Chapter 80: Swordsmanship (4)

Chapter 80: Swordsmanship (4)

In truth, Lan Xiaohui had suspected for a long time now that it was her fundamental swordsmanship that was lacking. Due to the cognitive dissonance of being an existence that can challenge the Foundation realm cultivators and demonic beasts while she was in the Qi Refining realm, no less it was difficult for her to accept this conclusion.

She did not suspect it until she fought Wukong in this very same First Layer that her weakness and flaws began to show themselves.

Wukong could reduce her skeleton to dust with a single punch and to assume that this was because of his profound body and Qi cultivation would be a fatal mistake. It is exactly because of Wukongs fundamental strength his basic punch that he could reach such a deep foundation of power and exceed all existences around him.

Even though he did not practice martial arts or cultivation methods, Wukong was a fearsome monster that, in my estimation, was an apex predator in the entire Forbidden Ancient Hunting Ground.

In order to withstand that punch, Lan Xiaohui first attempted to overcome it with her newly obtained Sword Law, and that failed. Then she tried to use her impressive sword Qi and that also failed. It wasnt until she gave up all these methods and focused on the fundamentals her body positioning, stance rigidity, defense method and so on that she could withstand a punch that shouldve killed her.

In the end, it did kill her, but the purpose of the exam was to survive the initial impact.

This, from Lan Xiaohuis perspective, mustve seemed not as an indicator that her fundamentals were lacking that is certainly not the case but that there are improvements to be made.

It wasnt until Lady Yue said that with her current fundamentals, she would not be able to enter the Galaxy Sword Sect that the knowledge had finally settled in and become an unavoidable conclusion.

Even if her fundamentals were above average, it was not enough to compete with others who may have had the same lifestyle as Lan Xiaohuis did, this new one at least, but for decades or more.

Lan Xiaohuis background coming from a wealthy family did not grant her much experience in combat. One may practice the sword for decades but not be able to achieve the same profound power that one who practices the sword in real life-or-death combat can attain. In that sense, Lan Xiaohuis swordsmanship was only for show until now.

She must realize this as well because as the swarm of monsters descends upon her demonic foxes, wolves, boars, bears, and snakes she does not move from her position. It is reminiscent of her tactic with Wukong where she waited for Wukong to make the move, fully embracing the fact that she is fortunate enough to have the ability to experience the coming agony dozens and dozens of times before she finally learns how to avoid it, without also accepting the true consequences of it.

Though, Lan Xiaohui might consider this to be something other than fortunate.

Lan Xiaohui screams in pain and continues screaming in pain even when she reappears after the test resets, after being quartered by the wolves.

Being killed in a single punch must be a vastly different experience than feeling the pain of being torn asunder by wolves and it is no surprise that this has a lasting mental impact on Lan Xiaohui.

It takes Lan Xiaohui several minutes to recover from this experience. Each minute in this place is twelve in the world outside.

Perhaps there is a way to disable the haptic feedback, I tell Lan Xiaohui.

Lan Xiaohuis lips quirk into a frown perhaps offended by my suggestion before her features soften and then she shakes her head.

I need to be able to feel my body, she says. I cant feel the sword if I cant feel anything.

Lan Xiaohuis reply is perfectly logical. My suggestion, however, was not for the sake of improving her swordsmanship, but to limit the degradation of her mental state from the unbearable shock of death.

All of the monsters in that test were of the third rank and none of them have the ability to instantly kill Lan Xiaohui.

She must also be aware of this, and, despite that knowledge, she chooses to progress with the pain receptors enabled.

Very well, I tell her. Proceed.

Lan Xiaohui nods, takes a deep breath, and then speaks. I wish to try the same challenge again.

Countless flashes of light in the empty void herald the arrival of a hundred demonic beasts.