CHAPTER 502: 501

Perhaps Ye Tian realized these things himself. The Esoteric Master saw that hand waving in the air stop, as if in contemplation. The Esoteric Master did not interrupt him verbally. Such matters, if not resolved by oneself, would only grow worse over time.

Ye Tian, deeply immersed in a quagmire of thought, began to frown.

Reaching a realm that seems without technique yet surpasses technique isn’t something an ordinary person can comprehend. In this dark space, Ye Tian could only grope his way slowly, stumbling as he went. Although he possessed the Panchen Finger cultivation manual, such understanding couldn’t simply be resolved by a book.

Unlike the First Finger, where the pages were made of human skin, the creator of the Panchen Finger must have been an incredibly powerful Martial Master. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have infused his entire Inner Strength into the pages. Ye Tian was fortunate to receive the true transmission merely by fluke, but such flukes aren’t things just anyone could come across.

The depiction of the Second Finger was simply drawn on ordinary drawing paper. Ye Tian couldn’t shortcut to acquiring the second move’s method and could only fumble on his own.

This was a black space, different from the two he had entered before. This space was filled with the chill of cold air, especially the bone-piercing breeze. When Ye Tian opened his eyes, he found himself in its midst, enveloped by silence, with nothing else around. Enduring the discomfort from the cold, Ye Tian suddenly noticed a vague figure approaching from the front, but he couldn’t make out the face.

A black long sword suddenly emerged from the figure’s hand, quickly lunging at Ye Tian. And yet, the latter remained seated cross-legged, unable to move an inch. Ye Tian inwardly lamented, is this how I’m going to be hacked to death? I’ve never heard of anyone practicing by getting hacked at!

Unexpectedly, halfway through, the figure stopped, leapt into the air, spun around, and unleashed a Reverse Sword, gazing back at the moon! Then, another Point Stabbing followed. The sword seemed to be a Soft Sword; the sounds of the blade could be heard crackling. If that were all, Ye Tian would have been relieved, but the sword wielder exuded an ominous feeling; the raging Sword Qi carried an uncontrollable killing aura that struck Ye Tian relentlessly. Though not lethal, being struck by the ever-increasing force of this overwhelming Sword Qi left Ye Tian in agony, silent, for speaking would dissipate his breath. Once the breath was broken, only half a life would remain.

Ye Tian, still struggling, was aware that he might have gone astray, and found it bitterly ironic. Others go astray after mastering some divine power, but here he was, about to be beaten to death without achieving anything. No, that’s wrong; this isn’t a person, it’s a Devil.

In an instant, Ye Tian could no longer bear it, blood spurted from his mouth, scattering into fireworks in the air. The scene before him became blurry, the Devil still practicing swordsmanship, hair disheveled, and all Ye Tian could see was the figure’s leaping body and the fearless sword. As he was about to faint, a force suddenly supported his forward-tilting body, allowing Ye Tian to regain clear Divine Wisdom to observe the Devil’s swordplay.

Finger Skill, Swordsmanship, both of the same origin.

Ye Tian saw that the Devil’s sword moves contained the profundities of the Finger Skill manual that the Esoteric Master had passed on to him. Both had similar moves, and the swordplay’s parrying and Reverse Sword pointedly reflected those finger moves.

Sudden epiphany – this wasn’t Ye Tian going astray but a stroke of great fortune. This space was likely the spiritual remnant left by the author of the Finger Skill manual. Ye Tian had inadvertently entered here during a moment of tranquil concentration. As for the blood he spat, Ye Tian could only sigh at his inferiority. After all, being a novice, he was bound to fall short of a Grandmaster in Inner Strength and resistance, so it wasn’t surprising that he couldn’t endure the assault.

Quickly, Ye Tian shook off his previous despondency and began to keenly observe the distant swordplay.

How wonderful!

The more he watched, the more Ye Tian appreciated the refinement of the Swordsmanship. Sometimes the seemingly ingenious move was actually mundane, just for show. In contrast, many seemingly clumsy moves were actually ’cleverly disguised simplicity.’ Each chop, each stab, was profound wisdom. The direct Sword Qi from the simplest moves was the true essence. Ye Tian also understood why the Panchen Finger had only two fingers, both simple moves without excess flair.

The simplest is the most practical; similarly, the most direct is the most superior. Those flashy moves were indeed the most foolish, much like a dazzling courtesan – practical life was always about the common village wives.

Although Ye Tian understood this lesson, he still felt something was lacking. When he instinctively raised his fingers, thumb and middle finger touching, and concentrated his Spiritual Energy, all focused on his fingertips, he suddenly swept forward, and a golden energy burst out. This force was much greater than the Panchen Finger’s First Finger, capable of catastrophic destruction, yet the sword-wielding figure casually responded with a single-handed strike. The resulting Sword Qi was, as before, unremarkably plain, ensuring that Ye Tian would not grasp the deeper meaning of the Panchen Finger.

The impact of the clash was astonishing but only affected Ye Tian. The blood he had just spat was still wet, and now more was coughed up. His body was beginning to falter, and if he continued like this, another attempt would spell the end of him.

Life was precious, and Ye Tian decided not to try again.

Whether he had mastered the Second Finger was uncertain. Although there was progress, with just that one move, he couldn’t even get close – there was no point. Ye Tian decided it was better to observe for a while longer.

The figure opposite continued to practice swordplay. However, after the clash with Ye Tian’s Finger, the intent of the sword moves had clearly changed. Gone was the previous demeanor of unapproachable majesty, replaced with a tranquil and gentle bearing.