Raeshan stepped forward and looked at Scarlet.
"Come."
"I’ll teach you your first sword art."
Scarlet immediately became serious.
"Yes, Master."
The two walked to the center of the training grounds.
The courtyard was spacious, with smooth stone tiles gleaming beneath the morning sun. Ancient willow trees swayed gently in the breeze, while the rich spiritual qi of Blazing Sun Hall filled the air.
Raeshan stopped opposite Scarlet.
"Draw your sword."
Scarlet nodded.
With a smooth motion, she drew the Crimson Flame Sword.
Shing!
A clear sword cry echoed across the courtyard.
Crimson light flowed along the blade like living flames.
Raeshan nodded in approval.
"The sword has already acknowledged you."
"Good."
He raised his right hand.
Without drawing a weapon, he formed a sword seal with two fingers.
A strand of blazing sword qi condensed before him.
Scarlet’s eyes widened.
"Master... you can use sword qi without even drawing a sword?"
Raeshan smiled.
"The technique I’m about to teach you is called the Vermilion Sword Art."
"It was created for cultivators with a strong affinity for fire."
"It emphasizes speed, precision, and explosive power."
"The stronger your flames become, the greater the power of every strike."
As he spoke, he casually flicked his fingers.
The sword qi traced a graceful crimson arc through the air.
The movement appeared simple, yet Scarlet could sense countless profound mysteries hidden within that single slash.
Raeshan continued,
"The first form..."
"Rising Scarlet."
He stepped forward.
His fingers swept upward.
Whoosh!
A pillar of crimson sword qi shot into the sky.
The clouds above split apart, and distant spirit birds fled in panic.
Scarlet stared in disbelief.
Her breathing grew uneven.
"Just one move..."
"How can a single strike contain such profound sword intent?"
Raeshan lowered his hand.
"The second form."
"Setting Sun."
This time, his movement was slower.
His fingers descended gently.
A crimson crescent of sword qi swept across the training ground.
Without making the slightest sound, it sliced a massive boulder cleanly in half.
The two halves remained standing for several seconds before slowly sliding apart.
Boom!
The ground trembled.
Scarlet unconsciously swallowed.
"Master... you’re terrifying."
Raeshan turned toward her.
"Did you understand anything?"
Scarlet honestly shook her head.
"...Only a little."
"I can imitate the movements..."
"But I can’t comprehend the sword intent."
Raeshan smiled faintly.
"That’s normal."
"If you could comprehend a Grandmaster-level sword art after seeing it only once, there would be no ordinary cultivators left in this world."
He extended a finger and gently tapped Scarlet’s forehead.
A warm current instantly flowed into her sea of consciousness.
Scarlet’s body trembled.
Countless sword forms appeared in her mind.
Every movement.
Every breath.
Every circulation path of spiritual qi.
It was as though someone had personally demonstrated the Vermilion Sword Art to her tens of thousands of times.
Several moments later, Scarlet slowly opened her eyes.
Her face was filled with shock.
"Master..."
"You... directly transmitted the technique to me?"
Raeshan nodded.
"It’ll save you years of trial and error."
Scarlet looked at him in disbelief.
Methods capable of directly transmitting cultivation techniques were treasures that even great sects guarded jealously.
Yet her master had done it as casually as if it were nothing.
She lowered her head and bowed deeply.
"This disciple will never forget Master’s kindness."
Raeshan waved a hand dismissively.
"Enough."
"Gratitude alone won’t make you stronger."
"Show me what you’ve learned."
Scarlet took a deep breath.
She slowly raised the Crimson Flame Sword.
The memories of the sword art surfaced naturally in her mind.
Her spiritual qi flowed through the proper meridians.
She stepped forward.
"First Form..."
"Rising Scarlet!"
She swung her sword upward.
A crimson streak of sword qi burst from the blade and shot toward the sky.
Although it was far weaker than Raeshan’s attack, it was remarkably stable for someone using the technique for the first time.
Raeshan nodded in satisfaction.
As expected of a Supreme Grade talent.
