White-Robed Chief

Chu Li smiled. “Hand over your sword, let’s start with how to properly hold it.”

Leng Qiu drew her sword and handed it over to him.

Chu Li gave it a few twirls before explaining in detail the proper way to wield a sword.

The two ladies were smart and quickly caught on. Chu Li was relieved by this as them being intuitive about the techniques would save him a lot of effort.

He first taught them the foundations of a sword technique and demonstrated basic sword flow.

The two ladies quickly grasped the concept and began to mimic his movements.

They felt that learning martial arts wasn’t that hard and felt a sense of achievement. They were so motivated that they wished Chu Li would pass down all martial arts he knew to them at the moment so that they could learn it all in one breath.

Chu Li smiled. “You must be diligent and practice the foundation of this sword technique at least twenty times every single day.

“This foundation can kill a person?” Leng Qiu asked.

Chu Li nodded. “Although this foundation is just the basics, it is still the foundation of sword techniques. All other sword techniques evolved from technique. If you play your cards right, one move one form can kill.”

“So, I can beat Leng Tao using this?”

“No,” Chu Li shook his head. “He has still practiced martial arts for a few years now, you can’t catch up to him in just a few days.”

“Then how long do I have to practice?” Leng Qiu felt discouraged and asked.

Chu Li grinned. “How long do you want to practice before you’re able to beat him?”

“How about a month?” Leng Qiu asked eagerly. “I will kick his butt during the next hunting ceremony!”

“There’s ways to learn in a month and a year,” answered Chu Li. “If you wish to defeat him in a month, then you need to put in a lot of effort. It will be hard, painful even.”

“I’m not afraid of facing hardships!” Beamed Leng Qiu.

Leng Qing scoffed. “As long as we can beat Leng Tao, a little bit of hardship is nothing!”

“If that’s the case, then we’ll start now!” Chu Li nodded. “We’re almost done with the foundations, so we can probably start with the first move!”

He taught the first form of the Seven Forms of Godly Sword to the two ladies.

The Seven Forms of Godly Sword was a sword technique that combined the various successful aspects of his martial arts. Every movement was fine and exquisite.

This technique could naturally derive inner energy, maximizing one’s speed and elegance. It calculated the reaction of its opponent, as if setting a trap, before waiting for its victim to walk right into it.

The two of them were having a hard time comprehending this move. It wasn’t the same as learning the foundation where it was intuitive. They kept having this jarring feeling that their movements were awkward, their limbs didn’t seem like their own.

Chu Li smiled with his narrow eyes as they attempted to double their efforts.

This move could change the basic habits of a body. It seemed simple yet was complicated. It required the perseverance and guidance of a wise teacher.

If this technique was featured in a manual and given to any simpleton, it would never be mastered. There would be doubt, as no matter how one practiced it, it would feel awkward and inappropriate. The constant doubting would consequently stop them from advancing.

The more disbelief, the more impossible it was to master. It was a battle with one’s own instinct, going against all natural instincts.

After practicing for a while, they were left huffing, panting and covered in sweat.

“Head Chief, is this technique really that outstanding?” Leng Qiu wiped the layer of sweat off her pale white forehead as she tried to catch her breath. “It really is hard to learn!”

They had never learnt any other sword technique so they did not find anything odd, evidently dismissing the obstacle as ‘normal’.

Learning the Seven Forms of Godly Sword required breakthrough and reconstruction, and required one to get rid of any preconceptions about their original sword techniques. Without destruction, there could be no construction.

However, the two ladies had not experienced any breakthrough, so a lot of effort was saved.

“I will demonstrate once again,” smiled Chu Li.

He drew his Sword of Modesty and with a sway of his body, a layer of sword glow shimmered through the air before he sheathed the sword. “If you could learn up to this stage, it will be enough to take down Leng Tao.”

“That’s it?” Leng Qing frowned.

Although Chu Li’s technique looked easy, she felt that it was extremely fast and that it could not be dodged.

Chu Li smiled. “You can reach this stage as long as you put in the work!”

“But we’ve never learnt martial arts and do not have inner energy, how can we move that fast?” Leng Qing asked.

