The Decaying World-Chapter 93 - 88: Testing the Sword (Part 2)

After all, achieving Body Tempering meant one was completely different from an ordinary person.

Faster speed, a stronger constitution, and greater power.

Although the Martial Arts of Qingfeng Temple focused on enhancing speed, they also slightly improved other physical attributes.

This led to a series of changes.

Among the three branches, Qingfeng Temple had recently seen four students achieve Body Tempering in succession, becoming Official Disciples.

There was even an old man in his sixties from a former wellness class who had also learned the perfect version of the Seven-Section Quick Sword and, by some fluke, succeeded in Body Tempering. It was nothing short of a miracle.

"Chen Sui, Huang Shan, Qiu Yiren. You all reached the Body Tempering Limit long ago; it’s time to learn the Qingfeng Sword. Did your previous master ever teach you the complete set?" Lin Hui asked.

"He did, but we couldn’t grasp the points for force generation, so our Body Tempering progress has been slow. It’s too difficult to generate Inner Strength," Chen Sui replied.

He seemed to realize something then, his eyes brightening as he looked at Lin Hui.

The talent of their Observatory Master, Lin Hui, was on a level known throughout Qingfeng Temple. They had discussed it privately, even saying that aside from the founding patriarch, Lin Hui was the strongest.

Based on the bits of news that came out of the previous battle with the Baihua Sect, they were all certain that Lin Hui had definitely broken through to the Inner Power Realm. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to go toe-to-toe with the likes of Xue Meng and the many Inner Power experts from the Baihua Sect.

Now that Lin Hui was bringing this up again, his purpose was self-evident.

Meanwhile, Huang Shan and Qiu Yiren’s eyes were also shining with anticipation.

They had heard as soon as they returned that after Lin Hui took over as Observatory Master, he had perfected all three of Qingfeng Temple’s original Martial Arts systems.

He was even preparing to hold a Martial Arts celebration now.

His bringing it up now could only mean one thing: was he finally planning to formally teach them the perfected Swordsmanship?

Sure enough.

Lin Hui stood up.

"Very well. The final step of generating Inner Strength is indeed difficult. This is probably because your foundations are unstable. I will teach you the perfected Seven-Section Quick Sword and Nine-Section Swift Sword. After you have shored up your foundations, come find me to learn the Perfect Clear Wind Sword."

"Remember, the better your foundation with these first two styles of Swordsmanship, the faster the Qingfeng Sword’s Body Tempering will generate Inner Strength. Don’t rush for quick gains. Settle your minds and calmly feel the differences."

He himself had generated Inner Strength naturally and with incredible ease, which showed just how much the Body Tempering from the perfected Swordsmanship helped in breaking through to the Inner Power Realm—far more than he could have imagined.

Now that the sect lacked an Inner Power Realm expert to preside over it, he planned to cultivate his own.

He would cultivate his own, then form an alliance with a few outside helpers to bolster their numbers. That should be enough.

It was best to get unaffiliated Inner Power Realm experts to join them. Otherwise, things like forming a United Sect were too much trouble and would attract the attention of the Inner City’s New Martial Alliance.

"Also, has the word been spread about selecting people to enter the Inner City for Summoning training?" Lin Hui asked.

"It’s already been spread. Many of the surrounding families are quite interested and have sent people to inquire about the details." Wang Hongshi glanced at Chen Sui’s group with envy, respectfully suppressing the thought of switching to the Qingfeng Sword himself.

"Bring everyone in first. After the selection, they’ll join Qingfeng Temple so we can assess their character. Only after we’ve confirmed they’re suitable will they be sent to the Inner City. The Summoning slots are precious. We can’t give them directly to outsiders; we must select from our own people first." Lin Hui mused, "Let’s do this: establish a Contribution Points system within the temple. One point for completing a normal mission, two for a medium one, and three for a high-level one. The three people with the highest Contribution Points will receive the Summoning slots and go to the Inner City for training."

"But wouldn’t that mean only the strongest in the sect get selected, instead of those with the best aptitude? Will that have a negative impact after they enter the city?" Wang Hongshi asked doubtfully. "The other families all prioritize aptitude. Plus, if they’re older, the chances of a successful Summoning are likely to be very low..."

