Seeing Old Man Li boasting so confidently,
Chen Huaian couldn’t help but look forward to it.
“Alright, kid, watch closely—my swordsmanship is amazing!”
Old Man Li took his stance and performed a Tai Chi sword routine, starting slowly, then gradually speeding up, before slowing down again.
For a traditional martial artist, his skills were indeed impressive.
With Chen Huaian’s current understanding of swordsmanship, this was the best a normal person could achieve.
Old Man Li’s movements were smooth and fluid, showing a deep foundation. It even seemed like his technique could be used in a real fight—
But… something felt off.
“There are some unnecessary movements… Wouldn’t it be better if he removed or replaced them?”
Chen Huaian couldn’t pinpoint exactly why he felt this way.
After all, he wasn’t an expert—he didn’t dare to question Old Man Li’s skills.
“Is My Swordsmanship Lacking?”
When Old Man Li finished his performance,
He stroked his beard proudly, waiting for Chen Huaian’s 3,000-word praise.
“Well? What do you think?”
Chen Huaian quickly gave him a thumbs-up.
“That was great!”
Old Man Li narrowed his eyes.
“Hmph, you sound hesitant. Do you think my swordsmanship is lacking?”
“No, no!” Chen Huaian waved his hands hurriedly.
“Actually, I’ve had some recent enlightenment in swordsmanship. Would you mind taking a look and giving me some pointers?”
Old Man Li raised an eyebrow.
“Alright, but if I find any mistakes, I won’t go easy on you.”
“Of course!”
Chen Huaian borrowed Old Man Li’s sword, took a deep breath, and focused his mind.
With eyes closed, he steadied his stance, taking the “Crane Standing” posture from the Qinglian Sword Classic.
The moment he moved—
Old Man Li’s casual expression disappeared.
His old, cloudy eyes suddenly widened.
“Spirit” in Swordsmanship
In just one day, this kid had changed drastically.
His injured leg seemed completely healed, and his movements—perfectly unified and effortless.
But the most shocking part—
He had the “spirit” of a true martial artist.
Most modern martial arts are criticized for being too flashy, imitating the form but lacking the essence.
But Chen Huaian—
He had both.
In ancient times, soldiers practiced the same forward thrust thousands of times. Through battle, they would break through to deeper understandings.
Once they achieved that moment of enlightenment, their attacks became instinctive—that was the formation of “spirit.”
Masters of the art had two or three perfected techniques.
But this kid—
Every move was flawless.
The White-Clothed Swordsman
As Chen Huaian flowed through the first twelve chapters of the Qinglian Sword Classic,
His initial rigid stance transformed into a fluid, graceful sword dance.
Each stab, each slice, each turn—effortless yet precise.
Old Man Li could almost see—
A white-clothed swordsman dancing in the wind,
A wine jug in one hand, a sword in the other,
Moving like a dragon, untamed and carefree.
“How… how is this possible?”
Old Man Li was stunned.
This kid is no beginner!
He had never seen a young man with such mastery.
Even renowned martial artists only had two or three moves infused with true “spirit.”
But this kid—every single movement had it.
“Who is he? Where did he learn this?!”
“The Sword Flower, Autumn Lotus”
Then—
Chen Huaian stopped.
He stood tall, eyes closed,
Sword sheathed, one hand resting on the hilt.
A breeze passed by—
And a sharp aura followed.
“The white feather of the meteor is inserted in the waist,
The sword flower, autumn lotus, shines out of the box.”
Swish!
The sword flashed.
A bright arc of light cut through the air.
Old Man Li’s eyes couldn’t keep up.
The arc split into countless petals—
Just like a blooming autumn lotus.
Then, with a final hiss—
The petals scattered and withered.
Before Old Man Li could even process what happened,
The sword was already back in its sheath with a soft clang.
“Sword Qi?!”
Old Man Li stared in shock.
His mouth opened, but no sound came out.
His mind buzzed.
“That… that was…”
“Sword Qi?”
“He just cut through the air—with a real sword technique!”
Chen Huaian: “Not So Good…”
Chen Huaian looked at a nearby tree branch, still swaying in the wind.
He frowned.
“I wanted to cut that branch… but it’s still there.”
Disappointed, he sighed.
“I guess I’m still not skilled enough.”
But the truth was—
The entire tree trunk had been sliced through.
The cut was so fine—as thin as a hair—
That the tree hadn’t even fallen yet.
Chen Huaian glanced at the time—
“Almost nine o’clock? That sword move took longer than I thought.”
“Mr. Li, I need to go to the market—I’ll be off!”
He stuffed the sword back into Old Man Li’s shaking hands,
Helped pry open his frozen fingers, and walked away.
Old Man Li’s Discovery
It was a long time before Old Man Li snapped out of his daze.
His face grave, he approached the poplar tree.
Instead of looking at the branches,
He searched the trunk with his hands.
And then—
He found it.
A hair-thin sword mark—cut clean through the entire tree.
His fingertips trembled.
He walked to the other side of the tree—
And found the same mark on the opposite side.
Old Man Li’s breath hitched.
“Sword Qi… This is real sword Qi?!”
His hands shaking, he pulled out his phone.
He dialed a number.
A Call to the Demon Slayer Division
A rough voice answered—
[Hello, Old Li! Long time no see. Have you forgotten about me?]
Old Man Li’s voice was serious.
“Old Peng… listen to me carefully.”
“There’s a young man here—he can use sword qi.”
The voice on the other end shot up eight octaves.
[What?! Are you sure?]
“Absolutely.”
Old Man Li traced the sword mark on the tree with shaking hands.
“I saw it with my own eyes.”
“In just one strike, he sliced through the entire tree.”
[Old Li—don’t move. I’m coming from the Demon Slayer Division right now!]
Meanwhile, Lin Lingling…
In a small alley near the hotel,
Lin Lingling limped out, her face expressionless, but her twitching jaw betrayed her pain.
“That monster was too powerful… Its demonic aura alone nearly crushed me.”
She hailed a taxi, voice hoarse—
“To the Demon Slayer Bureau. Now.“
