The young grandmaster's expression was peculiar. Was Qin Mu's arm-thick Yuan Qi also called Yuan Qi Silk?

Could there be such thick Yuan Qi Silk?

Could there be such powerful Yuan Qi Silk?

Moreover, what did it mean that his own Yuan Qi wasn't strong enough? He had never seen someone with such vigorous Yuan Qi cultivation before reaching the Spirit Womb Realm!

The young man from Canglao Village pierced through a water bucket-sized wooden pillar with a single sword thrust, and then pierced through a two-foot-thick rock. The power contained in the Yuan Qi Silk exceeded that of countless Sword Cultivators in the Spirit Womb Realm!

The village chief smiled faintly and instructed Qin Mu, "That's right. You haven't mastered the most basic movement in swordsmanship—thrusting. What if you could concentrate all your strength into the thrusting motion? What if you could unleash all your power?"

Qin Mu couldn't believe it and shook his head. "Using Qi to control the sword is only manipulating the Yuan Qi Silk. The Yuan Qi Silk is too soft. How could it unleash all my strength?"

"It can be done," the village chief calmly replied. "You have to treat the sword as a part of yourself, just like your hand. Now, lift your hand and imagine holding a sword in it. Your index and middle fingers should be pressed against the sword's body. When your hand thrusts forward, the sword should also thrust forward!"

"As a part of my own body?"

Qin Mu didn't understand. The arm-thick Yuan Qi Silk once again wrapped around the treasure sword. His right hand made a virtual grip, with his thumb pressing against the ring finger and pinky, while his index and middle fingers extended as if touching the sword's body.

Qin Mu thrust forward, and with a sharp sound, his Yuan Qi Silk carrying the treasure sword also thrust forward, cutting through the air and emitting a piercing whistle!

He couldn't help but be both amazed and delighted. Previously, when he used Qi to control the sword, the power contained in the sword was at most equivalent to one-tenth of his own strength. But now, he felt that the power in the sword had doubled!

The young grandmaster smiled and said, "This is called the Sword Pinch Technique, the starting move in swordsmanship. Even without using the Sword Pinch Technique just now, you were able to penetrate through rocks. It seems that the strength of your Yuan Qi surpasses mine during my youth!"

The village chief shook his head and said, "However, what he did is still not enough. Just relying on the Sword Pinch Technique alone is not enough to surpass the masters who have immersed themselves in swordsmanship for decades. Mu'er, let your Yuan Qi burst forth from your palm and try again."

Following the instructions, Qin Mu let the Yuan Qi Silk wrap around the treasure sword from his palm. He then agitated his Yuan Qi and thrust forward once more.

This thrust actually stirred up a whirlwind, and within the whirlwind, the sharp sword whistled, creating a piercing sound!

Chapter 56: The Thrust

The young grandmaster's eye twitched, immediately sensing that the power of Qin Mu's current thrust had increased by about ten percent compared to the previous one. This old cripple in front of him had only given two sentences of guidance, yet it had brought about such tremendous improvement in Qin Mu. It was truly awe-inspiring and worthy of respect!

The village chief shouted, "The Yuan Qi Silk is not wrapped around the sword, but rooted within it. The sword is a part of your body, just like the Yuan Qi. They are both part of your physical being! Try again!"

Qin Mu's Yuan Qi merged with the sharp sword, immersing into it. He immediately felt as if he had gained an extra hand.

As he thrust with the sword, he suddenly felt that his strength, like a raging flood, had found an outlet. About seventy to eighty percent of his own power gathered within the sharp sword, thrusting toward the direction of the village!

The wind howled in the village, and suddenly the butcher's wooden stake that often had pieces of meat skewered on it cracked in half with a snap!

Qin Mu was dumbfounded. His sword hadn't even touched the wooden stake. It was the force of the sword that had pierced it!

The young grandmaster praised him. This old cripple before his eyes had brought forth astonishing potential with just a few words, demonstrating an extremely high level of accomplishment in swordsmanship.

"Not enough," said the village chief. "You haven't fully unleashed your power. Although your own strength is used on the sword, what about your Spirit Womb? Where is the strength of your Spirit Womb? Your Spirit Womb should also grip the sword. Thrust again!"

Qin Mu composed himself. Within his Spirit Womb, his Spirit Womb God acted together with him, thrusting forward!

"Not good enough! Where is the Elixir Heart Formula? The Elixir Heart Formula is not only about refining the Elixir Heart but also about planting your Elixir Heart within the sword! Plant the sword for me!"

"Not enough, start again! Planting the Elixir Heart in the sword is the most crucial aspect of the Elixir Heart Formula!"

"Your legs connect with the earth, the source of strength. Let the leg techniques taught by the cripple empower you with the force of the earth!"

"What about your eyes? Where is the Heavenly Eye taught by the blind man? Let your sword have eyes too!"

"You learned boxing from Lord Ma, refining your muscles like a dragon. You have even seen real dragons. So why doesn't your sword possess the majestic aura of a dragon, or the destructive power of Lord Ma's boxing?"

...

Qin Mu continued to thrust his sword repeatedly, while the village chief's demands became increasingly higher. Initially, he only had to mobilize his own strength, but then he was asked to channel the power of Yuan Qi and his Spirit Womb. Furthermore, the village chief wanted him to incorporate Lord Ma's boxing and the cripple's leg techniques into his swordsmanship. The challenges became more and more difficult.

