Magus Supremacy
Chapter 404: Three Basic Sword Skills!

Chapter 404: Three Basic Sword Skills!

Chapter 404

A few days later, Grey and Yami could be seen training. Yami was pushing Grey hard, working on perfecting his Ki usage and expanding his Dantian—all while Grey still wore the now 300KG weights on his body.

He trained relentlessly, exercising his body until he was soaked in sweat. After a few intense warmups, Yami switched focus, moving on to teaching Grey the fundamentals of swordsmanship.

"We can’t use real swords. Can’t risk injuring you," Yami said as he reached for his bag and pulled out two wooden swords. He tossed one toward Grey, who quickly caught it.

"What are we learning today?" Grey asked, eyeing the wooden sword up and down while giving it a few swings to get a feel for its weight and balance.

"The three basic pillars," Yami simply replied, twirling his own wooden sword in his hand like a seasoned warrior.

"Which are?" Grey asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Slash, thrust, and guard. You must always drill those into your brain. I’ll be teaching you how to take a simple technique like that and turn it into something devastating," Yami said as he walked over and stood behind Grey.

"Take your stance."

"Stance? What stance?" Grey asked with a raised brow.

"Any stance you’re comfortable with. I’ll adjust it for you when necessary," Yami said calmly.

"Okay." Grey sighed and then took a stance—feet shoulder-width apart, arms stiff, and the sword raised.

"Alright, that’s wrong," Yami said bluntly as he raised his wooden sword and tapped rapidly on Grey’s shoulders, causing him to yelp in pain.

"Ouch! What’s that for?!" Grey shouted, still not turning around.

"Relax your shoulders. You’re too stiff, and that won’t help your form. The goal is to be as fluid as water. Don’t be stiff or rigid, or else your strike will come out as wild and defective," Yami warned. Grey quickly nodded and loosened his shoulders, letting himself breathe easier and calm down.

"Noted," Grey responded.

"Also, always remember to control your breathing. Keep it steady and calm—don’t let it go all over the place," Yami added.

Nodding, Grey shut his eyes and began taking in deep, slow breaths, gradually calming both his body and mind.

"Anything else?" he asked after a few moments of composed breathing.

"A sword is not just steel—it’s a language. And your first word should be... cut! Your stance is your root, so make sure it’s deeply firm and grounded."

Yami’s tone shifted into that of a teacher’s command.

"Now, spread your legs slightly, relax your shoulders, and then—cut!" he ordered with emphasis.

"That’s all? Just cut? How is this going to help me fight properly?!" Grey asked, standing upright and glaring at Yami with clear doubt in his eyes.

Yami sighed deeply. Then, without another word, he took a stance. His breathing turned calm and steady, and then, in one fluid movement, his wooden sword moved through the air.

First came a sharp slash, slicing through the air with a whistling sound. Then a precise thrust that visibly split the wind. Finally, he lifted the sword, placing its flat side in front of him in a perfect guard.

Grey’s eyes widened.

’Ho... ho... He made such a simple technique look so powerful! I could practically hear the force coming off his sword...’ Grey thought in awe, staring at Yami with his mouth slightly open.

"A sword is not only for cutting or slashing. It also shields as much as it strikes. That’s what the third form is for," Yami said calmly, his voice steady.

"Now do you understand?"

Grey quickly nodded, his eyes filled with newfound respect and realization.

"Now take that stance and give me a hundred slash!"

"Wait! A hundred what?!" Grey shouted in shock.

"You want to learn how to fight? Use your sword properly, so give me a hundred slash!" Yami ordered.

"But... but... but isn’t that too much?" Grey asked.

"No ifs or buts. Give me a hundred slash now," Yami ordered, and Grey just sighed and took a stance.

"Note! I will be listening in, and if one of the strikes doesn’t sound as powerful as the previous ones, you are starting over."

"As if it’s that simple. He keeps bossing me around," Grey grumbled beneath his breath.

"What was that?" Yami asked with his hand around his ear.

"I will give you the damned slash," Grey scoffed as he took a stance, his sword raised in front of him.

"Good boy!" Yami smiled as he went to sit away from Grey, clapping his hands and signaling for the youngling to start.

And with the signal, Grey began. His sword moved through the air in a slash.

"One..." Yami counted, and Grey did the slash again in the same pattern and strike.

"Two..."

This pattern repeated itself as Grey kept on striking over and over in the same pattern. His wooden sword streaked through the air, producing slicing sounds every time.

It was easy at first, but as he kept slashing and slashing, nearing the thirties, his arms began throbbing. His breathing faltered slightly, but he didn’t stop. He kept slashing and slashing, determined not to fail.

When he got to the fortieth time, Yami stopped him and asked him to start over again.

"What?! I... I just got to the fortieth strike, and you are saying I should start over? How’s that fair?!" Grey asked, terribly exhausted from doing the same thing repeatedly.

"What was the deal? If you miss a beat, you start over. And I said your strike was off compared to the previous ones," Yami said, and Grey could only suck up his complaints and continue slashing.

’You’re lucky I didn’t tell you to slash a thousand times. You would have fainted. I remember my own rigorous training and how my dad nearly killed me,’ Yami shuddered as he remembered the torment he had to endure just to become the strong individual he was today.

’I just hope the little stunt I pulled off recently doesn’t alert him. If he finds out where I am, my peaceful days will be over.’

"Forty-five..." Grey called out as he slashed again, groaning in pain.

"Start over again. That one was off," Yami shouted out.

"Start again? At this rate, will I even be able to slash a hundred times?" Grey asked, beads of sweat trickling down his face.

"Well, we won’t leave here if you don’t do the hundred strikes today," Yami shrugged. "So chop chop, get slashing."

’I promise, one day, I will slash your head off for the stress and pain you are putting me through,’ Grey swore silently in anger as he kept on slashing and slashing, trying to reach that hundredth slash.