Cultivating Divinity: In The End I Will Become A God Chapter 89: A Thousand Cuts in an Instant, the Golden Wind Dojo, and Li Chengxuan - Novel Cool (2024)

Chapter 89: A Thousand Cuts in an Instant, the Golden Wind Dojo, and Li Chengxuan

In the training room of the Dragon Dojo, Xue Heng sat cross-legged on the solid wood floor, his long sword resting flat on his knees, eyes closed, utterly still.

The only sound in the entire training room was his deep, steady breathing.

After a while, Xue Heng opened his eyes, furrowing his brow.

"This isn't working. Imagining mountains of corpses and seas of blood out of thin air... I feel nothing."

He had hit a roadblock in his training of the 'Asura Sword Intent.'

The Asura Blade must be tempered with blood.

However, he couldn't even begin to fathom the pure killing intent required—the kind that would slaughter indiscriminately and forge its path amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

"I guess I don't have enough material."

Xue Heng shook his head.

The only person he had killed with his own hands was Zhu Yingkun, whom he had incinerated with Shadowflame during the containment mission the other day.

And then there were the two co*ckroach Monsters...

With such a meager 'collection' of experiences, he couldn't even begin to grasp the true essence of the Asura Sword.

While he could forcibly simulate some of the sensations through [Visualization], it still lacked the tangible feeling, preventing him from truly understanding the essence of murderous intent.

"I can't just go out and start killing people for the sake of my training... Oh well, what will be, will be."

Xue Heng shook his head again.

He stood up, brandished his long sword, and began practicing the fundamental routines of swordsmanship with strict precision.

Chop, hack, flick, block, parry, deflect, stab...

He trained with utmost seriousness, striving for perfection in every move, ensuring each stroke was executed with ideal form and force.

With [Soldier Strike] activated, Xue Heng could clearly feel his progress with almost every swing of his sword.

The blade in his hand felt more and more natural, and the strikes he unleashed grew smoother by the minute.

Half an hour later...

"Haa—"

As the blade sliced through the air, creating a rushing wind sound, Xue Heng withdrew his sword and spun, creating a flower-like pattern with the blade before sheathing it.

[You have completed a sword practice session. Soldier Strike experience +55]

[Soldier Strike upgraded to Lv2 (23/500)]

In that instant, Xue Heng felt his connection to the long sword in his hand deepen, as if they were bound by blood, the sword an extension of his own body, a part of him.

"If I level up a few more times, I bet I'll become a 'Preeminent Sword Saint'... No, wait, should it be a 'Greek God of War' instead?" Xue Heng thought to himself.

[Soldier Strike] enhanced not just his swordsmanship but his proficiency with all weapons.

At least, all melee weapons.

Over the past two days, he had also experimented with staffs, swords, spears, and the like, and without exception, they all felt incredibly natural in his hands, just like the long sword.

"The Old Martial World had the 'Seven Great Titles,' one of which was the 'Lord of Soldiers.' The martial artist who held this title was known as the greatest master of melee weapons in the world, proficient in all forms of weaponry and unmatched in skill."

"With [Soldier Strike], I reckon I could give this 'Lord of Soldiers' title a shot."

Xue Heng rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

However, for now, he decided to focus solely on the long sword. He could worry about mastering all weapons later.

He shook his head and continued his training.

Several hours later, as noon approached, Xue Heng finished practicing the Vibrating Armor Technique for the day and, feeling hungry, headed to the cafeteria for a medicinal meal. Afterward, he returned to the training room, intending to continue his sword practice.

Just then, his phone vibrated, indicating a message from Wu Youqing.

It was a file titled 'Otogiluka.'

Soon, his phone vibrated again, this time with several videos sent one after the other, all featuring the same person—a long-haired man in a black haori holding a long sword. It was undoubtedly Otogi Luka.

The day before, Xue Heng had contacted the Rich Boss Lady, informing her of his intention to participate in the U19 tournament to test his mettle against Otogi Luka and requesting any information she could provide about his opponent.

And here it was, sent with impressive efficiency.

Xue Heng quickly replied with a "Thanks, Boss!" before opening the file.

[Otogi Luka, male, 18 years old, third heir to the Otogi Conglomerate...]

Xue Heng scrolled through the document, which provided a detailed account of Otogi Luka's family background, relatives, hobbies, and the martial arts styles he had trained in. It was quite comprehensive.

There were also numerous photos attached, including one of him during a kendo match, his top torn from the apparent intensity of the fight.

Xue Heng studied the photo carefully, taking a moment to confirm that the other man was indeed male, despite his delicate features and waist-length hair.

"His looks are so deceiving."

Xue Heng couldn't help but remark as he took in Otogi Luka's graceful appearance in the photo, his long hair flowing down his back.

He continued browsing through the file.

"The 'Sohayashijin' style..."

Xue Heng perused the detailed introduction to this martial arts style.

[Sohayashijin Sakagami Tenzo, who claims to be a descendant of Sakagami Tamuramaro, the legendary martial god of the Far East...]

[He founded the martial arts style 'Sohayashijin' named after his ancestor's sword, 'Sohaya.']

['Sohaya' translates to 'swift and early,' and the Sohayashijin style is renowned in the martial arts world for its lightning-fast strikes.]

[The ultimate technique of this style, the 'Shinjitsu no Kiri,' or 'Will of the General,' is said to be capable of delivering 'A Thousand Cuts in an Instant,' with the highest realm allowing one to unleash a thousand slashes in the blink of an eye.]

Xue Heng rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"A Thousand Cuts in an Instant, the Will of the General... That's quite something."

