Chapter 17 Broken Mountain Style

The disappearance case in Qinghe County has recently caused quite a stir.

So far, there have been nine missing persons cases in Qinghe County. The most noteworthy case is that of Manager Wang of the "Fulai Inn," who died at the Land God Temple in the south of the city.

Since Zhao Shan led a team to hunt down that mysterious monster last time without success.

Rumors spread throughout Qinghe County. Some said the monster had escaped the city, while others said it was lurking in the shadows, waiting for its chance to strike.

The entire Qinghe County was in a state of panic, and the people in the town were filled with fear.

To ensure the safety of the people of Qinghe County, Zhao Shan ordered increased patrols within the city, especially at night, with demon-suppressing envoys leading patrols on every main street.

At this time, the county government also issued a notice offering a reward for relevant clues.

Inside the Demon Suppression Division.

Many trainee demon envoys are still training hard. During this time, Zhao Shan has not allowed the trainee demon envoys to participate in any operations, not even night patrol missions.

Three more days passed.

During this period, another disappearance occurred in Qinghe County. The victim was a shop assistant at a rice shop in the south of the city, and his body was found downstream of the moat.

Chen Biao led his men to investigate overnight and found grayish-white powder by the moat, but did not find any trace of the monster.

For a time, the Demon Suppression Division faced immense pressure both internally and externally.

Many trainee demon-suppressing envoys gathered in the training ground.

"Keep practicing!"

Zhao Shan stood aside with his hands behind his back, watching the group practicing their swordsmanship. "Your current strength is too weak. You are no match for demons."

Shen Lian gripped his longsword tightly and unleashed the "Mountain Splitting Style" and "Wave Slicing Style" in quick succession.

After days of arduous practice, he has seamlessly integrated the two sword techniques, producing a sharp, piercing sound as the blade cuts through the air. His understanding of the sword's power is also steadily improving.

Li Hu was panting heavily. After breaking through to the Body Tempering Realm, his strength had increased significantly, but his swordsmanship and stamina were still lacking.

"Brother Lian, is Commander Zhao planning to wait until we've mastered the third move of the 'Demon-Subduing Blade Technique' before sending us on missions?" Li Hu couldn't help but ask.

"Very likely." Shen Lian nodded slightly. "Recently, several disappearances have occurred in Qinghe County, and it is said that they are related to demons."

Judging from General Zhao's recent arrangements, he clearly wants us to master combat capabilities as soon as possible before participating in operations.

The three forms of the "Demon-Subduing Blade Technique" complement each other. Mastering the third form will significantly enhance both our combat strength and self-defense capabilities.

So far, all trainee Demon Suppressors have practiced the first two forms of the "Demon Subduing Blade Technique," but only after practicing the third form can they be considered to have truly mastered the "Demon Subduing Blade Technique."

Li Hu took a deep breath, his heart filled with even more anticipation.

Zhao Shan's gaze swept over the trainee demon-suppressing envoys present, his expression becoming much more solemn: "Do you know why I haven't taught you the third form of the 'Demon-Subduing Blade Technique' yet?"

Everyone looked at Zhao Shan with curious expressions.

Zhao Shan continued, "The 'Mountain-Splitting Style' and the 'Wave-Cutting Style' are one of power and the other of speed, but they are merely the foundation. The true 'Demon-Subduing Blade Technique' requires the combination of all three styles to unleash its full power. The third style is called the 'Mountain-Severing Style.' This style is neither offensive nor defensive, but rather an 'interception' technique. When demons pounce, their momentum is often unstoppable. Only by using skill to overcome force, intercepting their attacks, and disrupting their rhythm can one strike back and gain the upper hand."

He slowly drew the long sword from his waist, the blade gleaming with a cold, sharp light.

"Watch closely."

Zhao Shan took a step forward, his body slightly relaxed, his long sword pointing diagonally at the ground.

The next moment, he suddenly reversed his wrist, and the long sword slashed upwards diagonally like a snake spitting its tongue. The speed was not fast, but it had a kind of skillful force.

"The essence of the 'Broken Mountain Style' lies in 'intercepting force,' which requires using the waist as an axis and guiding the qi with intention to interrupt the opponent's momentum just before it is released."

Zhao Shan sheathed his sword and stood still, his breathing steady. He said, "This technique requires extremely precise timing. If it's a fraction too early, the power won't be there; if it's a fraction too late, the momentum will be too great. Once you master this technique, combined with the previous two, your attacks can be continuous and your defense as solid as a rock."

Shen Lian stared intently at Zhao Shan, slightly shocked.

When I was practicing the "Wave-Slaying Style" before, I felt that the wonder of swordsmanship lay in its continuity and speed. Now, the "Mountain-Splitting Style" has elevated swordsmanship to another level.

It's no longer just about simple offense and defense, but about controlling the rhythm of the battle.

Li Hu clicked his tongue and said, "This third move sounds much more difficult than the first two..."

Shen Lian said, "The more exquisite the move, the more hard work it requires."

