27 Cleaving the Killing Wind

"Try to defend yourself!" Su Lingwen picked up her wooden sword.

Yun Shu nodded, knowing that she was not going to hurt him. Su Lingwen lifted her wooden sword, and a strong gust of wind swept over to Yun Shu. He hurriedly used his black sword to defend himself.

However, the wind was much more powerful than he thought. Yun Shu felt a violent push and was driven backward.

"You study sword intent, so ultimately, you have to rely on your sword. You understand the sword intent, but your body can't keep up with it. Thus, if you want to make further progress, you have to practice your sword harder," advised Su Lingwen.

Yun Shu knew that Su Lingwen was right in her teachings.

"I'll start practicing right away," said Yun Shu.

Su Lingwen remained silent for a while, and then she said, "Lucky for you, I know of a way that can help you improve faster. You want it?"

Yun Shu nodded and said, "Of course!"

"You'll need to cleave the killing wind," said Su Lingwen gently.

"Cleave… the wind?" Yun Shu repeated to himself.

"That's right. You use the sword intent to cleave that killing wind. Do you remember when I told you I'm not afraid of the killing wind? It's because I can cleave it! I know it's going to be a bit difficult for you in the beginning, so it's better for you to find a place where the killing wind is less violent. Gradually, you'll get the hang of it and catch up with me," Su Lingwen explained.

Yun Shu was impressed by her thought process and boldness. The killing wind was the most dangerous thing in the Valley of Crime, and everyone was afraid of it!

Yet, Su Lingwen used the killing wind to practice her sword technique!

She was indeed a genius with boundless courage and bravery.

Su Lingwen looked up at the sky and said, "Soon, the killing wind will come. You stay with me this time, just in case."

Yun Shu nodded, touched the ugly sword on his back, and made up his mind.

A short while later, they could see the black line in the sky approaching. The killing wind was here.

"Stay close to me!" Su Lingwen instructed him loudly.

Yun Shu nodded and stood beside her. They were going to face the killing wind head-on!

This wasn't Yun Shu's first time facing the killing wind, however. Last time, he was pushed into the raging gusts by Jiang Chun.

But this time, it was wholly different.

Last time, he had hidden in the world behind the stone gate immediately. However, now, he would directly challenge it with his sword.

"The killing wind is as sharp as a blade, but it's not a real blade. Keep the sword intent in your mind and try your best wielding your sword. I'm here. Don't be afraid," Su Lingwen said quickly to Yun Shu.

"Okay!" Yun Shu didn't have the time to say anything more than that. He took a deep breath, grabbed the ugly sword in his hand, and hacked at the wind as hard as he could.

Su Lingwen was fully prepared to intervene at any moment. She was ready to rip the wind if Yun Shu missed.

To her surprise, though, violent killing intent surged out of Yun Shu's ugly sword. Facing the unscrupulous wind, the killing intent, together with the sword intent Yun Shu had learned from the stele, spurted out like a soaring dragon.

Bang!

The killing wind that arrived first was instantly cut off by Yun Shu's sword!

Su Lingwen should have known better since her sword wasn't even that powerful. Yun Shu didn't need her protection, obviously.

Yun Shu was a bit surprised as well, wondering if he had tried a bit too hard. He thought it would be something difficult, but in fact, this was much easier than he imagined.

He looked down at the ugly sword, and a realization struck him suddenly. The ominous air in the sword could magnify his power. Therefore, it was not ideal for practicing.

Yun Shu said to Su Lingwen, "Lend me your wooden sword."

Su Lingwen did as Yun Shu said. Yun Shu stuck his black sword in the ground and picked up the wooden sword. He then stepped forward to stand in front of Su Lingwen.

The next gust of killing wind had arrived. Yun Shu bawled out and kept wielding the wooden sword in his hand.

This time, the power of the sword was much weaker, just as Yun Shu expected. However, he still managed to split the killing wind one by one.

Sitting behind Yun Shu, Su Lingwen stared at his back. She was genuinely impressed.

Two hours later.

Standing in front of Su Lingwen, Yun Shu had cleaved every blast of the killing wind that had come. As a result, both of them remained safe and sound.

Yun Shu needed to take a breather after the excursion. A while later, he turned around and asked Su Lingwen, "Are you alright?"

Su Lingwen didn't know what to say. The fact that Yun Shu did such a good job even though this was his first time practicing made her feel a bit inferior.

"Not bad…" Su Lingwen didn't want to pay him a compliment.

Yun Shu spent some time catching his breath. "True. I do have a better understanding of the sword intent now, but this isn't enough…"

"What do you mean? Not enough?" Su Lingwen exclaimed.

Soon, she realized that she wasn't responding properly. She feigned a couple of coughs and said, "If you do think so, next time, try it in a deeper part of the valley."

"You're suggesting to go deeper? Why?" asked Yun Shu.

Su Lingwen explained, "The wind comes from the Forest of Deadly Wind. When you go deeper, the wind is going to be more powerful. But still, be careful!"

Yun Shu was quite surprised. "Really? Then I'll head there tonight!"

Su Lingwen didn't know what to say. She was, in fact, very talented as well, a prodigy even. However, since she became familiar with Yun Shu, she kept doubting whether she was too slow.

And today, her sense of inferiority had grown even stronger!

She needed to work harder. Su Lingwen promised this to herself.