Chapter 491: Small Improvements

Cheng Feng looked in the direction of his gaze; Liu Yu was indeed already standing on the high platform, the cowhide scroll in his hand rolled up tight, his brows furrowed so deeply they could crush a fly.

Without waiting for Cheng Feng to speak, Liu Yu had already raised his head, his gaze like a blade: "Today we practice the complete variations of the Snake Coil Array, including the four forms: Shrink, Expand, Turn Attack into Defense, and Turn Defense into Attack.

I will change my attack method at any time, and you must adapt on the spot according to my rhythm. Gu Niangzi, is your supply of Gu insects still sufficient?"

Gu Niangzi was rummaging through her box for something; hearing this, she poked her head out, her tone sharp: "You slaughtered over three hundred of them yesterday, you tell me if it's enough? I worked through the night to make a batch, but the quality is certainly not as good as those I carefully cultivated before, so they won't last long."

"Then use them sparingly. I don't require you to release Gu on a large scale today; use every single one where it counts," said Liu Yu.

As soon as the joint training began, Cheng Feng felt a clear change. After his breakthrough in the Dragon Snake Nine Transformations, both his reaction speed and the circulation of his True Qi had undergone a qualitative improvement.

In the past, when the formation would Shrink, his speed in filling the gap was always at his limit, but now he was at ease, even able to spare some energy to observe Liu Yu's movements while shifting into position.

Liu Yu seemed to have noticed this as well; his gaze lingered on Cheng Feng for a moment longer, then he suddenly changed his attack strategy, no longer using his fast saber for direct frontal assaults.

Instead, he began to circle the formation, using his footwork and movement techniques to manipulate the positions of the three, forcing them to constantly change the formation and adjust, seeking flaws while in motion.

This style of fighting was more torturous than a frontal assault.

Liu Yu's movement technique was extremely devious; he clearly looked like he was moving to the left, but with a flicker of his figure, he was on the right; you would think he was retreating, but the next second, the blade edge would already be slashing from the rear flank.

Huo Luan's Steel Saber was almost useless in this mobile battle; she swung her blade several times only to hit empty air, and the massive momentum instead slowed down her own defensive recovery.

Gu Niangzi's Gu insects fared even worse; Liu Yu didn't give them a chance to fly close at all, his blade edge carving silver arcs around his body, almost weaving an impenetrable net.

Only Cheng Feng could barely keep up with Liu Yu's rhythm. His body was like a stake anchoring the formation; no matter how Liu Yu circled or flickered, he remained stuck to the left of where Wang Ji should have been standing, never moving an inch away.

Several times, Liu Yu's blade edge bypassed Huo Luan's defensive line and headed straight for the heart of the formation, only to be blocked back by Cheng Feng using his own body.

"Good!" Liu Yu suddenly withdrew his saber and stepped back, a layer of fine sweat beading on his temples. He glanced at Cheng Feng, his gaze carrying a touch of profound meaning: "You broke through last night."

Cheng Feng did not deny it.

Upon hearing this, Huo Luan widened her eyes, slammed her Iron Hammer onto the ground, and looked Cheng Feng up and down: "I was wondering why you felt so much lighter today. What did you break through in? Did your Horizontal Training improve again?"

"You could say that," Cheng Feng replied vaguely.

He did not want to expose the matter of the Dragon Snake Nine Transformations too early; that trump card had to be saved for the most critical moment.

Liu Yu did not press the issue, only saying coolly: "Improvement is a good thing. But your problem remains—you rely too much on the strength of your body itself and neglect the precision of your positioning during formation changes.

Your breakthrough made your speed faster, but you often run too far when filling a position, instead exposing the angle that should have been blocked."

Cheng Feng's heart jolted, and he nodded. Liu Yu's eye was indeed sharp; he had seen through the side effect of his breakthrough at a glance—the decline in control caused by increased speed.

His Blood Qi circulation was fifty percent faster, but his body's reactive movements could not yet fully keep up with this rhythm, causing the precision of his movement to actually worsen.

"For the rest of the time today, you will practice this." Liu Yu drew a circle on the ground with the tip of his foot.

"You stand inside this circle; no matter how I attack, your feet cannot leave it. Huo Luan and Gu Niangzi will coordinate with you as normal, but your range of activity is restricted to this circle."

Cheng Feng glanced at the circle; it was no more than three feet in diameter, barely enough for him to turn around.

Under such restrictions, to block Liu Yu's saber, he could only rely on the smallest range of motion to achieve the maximum defensive effect, forcing him to control every inch of his movement to the extreme.

For the next two hours, Cheng Feng was put through the wringer by Liu Yu inside that circle.

