"Thank you, Senior Sister Xie."
Feng Yin didn't stand on ceremony, reaching out to take the sheathed longsword from Xie Yanran's hands.
"See if it suits your hand," Xie Yanran said mildly.
Feng Yin nodded. Gripping the hilt, he slowly drew the weapon from its scabbard, revealing it completely before his eyes.
It was an impressively straight, sharp longsword that glinted with a cold light. Its total length was a little over 1.1 meters, with the blade measuring about ninety centimeters and the hilt roughly twenty-five centimeters. The hilt was wrapped in hemp, and the handguard was a straight line, though not particularly wide. The overall design was plain and unadorned, lacking any superfluous decorations.
It looked somewhat like the Han swords Feng Yin had seen on Earth.
Holding it in his hand, he stepped to the side and lightly executed a sword flourish. This real sword had an excellent center of gravity. Even though it was obviously heavier than a Wooden Sword, the difference meant little to him. He could make the transition with considerable ease.
Feng Yin nodded in satisfaction. "Senior Sister, the Blacksmith you found has great craftsmanship."
Seeing that he was satisfied, the corners of Xie Yanran's lips curled up. "Firearms and crossbows are strictly banned in Sin City by Genroku officials. Furthermore, with metal resources being extremely scarce, getting your hands on real swords and sabers is very difficult. With this sword, your safety is slightly more guaranteed."
"If I'm certain there are no firearms, doesn't that make my Armor even more effective?" Feng Yin thought to himself. He silently returned the blade to its scabbard. His technique wasn't as practiced as Xie Yanran's, so he couldn't sheathe the weapon in a swift, instant motion like she could.
At the same time, he couldn't help but ask her a question that had puzzled him for a while. "Senior Sister, if the criminals on the island can basically only use cold weapons, then wouldn't a spear master—or even an ordinary person wielding a spear—be much more formidable than someone using short-ranged weapons?"
Although he wasn't part of the martial arts circle when he was on Earth, he knew that the spear was truly the absolute king of cold weapons. Length is strength in combat. Sabers, swords, and other short weapons were basically toddlers in front of a Long Handle weapon. He had only ever heard people bragging about "countering a spear with a single saber"; he had never heard of anyone boasting about "countering a saber with a long spear."
Because fighting against sabers and swords with a spear was truly just the basics.
Xie Yanran gently shook her head upon hearing Feng Yin's words. "It's not that no one uses Long Handle weapons. It's just that there are basically no long weapons available to use."
She casually explained the reason. "The resources on Border Prison Island are entirely supplied by the Zero Point Consortium. Long wooden poles are essentially just as rare as metal.
"Moreover, high-quality material for a long pole can't be replaced by just any random stick. As for crudely made Long Handle weapons, they certainly exist. The warehouse in our Tongzi Building is stocked with about a dozen homemade spears."
"As for why you don't usually see them, that's because of strict control measures." Xie Yanran chuckled mockingly. "Even though the officials and the Zero Point Consortium govern this Border Prison Island loosely, they don't turn a completely blind eye. Aside from Remote weapons being highly prohibited, if the guards spot someone wandering around with a spear during their occasional patrols, they might just feed that person a bullet if they're in a bad mood."
Feng Yin frowned. "Isn't that law enforcement a bit too arbitrary?"
"That's just how Sin City is. Criminals have no human rights. However, carrying a sheathed short weapon isn't an issue," Xie Yanran said, patting Feng Yin's shoulder. "Alright, enough chit-chat. I will teach you the Dragon Transformation Form right now."
Feng Yin was taken aback. "Aren't we going to work soon?"
Xie Yanran explained, "You don't have to go today. I discussed it with Old Hong, and we'll split up for the next few days. He will lead the majority of the people to work, while I will stay behind to guard the Tongzi Building with a small group—and thoroughly train you while I'm at it."
"Understood." Feng Yin nodded.
Sin City had never been a place that followed the rules. Last night's sneak attack was a signal, indicating that the Ren Sheng Group would stop at nothing to take down the Tongzi Building. Under these circumstances, if they still sent all their laborers and combatants away for the hauling job, the enemy would very likely take advantage of their empty defenses to assault their base.
Without proper precautions, the few left behind to hold down the fort would likely die in vain while hopelessly outnumbered. Worse, the base's Reserve supplies would be looted.
