Food Fairy Lord

Chapter 773 Though Bathed in Golden Sutra
Pei Ye gave a sword salute, took three steps back, and attacked the woman with the opening sword.

Neat and meticulous, followed by the Willow Sword, the Jade Sword, and the Snow Collapse...

The woman is like a soft mirror.

Sometimes she stood still, sometimes she strolled around him. When the next sword strike was an attack, she would be in the most suitable position. When the next sword strike was a defense or a counter, she would deliver a just-right sword move.

She didn't reflect the boy's figure, but she certainly reflected his swordsmanship perfectly. Every time the boy used his sword, it was met with a fitting interception or containment.

Pei Ye rarely wielded his sword so freely; it wasn't exhilarating, but rather refreshing and comfortable. When the final six Spring Sword techniques were all performed, Pei Ye sheathed his sword. Ming Qitian remained quietly watching him, like a teacher holding a pointer.

"How is it, Miss Ming?"

Ming Qitian thought for a moment and said seriously, "Every sword move is very 'Peiye'."

"..." Pei Ye scratched his head, "Is that good or bad?"

“Some aspects are good, and some are not,” Ming Qitian said. “Looking at each individual sword technique, you use them very well, although there are some flaws and deviations, but they can all be corrected; however, overall, your swordsmanship lacks connection between each other. The six spring sword techniques have not been structured into a whole, which is probably one of the reasons why you struggle with swordsmanship.”

Pei Ye was slightly taken aback: "Miss Ming, I didn't understand."

“If it doesn’t involve life and death, in the art of swordsmanship where each move is a mere touch, you have two inherent weaknesses. First, you’re a latecomer to the sport, your swordsmanship is scattered and unsystematic, making it difficult to compare with the sword lineage successors trained from childhood by renowned schools; second, your understanding of swordsmanship is weak, lacking sufficient knowledge and practice, relying more on inspiration than experience in the heat of battle,” Ming Qitian said. “Therefore, if you want to defeat a successor from a major school, you either need to use a unique sword like the Snow Sword, or you need to go all out, abandon defense, and use your spiritual energy to constantly attack. The closer the battle becomes, the more you will gain the upper hand.”

Pei Ye was speechless for a moment; what the woman said was entirely correct.

He defeated Xu Wensang using a single Snow Sword technique; and the method he taught Yin'er to defeat Chen Mishuang was to relentlessly attack, using courage to fight courage.

For most swordsmen, relying on a few superb swords and extraordinary talent, Pei Yeyi's swordplay is enough to easily win. For example, Hua Shanwenzheng, Wenli Zhang Chao, and others would all be defeated by his sword within ten sword strikes.

But there is no intermediate state when playing swordsmanship with him.

The two fought for dozens or even hundreds of rounds, exhilaratingly exhilarating... Pei Ye had never experienced this state before, the only time he had ever done so was when Yin'er yielded and cooperated with him.

Either Pei Ye will defeat his opponent within ten moves, or he will realize that he will have little chance of winning as soon as they meet.

This is because he lacks profound knowledge and vast sword skills. This deficiency is hidden from most of the sword students in the Sword Academy, but when facing the true pillars of a first-class sword sect, such as Jiang Yin'er, Yang Zhenbing, and Chu Shuiting, Pei Ye is like wearing a pair of shoes with holes in the soles.

Even though no one noticed it yet, I already felt awkward and stiff.

So, as the woman said, at this point, you either have to resort to a headbutt or simply take off your shoes and fight a life-or-death battle barefoot.

However, once he reached a higher level, facing some of the most outstanding swordsmen in the world, such as Luwei, Heyaoyao, Qunfei, and Yanfeiqing, Pei Ye's unorthodox and tantrum-like sword style became ineffective.

Who doesn't have a unique sword? Who can't carve intricate designs on the brink of death?
A master swordsman from a prestigious sect with no weaknesses has a solid advantage over a country boy who started out halfway through his training and has obvious specializations. This advantage cannot be broken by any tricks.

Unless they truly become mortal enemies, the outcome of the battle between Pei Ye and these people will never be in doubt.

Because their swordsmanship is flawless and progresses in all aspects, unlike Pei Ye, who pursued a certain level at the expense of all other aspects.

"So, Miss Ming, do you mean... I can correct these flaws?"

“The Sword Ladder is precisely to help you fill this gap.” Ming Qitian gently tapped his wrist with the Jade Tiger. “When you use the sword, you always put yourself first, which is good. However, the Sword Ladder world is an aid to your ‘lonely self.’ It is your personal guard and your strategist. By placing yourself within it and then using the sword, you can have more buffer and save a lot of unnecessary pressure.”