Xue Heng was familiar with Sakagami Tamuramaro, the martial god of the Far East, thanks to his experience with gacha games that featured historical figures.

There was an intriguing piece of folklore about Tamuramaro—a rumor that he was a descendant of the Han royal family, originally surnamed Liu...

While it was nothing more than an amusing folk tale, unlikely to be true, it had stuck with Xue Heng due to its entertainment value.

"A style that emphasizes speed... That's exactly the type I'm good at dealing with."

Xue Jing nodded, feeling more confident.

'Speed breaks all defenses' is a fundamental principle of martial arts. Speed-type opponents rarely show any openings, which can give most martial artists a splitting headache.

But Xue Jing was different.

Thanks to his [Aim] skill, he possessed extremely sharp dynamic vision, making it easy for him to deal with speed-type opponents.

Like in his previous two encounters with the co*ckroach Monsters, it was all thanks to this skill.

"Let's push for one more level of [Twinborn] before the official match, so I'll have double the reaction speed..."

Xue Jing clicked his tongue.

He was beginning to feel like he was this Otogi Luka's destined nemesis.

"But in the end, it all comes down to actual strength... No matter how fast your reactions are, it's useless if your body can't keep up."

"It all depends on how much I can improve in the next month or two..."

After browsing through the file, Xue Jing closed it and opened the videos Wu Youqing had sent.

In a huge outdoor arena filled with spectators, there stood a one-meter-high spacious stage in the center.

Otogi Luka held a long blade elegantly, standing opposite a young man who also wielded a sword.

The video was likely shot from an official aerial perspective, capturing the high-angle view.

Cheers and shouts from the numerous spectators could be heard, mostly in Far Eastern languages, creating a noisy atmosphere.

As the referee signaled the start of the match, the two contestants took their positions.

The next second, the scene seemed to have been cut and abruptly changed.

Otogi Luka's opponent knelt on the ground, clutching his bleeding shoulder.

As for Otogi Luka, he held a bloodied longsword that had somehow been drawn without anyone noticing, and with a flick of his wrist, he sent the blood flying off the blade.

He then performed a graceful sword flourish before sheathing his weapon, concluding with a vigilant stance...

A complete set of extremely standard Far Eastern swordplay movements, full of ritualistic flair.

Xue Jing furrowed his brows at the speed...

Soon, the video replayed that moment in slow motion.

In the high-speed camera footage, Otogi Luka executed a drawing cut with an iaido posture.

Even in slow motion, his speed still seemed 'very fast' when slowed down tenfold.

In this footage, his opponent didn't seem to have made any moves at all, looking dazed and confused throughout as he took the blow.

Xue Jing closed this video and opened another.

They were mostly similar, with Otogi Luka ending the fights instantly in each video.

"As expected of the scion of a conglomerate, with the world's top resources at his disposal, he's already at this level at eighteen."

"In a little over a month, I wonder if I can crush you."

Xue Jing muttered to himself.

"But, it's always worth a try."

He drew his longsword and continued practicing his sword techniques with strict precision.

...

At the same time, outside the Golden Wind Dojo's office building.

"Oh? The Golden Wind Dojo is upstairs?"

A youth with a hint of mischievousness in his eyes looked up at the building.

"Just this one floor? Why don't they have their own separate building? It looks a bit shabby."

The youth smiled as he spoke.

He appeared to be around eighteen or nineteen years old, with a handsome face and a tall, slender figure of at least 1.9 meters. He wore casual, loose-fitting clothes that allowed for easy movement.

The youth stood straight as a blade, sharp and piercing, causing passersby to instinctively keep their distance as if an invisible circle of blades surrounded him.

"Junior Brother Li, the Golden Wind Dojo is different from ours; they don't rely on taking in disciples to make a living. With their small number of people, one floor of an office building is more than enough."

Razor Gang Leader, Su Bijing, stood beside the youth and explained.

"And this is the Eastern District; rent is pretty expensive here. Being able to rent an entire floor of an office building for a dojo is impressive, not shabby at all."

Upon hearing this, Li Chengxuan shrugged and said, "Regardless, let's go, Senior Brother Su."

However, Su Bijing hesitated and didn't move. He paused for a moment before speaking, "Junior Brother Li, Master told us not to cause any trouble recently... Why don't we forget about it? The Golden Wind Dojo isn't easy to deal with, and you still have the Maple City elimination rounds to participate in soon. What if you get injured..."

"Senior Brother Su, you're mistaken." Li Chengxuan waved his hand and shook his head.

"I'm here with the sincere intention of martial arts exchange; how can that be considered causing trouble?"

"At only seventeen years old, he's a martial arts genius who has killed those fearsome co*ckroach Monsters twice, making the news. I'm around the same age as him, and I want to exchange insights with him. Surely that's understandable?"

Li Chengxuan smiled, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

"...I also want to ask about something else. Why was Senior Brother Kaiping, who treated me very well, killed when this Xue Jing also happened to be there? What a coincidence."

Su Bijing wanted to speak but stopped.

Seeing his expression, Li Chengxuan shook his head and said, "Alright, Senior Brother Su, you don't need to say more. Senior Brother Kaiping treated me very well, and his death under mysterious circ*mstances can't be ignored, especially since he had a conflict with Xue Jing before his death, and this Xue Jing was also at the scene. How could it be such a coincidence?"

"I need to ask him for an explanation."

After speaking, Li Chengxuan took the lead and walked into the office building.

Seeing that Li Chengxuan had no intention of listening to his advice, Su Bijing could only sigh and take out his phone to send a message to his master, Jiao Hongyuan.

He quickly followed.

...

(End of Chapter)

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