flstandardbreds Chapter 179 Earth-shattering
Chapter 179 Earth-shattering
The weather in Sanjiang Prefecture is unpredictable; it can be sunny in the morning and rainy in the afternoon.
At this moment, the sun was setting in the west, dark clouds were gradually gathering in the sky, and the wind was howling. However, Zhan Peng did not feel cold at all.
"Brother, that's how martial arts are. Your physique is quite good. After practicing the horse stance for three years, you can start learning swordsmanship."
Lin Fan nodded and then shook his head. "I know, it's not that I'm lazy and unwilling to learn, it's just that no one will wait for me to learn slowly."
Zhan Peng didn't know who Lin Fan was referring to; perhaps it was the government's wanted poster, but that didn't prevent him from understanding what Lin Fan meant.
After thinking for a moment, Zhanpeng said, "No matter what, at least doing the horse stance exercise every day is always beneficial."
Lin Fan nodded, thinking that Zhan Peng was going to teach him how to do a horse stance.
Unexpectedly, Zhanpeng changed the subject, "I understand that you are eager to achieve results, brother. Generally speaking, I don't like martial arts, but I think you must have your own difficulties. I do have a sword technique here that you might find useful."
So Zhanpeng took a booklet out of his pocket and handed it to Lin Fan.
As Lin Fan watched, Zhan Peng continued to explain, "I think this is more like some kind of magic or witchcraft than a sword technique."
Lin Fan quickly grasped the gist of the book: it stated that swordsmen possessed their own sword energy, and if they accumulated this energy without releasing it, they could build up power layer by layer until, when unleashed, a single strike would be earth-shattering. The book also included specific breathing and mental techniques for sensing and manipulating sword energy.
If Zhan Peng hadn't given him the book, Lin Fan wouldn't have believed a single punctuation mark. He'd never seen Zhan Peng use anything like "sword energy"—wasn't this just a classic charlatan's trick?
Sure enough, Zhan Peng continued his charlatan-like rhetoric, "But the sword energy described in the book is not something everyone can comprehend. It can take a few days, or even several years, and some people can't achieve it even after a lifetime of effort. Brother, you should take this and give it a try. If it works, all the better."
Zi Yue rested her elbow on Lin Fan's shoulder as he squatted down. "This little brother seems like a very honest person. How come he believes in this stuff? Could he have been tricked into buying this book? You should remind him. If you can find the person who sold him the book, you should teach him a lesson."
“I can feel it,” Lin Fan said abruptly.
"Huh? What did you say?" Ziyue and Zhanpeng exclaimed in unison.
Lin Fan explained, "Third brother, I think I sensed the sword energy you mentioned. I don't know if it is sword energy, but I felt what the book says about gathering energy in the sword."
"Brother, could you be that martial arts prodigy?" Zhan Peng exclaimed excitedly.
Lin Fan himself couldn't explain it clearly, but as he followed the breathing method, he could clearly feel a surge of energy gathering in his hand holding the sword, swirling between the wooden hilt and the wooden sword.
However, as Lin Fan stopped and stood up, the anger quickly dissipated.
As the book says, the effect of this move, "Stone Shattering the Sky," is to multiply its power. In other words, the power of a single strike depends on the user's strength, the momentum of the strike, and even the quality of their stance.
So Zhanpeng taught Lin Fan a simple horse stance, letting him practice while slowly feeling the "gathering of qi." Ziyue took the book and looked at it carefully, trying to learn it as well.
Zhanpeng glanced at the book he was reading, which was floating in mid-air, clicked his tongue in amazement, and then turned and left.
When he returned, Zhanpeng brought back a large stone mill.
"Brother, how's the energy gathering going? Come and try a strike."
Lin Fan looked like he was holding back his poop, unable to respond, he simply nodded and then slashed out with his sword.
boom.
The millstone was struck hard, the sound was deafening, and a small dent was left behind.
Zhanpeng frowned and pondered.
