Chapter 24: Carving with Sword Qi

With the guidance of the Man with the Bronze Mask, Yin Seventeen’s mastery over the use of the Microcosm advanced rapidly. The stones he split grew progressively more precise with each cut, the severed surfaces smoother than the last.

He felt as if he were sharpening a sword. In the beginning, the blade was yet untempered, its edge broad, so when it met the stone, the force dispersed; most of the stones were simply crushed beneath his sword. But as days passed, the blade became thinner, sharper, the cutting force increasingly concentrated along the edge. In time, the contact between blade and stone narrowed to a single line.

The force that once shattered the stones, when focused onto that line, compressed the point of impact hundreds of times over. The pressure per square inch soared, and under such force, even the hardest stone became as fragile as tofu, splitting in two with ease.

Yin Seventeen had already mastered the art of Sword Qi.

Gazing at the neatly bisected stones upon the ground, the Man with the Bronze Mask spoke in a voice devoid of emotion: “You have grasped the power of Sword Qi. But to render it truly razor-sharp will require a long and painstaking refinement.”

“Now, your training must shift focus.”

Yin Seventeen ceased his stone-cutting, turning to ask, “Then, what is my next training task?”

“Become adept at wielding Sword Qi, and incorporate it entirely into your combat instincts,” the Bronze Mask intoned solemnly.

“So, you intend to spar with me now, my lord?” Yin Seventeen’s voice held a trace of excitement.

After all, nothing honed skill more directly and effectively than battle.

The Man with the Bronze Mask did not answer. He merely watched Yin Seventeen in silence for a long while, then finally spoke, his words slow: “Your sword is still too dull. I cannot summon the slightest interest in crossing blades with you.”

With that, he fixed his gaze on a basketball-sized stone on the ground and unleashed a flurry of Sword Qi slashes in quick succession.

He moved so swiftly that Yin Seventeen could not follow his motions in the slightest. Even after mastering the Microcosm’s power, he could not keep up.

At a rough estimate, the speed of the Bronze Mask’s strikes was at least several hundred times the speed of sound. Yin Seventeen even sensed that his teacher was holding back, not truly exerting himself.

A soft rasping sound filled the air as the Bronze Mask ceased his assault. The surface of the stone instantly crumbled away, revealing a diminutive stone statue.

The tiny statue bore well-defined features and a solemn expression. In one hand, it held a shield; the other seemed to be lifting something high.

Looking closer, Yin Seventeen realized it was none other than a statue of Athena.

It was almost unimaginable—the Bronze Mask’s command over Sword Qi was so precise that with seemingly casual slashes, he could carve such a lifelike figure from stone.

“Sculpting will help you become proficient in the use of Sword Qi and teach you the art of precise power control. From now on, devote yourself to sculpting these stones,” the Bronze Mask said softly.

“Understood!” Yin Seventeen responded without hesitation.

He had mastered the use of Sword Qi, but to wield its power for sculpting was a daunting task. Still, he understood his teacher’s “difficult assignment.” Precisely because it was challenging, when he could carve with Sword Qi as effortlessly as the Bronze Mask, he would have achieved true mastery over its power.

Without further delay, he picked up a stone the size of his fist, shaped his left hand into the form of a blade, and began to channel the Microcosm’s power for carving.

With a single, gentle motion, a third of the stone was sheared away.

Yin Seventeen frowned slightly at the result—he had not intended to cut so deeply. But the Sword Qi was too sharp; with a single misstep, the entire stone was almost cleaved in two.

“Focus your mind. Control every ounce of your power! Use your sixth sense to observe every change as Sword Qi slices through the stone. Only then will you know when to stop, and when to cut,” the Bronze Mask offered timely guidance.

“I understand,” Yin Seventeen nodded, concentrating his sixth sense and aiming carefully as he sliced at the stone once more—this time with extraordinary caution and much slower movements.

A faint sound as the Sword Qi fell, carving a groove nearly three centimeters deep into the stone.

He had not split the stone this time, but still could not fully control the power of his Sword Qi. He had intended to carve a groove two centimeters deep; three centimeters meant he was still losing control.

“It seems, before I attempt more intricate carving, I should first practice the precision of my strikes,” he thought silently, resolving at once to adjust his approach.

He set aside thoughts of sculpting complex statues for now, and instead began slowly shaving the stone, stroke by stroke.

On the surface, it seemed no different than his previous practice of splitting stones, but in truth, he was now meticulously controlling the power behind each and every slash.

After each cut, he quickly checked whether the groove matched his intended standard.

He aimed to bring the force and length of every stroke under exacting control.

Only then could he use the keen edge of his Sword Qi for intricate statue carving.

The Man with the Bronze Mask watched in silence, nodding to himself in quiet approval.

“By the way, Master, tomorrow the Pope will hold the competition for the Hydra Cloth. I’d like to go and have a look,” Yin Seventeen said, splitting his attention between stone carving and conversation.

Since igniting his Microcosm, he had trained under the Bronze Mask’s tutelage for over a year. In that time, he had mastered Sword Qi and reached a new level of command over the Microcosm, his strength growing by leaps and bounds, far surpassing the days when he first awakened his power.

Thus, he was deeply interested in the Cloth competitions, held by the Pope every six months. If the Hydra Cloth were compatible with his Microcosm, he certainly intended to compete for it. He didn’t want to miss this rare opportunity.

“The Hydra Cloth will not resonate with you. There’s no need to go,” the Bronze Mask replied coldly.

“Why not?” Yin Seventeen asked in surprise.

He had never even seen the Hydra Cloth, and had no idea whether his Microcosm was compatible with it. The Bronze Mask’s arbitrary dismissal made it hard for him to accept.

He suspected his teacher simply wanted to keep him here to continue training.

“Because…” The Bronze Mask began, then hesitated. Seeing the stubbornness in Yin Seventeen’s gaze, he relented, “Fine. If you want to go, then go.”

With that, he slowly turned and departed, leaving Yin Seventeen alone with his stones.

The sudden change of mind caught Yin Seventeen off guard. In all the time he had trained under the Bronze Mask, every previous request for a “leave of absence” had been refused.

Now, his mentor had agreed so easily, making him feel rather unsettled.

“Could it be that the Hydra Cloth truly doesn’t suit me? Is he letting me go just so I’ll see for myself and give up?” Yin Seventeen wondered.

“But then, how can he be so certain the Hydra Cloth isn’t right for me?”

“Even I don’t know that myself!”

With these questions swirling in his mind, Yin Seventeen continued to practice his control over Sword Qi.