Sword Roaring in the Sky - Chapter 4

4. Cultivating True Qi

Sword Roars Through the Heavens

Miao Youxiu smiled faintly, dismissing Sun Yanwan to rest before swallowing another pill and settling into meditation to heal his wounds.

Killing Hu Fengwei had been sheer luck. Though the blade strike succeeded, Hu’s retaliatory Hunyuan Palm had left internal injuries requiring at least a year to fully recover.

After three days at the inn, Miao Youxiu’s condition stabilized enough to resume their journey south. As winter softened into milder climes, they traded their horse for a carriage in a bustling city, easing the strain of travel.

By the time they reached Chongyang City in Qiangnan Province, Sun Yanwan finally pieced together this world’s geography and politics:

The Great Lang Dynasty divided the realm into nineteen provinces (路) governed by powerful ministers and thirty-five military districts (道) ruled by iron-fisted generals. Between roving martial artists, bandit strongholds, and invasions from rival kingdoms Xia and Yan, “peace” was a fragile illusion.

——

Miao Youxiu took lodgings in Chongyang and secluded himself to recuperate. A fortnight later, he summoned Sun Yanwan:

“The Miao family collected six or seven elite martial arts for cross-reference—though we’re scarcely a clan now.” His voice darkened.

Sun Yanwan held his tongue. What does one say to that? “Sorry for your loss”?

Miao Youxiu shook off the gloom. “You picked up Hu Fengwei’s Demon-Slaying Sword. Fate hints at your path—I’ll teach you the Hu Clan’s foundational sword art.”

“You know their techniques?” Sun Yanwan blurted.

“A century of blood feuds means studying each other’s moves,” Miao Youxiu chuckled. “Though we only stole their basics—the pinnacle Hunyuan Sword Canon remains beyond reach.”

Sun Yanwan’s mind raced. So martial arts here are acquired through espionage or torture? Charming. But he’d take any skills, regardless of origin.

Miao Youxiu explained: “Hu Clan’s methods emphasize gradual accumulation. Beginners train in Thirty-Six Hunyuan Stances for years until inner force emerges naturally. Only then can they learn the Seventy-Two Demon-Slaying Forms.”

“But their true might lies in the Hunyuan Sword Canon—the half-foot green sword aura you saw Hu Fengwei wield. That ‘sword罡 (jian gang) can cleave metal like paper.”

“Hu adepts are weak in youth but become unstoppable in old age. My ancestors slaughtered many Hu clansmen… until their elders with mastered jian gang ambushed my family.”

Miao Youxiu’s grin turned feral. “Hu Fengwei condensed jian gang at thirty—a prodigy. Had he lived another decade…” He trailed off. “No matter. Let’s start with the stances.”

——

Sun Yanwan proved an alarming quick study. Within days, he perfected three stances, his movements fluid and precise.

“I took him in out of pity,” Miao Youxiu mused, “but this talent…”

(He omitted that stealing another clan’s arts violated jianghu taboos.)

A month later, Sun Yanwan mastered all thirty-six stances. His limbs grew stronger, his steps lighter—until one afternoon, heat erupted at his tailbone.

Qi.

It surged up his spine, pooled at his crown, then cascaded down as cooling energy into his dantian. The cycle repeated, weaving cold and heat into a self-sustaining flow.

Sun Yanwan nearly shouted. “Is this… true qi?!”

Yet caution prevailed. Miao Youxiu said internal force takes years. If I reveal this speed, will he see me as a threat?

But hiding progress might delay advanced teachings…

His dilemma deepened when Miao Youxiu vanished overnight.

After three days, Sun Yanwan ventured out, querying innkeepers about local martial luminaries. A list of eight names gave him leads—until a gang rushed past him into the inn.

Instinctively, he ducked into an alley. Moments later, the thugs charged back out, hunting someone down the street.