Formless Phaseless Spear

With that, the Principal walked to the very front of the wooden raft.

Only then did Zhuang Xun notice a pedal in the spot that had been blocked by the Principal's body.

The Principal stepped onto the pedal and began pumping it up and down. With a series of splashing sounds, the raft began moving toward the pavilion in the center of the lake.

Out of the corner of his eye, the Principal kept a close watch on Bai Yujing's reaction. Seeing that his disciple was indeed staring at the pedal beneath his feet, he stroked his beard and explained with a chuckle, “An import from overseas. This pedal is connected to a circular paddle at the back to push the water and move us forward. It is called mechanism arts, and it is indeed a rare sight in our parts.”

Little did he know, Zhuang Xun was not looking out of curiosity. Having seen all kinds of novelties in his past life, there was no way he would be genuinely interested in such a crude raft.

Rather, he was just surprised. Moreover, this standing-bicycle style of steering looked incredibly silly and bizarre, making him want to take a couple more glances.

“To think such things exist overseas. I wonder if they have bicycles?” Zhuang Xun thought to himself.

Come to think of it, since transmigrating to this world, he had never once left Mount Dazhou.

Mount Dazhou was simply too vast. Traveling on foot, one might not even make it out after walking for ten days and ten nights.

Not to mention, the mountains were infested with bandits and all kinds of fierce beasts.

In the past, Zhuang Xun had only hunted around the outer perimeter of the northern mountain near Zechuan City, rarely venturing deep inside.

The raft came to a stop beneath the pavilion.

Zhuang Xun followed the Principal up the stairs and stepped into the pavilion.

The moment he entered, Zhuang Xun was stunned by the sight. In this relatively small space, weapons of every shape and size hung from above in dense, countless numbers. The gaps between them were not even wide enough for a single person to squeeze through.

Aside from that, there was nothing else.

Because the door had just been opened, all the weapons were swaying slightly, their sharp edges glinting with cold light.

Every single one of them was a honed, deadly weapon!

“Disciple, this is where you will practice your spear arts from now on.” The Principal yanked down a long spear hanging in front of him and pointed it forward.

An invisible gust of wind blew the weapons to either side, clearing a path.

“Follow your master.” The Principal walked in, carrying the spear behind his back with one hand.

Zhuang Xun quickly followed behind.

After just a few steps, the weapons on both sides began to swing back.

The Principal spun his spear. Even though there was clearly no contact between his spear and the weapons, the surrounding blades were swept aside once more.

“This spear technique is so elegant. Learning this doesn't seem like a bad idea either. Becoming a spear immortal...” Zhuang Xun relaxed his body, keeping just a fraction of his attention on the weapons that were about to swing back down as he looked ahead.

At the end of the path, in the very center of the pavilion, stood a bronze pillar about half the height of a person. No weapons hung around it, making it the only open space in the entire room.

“Your master's spear technique is quite something, isn't it?” Having reached the center of the pavilion, the Principal handed the long spear to Bai Yujing and asked with a beaming smile.

“You certainly won't go wrong learning the spear from me.”

With his hands behind his back, the Principal introduced, “Your master's spear technique is called the Formless Phaseless Spear. When I was young, I dueled various weapon masters, gathered combat experience against all sorts of arms, and ultimately comprehended this technique from the Formless Phaseless Sublime Method.”

“As the combat technique of the Formless Phaseless Sublime Method... Disciple, did you close the door when we came in?”

Zhuang Xun sighed softly and said with practiced ease, “It's closed. Please continue, as the combat technique of the Formless Phaseless Sublime Method.”

“Ah, right. Where was I... Oh, yes. As the combat technique of the Formless Phaseless Sublime Method, the Formless Phaseless Spear has no fixed forms or routines. Or rather, it consists of only three moves: the first is Defend, the second is Break, and the third is Neutralize...”

The Principal went on and on about the many merits of this spear technique before finally waving his hand with a smile, saying humbly:

“Ah, but it is merely a minor skill. It cannot grace the halls of true greatness, not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning at all.”

Zhuang Xun deliberately said, “I see. Master, Yujing understands.”

