The Shadowless Blade Technique is a well-developed basic blade technique, which details the practice methods for fundamental movements such as hacking, chopping, lifting, chopping, picking, intercepting, and so on. It is particularly suitable for beginners, like Wei Ping, who have no foundation.
In addition to the basic techniques, there are a total of fifty-two combat techniques in the Shadowless Blade Technique.
However, unlike the Golden Praying Mantis Body-Shaping Technique, which is a "skill" that can enhance a martial artist's cultivation, the Shadowless Blade Technique is a martial art that can only enhance combat power but not cultivation.
Therefore, the progress of practicing the Shadowless Blade Technique is different from that of the Golden Praying Mantis Body-Shaping Technique. It is not divided into levels one and two but is instead divided into several stages of comprehension, including entry-level, initial achievement, small achievement, and great achievement.
After reaching the "entry-level" of the Shadowless Blade Technique, the subsequent stages of initial achievement, small achievement, and great achievement can correspond to three different levels.
At the first level, when a martial artist practices the blade technique to "initial achievement," the blade's hacking will produce a continuous trembling shadow, which confuses the enemy's vision, so it is called the "Continuous Shadow Blade"!
At the second level, when a martial artist practices the blade technique to "small achievement," the speed of the blade's movements becomes so fast that it creates an afterimage, making it difficult for the enemy to defend against, so it is called the "Afterimage Blade"!
At the third level, after achieving "great achievement" in the blade technique, a martial artist's blade movements become so fast that the enemy can barely see the trajectory of the blade's movements, so it is called the "Shadowless Blade"!
When the Shadowless Blade is used, it can basically achieve the effect of "the blade falls before the head," and the enemy may not even have time to feel fear or react before they are already dead!
"The characteristic of the Shadowless Blade is 'speed,' which is indeed very suitable for practicing the Praying Mantis Avatar!" Wei Ping's eyes showed an eager look. "With the Praying Mantis Avatar's 53% high compatibility, I think I can quickly reach the entry-level of the Shadowless Blade Technique and then strive to achieve the Afterimage Blade level!"
At this stage, with the entry-level of the "Golden Praying Mantis Body-Shaping Technique," the Praying Mantis Avatar's efficiency in practicing this skill has already decreased to the point where it takes two or three days to increase one proficiency level.
Therefore, switching to practicing the Shadowless Blade Technique to rapidly improve combat effectiveness is undoubtedly a wise choice.
Especially since half of the one-month holiday has passed, Wei Ping will soon have to participate in the management work of the Qingshan Shop.
At the very least, he has to learn the Shadowless Blade first!
After all, there is a big difference in combat power between a martial artist with a weapon and one without a weapon.
As for Wei Ping's main task, it is to practice the Shape Refining Technique to strengthen his physique and improve his cultivation.
Because martial arts do not improve one's cultivation, but only depend on one's level of comprehension, as long as the Praying Mantis Avatar has mastered a certain level of the Mantis Fist, it is equivalent to Wei Ping having mastered that level, and Wei Ping can completely "freeload"!
That feels so good!!!
"Let's go!"
Waving his hand to the Praying Mantis Avatar, Wei Ping quickly returned to Qingshan Town.
Meanwhile, the Praying Mantis Avatar had already started practicing the Shadowless Blade technique.
First, it studied the essence of the technique, and then it began to try out the basic movements of chopping, hacking, lifting, cleaving, picking, intercepting, pushing, stabbing, sliding, stirring, collapsing, pointing, and pulling.
Thanks to its talent and the compatibility of its technique, as well as its own blade arm, the Praying Mantis Avatar quickly mastered the basic movements.
By the time Wei Ping arrived in Qingshan Town, the Praying Mantis Avatar had already started to study the specific moves of the technique.
"So fast?"
Upon learning this, Wei Ping was surprised.
Out of curiosity, he opened the panel to check the data.
Shadowless Blade Technique (compatibility: 10%. Practice progress: 2%)
"In such a short time, the progress of the Shadowless Blade Technique has increased by one point?"
Wei Ping was stunned.
He had anticipated that the Praying Mantis Avatar's efficiency in practicing the blade technique would be very high, but he had never expected that it would increase by one proficiency level in less than an hour.
It's too damn fast!
It's incredible!
"According to this progress, perhaps by the end of the holiday, I will have mastered the blade technique!"
Wei Ping's face lit up.
To practice a technique from scratch to mastery in just ten days or half a month?
Even if he said it out loud, no one would believe it!
"I originally planned to buy a weapon after the holiday ended. But based on the progress of the praying mantis avatar, I can arrange it in advance now, and it can also be used for self-defense!"
Wei Ping raised his eyebrows.
Although Qingshan Town was a town, it had a large population of thousands and a bustling marketplace that attracted many hunters and herbalists from the mountains to sell their goods. Otherwise, The Golden Praying Mantis Sect wouldn't have set up a shop here specifically.
There was no dedicated weapons shop in Qingshan Town, but the blacksmith shop sold weapons.
"Boss, do you have any good quality knives here?"
Wei Ping stated his purpose directly when he arrived at the largest blacksmith shop in town.
"A good quality knife? Then it has to be made of 'refined iron'!"
