Chapter 417 Man-Sword Synthesis
Based on the saber technique insights recorded, Senior Brother Xiao Xinghe used a spiritual artifact that was also a saber, but it was a large saber with an exaggerated shape, different in type from Lu Ye's Boulder Mountain Saber.
Therefore, much of Xiao Xinghe's experience in cultivating saber skills was not applicable to Lu Ye.
However, there were many common aspects, after all, regardless of the shape, everyone was practicing the saber.
These common cultivation experiences were undoubtedly what Lu Ye needed most at the moment. Those that were not applicable could also give some insights, as the saying goes, "Sages from another mountain can refine one's jade."
Speaking of which, Lu Ye's path of cultivation wasn't complete, because since he had opened his spiritual orifice, it was mostly through his own exploration of cultivation. Within the sect headquarters, whether it was Shui Yuan, the sect master, or Madam Yun, the help they could offer was not substantial.
Especially in the area of saber skills, no one had ever systematically and comprehensively taught him.
Normally, when a cultivator joins a sect, there would be a mentor to teach the cultivation techniques, for instance, if Lu Ye wanted to learn saber skills, there would be a mentor proficient in saber skills to impart various experiences.
But did the Righteous Blood Sect have such resources?
When Lu Ye joined the Righteous Blood Sect, there were only two people in the entire sect, including him that made three, Shui Yuan was a healing cultivator, the sect master was a magic cultivator, and there was no one who used sabers.
His mastery of saber techniques was accumulated through numerous battles, lacking a systematic framework and powerful methodologies, entirely based on convenience for defeating enemies.
This was purely a killing skill, which was not bad in itself; against weaker enemies, it often allowed for the quickest defeat. However, correspondingly, it lacked explosive trump cards which made it difficult to face opponents of the same or superior strength.
Not having a trump card was Lu Ye's shortcoming.
His battle with Szi Guang made him realize this, so after that, he intensely practiced the Single Flash Saber Technique, but he had yet to perfect this technique.
The saber technique insights sent by Senior Brother Xiao Xinghe undoubtedly inspired him greatly, and this was exactly what he needed at the moment.
If it weren't for the sudden eruption of the origin magnetic field, Xiao Xinghe had planned to have Lu Ye visit Green Emperor City for personal guidance, but the eruption cut off the transportation between the Nine Provinces and Spirit Stream battlefield, leaving them no choice but to have Xiao Changhe deliver the insights to Lu Ye.
In the third floor of the wooden hut, Lu Ye sat cross-legged, fists clenched, palms facing upward, holding the Boulder Mountain Saber in his palms.
He took deep breaths, slowly exhaling, feeling the long saber in his hands between the breaths.
This was a method of cultivation.
Spiritual Artifacts possess spirit, particularly those that have long accompanied their master through battles and drunk the enemy's blood; such artifacts are no longer merely items—they become partners whom the master can entrust with his life!
By using this special method of cultivation, Lu Ye could achieve a unique resonance with the Boulder Mountain Saber, what is referred to as Man-Sword Synthesis!
That's what was written in the insights of the Senior Brother...
However, Lu Ye always felt there was something mystical about this; after all, a Spiritual Artifact is an inanimate object, how could it develop any resonance with him?
With a mindset of just giving it a try, Lu Ye decided to practice this way for a few days to see the results, and if it really didn't work, he would later seek advice from his Senior Brother.
The Boulder Mountain Saber undoubtably met the requirements.
Since Lu Ye started his path of cultivation, he had only used three Spiritual Artifacts; one was Manager Yang's sword, and another was a saber he had obtained from killing an enemy in Qingyun Mountain, which looked almost similar to the Boulder Mountain Saber but was of lower quality and had been destroyed in the battle of Golden Light Peak.
After the battle at Golden Light Peak, Lu Ye had purchased the Boulder Mountain Saber from Heaven's Augury treasure vault, at a time when he was at the Level 5 realm.
To this day, this long saber had accompanied him for more than a year, killing countless enemies.
One could say that Lu Ye found this saber extremely comfortable to use, and even if he later advanced in cultivation and needed to replace it with a higher quality Spiritual Artifact, he planned to find another long saber of the same shape.
In the wooden hut, as Lu Ye inhaled and exhaled, his chest and abdomen rose and fell. Initially, there was no special sensation, but as time passed, Lu Ye began to feel a subtle sense, that the Boulder Mountain Saber in his hands was breathing in and out with him.
This feeling was very faint at first, but gradually, it intensified.
The long saber seemed to have its own life!
Until a certain moment, a flash of cold light shot through the dimly lit hut, accompanied by a resonant unsheathing sound, startling Lu Ye awake. Looking down, he realized unbeknownst to him that he had already drawn the Boulder Mountain Saber from its sheath!
At that moment, the Boulder Mountain Saber felt somewhat different to him, no longer just an inanimate object for killing enemies. Holding the hilt, Lu Ye felt as if it was an extension of his own body!
He drew the Boulder Mountain Saber, swiping it a few times casually, which was smoother and more natural than before.
Enjoy new chapters from My Virtual Library Empire
As if it was an extension of his arm!
Yes, that was the feeling.
Was this what was referred to as Man-Sword Synthesis?
