Chapter 14 Wave-Cutting Style
The next morning, at the training ground.
Thirty trainee demon slayers stood in formation. After yesterday's sparring, many of them felt the difference between training and actual combat.
Zhao Shan stood with his hands behind his back in front, looking at the many trainee demon envoys present.
"Today, I will teach you the second move of the 'Demon-Subduing Blade Technique,' the 'Demon-Slaying Form,'" Zhao Shan said in a deep voice.
The training ground immediately erupted in commotion.
All the trainee demon slayers looked at Zhao Shan. It had been a long time since Zhao Shan had taught them the "Mountain Splitting Style," and now they were finally going to learn the second move of the "Demon Subduing Blade Technique." How could they not be excited?
Zhao Shan continued, "The 'Mountain-Splitting Style' is powerful and direct, using force to break through defenses, while the 'Wave-Slicing Style' emphasizes speed to defeat the enemy. Among demons, there are many with unpredictable movements and swift speeds, and the 'Wave-Slicing Style' is precisely designed to deal with such opponents."
After saying that, Zhao Shan lightly touched the ground with his right foot and rushed forward. His long sword slashed diagonally from the lower left. Then, he twisted his waist, and the sword's momentum turned into a horizontal slash, which then turned into a diagonal slash again.
Three consecutive strikes, in the blink of an eye, the blade trajectories formed a net of cold light, enveloping an area several feet in front of him.
"Did you see that clearly?" Zhao Shan sheathed his sword and stood still, his breathing as steady as ever. "The core of the 'Wave-Slaying Style' lies in the 'Three Consecutive Slashes.' The first slash strikes the opponent's lower body, forcing them to lose their balance; the second slash cuts through the middle, disrupting their attack; the third slash strikes diagonally to the vital points, delivering a fatal blow. The three slashes must be executed in one smooth motion, without the slightest hesitation. The key lies in the coordination of footwork and waist strength."
Zhao Shan further broke down the steps in detail: when stepping forward with the left foot, the center of gravity needs to be stabilized; when the right foot follows, the waist and hips exert force to drive the arm to swing the knife.
"Now, everyone take your knives and follow my steps," Zhao Shan shouted.
Everyone followed Zhao Shan's practice steps.
At first, it was inevitable that I was unfamiliar with the techniques and my steps were very messy, and I did not learn the essence of the techniques.
Shen Lian calmed his mind and recalled the subtle changes in Zhao Shan's body during the practice. He slowly stepped forward, and his long sword slashed upwards with a hint of fluidity.
Li Hu followed closely behind. After breaking through to the Body Tempering Realm, his blood and energy were abundant, and his control over his power had improved significantly.
[Ding! Host detected to be in the 'Demon-Subduing Blade Technique' training state. Consuming 1 skill point will allow you to learn the 'Wave-Slaying Style'. Confirm?]
Shen Lian, who was in a state of cultivation, chose "yes" without hesitation. The skill points he had saved earlier came in handy at this moment.
A sudden realization flooded Shen Lian's mind, encompassing not only simple moves but also the timing of the coordinated power generation from his waist and legs.
[Host]: Shen Lian
[Realm]: Body Tempering Realm (1/10)
[Combat Strength]: 14~22
[Martial Arts]: Tiger-Taming Stance (Minor Success) (1/5), Demon-Subduing Blade Technique (Beginner) (2/3)
Skill Points: 0
After choosing to allocate points, the proficiency of "Demon Subduing Blade Technique" reached (2/3), which means that Shen Lian has cultivated "Wave Slash" to the entry level. Not only that, his own combat power has also increased slightly, reaching 14~22.
Shen Lian took a deep breath, his gaze hardening, and then, in coordination with his steps, unleashed the second move, "Wave Slash".
He took a half step forward with his left foot, suddenly exerted force in his waist, and swung his right arm to slash diagonally upwards with his knife, producing a loud whistling sound.
The blade sliced through the air, creating a sharp horizontal slash.
Immediately afterwards, he stepped forward with his right foot, channeling all his strength into his body, and the second and third strikes came in quick succession, forming an arc.
Three strikes in quick succession, all done in one smooth motion!
