Lucien began training for the second stage of the technique.
Master White looked at him and said this training would be different from the first.
"I am still surprised you learned the first stage just by watching one of my ultimate techniques. I did not even explain it. Your talent is frightening sometimes. Now we begin the second stage."
He raised his hand.
"I will throw hundreds of leaves into the air. You must cut all of them. Do not stop until every leaf is cut. If you stop, you fail."
The training began.
Master White threw hundreds of leaves into the air. Lucien stepped forward and began cutting them. His sword moved slowly and smoothly. The way he swung his sword sharpened the edge of the blade. It became easier for him to cut the leaves.
Lucien cut all the leaves in five minutes.
Master White smiled. "This is what I call talent. You give me the same joy your father gave me."
For the next four days, Master White repeated the same training. Lucien kept improving. On the fifth day, Lucien's movements became even smoother.
"You are quick to learn," Master White said. "I do not even need to correct you. You notice your mistakes and fix them yourself. Now you can cut the leaves without sound or force. Your blade has become sharper. Within a year you may learn all the stages except the last. The final stage is much harder."
Lucien nodded. "I will do my best, Master."
He explained his understanding. He followed the air while cutting the leaves. He cleared his mind and stopped forcing his swings. When he cut the first leaf, he followed the same flow. The more he did it, the easier it became.
Master White laughed. "You are smart. Your stamina is also good."
"I trained my stamina before coming here," Lucien replied.
"I am glad your father trained you," Master White said. "Now we will use another method."
He drew a circle on the ground.
"You must stay inside this circle. Move constantly. Swing your sword while stepping. Do not stand still."
Lucien began swinging his sword while moving inside the circle.
"This training improves balance while moving. It combines footwork with swordsmanship. It builds the Flowing Edge foundation."
Lucien trained from morning until evening. Even when tired, he continued. He pushed himself until Master White finally told him to stop.
Lucien sat down and breathed heavily. "I thought I was going to give up."
"But you did not," Master White said. "Why?"
"I want to become unstoppable. I do not want to be a burden. I will endure now so I never have to bow to anyone."
Master White laughed. "You want to become the strongest man in the world. Only the strongest is unstoppable. In this world, the weak perish."
Lucien smiled. "What makes you think you are the strongest?"
"You will understand when you leave this mountain," Master White replied with a laugh.
After the training, Master White told Lucien to follow him. They crossed three mountains before arriving at a powerful waterfall. The water crashed down like a roaring beast. The pressure alone made it hard to stand.
"Stand under the waterfall and swing your sword," Master White said.
Lucien stepped forward. The water pressure pushed him down. He struggled to breathe. His balance became unstable. His swings became stiff. He slipped and fell.
"You are forcing your movements," Master White explained. "Flow with the water."
Lucien adjusted his stance. He bent his knees. He relaxed his shoulders. He began moving with the falling water. His swings slowly became smoother.
Master White added a new rule. "Never stop swinging. Even if you slip. If you stop, you start again."
Lucien trained every day. After a month, the water no longer pushed him back. His swings became continuous. His blade flowed like water.
"You are now part of the flow," Master White said.
On the final day, Lucien cleared his mind and swung. The waterfall split for a moment before crashing back down. He realized how much he had improved.
Then Master White blindfolded him.
"If you need your eyes, your blade is incomplete."
Lucien moved blindly. At first he stumbled. He lost rhythm. Master White attacked lightly and threw objects. Lucien was hit many times. After a week, his body began reacting automatically. His swings became natural. He sensed movement without seeing.
Finally, Lucien moved smoothly while blindfolded. He dodged and countered without hesitation. Master White removed the cloth.
"You no longer need your eyes. This is the true Flowing Edge."
Lucien took a deep breath. He stepped forward and swung his sword. One strike flowed into another. His movements became continuous. Leaves around him were cut apart.
"So this is Flowing Edge," Lucien said.
He finished with a final silent strike. The ground split cleanly.
Master White nodded. "You are now using Stage Two."
Lucien smiled. "It feels natural."
"Remember this feeling," Master White said.
Lucien raised his sword once more.
"Flowing Edge."