was just itching for a chance to challenge him.”

Lin Longde said, rubbing his hands together.

“I await your instruction.”

Chu Lingguang didn’t object.

He walked to the edge of the campfire, his Lightning Spear in hand.

“Begin!”

Lin Longde’s expression turned serious. After a clasped-fist salute to Chu Lingguang, he attacked first. The Life-taking Linked Spear excelled at offense, not defense. Its philosophy was to advance with a relentless barrage of thrusts, like the wind scattering fallen leaves, to overwhelm an opponent’s ability to parry within a few exchanges.

Chu Lingguang retreated, temporarily avoiding the brunt of the assault.

He saw Lin Longde’s rapidly advancing Gun Form stir the nearby campfire, causing a tall serpent of fire to leap up, as if he were charging forward imbued with the might of the flames.

His enhanced senses allowed him to easily spot the openings in Lin Longde’s Spear Technique. Within that fiery light, he saw the flaw.

WHOOSH!

With a Spear Sweep Lotus Leaf, Chu Lingguang blocked Lin Longde’s offensive. Then, with a Weeding for Snakes, his Long Spear broke through the fiery glow. In the instant the shaft flipped, the third layer of his Skillful Force erupted.

The force passed through his own weapon and into his opponent’s.

As their two Long Spears clashed, Lin Longde felt a sharp pain in his chest, and his hands went numb. His first instinct was to drop his weapon, but he jolted back to his senses and gripped it tightly, trying to withstand the impact and continue his advance on Chu Lingguang.

Chu Lingguang saw the spear in Lin Longde’s hands vibrating as violently as a cicada beating its wings.

’A few days ago, on the ship’s deck, my own spear had vibrated just as violently under the force of Lord Feng’s strike, like a cicada beating its wings. At the critical moment, it felt like my Qi Blood began to vibrate in unison with the Long Spear, achieving a special state of resonance that allowed me to invisibly disperse the force of the impact.’

’My breath synchronized with the vibrations.’

’That’s the state of a Formed Spear Technique.’

’Qi Blood resonating with the Long Spear is the first layer of Skillful Force.’

Chu Lingguang had already grasped these two states.

What he couldn’t figure out was how the resonance between his Qi Blood and the Long Spear that day had allowed him to invisibly dissipate the force of the blow.

Now, at this critical juncture, seeing Lin Longde’s Long Spear nearly torn from his grasp only to be held on to with sheer will, Chu Lingguang was extremely curious.

But his mind couldn’t process too many questions at that moment.

He had only one thought in his mind: ’I have to make him drop that spear.’

The flickering shadows of the campfire caught the corner of his eye. On impulse, he activated the second layer of Skillful Force—Entangle and Enter—intending to draw in the formless flames as he smashed his spear down on Lin Longde’s.

FWOOSH!

It was as if the flames had been torn open.

In the instant his Long Spear flipped, the fire seemed to be spun up like cotton candy. Chu Lingguang’s spear swept over the licks of flame, and the fire billowed along with it, forming a long fire dragon that followed his weapon as it smashed down toward Lin Longde.

Lin Longde, who was gripping his Long Spear with all his might, desperate to hold on and save a shred of face, suddenly felt his world become a sea of fire. Flames surged to the sky as a terrifying force engulfed his weapon. His hands felt as if they were being pried open by iron talons as he watched the fire dragon seize his Long Spear.

It was thrown high into the air behind Chu Lingguang.

THWUMP!

The Long Spear pierced straight through a pine tree, its head and tail quivering on either side.

Chu Lingguang stood completely stunned.

In that moment, he thought he could hear the flames breathing and the Long Spear in his hand cheering. ’Have I found it?’ he wondered. ’Is this my point of resonance?’

He could feel a series of amazed and incredulous stares fixed on him from behind.

An unknown amount of time passed.

The campfire flames seemed to have calmed, their tongues no longer leaping with such ferocious intensity. Lin Longde also snapped out of his daze. Staring at the motionless Long Spear embedded in the pine tree, he swallowed instinctively.

A moment ago, he had felt as if he were about to be incinerated.

It was as if Chu Lingguang had shoved him into a sea of fire.

But now that he’d recovered his wits, he realized Chu Lingguang’s last strike hadn’t truly engulfed the flames, but had merely carried a few sparks with it.

For some reason, however, those few sparks, when integrated into Chu Lingguang’s Spear Technique, had possessed an incredible impact force that left an indelible impression on him.

“Lord Feng.”

Chu Lingguang looked toward Feng Junyi.

“My sword!”

Feng Junyi said, holding his hand out to his Deputy.

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