"What’s the use of me training someone if, despite their good aptitude, they feel no sense of belonging to Qingfeng Temple?" Lin Hui countered. "If they aren’t one of us, their aptitude is none of our concern, no matter how good it is."

"...I understand," Wang Hongshi nodded.

"That’s settled then. Draft a proposal for recording Contribution Points and bring it to me. How to determine mission difficulty, who will record the points—these tasks will require dedicated people. We can select some of the older members whose potential is exhausted but who have a strong sense of belonging to Qingfeng Temple," Lin Hui instructed.

"But, Observatory Master, now that the three branches are one... the people from the former Black Dragon Sect were just a temporary gathering. The Intention Blade Sect only has a handful of members; you can’t really talk about a sense of belonging there. And the original members of Qingfeng Temple have all fled. As for the loyal old members... well, they’re all standing right here." Wang Hongshi’s face showed his predicament. "These Contribution Points are critically important. How they are managed, supervised, and recorded... I think it’s better if you make the final decision."

Wang Hongshi’s face was etched with difficulty.

This was a real sticking point.

Lin Hui, too, was stumped.

This issue was tied to the sect’s future development. Verifying missions required personal involvement and consumed a great deal of time and energy. Recording the points would also mean a lot of running around.

If he let Chen Sui and the other two handle it, it would consume too much of their time and affect their training.

The cost was not worth the benefit.

It required a group of people with a strong sense of belonging, plenty of time, abundant energy, and a degree of impartiality to be responsible for the Contribution Points.

Suddenly, Xue Meng’s old face flashed in Lin Hui’s mind. ’That old man definitely has plenty of time. As for a sense of belonging, it’s passable. As long as I’m alright, Xue Meng can live out his retirement in peace, and the disciples can develop smoothly. There shouldn’t be a big problem there.’

’No need to even mention stamina. At the Perfect Sixth Layer of Inner Strength, he could send a strapping young lad flying with a single slap. He could wander around all day and not feel the slightest bit tired.’

’A pity master and the others aren’t here...’ He sighed softly.

After some more discussion, Lin Hui personally took the floor and demonstrated the perfected versions of the two Swordsmanship styles, the Seven-Section Quick Sword and the Nine-Section Swift Sword.

As afterimages flashed and vanished, the terrifying speed of his demonstration caused the wind to howl and the air to churn throughout the great hall.

When Wang Hongshi and the other former disciples of the Black Dragon Sect saw this, their expressions shifted, and their convictions began to waver.

The Black Dragon Sect Leader was dead. Now, no one dared say for certain whether the Black Dragon Claw at the Inner Power Realm could stand up against the Qingfeng Sword at the Inner Power Realm.

After all, Lin Hui and Song Zhanlong had never fought, but Daoist Baohe had. In the end, Baohe had been grievously wounded and died.

Song Zhanlong had been completely unscathed.

If Song Zhanlong were still alive, they wouldn’t have hesitated. But now, there was no one left to guide them in the Black Dragon Claw at the Inner Power Realm...

After several minutes of hesitation, Wang Hongshi’s expression hardened. He carefully observed Lin Hui’s demonstrated Swordsmanship and decided to switch his focus.

He was exceptionally talented with an extremely high aptitude for comprehension; previously, he had been Song Zhanlong’s most valued senior disciple.

Now, having made the decision to switch, his mind was set. He began learning the Swordsmanship, and after watching only three times, he had memorized the entire Seven-Section Quick Sword.

With his strength already at the Body Tempering Limit, he only needed to slightly enhance his speed through Body Tempering to move past this step. He could then directly learn the combat-oriented Nine-Section Swift Sword, and then undergo a Second-Time Body Tempering with the Qingfeng Sword.

Then, the power of his Body Tempering Limit from the Black Dragon Claw, stacked with the speed of the Qingfeng Sword... even if he wasted a little time, the terrifying power he would gain would be multiplied several times over.