As for the large group heading out, there wasn't much to worry about. They had strength in numbers, and Boss Hong himself was a highly capable fighter. No one would want to bite off more than they could chew by attacking such a tough target. Most importantly, once the hauling team was on their way to work, they were already considered laborers hired by the Zero Point Consortium. Attacking them at that juncture would be tantamount to slapping the Consortium in the face.
Within Sin City, no faction dared to displease the Zero Point Consortium.
Without wasting any more time on idle chatter, Xie Yanran dove straight into the main topic of her instruction.
"Feng Yin, the Jiao Sword follows an intense and unyielding path. Naturally, the inclination of its Ultimate Skill Form is also very direct.
"Unlike the explosive, rapid strikes of my 'Snake Slaughter Poison,' the essence of the Jiao Sword's 'Dragon Transformation' relies on strong psychological suggestion paired with specific variations of the Dragon Transformation Breathing Technique. This stimulates the heart to beat at a rapid pace that far exceeds its normal frequency...
"This drives the body's qi and blood into high-speed circulation, allowing oxygen and nutrients to be delivered to every part of your body at a much faster rate, thereby granting you greater strength and Speed... To put it plainly, it's a continuous, sustained state."
Xie Yanran paused. "Using Jiao Sword Techniques while in the Dragon Transformation State unleashes a much stronger destructive power than usual. However, it places an enormous burden on the body, especially the heart. If an ordinary person were to use it, their heart would suffer immense damage before they even entered combat, and they would quickly die from organ failure."
"Uh..." Feng Yin was a little startled. "Is it really that dangerous?"
Xie Yanran cast a glance at him. "Why else would they say that only those who master a Fixed Form have truly stepped into the Fierce Level? Any supreme skill worthy of being called a Fixed Form is something ordinary people find incredibly difficult to learn and utilize."
Feng Yin pointed at himself. "According to what you're saying, Senior Sister, I should be fine, right?"
Xie Yanran gently waved her hand. "Rest assured, you are an Innate Martial Artist. Your physical limits are far beyond those of regular people.
"Whether it comes to your reflexes, muscles, bones, or even the Strength of your internal organs... to be blunt, anyone who can reach the Fierce Level possesses a physique on par with fierce beasts. An Ultimate Skill Form that would cause immense strain or even physical collapse for a normal person is perfectly fine for someone at the Fierce Level, as long as it's not used too frequently."
She patted Feng Yin's shoulder. "Come closer, I'll tell you the hidden variations of the Dragon Transformation Breathing Technique..."
Feng Yin obediently leaned in.
"The hidden rhythm of the Dragon Transformation Breathing Technique isn't simply about speeding up or slowing down. It involves reducing the rate to its absolute minimum while maintaining the original interval ratios, and then gradually adjusting and increasing it bit by bit. During this process, carefully feel the state of your body and find that special juncture that only you can sense..."
...
"Yes... that's the juncture. At this rhythm, complement it with the psychological suggestion I taught you. That's right, the imagery of the Evil Flood Dragon undergoing its Dragon Transformation."
...
Half an hour later.
Under Xie Yanran's tutelage and "Protection," Feng Yin successfully learned the long-awaited Jiao Sword Form. He stood on the Roof, calmly holding the sword with both hands.
Xie Yanran looked at him earnestly. "Come on, give it a try. Trigger that state you were in just now one more time."
"Okay."
Feng Yin assumed the most standard, mid-level Human Stance. He began to slowly adjust his breathing and closed his eyes. In his mind, he sketched out the imagery of an Evil Flood Dragon coiling around his body.
Then came the Dragon Transformation Breathing Technique.
EXHALE—INHALE—EXHALE, EXHALE, INHALE—INHALE—EXHALE, EXHALE—
As he adjusted his breathing to that unique frequency, the Evil Flood Dragon in his mind's eye began to exhale and inhale dense, swirling mist. Within this vision, on his human body wrapped in the Evil Flood Dragon's coils, his heart began to flicker like a star, its pulsing growing faster and faster.
Upon reaching a certain frequency juncture, Feng Yin's breathing rate suddenly stabilized.
Now!
In his mind, the Evil Flood Dragon violently reared its head and roared at the sky. Its physical form rapidly evolved and transformed—its single horn split into two, and its three claws morphed into five.
THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP—
A sound akin to beating drums echoed in his ears.
Feng Yin abruptly opened his eyes. The veins across his entire body bulged, and his skin faintly gave off a crimson hue. Light flowed within his pupils, rendering his eyes a deep, dark red.
He looked like a vicious demon.
The fierce Jiao underwent its Dragon Transformation!!!