Leaving the weapons room with the saber feeling balanced and purposeful in his hand, Bai Yu went back to the familiar Hall of Battle Techniques. He navigated directly to the shelves containing Saber Arts, his eyes scanning the scrolls and jade slips dedicated to the curved blade.
He examined several options:
The Autumn Leaf Saber Arts: Mortal Grade, High-Tier. A technique focusing on graceful, circular movements and sudden, unpredictable direction changes, mimicking the pattern of leaves swirling in autumn winds. Emphasizes evasion, misdirection, and finding openings through fluid motion. It seemed elegant, perhaps complementing his footwork, but lacked the direct impact he felt he needed.
Mountain Breaking Saber Art: Mortal Grade, High-Tier. A style emphasizing raw power and direct, forceful attacks. Focuses on heavy, cleaving blows designed to break through an opponent's guard with overwhelming force. Requires significant physical strength and Qi infusion. Powerful, certainly, but perhaps too reliant on brute strength and potentially lacking in finesse.
At last, his eyes settled on a jade slip that seemed to pulse with a subtle, relentless energy. Flowing River Saber Arts. Mortal Grade, Peak-Tier. The description resonated deeply with him: "This style emphasizes continuous, fluid movements that overwhelm opponents like an unstoppable river. The practitioner aims to never pause between strikes, creating an unbroken chain of attacks that flow seamlessly from one to the next, adapting to the opponent's defense like water finding cracks in stone."
Continuous, overwhelming, adaptable – it felt like the perfect offensive complement to his elusive Azure Cloud Steps. He picked the Flowing River Saber Arts without hesitation. After registering his choice with Elder Wan who noted it with an approving nod, Bai Yu left the Repository,and went straight back to his own courtyard.
The sun was now high in the sky. Eagerly, Bai Yu sat down and pressed the jade slip to his forehead, absorbing the intricacies of the Flowing River Saber Arts. The information flooded his mind – stances, grip variations, Qi circulation patterns specific to the saber, and the core techniques.
"So, this saber art has four core techniques," Bai Yu thought as the knowledge settled, reviewing the foundational moves described within the scripture:
Meandering Stream Cut: A deceptive initial strike. Begins as a standard slash towards one target area (e.g., ribs, leg) but incorporates a subtle wrist flick and Qi manipulation mid-swing, causing the blade to curve unexpectedly like a winding stream to strike a different, often less guarded, point (e.g., shoulder, arm).
Cascading Rapids Slash: A sequence of quick, successive downward cuts, each building upon the momentum of the last. The speed and force increase with each slash, mimicking water rushing violently down rapids. Designed to break through hasty blocks or overwhelm a static defense.
River Reversal Counter: *A defensive technique focused on redirection rather than rigid blocking. Utilizes the saber's curve and precise Qi control to catch an opponent's incoming weapon or limb, smoothly redirecting their force and momentum back against them, often creating an opening for a counter-attack, like a strong river current pushing back a fallen tree. *
Flood Surge Advance: A powerful forward rush combining aggressive footwork with multiple, wide-arcing slashes. Aims to close distance rapidly and overwhelm defenses through sheer pressure and volume of attacks, like a sudden flash flood breaking through barriers.
"Good. These seem practical and versatile," Bai Yu thought with satisfaction. He stood up, picked up his saber, feeling its weight and balance, and decided to start with the most fundamental offensive move. "First, the Meandering Stream Cut."
He faced one of the sturdy practice dummies in his courtyard. Recalling the instructions, he initiated a standard horizontal slash, aiming his saber towards the dummy's wooden ribs. Then, midway through the swing, he attempted the subtle wrist flick and Qi redirection described in the technique. At the last moment, the saber's path did indeed curve upwards, changing trajectory from the ribs and slashing deeply into the dummy's shoulder area.
A clean cut appeared on the wood. "Hm, not bad for a first attempt," Bai Yu muttered, assessing the result. The curve had worked. "But... I was originally targeting the neck," he admitted to himself with a slight frown. He had managed the redirection, but controlling the precise new target point was clearly more difficult than simply making the blade curve.
"It's harder than it appears," Bai Yu said aloud, tapping the saber thoughtfully against his palm.