Holding a long sword, Shen Lian smiled. With the added advantage of his skills, he easily mastered the basics of the "Wave-Slaying Style" in a short period of time.
Such speed is unmatched by anyone else.
Wang Lin, Chen Yun, and other trainee Demon Suppressors continued to practice the "Wave-Slaying Style" in coordination with the steps, their shouts echoing continuously across the training ground.
The many trainee demon slayers continued practicing their swordsmanship until evening.
After Zhao Shan announced the disbandment, everyone left the training ground one after another.
Shen Lian sheathed his sword. He had already mastered the basics of the "Wave-Slaying Style," and when combined with the "Mountain-Splitting Style," the effect would be greater than the sum of its parts.
He had a premonition that if he mastered the third move of the sword technique and combined the three moves into one, the "Demon Subduing Sword Technique" would be able to unleash its true power.
"Brother Lian, your 'Wave-Slaying Style' is too smooth, isn't it?" Li Hu said, leaning closer to Shen Lian. "I feel that this three-slash combo requires too much waist strength and footwork. If you're not careful, you'll lose your balance."
Shen Lian flexed his wrists and explained, "The foundation is still in the 'Tiger-Taming Stance.' A stable stance leads to a stable body, and a stable body allows for smooth power. You've just broken through to the Body Tempering Realm, so your control over your Qi and blood isn't quite perfect yet. Practice for a few more days, and you'll find your rhythm."
Li Hu nodded seriously: "I'll think about it some more when I get back tonight. Brother Lian, what do you think the third move of the 'Demon-Subduing Blade Technique' will be?"
Shen Lian looked in the direction Zhao Shan had left and said, "It's not clear yet, but Commander Zhao has his own plans. Once we've mastered the 'Wave-Slaying Style' to a certain extent, Commander Zhao will definitely teach us the third form of the 'Demon-Subduing Blade Technique'."
Li Hu agreed with Shen Lian. Mastering swordsmanship is not something that can be done overnight. To improve one's swordsmanship, one must put in enough effort.
Shen Lian and Li Hu arrived at the dining hall together.
As soon as the two entered the dining hall, they sensed that the atmosphere was different from usual. Several tables had been pushed together, and seven or eight official demon-suppressing envoys were sitting around them.
Leading the group was Junior Flag Officer Chen Biao. They looked serious and were talking in hushed tones. The food on the table was barely touched.
Shen Lian and Li Hu took their food and sat down at a table a little further away.
Li Hu lowered his voice: "Brother Lian, look at Chen Xiaoqi and the others, has something happened to them again?"
Shen Lian looked up and saw Chen Biao with his brows furrowed and his fingers tapping on the table. With his keen hearing, he could vaguely make out a few fragmented words.
"South of the city...the traces...are unusual."
Just then, Commander Zhao Shan also entered the dining hall. He went straight to Chen Biao's table, and several Demon Suppressors immediately stood up.
"Commander-in-Chief." Chen Biao clasped his hands in a gesture of respect to Zhao Shan.
"Sit down." Zhao Shan waved his hand, pulled out a chair, and sat down. "How's the situation now?"
Chen Biao lowered his voice, but Shen Lian could still hear the gist of it if he focused.
"Another body has been found, behind an abandoned local temple in the south of the city. Like the previous cases, the body was completely depleted of vital essence, with no obvious wounds on the surface, except for two very fine holes on the neck. The county coroner could not determine the cause of death and has already reported it to us."
Zhao Shan pondered for a moment: "Is it confirmed to be the work of demons?"
"It's pretty close to the truth," Chen Biao said gravely. "There's a lingering eerie aura at the scene, and we can't trace its source yet. The victim this time is the owner of the 'Fu Lai Inn' in the city. This matter can't be covered up anymore; rumors are already circulating in the city. If this continues, I'm afraid it will cause widespread panic."
"It seems things are more complicated than we thought," Zhao Shan said in a deep voice. "Starting today, we'll increase night patrols. Chen Biao, you take your men and focus your search on the southern part of the city, especially around the Earth God Temple. Record and report all suspicious traces."
Chen Biao solemnly replied, "Yes!"