"The sword heart is clear and bright, the sword intent is distant, and the heart nature is clearly seen."
"The sword intent is distant, and the heart nature is clearly seen..."
"What is my heart for?"
"Battle!"
"Endless battle, constantly challenging strong enemies, fighting in the brink of death, a heart that eternally seeks to grow stronger!"
Clearly seeing one's heart nature, one perceives the truth.
As Chun Hei closed his eyes in contemplation, a misty breath surged into his brow.
Instantly, countless scenes appeared in his mind – scenes of him fighting enemies, all his martial arts combos... they became exceptionally clear in his eyes, like the meridians of the human body.
He understood some skill combinations and the timing of their execution, even knowing how to react after making a mistake.
As if sensing Chun Hei's gaze, legions of sharp sword intents from all scenes poured into his mind like a surging tidal wave.
They churned rapidly, shattering his original foundational theories.
After a period of bizarre and chaotic visuals, all the shattered rules seemed to gain life, miraculously reassembling themselves with astonishing proficiency.
Break to establish, and then establish after breaking!
Chun Hei absorbed a vast amount of substantive experience, and under the deliberate guidance of his own will, it was disrupted and reorganized, ultimately forming a unique theoretical combat style that belonged solely to him.
After a few breaths, Chun Hei abruptly opened his eyes. The air in front of him seemed to be compressed and burst, emitting a humming sound!
A faint golden light flowed within his eyes, and Chun Hei's entire demeanor changed. A killing aura emanated from him, and his gaze became much more resolute.
"Why does it feel like the streamer became more handsome right before my eyes?"
"As everyone knows, a clear sword heart is the best cosmetic surgery for a man."
"Clear sword heart... it has a martial arts feel. This thing is like a new enlightenment for a master of swordsmanship. Although it's not a technique, it's much more precious than techniques."
"That's indeed true. Also, each player's acceptance level is different. The streamer has high comprehension, and it feels like a qualitative change."
...
The viewers chattered amongst themselves, all marveling at the power of the clear sword heart.
Emerging from the shock, Chun Hei nodded in agreement, "It's indeed very powerful. This clear sword heart has no explicit text, nor does it have techniques. After using it, it's like my previous combat scenes are played out like a slideshow in my mind. The more I watch, the more fascinated I become, and I've gained many different insights into my previous techniques, as well as a brand new understanding of the sword."
"I must say, this is better than combat arts. This is a more mystical level of improvement. The most direct benefit is the boost to my confidence. Now, facing the Phantom Butterfly, I have better ways to kill it and don't need to die so many times. Therefore, I suggest that friends who can't break through the Phantom Butterfly at the start should go to the main town to accept some side quests to strengthen themselves and appease the Tengu. It's probably a bit of mercy from the old thief. Everyone should learn to utilize it well."
"As for this Ashina Style Secret Book, I've looked at it. It's more like a key, a key that opens the door to the Ashina Style sword techniques. With this key, we will be able to learn the powerful Ashina Style sword techniques later."
Chun Hei laid bare almost all his insights. He genuinely wanted to teach the viewers, but how many players would listen and utilize it well depended on luck and talent.
After explaining,
Chun Hei walked towards the main city.
He had already maxed out his level in the beginner village and needed a broader world to showcase his skills.
Connecting the Ashina town and the main city is a mountain valley, named Mount Kongo. On Mount Kongo, there is a temple – Senpou Temple.
At this moment, Chun Hei was standing beside a large bell on the edge of Senpou Temple.
Bell inscription: Do not strike this bell. Although one can accumulate merit by bearing calamity, it will be a difficult and arduous endeavor.
"I don't quite understand what it means, but I feel like striking it should have some benefits..."
Chun Hei excellently preserved the good tradition of the Undying Ones being mischievous. He propped up the sandalwood and pushed it hard towards the bell.
Dong—
Dong—
Misfortune
Crimson text appeared, followed by a ghost spirit named "Bell Demon" possessing Chun Hei. He felt no discomfort.
However, when encountering enemies, he noticed something was wrong. These guys were all red-eyed, attacking Chun Hei desperately like rutting beasts.
Of course, being possessed by the "Bell Demon" buff was not without its advantages.
As a fishmonger from Jinghai City rightly said, the bigger the waves, the more expensive the fish.
The more troublesome the boss, the better the rewards dropped upon defeat. After defeating a headless katana wielder in a deep mountain cave, Chun Hei obtained a new cybernetic arm component—
Mist Raven
A cybernetic arm equipped with mist raven feathers, usable by consuming spirit emblems.
If attacked while in a defensive stance, you will instantly vanish and move like mist. Even if you think you've caught it, it's merely a residual feather. This is the Mist Raven.
"Whoosh—"
"This function is very practical, a life-saving item in crucial moments. As expected of the Bell Demon, it's amazing."
The Mist Raven has a feather-replacement puppet effect. Chun Hei often faced life-or-death battles. In critical moments, when delivering a killing blow, using it well is equivalent to an extra resurrection armor.
Chun Hei resisted the urge to immediately find the Sculptor to craft it. He decided to go back to craft it after lighting the Sculptor's Idol in the Ashina main city. Afterward, no matter where he went, there would be quick teleportation, which was very convenient.
He continued forward, using his grappling hook to traverse the valley, his movements as agile as a monkey.
"Whew, what a deep canyon."
Standing on a branch, Chun Hei looked down. He couldn't see the bottom. Who would have thought that the main city and the town were separated by such a massive canyon?
As he was marveling, a gust of yin wind suddenly blew.
Hiss hiss hiss—
What was that sound?
Rumble!
The next moment, the valley shook violently. Chun Hei almost fell into the canyon but managed to balance himself by spreading his arms and flapping them.
"Whew—"
After steadying himself, Chun Hei patted his chest and gasped for air.
At this moment, the bullet screen broadcast sounded: "Black Brother, look to your right..."
To my right?
Chun Hei looked confused and instinctively turned his head to the right.
There he saw:
A massive, massive, massive white snake was peeking out. Its scales, overlapping like tiles, seemed to be paved with white floor tiles. Its vertical pupils were even larger than Chun Hei himself, scanning its surroundings warily.
What a monstrous creature that was!
The moment he turned, Chun Hei froze in place. His heart pounded, adrenaline surged, and his face turned pale. The psychological fear even triggered a physiological response.
As a VR perspective, it was different from the audience's PC perspective watching a movie. Chun Hei could even smell the foul odor from the white snake's mouth as it flicked its tongue.
If not for his strong will, he wouldn't have doubted that he would faint on the spot.
"Bai Suzhen?"
"I am Xu Xian, let go of this big white snake, let me!"
"What a unique little thing!"
"It almost scared me to death the moment it peeked out!"
"Fiend, reveal yourself quickly, Great Vajra Dragon!!"
"Damn, at first glance I thought it was a Kun..."
...