I Can Merge Techniques-Chapter 37 - 36: Comprehending Sword Force, Entry-Level Sword Technique

Chapter 37: Chapter 36: Comprehending Sword Force, Entry-Level Sword Technique

Where the mind goes, the intent follows.

Where the intent goes, power follows!

In Chu Fan’s hand, the Long Saber’s blade suddenly began to tremble lightly, a ceaseless hum emanating from it.

As if practicing Tai Chi, he slowly began to perform the Sword Techniques of the Ninefold Thunder Shock Saber.

At this moment, he could clearly sense the two strands of Qi Blood Power circulating within him—surging like a tsunami, shattering the earth like a Mountain Collapse!

But for the past three days of cultivation, this tyrannical power had stubbornly refused to merge with his Sword Techniques.

If they could not merge, it would be difficult to achieve "Entering Force."

Yet Chu Fan was not the least bit discouraged.

He practiced the Sword Techniques while simultaneously calming his mind to perceive the Sword Force.

Time flowed by quietly...

The slightly clumsy Sword Techniques were repeated time and again.

The Qi Blood Power roamed through his body like dragons and serpents.

Although it wasn’t as strenuous as circulating Qi Blood while practicing the Twelve Forms Fist, fine beads of sweat still dotted his forehead.

Suddenly!

The Long Saber, which had been trembling ceaselessly under the impact of his Qi Blood Power, suddenly returned to the silence it held before being drawn.

A sliver of white light even flickered across the blade’s surface!

’Sword Force!’

The Qi Blood Power had finally merged with his Sword Techniques, giving birth to Sword Force!

Chu Fan was ecstatic. The speed of his originally slow Sword Techniques suddenly accelerated!

SWISH! SWISH! The sound of the blade cutting through the air erupted!

Qi Blood Power flowed through his right arm and into the Long Saber, creating sharp, piercing sounds with every slash.

This power was intoxicating to Chu Fan.

SWOOSH!

Another slash came down!

In the darkness, the air parted like a wave.

Chu Fan sheathed his saber and stood still, closing his eyes to savor the feeling.

Immediately, he rushed forward and leaped into the air—

vaulting over the southern wall and out of the courtyard.

Outside the courtyard stood nine thick wooden stakes.

The stakes were made of hundred-year-old Profound Iron Wood.

The wood was as dense as iron and incredibly hard.

Ordinary blades could barely scratch it. Even a heavy blow would only produce a dull THUD THUD and fail to leave a deep mark.

The older the wood, the harder its texture.

The stakes were also wrapped in cowhide, specifically for training purposes.

Over the past few days, Chu Fan and Zhao Tianxing had often struck these stakes while practicing their fists.

But with their current Qi Blood Power, the stakes remained standing just as they were, completely undamaged.

Chu Fan stood before a stake, his eyes slightly closed. The aura around him was restrained, as calm as an old, undisturbed well.

’Three days of bitter contemplation, a single moment of enlightenment!’

’The wonder of this "Sword Force" isn’t about brute strength.’

’It’s about guiding power with qi, concentrating it at the tip and releasing it in an instant. It’s about moving it as easily as one’s own limbs, perfectly and freely.’

At his thought, the two strands of Qi Blood Power in his Dantian surged forth.

They rushed along his meridians, poured into his right arm, and reached the palm of his hand.

His saber-wielding hand suddenly clenched tight!

A sharp glint flashed in Chu Fan’s eyes, like a bolt of lightning tearing through the night sky!

Without any visible windup, the hundred-times refined Cold Iron Long Saber had already transformed into a streak of light, slashing out diagonally!

This slash wasn’t as fast as roaring thunder; instead, it carried a sense of condensed, heavy power.

As the blade cut through the air, there was no sharp whistle, only a low hum, like the soft growl of a hidden dragon.

A dark red light streaked across the blade—it was not a reflection of the Blood Moon, but a sign of his own Qi Blood and Sword Force erupting!

"PFFT!"

A muffled sound, unusually deep and heavy.

It didn’t sound like chopping wood, but more like a blunt object piercing tough leather.

The edge of the saber was already embedded firmly in the center of the Profound Iron Wooden Stake.

This Profound Iron Wooden Stake was dark in color, its texture harder than refined steel.

Before he understood "Sword Force," even Chu Fan’s full-strength slashes could only cut through the cowhide and leave a faint white mark on the Profound Iron Wooden Stake.

Yet now, where the blade had struck, there wasn’t the slightest crack on the stake’s surface.

With a light flick of his wrist, Chu Fan returned the saber to its sheath.

CLICK. The sound was crisp and clean.

In the next instant, a hairline crack suddenly appeared on the Profound Iron Wooden Stake, right where the saber had struck.

The thin line extended straight down from top to bottom.

"CR...ACK..."

Amidst a series of soft cracking sounds, the stake split perfectly into two halves along the line and slowly slid apart, falling to either side.

The cut surface was as smooth as a mirror, faintly reflecting a cold gleam. Where was a single trace of wood grain to be seen?

The power of a single slash was this incredible!

Chu Fan’s chest heaved, his breathing slightly rushed.

’Master Cao once said that even a single First Layer of Force could double one’s power...’

He had only just grasped Sword Force and hadn’t even mastered the First Layer of Force, yet he was already this powerful!

’If I could master the Ninefold Force of the Ninefold Thunder Shock Saber, wouldn’t I be able to unleash more than nine times my power?’