Of course, the prerequisite was that he could learn it all in a short amount of time. Otherwise, he would have wasted time and energy, and as he grew older, his chances of breaking through to the Inner Strength level would only diminish. The cost would not be worth the benefit.

Spurred by Wang Hongshi’s decision, the other former disciples of the Black Dragon Sect also made up their minds and began to study the Swordsmanship diligently.

Lin Hui took this in, inwardly pleased. He had always been very satisfied with Wang Hongshi.

The man was a true genius. Not only was his cultivation talent extraordinary, but he handled people and managed all the sect’s affairs, big and small, with such perfect order that Lin Hui never had to worry about a thing.

Perhaps this was related to Song Zhanlong’s style. Song Zhanlong had also been a lone wolf, and he certainly didn’t bother with management, so these matters and chores had naturally been heaped upon Wang Hongshi.

After repeatedly instructing them in the great hall, Lin Hui made sure everyone had grasped the basic Sword Techniques. Then he once again took out the Fundamental Diagram, allowing everyone to observe and gain insights from it.

This was to prepare them in advance for the Qingfeng Sword.

After all, the essence of the Qingfeng Sword was, in fact, a synthesis and fusion of the previous two swordsmanship styles.

Just as Lin Hui was inside the sect, simultaneously cultivating and teaching the others Swordsmanship.

「Fu’an Town.」

In front of the Black Dragon Pharmacy.

A dusty, wooden carriage slowly came to a stop, pulling into the empty space beside the pharmacy’s entrance.

On the side of the gray carriage were two large, black words: Qing · Intention.

This represented the Intention Blade branch of Qingfeng Temple.

The former Black Dragon Sect members, meanwhile, used "Qing · Dragon" for distinction.

The carriage door slid open, and three sturdy, powerfully built men carrying sabers jumped down.

After the three of them, a white-haired old man with a troubled face descended, his hands clasped behind his back.

The old man wore a flowing, well-fitted white robe, his hair tied back with a snakeskin hairband. A black Thick-Backed Saber hung from his waist, its black scabbard engraved on the side with a large character for "Intention."

"This is the shop where the incident happened?" The old man was none other than Xue Meng, who had traveled all the way from the Black Dragon Sect—no, the Qingfeng Temple headquarters.

"Yes, Elder Xue." The pharmacy’s Shopkeeper, who had been waiting for a long time, finally scurried out from a corner. Even as he emerged, he held a book up, hiding his face with his sleeve, terrified of being spotted.

"I am this pharmacy’s Shopkeeper, Wang Sanfu. I came back immediately to wait for you after receiving the news."

Xue Meng surveyed the cold, empty pharmacy.

The closed wooden door panels of the shop had been smashed open. It looked as if a heavy object had been thrown through it, punching a large hole right in the center.

Judging by the edges of the hole, it was the shape of a person.

In his mind, Xue Meng instantly pictured the scene: someone being struck with immense force, sent flying backward to smash through the door panel.

He ignored the Shopkeeper and went first, stepping alone through the hole.

Inside was a square counter enclosing a central workspace.

The brown wooden counter was covered in gashes where the wood had been shattered by palm strikes.

It looked like the fight had been intense.

"Huang Hai Seal wasn’t defeated in one blow. He exchanged at least several dozen moves with this person before he was ultimately defeated. He was first struck in the chest by a palm, lost his ability to resist, and only then had his limbs crushed."

Xue Meng came to this conclusion quickly after carefully examining the traces.

"Master, what do we do now? How do we find them?" one of his disciples asked in a low voice.

"Since we’ve come, they’ll show themselves soon enough," Xue Meng said. "Otherwise, they wouldn’t have gone to the trouble of only injuring him instead of killing him, deliberately sending him to headquarters as a provocation."

"So we... just wait here?"

"Grab some stools. We’ll wait outside. They’ll come," Xue Meng said calmly.

Soon, the four of them had found three stools and a chair and arranged them outside the pharmacy.

The chair was for their master, while the three of them took the stools, as a sign of respect.

Then, they waited in silence.

Snow drifted down on the wind, and before long, a thin layer of white covered them.