Ten Directions Sword Master

"Spring brings forth life, summer fosters growth, autumn harvests, winter stores away... The general principle of the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Sword Manual is to look up at the celestial sphere and down at the earth's order. That realm is too high to reach at present. Based on my experience over the past few years, being able to make the sword follow the qi and the mind align with the light of heaven is already enough."

The Twenty-Four Solar Terms Sword Technique, a sword technique that was sought after by countless swordsmen but later shelved, is wonderful because the power of the sword technique increases with each additional move mastered.

Once all six swords of the Autumn Division are gathered, it can be considered the top-tier sword technique of the division.

As the saying goes, the autumnal equinox severs the causal bonds of metal.

The act of concealing one's abilities and putting the sword back in its sheath does not mean that the sword is dull or unable to strike.

In recent decades, the person who has achieved the highest level of mastery in the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Sword Technique is none other than Yu Ziqi, the vice president of Bailu Academy.

However, the Six Swords of the Summer Division that he practiced emphasized the burning wind at the extreme of the summer solstice, so that when he struck, the air burned as if he were in a furnace.

However, Gu Jingyu was right; it was the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Sword Technique that trapped Dean Yu.

The unification of the four parts and the balance of yin and yang are simply a fantasy, beyond human capability.

According to Dean Yu's latest research findings, this sword technique was never intended to be mastered in one go when it was first created. It is suitable for grandmasters who have already reached the True Person Realm to look back and cultivate it from a high-level perspective.

Alternatively, four disciples with exceptional swordsmanship talent may be selected, each to learn a different version, which, when combined, forms a unique and complete version of the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Sword Manual.

Only then can one achieve what the sword manual says: "One sword, twenty-four strokes; the way is in the ordinary."

"I don't know if it's just my imagination, but with each new move I master, the next one becomes clearer... If my senses are correct, the next move I master should be the most lethal of the Six Swords of Autumn, Frost Dew."

Heavy dew and fading stars, a single fall carries immense weight.

A single, powerful strike, like a meteor, shattered armor and shields.

Lu Li's good mood didn't last long before it dissipated. When it was fully light, he realized that the rebel army had been attacking for several days, but they hadn't even made it over the narrow wall of the military camp.

The direct casualties were only a dozen or so, which was negligible for a force of nearly a thousand men.

After patiently watching for a while, Lu Li had Tang Lie summon Zhao Sanqin that night and berated him angrily.

"You told me to break through the stronghold and hand over He Zheng's head by the end of the month, and this is how you do it? My patience is limited. I need results within three days, or I'll go back to the county seat and bring in reinforcements!"

Lu Li behaved just like a raging, spoiled nobleman, refusing to listen to explanations or ask for reasons.

"Can you bring He Zheng up in three days?"

"Zhao is determined to do his utmost!"

Zhao Sanqin got off the carriage, his face ashen, and strode back to his tent.

"Brother Zhao, what did the benefactor say?"

"Young Master Bai demands that He Zheng be killed within three days, but the nobleman doesn't have our patience... Starting tomorrow, we'll begin the earthen siege, regardless of casualties!"

Zhao Sanqin hardened his heart and looked at someone sitting in the darkness.

"Brother Qiu, you and I will deal with He Zheng. After it's done, in addition to the thousand taels of gold, I'll also give you my Shadow Puppet Step manual!"

"Alright, Brother Zhao, you keep your word. I, Qiu, will accompany you on this trip!"

……

The twenty-second day.

The rebel army surrounding the military camp numbered at least four or five thousand, and they began to attack in shifts from morning onwards, like ants.

Each person threw down a mound of earth, and after just a few rounds, several more slopes leading directly into the military camp were created.

What they paid for was nearly a hundred bodies lying on the ground, either groaning or motionless.

"Charge again, seize the fortifications, and ram the enemy camp until they stop."

Zhao Sanqin remained expressionless. Cannon fodder was worthless, especially human lives in a year of great disaster.

Originally, we wanted to save manpower for later land reclamation, but the important person was not satisfied, so we had no choice but to proceed.