No wonder Master Cao said that among those of the same level, no one dared to face a single slash from the Ninefold Thunder Shock Saber head-on!

[Ninefold Thunder Shock Saber Experience Points +3]

Chu Fan spun around, his Sword Techniques flaring up once more!

Now that he had comprehended "Sword Force," the shackles were broken.

Tonight was the night he would reach the Entry-Level of the Ninefold Thunder Shock Saber!

Beneath the Blood Moon, his figure moved gracefully like a swimming dragon, his Long Saber reflecting the moon’s faint glow.

「An hour later.」

He sheathed his saber and sat down on a cold green Stone nearby, closing his eyes to regulate his breath.

[Technique: Ninefold Thunder Shock Saber (Entry-Level) Progress: (1/100) (Trait: None)]

In an instant, Chu Fan’s mind was utterly shaken!

Myriad images of saber slashes flooded his mind.

Every form and every variation of the Ninefold Thunder Shock Saber he had learned over the past few days replayed in his mind with absolute clarity.

The angle of every slash, the deviation in every application of Force, the sluggishness in every connection of Qi Blood...

At this moment, it was all as if placed under a magnifying glass, examined in minute detail, every flaw exposed!

All the parts that had once seemed passable, that he had forced to work, now appeared to be full of openings!

In a flash of thought, all his various errors deconstructed, reassembled, and corrected themselves.

The Sword Techniques, originally powerful but lacking in variation, spontaneously shed their crudeness and refined themselves, giving rise to countless exquisite and subtle changes.

It even gained some of the explosiveness and agility of thunder.

At the same time, the two strands of Qi Blood Power in his Dantian answered the call, surging powerfully.

The faint wisps of Force that used to dissipate throughout his body, difficult to control while practicing, now converged rapidly like a hundred rivers returning to the sea.

It solidified from illusion to reality, transforming into a scorching, sharp, Thunderous Blade Force that felt as if it would burst from his body!

A moment of silence passed, feeling like an eternity.

Chu Fan’s eyes snapped open, and for a moment, a flash of electricity seemed to spark in their depths.

Countless fragmented images of slashes flickered and intertwined, then suddenly collapsed into a single point of profound lightning before vanishing.

’Both are at Entry-Level...’

’But the profundity of the Ninefold Thunder Shock Saber far surpasses the Firewood Splitting Saber Technique!’

Chu Fan felt utterly exhilarated, almost as if he could ride the wind and depart.

But at that moment—

A figure rushed out from the courtyard and lunged violently at him!

Chu Fan sidestepped and, with a BANG, slapped the person’s back with the scabbard in his left hand.

The person let out a miserable howl and fell flat on the ground!

"..."

Chu Fan realized what had happened and hastily helped him up.

The one he had knocked down with his scabbard was none other than Zhao Tianxing!

Zhao Tianxing spat out a mouthful of dirt and looked at Chu Fan resentfully. "When we sparred three days ago, you were holding back the whole time..."

"If you had used your full strength, I wouldn’t have been able to block a single move!"

Chu Fan was silent for a moment before saying, "Your lunge just now was too cool. I couldn’t resist, so I gave you a whack with my scabbard."

Zhao Tianxing grimaced, rubbing his stinging back.

Then, he became incredibly excited. "I’ve condensed my second strand of Qi Blood Power!"

"That’s great!" Chu Fan laughed. "You have to treat me, then!"

"Deal!" Zhao Tianxing agreed readily, only to regret it a moment later. "But I don’t have any money!"

Chu Fan turned and walked away.

"Hey? Don’t be in such a hurry to leave!"

Zhao Tianxing immediately followed him. "Don’t you still have a lot of that silver you got from those ruffians?"

"Lend me some, and we’ll celebrate tomorrow."

"In a few days, after I condense my third strand of Qi Blood Power and break through to the Blood Nourishing realm, we can go hunt Exotic Beasts in Mimeng Marsh together."

"Then, you can eat as much game as you want!"

The two walked back to the house side by side.

Zhao Tianxing wanted to continue sharing his joy but was pushed out of the room by Chu Fan. "Remember Master Cao’s advice. Don’t go clucking around everywhere like a hen!"

"How am I clucking like a hen?" Zhao Tianxing said, annoyed. "I’m only sharing this with you."

"Don’t tell me you’re jealous?"

"Get lost!" Chu Fan slammed the door shut with a BANG. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Outside the door, Zhao Tianxing added, "You must be jealous!"

"But there’s no need to be!"

"My Qi Blood was already stronger than yours to begin with, so isn’t it only natural that I’d condense my Qi Blood Power a step ahead of you?"

"Anyway, I’m going to bed too. Remember to treat me to roast chicken tomorrow!"

Inside, the corners of Chu Fan’s mouth curled up slightly as he lay down on his bed.

It had been three days since he condensed his second strand of Qi Blood Power.

He had drunk three bowls of Blood-Nourishing Medicine Soup every day without fail.

To recover quickly, he had deliberately reduced his practice of the Twelve Forms Fist these past few days, using the time to comprehend "Sword Force" and work on his Literacy instead.

Now, his Qi Blood source had fully recovered.

’A good night’s sleep, and another three bowls of Blood-Nourishing Medicine Soup tomorrow, and my Qi Blood will surely be back at its peak.’

’Tomorrow night, I can try to condense my third strand of Qi Blood Power.’

’Just to be safe, I can’t practice the Twelve Forms Fist during the day.’

Chu Fan closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.