"But my [Cicada Fish View] is not yet finished."

“Hmm. However, the Spring Sword part that you have already completed is already a complete step of the sword ladder for many people.” Ming Qitian said, “Come, let’s play a game of swordsmanship. I will not use any sword moves, or I will only use the same sword moves as you, and slowly you will know how to connect these ‘mediocre’ swords in your hands.”

Pei Ye drew his sword, bowed, and assumed a fighting stance.

Ming Qitian remained standing still.

Pei Ye took a deep breath and swiftly departed with the move "Carrying a New Corpse." Ming Qitian lightly swung her sword, and with a clang, Pei Ye staggered, and the glass slipped from her hand.

Before it crashed to the ground, it took flight on its own, hovering in front of the boy and swaying back and forth, seemingly trying to express something.

Pei Ye looked up at the woman, helplessly saying, "Miss Ming..."

“Since we are wielding the sword, I cannot let this opportunity slip by.” Ming Qitian chuckled. “Come, I will teach you how to use this sword strike and how to connect it to the next one.”

Pei Ye caught the glass in mid-air, opening his eyes expectantly: "How do I use it?"

The woman began explaining the swordplay when the sun was due south and stopped when the sun was setting and everything was bathed in gold. She then meticulously analyzed the flaws and shortcomings of each of Pei Ye's sword techniques.

When Ming Qitian taught the young boys in Shaolong, the boys could only use a handful of sword techniques. Ming Qitian could only teach them swordsmanship and reading, pointing them in the right direction for their future sword studies. It was like a skilled cook without ingredients; therefore, when they parted, she said she felt ashamed of the trust placed in her by her senior.

Now that the young man has been studying at the Sword Cultivation Academy for half a year, his swordsmanship has gradually become systematic, and the female master has finally found a place to demonstrate her skills.

In swordplay, Pei Ye became increasingly aware of the weaknesses in his sword techniques as he was defeated time and time again, sometimes in one move, sometimes in two, sometimes in three.

In the past, when he lost to Jiang Yin'er, he only felt that the other party was very powerful, always able to see through his elaborate plans and defeat him with more exquisite sword techniques.

The calm and serious woman in front of him knew every sword move he made clearly, whether it was a thrust, a deflection, or those sword moves he was already very familiar with. Therefore, wherever the tip of Yu Hu's sword touched, he felt a sharp pain in that spot, and a kind of exhilarating feeling of being suddenly stimulated after being ignored for a long time.

Gradually, he felt that his swordsmanship was causing him a lot of pain, and he began to understand what the woman meant by "playing the sword through the sword ladder".

The Spring Sword is complete; it is indeed a perfect whole in itself. In the world of the sword ladder, cicadas, birds, flowers, trees, and rain, each sword is within another sword. Movement and stillness are in harmony, vitality is burgeoning, and the wind is warm while the rain is cold... It is actually very rich, providing a lot of variations and sword intents, so Pei Ye doesn't have to think about everything himself.

Within these few short hours, Pei Ye had experienced an unprecedentedly rich world, and the techniques he used with the sword seemed to appear out of nowhere.

Ming Qitian carried the jade tiger on his back and watched the boy try it out as if it were a new toy. He said gently, "It's not that you can't beat them, it's just that no one has properly taught you how to play the sword. If you have time, we will spend two hours every day practicing this."

Pei Ye was surprised: "I can practice on my own, Miss Ming... won't that interfere with your preparations for the Feather Scale Trial?"

"I was ready after the sword challenge ended."

"Thank you very much, Miss Ming."

"You're welcome."

Pei Ye sheathed his sword and wiped the sweat from his forehead: "Miss Ming, every time you talk to me about swordsmanship since we met, I feel enlightened... I really didn't know how amazing you are."

"There is a sequence to learning, and when you are my age, you may surpass me even more." Pei Ye couldn't help but laugh: "Miss Ming, I feel that you always think I am much more capable than I actually am."

"Is it."

"Ah."

Pei Ye watched as half of the orange-red sun sank below the courtyard wall. He went to the side to scoop up some water to wash the sweat from his head and neck, adjusted his breathing, and said, "Miss Ming, I still have one more sword stance and the last half of a sword technique. Could you please take a look at them as well?"

Ming Qitian nodded: "Okay."

"Miss Ming, this is my first time using this together, please be careful."

"it is good."

