Practical Combat, One Year

As night fell, soft lights came on in the courtyard. Xu Mengqing continued practicing his spear technique tirelessly, sweat soaking through his clothes, yet his gaze remained firm and focused.

Days passed, and in the blink of an eye, half a year slipped by. In the small courtyard, a slender youth could be seen holding a long spear, its tip like a dragon as it traced arcs of silver light beneath the sun.

His movements flowed as smoothly as clouds and water. Every thrust carried a sharp whistle through the air, while his footwork was steady yet nimble, his transitions between offense and defense natural.

Zhou Lie watched silently from the side, growing ever more impressed by the child's perseverance and talent.

Zhou Lie stood nearby, his eyes filled with gratification and emotion.

Half a year ago, when he had first met Xu Mengqing, the child's talent had been astonishing, but his foundation in spear technique had been nearly nonexistent. Yet now, after only six months, Xu Mengqing had not only mastered every basic spear technique, but even showed the bearing of a master in his use of certain techniques.

But what moved him even more was the child's perseverance.

With this talent and this perseverance, given time, he would surely achieve greatness.

"Alright, we'll stop here for today," Zhou Lie said, his voice carrying a hint of satisfaction. "You've made great progress these past six months. You've basically mastered the fundamental spear techniques. From now on, I'll spar with you and let you experience how spear techniques are used in actual combat."

He knew very well that to truly master the spear, one needed not only solid fundamentals, but also constant tempering through real combat.

Xu Mengqing withdrew his spear and stood tall. The long spear spun lightly in his hand before planting steadily against the ground. Its tip trembled faintly, yet he showed no sign of being out of breath. Sweat ran down his increasingly defined cheeks and soaked his collar, but his golden pupils burned with a light more scorching than the blazing sun.

"Alright, Uncle Zhou."

Zhou Lie stepped forward and patted his shoulder. The muscles beneath his fingertips were far firmer than those of children his age.

"You really are the most hardworking and most perceptive child I've ever seen," Zhou Lie sighed. "An ordinary Spirit Master would need at least one or two years to train the basic spear techniques to your level. You did it in half a year. You were practically born for the spear."

He paused, his expression turning solemn. "I won't hold back in the sparring to come. Remember this: spear technique isn't some fancy performance. Every move must carry killing intent, a guarding heart, and a steady heart. Your opponent won't wait for you to assume your stance, nor will they give you another chance."

"I understand." Xu Mengqing tightened his grip on the long spear formed from Blue Silver Grass. His first Spirit Ring quietly lit up, and Blue Silver Diamond Transformation activated instantly. The spear shaft turned dark gold, hard as refined iron, and its aura abruptly became sharp and fierce.

Zhou Lie's eyes lit up as he picked up a wooden spear as well. "Come. Attack me."

Before his words had even faded, Xu Mengqing stamped his foot and shot forward like an arrow. His long spear thrust straight ahead. It was a simple direct thrust, yet he had trained it to be fast, precise, and steady, its tip producing a crisp, piercing shriek as it tore through the air.

Zhou Lie raised his spear to block. With a dull clang, his wooden spear went slightly numb from the impact. He was startled. Had this brat's strength increased again?

Before he could think further, Xu Mengqing's spear stance changed. Thrust, lift, chop, sweep—the four basic forms came one after another. There was not the slightest bit of flashiness, yet every move was compact and every step pressed forward. His advancing and retreating footwork had long since lost its initial awkwardness, flowing seamlessly as one whole.

The longer Zhou Lie fought, the more alarmed he became.

He had thought he was merely teaching the basics, but once they truly exchanged blows, he discovered that this youth not only possessed incomparably solid fundamentals, but also terrifyingly sharp combat instincts. His Soul Power Level was clearly not high, yet his physical strength, methods of exerting force, and reaction speed all far surpassed those of others at the same level.

"Good boy!" Zhou Lie's fighting spirit rose. His wooden spear suddenly quickened as he counterattacked.

Xu Mengqing remained unruffled. He drew back his spear and blocked, using the force to retreat. His nimble footwork avoided the edge of the attack, and then he struck back with another thrust.

He did not rely on Soul Power or overwhelming force. He fought solely with pure spear technique and his body. Every block and every advance was precise to the extreme.

Xu Zhan and Meng Ling'er, watching from the side, could not take their eyes off the fight.

Na'er lay sprawled by the courtyard gate, her little face full of admiration as she happily said, "Big brother is amazing!"

After dozens of exchanges, Zhou Lie withdrew his spear and stepped back, letting out a long breath. The look in his eyes as he regarded Xu Mengqing had completely changed.

"Very good," he said with a heartfelt smile. "To achieve this in your first fight against someone..."

Xu Mengqing was breathing slightly hard, but he still stood perfectly straight. Smiling, he said, "Hehe, it's all because Uncle Zhou taught me well."

"Don't be modest." Zhou Lie waved a hand. "I only taught you spear technique. Being able to reach this point is because of your talent."

As he spoke, a bitter smile appeared on Zhou Lie's face.

Another half year passed. Time flowed quietly amid the daily sparring, and Xu Mengqing had grown from a somewhat childish boy into a straight-backed youth.

He had grown noticeably taller, and his features had become increasingly handsome. The immaturity of childhood had faded, replaced by a measure of calmness and coldness. His golden pupils had grown deeper and clearer. Usually, he was gentle and peaceful, but the moment he gripped a long spear, he erupted with an aura as sharp as its tip, and his entire presence became several degrees more fierce.

Over this year of grueling training, from the first glimmer of dawn to the depths of night, he had not slacked off for a single day. Combined with his cultivation method and the Blue Silver Bagua Formation, his Soul Power had steadily risen to level sixteen, making him a level sixteen Spirit Master. His physical strength was even terrifying enough to rival that of an ordinary level thirty-nine Soul Elder.

As for Uncle Zhou, he had left a month ago.

He truly could not teach him anymore. He was even starting to lose his composure.

The main reason was that Xu Mengqing learned far too quickly. Zhou Lie no longer had much left to teach him.

Moreover, he needed time to recover himself. At first, he could still suppress Xu Mengqing with technique and experience, but as they sparred day after day, he was finding it increasingly difficult. Several times, the brat had even caught his openings and forced him into desperate straits. Zhou Lie's feelings were complicated. He, Zhou Lie, whose Blazing Sun Spear had dominated an entire region, had actually been driven to helplessness in spear technique by a nine-year-old child. If word got out, his peers would probably laugh their teeth out. If he continued teaching, he feared he would begin to doubt whether he had practiced spear technique for nothing. So he simply found an excuse and bid farewell to Xu Zhan.

Besides that, over the course of that year, Xu Mengqing had also begun studying his second profession.

For his second profession, Xu Mengqing did not choose Forging like Tang Wulin. Instead, like his father, he chose Mecha Design.

Xu Mengqing had chosen this because—

First, his father, Xu Zhan, was a level-three Mecha Designer, more than capable of teaching a beginner like Xu Mengqing.

Second, compared to learning Forging like Tang Wulin, having watched countless novels and films, he had a greater advantage in Mecha Design.

Lastly, his father did not know any particularly skilled Blacksmiths. As for asking Tang Wulin for help, Xu Mengqing ultimately gave up on the idea.

Compared with Mecha Design, Forging required far too much time. He still had to study spear technique, so after considering everything, he chose Mecha Design.

And after a year of study, he had now reached the level of a level-one designer.