Wang Guan, now gripping a ring-pommelled, narrow-bladed, long-edged, straight-backed weapon in both hands, felt amidst his hazy, indistinct perception a profoundly subtle connection forming between himself and the blade.
Afterward, Wang Guan pondered deeply, concluding that his state at that moment resembled the fabled "Man and Sword as One" realm often described in novels.
But at this precise instant, thought seemed to halt within Wang Guan’s mind, leaving it nearly blank. The sole impulse was to swing the blade and sever the straw mat before him.
So, in an instant, Wang Guan moved. The straight edge in his hand whipped out a streak of faint light, flashing across the straw mats.
“Shhh-shhh-shhh-shhh…”
The incomparably sharp, utterly unyielding edge tore through the air, slicing the straw mat. The extremely subtle sounds were like ripping paper or slicing silk—ethereal noises that brought an inexplicable thrill.
“Wang Guan, stop posing.”
Suddenly, Yu Feibai walked over and clapped Wang Guan’s shoulder impatiently. “Just cut it, why are you just holding a stance?”
“Ah…”
At that moment, Wang Guan snapped out of his daze like waking from a dream. He deactivated his special ability, glanced vaguely at the blade in his hand, then looked up with a bewildered expression. “Didn’t I already cut it?”
“Cut it?” Yu Feibai exclaimed in surprise. “No, I watched you for ages from the side; you didn’t move an inch. Impossible…” Before his voice trailed off, the straw mat beside them suddenly split into several sections, scattering around with a rustle.
“See, I told you I cut it,” Wang Guan said with a smile, inexplicably feeling a dull ache in his arms and lower back.
“No way, I was watching you; you didn’t move at all,” Yu Feibai stammered, his mouth agape.
“You must have been seeing things then.”
Wang Guan fell into contemplation, recalling his recent state, and understood it was the effect of his special ability. However, he certainly couldn't admit it openly. Instead, he remained outwardly composed. “If you don’t believe me, you can ask the big brothers standing nearby. They surely saw it perfectly clearly.”
Seeing this, Yu Feibai naturally began to doubt himself, muttering, “Am I really just seeing things?”
“It’s not that you’re seeing things; it’s that his strike was too fast. While you blinked or lost focus, he finished the cut, so naturally, you didn’t see it clearly.” At this point, Yu Shuzhong’s voice drifted down from upstairs. He stood at the bottom of the staircase, his eyes showing a hint of awe, praising heartily, “Seven cuts with one swing—it’s been a long time since I saw swordplay that fast.”
“Seven cuts with one swing?”
Yu Feibai was stunned. He quickly looked down and counted, discovering that the straw mat was indeed scattered into eight pieces.
“Excellent, excellent,”
Yu Shuzhong walked down, face filled with approval, and said to Wang Guan, “However, judging by how you hold the blade and your stance, it doesn’t look like you’ve formally trained. If your posture were correct, you might even reach nine cuts, perhaps even thirteen.”
“Thirteen cuts is nothing!” Yu Feibai retorted, unconvinced. “I can make dozens of cuts too!”
“Nonsense.”
Yu Shuzhong never minced words when lecturing his son. He snorted, “That young man delivered seven rapid cuts in one or two seconds. At his fastest moments, he can execute thirteen cuts in a single second. Each cut is faster and fiercer than the last—enough to cleave a living ox clean in half at the waist. Think about it, can you do that?”
“Dad, don’t fool me. Is there really anyone that formidable?” Yu Feibai asked, though he remained half-skeptical.
“What do you think?”
Yu Shuzhong cast a sidelong glance at Yu Feibai, then clapped Wang Guan’s shoulder with surprising warmth and friendliness. “Young man, your physical conditioning is excellent. Are you interested in enlisting?”