Chapter 83

Not the Methods (Subscription Requested) 2

Translator: 549690339

Xu Yan nodded excitedly, saying, “Master, I’ve memorized everything!”

Everything?

That’s not right!

Li Xuan raised the tree branch once again, his voice grave, “Disciple, look again and remember. What I am imparting is Sword Dao, not swordsmanship. Grasp its true meaning!”

Saying this, his hand began to shape the tree branch again, but this time much slower. This time, he was shaping it according to the style of Tai Chi sword from his past life.

The difference was that he augmented it with Innate True Qi.

It seemed slow in motion, yet seemed to form a current of Sword Qi, revolving around him. With his rotation, it carried quite a shocking momentum.

Xu Yan stared unblinkingly, but he was a little puzzled. Why so slow?

How could such slowness attack the enemy?

After Li Xuan finished shaping the branch, he asked again, “Disciple, have you memorized it?”

“Master, 1 have memorized it all!”

“And the previous one?”

“Also remembered.”

This disciple really has a good memory, memorizing everything in one go.

“Disciple, look again!”

Li Xuan once again swung the branch.

This time, the branch moved extremely quickly, swiftly waving and then retracting.

“Remembered?”

Xu Yan was somewhat bewildered at this moment.

Why is the sword movement different every time?

“Remem…Remembered.”

Xu Yan nodded.

“And the previous one?”

“Remem..Remembered about ninety percent!”

Xu Yan was taken aback.

He had completely memorized the unwieldy sword moves from earlier.

But the first sword sequence, he only remembered ninety percent. He had actually forgotten a few moves!

“Why did 1 forget?”

Xu Yan was deeply vexed.

However, Li Xuan was delighted, “Good, disciple, look again!”

And with that, he was off to illustrate once again!

Xu Yan was already confused in his mind, “1 forgot, 1 didn’t memorize everything, and yet Master said ‘good’?”

“Disciple, have you memorized?”

Li Xuan asked after storing the branch.

I…I didn’t remember them all!”

Xu Yan confessed, looking shamefaced. He had been distracted and failed to remember the sword moves Master demonstrated earlier.

“Good! Good! Disciple, you’ve taken a step further in comprehending the Sword Dao!”

Li Xuan said with satisfaction.

What?

Xu Yan was at a loss. He couldn’t remember the sword moves, how could he have gotten closer to understanding the Sword Dao?

“That’s not right!”

“I must not have understood the profound meaning of Master’s words.”

Lost in thought, Xu Yan was applying his impressive reasoning skills.

“Master repeatedly emphasized that he is only imparting the Dao, not the method. He is teaching me Sword Dao, not swordsmanship…”

“He wants me to grasp its true meaning, understand the Dao, not memorize the swordsmanship. Therefore, what 1 need to do is not to remember the sword moves.”

“But to forget the sword moves!”

“Not to be bound by the sword moves, not to remain fixed within the form, to blend everything together and follow my heart…”

In that instant, Xu Yan felt he had understood the profound meaning of Master’s words.

In his mind, he began to recall the sword moves Master had just demonstrated—fast, slow, fierce, tricky…

Gradually, the former and latter sword moves overlapped in his mind, blending together. Slowly, it seemed as though a new set of swordsmanship was forming in his mind.

“I need to learn to forget!”

Xu Yan admonished himself internally.

“Master, I’ve already forgotten half of it!”

Xu Yan spoke up.

“Good! Good!

Li Xuan was overjoyed. This disciple had entered a state of enlightenment, a good sign indeed!

It indicated he had taken a solid step towards grasping Sword Dao.

Xu Yan truly had a talent for Sword Dao, and a monstrously exceptional one at that.

“Disciple, continue to observe!”

Li Xuan started demonstrating again.

What he was showing this time was naturally different from the previous ones.

In fact, every move he demonstrated was well thought out. The first time, he demonstrated a rough swordsmanship, then came Tai Chi sword, moving slow yet stepping on the rhythm of Tai Chi.

The third time was swift, the fourth time was tricky, and this fifth time was completely messy.

He had presented everything from slow to swift, from regular to tricky, and naturally it was up to Xu Yan to comprehend it all.

“Master, I’ve forgotten half of it!”

Xu Yan spoke up after watching.

ii

Good, watch again!”

Li Xuan continued his demonstration.

He performed several times in succession, Xu Yan watched with a mix of confusion, contemplation, and realization…

In his mind, all the sword moves were shuffled once again, overlapping and blending together, reshuffling and repeating.