Chu Li shook his head and smiled. “When you reach a certain stage, you will naturally develop inner energy.”

“Really?” Leng Qiu was surprised.

Chu Li nodded. “Do your best!”

The two ladies took a break before starting with their cultivation. Chu Li was quite free today so he had the time to guide them.

By the time night fell, the two ladies could barely stand up. They held onto the stone table to support their bodies with their left arm. Their legs felt like they could give way at any moment.

Chu Li didn’t think that the two females’ endowments were that bad. All that talk about their endowments being so-so must have been said to intentionally stop them from cultivating.

When the two couldn’t take it their training any further and finally halted, they noticed the existence of their inner energy.

As they were about to practice their final round of sword technique for the day, they suddenly felt a faint warm current appear in their bodies. Alongside the circulation of the sword force, it quickly healed their bodies from fatigue.

This made them overjoyed and extremely excited. Hence, they practiced over and over again like an addiction until their bodies exceeded their natural limit and they could no longer stand up.

Under the stimulation of euphoria, they practiced the whole day as the warm flow also became thicker and thicker.

They realized that their swordplay had also accelerated and immediately brimmed with confidence. They knew that Chu Li did not lie to them.

Chu Li nodded in satisfaction. The Seven Forms of Godly Swords that he modified was ethereal, completely blending in the essence of the Seven Forms of Divine Blade.

The Seven Forms of Divine Blade had formerly been a show stopper because it originated from the refinery of the knife technique and could self-produce inner energy. Demonstrating it would multiply in endless succession – an acquired master could end up living a very long life as an Innate Master.

Once they became familiar with this form, their skills would mature into instinct. They would just need to be in position and the inner energy would automatically circulate itself, similar to when cultivating inner energy.

Chu Li considered himself lucky that although they never cultivated any martial arts, they had already built up a foundation. If they had not, he would have to demonstrate the Nine Transformation Meridian Reforming Technique. It saved him a lot of trouble.

——

For the first half of the afternoon, he guided Leng Qiu and Leng Qing, and had them cultivate by themselves. Then, he stepped out of the Imperial Residence of King An and arrived at the Secret Guardians Hall.

Xu Huande was busy reading some files in the hall.

Upon seeing him enter, Xu Huande put down his files and rubbed his brows. “Sit.”

“What did His Majesty say?” Chu Li closed fist saluted and sat opposite him.

Xu Huande sighed. “King Cheng has agreed to allow the Secret Guardians in.”

“But not me, right?” Chu Li remarked.

Xu Huande scoffed. “Because you hit Leng Tao, King Cheng is pretty unhappy and wants to punish you.”

Chu Li smiled. “And your thoughts?”

“Think of a way to disguise yourself. See if you can blend into the crowd,” answered Xu Huande. “If you don’t enter, they won’t be of much help.”

“King Cheng may be touchy about this,” replied Chu Li.

Xu Huande snorted. “What do you propose?”

Chu Li replied, “Well, if we can’t do anything in the open, then we’ll have to do it in the dark. I’ll quietly sneak into the Imperial Residence myself.”

Xu Huande’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You sure have guts to come up with this.”

Chu Li grinned. “Then do you have a better plan?”

“Can you sneak in?”

“I’ll need the House of Secret Guardian’s help,” Chu Li replied, “Find a batch of masters to disguise as assassins to divert their attention. I will then sneak in.”

“If we’re discovered then our Secret Guardians Hall will be in deep trouble!” Xu Huande frowned.

“Just divert them away, don’t actually lift a finger against them,” Chu Li said. “Especially Chen Kong. I think it’s best that you personally take him on.”

Xu Huande shook his head and sighed. “Only you would come up with this idea!”

If the Imperial Residence of King Cheng were to catch one or two Secret Guardians, then the whole House would be exposed and torn apart by the chancellors. They would receive a hard blow, the risk was high.

Chu Li smiled. “So are doing it or not?”

“… Alright,” Xu Huande thought of the pressure from the Holy Church of Light and finally sighed. “We move tonight.”

Chu Li closed fist saluted.