Lu Ye was amazed, not expecting the content in the Senior Brother's saber technique insights to actually be true. He had originally just given it a try, but he had achieved it so effortlessly.
Although his cultivation had not increased, nor had he opened any new spiritual orifice, but Lu Ye knew that he had taken a significant step forward on the path of saber technique cultivation.
It seems there was something else...
Lu Ye pondered for a moment, sheathed the sword, then closed his eyes, casually throwing the Boulder Mountain Saber far away while continuing to breathe deeply.
Because he had thrown the Boulder Mountain Saber with his eyes closed, he himself was unclear about where the saber had landed, but even with his eyes still closed, he could vaguely sense the presence of the Boulder Mountain Saber!
He stood up and took steps forward, walked seven paces, bent over, and reached out to grab!
The Boulder Mountain Saber was in his hand!
The first step in cultivating saber skills was achieved!
Lu Ye had thought that not much time had passed, but only when he felt hungry and after asking Hua Ci did he realize that three days had already passed.
Lu Ye almost suspected that this woman was deceiving him since he hadn't noticed the passage of time, but after inquiring through others, he knew that Hua Ci hadn't lied; indeed, three days had gone by.
Perhaps Lu Ye's mistrust made Hua Ci a bit petulant, and then she prepared a horrifying looking meal for him...
Under Hua Ci's smiling gaze, Lu Ye, gritting his teeth, ate everything on the table clean, while Amber looked on sympathetically.
Having eaten his fill, Lu Ye went back to the third floor, sat cross-legged, held the Boulder Mountain Saber in both hands, and closed his eyes to cultivate.
After achieving Man-Sword Synthesis, it wasn't about resting on his laurels; instead, he needed to persistently deepen the link with his saber through this method. The deeper the connection between man and sword, the stronger the power when wielding the saber to kill enemies!
Lu Ye decided that if he had the chance, he would spend two hours each day on such cultivation.
After all, he didn't need to consciously regulate his breath during his cultivation times, so it was suitable to use it in this way.
Two hours later, Lu Ye walked down from the third floor and came to the small courtyard outside the house.
Hua Ci was nowhere to be seen; this woman must have slipped away to cultivate somewhere again. Lu Ye was actually quite curious about her way of cultivating because since she had arrived at the Ten Thousand Poisons Forest, her cultivation had rapidly progressed. By now, Lu Ye suspected that she was not far from achieving 9th Heaven.
Standing in the courtyard, Lu Ye drew the Boulder Mountain Saber with his right hand and posed.
Guided by the saber technique insights of his third senior fellow, Lu Ye's blood Qi surged throughout his body. He directed the vast blood Qi to gather in his right arm holding the saber, then slashed down in one swift motion!
Unable to activate spirit force inside his body, the might of this strike wasn't very strong, but Lu Ye could clearly feel that this strike, compared to a normal blow, was faster and stronger!
So that was it!
He had been practicing the Single Flash Saber Technique before but had always felt it incomplete because he always felt something was missing.
After reviewing his third senior fellow's saber technique insights, he finally understood what he was missing—the utilization of his own blood Qi energy!
In the past, while wielding the long saber, it relied on his physical strength and force infused into the Spiritual Artifact. The former was brought by his own physical capability and the latter was instinct.
Because cultivators fought with their own spirit force against their foes, a cultivator without spirit force was nothing more than an ordinary person with a stronger physique.
Until this moment, Lu Ye had realized an important issue he had overlooked.
His reliance on his spirit force was too intense, and he neglected the power of his own physique.
If the power contained in the previously executed Single Flash Saber Technique was to be divided into ten parts, then spirit force accounted for at least eight parts while his physical strength only constituted two or even one part.
This couldn't achieve a balance; the Single Flash Saber Technique would seem imperfect because the power of the stroke wasn't sufficient, thus he couldn't control that strike!
If he could increase the proportion of his own physical strength to forty or even fifty percent in the technique, then the Single Flash would be perfect, and the lethality would dramatically increase.
How to more effectively mobilize his own strength?
Blood Moving!
The source of strength was blood Qi, which is why physique cultivators generally possessed greater strength than other cultivators because their blood Qi was exuberant.
Lu Ye's strength was stronger than typical physique cultivators because his blood Qi was more exuberant than theirs.
But now he sat on a treasure trove without knowing how to use it, wastefully neglecting that immense energy of blood Qi.
The Blood Moving Technique was the solution to this problem.
It had to be said that his third senior fellow had done Lu Ye a great favor by having someone deliver his saber technique cultivation insights at this time.
Moreover, now was an excellent time to practice the Blood Moving Technique, because currently, the origin magnetic field was chaotic; nature's spiritual energy was restricted, and even the spirit force inside a cultivator's body was hard to flow. Lu Ye could only rely on his own blood Qi energy!
In such conditions, he could better and more directly feel the circulation of the blood Qi.
Immersing his mind, he focused his efforts to gather the energy of his blood Qi in his right arm holding the saber. In just a few moments, his entire right arm turned red, and the temperature of his right arm even rose.
Until Lu Ye felt it hard to continue, he then slashed out with a chop!
Suddenly, a blood-red saber light flashed and disappeared; that was not a sign of spirit force attachment, but an indication of an explosion of blood Qi.
The might of this blow had increased by at least about half compared to the previous one!