The Immortal Ascension

Chapter 34: Blinking Swordplay

"Blinking Swordplay?" Han Li repeated the name of the sword technique to himself.

"Yeah, what does swordplay have to do with blinking? Isn’t that a funny name?"

"Have you practiced this sword technique?" Han Li asked with concern.

"Of course not. Who would practice a martial art that doesn’t even use True Qi? Isn’t that just for show? Not just me, but no one has ever practiced it since its creation."

"I heard that if it weren’t for the Elder who created it, who had saved the Seven Mysteries Sect from several crises, and who, on his deathbed, left a will insisting that this sword technique be included in the Seven Wonders Hall, the Blinking Swordplay would never have made it into the list of the Seven Wonders Hall’s secret arts."

Li Feiyu, despite his cold exterior, had a big mouth, and before Han Li could even ask, he had spilled all the details about the sword technique. Of course, his talkative nature only revealed itself in front of Han Li. Outside, in front of his other fellow disciples, he was still the cool and idolized "Senior Apprentice Li."

After listening to Li Feiyu’s explanation, Han Li’s intuition faintly told him that this was exactly what he had been searching for.

"Senior Brother Li, could you copy this sword technique for me and bring it out of the Seven Wonders Hall?"

"Hehe! No problem. If it were any other martial art, I wouldn’t be able to copy it for you because there are people who check and inspect them daily. But the Blinking Swordplay is just sitting in a corner, completely unnoticed. However, copying it would be too troublesome. Why don’t I just sneak the original manual out for you? Once you’ve memorized or copied it, I’ll quietly put it back. No one will ever notice." Li Feiyu nonchalantly proposed a bolder plan.

Seeing that Li Feiyu seemed quite confident, Han Li agreed to his approach.

He had initially been worried about Li Feiyu’s careless habits. What if, while copying the sword technique, he accidentally missed a few parts? That would be a real loss.

Now, being able to get the original manual was even better.

"Alright, it’s getting late. I should head back to practice. Otherwise, the Seven Wonders Hall’s manager might catch me sneaking out again." Li Feiyu dried himself off, put on his shirt, and prepared to leave.

Han Li didn’t say much more, only reminding him to be careful when stealing the manual and not to get caught.

Li Feiyu turned around casually, waved his hand back at Han Li with a flourish, and slowly climbed out of the nearby cave.

As Han Li watched his figure gradually disappear into the cave entrance, the smile on his face also faded, replaced by a hint of gloom.

Not long after Li Feiyu left, Han Li returned to the Valley of Divine Hands.

As soon as he entered the valley, Han Li spotted the tall, mysterious man from afar.

He stood motionless outside Doctor Mo’s house, leaning against the doorway, wearing a hood, seemingly unfazed by the scorching summer sun.

Han Li stopped at the door of his own house and gazed at this man who never spoke.

Ever since being threatened by Doctor Mo, Han Li had been deeply intrigued by this man who never revealed his true face. He seemed to be a natural mute, having never spoken a word since arriving in the valley.

What was even more peculiar was that this man’s stamina was truly astonishing. Standing still like this, he often remained in place for an entire day, and Han Li had never seen him grow tired. In his mind, Han Li had already labeled him as a "monster."He had tried to communicate with this person before, but the man was like a block of wood, showing no reaction. No matter how eloquently Han Li spoke, he simply ignored him.

Han Li was utterly impressed by Doctor Mo's ability to train a living, flesh-and-blood person into a puppet-like being with no weaknesses.

Absolute obedience to commands, astonishing physical strength, never speaking a word, and devoid of any emotion—though Han Li didn’t yet know the extent of his martial skills, he was certain they wouldn’t be weak. This was his final judgment of the man.

Han Li knew that this person would likely become another trump card for Doctor Mo, but he was powerless to do anything about it. He couldn’t find any flaws in the man.

The only thing that puzzled Han Li was that occasionally, when he looked at the man’s back from behind, he felt a strange sense of familiarity, as if he had seen a similar figure somewhere before. But whenever he tried to recall, he couldn’t remember whose back it resembled.

After watching for a while, Han Li sighed, closed the door, and returned to his room. He knew that without Doctor Mo’s orders, this man wouldn’t rest.

Feeling somewhat unsettled, Han Li leaped straight onto his bed, lay down, placed his hands behind his head, and closed his eyes.

He replayed in his mind the moves he had learned from Li Feiyu earlier that day, then began simulating them mentally. He broke down each move into several segments, carefully analyzing and refining them.

This was a new ability Han Li had gained after reaching the fifth layer of the Eternal Spring Art—photographic memory.

With this advantage, he could memorize any martial arts technique completely in his mind and replay it countless times, refining and perfecting it. This was also why Li Feiyu thought he was a genius.

Two months ago, relying on the effects of two sacred medicines, Han Li had forcefully broken through the fourth layer of the Eternal Spring Art and reached the fifth layer.

The efficacy of the "Yellow Dragon Pill" and the "Golden Marrow Pill" had far exceeded Han Li’s expectations. He had underestimated the immense power of those formulas. The pills he had concocted were truly priceless treasures.

However, he had already used up a small half of the two marrow-cleansing spirit medicines. The remaining amount should barely be enough for him to reach the sixth layer of the Eternal Spring Art. He couldn’t help but wonder what surprises the sixth layer would bring.

With less than half a year left before Doctor Mo’s final deadline, Han Li had learned some moves from Li Feiyu, but without the corresponding internal True Qi, they were merely superficial techniques.

They might work against someone with rudimentary martial skills, but using them against Doctor Mo would be like throwing meat to a dog—there would be no return.

Thinking of this, Han Li felt both anxious and frustrated. His Eternal Spring Art was excellent in every way, except that it couldn’t be used in actual combat or battles.

Now, he could only pin his hopes on the Blinking Swordplay, hoping it would bring him a pleasant surprise.

(End of Chapter)