“Mm, this is exactly the feeling!” William Clark withdrew the thick-backed saber, a surge of delight in his heart. “Although martial arts value talent above all, in the later stages, comprehension becomes increasingly important. My comprehension is pretty good now, and with diligence, I will surely carve out a path of my own!”

　　……

　　Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, William Clark had practiced his saber techniques under the waterfall for another two months.

　　At the edge of the massive waterfall stood a huge bluestone. Upon this enormous stone, William Clark held a long, thick-backed saber in his hand, his feet moving in a mysterious footwork, slashing toward the waterfall again and again.

　　The dozens-of-meters-high waterfall crashed straight down from above, relentlessly pounding William Clark's head, shoulders, legs, and back. Water is the softest thing in the world, but when it rushes down from a great height, it becomes extremely fierce. Practicing saber techniques under the waterfall is as difficult as training with several hundred pounds strapped to your back!

　　Withstanding the pressure of the waterfall, William Clark swiftly slashed more than three hundred times, but his speed gradually slowed, his whole body’s blood and energy surging, even his skin turning a strange shade of red.

　　“Three hundred and six, three hundred and seven! Three hundred and eight! Ah!” William Clark roared as he delivered the final three slashes, then pushed off with his foot, leaping out of the waterfall like a fish, gulping in fresh air.

　　After a long while, his turbulent breath finally calmed.

　　Over the past two months, William Clark had gradually mastered the essentials of channeling qi into his saber. His practice sessions grew longer, and his slashing speed increased. By now, William Clark could unleash three hundred and eight slashes in a single breath, as swift as the wind. The saber and the waterfall seemed to merge into one, making it impossible to distinguish where the saber ended and the waterfall began.

　　Wielding the saber with qi, slashing like the wind. At this stage, William Clark's “Clear Wind Slash” had reached the minor accomplishment level, but William Clark faintly sensed that he was still some distance from true mastery.

　　This distance was not a matter of skill, but an indescribable artistic conception. Saber techniques, too, possess an artistic realm; without entering that state, no amount of practice would suffice.

　　After reaching the minor accomplishment stage, William Clark withdrew from his state of single-minded saber practice. While continuing to train his saber techniques, he also began cultivating the “Jinghong Art.”

　　Time passed slowly, and before he knew it, the flood season had arrived.

　　The flood season, as the name suggests, is when the river swells dramatically. During this period, the water pouring down from the waterfall increased day by day, gradually showing signs of turning into a mountain torrent.

　　With the arrival of the flood season, practicing saber techniques under the waterfall became increasingly difficult for William Clark. Yet, amid these challenges, his saber skills improved daily. William Clark faintly felt that he was only a step away from true mastery; if he could grasp the key insight, he would immediately break through.

　　One day, while William Clark was practicing under the waterfall, he suddenly felt a tremor in his meridians, and his true qi began to circulate on its own. William Clark was startled at first, then overjoyed, quickly leaping out of the water and sitting cross-legged on a large rock.

　　His true qi started from his dantian, flowing slowly yet irresistibly through his meridians for several small cycles. With each cycle, William Clark felt the purity of his true qi increase slightly. On the ninth cycle, William Clark felt a jolt throughout his body as the true qi broke through several previously blocked meridians, then burst forth with vitality, cleansing his body.

　　When the true qi finally returned to his dantian, William Clark finished his cultivation and stood up. Glancing at himself, he saw that, at some point, a layer of black filth had appeared on his body. Seeing this, William Clark couldn’t help but laugh heartily, saying, “True qi refining the body—haha, I didn’t expect to reach the mid-stage of Martial Arts Level Two so quickly!”

　　Having reached the mid-stage of Martial Arts Level Two, William Clark felt his strength had increased again. Unable to resist, he drew his thick-backed saber and slashed a few times into the air.

　　These slashes were done casually, but afterward, a strange insight suddenly welled up in William Clark's heart. He keenly sensed that the slashes he had just made were somehow different from his usual technique.

　　Why did the same slashing motion feel so different?

　　William Clark closed his eyes, recalling the feeling of practicing under the waterfall.

　　Others practiced simply by following the techniques, but after merging his memories, William Clark was no longer content with rote practice. While cultivating, he constantly pondered the principles behind the martial skills, calculating and simulating the optimal moves. For this “Clear Wind Slash,” from the very beginning, William Clark had continuously adjusted his slashing angle, speed, and force, constantly comprehending and perfecting its secrets.

　　It was this relentless calculation and reflection that allowed William Clark to make rapid progress in his saber practice, and to sense the extremely subtle changes when slashing and wielding the saber.