"Now, everyone take up your knives and start by practicing footwork and the initial stance," Zhao Shan said in a deep voice. "'Breaking the Mountain Stance' does not rely on brute force, but on skill, accuracy, and timing. The waist and stance are the foundation, the wrists are the guide, and the knife moves with the intention."

The crowd in the training ground sprang into action, each unleashing a slanted blade interception strike as their starting move. The movements seemed simple, but to execute them like Zhao Shan's were exceptionally difficult.

Many people are either stiff and their knife movements are sluggish, or they are too relaxed and lack any sense of readiness to strike.

Shen Lian dismounted, his right hand firmly gripping the hilt of his sword, the tip pointing diagonally at the ground ahead. He tried to control the surging blood and energy within him, no longer pursuing explosive power.

[Ding! Host detected to be in the 'Demon-Subduing Blade Technique' training state. Consuming 1 skill point will allow you to learn the 'Mountain-Splitting Style'. Confirm?]

The familiar notification sound rang in my mind.

Shen Lian's mind stirred slightly, and he selected 'Confirm'. Instantly, a strange insight surged into his mind.

Once Shen Lian calmed his mind, he immediately adjusted his posture, slightly lowering his waist and hips, distributing his weight to his feet, and extending his arms with power, the blade pointing diagonally at the ground.

He silently felt the flow of Qi and blood within his meridians, without deliberately stimulating it, drawing it in but not releasing it. His entire state was between relaxation and tension. Although his posture was slightly awkward, the sense of pent-up energy and intent to strike was already beginning to take shape.

Li Hu stood beside Shen Lian, sweat beading on his forehead. He felt his movements were stiff and he couldn't grasp the feeling at all.

"This 'Mountain-Splitting Stance' is too difficult to master; I feel awkward all over," Li Hu couldn't help but complain.

Shen Lian said in a low voice, "This technique requires extremely precise timing. The waist and stance are the foundation, the wrists are the guide, and the blade moves when the mind moves."

Upon hearing this, Li Hu closed his eyes and tried to feel it.

A moment later, he assumed the stance again. Although it was still not perfect, the deliberate feeling had faded, and his movements were much smoother.

On the training ground, many trainee demon slayers practiced the "Mountain-Slaying Style," and the only sound was the slashing of long swords and the sound of the blades cutting through the air.

"Stop!" Zhao Shan shouted. "That's enough for today. Mastering the 'Mountain-Splitting Style' is not something that can be achieved in a day. You need to ponder it every day and experience it with your heart. After you go back, think about how to connect and coordinate it with the first two styles."

"yes!"

The group sheathed their swords and stood there, many of them looking exhausted.

Back in his quarters, Shen Lian sat cross-legged on the bed, carefully studying the timing and method of applying the "intercepting force," simulating various possibilities in his mind.

[Host]: Shen Lian

[Realm]: Body Tempering Realm (2/10)

[Combat Strength]: 18~26

[Martial Arts]: Tiger-Taming Stance (Minor Success) (3/5), Demon-Subduing Blade Technique (Minor Success) (1/5)

Skill Points: 0

Shen Lian has now mastered all three forms of the "Demon Subduing Blade Technique" and has raised them to the minor completion stage, and his own realm has also improved accordingly.

However, he was also well aware that he was still very unfamiliar with the use of the "Mountain-Slaying Style" and had not yet mastered all three styles of the "Demon-Subduing Blade Technique".

He got out of bed and tiptoed to the courtyard.

Shen Lian slowly drew the standard longsword from his waist. He calmed his mind and focused on the key points of the three sword techniques.

The "Mountain Splitting Style" possesses immense power, like splitting mountains and cracking rocks;

The "Wave-Cutting Style" is swift and continuous, resembling layers of waves;

The "Broken Mountain Style" arrives first after being attacked, just as if cutting off a river.

Shen Lian took a deep breath, stepped forward, and moved his long sword accordingly.

The first strike, the "Mountain Splitting Style," came straight down with a fierce wind, but the force was suddenly withdrawn just before it ended. Then, with a twist of his waist, the blade's momentum turned around, and the "Wave Slicing Style" unleashed three consecutive slashes that pierced the air, their cold light like a bolt of lightning. With the final strike, he slightly flipped his wrist, and the tip of his blade angled upwards, which was the intercepting move of the "Mountain Breaking Style."

There is still some hesitation in the transition between the three styles, especially in the timing of the transition to the "Broken Mountain Style," which always seems to lack that final touch.

Shen Lian was not discouraged and practiced repeatedly.

Sweat gradually soaked his inner shirt, but his gaze became increasingly focused.

With each strike, he adjusted his breathing, footwork, and waist strength, trying to find that harmonious feeling of "the mind moves the knife, and the power is released in a continuous chain".

About an hour later, he sheathed his sword and stood there, slightly out of breath.

"Still a little short..." Shen Lian wiped the sweat from his forehead. "If I could have a real battle, I might be able to break through faster."