Chapter 198 [Alone]
"When a stone is thrown vertically, the force naturally flows vertically downwards, causing it to fall directly into the water. If the force is horizontal, it becomes a skipping stone," the man chuckled. "Under these rules, if you apply force vertically, you simply won't skip it. Similarly, if you apply force horizontally, the stone won't just plop into the water... This difference between vertical and horizontal is the inevitable law of nature."
The man stood in front of the stone railing, his back to Nishihira Kojiro, speaking slowly. Nishihira Kojiro stood behind him, head bowed in thought, seemingly pondering something.
After a while, he bent down, picked up a pebble from the ground, and gently dropped it into the water. He stared blankly as the pebble traced a simple parabola in the air and finally fell straight into the water. Such a simple scene, however, made Nishihira Kojiro's eyes flash with a sharp light!
The man turned around, caught Nishihira Kojiro's gaze, smiled slightly, and patted him on the shoulder: "It seems you have good comprehension."
At this moment, Nishihira Kojiro felt not only a sense of mystery towards the man in front of him, but also an inexplicable sense of awe. He couldn't help but frown and say, "This principle sounds simple, but upon closer examination, how easy is it to comprehend so many rules in this world?!"
“It sounds simple…” Chen Xiao looked at the fallen leaf carefully, thought for a while, and frowned, “But there are so many variations of the rules, thousands upon thousands. How can it be easy to comprehend them all so quickly? I’m afraid even a computer couldn’t calculate so many variations in an instant.”
Chen Xiao suddenly stood up, paced back and forth in the courtyard a few times, and turned back to ask, "Last night when we tested our swordsmanship, I attacked and you defended. I used a total of nine different movement techniques. Yet you were able to calculate my position accurately in an instant. That's mastering the rules, right?"
Tang Xin nodded with a smile.
"But I use nine different footwork techniques, each with its own variations. How did you master them?"
“I have already made some progress in cultivating the Heart Sword Technique, but it’s not something that can be explained so easily.” Tang Xin shook his head: “You are only at the beginning stage, yet you are thinking about reaching that level. I’m afraid your mind is too impatient.”
Chen Xiao thought to himself, "Am I supposed to be like Tang Xin, locking myself in a small courtyard and sitting there for a year?" He knew his own personality very well; that was something he most likely couldn't do.
"Let's start with the simple things," Tang Xin sighed. "As I said, how much you can understand depends on your talent. And talent can't be forced."
She stood up, glanced at Chen Xiao, and said, "Let's demonstrate. You attack, I defend. Move slowly. I'll explain it to you step by step."
Seeing Tang Xin standing there, Chen Xiao smiled slightly. He casually strode towards her. He had only taken three steps when Tang Xin said, "Stop."
Tang Xin looked at Chen Xiao and slowly said, "You've already taken three steps. So let me analyze these three steps using the simplest rules."
She pointed to the area in front of her: "First, if you walk up to me, based on the three steps you've already taken, you'll need to take a total of six steps to get to me."
Chen Xiao glanced at the remaining distance between them and nodded: "That's right, it's easy to calculate based on the distance between us and the size of my strides. But... wouldn't it be different if I took bigger or smaller steps later?"
"No, it won't." Tang Xin smiled slightly. "When you take a step, your body leans slightly forward, but without exerting force, and your body isn't tense. So your stride won't change much. Also, when you move, the slight sway of your shoulders can indicate the direction of your movement. Your breathing is also a reliable indicator. If you want to change your movement, such as suddenly exerting force, you will definitely take a deep breath first. Even if you are very careful to conceal it, the sound of your footsteps on the ground is also a standard for judgment. Although the difference in sound is subtle, even if it is a little lighter or heavier, you can still hear the difference if you listen carefully."
Chen Xiao's eyes widened: "It's that simple?"
Tang Xin glared at Chen Xiao: "Of course it's not that simple. The points I've mentioned are just the most basic introductory principles. If you can't even understand these, I would have already turned around and left."
Chen Xiao's interest grew, and he couldn't help but ask, "Then... how were you able to calculate it when I used teleportation last night? I didn't move any feet or my body swayed during teleportation, so how did you determine that?"
“Killing intent, aura, sensing…” Tang Xin smiled bitterly, her tone somewhat helpless: “Your current level is not high enough, you wouldn’t understand even if I explained it to you.”
Chen Xiao pondered deeply, and suddenly remembered "Sea God".
Poseidon possesses the extraordinary ability to manipulate gravity, and moreover, to manipulate it precisely and freely. This means that in an anti-gravity environment, wouldn't that violate the "laws"? In that case, wouldn't Earth Core Sword Technique, which is based on calculating these laws, become useless?
Thinking this to himself, he couldn't help but ask, "What if the rules no longer exist?"
"It's impossible for it not to exist," Tang Xin said calmly. "Rules always exist."