In fact, if it weren't for the reactions of the three major families in Bingzhou and the military, he would have wanted to make a move against He Zheng long ago.

With a benefactor smoothing things over and additional benefits to be gained, it's natural that they'd hit it off immediately.

The soldiers in the military camp were clearly better equipped and coordinated, and the first wave of rebels who rushed in fell like ears of rice.

Draw the gun, pull it out, and stab again!

Without any fancy moves, repeating the simplest actions, they neutralized the first wave of the rebel army's attack.

However, the numerical disparity was too great, and soon several times the number of rebels poured in, resulting in a stalemate.

"Charge the enemy camp, attack!"

At Zhao Sanqin's command, the rebel army's five hundred elite troops, their trump card, marched out. They were all dressed in leather armor, with captains even wearing scale armor, and it was unclear where they had obtained their weapons.

The arrival of fresh troops on the battlefield immediately put the defending forces at a disadvantage, and the battle lines retreated steadily.

As the encirclement tightened, several Yi soldiers suddenly flew out, each with a large hole in their chest, their armor completely obscured.

A thin figure appeared, dressed only in cloth, with blood on his hands and crisscrossing wounds on his face, extending to his neck.

Behind him were several burly soldiers, fully armored except for their eyes, each carrying a half-person-high saber.

"Zhao Sanqin, who gave you the audacity to cause trouble here... the Shen family, or the Huang family?"

The cruel and tyrannical He Zheng, who could stop a child from crying, was actually this gaunt old man, which was definitely beyond many people's expectations.

"Hold off those tin cans while Brother Qiu and I deal with He Zheng, then we'll deal with them!"

Zhao Sanqin cursed under his breath, realizing that all the armored soldiers had Qi cultivation, were strong and robust, and with the help of the horse-slaying saber, they would be invincible and have astonishing killing power.

He exchanged a glance with the wandering swordsman surnamed Qiu, then flew out like a falcon and landed in front of He Zheng.

"You, surnamed He, have committed too many evils; even Heaven can't stand it anymore and has come to punish you! Today, I, Zhao, will rid the people of this scourge and avenge my sister's death!"

Zhao Sanqin used a mace with a caltrop rib, a rare and uncommon weapon in the martial arts world.

His attacks didn't follow the bold and powerful approach; instead, they were ever-changing, creating countless afterimages.

Those with slightly weaker cultivation levels cannot even determine the location of the mace.

The wandering swordsman surnamed Qiu remained silent, wielding two swords, one long and one short, his movements ghostly and his footsteps silent.

As they rapidly closed in, the twin blades remained hidden, waiting for He Zheng to react to Zhao Sanqin's attack before changing their own moves. However, the attack enveloped He Zheng's entire body.

"Great, even cats and dogs dare to provoke tigers!"

He Zheng's hands hung limply at his sides, his eyes cold and emotionless. With a flick of his wrist, he made a metallic clanging sound against the mace.

"Dragon-Binding Hand! The fully mastered Dragon-Binding Hand?"

Zhao Sanqin's expression changed. He wasn't surprised that he caught it accurately, but the vibration from the caltrop mace made his blood surge, which was a sign that something was wrong.

……

"Young Master Bai, it seems we will return victorious today."

On a high slope several hundred meters away, a few people stopped to look into the distance and comment on the changes on the battlefield.

Lu Li was relieved to see that everything was going according to plan.

"The wandering swordsman invited by Chief Zhao is only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, but his movement skills are remarkable and he fights cleverly... He doesn't take the lead in the attack, putting psychological pressure on He Zheng and forcing him to divert his energy to defend himself."

Tang Lie provided real-time commentary, noting that Bingzhou hadn't seen such a thrilling life-or-death contest in a long time.

"He uses dual swords, which allows for more variety; perhaps he can create some unexpected effects... No, wait!"

"He Zheng has mastered the Dragon-Binding Hand technique; his palms are comparable to high-grade weapons, making him exceptionally effective at close combat, and crucially, he can seal a person's meridians... That wandering swordsman got too close; something bad is about to happen!"

Wei Xuan had sharper eyes and noticed the clues a step ahead of time.