Naked Sword Art

Chapter 461: Instincts

"Instincts?" someone echoed in disbelief. Murmurs spread through the crowd like wildfire.

To many, relying on one’s instincts sounded more like an excuse than an explanation. Cultivators trained in sword forms, spiritual awareness, footwork—tangible things. Instincts were vague, unreliable... or so they believed.

Even Supreme Elder Song, standing quietly at the edge of the room, furrowed her brow at the answer.

She had witnessed something similar before from her own disciple—a girl also surnamed Chu. When she tested Chu Yan in the past, there were moments she couldn’t explain, when Chu Yan had dodged attacks she couldn’t have possibly seen. Could it really be...?

"Could you tell us more about his instincts?" Supreme Elder Song asked, her voice clear and sharp as it cut through the crowd’s murmurs.

Xun Wei thought for a moment, choosing her words carefully.

"When you practice a technique long enough... when you push your senses and your awareness to their absolute limit... your body begins to move before you’ve even made a conscious decision. It’s not about knowing where the next strike is coming from... it’s about feeling it. It’s not rational. It’s not logical. But it’s real."

Some disciples looked skeptical. Others intrigued.

Seeing the doubt, Xun Wei gave a small nod and gestured to the wooden practice sticks resting along the wall.

"Here. Let me show you."

She picked up two of them and handed one to a nearby disciple.

"Close your eyes," she instructed gently.

The girl hesitated but did as she was told.

Xun Wei then tapped the stick lightly against the floor twice.

Tap. Tap.

Then, without warning, she struck—but not with force, just enough to make contact if it landed.

The first strike was avoided. Then the second. By the third, the disciple flinched too early, and the stick tapped her shoulder.

The room watched quietly as Xun Wei repeated the test again and again, explaining:

"Without sight, your senses heighten. You don’t think—you feel. The air, the shift in intent, the sound of feet—your instincts will use whatever it can to make up for your lack of sight, but what if we remove your other senses as well."

Xun Wei plugged the girl’s ears then stood behind her once again. She knew the strike was coming, but she didn’t know when.

In that moment, the only thing she could feel was her beating heart.

Beat.

Beat.

Beat.

But it was no use to her, she needed something else, anything, but there was nothing. Suddenly, her breathing slowed, her mind became as calm as a lake, but her mind sharpened.

Xun Wei smirked as she silently raised the wooden sword. She knew the girl was ready.

In the next moment, Xun Wei swung, but it wasn’t any ordinary swing.

Supreme Elder’s eyes widened. She could feel the viciousness in Xun Wei’s incoming strike even before she delivered it, but so did the kneeling girl. Suddenly, the hairs on the back of her neck stuck up, and in the next moment she quickly dodged.

To everyone’s surprise, the girl dodged Xun Wei’s strike just in time.

Xun Wei then turned to the others.

"Do you all see? This is only a crude example. Chu Piao is much faster than I am... stronger too. And as you all know, a Divine Swordsmen’s swordsmanship exists in a realm of their own. However, he didn’t use any of it against me, he merely relied on his instincts alone and nothing more."

The room fell into thoughtful silence.

Even Bai Fan and Zhao Pan, seated toward the front, exchanged quiet glances. For perhaps the first time, they realized that battle-power didn’t simply come from a high cultivation and skill, but from techniques and natural ability.

"Still, if he had only dodged one or two strikes, I could understand," one disciple said aloud. "But to avoid that many... it had to be something more."

All the disciples agreed. They simply couldn’t wrap their heads around how someone could fight relying on their instincts.

Even Supreme Elder Song found it difficult to argue with that logic. Her brows furrowed slightly, doubt lingering in her eyes.

Xun Wei looked as if she wanted to explain further but paused—caught between thought and words.

That’s when Xiao Fang began walking forward.

A stir passed through the crowd.

The girls in the room immediately recognized him. He was the disciple who had won the Phoenix Jade Hairpin during the recruitment ceremony. On that day, he had boldly declared he wouldn’t trade it for any price—that he would give it only to his wife. And now, that very hairpin was nestled in Xun Wei’s hair.

"Hey... isn’t that the boy from the club ceremony?"

"The one who won the Phoenix Jade Hairpin?"

"Right! He said he’d only give it to his wife."

"But... Xun Wei’s wearing it now."

"Wait... are they—?"

"No way..."

Despite the mounting implications, no one dared say it aloud. The idea that Xun Wei—the cold, untouchable genius from the Core Court—might be his woman was too wild for them to accept.

"Wei, it’s not your explanation that is lacking, but rather their comprehension and experience that are lacking," Xiao Fang said calmly.

"Our comprehension is lacking? Maybe it’s your brain that is lacking!" one disciple snapped, jabbing a finger at him in frustration.

"Who would believe someone could dodge precise strikes with nothing but instinct? That’s just absurd!"

Another chimed in, "We all know Divine Swordsmen are exceptional, but saying he won using only his instincts? That’s just too far-fetched."

All of their true feelings were beginning to come out. Although they couldn’t say such things to Xun Wei considering her status, they could definitely say it at Xiao Fang.

Xun Wei felt as if the disciples all thought she was too inexperienced and stupid now. If Xiao Fang hadn’t stepped in, she never would’ve known their true feelings about her explanation.

"Too far-fetched?" Xiao Fang turned to disciples that berated him. "Even while blindfolded, you would never be able to land a strike on me."

"Look at that confidence—he must be stupid. If I cut you, then what? Will you admit you were wrong, or just keep spewing nonsense?" one disciple sneered, drawing laughter from the others.

To them, Xiao Fang was just some young upstart—an inexperienced disciple who’d been accepted into the Swords Club but never once attended a meeting. No one had ever seen him fight.

But Xiao Fang remained unfazed. He shook his head slowly, then said with a calm voice, "Come, I’ll only give you 10 seconds. If you can cut me in that time, the Phoenix Jade Hairpin will be yours. But if you can’t, then you will need to slap yourselves 100 times in front of everyone here."

The laughter stopped.

10 seconds wasn’t a short period of time to a cultivator. If they really wanted to, most of the girls in the club could strike a practice dummy 50 times in that time. However, nobody wanted to take Xiao Fang seriously.

"Who do you think you are, wagering something that doesn’t even belong to you?" she scoffed.

"It’s fine," Xun Wei suddenly spoke up. "I agree to the wager."