Pei Ye flicked the water droplets off his sword and raised his hand to tuck his wet hair behind his ear. He glanced at the distance between them, took a few steps back, and stood eight zhang away.

Then the boy closed his eyes, and after three breaths, his sleeves slowly fluttered upwards, as if ignited by a spring breeze.

The evening breeze seemed to quiet down for a moment, and Pei Ye drew his sword.

The glass suddenly rang out with a clear, ringing sound.

This sound was extremely short, a fleeting moment, a slice of time. But it rang out from eight zhang away and fell behind Ming Qitian.

Ming Qitian held the sword two inches and nine-tenths of an inch to her neck, her black hair fluttering, and a clear "ding" sound lingered for a long time.

Pei Ye extinguished the flames in his sleeves and turned to look at the woman.

Ming Qitian was slightly taken aback. She turned around, looked at the sword in the boy's hand, and then looked down at her own sword.

People often describe a sword as so fast that it seems to cut through time, because the observer doesn't have time to see it clearly.

As the observer's skill level changes, swords of different speeds can become faster than time itself. Pei Ye's first exclamation of amazement at a sword came from Master Huang of the Fenghuai Martial Arts School. At that time, he couldn't imagine that there could be a sword in the world that was faster than that.

But there was only one viewer here.

Ming Qitian felt that this sword strike was faster than time could pass.

"What is this sword strike called?" Ming Qitian asked seriously.

"Unrestrained".

Ming Qitian paused for a moment, then said, "It's a very fitting name. When did you learn it?"

"Last month."

"Is this Senior Yue's sword?"

“Hmm.” Pei Ye was slightly taken aback. “How did Miss Ming know?”

Ming Qitian raised his sword to look at it, his clear eyes seemingly reflecting the traces of the sword strike he had just received.

“Because none of the sword sects in the world today can wield such a sword,” she said. “Going back fifty years, only a handful of people could possibly use such a sword. Yue Muzhou is the most likely one of them.”

She turned to look at him: "You didn't let it be lost, that's good."

Pei Ye pursed her lower lip and whispered, "I'm not quite sure how to use it yet, so I activated [Sleeve Tiger]. Today is my first time using it like this. What do you think, Miss Ming?"

"This is a sword technique that I cannot instruct you on."

"I haven't actually learned it yet."

"You can only use it in this situation?"

“Yes, Miss Ming. Eight zhang away, a flat area.” Pei Ye paused for a moment, “I want to use it to defeat Yong Ji.”

Ming Qitian didn't speak. She thought for a while and said, "This sword should be on the third step of your sword ladder. Senior Yue used this sword as the core to refine the five forms of the Snow Sword and reached the Dao Sword Realm."

Pei Ye nodded.

“Yong Ji definitely can’t withstand this sword strike, and no one in the Xuanmen sects of the world can withstand it either. At least before they knew about this sword strike, they couldn’t withstand it; after they knew about it, they couldn’t withstand it with a sword,” Ming Qitian said. “However, if you want to harm them, that’s another matter.”

“I used it in the Daming Palace to cut the neck of a member of the Hebang, named Zhang Mengqiu.” Pei Ye lowered his head and stroked the glass. “But in the capital city, my sword wouldn’t have killed him; if we were outside the city, I would have been the one to die.”

Ming Qitian thought quietly for a while: "You can kill those people, because at some point, their throats are just as vulnerable as those of ordinary people."

"……Yes."

“I think if you want to defeat Yong Ji, you can no longer use the methods of an assassin,” she said. “He takes the simplest and most orthodox path: strong, unyielding muscles and bones, and sharp, powerful attacks. He is a fierce general on the battlefield.”

“But the sword is omnipotent,” she said.

“Although he is not a swordsman, you can be a soldier.” Ming Qitian handed him the jade tiger in his hand. “If you want to defeat him, you must confront his edge head-on.”

Pei Ye was stunned: "I do not possess the blood of mountains and seas. Nor do I have such powerful strength."

“But you are stronger and sharper than him.” Ming Qitian looked into his eyes with clear eyes. “Back in Kongtong, you were able to face the Immortal Lord directly. Your sword has burdened your heart. Let’s learn from each other.”

"What to study?"

“Xia Jian,” Ming Qitian said, “I’ve prepared the most violent set of swords for you. It’s meant to be reserved for your blazing rage. Before your martial arts exam, we’ll finish these six gates as well.”

“Miss Ming…it took me half a year to learn the Spring Sword.”

"It's okay, we'll learn together, I'll teach you."

"……it is good."

(End of this chapter)