In just a short moment, Qin Mu had thrust countless times, yet the village chief remained unsatisfied, instructing him to continue practicing.

Sipo Po, the cripple, and others watched Qin Mu practicing his swordsmanship, each revealing a look of astonishment. They saw Qin Mu wielding his Qi to control the sword, and with each thrust, a short and sharp whistle was emitted. Following that, a strong gust of wind blew to the sides, causing the flags at the blacksmith's shop, medicinal garden, and butcher's stall to flutter and wave backward.

With each thrust, a sword mark appeared on the ground, a result of the sword wind grazing the surface!

Sipo Po couldn't help but find it unbelievable and murmured, "The village chief has trained Mu'er into a master of swordsmanship in such a short time. It's quite..."

The village chief shook his head and said, "I haven't taught him any specific sword techniques. I'm just helping him integrate the things you all taught him. Right now, he only has a basic understanding of the thrusting motion. He still has a long way to go before truly mastering the thrust. And the most fundamental movements of swordsmanship, such as chopping, lifting, hanging, flowing, poking, bursting, intercepting, and cutting, need to be practiced well before he can be considered proficient and ready to learn sword techniques. Mu'er, thrust the pig-killing knife again!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Qin Mu threw the pig-killing knife into the air and, using his Qi to control the sword, swiftly thrust it forward like a flash of lightning!

The sharp sword met the pig-killing knife, piercing through the precious cold iron and revealing the tip of the sword from the back of the knife.

Both the pig-killing knife and the sharp sword fell to the ground. Qin Mu was dumbfounded as he approached and inspected them. He never expected such great progress in such a short period.

The most basic movement of swordsmanship, the thrust, could possess such tremendous power!

The village chief's heart trembled slightly. Qin Mu had learned the thrusting technique so quickly, which was beyond his expectations. He said, "Mu'er, you can now go and meet the Sword Hall's Grand Master."

"Hold on!"

The young grandmaster on the opposite side quickly raised his hand, and a wooden stick floated over from the forest. The young grandmaster used his finger to whittle the stick, and in the blink of an eye, it turned into a wooden sword measuring three feet in length. He handed it to Qin Mu and said, "Use this sword to meet him. Don't use a real sword."

Qin Mu accepted the wooden sword and glanced at Sipo Po. Sipo Po said, "The Sword Hall's Grand Master has sealed off his other divine treasures and only retained his Spirit Womb God. He is currently at the Spirit Womb realm. If you use a real sword, you might kill him. Go ahead."

Qin Mu pondered for a moment, took off the sword bag and the Young Protector Sword from his body, left them at the village entrance, and then walked into the wooden tower of the neighboring village to meet the Sword Hall's Grand Master.

The Grand Master of the Sword Hall remained in a half-kneeling, half-sitting position, his hand supporting the sword case, his gaze as sharp as a sword:

"You've returned after seeking the world's number one sword technique? Attack me with the world's number one sword technique you have learned! I want to see who dares to boast so shamelessly and proclaim themselves as the best!"

Qin Mu shook his head and said, "I haven't learned any sword techniques. The village chief only taught me one movement."

The Sword Hall's Grand Master frowned and coldly said, "I'll give you some time. Go and learn. Come back after you have mastered a sword move!"

Qin Mu hesitated and said, "Your ancestral master from the Demonic Sect told me to meet you with a wooden sword and not a real sword, fearing that I might kill you..."

"Absurd!"

The Sword Hall's Grand Master erupted with power, and a sense of devastation seemed to permeate the air, accompanied by the clang of metal collisions, as if countless sharp swords were clashing.

It was an aura mixed with iron and blood, a combination of rust and the scent of blood, a fierce and brutal aura that could only be possessed by someone who had killed countless people and creatures!

The latch on his sword case automatically opened, the long box unlocked, and the treasured swords resounded with a melodious sound as they flew out of the case!

He shared a connection with the swords. When he was happy, the swords were happy; when he was angry, the swords were angry. When he wanted to fly, the swords would carry him; when he wanted to kill, the swords would kill.

He was the Sword Hall's Grand Master, a sword fanatic.

Now, he wanted to kill. The swords leaped out of the sword case, and in an instant, the room was filled with a burst of sword light!

Without hesitation, Qin Mu controlled the sword with his Qi, formed the sword seal with his hand, and thrust forward!

The burst of sword light from the sword case shattered, and then there was a light clang sound as the sword light splintered into four or five pieces!

The tall figure of the Sword Hall's Grand Master crashed through the wall behind him, flying backward like lightning, and then slammed forcefully into the wooden tower opposite, with a wooden sword impaled in his chest.

Qin Mu was startled and quickly retracted the wooden sword. He anxiously looked over, relieved to see that the sword had only drawn a bit of blood from the Sword Hall's Grand Master and had not pierced him completely.

Meanwhile, the Sword Hall's Grand Master slowly slid down from the wooden tower, his descent becoming faster and faster. Eventually, he plopped down on the ground, his eyes vacant as if he hadn't yet regained his senses.

"Are you alright?" Qin Mu waved at him.

The Sword Hall's Grand Master shook his head dully. His body hadn't suffered severe injuries, but his spirit had been deeply wounded.