Lin Fan said somewhat embarrassedly, "I couldn't control myself just now. Before I could strike, my energy dissipated."
Zhanpeng then relaxed his brows. "Yes, I knew it. It's alright, brother. Your progress is already incredibly fast. There's no need to rush. Just try a few more times."
Zhanpeng looked at the marks on the millstone and thought it would be a good opportunity for comparison.
Upon hearing this, Lin Fan resumed his horse stance to gather his energy.
A sheathed black sword floated to the side, and Zhan Peng had a feeling that someone was holding the black sword and squatting in a horse stance.
Lin Fan's chest heaved, and feeling that the time was right, he once again used his sword as a blade and slashed fiercely.
Boom! Crash!
This time the sound was different from the last one; it wasn't a loud knocking sound, but rather an explosion and shattering sound.
Stone chips flew everywhere, and dust rose into the air.
The entire millstone was smashed to pieces.
Okay, no need for comparisons anymore. And no wonder it's called "earth-shattering." Zhanpeng only had these two thoughts in his mind.
Lin Fan shook his head, not entirely satisfied. "Third brother, this is certainly good, but when it comes to actually fighting, there's no time to hold a horse stance for so long."
Zhan Peng smiled and picked up his sheathed sword. "Why don't you try, brother, and see if you can gather your energy while dodging attacks?"
Crash.
As soon as Zhanpeng finished speaking, the dense dark clouds in the sky suddenly tilted down, and a torrential downpour began.
Zhan Peng said no more, and his sheathed sword sliced through the rain and stabbed at Lin Fan.
"One, two, three... ten."
Zhan Peng stopped slashing, because in a short while Lin Fan had already been "stabbed" ten times (by the sheath). Zhan Peng shook his head and remained silent.
Ultimately, it comes down to a very poor foundation and terrible footwork. It seems there's no way out; is there any shortcut?
However, Lin Fan didn't think so. He pulled down his pants in the rain and waved to Zhan Peng, "Let's do it again."
Although Zhanpeng felt there was no need to try again, he figured he could just keep his older brother company for a while, so he swung his sword and slashed again.
Unexpectedly, Lin Fan dodged Zhan Peng's move as if he had anticipated it.
It was truly a prediction, not something that relied on speed and footwork to dodge. Rather, it felt like Lin Fan dodged first, and Zhan Peng then slashed at the spot where he had dodged.
Zhan Peng was momentarily surprised, recalling his encounter with Lin Fan that night. Lin Fan had dodged many of his attacks, and he immediately understood that his elder brother had ultimately resorted to methods other than swords and sabers. But it didn't matter; as long as they could cooperate and use them in actual combat, that was fine.
He hesitated for a moment, then swung his knife again, which was of course dodged once more.
However, as Zhan Peng swept towards Lin Fan, he took a step forward and followed up with a diagonal strike. Zhan Peng left no room for maneuver, and even if Lin Fan could foresee the future, he would have nowhere to hide.
boom.
Lin Fan blocked with his sword and then retreated a few steps.
After that exchange, Lin Fan gained a better grasp of gathering his energy. First, drawing a sword will definitely deplete his energy, even if it's just the motion of drawing a sword. Second, he needs to maintain his breathing while dodging, and interrupting that breathing will also deplete his energy.
While you can gather energy while dodging, the efficiency is far less than when you stand still in a horse stance.
Blocking is theoretically possible, but you can't actively block, nor can you counterattack after blocking.
Even so, you should avoid blocking. As long as you exert force forward with your hand, the energy will dissipate.
If you keep blocking, the speed at which you gather energy will definitely be slower than the speed at which you gather energy.
So Lin Fan dodged and parried at times, and in the rain, under Zhan Peng's slightly surprised gaze, he finally managed to hold on.
When he was stabbed a third time, Lin Fan finally felt that the time was right.
Dodging Kai Peng's wide-angle attack, and taking advantage of his unsteady footing, she pressed her advantage and launched a hasty attack.