Chapter 180: March 7th On Swordsmanship
“Without stepping onto a Destiny, the upper limit of Internal Energy is roughly similar to the upper limit of Haki.”
“Haki is somewhat like a special variant of external martial arts that works from the outside in; the higher the physique talent, the faster the cultivation, and since people’s physiques in this world are generally strong, cultivating Haki is much easier than cultivating Internal Energy.”
“Internal Energy is just another attempt direction for those with weaker physiques who are destined not to cultivate Haki to its limit; it shouldn’t cause any impact.” Meng Huaifeng pondered for a moment and said.
“That’s good; I don’t want to be lectured by Sister Himeko.” March 7th stuck out her tongue.
“Sister March, Brother Huai Feng, I won’t teach this to others.” Kuina looked at the two gratefully and immediately guaranteed.
“It doesn’t matter, just don’t spread it on a large scale. Internal Energy has strong malleability, making it easier to control and change, but in terms of pure destructive power and defensive power, it may be slightly inferior to Haki. Don’t always compare your weaknesses to others’ strengths; try to discover your own strengths.” Meng Huaifeng advised.
“Mm, I understand, thank you.” Kuina thought thoughtfully; at such a young age, her Sword Technique had reached this degree, so Kuina’s talent was not lacking.
It was just that Koshiro, to motivate her, always targeted her weaknesses, making her desperately train to make up for them, yet ignoring her own strengths.
If there were no Internal Energy, Koshiro’s approach was actually not wrong.
After all, Haki is the strongest power in this world, and the strength of Haki depends on physique.
With Internal Energy, Kuina’s desire to become the strongest is at least no longer limited by physique.
But whether she can become the strongest remains unknown.
Just like the textbook is right there, but not everyone can get full marks.
Meng Huaifeng and March 7th actually hadn’t cultivated Internal Energy themselves.
Meng Huaifeng had only learned about Internal Energy online after returning to the Honkai: Star Rail World due to his previous longing for it, and found a few Internal Energy cultivation methods in the Train’s Knowledge Base.
They were probably casually recorded by previous Nameless during pioneering some world.
After researching it, Meng Huaifeng became disenchanted with Internal Energy; it really couldn’t compare to Pathfinder.
He was already a Pioneer Destiny Pathfinder; why would he go back to learning Internal Energy?
Meng Huaifeng was interested, and March 7th joined in the fun, took one to look at, and then left it gathering dust in her Train Ticket.
Under the cloud guidance of Meng Huaifeng and March 7th, Kuina began her first Internal Energy cultivation.
Two people dared to teach, one dared to learn.
Meng Huaifeng could observe Kuina’s information at any time, with Cloud Chant Technique as backup.
Soon, Kuina successfully cultivated her first strand of Internal Energy.
Compared to Armament Haki, which can cover body parts right after being cultivated, providing decent defense.
One strand of Internal Energy was really pitifully weak.
But Internal Energy has far more uses than Haki: enhancing the five senses, speeding up, strengthening the body…
Having already learned it, Kuina curiously sensed the warm current in her body, constantly controlling it to flow within.
When circulated to the ears, hearing slightly improved; to the eyes, vision extended much farther.
Then, in no time, this bit of Internal Energy was consumed by her.
Kuina, who had already learned how to cultivate, didn’t continue; after all, she couldn’t let her benefactors who taught her this miraculous power keep waiting dryly, right?
Kuina recounted her experiences to the two.
Her dream, her father’s neglect and lack of approval, Zoro’s rapidly improving strength pressing step by step, and her body gradually starting to develop.
Invisible pressure made the girl feel somewhat breathless.
Meng Huaifeng and March 7th could both hear that, even though the girl’s will was firm, a trace of hesitation inevitably appeared in her heart.
There are no ordinary women becoming peak strong persons on the Sea.
Can she really become the world’s strongest?
What gives her the right to become the strongest?
Although March 7th comforted her that women can also become the strongest, a simple sentence couldn’t dispel the hesitation in her heart.
“Hmph, this girl isn’t pretending anymore; cards on the table. In this world, this girl is the strongest Swordsman!” March 7th said with hands on hips.
March 7th wanted to give Kuina a pillar to restore her confidence.
Kuina looked at March 7th suspiciously; March 7th’s behavior and manner had no trace of a Swordsman or strong person.
She didn’t even have a blade on her!
“Don’t believe it? Kuina, what do you think of your father’s strength?” March 7th asked.
