Chapter 53: The Long Road is the Shortcut
After a brief exchange, Hua had formed a general understanding of Rovel's current situation.
"Your foundational skills are quite solid," she began, her voice soft yet discerning. "However, your combat techniques are a bit... well, they lack a coherent structure."
Hua paused, carefully choosing her words. Rovel's fighting style was a wild, untamed thing. It was obvious he had learned from Kalpas, as his every move mirrored the man's ferocious, almost brutish methods. He fought with a savage intensity that was effective but unrefined.
Of course, when sparring with Kalpas himself, Rovel had been little more than a living punching bag, forced into a purely defensive role. It was no wonder the only derivative skill he'd managed to grasp was the reactive 'Basic Combat: Parry'.
"But your swordsmanship compensates for that weakness quite well," Hua added, a note of approval in her tone.
Thanks to Raiden Mei's rigorous training, Rovel's fundamentals with a blade were exceptionally firm.
"If you truly only just began practicing martial arts, your progress is already deeply impressive." Hua's words were gentle, carrying both encouragement and sincere praise.
"I feel like I'm still a long way off," Rovel admitted with a touch of humility. "I've heard that at the highest levels of martial arts, a master is no longer bound by form. They can act as they please, treating grass, trees, bamboo, and even stones as their swords. But right now, if I put down my blade, I can't even manifest my Sword Intent."
It was the truth. He could only channel the 'Clear Mirror Sword Intent' while in physical contact with a sword. Rovel felt that something like Sword Intent should be a state of enlightenment, a world of understanding that one could access freely, regardless of the circumstances.
"It is good that you feel that way," Hua nodded, her expression serene. "In my era, we generally avoided telling our successors about advanced martial insights ahead of time. It is far better to let them discover these truths on their own through cultivation. Knowing too much, too early, can easily lead to overambition."
She continued, her voice carrying the weight of experience. "Chasing after higher realms too aggressively can cause one to become trapped by their own aspirations, neglecting the foundational practice that is essential for growth. At your current stage, you should focus as much as possible on 'Form.' With your talent, so long as you persevere, you will eventually step into the realm you desire."
Hua earnestly imparted her wisdom, sharing the lessons of a lifetime.
"Thank you for your guidance," Rovel said, nodding and offering a slight bow.
Although Hua claimed she had never taught anyone before, the moment she began to speak, the obvious presence of a true grandmaster radiated from her.
"Your swordsmanship already has a foundation, but your hand-to-hand combat still needs to be properly shaped. How about this: I will teach you a set of basic fist techniques. It is my family's style, called the 'Cun Xin Fist Style'."
The Cun Xin Fist Style consisted of six forms in total: 'Chaotic Thunder', 'Thunderbolt', 'Rock Break', 'Mountain Collapse', 'Cloud Mist', and 'Heaven Opening'.
Among them, 'Rock Break', 'Cloud Mist', and 'Chaotic Thunder'served as the core foundations of the style.'Mountain Collapse', 'Heaven Opening', and 'Thunderbolt' were the advanced applications of the first three, each corresponding to its predecessor.
The first form was 'Rock Break': a straight palm strike, followed by a leap that used the body's falling momentum to deliver a crushing blow with the power to shatter stone.
Next was 'Cloud Mist': a sharp uppercut immediately followed by a downward smash.
As for 'Chaotic Thunder', it involved using one's Internal Energy to project a shockwave.
Rovel watched her demonstrations, a thought forming in his mind. 'Except for Chaotic Thunder, they all seem so simple and unadorned.'"The Cun Xin Fist Style is a discipline centered on'Form'," Hua explained, seeming to see right through his thoughts. "Although the movements appear ordinary, once you master 'Inch Force', 'Dissipating Force', and 'Dead Force', the style can derive countless different applications."
To illustrate her point, Hua demonstrated 'Mountain Collapse', the enhanced version of Rock Break.