The Principal's face instantly fell. “Uh... My disciple, it is only when compared to the profound mystery of the Formless Phaseless Sublime Method—which assimilates others' techniques for one's own use—that your master's Formless Phaseless Spear, which was born from it, seems insignificant. But still...”

“Master, how should I practice the Formless Phaseless Spear?”

“Haha, as for your master's Formless Phaseless Spear...” The Principal was instantly distracted, diving into a detailed explanation of the key points of practice for Bai Yujing.

After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, the faint chirping of cicadas drifted in from outside the pavilion. This was the Lord knows how many times the Principal had looked up.

“Where did those cicadas come from?”

Zhuang Xun took a deep breath and called out expressionlessly, “Master.”

“Ah, oh, right, right. Cough. Your master will continue. Now... where did I stop?”

“...” Zhuang Xun held out his hand. “Master, just give me the manual for the Formless Phaseless Spear. I will study it myself.”

“Disciple, it is still better for your master to teach you. Isn't having your master guide you much easier than figuring it out on your own?”

Zhuang Xun did not speak, maintaining his outstretched hand.

The Principal wanted to persist, but seeing Bai Yujing staring at him expressionlessly, he could only sheepishly pull the book from his robes. At the same time, he grumbled under his breath, “Sigh, alright, alright. Your master is old and useless now, unable to teach you. Don't look down on me, disciple. I don't have many years left to live, and my time to teach you is running out... Are you sure you don't want me to teach you?”

Zhuang Xun ignored him. Having secured the manual for the Formless Phaseless Spear, he walked over to a corner to read, avoiding any further interruptions.

This old geezer was either playing the pity card or spacing out every single day. He had long since grown accustomed to it and could not even be bothered to respond.

He had made inquiries and knew that Zenith martial artists generally had a lifespan of a hundred and twenty years.

Yet the Principal was already over a hundred and thirty years old, still spry and active with a ruddy complexion and not a single trace of senility. It was obvious he still had plenty of years left in him, far from the pitiful state he claimed to be in.

Zhuang Xun flipped through the spear manual at a moderate pace, committing the contents to memory in just a few moments.

With a thoughtful look, he gazed at the pattern-like seams on the bronze pillar, placing his hand on it and attempting to turn it.

Creak, creak. With a slightly dry, grinding sound, the bronze pillar actually began to rotate. As it spun, it drove the thousands of weapons hanging from the ceiling outside the circle to rotate along with it.

Zhuang Xun took his hand away.

However, driven by massive inertia, the bronze pillar and the weapons continued to spin.

Picking up his long spear, he waited for a larger gap to appear for the second time, slipped inside with a sidestep, and began practicing the Formless Phaseless Spear.

Every weapon that swung toward him was deflected by his spear, which then swept and guided it to the other side.

With the momentum added by his deflections, the weapons hanging from the ceiling began to spin faster and faster.

But Zhuang Xun's rate of improvement was even faster.

In the time it took to drink a cup of tea, his mastery of the Formless Phaseless Spear progressed from entry-level to a minor accomplishment.

The long spear spun like a full moon, forming an impenetrable barrier that not even a drop of water could breach. He continuously redirected the oncoming weapons elsewhere, his movements growing increasingly natural and fluid.

Suddenly, Zhuang Xun had a moment of realization.

Under the all-encompassing perspective of his Spiritual Sight, time slowed down. The structures of the weapons became translucent, and the trajectory of each weapon appeared before him.

But soon, these weapons vanished one by one, leaving only a single sharp axe swinging directly toward him.

“Break.” With a single hand, Zhuang Xun thrust his spear like a dragon, its tip striking the very edge of the axe blade.

The axe froze for a fraction of a second, then rebounded backward, crashing into a broadsword.

The broadsword deflected to the right, slamming into a warhammer... Centered on Zhuang Xun, a ripple effect cascaded outward. With a series of clangs and clatters, all the weapons collided with one another, swayed back and forth, and finally ground to a complete halt.

Wave after wave, the pavilion—which had just resembled a meat grinder—instantly fell dead silent.

The Formless Phaseless Spear, great accomplishment!