Breaking Free of Sword Technique Patterns

Everyone stared in stunned silence.

If the earlier clash had merely demonstrated Xu Ziming's immense strength, then what he displayed now was his astonishing swordsmanship.

It revealed swordsmanship beyond a high school student's comprehension, along with incredibly fast reflexes.

Even though most of the class could tell that Ma Mingyu had been holding back.

They also knew their own limits. Even if their homeroom teacher went easy on them, they did not think they could last three moves.

"Is this really the Basic Sword Method?"

"What kind of Basic Sword Method is that? I can't even see his shadow."

As the probing continued, a smile curled across Ma Mingyu's lips.

Just as he had guessed, Xu Ziming had not only broken through into the Sword Momentum realm, but his talent was far from ordinary.

After exchanging only a few moves with him, Xu Ziming had completely adapted to his attacks.

Time passed, second by second.

At last, Ma Mingyu's expression turned serious, and his sword suddenly became incomparably fierce.

"Your swordsmanship is good, but it's too formulaic. You're only at the beginner stage."

As soon as he finished speaking, Ma Mingyu's swordsmanship rose to another level. The sword in his hand was no longer simply fast; it carried an inexplicable rhythm.

A heart-pounding rhythm, one that seemed to transcend life and death.

Fast and slow intertwined, hardness and softness balanced each other.

He no longer focused solely on heavy sword strikes or swift sword strikes, but cycled between them in a peculiar rhythm.

There was no pattern to it at all.

Xu Ziming's previously solid defensive perimeter was torn open within only a few breaths, and in the next instant, a silver-white flash of sword light grazed his face.

Xu Ziming's breathing gradually grew heavier. Sweat soaked his back, and even his movements slowed by a few degrees.

He knew that he could no longer withstand this offensive. This was not a gap that a mere [trait] could make up in a short time.

What should he do?

He could not win by force, and he could not hold out by defending.

Either way, he would lose. He might as well give it everything he had!

Xu Ziming began changing his sword moves as well. He no longer simply attacked or defended, but did both at once.

His swordsmanship could now be described with a single word: chaotic!

One moment, he stabbed at his opponent's throat; the next, he targeted his opponent's crotch or ankle.

He struck as wantonly as a street thug.

Yet these seemingly unstructured moves actually caused Ma Mingyu's fluid movements to stall for a moment.

Because even he could not predict what move Xu Ziming would use next.

And in that final instant of hesitation, Xu Ziming seized the opportunity and swung his longsword at an extremely bizarre angle.

He stabbed fiercely toward Ma Mingyu's heart.

This strike had completely broken free from the limitations of the Basic Sword Method.

Ma Mingyu's expression changed, but he had no time to react. He could only raise his sword before his chest to block it.

Clang!

The sound of weapons colliding rang out, and Ma Mingyu was actually forced back a step!

The classroom was so quiet that one could have heard a needle hit the ground.

Had he won?

Everyone frowned as they stared at the two of them without moving.

No, he had not won.

Although Xu Ziming had forced Ma Mingyu back, he had also been violently rebounded away himself, exposing a massive opening.

Ma Mingyu seized the chance and thrust out his sword. The strike came incredibly fast. Xu Ziming could not block it at all and could only watch as it pierced his chest.

Whoosh!

Only then did breathing return to the arena, rising and falling as it broke the silence.

Xu Ziming's body turned into a cluster of data light, then quickly reassembled nearby.

His face still carried traces of shock, cold sweat dripping from his temples.

He put away the Psionic Sword in his hand and bowed to Ma Mingyu.

"Thank you for your guidance, Teacher."

Although the sparring session had put him under enormous pressure and he had lost, the improvement it brought him was just as immense.

At the very least, it had made him understand that swordsmanship was not merely a set of rigid, standardized patterns.

"Have you ever inherited any swordsmanship?"

Ma Mingyu suddenly asked, his expression unreadable.

"Never. I comprehended all of this swordsmanship myself."

Upon hearing that, Ma Mingyu gave Xu Ziming a deep look, but ultimately did not ask any further questions.

In Martial Way cultivation, every powerful Martial Artist had his own opportunities. They were always different from others.

"Not bad. Keep working hard."

His praise sounded ordinary, but it was the first time he had praised a student since becoming a teacher.

Before this, he had never praised any student.

He turned around and fixed a stern gaze on the students behind him, his tone carrying unquestionable authority.

"Did you see that? There are no shortcuts in Martial Way cultivation. Every Martial Artist who reaches the end has endured countless trials and tempering."

"You only spend five or six hours in class every day. Outside of those hours, you can decide for yourselves what to do!"

"Whether you hone your Martial Way techniques or study cultural subjects, both can help you improve. But some students go home and..."

Ma Mingyu stopped there, then changed his wording.

"Xu Ziming taught all of you a lesson today. He must have put in tremendous effort throughout the entire winter break. Class dismissed!"

After saying that, Ma Mingyu's body turned into specks of starlight and vanished from the Virtual Classroom.

With his departure, the silence in the martial arts hall was shattered, and the atmosphere completely erupted.

Countless gazes passed through the crowd and landed on Xu Ziming in the center of the classroom.

Envy, admiration, curiosity, jealousy...

The top students in particular all wore complicated expressions.

"A-Ming, you bastard, you've been secretly working hard, huh? That's fucking insane!"

Dai Fei ran over excitedly and slung an arm around Xu Ziming's shoulders.

"No wonder you said you were busy when I asked you to play games during winter break. So you'd been secretly working hard."

Xu Ziming merely smiled and did not explain.

Instead, he turned his attention back to the Equipment Slot.

[Natural Sword Bone] was simply too powerful. In just one hour, it had allowed him to break through the beginner stage and comprehend Sword Momentum.

Still, Sword Momentum probably was not some advanced technique, considering one could comprehend it upon reaching the beginner level in the Basic Sword Method.

At this moment, two slots in the Equipment Slot had opened up and could be equipped at any time.

He first re-equipped the Basic Body Forging Method, then looked away and began considering what to equip next.

At least for now, it seemed that both cultivation methods and weapons could be equipped. As for other items...

He planned to buy other cultivation supplies in the future and test them one by one.

Ideally, he could equip some traits with specific functions. That would greatly improve his actual combat ability.

After all, once their Life Energy Level met the requirements, every Martial Artist taking the College Entrance Exam would enter a space built by Suzhe Province itself.

That space contained a large number of alien races. A single careless mistake could even cost them their lives.

Such was the cruelty of the Martial Arts College Entrance Exam.