The Blinking Sword Art

Chapter 34: The Blinking Sword Art

"The Blinking Sword Art?" Han Li repeated the name of the technique to himself.

"Yeah, tell me, what does a sword technique have to do with blinking? Isn't that a funny name?"

"Have you practiced it?" Han Li asked with concern.

"Of course not. Who would practice a martial art that doesn't even use true qi? It's just a fancy stance, isn't it? Don't even mention me—no one has ever cultivated it since it was created."

"I heard that if it weren't for the fact that the elder who created it saved the Seven Mysteries Sect from several crises, and left a dying wish demanding that the technique be included in the Seven Peaks Hall, this Blinking Sword Art would never have made it into the collection of ultimate techniques at all."

Li Feiyu was the kind of person whose mouth ran completely contrary to his cold exterior. Before Han Li could even ask, he had already spilled everything about the technique's history. Of course, this loose-lipped side of him only ever showed itself in front of Han Li. Outside, in front of other junior brothers, he was still the cool, untouchable idol, "Senior Brother Li."

After hearing Li Feiyu's account, Han Li's intuition faintly told him this was exactly what he had been looking for.

"Senior Brother Li, could you copy a copy of this technique for me and bring it out of Seven Peaks Hall?"

"Heh! No problem. If it were any other martial art, I wouldn't be able to transcribe it for you, because someone checks and inspects them every day. But this Blinking Sword Art? It's sitting in a corner where no one pays it any attention. Still, copying it would be too much trouble—I'll just sneak the original manual out for you. You can memorize it or transcribe it yourself, and then I'll slip it back. No one will ever notice." Li Feiyu casually proposed an even bolder plan.

Seeing that he seemed quite confident, Han Li agreed to the idea.

He had originally been a little worried about Li Feiyu's habit of being careless and forgetful. If he made a mistake while copying down the sword technique and accidentally left out a few parts, Han Li would have suffered for nothing.

Getting the original manual was certainly the better option.

"Alright, it's getting late. I need to get back to my training. Otherwise, the Seven Peaks Hall steward will find out I've been sneaking out again." Li Feiyu dried himself off, pulled his shirt back on, and prepared to leave.

Han Li said nothing more, only cautioning him to be careful when taking the manual and not to get caught.

Li Feiyu waved a dismissive hand over his shoulder without even turning around, then slowly crawled out through the nearby cave passage. His figure gradually disappeared into the mouth of the cave.

As Li Feiyu's silhouette vanished into the darkness, the smile on Han Li's face faded as well, replaced by a shadow of concern.

Not long after Li Feiyu left, Han Li returned to Divine Hand Valley.

As soon as he entered the valley, he spotted the tall, mysterious man from a distance.

The man stood motionless outside Doctor Mo's residence, pressed close to the door, his wide bamboo hat shielding his face. He seemed utterly indifferent to the scorching summer sun beating down on him.

Han Li stopped at the doorway of his own quarters and watched the silent man for a long moment.

Ever since Doctor Mo had begun threatening him, Han Li had been intensely curious about this man who never showed his face. The man seemed to have been born mute—since arriving at the valley, he had never spoken a single word.

What was even stranger was his astonishing stamina. Standing motionless like that, he would often remain in place for an entire day without ever appearing fatigued. Han Li had long since mentally labeled him a "monster."

He had once tried to communicate with the man, but the man was as unresponsive as a block of wood. No matter what Han Li said, no matter how convincingly, the man simply ignored him.

Han Li was thoroughly impressed by Doctor Mo's methods. He had managed to train a living, breathing human being into something like a puppet, completely devoid of weaknesses.

Absolute obedience to commands. Astonishing stamina. Never spoke a word. No trace of emotion. Han Li didn't yet know the man's skill in combat, but he was certain it wouldn't be weak. That was his final assessment of this mysterious figure.

Han Li knew this man would likely become another trump card in Doctor Mo's hand, but there was nothing he could do about it. He couldn't find a single flaw in him.

The only thing that puzzled Han Li was that, occasionally, when he looked at the man from behind, there was a faint sense of familiarity, as though he had seen a similar silhouette somewhere before. But when he tried to recall where, he could never match it to anyone he knew.

After watching for a while, Han Li sighed, closed the door to his room, and went inside. He knew that without Doctor Mo's explicit order, this man would never rest.

His mind was troubled. He leaped onto his bed in a single bound, lay down flat, and tucked his hands behind his head, closing his eyes.

He replayed the few techniques he had learned from Li Feiyu today in his mind. Then, he began simulating them in his head, breaking each move down into several segments, analyzing them over and over again, scrutinizing every detail.

This was a new ability Han Li had gained after breaking through to the fifth layer of the Eternal Spring Art: a photographic memory.

With this advantage, he could commit any martial art to memory entirely through mental visualization, then replay it countless times in his mind for refinement and improvement. This was also why Li Feiyu thought he was a genius.

Two months ago, relying on the potency of two sacred medicines, Han Li had forcibly pushed through the fourth layer of the Eternal Spring Art and reached the fifth.

The effects of the Yellow Dragon Pill and the Golden Marrow Pill had far exceeded Han Li's expectations. He had underestimated the immense power of those formulas—the pills they produced were truly priceless treasures.

Still, the two marrow-washing medicines had consumed nearly half their stock. What remained should barely be enough to help him reach the sixth layer of the Eternal Spring Art. He was genuinely curious what surprises the sixth layer would bring.

Less than half a year remained until Doctor Mo's final deadline. Although Han Li had learned some techniques from Li Feiyu, without the support of internal true qi, they were nothing more than superficial martial arts tricks.

They might work against someone with only a rough understanding of combat, but against Doctor Mo, they would be like throwing a meat bun at a dog—gone for good.

The thought filled Han Li with both worry and frustration. The Eternal Spring Art was excellent in every way, except that it was utterly useless for actual combat or killing.

For now, his only hope rested on the Blinking Sword Art. He could only pray it would bring him a pleasant surprise.