Liu Yu's saber slashed in from all angles, heights, and directions; Cheng Feng's feet were nailed to the circle as if they had taken root, relying entirely on the twisting of his waist and abdomen and the blocking of his arms to defend.

His Horizontal Training was squeezed to the limit under this extreme restriction; the bronze luster on the surface of his skin grew increasingly thick, until eventually, his whole body was almost glowing with a metallic sheen.

Huo Luan watched from the side, clicking her tongue: "This isn't training, this is blacksmithing."

Gu Niangzi also rarely refrained from making snide remarks, simply sitting on her box and watching, her gaze fixed on Cheng Feng.

Her eyes were complex, containing scrutiny, inquiry, and something else she perhaps couldn't even name herself.

When they finished, Cheng Feng stepped out of the circle, and two shallow footprints were clearly visible on the bluestone floor beneath his feet—they were left from when he had forcibly controlled his body.

In those last few dozen strikes from Liu Yu, every single one forced him to sink his Blood Qi to the soles of his feet to stabilize his stance; over time, it had left marks on the stone surface.

"Continue tomorrow." Liu Yu put away his Narrow Saber and left after dropping these four words.

Cheng Feng loosened his stiff shoulders, his joints emitting a cracking sound. Huo Luan walked over, patted his shoulder, and handed him a waterskin: "Drink some water. I'm impressed by your performance today. I don't think I could last a single stick of incense in that circle of Liu Yu's."

Cheng Feng took the waterskin and gulped down a few mouthfuls, saying in a low voice: "It wasn't easy for me either. But it's useful."

Gu Niangzi hopped off her box, walked up to Cheng Feng, and suddenly leaned in close to stare at his face.

Cheng Feng didn't move, letting her look. After a while,

Gu Niangzi clicked her tongue and shook her head: "Your aura has changed; it's heavier and more dangerous.

Brother Cheng, what kind of wicked art did you practice last night? How are you like a completely different person?"

Cheng Feng handed the waterskin back to Huo Luan and said calmly: "Just normal cultivation, accumulating strength over time."

Gu Niangzi clearly didn't believe him, but she didn't continue to press, only snorting and turning to walk toward her box, muttering: "Everyone is hiding things, it's boring. Fine,

you all have your trump cards, and here I am, foolishly showing all my family assets for you to see."

Cheng Feng looked at her slender back, remembering how she had been squatting on the ground yesterday evening picking up the corpses of her Gu insects one by one, and his heart stirred for some reason.

He spoke up: "Your Gu insects are very powerful. If it weren't for your Gu insects pinning him down, I wouldn't have been able to block so many of Liu Yu's strikes."

Gu Niangzi's footsteps paused, but she didn't look back, only waving her hand: "No need to comfort me. I know my own worth." Having said that, she dove into her box, and the lid slammed shut with a 'clack'.

When Cheng Feng returned home, Shang Yan and Hua Kai Hua Xie were already waiting for him in his courtyard.

The three of them were huddled together looking through a medical book they had found from somewhere, discussing what a pregnant woman should and shouldn't eat. Seeing Cheng Feng enter, three pairs of eyes lifted to look at him simultaneously, the soft light in their eyes making the courtyard feel warm all at once.

Cheng Feng sat down on the threshold without even taking off his boots, just watching them from the doorway.

The candlelight in the room flickered, the figures of the three women cast in long, hazy shadows, their bellies still flat,

but one would imagine the natural talent of these three children would certainly not be low.

Seeing him sitting on the threshold in a daze, Shang Yan couldn't help but call out to him: "What are you standing there like a fool for? Come in and eat; the kitchen left food for you, and it's still hot."

Cheng Feng said "Mm," but did not get up. He looked up at the night sky; the moon was not yet full, its silvery-white radiance spilling over the courtyard. He suddenly laughed, his voice very soft, as if speaking to himself.

"Sleep early tonight. We have to go to Zhou Fu tomorrow to continue training."

Shang Yan said "Oh" and didn't ask further, just got up to organize the food in the kitchen. Hua Kai and Hua Xie were very nimble, one serving the dishes and the other setting the bowls.

Because the three of them were pregnant for the first time, the other sisters naturally doted on them, letting Cheng Feng spend more time with them.

In a little while, Cheng Feng would have to set off for the capital of Dazhou Guo.

Cheng Feng stood up from the threshold, walked to the table and sat down, picked up his bowl and chopsticks, and ate very slowly, as if he were carefully savoring this most ordinary of dinners.

Outside the window, the moonlight was perfect; inside the room, the lamplight was intimate.