Those who complained had no idea that the elder who created this sword technique had once possessed profound martial prowess, which was crippled by an opponent during a fierce jiangshan battle in his prime, rendering him permanently unable to cultivate internal energy.
Terrified that his standing within the sect would plummet, the elder kept this secret from everyone. Instead, he adopted an air of deepening skill and unfathomable mastery, deceiving every member of the sect, from the lowest disciple to the highest-ranking officials.
But the fact remained that he had lost all means of self-defense—an unchangeable reality. From that point on, he ventured out rarely, relying on his extraordinary cunning to keep his secret hidden from discovery.
That era coincided with the Seven Mysteries Sect's dominance over Lan Prefecture, its golden age of supremacy.
When the elder confirmed that his power could truly never be restored, desperation drove him to abuse his authority. Covertly, without the knowledge of the other leaders, he sent subordinates to ambush numerous obscure and little-known small sects.
From these sects, he looted and extorted a host of unspeakable martial manuals, desperately searching for a supreme technique that could be wielded without relying on internal energy.
After years of plundering, he did uncover many extraordinary secret arts, yet none among them were martial techniques suited to his needs.
He was deeply disappointed.
This elder was a man of exceptional talent and brilliant intellect. In his moment of utter dejection, an idea struck him: what if he combined the many secret arts he had gathered to forge a supreme martial art custom-built for himself?
The thought electrified him. To create a unique school of martial arts was every warrior's lifelong dream. From that moment, he threw himself into the endeavor without restraint, dedicating himself entirely to researching and testing his various ideas. In the end, to free himself from worldly distractions, he even entered seclusion, no longer concerning himself with the sect's power struggles.
Creating a martial art was an enormously difficult undertaking. What made it even harder was the constraint he had imposed: the art had to function without requiring internal energy, while also incorporating numerous secret techniques into one cohesive, supreme system.
The process of pioneering such an unprecedented martial art proved far more grueling than he had ever imagined. But he was a man of extraordinary perseverance. After nearly half a lifetime of painstaking effort, spanning decades of trial and error, the Blink Sword Manual was finally born.
The elder was elated. Rushing to share the good news with the sect, he discovered in shock that the Seven Mysteries Sect had already fallen into complete decline. The entire sect was under siege by numerous rival gangs, facing imminent destruction at any moment.
Now past the age of sixty, the elder was both horrified and furious. In that dire hour, he unleashed the eerie sword technique he had just perfected, cutting down one powerful enemy after another, stunning the remaining masters, and carving a bloody path through the encirclement for the Seven Mysteries Sect to escape. His feat saved the sect from annihilation and secured his legacy forever.
Sadly, the moment the sect was free from danger, the elder's time had come. He left behind a dying wish—to place his painstaking creation into the Seven Absolute Hall—and passed away.
What was even more regrettable was that in the years that followed, not a single disciple, all the way up to Han Li, ever attempted to cultivate this art. This precious gem remained buried in dust, hidden from the light of day.
Han Li knew nothing of these past events. In truth, even if he had known, it wouldn't have stirred any deep emotions in him. For him, what mattered was simple: this sword technique was suitable for his cultivation and might help him survive Doctor Mo's grasp. That was enough. As for its origins? Who created it? Han Li had absolutely no interest. He was a thoroughly pragmatic man—anything that offered no practical benefit wasn't worth his time.
Inside his room, Han Li lit the oil lamp and hunched over his wooden desk. Under the dim, flickering light, he continued leafing through one manual after another.
He had no intention of actually copying the manuals by hand. Instead, he planned to rely on his extraordinary memory to burn every word into his mind. This way, there would be no risk of losing the physical copies, and no danger of the secret being exposed.
He remained extremely vigilant toward Doctor Mo. He wasn't foolish enough to believe the man wasn't monitoring him in any way. If a pile of copied manuals appeared in his room, the whole game would be up, putting Doctor Mo on guard ahead of schedule.
The amber flame flickered and popped with a soft "pfft," producing a tiny lamp bead, reminding Han Li that considerable time had already passed and he should retire for the night.
But Han Li paid it no mind at all. He was completely absorbed in the world of the manuals, each bizarre technique within drawing every ounce of his attention.
As one lamp bead after another burst open, the shadow cast upon the wall swayed and shifted, swelling and shrinking in shape. Yet Han Li himself sat perfectly still throughout. This contrast between motion and stillness created an eerie harmony, lending a strangely compelling quality to the scene.
Minute by minute, the hours crept by. Han Li's shadow behind him gradually went from sharp and clear to hazy, and from hazy it slowly faded to nothing. Outside, dawn had fully broken.
Without realizing it, Han Li had spent the entire night reading in a trance.
With a final loud pop, the last and largest bead burst, and the oil lamp went out completely. Only then did Han Li finally snap out of his absorption.
He looked up at the extinguished lamp, then glanced at the bright light streaming through the window, and a bitter smile crossed his face.
He never imagined there would come a day when he'd be so consumed with studying the art of killing. He really had changed from the person he used to be.
Han Li brooded for a while before standing up. He rolled his neck, stretched his arms and legs, and cracked every joint in his body with a series of satisfying pops. Then he turned, pushed open the door, stepped outside, drew a basin of cool water from the nearby well, and gave his face a thorough splash, reinvigorating himself. Next, he cycled the Eternal Spring Technique through his body once, and the fatigue of the entire night vanished without a trace.
After a full night of reading and studying, Han Li understood that mastering this martial system thoroughly would require at least eight to ten years of dedicated practice—anything less was out of the question. Even with his exceptional natural talent, he would need two or three years to achieve even a modest level of proficiency.
But time waited for no one!
(End of Chapter)