Chapter 15: The Sword of Southern Ming

"The Crane's Cry... Breathing Technique..." Zhou Yan instinctively repeated. He sensed that this so-called 'breathing technique' was likely the true secret that distinguished the strong from ordinary people. The kind of secret art that could turn someone into an American Captain or a martial arts master straight out of a novel...

Luo Xuan shook her head. "I only mentioned it in passing. You don't need to concern yourself with such a secret art yet." She spoke plainly, "Without innate talent, one doesn't even qualify to learn the 'Secret Sword,' let alone the breathing technique."

"And you..." She glanced at Zhou Yan. "You're just at the entry level; you haven't even met the standards for a formal student."

Well then... no need to be so blunt. Zhou Yan smiled. "Then please, Xuan, teach me quickly. Who knows, I might have extraordinary talent and soon reach elite level."

"Confidence is a good thing," Luo Xuan said, giving him a faint look. "Let's begin. You already have a foundation in close combat techniques, so I'll start by teaching you the 'Southern Bright Sword.'"

Luo Xuan motioned for Zhou Yan to take up his sword. "Alright," Zhou Yan obeyed.

The two stood at the center of the training hall, wooden practice swords in hand. Luo Ke pulled up a chair and sat nearby, watching with a cheerful grin.

Luo Xuan wore a simple athletic shirt; her long hair, let down during dinner, was now tied back into a high ponytail, making her look sharp and efficient.

Once she entered teaching mode, this genius swordswoman seemed to transform into a meticulous machine, precise and unyielding.

She began by introducing the Southern Bright Sword to Zhou Yan. "The Vermilion Palace is symbolized by the 'Southern Vermilion Bird' among the Four Divine Spirits of the heavens. Its introductory sword techniques are inspired by distinctive bird postures, divided into several sections—

"Two stances: Owl Standing, Crane Dancing.

"Two attack methods: Eagle Strike, Falcon Assault.

"One footwork technique: Sparrow Steps.

"I'll perform the complete Southern Bright Sword for you first."

As she spoke, Luo Xuan demonstrated. Likely to help Zhou Yan observe the key points, her movements weren't overly fast, but her posture was graceful, precise, and powerful, each move flowing seamlessly, like water coursing through clouds.

Zhou Yan watched attentively. Though his physical condition was average, his 'spirit' surpassed most people, so after watching Luo Xuan's deliberately slowed demonstration, he felt as if he could remember every move.

A few minutes later, Luo Xuan finished her demonstration and returned to stand before Zhou Yan.

"Did you see clearly?"

Zhou Yan nodded eagerly, ready to begin.

Luo Xuan signaled him to follow with his sword. "Alright, now learn with me. Let's start with the foundation—static stance, 'Owl Standing.'"

She adopted a unique pose: standing upright, feet slightly apart, holding the sword behind her, her form both tall and containing a hint of contraction.

"Owl Standing, the static stance of the Southern Bright Sword. The key is to imagine yourself like an owl, focusing on gripping the ground and stabilizing your lower body. Watch my feet."

Zhou Yan listened and looked down carefully at her legs. Unlike her petite and cute sister Luo Ke, Luo Xuan was tall, elegant, with superb proportions—her long legs were pale and straight, and as she tensed, the muscles on her calves became pronounced beneath the fair skin.

A rare beauty.

"Look at my feet, not my legs," Luo Xuan's cool voice came.

"Pfft~" Luo Ke couldn't hold back a laugh.

Zhou Yan remained composed, quickly lowering his gaze to Luo Xuan's feet.

To help him see the force, Luo Xuan had removed her shoes; now her slender, pale feet were visible, toes resembling little white jade grapes.

Another rare beauty.

Luo Xuan: ...

A faint blush crept across her cheeks, but she continued coldly, "Pay attention to the state of my feet."

"Hahaha~" Luo Ke hugged her belly, laughing.