She pushed a palm forward. The movement was simple, yet it produced a sharp crack that split the air. Then, she leaped, her body arcing gracefully before descending. As she struck the ground, it didn't just crack—it buckled. A deep crater was gouged into the earth, a spiderweb of fractures spreading out from the point of impact.
Then, just as quickly as it had appeared, the crater began to slowly mend itself, the ground flowing back together like liquid stone.
With the addition of Inch Force, the performance of the basic technique was on a completely different level.
Afterward, Hua began her personal instruction of Rovel. She wasn't just teaching him the motions of the Cun Xin Fist Style; she was carefully adjusting the way he exerted force, correcting his posture, and refining his every movement.
[Hua is teaching you Basic Combat (White). Skill proficiency +35. Due to your presence in a special environment, skill proficiency +70.]
[Hua is teaching you Basic Combat (White). Skill proficiency +43. Due to your presence in a special environment, skill proficiency +86.]
...
After an hour of intense training, Rovel's proficiency in 'Basic Combat (White)' had soared by nearly 1,500 points.
At the same time, a new notification appeared.
[Under Hua's guidance, you have learned the skill: Cun Xin Fist Style (Green).]
Rovel was slightly taken aback. Hua's legendary Cun Xin Fist Style was only a Green-quality skill? It seemed far too low for something so deep.
His surprise vanished, however, the moment he read the skill's description.
[Cun Xin Fist Style: Hua's family fist technique, focusing on Form with Internal Energy as a supplement. As you comprehend "Inch Force," "Dissipating Force," and "Dead Force," the quality of the Cun Xin Fist Style will improve.]
'It's an evolving skill...' he realized, stunned.
"What is it?" Hua asked, noticing his dumbfounded expression.
"I was just thinking... Rock Break and Cloud Mist seem to be teaching me how to properly exert force, while Chaotic Thunder is meant to give me a preliminary understanding of Internal Energy," Rovel voiced his thoughts aloud.
"Yes, your intuition is correct," Hua confirmed with a faint smile. "Rock Break trains 'Shelf Force'—the ability to be supportive without being rigid, to yield without collapsing. That is the essence of Shelf Force. The first strike of the form is a palm rather than a fist for this very reason."
"And Cloud Mist trains 'Whole Force'. Power begins at the feet, travels through the legs and waist, up the spine, and is finally expressed through the hands. The body is relaxed but not loose, integrated but not stiff. It is like a fully drawn bow, storing immense potential energy."
"Chaotic Thunder allows you to more truly feel the existence of 'Internal Energy', and to learn how to turn that energy into an attack. Once you have mastered Inch Force, you can do this..."
Hua raised her hands, cupping them together before bringing them to her waist. A brilliant golden Internal Energy began to gather in her palms, coalescing into a sphere. The orb of light grew steadily larger, pulsing with contained power, before she thrust her hands forward.
The sphere of energy shot out with incredible speed. In the distance, a wooden training dummy was instantly obliterated, vanishing into a cloud of splinters. The attack reminded Rovel of the energy blasts from his childhood anime.
"This is 'Inch Force: Thunderbolt'," Hua said softly, lowering her hands. "After you become proficient in 'Whole Force', you can gradually begin to comprehend 'Inch Force'. Similarly, 'Dissipating Force'is intrinsically linked to'Shelf Force'."
"As for the final concept, 'Dead Force'... there is no need to rush. Master the others first, and then I will teach you."
Hua did not reveal everything at once, staying true to her earlier words. She didn't want Rovel to become overambitious, his eyes fixed on a distant peak while he stumbled over the rocks at his feet. One had to be grounded in the present, to understand that sometimes, the long road is the true shortcut.
[Inorin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me and keeps these daily updates flowing!
Want to read 50 chapters ahead or just want to help keep a shameless translator alive? (My livelihood actually depends on this, haha 😭). You can support me directly here:
(P.S. Just remove the brackets and replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters): patreon[.]com/InorinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/InorinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]