When Chen Chuan saw Teacher Zheng step into the training area to instruct him personally, he didn’t dare to be arrogant. He put down the practice saber and picked up the Snow Monarch Blade from the side.
After returning to the center of the floor, he stared at Teacher Zheng for a mont, let out a sharp cry, and slashed forward!
This slash contained no fancy tricks. Competing with Teacher Zheng in flair was pointless; it was more practical to just deliver a straightforward strike.
However, he didn’t cower just because the person opposite him was his superior in Saber Technique. When he unleashed the slash, it carried an indomitable montum, and his form was even better than usual.
Teacher Zheng said, "Good," clearly satisfied with the montum behind the move. As he spoke, he raised his own blade to et the attack. With just a light tap, the force on the Snow Monarch Blade was instantly dispelled. The weapon was deflected aside without resistance, and at the sa ti, Chen Chuan saw the tip of his teacher’s blade pointing right at him.
With his blade knocked aside, he subconsciously retracted his force to adopt a Defensive posture. However, the edge of his teacher’s blade swayed slightly again, as if about to strike. Given its angle and timing, he knew he wouldn’t be able to block it. His own Sword Stance involuntarily shifted in response, but at that mont, sothing felt wrong. By the ti he ca to his senses, he had lost his center of gravity slightly and had unconsciously taken two steps back and to the side.
To an outside observer, Teacher Zheng had simply stood his ground, his blade barely quivering. In contrast, it was Chen Chuan, the attacker, who had lost his balance and stumbled backward.
’That move from Teacher Zheng just now wasn’t actually so profound technique,’ Chen Chuan thought. ’He simply positioned his Sword Stance in advance, targeting a place I was bound to be worried about and exposing a flaw, forcing to fall into disarray.’
’As a Fighter, it’s impossible for to ignore threats like that. So even if I knew Teacher Zheng wasn’t going to actually attack, I’d probably still react the sa way unconsciously. It’s really just an instinct for self-preservation.’
Teacher Zheng hadn’t spoken right away, evidently waiting for him to think it through. Only then did he say, "Figured it out? Who says defense can’t be offense? As long as you apply your Power correctly and have a precise grasp of the battle, even if the opponent cos slashing at you, they’ll be the only one who gets hurt in the end."
"But to reach that state, you need a masterful foundation and brilliant techniques. I don’t require you to master this step imdiately, but you need to be aware of it. It also requires arduous and unceasing daily practice."
Chen Chuan nodded earnestly. "Thank you for your guidance, Teacher Zheng. I’ll rember it."
Teacher Zheng smiled. "You should have felt it by now. A person who excels at technique can make one part of their strength accomplish the work of five. They can often use more efficient thods to defeat their opponents."
"However, even though I myself am an advocate for technique, technically-focused opponents are actually the ones I personally hate the most and least want to face. When you encounter an enemy like that, it’s best to take them out at the first opportunity. Otherwise, you’ll be in for a real headache."
With that, he waved to those outside. "I won’t say any more than necessary. Let’s go! I’ve prepared roasted lamb again today. After we eat, we’ll move on to real combat practice in the latter half of the month!"
「In the blink of an eye, it was March 20th.」
In a private fighting arena in the southeastern part of Wuding District, a large number of disciples from various heritage factions had gathered. They were all here to participate in an internal exchange tournant.
The young people were all discussing the opponents they would face today. Every year, they sought out students from Wuyi Academy for sparring exchanges. Their past record was about fifty-fifty, with wins and losses on both sides, and they were well aware of Wuyi Academy’s strengths and weaknesses.
Generally, the fundantals of Wuyi Students weren’t as good as theirs. Even though the Wuyi Students were also taught from a young age, their teachers were all hired from the outside. As outsiders, they could never be as dedicated as the young disciples’ own elders, nor did they possess the teaching experience their ancestors had accumulated over generations.
Furthermore, their factions were centered on martial cultivation. They existed for combat, a legacy to be passed down through the generations. In contrast, those who tested into Wuyi were often just looking for a stepping stone to advance their careers. Their level of investnt couldn’t compare. And when it ca to the most important resources, these disciples from the traditional factions never lacked for anything.
Their main disadvantage, if any, was their small numbers. Theirs was a system of absolute elite cultivation, unlike Wuyi Academy, which produced successful graduates in batches every year.
Wuyi Academy’s students also had far more opportunities to fight outsiders, so every one of them was experienced and particularly adept at practical combat. In contrast, the factions’ disciples followed a principle of not being allowed out until their training was considered complete. So, each side had its own set of pros and cons.
"I heard the one they invited this ti is a student who earned his spot in Central City all on his own, coming from a regional city. He’s not one of the Recomnded Students and has no family background. Oh, wait, I heard he’s the disciple of that elder from the Cheng Family."
"That one from the Cheng Family?"
A look of realization dawned on the young people.
They had all heard of him. He’d had a falling out with his own father—over a difference in philosophy, it was said—and had voluntarily left Central City to beco a teacher at a regional Wuyi Academy. In the past, their elders had privately used him as a negative example, warning them never to be like him.
They were all very confident about facing his disciple. In fact, they felt an inexplicable sense of psychological advantage.
They knew what the regional cities were like, as their elders had taken them there to train before. The impression left on them was profound: the cities were dilapidated, poor, and backward. Having been there once, they never wanted to go back.
’The cultivation resources there are pitifully scarce,’ they thought. ’They can only use local dicines. A student from that kind of environnt is bound to have a flawed foundation. It’s only because he’s still at the Second Limit that he can contend with us for a bit. It’ll be a different story at higher levels... and that’s assuming he can even get there.’
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