She’s already grasped the fundamentals.
Scarlet stared at her sword in amazement.
"I... I succeeded?"
Raeshan smiled.
"This is only the beginning."
"From today onward, you’ll practice the Vermilion Sword Art every morning."
"In the afternoon, I’ll teach you the Seven Feather Movement Technique."
"In the evening, you’ll meditate and consolidate your cultivation."
Scarlet nodded firmly.
"Yes, Master."
A faint smile appeared on Raeshan’s face.
Time passed quietly in Blazing Sun Hall.
Each day followed the same routine.
Before dawn, Scarlet would already be standing in the training grounds with the Crimson Flame Sword in hand.
As the first rays of sunlight illuminated the mountain peak, she began practicing the Vermilion Sword Art.
Again.
And again.
Thousands of swings.
Each slash became smoother than the last.
Every movement grew sharper and more precise.
Raeshan rarely interrupted her training.
Most of the time, he simply stood beneath the ancient willow tree, quietly observing. Occasionally, he would point out a flaw or correct her posture with a few concise words.
Sometimes, a single sentence from him was worth days of practice.
By noon, Scarlet’s robes would be soaked with sweat.
Without resting, she would begin practicing the Seven Feather Movement Technique.
Her figure darted across the training grounds like a crimson shadow.
At first, her movements were stiff and awkward.
She stumbled countless times.
But under Raeshan’s patient guidance, she gradually learned to move with the wind instead of against it.
By the end of the second week, faint afterimages followed every step she took.
While Scarlet trained, Raeshan rarely cultivated himself.
Instead, he wandered through the Ten Thousand Mountains.
Sometimes, he hunted spirit beasts.
Other times, he gathered spiritual herbs or caught spirit fish from mountain streams.
By evening, the aroma of roasted spirit beast meat would fill Blazing Sun Hall.
Scarlet soon discovered that even her master’s cooking was extraordinary.
The meat of spirit beasts was rich in spiritual qi.
After every meal, she could clearly feel her cultivation improving.
Raeshan would simply smile and say,
"Eat."
"The more you eat, the faster you’ll grow."
Scarlet never questioned him.
She obediently finished every meal.
As night fell, she returned to her courtyard.
Sitting cross-legged beneath the moonlight, she quietly cultivated the Blazing Sun Divine Art that Raeshan had personally modified for her.
The abundant spiritual qi of Blazing Sun Hall flowed into her body without end.
Day after day.
Week after week.
Her cultivation became increasingly stable.
The foundation that had once been fragile was now as solid as a mountain.
By the end of the month, Scarlet had completely mastered the first two forms of the Vermilion Sword Art.
Her mastery of the Seven Feather Movement Technique had also reached the point where she could move as lightly as a drifting feather, leaving clear afterimages wherever she went.
Even ordinary Foundation Building cultivators would struggle to keep up with her speed.
A few weeks later...
One afternoon, after finishing her training, Scarlet sheathed her sword and looked toward Raeshan expectantly.
"Master."
"I’ve completely mastered the first two forms."
"Could you teach me the third form?"
Raeshan shook his head.
"Not yet."
Scarlet blinked.
"...Why?"
Raeshan answered calmly,
"You’re still in the Qi Refining Realm."
"The first two forms are more than enough for your current level."
"If I teach you the later forms now, you’ll only hinder your progress."
Scarlet lowered her head.
"I understand."
Raeshan smiled faintly.
"Don’t be impatient. A cultivator must learn to walk before learning to fly. When you break through to the Foundation Building Realm..."
"I’ll teach you the next forms of the Vermilion Sword Art. I’ll also pass on even stronger techniques."
Scarlet’s eyes immediately lit up.
"Really?"
Raeshan nodded.
"Of course. But before that, you have only one goal."
He looked directly into her crimson eyes.
"Break through to the Foundation Building Realm."
Scarlet tightened her grip on the Crimson Flame Sword.
A determined smile appeared on her face.
"Yes, Master."
"I won’t disappoint you."
***
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