A Record of A Mortal's Journey to Immortality

Chapter 37: The Three No-Practices

The sound of turning pages—“swish swish”—was crisp and pleasant to the ear.

But Li Feiyu found this sound quite annoying.

He stopped paying attention to Han Li, who was buried in his studies, and ran back to the edge of the pool. Pulling out the long sword stuck in the soil, he started practicing on his own.

Han Li glanced at him sideways. Seeing how energetic he was, Han Li decided to ignore him and focused his mind back on the book in his hands.

“Reading ten lines at a glance”—this likely referred to Han Li’s astonishing reading speed. A thick book would be quickly flipped through by him. With his head lowered, without even looking, he casually grabbed another book and continued flipping through it nonstop.

His eyes were narrowed, and while reading, he occasionally showed a thoughtful expression. His gaze was fixed intently on the pages, unwilling to look away even for a moment. His head moved back and forth with his eyes, displaying the aura of a serious scholar lost in thought.

Time passed quickly. One after another, the “Blink Sword Manuals” were rapidly skimmed through by Han Li.

After finishing the eleventh manual, Han Li suddenly stopped his amazing reading pace. He tossed the just-finished manual back into his pack.

He closed his eyes, resting his mind for a moment.

Once his spirit had somewhat recovered, he sat cross-legged on the spot and began to use the Everlasting Spring Technique to replay the contents of the more than ten books he had just read in his mind.

After a while, Han Li’s face became very expressive—sometimes excited beyond measure, sometimes frowning in deep thought, and other times wearing a bitter, dejected look.

After an unknown amount of time passed, Han Li finally opened his eyes—only to be startled by what was right in front of him.

Li Feiyu’s head had somehow come right under his eyelids, so close that their noses nearly touched.

“What are you doing? Weren’t you practicing your sword technique?” Han Li asked.

“Han junior brother, what time do you think it is? And you’re still asking such silly questions?” Li Feiyu drew back and pouted.

Only then did Han Li notice the light around them had dimmed.

He looked up at the sky; it had turned a dull gray—dusk had arrived.

“Ahem! Time really flies. I didn’t realize it had been this long.”

Han Li stood up and stretched his arms and legs.

“So, did you find anything interesting from the books?” Li Feiyu asked eagerly, hoping for a definitive answer.

“Hmm, not bad. They suit me well,” Han Li replied.

“What do you mean, ‘not bad’? Say something more concrete,” Li Feiyu said, slightly dissatisfied.

“Specifically, these manuals are a big hodgepodge. There’s no complete system—just bits and pieces patched together,” Han Li said slowly.

“Then what about the Blink Sword Technique? Does it really exist? Why such a strange name?” Li Feiyu wasn’t satisfied and continued pressing.

“The Blink Sword Technique does indeed exist, but it’s only a small part of this mishmash of manuals,” Han Li patiently explained.

“As for why it’s named that way, there is a reason.”

“What reason? Can’t you just say it all at once instead of dribbling it out bit by bit? You sound like one of those old scholars back in our town,” Li Feiyu rolled his eyes, utterly impatient with Han Li’s slow pace.

Han Li was at a loss but reluctantly sped up his explanation.

“This sword technique, according to the books, uses various light effects and human visual errors to defeat opponents. It often causes people to lose their lives within the blink of an eye, hence the name ‘Blink Sword Technique.’”

“There really is such a strange sword technique? The world sure has many peculiar people!” Li Feiyu said, intrigued. But he quickly quieted down after Han Li’s next words.

“There are three no-practices for this technique: those with only a slight foundation in true qi cannot practice it; those lacking great perseverance cannot practice it; and those without talent cannot practice it.”