“I don’t know, probably… very strong?” Kuina said uncertainly.
“Then let’s go; let your father evaluate if this girl has the strength of the strongest Swordsman.” March 7th pulled Kuina toward the Dojo’s direction.
“Oh, okay.” A hint of expectation flashed in Kuina’s eyes.
Actually, she didn’t need to prove to be the strongest; as long as she could defeat her father, she could regain her confidence.
See if he keeps saying girls are naturally inferior to boys!
After the Train Crew left, Koshiro returned to the inner room.
He opened the Train Crew’s gift: one was some exquisite unseen food, smelling very delicious.
Save this for his daughter.
The other was a… Sword Manual?
Koshiro flipped through it with interest.
The Sword Manual wasn’t profound, but it was completely different from the popular Kendo in this world.
“It seems somewhat formalistic; how can Kendo be limited to individual moves?”
Koshiro murmured, rehearsing each move in his mind.
“Wonderful, wonderful.” A gleam flashed in Koshiro’s eyes: “This isn’t Kendo, it’s Sword Intent. A complete set of Sword Technique is a kind of Sword Intent, the majestic and heavy Sword Intent. With persistent cultivation, even those with slightly poorer comprehension can comprehend Sword Intent!”
“Although it doesn’t quite match my Isshin Style, learn by analogy; perhaps I can create a similar Sword Technique to help disciples comprehend the core mysteries of Isshin Style.”
Koshiro fell into contemplation, time passing swiftly like water.
“Father, I’m back.”
Kuina’s voice sounded from outside, startling Koshiro awake.
Koshiro walked out of the inner room and found, besides his daughter, two others.
“Miss March, Brother Huai Feng, you’ve come too; thank you for your gifts. This one has benefited greatly.” Koshiro thanked them.
March 7th blinked at Meng Huaifeng: What did we send? I don’t know.
“Good to have gains; congratulations, Dojo Master.” Meng Huaifeng didn’t know exactly what was sent but still congratulated.
“May I ask what brings you back?” Koshiro asked.
March 7th looked around; it was quite late, and the Dojo’s disciples had all gone home.
“I’m here to ask Uncle for Sword Technique guidance.” March 7th said a bit embarrassed; this should count as challenging the dojo, right?
“Oh, sure. I sensed earlier that Miss March is also a Swordsman.” Koshiro agreed; the one who could send that Sword Manual, her Kendo should also be different from the mainstream, very special, right?
Koshiro couldn’t help but feel some curiosity and fighting spirit.
The two stood facing each other at the center of the Dojo.
March 7th reached out, and the Lapis Sword appeared in her hand.
Koshiro’s hand gripped the hilt, opening his mind.
“…”
A layer of fine sweat suddenly broke out on Koshiro’s forehead.
“Miss March, no need to fight; this one admits defeat.” Koshiro suddenly said.
“Ah?” March 7th was stunned, the bit of fighting spirit that had just risen vanishing without a trace.
“Father, why admit defeat?” Kuina asked puzzled.
“Miss March, you, and the Breathing of your sword tell me you’re very strong, extremely strong. Even if I were ten times stronger, I wouldn’t be a match.” Koshiro smiled bitterly.
“Breathing?” March 7th tilted her head slightly, then suddenly said urgently: “It’s a sword, a sword, not a blade!”
“Is there a difference? All things have their Breathing; this is the foundation of my Isshin Style. If Miss March is interested, I can teach you.” Koshiro explained.
Of course there’s a difference, a big difference! March 7th thought.
“So is Sister March the world’s strongest?” Kuina asked eagerly.
“…Yes.” Koshiro nodded without much hesitation.
In his perception, even the world’s most vicious criminal didn’t give him a feeling as far inferior as March 7th.
Kuina was thrilled: So, girls really can become the strongest!
March 7th obviously couldn’t be counted among ordinary girls, or even among people of this world.
But after the Train Crew leaves, it will connect the two worlds.
Then people of this world can also step onto Destiny, no longer limited by innate physique.
So it wasn’t really deceiving her.
“This feels a bit anticlimactic.” March 7th scratched her head.
“If Miss March is willing to suppress her strength and use an ordinary blade, this one would very much like to exchange moves with you.” Koshiro said.
“No problem, I’ll suppress my power.” March 7th perked up again, storing the Lapis Sword in her Train Ticket and taking an ordinary weapon from the nearby rack.
Holding the blade in hand, March 7th frowned: “Isn’t there one like my sword?”
