Chapter 18: The Flowing Logic Blocks (Please Add to Your Favorites for Recommendations)

Dawn broke, and the sky was just beginning to lighten. Zhou Yan opened his eyes and sat up swiftly in bed. A glance at his battered phone told him it was only five o’clock. He had slept for more than six hours, yet his mind was already alert and refreshed.

He hadn’t understood the reason before, but since he could see his personal attributes on the panel, he realized it was because his “spirit” surpassed that of ordinary people.

He dressed, gathered his toiletries, and opened the door, stepping out from his dim room into the training hall of the sword pavilion. The early sunlight streamed through the windows in the wall, casting mottled beams across the hall and illuminating it with a gentle glow.

He quickened his pace and entered the communal bathroom. A few minutes later, Zhou Yan stood before the mirror, having finished his morning routine. He studied his reflection: he looked about twenty-one or twenty-two, a few years younger than the twenty-four he’d been before crossing over. His tightly shut right eye gave his otherwise handsome features a hint of imbalance.

This was only because it was closed. If he opened it, the empty socket would surely unsettle anyone even more.

His left hand, his right eye… Only after his body was broken did he truly comprehend how hard it was to accept such loss—especially since he had been whole before crossing into this world.

He stood for a while, then sighed, took out an ordinary black eye patch, and placed it over his right eye. Facing the mirror, he forced a smile, his gaze growing firm.

Zhou Yan, push yourself—stay strong.

Walking the realm of calamity, fate gears, martial arts… Whether for better or for worse, everything was changing. Where there was change, there was opportunity.

All he had to do was grow stronger with all his might, seize every chance when it mattered most, and—finally—change his destiny.

*

Two hours later, Luo Xuan, having risen, led Luo Ke through the sword pavilion’s back entrance into the training hall. At first glance, they saw Zhou Yan standing in the “Owl Stance,” his posture fixed.

He was drenched in sweat; his short-sleeved shirt clung to him, and his calves and feet trembled slightly. He seemed close to his limit, yet his footing remained steady.

“Good morning, Zhou Yan!” Luo Ke smiled brightly and greeted him.

Luo Xuan nodded to Zhou Yan as well, her gaze lingering on his trembling but not cramping calves.

Yes, it seemed Zhou Yan had already mastered the knack of exerting force correctly.

“Morning,” Zhou Yan smiled at the sisters, then gestured toward the reception desk by the entrance. “I went out for a run earlier and bought breakfast.”

“Awesome!” Luo Ke bounded over in three quick steps, happily lifting a bag. “Look, sis! Today Zhou Yan brought flatbread from King Flatbread!”

Luo Xuan watched her cheerful younger sister, shook her head helplessly, then turned to Zhou Yan. “How much was it? I’ll pay you back later.”

“No need,” Zhou Yan replied with a gentle smile. “I've been running errands for the local shopkeepers lately. They’ve been kind to me and told me to bring some back for you to try.”

“Mmm!” Luo Ke had already taken a huge bite, her cheeks bulging as she sidled up to Zhou Yan, mumbling praise through a mouthful of bread. “Zhou Yan, you’re amazing! My sister and I grew up here, but we’ve never had this kind of treatment. And this flatbread is delicious!”

She shoved another piece into Luo Xuan’s hand. “Sis, try it!”

Luo Xuan accepted the bread, took a bite, and her sword-bright eyes couldn’t help but glance at Zhou Yan.

Ever since he pulled himself together a few days ago, not only had he quickly befriended the neighborhood shopkeepers and secured a job delivering food, but he occasionally managed to bring back extra treats as well.

In fact, she and her sister had benefited from his efforts more than he had from theirs.

Moreover… Luo Xuan looked around the training hall. The floors were spotless, the equipment neatly arranged, all clear signs of recent cleaning. The bathroom and restroom, of course, must have been tidied by him as well.

On the surface, she and her sister had taken Zhou Yan in. Yet it felt as though they were the ones getting the better deal.

Perhaps, even without their help, Zhou Yan would have managed just fine.

*

Zhou Yan, however, didn’t dwell on such thoughts.

After learning the proper method last night while burning his spiritual energy, and adapting through several rounds this morning, he felt his leg muscles beginning to adjust to the exertion pattern of the Owl Stance.

He could now hold the stance for more than ten minutes without needing to relax.

Half an hour later, Luo Xuan approached and called a halt to his practice.

“Zhou Yan, you can incorporate the static Owl Stance into your daily life. Whenever you’re standing, try to maintain it as much as possible.

“For now, stop. I’ll teach you something new.”

Zhou Yan paused, watching Luo Ke carry over a square board mounted on a frame. The board’s face bore cross lines—vertical, horizontal, and diagonal—and was ringed with a circle of electronic screens.

He’d seen it before, often watching sword pavilion trainees practice sword swings at it.

Luo Xuan explained, “This is called a ‘Flow Block.’ It was introduced from a sword style originating in the Western Giant Consortium. Because it’s simple and effective, many sword pavilions here have adopted it for beginners’ training.”

“The principle is straightforward.” Luo Xuan picked up a wooden sword and stood facing the board. She nodded to Luo Ke, who pressed a button on the back.

Instantly, the four electronic screens on the board’s rim lit up, displaying the numbers “1, 2, 3, 4.”

Luo Xuan executed four moves in quick succession, each perfectly matching the sequence of the flashing numbers.

The device seemed able to sense her actions. As soon as she finished a round, the numbers vanished, then reappeared a second later in new positions.

Luo Xuan struck four more times.

Hawk, harrier, kite, buzzard, eagle, vulture, osprey…

Thus, as the numbers on the Flow Block flashed on and off, Luo Xuan demonstrated the many techniques of the Southern Ming Sword’s “First Path of the Hawk,” which Zhou Yan was already quite familiar with, wielding them with precision and speed.

Zhou Yan watched for a while and grasped the purpose of the device.

Luo Xuan halted her demonstration, sheathed her sword, and turned to Zhou Yan. “Do you understand?”

“I do. It’s an excellent tool—through this training, I can gradually convert the techniques learned as forms into something approaching real combat usage,” Zhou Yan replied.

“Exactly.” Luo Xuan nodded. “It doesn’t cover all moves and isn’t fully representative of real combat, but for a beginner like you, it’s sufficient.”

She continued, “Next, your training will cycle through static Owl Stance, complete sword forms, and, using only Southern Ming Sword techniques, practicing random moves with the Flow Block.

“When you reach my standards in all three areas, we’ll move on to the next stage.”

Zhou Yan nodded in understanding.

Luo Xuan left Zhou Yan to practice alone in a corner of the training hall, while she and Luo Ke began their own morning lessons.

Indeed, despite Luo Ke’s mischievous demeanor, she trained in swordsmanship alongside her sister.

Though her aim was merely to strengthen her body, years of practice had left Luo Ke’s sword skills not far behind the pavilion’s elite trainees—certainly superior to Zhou Yan, the novice.

***