Chen Xiao touched his nose: "For example, that fallen leaf we just looked at falls to the ground because of gravity. But if gravity didn't exist, wouldn't you be unable to calculate it?"
"It's quite simple," Tang Xin smiled slightly. "If gravity didn't exist, it would go upwards, not downwards. If gravity only decreased, its descent speed would be slower; if gravity increased, its descent speed would be faster! Whether it goes upwards, slows down, or speeds up—these are still the rules!"
Tang Xin continued with a smile, "I understand what you mean, but the situation you described doesn't mean the rules no longer exist, but rather that they have changed. It's just that a new set of rules has replaced the old ones. But even so, the new rules are still rules! If gravity disappears, there will naturally be rules for what happens when gravity disappears. If gravity becomes stronger, there will naturally be rules for what happens when gravity becomes stronger."
Chen Xiao immediately understood and nodded intently: "I understand!"
He seemed to understand something and laughed heartily, "Even if the flow of water is reversed, flowing from low to high, it's just a new rule. The rules have changed, but there are still rules. As long as there are rules, then the Heart Sword Technique can calculate it!"
Then he buried his face in his hands and gave a bitter laugh: "But that level... I'm afraid it's too difficult..."
"I'm afraid I haven't even reached that level yet." Tang Xin sighed softly, "When the rules change in an instant, you can also grasp the new rules in an instant... That is the perfect state of the Heart Sword Technique! Reaching that level is almost like being a god."
The Great Perfection?
Chen Xiao found it somewhat amusing; these Japanese people always liked to use seemingly profound names.
The art of mind swordsmanship, in essence, is nothing more than understanding, mastering, and utilizing the rules.
It's easier said than done, as Tang Xin has accomplished in cultivating to this level, making her virtually unparalleled in thousands of years. However, her frail body is simply a matter of fate.
But then Chen Xiao thought again: Perhaps it was precisely because her body was so weak that she couldn't truly cultivate martial arts that she focused all her attention on cultivating this mental art.
If Tang Xin were in good health, she would still need to dedicate her energy to diligently practicing swordsmanship. After all, a person's energy and wisdom are limited; if her mind is distracted and her energy is scattered, it would be impossible for her to cultivate this Heart Sword Technique to such a high level.
This... is also due to the "rules"!
"Actually, I don't understand the Heart Sword Technique of the Shangchen family. It's just a matter of comprehending the origin of power. As the saying goes, all things change but the principle remains the same. The highest level of martial arts is based on the same principles. That's all I can teach you." The man looked at Nishihei Kojiro.
Nishihei Kojiro looked somewhat dazed, racking his brains to understand the changes in the power rules. Then he suddenly nodded: "I understand! Since the principle is the same, if the Kamishin family can create a Heart Sword Technique based on this principle, then anyone else who understands this principle can naturally create a Heart Blade Technique, a Heart Spear Technique... No matter how the names or methods change, the ultimate principle is the same! If the Kamishin family can figure it out, why can't I?"
A satisfied smile appeared on the man's face: "You're not bad, you do have some comprehension. The Shangchen family is really nothing special. Although I haven't learned their Heart Sword Technique, I know a little about it. Their Heart Sword Technique is a bit too complicated. At least, someone with talent like Takeuchi Bunzan couldn't master it. Jingu Naoyu seems to be even worse than Takeuchi Bunzan. If a martial art is so profound that it can't be mastered, then there must be something wrong with it. So you don't need to think too highly of the Shangchen family."
Seeing the grateful expression on Nishihira Kojiro's face, the man's expression suddenly turned cold, and he said indifferently, "Actually, I don't have much affection for you Japanese people. It's just that I was moved by your martial spirit when I saw you today. Nowadays, it's hard to find someone who truly upholds the martial spirit. That's why I decided to give you some pointers. You don't need to thank me."
Nishihira Kojiro's words of gratitude were cut short by the other man, who simply looked at him with a complicated expression—this person was clearly Chinese, and had even secretly infiltrated Sekiryu-gu Shrine earlier that day. He recalled the young Chinese man who had defeated him at Sekiryu-gu Shrine earlier that day, using only a rattan cane…
Upon realizing this, Nishihira Kojiro's expression changed drastically, and he stared at the other person with a shocked look.
He then knelt down with a thud, respectfully bowing and saying, "Nishihira Kojiro, I humbly request that you bestow upon me a name!"
"I told you, I didn't actually teach you anything. I just saw you looked down and came over to give you a couple of pointers. I didn't really help you." The man frowned, glanced at the sky, and sighed. "As for my name... Hmph, you've probably guessed it already. That's right, my surname is Tian."
Upon hearing the words "My surname is Tian," Nishihei Kojiro felt sweat pour down his face, his heart burst with joy, and he was so terrified that he repeatedly stopped, shouting, "To receive General Tian's guidance, Nishihei Kojiro will never forget your kindness!"