A set of swordsmanship seemed to emerge in his mind.

Li Xuan stood by, watching his disciple gain insights.

The time was almost right.

The devised Sword Dao realm should be explained to his disciple, so he could better comprehend the Sword Dao from it.

If successful, this would be another great accomplishment.

Xu Yan opened his eyes, slightly bewildered.

He felt as if he was in chaos.

A jumbled mess of sword moves swirled in his mind, unable to find a direction.

The incomplete swordsmanship made him feel like, he might be on the wrong path.

The sword techniques passed down from his master had been forgotten, he could not remember how the original sword techniques were performed.

“Master, I’ve forgotten everything!”

Li Xuan spoke with satisfaction, “Good, very good my boy, you’re not far from grasping the Sword Dao!”

A jolt of inspiration.

Sure enough, upon hearing this, Xu Yan’s spirits revived and his eyes lit up.

“My boy, what 1 have taught you is the Sword Dao. There are countless martial artists in the world, but only a few can comprehend the Sword Dao. To understand Sword Dao, you first need to get rid of the limitation of mere sword moves.”

“Don’t let swordsmanship or sword moves shackle you.”

Li Xuan turned his body sideways, gazing upwards. With an enhanced aura of enigma, he looked even more like a profound master.

Xu Yan’s body trembled slightly, and he respectfully said, “Master, please enlighten me!”

“To be able to forget the sword techniques and moves I demonstrated, it shows you have the potential for Sword Dao, not allowing yourself to be contained by mere sword techniques and sword moves.”

“But that’s far from enough!

“If you want to comprehend the Sword Dao, only those with a clear understanding of what is Sword Heart, can step into the realm of Sword Dao.”

Li Xuan said in a deep voice.

“Sword Heart?”

Xu Yan was taken aback and respectfully asked, “Master, what is Sword Heart?”

“Sword Heart is the foundation of Sword Dao. Those who have achieved Sword

Heart can transcend the restrictions of the techniques and moves to have a clear heart of Sword Dao.

“Sword Heart means a clear heart of Sword Dao. Once you can see through any sword techniques, and sword movements just at a glance, seeing their strengths and weaknesses.”

“At a glance, you should be able to freely make use of the sword techniques, and moves, making them your own.”

Li Xuan explained his tailored strategy of cultivation based on Sword Dao, ‘Sword Heart’s Clarity’ to Xu Yan.

Xu Yan was deeply moved, “Sword Heart’s Clarity. A clear heart of Sword Dao. Understand at a glance, the weaknesses and strengths of a move. Select any move at will, and apply it freely to my advantage.”

In his mind, he visualized the sword techniques that his master had demonstrated.

Gradually, he saw himself, extracting moves from his master’s techniques, overlapping, integrating, interconnecting, and yet not really forming a complete set of swordsmanship.

If he could master the techniques, combine them perfectly, and form a set of swordsmanship that would be his, drawing upon any move whenever he wanted,

Would that be achieving Sword Heart’s Clarity?

He seemed to have a bit of understanding, and said, “Master, Sword Heart’s Clarity means that even though I don’t have any sword skills or moves, the sword techniques of others are mine; other people’s sword moves are my sword moves.

“My adversaries’ swordsmanship is transparent in my eyes. 1 can easily see through their weaknesses, and anticipate the moves they will make….”

Li Xuan was overjoyed. Xu Yan was not far from understanding Sword Heart’s

Clarity. The Sword Dao realm he had devised was finally taking shape.

“In layman’s terms, it’s like that. Being able to do this means you have entered the basics of Sword Heart’s Clarity.”

Li Xuan nodded with a relieved tone.

“Master, I understand some of it, but 1 don’t quite understand….”

Xu Yan was sinking into deep thought.

“My boy, Sword Heart’s Clarity is something that can only be comprehended. Once you get it, you have entered the basics. If you don’t get it, that’s all there is.”

Li Xuan said solemnly.

He had never achieved Sword Heart’s Clarity, it was just something he made up. How to master it, what the method is, how would he know?

His disciple must rely on his own exceptional ability to fill gaps and his exceptional understanding to comprehend on his own.

“My boy, first you need to clear your Sword Heart. Only when your Sword Heart is clear can you achieve Clarity and not be confined by sword techniques and moves.

“You should ponder on this. 1 believe you can comprehend it.”

After saying this, Li Xuan left the forest, leaving Xu Yan alone to deepen his understanding..