Admiring her legs was just incidental; Zhou Yan had indeed noticed the state of Luo Xuan's feet.

Her arch was raised, toes gripping the ground firmly, as if burrowing into the mat.

He mimicked Luo Xuan's stance, interlacing his toes, striving to replicate the emphasized movements.

"Is this right?"

Seeing Zhou Yan's earnestness, Luo Xuan approached, circling him to inspect his posture. Her wooden sword lightly tapped several spots on his body.

"Owl Standing is unlike ordinary stances. The feet must grip tightly, calves tense, but the upper body remains relaxed. Have you seen an owl perched on a tree? Recall its posture, imagine it."

Zhou Yan said nothing more. Following Luo Xuan's guidance, he pictured an owl on a branch, toes gripping, upper body loose.

"Good. Hold for ten minutes. This is the static stance of the Southern Bright Sword. Once you comprehend it, it'll benefit your sword moves and power generation."

Luo Xuan spoke calmly. "Once you've mastered this stance, you can learn the next move."

Ten minutes...

Following Luo Xuan's instructions, Zhou Yan maintained the stance and exerted force.

He soon realized the difficulty.

Not ten minutes—even five minutes was hard to endure!

Without his life equipment, he only received a twenty percent boost, his physical stats barely reaching a reference value of '10.'

The basic close combat moves he'd practiced earlier were just simple attack patterns and footwork—not specialized stances to strengthen leg muscles.

Anyone who's tried martial arts knows: no matter how strong you are, if you've never practiced horse stance, you've never practiced it. If you can't hold it, you can't hold it.

Though the Southern Bright Sword stance appeared easier than the semi-squat horse stance at first, it was anything but.

Normally, people don't use calf and foot muscles so intensely to maintain an 'Owl Standing' pose.

Now, under the strain of the stance, the corresponding muscles were working hard, making Zhou Yan's calves ache, his arches and toes cramping.

A muscle spasm!

Yet, despite his average physical aptitude, Zhou Yan's willpower was above ordinary. Facing the pain of spasming muscles, though uncomfortable, he kept a calm face and persisted.

Let me show you the willpower of a '9' spirit!

Luo Xuan, watching from the side, was surprised as Zhou Yan managed to hold the pose for nearly ten minutes. She had thought he might have trained his calves and feet before, but a glance down made her eyes tremble.

Zhou Yan's calves were knotted with muscle spasms.

Cramping, yet still holding the pose?

She immediately said, "Zhou Yan, that's enough. Relax, sit down!"

Zhou Yan exhaled deeply and sat, then reached out to massage his calf.

The next moment, slender yet strong fingers pressed on his foot and calf.

A few precise massages eased the pain in an instant.

Luo Xuan looked at him reproachfully. "Martial arts are not child's play. Persisting in the wrong direction only leads to injury. Why didn't you stop when you cramped?"

Zhou Yan was a bit embarrassed. "You said to hold for ten minutes..."

Luo Xuan gazed at him, speechless for a moment.

(I just said it—if you can't hold, just stop! Why force yourself?)

Nearby, Luo Ke had already come over, helping Zhou Yan massage his other calf, smiling. "Zhou Yan, you're tough! You can push through a cramp?"

A few minutes later, Zhou Yan's feet were much better, and he stood face-to-face with Luo Xuan once more.

Luo Xuan spoke softly, "You just finished cramping, so don't do the static stance for now. Let's go through some sword moves..."

Zhou Yan nodded obediently.

Luo Xuan stepped opposite him again, raising her wooden sword.

She began in the Owl Standing stance, her form surging, like a raptor striking, sword rotating from a reverse grip to a forward hold, then slowly and steadily thrusting ahead.

She instructed softly, "Follow me."

Zhou Yan thrust his sword after Luo Xuan, though not quite standard.

He was about to adjust when his vision flickered.

[Learning new skill—Southern Bright Sword]

[Burn spiritual energy to assist learning?]

***