“With the population base of the ancestral land and the dimension of time, having only two digits’ worth of Supremes is indeed very few,” Lin Yun said.
“That is only natural. Stepping into the Supreme realm is exceedingly difficult. Friend Bei Chen, if you wish to advance further from your current realm, you will also face the great bottleneck of the Supreme level,” Dong Jian said.
Lin Yun nodded in agreement.
Dong Jian smiled and said, “Haha, we seem to have strayed rather far from the topic. Let us return to discussing swordsmanship.”
“Senior Dong Jian, the Flying Shadow Sword Art is divided into nine levels in total. The first six levels are the foundation section, which I have already mastered. However, the last three levels are the advanced section, extremely difficult. At present, I am unable to grasp the advanced section,” Lin Yun said.
“In truth, the Flying Shadow Sword Art has more than nine levels. The later ones were kept secret by Lord Feiying Jin and used only by himself,” Dong Jian said.
Dong Jian continued, “If you want to learn the advanced section, you must return to the essence of the sword path itself. Once your comprehension of the sword deepens, the later levels will come naturally. Otherwise, no matter how much you practise, it will be hard to master them.”
“While watching you demonstrate the sword art just now, I noticed several issues in your execution. The problems appear small, but if you pursue even stronger swordsmanship, such flaws cannot be tolerated.”
Then, Dong Jian pointed out, one by one, the issues he had observed.
When Lin Yun heard Dong Jian highlight these problems, he suddenly felt enlightened, as though a weight had been lifted.
Had Dong Jian not pointed them out, Lin Yun truly would not have noticed them.
It was rather like when a person writes characters with the wrong stroke order out of long habit, unaware there is anything amiss.
Yet once someone points it out, the mistake becomes obvious.
On the surface, regardless of stroke order, the finished character looks the same, so it seems a trivial matter not worth worrying about. However, stroke order does affect the final aesthetic quality of the character to a certain degree.
If one wishes to turn writing into the art of calligraphy, correct stroke order is fundamental.
The same applies to sword practice. To reach higher levels, even small flaws must be corrected.
After receiving Dong Jian’s guidance, Lin Yun once again began practising his sword.
…
In the days that followed, Lin Yun remained in the ancient temple, continuously training with the sword. Dong Jian provided deeper instruction and corrected his errors.
Lin Yun kept absorbing experience and lessons, gratefully accepting Dong Jian’s meticulous guidance.
After practising for a few hours, he would return to the pavilion, drink a cup of hot tea, close his eyes to savour it slowly, and review in his mind the training he had just completed, summarising what he had learned.
As the days of sword training passed, time flew by. In the blink of an eye, twenty years had gone.
On the open ground beside the pavilion.
Swish, swish, swish!
Sword light flickered ethereally, whistling and streaking like lightning. The speed of the sword art was noticeably faster than before.
As for power, it appeared more restrained, seemingly less threatening at first glance.
Yet anyone who truly experienced it would discover that the restrained swordsmanship actually contained utterly terrifying might.
Soon after, Lin Yun sheathed his sword.
“Congratulations. It seems you have successfully mastered the seventh level of the Flying Shadow Sword Art,” Dong Jian said from where he stood nearby, offering his felicitations.
Indeed, Lin Yun had now mastered the seventh level of the Flying Shadow Sword Art, “Swift Thunder”.
This was the first level of the advanced section, of extraordinary significance. It meant Lin Yun’s Flying Shadow Sword Art had transcended the ordinary foundation section and risen to a new tier.
The leap in power from the sixth to the seventh level was also extremely evident.
“I should really be thanking Senior Dong Jian for your guidance and teaching,” Lin Yun said gratefully.
Without Dong Jian’s unstinting instruction, Lin Yun could never have advanced his swordsmanship in a mere twenty years, nor mastered the seventh level of the Flying Shadow Sword Art.
“Your talent in swordsmanship is indeed remarkable. Still, from now on, any further improvement will probably be far more difficult,” Dong Jian sighed.
After all, during these twenty years, everything Dong Jian could teach and point out to Lin Yun had already been imparted without reservation.
“No matter. Man proposes, heaven disposes. What I can do now is continue to work hard at it. Whether I can keep improving is another question entirely,” Lin Yun said with a faint smile.
“To possess such a mindset already puts you ahead of many others. Very well, I shall continue training with you,” Dong Jian said, full of admiration.
…
Time sped onward. Lin Yun remained with Dong Jian for another full century.