“No.” Koshiro shook his head, suddenly thinking of the moves in that Sword Manual; though there were many slashing moves, there were also many thrusting, slicing, flicking, lifting ones.
Such moves were indeed better executed with a double-edged blade.
Before March 7th’s pleading gaze turned, several lines of code flashed in Meng Huaifeng’s mind, and the blade in March 7th’s hand turned into a sword.
Devil Fruit Ability? This thought flashed in Koshiro’s mind.
March 7th smiled at Meng Huaifeng and lively returned to the Dojo.
Knowing March 7th was much stronger than him, Koshiro didn’t hold back and charged straight at March 7th.
March 7th used the Sword Technique taught by Master Jingliu, gorgeous yet lethal, clashing with Koshiro.
Koshiro had no fixed moves, but in his advance, there was intent; his squinted eyes closed tighter, unclear if fully shut or leaving a barely visible slit.
Blade light and sword shadows, cold gleams flashing; the two used no fancy abilities, pure Sword Technique colliding.
Even though March 7th had suppressed her power to about Koshiro’s level, she instantly suppressed him.
She had to further lower her power for Koshiro to barely hold on.
Master Jingliu’s Sword Technique was actually Cloud Cavalry Swordsmanship, just continuously improved with her increasing strength and understanding of Sword Technique, making it more powerful and suited to herself.
But the foundation of the Sword Technique remained Cloud Cavalry Swordsmanship.
Many iconic special Sword Techniques of Xianzhou actually derive from Cloud Cavalry Swordsmanship; even Sushang practiced Cloud Cavalry Swordsmanship.
These Sword Techniques are stronger but either depend on certain weapons, bloodlines, or Destiny Power, lacking universality.
Cloud Cavalry Swordsmanship is still the best: powerful yet suitable for anyone to learn.
“Clang!”
The combat ended with Koshiro’s blade being struck off.
March 7th’s sword stopped at Koshiro’s chest.
Koshiro wiped his forehead and said: “Truly exquisite Sword Technique. If not for Miss March holding back, this one would have lost long ago.”
“Your sword is also very good; it gives me a special feeling.” March 7th sheathed her sword and replied.
With her powerful strength, March 7th could kill countless Koshiros with one sword, but her understanding of Sword Technique wasn’t necessarily superior to Koshiro’s.
Suppressing Koshiro with equal power relied on Master Jingliu’s exquisite Sword Technique, not March 7th herself.
After all, counting it up, she had learned sword for less than a year.
“Miss March, what do you think a sword is?” Koshiro asked.
“Master Jingliu once told me: a sword is a sword, the instrument to sever life and death, swung only to kill.” March 7th answered.
“Such strong bloodlust. But that’s your teacher’s view, not your own.” Koshiro sighed; he had realized March 7th was strong but still only imitating others’ swords, with little personal understanding.
“Miss March, your Sword Technique is exquisite, yes, but with extreme killing intent, chillingly so. To be frank, it actually doesn’t suit you.”
“You lack such strong bloodlust and such ruthless decisiveness. Otherwise, this Sword Technique’s power would be several times stronger!” Koshiro said.
“Ah? Is that how it is? No wonder I always feel I’m far behind Master Jingliu and little brother Yan Qing.” Koshiro’s words made March 7th suddenly understand, like a wake-up call.
She knew her own personality; thinking of Master Jingliu’s personality and experiences, they were complete opposites.
It was normal that she couldn’t unleash the full power of the Sword Technique Master Jingliu created for herself.
No wonder against Karl, her Sword Technique progressed quickly, but afterward seemed to regress. March 7th scratched her head.
Meng Huaifeng also nodded in realization: No wonder Master Jingliu’s murderous Sword Technique in March’s hands emphasized control far more than lethality; the issue was here.
“So what should I do?” March 7th humbly asked for advice.
“What do you hope your sword is for?” Koshiro didn’t answer directly but asked.
“Um…” March 7th thought seriously for a moment and said: “To protect companions; whether it kills or not doesn’t matter, but in key moments, I hope to help everyone.”
“Hahaha, your personality suits this one’s Isshin Style Kendo very well, but your Sword Technique is exquisite, far surpassing Isshin Style, so I won’t embarrass myself.”
“However, this one can teach you the Sword Principle of Isshin Style Kendo, then you can slowly adjust this Sword Technique into one suited to yourself using that Sword Principle.”
“Learning predecessors’ swords always has an end; ultimately, you must forge your own path. You can try taking this step.” Koshiro smiled.
