Chapter 411: Chapter 288: Yan Chuan! Ding Xiang! Situ Fei! The Bonds of the Three! [Last Day of the Month, Request for Monthly Votes!]
"Impressive!"
Tan Yunqing couldn’t help but applaud and praise: "The changes in my ’Heavenly Gang Swordsmanship’ are numerous. Even though my son has been practicing for many years, he only comprehends about eighty percent of its variations, and it’s hard to know them all. Yet Yan Chuan is able to deduce and see through it with his naked eye, which shows considerable skill."
While complimenting Yan Chuan, Tan Yunqing was actually expressing his extreme confidence in the ’Heavenly Gang Swordsmanship’ he created, believing that its myriad transformations could only be fully understood by him and his son Tan Dou, and that there should hardly be anyone else in the world who could fully grasp it.
But Yan Chuan’s performance was beyond expectation.
Word by word.
Move by move.
It seemed that everything was within Yan Chuan’s expectations, and he could understand and see through everything.
Some moves and techniques were even just half-understood by Tan Dou, who only knew how to use them without understanding their profound implications. Yet, Yan Chuan could explain them calmly and effortlessly.
This gave Tan Yunqing an illusion —
"Compared to Tan Dou, perhaps Yan Chuan is more suitable to inherit the ’Heavenly Gang Swordsmanship!’"
However, a son is a son, and no one can match that.
Tan Yunqing only thought of this for a moment and did not actually intend to take Yan Chuan as a disciple.
On the side.
Qian Lingyi laughed heartily: "When I saw him stab dozens of centipede bees with his sword earlier, I already knew his prowess in swordsmanship was noteworthy. Looking at him now, I still underestimated him."
As one of the four elders of the Diancang Sect, known as ’Sword Shadow’, compared to his light movement technique, he is actually more skilled in swordsmanship.
Initially paying attention to Yan Chuan because of his movement technique,
at this moment, Yan Chuan also displayed his proficiency and talent in swordsmanship, which made Qian Lingyi admire him even more.
It wasn’t just Yan Chuan’s explanation and understanding of the ’Heavenly Gang Swordsmanship’, but also when he used the ’Arrow Breaking Style’ of the ’Dugu Nine Swords’ against Zhuge Zhen’s ’Centipede Bee Bag’, it was a fleeting moment but left a lasting impression.
Qian Lingyi was curious: "How much more is he hiding? How many more surprises can he bring?"
...
Yan Chuan, unaware of the discussions among the Heavenly Masters, focused wholeheartedly on explaining the dragon and tiger battles in the ’Yin Character’ arena, focusing specifically on Tan Dou, but both sides were experts, so he occasionally talked about others —
"Hong Ran of the ’Ten Thousand Mile Cloud Chaser’ possesses exceptional light movement techniques, and his swordsmanship is also renowned for its speed."
"’Wood Girl’ Sang Qing’s long spear can stabilize the state, with delicate changes in spear technique, which at first glance seems like spear technique, but upon closer inspection, it can also transform into swordsmanship. This is Sang Qing’s absolute skill ’Thirty Sword and Spear’."
"’Five Arhats’ Murong Chong is most adept at boxing and staff technique, practicing a ’Ten Great Staff Techniques’, which is simple and natural, compact and precise. His stepping technique is straightforward, yet it also emphasizes illusion and reality, with the saying of seven voids and seven realities —"
"Move then void, change then void, toil then void, bend then void, short then void, firm then void, retreat then void, these are the ’Seven Voids’."
"Still then real, ease then real, straight then real, correct then real, long then real, soft then real, advance then real, these are the ’Seven Realities’."
"The ’Jade Maiden Swordsmanship’ I created also talks about illusion and reality, with the techniques being swift and compact, rich in feints, making it difficult for enemies to distinguish between false and real, having much in common with Murong Chong’s ’Ten Great Staff Techniques’, with many aspects to learn from."
"A single move can change based on the situation, transforming between illusion and reality."
"The staff strikes the place where the cow lies, advancing and retreating, stretching and bending, combining floating and sinking."
"Floating like clouds coming off the axis, sinking like a stone thrown into the river."
"Cloud Mist Toss!"
"Five Peaks and Six Valleys!"
"This is an attack!"
"Swallowing Stance! Round Break! Brushing Attack!"
"This is defense!"
"Upper block and lower defense, seize the center line, attack from left and right. Every move is either offense or defense, every action is either a capture or a grapple, always having defense in attack, and attack in defense."
...
Yan Chuan explained the ten Heavenly Prides in the ’Yin Character’ arena, first focusing on Tan Dou and then explaining each in detail with emphasis and priorities.
For example, when he talked about the ’Hidden Dragon’ Murong Chong, he explained in much greater detail, breaking down the ’Ten Great Staff Techniques’ he studied.
Murong Chong used staff technique.
Logically, since Yan Chuan’s main focus was on swordsmanship, he should focus on Tan Dou’s ’Heavenly Gang Swordsmanship’, Hong Ran’s ’Chasing Cloud Sword Technique’, Liu Zongwu’s ’Nine-appearing Divine Sword’, and even Sang Qing’s ’Thirty Sword and Spear’ would be more relevant.
Yet Yan Chuan specifically invested much energy into Murong Chong and his ’Ten Great Staff Techniques’, providing an even more detailed explanation.
Others were puzzled.
Only Chen Ze, who practiced the ’Quanzhen Swordsmanship’ and ’Jade Maiden Swordsmanship’, understood —
"Senior brother is teaching me here!"
While listening to Yan Chuan’s explanation, Chen Ze simultaneously watched Murong Chong fight fiercely, concentrating completely and already immersed. He saw Murong Chong sometimes win by courage, stepping through the central gate without regard for safety; sometimes, he used skills to control his opponents, real mixed with fake, rapidly changing, flexible and adaptable.
This was quite similar to the ’Jade Maiden Swordsmanship’.
If it were Chen Ze observing alone, he wouldn’t be able to see or comprehend it.
But with Yan Chuan’s explanation and guidance, Chen Ze gained thorough understanding.
"Step through the central gate, cover both sides!"
"Tighten the back foot, loosen the front foot, not completely perpendicular or parallel is the true path; quick advances, stable stances, eyes fixed on the opponent’s chest."
"The stepping technique in the ’Ten Great Staff Techniques’ relies on the ’Willow Leaf Stance’ as its foundation. Watching Murong Chong, where is the root of his sharp staff technique? It’s in the firm stance, enabling tight defense, easy countering of sudden attacks, and facilitating movement — both light and agile, moving without disorder, retreating as advancing, skilled in both offense and defense."
"Such stepping technique is not only good for wielding the staff with vigor, but also works seamlessly for saber skill, spear technique, including swordsmanship, all equally effective."
"Stepping through the central gate to seize position, setting defense on both sides to secure victory."
"Look at his staff technique, flexible and changeable, unpredictable."
...
Yan Chuan’s in-depth explanation was exquisite and precise.