The Routine Of The Broadsword Fox-Flame Technique

“Are you learning Dragon Qi Sword Art from Elder Shanshi?”

“I’m studying it on my own. I’m not his direct disciple, after all.”

If I asked Elder Shanshi, he might teach me, but if his direct disciples found out, it might invite jealousy or anger.

“You defeated the ogre demon in the royal capital, right? With that achievement, I think they could increase the number of direct-disciple slots by one.”

I agreed with Seiran’s words, but it would probably be bad for me to demand it. If I did that, the direct disciples might feel displeased. Rather than joining those direct disciples, it was freer and easier to study on my own and only ask the elder about points I did not understand. I thought that while remembering Yulong’s face.

“Being allowed to join morning practice is about the right level of easygoing for me.”

“But if you study on your own, there is a risk you might overlook something important.”

I nodded.

“That may be true. However, if I observe the martial arts of the other direct disciples, I can also discover the points I have overlooked.”

Seiran sighed.

“Senior Brother Kou, you’re the only one who can do something like that.”

Elder Shanshi often used the word “martial learning.” This meant the principles of martial arts and broad knowledge related to martial arts. If that martial learning had reached a certain level, one could understand another person’s martial art just by watching it.

Haoxuen cut into the conversation.

“Senior Brother Kou, could you teach me Dragon Qi Sword Art?”

“Hmm, that’s still impossible.”

“What do you mean by impossible?”

“To control dragon qi, your qi needs to reach the Tenth Tier.”

My qi level was at the Eleventh Tier. After I began training in Dragon Qi Sword Art, I understood that one could not use dragon qi without reaching roughly this level. It required that much qi.

Haoxuen and Seiran’s qi levels had apparently risen by one while I was in the royal capital, reaching the Fifth Tier. It seemed they still had a long way to go. When they heard that, Haoxuen and Seiran looked disappointed.

“By the way, how is your training in the Broadsword Fox-Flame Technique going?”

“I’ve learned the basics and routine you taught me.”

“Then let me see it.”

First, Seiran stepped into the great hall of Old Immortal Cave with a staff in hand. Seiran began the Flame-Nurturing Blade, the basic routine of the Broadsword Fox-Flame Technique. The movements of the Flame-Nurturing Blade were training for releasing defensive and offensive techniques while moving, and pouring qi into the broadsword during those attacks.

I had learned the Flame-Nurturing Blade routine from Elder Shanshi after I had already mastered Fox-Flame. So, as far as I was concerned, the Flame-Nurturing Blade routine had not been useful. However, for Haoxuen and Seiran, it seemed to have become a good training method.

Seiran’s Flame-Nurturing Blade was fairly well done.

“When you reverse direction, you should draw your foot back a little farther. Also, your breathing in the second half became sloppy. Match your breathing with your movements.”

“Understood.”

Next was Haoxuen. Haoxuen, holding a staff, began performing the Flame-Nurturing Blade routine. Watching his movements, a smile unintentionally appeared on my face. Haoxuen’s movements resembled mine. He had observed my movements and even copied my habits.

“Haoxuen, you don’t need to copy even my habits. Also, when you swing the broadsword left and right, try to swing it more flexibly.”

“Understood. Senior Brother Kou, please show us an example.”

“All right. But recently, I started training in Lightness Skill, so that influence might show.”

I took a staff in hand and stepped into the center of the great hall. I began performing the routine slowly so the two of them could understand it well. Even though it was a martial arts routine, the word “performing” was not exactly fitting, but I had incorporated the key principles of Broadsword Performance Forms, which I had studied on my own, into the Flame-Nurturing Blade routine.

Because of that, the movements had become dance-like. When I swept the staff sideways, flames burst from the tip of the staff. Thanks to the results of my Lightness Skill training, I leaped with a light movement as if I had no body weight, and swung the staff while trailing flames.

“Whoa.”

“He flew.”

I heard Haoxuen and Seiran’s voices. Apparently, it looked as if I had flown. While performing the Flame-Nurturing Blade, I reached the wall of Old Immortal Cave, and where I would previously have turned around, I lightly placed my foot on the wall and calmly walked along it while swinging the staff left and right.

When I glanced at the two of them, they were staring at me with their mouths open. I descended to the floor, and at the end, after parrying the imaginary enemy’s attack, I made a movement that slashed the opponent’s chest from below as if scraping upward. At this time as well, flames trailed from the tip of the staff.

“I suppose that is about it.”

Haoxuen and Seiran both exhaled the breaths they had been holding.

“That was too amazing.”

“Senior Brother Kou, just how amazing are you?”

I was worried because it had been a while since I had performed the Flame-Nurturing Blade routine, but it seemed I had managed to perform it without failing. After instructing the two of them for a while, I returned to the Main Hall.

“Kou, I heard about your achievements in the royal capital. Are your injuries all right?”

By chance, I met Elder Min.

“Yes. They are already fully healed.”

“That is good. It is not exactly a reward for your achievements, but I will teach you Qi-Tempered Forging, which you said before that you wanted to learn.”

This present truly made me happy.

“Come to the workshop tomorrow.”

“Understood.”

The next day, I headed to Elder Min’s workshop. Only Elder Min was in the forge of the Treasure Tool Workshop.

“Thank you for teaching me.”

“Today, I will teach you Qi-Tempered Forging while showing you how to turn black steel into a dagger.”

Elder Min placed the black steel into the furnace and began heating it. Then she took out the reddened black steel with forging tongs, fixed it on the anvil, and began pouring a large amount of qi into the black steel. After that, she struck the reddened black steel with a hammer.

Black steel was a hard metal, so it did not deform easily, but the black steel filled with qi deformed with a single blow from the hammer. The black steel was beaten flat and stretched out, changing shape into a dagger.

“That is magnificent.”

“The trick is to keep the amount of qi you pour in constant.”

From that day on, I received Elder Min’s instruction and learned the technique of Qi-Tempered Forging.