Chapter 11: Three Realms of Sword Dao, Practicing Sword Techniques
Hall of Worship.
The moment Su Mo stepped into the hall, an atmosphere of solemnity rushed towards him.
At this moment, Qian Daoliu stood in the center of the hall, hands behind his back, his posture as straight as a pine.
Behind him stood the other three Worship Elders, each possessing a profound aura.
Their gazes fell upon Su Mo, filled with scrutiny and appraisal.
"Father, I have brought Xiao Mo here," Qian Xunji said.
Su Mo remained calm, stepped forward, and bowed: "Greetings to all the Worship Elders."
On the way here, Qian Xunji had already explained the purpose of the visit and briefly introduced the identities of the Worship Elders.
When Su Mo learned that Qian Daoliu intended to personally teach him sword techniques, he felt somewhat surprised, yet also delighted.
Qian Daoliu was not only one of the peak powerhouses on the continent, but his sword techniques were also second to none; if he could receive his guidance, his own sword skills would certainly improve rapidly.
"No need for formalities," Qian Daoliu said with a faint smile. "Su Mo, you are Ji'er's disciple, so there is no need to be formal in the future; you may simply address me as Grandpa Qian."
Ji'er? Hearing this form of address, Su Mo almost couldn't hold back his laughter; the dignified Pope of Spirit Hall was actually called by such a name.
However, he kept a straight face and respectfully replied: "Yes, Grandpa Qian."
"Release your Martial Soul," Qian Daoliu said.
Su Mo nodded, raised his hand, and held the Asura Demon Sword in his palm, while one yellow and one purple Soul Ring appeared beneath his feet.
Although the Worship Elders present had already heard the situation explained by Golden Crocodile Douluo, upon seeing the thousand-year second Soul Ring with their own eyes, a trace of astonishment still flashed in their eyes.
Qian Daoliu gazed at the sword in Su Mo's hand, his eyes profound.
He faintly sensed that the quality of this sword Martial Soul seemed to be even higher than his own Six-winged Angel, and it was undoubtedly a god-level Martial Soul.
However, he was still somewhat worried that Su Mo might not be able to resist temptation and walk the path of the fallen.
Those Fallen Spirit Masters, because of the characteristics of their Martial Souls, could quickly increase their strength by absorbing life force or through other evil and crooked paths, thus failing to resist temptation and going astray.
Qian Daoliu's expression suddenly became more serious: "Su Mo, you must remember, power itself has no good or evil; the key lies in the person who uses it.
A sword can be used for slaughter, or it can be used for protection.
Your path is destined to be full of temptations and trials; do not be dominated by power, but rather dominate power."
Su Mo nodded earnestly, his gaze firm: "Yes, this disciple will keep it in mind."
Although his teacher was Qian Xunji, since Qian Daoliu was now going to teach him sword techniques, he naturally counted as half a teacher, so he referred to himself as a disciple.
Qian Daoliu nodded slightly, a look of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.
Su Mo was only six years old, yet his eyes were clear and calm; facing his gaze, he did not dodge nor show fear. Such temperament was truly rare.
"Put away your Martial Soul and follow me." Qian Daoliu turned and walked out of the hall.
Su Mo retracted his Martial Soul and followed quickly.
The two went upwards, passing through the Hall of Worship and winding along the stone steps in the mountains.
Before long, the view suddenly opened up. This was a flat area in the mountains, surrounded by pine and cypress trees, with clouds and mist swirling around. In the distance, undulating mountains appeared and disappeared, as if in a fairyland.
A huge blue stone lay horizontally by the cliff, its surface covered with crisscrossing sword marks, some deep and some shallow, dense and numerous; it was clearly used for sword practice by someone in the past.
"Sit down," Qian Daoliu said.
Su Mo sat cross-legged as instructed, hands resting on his knees, his back straight.
Qian Daoliu stood with his hands behind his back opposite him, his robes and golden hair fluttering gently in the breeze.
"Today, I will first tell you about the realms of Sword Dao." His voice was unhurried, yet clearly reached Su Mo's ears. "Sword Dao is divided into three realms: Sword Intent, Sword Domain, and Man and Sword as One."