The owner of the blacksmith shop was a muscular man with dark skin, bulging tendons on his arms, and a face full of stubble.
"Refined iron?"
Wei Ping was slightly taken aback.
Upon hearing this, the muscular man, sized Wei Ping up and down and said, "Refined iron is the finest iron and has extremely high quality. Weapons made of refined iron cannot be damaged even by a force of a thousand catties! However...they are also not cheap!"
"I want to make a knife with refined iron. How much silver do I need?"
"Eight taels of silver!"
The owner quoted a price that was still within Wei Ping's acceptable range.
"Okay!"
With the price settled, Wei Ping began to express his requirements, mainly the type and form of the knife, based on the embroidery spring knife*.
(*(It is 110 cm long, 74 cm long, 31.5 cm long, 3.7 cm wide, 0.5 cm thick and weighs about 1.62 kg.))
(https://oldswordshop.com/products/embroidered-spring-knife-damascus-steel-one-piece-forging-manual)
Since Wei Ping practiced fast blades, the knife could not be a big chopping sword. The blade had to be slender so that he could use it conveniently.
During the process, the blacksmith shop owner also gave his professional advice.
After noting Wei Ping's requirements, the shop owner said "Pay three taels of silver as a deposit, and come back in half a month to collect it!"
"Great!"
Wei Ping readily paid the deposit without any hesitation.
"When did Qing Shan town gain such a prominent figure?" The boss of the blacksmith shop thought to himself as he watched Wei Ping's departing figure.
Having seen countless people, the boss could naturally tell that although Wei Ping was introverted, there was a hint of murderous intent in his demeanor.
Two weeks later, Wei Ping returned to the blacksmith shop as promised and finally laid eyes on his knife. Though it was just a blacksmith shop in a small town, the boss's craftsmanship was undeniably good.
This was a knife made of fine iron, weighing six jin and four liang (about 1.62 kg.), shining with a cold light. The blade was slender and sharp, and when Wei Ping held it in his hand, he felt its exceptional balance.
Then, when Wei Ping sliced through the air with the knife, not only did it make a whistling sound, but even a small, connected shadow appeared, leaving the blacksmith shop boss, Tie Xiong, staring in awe.
This was all due to the high compatibility between the praying mantis avatar and the Shadowless Blade technique.
In just ten days, the praying mantis avatar had already reached the "beginner" level of the technique.
Ten days!!!
This was an unimaginably terrifying speed!
Afterward, Wei Ping decided to let the praying mantis avatar continue to study the technique.
Firstly, the avatar's compatibility with the technique was clearly higher, making it easier to improve.
Secondly, the technique could allow Wei Ping to increase his strength more quickly.
As a result, Wei Ping's stats had already undergone enormous changes.
Name: Wei Ping
Realm: Tendons Refining Realm
Techniques:
Golden Praying Mantis Body Refinement Art (Affinity: 23%. Cultivation Progress: 1st level - 10%)
Shadowless Blade Technique (Affinity: 16%. Cultivation Progress: Beginner - 23%)
Avatar: Great Blade Praying Mantis
Realm: First Rank Monster Beast
Techniques:
Golden Praying Mantis Body Refinement Art (Affinity: 55%. Cultivation Progress: 1st level - 12%)
Shadowless Blade Technique (Affinity: 53%. Cultivation Progress: Beginner - 23%)
As of today, Wei Ping's cultivation progress in Shadowless Blade Technique has reached the level of "Beginner - 23%", making him barely a skilled user of the blade.
Immediately after, Wei Ping couldn't help but demonstrate several moves recorded in the Shadowless Blade Technique. His blade was unleashed with almost no hindrance, the blade light flickering and dazzling to the point where it was hard to keep one's eyes open.
"Boss, you're quite skilled!" After stopping, Wei Ping paid the remaining five taels of silver and looked at the sturdy blacksmith shop owner.
Before this, Wei Ping thought the skills of the blacksmiths in this small town would be ordinary, and had already prepared himself mentally that the finished product might not meet his expectations.
Who would have thought that the result would be unexpectedly good!
"That's natural!" At the words, the shop owner's face was full of pride, "I, Tie Xiong, started as an apprentice at the age of twelve and learned for fifteen years. Moreover, this is the almost lost art of the Xuanjia Mountain Villa. How could it be bad?"
"Xuanjia Mountain Villa?" Wei Ping was slightly stunned, not understanding.
"You don't even know about Xuanjia Mountain Villa?" The blacksmith shop owner, Tie Xiong, became a little lonely, and could only explain to Wei Ping the origin and extraordinary nature of Xuanjia Mountain Villa.
Xuanjia Mountain Villa was not a force in Baiyun County, but a force famous throughout the entire Jin Kingdom, with an even bigger reputation than that of the Golden Praying Mantis Sect.
According to legend, Xuanjia Mountain Villa was the best at forging, and all their weapons were high-quality.
And their ancestor, using the scales of the strongest defensive monster beast, the Xuanjia Earth Dragon, personally forged a world-famous armor called the Xuanjia, which was said to be able to withstand any attack.
"Xuanjia Earth Dragon? The strongest defensive monster beast?" At the words, Wei Ping raised an eyebrow.