“Attack with your heart and your body, not your blade.”
Becoming a Wuju swordsman can be a tough task for any person, no matter how strong they are. In Riot Games’ latest short story, called Poetry with a Blade, fans get a behind-the-scenes look at how Master Yi became one of the best users of the art of Wuju.
The story starts off with a fiery, 15-year-old Yi heading off to train with Master Doran, a master weaponsmith who was well respected by Wuju’s own smiths and masters. Many League of Legends players not familiar with the game’s lore will at least recognize his name from the popular starting items: Doran’s Blade, Doran’s Shield, and Doran’s Ring.
As the pair traveled together, Yi continuously questioned how Doran could possibly help him train to become a better Wuju swordsman. But as they continued on a path that Yi had never seen before, Doran guided him to a place called Mistfall—an ancient battleground where former warriors would leave their weapons after vowing to never participate in battle again.
Yi then had a vision of a battle that took place between a race of titans that threatened to destroy mortals. It was there that the spirit revealed to Master Yi that Wuju Style actually draws power from the spirit realm. He had to stop focusing on his swordsmanship and meditation so much and instead focus on the magic swirling around him.
By finally focusing on his heart and body rather than his sword, Master Yi unlocked the ability to access Wuju Style. His path to becoming one of the greatest combatants in Runeterra had finally begun.
This is the second time Master Doran has been seen in League‘s lore. The last time was back in Michael Luo’s short story around Master Yi called Homecoming.