"Sword Intent: where the intent goes, the sword follows. Everyone's temperament is different, their experiences are different, and the Sword Intent they comprehend is also different.
Some people's Sword Intent is sharp like the wind, some is heavy like a mountain, some is blazing like fire; all are manifestations of one's inner heart."
"Sword Domain is the sublimation after Sword Intent reaches its peak; intent transforms from the formless into the tangible, using Sword Intent to cover a region, forming a Domain."
"Man and Sword as One is the ultimate realm of Sword Dao; the person is the sword, and the sword is the person. Grass, trees, bamboo, and stones can all be used as swords."
"Xiao Mo, everyone's Sword Dao is different. I can only share my insights with you and tell you about the path I have walked.
As for what you can comprehend and how far you can go, it all depends on yourself.
I can teach you the techniques of swordplay step-by-step, but the path of Sword Dao must ultimately be walked by yourself."
"Yes, Grandpa Qian," Su Mo nodded earnestly.
He already had a general idea in his heart; the Asura Demon Sword focuses on slaughter and was born for killing. His Sword Dao was destined to be related to slaughter.
"Next, I will tell you about my cultivation insights..."
Qian Daoliu began to speak.
His words were concise and refined, without a single word of nonsense, each sentence pointing directly to the core.
Su Mo listened intently, recording every word, while constantly digesting them in combination with his own understanding.
For parts he couldn't fully comprehend for the moment, he didn't get impatient, but firmly noted them down, waiting to slowly ponder them in the future.
I don't know how long it had been, but Qian Daoliu's voice stopped abruptly.
"That is all for today. You should go back first and digest what you have learned today. Starting tomorrow, come here every morning to practice for one hour."
Su Mo stood up and bowed respectfully: "Goodbye, Grandpa Qian."
After saying this, he turned and walked down the mountain along the stone steps he had come from.
Behind him, Qian Daoliu stood with his hands behind his back, watching Su Mo's figure disappear, remaining motionless for a long time.
The next morning, the sky gradually brightened.
Su Mo washed up simply, had breakfast, and went to the mountaintop alone.
As soon as he stepped onto the flat area, Qian Daoliu's figure appeared quietly not far away.
"Grandpa Qian," Su Mo greeted.
Qian Daoliu nodded: "Xiao Mo, all sword techniques start from the basics. If the foundation is not solid, everything is a castle in the air.
Moves are ever-changing; only by practicing the basics to the extreme can the sword in your hand truly be as flexible as your own arm."
He picked up a withered branch and held it in his hand: "I will demonstrate it to you once first. Watch closely."
As the words fell, Qian Daoliu moved.
What he held was just a withered branch, but in his hands, it seemed to transform into a peerless sword.
Every one of his basic sword moves carried a sharp sword momentum; the branch cut through the air, emitting a sharp whistling sound.
It was clearly a simple movement, yet in his hands, it possessed the power to turn decay into magic.
Su Mo watched intently, his gaze tightly following every movement and every detail of force application by Qian Daoliu.
As the last move was finished, Qian Daoliu stopped and stood, casually throwing the branch on the ground.
"You try it once."
Su Mo nodded and released the Asura Demon Sword Martial Soul.
He took a deep breath and began to imitate.
Qian Daoliu stood with his hands behind his back, watching Su Mo's dancing figure, a trace of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.
Su Mo had only watched it once; although his movements were still a bit raw and stiff, every move was decent. His talent for Sword Dao was indeed good.
In the following time, Qian Daoliu began to correct Su Mo's force application techniques and the essentials of the moves, correcting every one of his actions step-by-step.
Where the force was used incorrectly, where the steps should be fast or slow, where the body should turn or tilt—everything was pointed out in place.
An hour later, Su Mo's back was soaked with sweat, and he had gradually mastered the essentials of those basic sword moves.
To have such progress on the first day showed that Su Mo's cultivation talent and Sword Dao talent were both top-tier.
"Alright, that is all for today. You go back," Qian Daoliu said.
Su Mo retracted his sword and bowed respectfully: "Yes, goodbye, Grandpa Qian."
After saying this, he turned and walked down the mountain.