Exploration

"I think we can go for this prize money!" Russell leaned his head in and suggested.

"Given Teacher's strength, even the strongest, Chen Huan, is no match for him. We can definitely secure a spot for Huaisha City. However, ten teams participated in Huaisha City last time; it's hard to say how many will join this time," Xiayin explained.

"Ten teams?" Lin Sheng was surprised. "Aren't there only three clubs?"

"Because it's a singles tournament, anyone in the public with a bit of confidence can enter, provided they bring their own protective gear. So, it's not just the three of us competing," Xiayin clarified.

"Understood," Lin Sheng nodded.

"So, Teacher, are you going to participate?" Russell asked with a look of anticipation. "If you compete, you could help our club win some medals and trophies. Think of how much face that would give us when recruiting in the future!"

Lin Sheng was silent for a moment, then nodded. "I can."

"I knew it! Those losers from Tengchong won't stand a chance now!" Russell burst into laughter.

"Each city can advance two spots. Chen Huan should be able to take second place," Xiayin added calmly from the side. "Of course, that's assuming she doesn't run into Teacher."

Lin Sheng didn't say anything. He looked at the information in his hand, his gaze shifting upward to the competition date: starting April 13th.

"What's today's date?" he asked casually.

"March 27th. There are still more than ten days until the competition, about two weeks. There's still plenty of time," Xiayin said.

"Right. Only one person can enter, so you three will be the reserve team. Alright, that's enough about this. Let's start today's lesson." Lin Sheng handed the document back to Xiayin.

The other three quickly put away their miscellaneous items, stood up, and lined up in front of him.

Although the formation was somewhat loose, one could still see that their attitudes were very serious.

Ever since he defeated Russell last time, Lin Sheng's status in their hearts had completely changed. He was no longer just an ordinary swordsmanship coach hired for money, but someone they treated with the genuine respect due to a teacher.

Lin Sheng carefully scanned the three of them.

From left to right, the first was Russell.

This guy was 1.8 meters tall, large and sturdy, with dark yellow hair, a few freckles on his face, and common light blue eyes. He looked like an ordinary white man.

He wasn't handsome, lacked presence, and his exterior was playful, but when he got serious, there was a hint of ruthlessness in him.

Lin Sheng analyzed him briefly and quickly determined Russell's profile, deciding which style and direction he should guide him toward.

Then, he looked at Madilan.

Madilan was a head taller than Russell, nearly 1.9 meters, but his build was slightly leaner. He had long arms and legs and a simple, honest face.

During training, he always completed tasks honestly and diligently, without cutting any corners. He had the most solid foundation of the three, and his stamina and strength were also the best among them.

The third was Xiayin.

She was a typical wealthy young lady—high IQ, looking at everyone as if they were idiots, with a proud personality and good perseverance. Although not as strong as Madilan, she was on par with Russell.

Despite her pretty appearance, she lacked the fragility common to most "flower vases."

After summarizing the three, Lin Sheng gathered his thoughts and spoke slowly.

"I've had you practicing basic moves for a while now. Basic moves are the foundation of all styles and techniques. Any style of swordsmanship is derived from these fundamentals."

He paused, then continued.

"Naxi Swordsmanship doesn't just refer to the swordsmanship passed down in the Naxi region; it is a collective term for a large variety of swordsmanship styles evolved from it in various places."

"And in this swordsmanship, I need to know how well you have mastered the stances."

He flicked the longsword in his hand, gripped it tightly with both hands, and with a swish, pointed it diagonally forward. The tip of the sword almost touched the ground, but not quite—it was just a hair's breadth away.

"What is this stance? Who knows?" he asked in a deep voice.

"Uh, is it the stance for an upward slash? The main purpose is to attack between the legs!" Russell blurted out, seizing the chance to answer. "Teacher, we've never learned this before. Also, isn't this move a bit... lewd?"

Lin Sheng glanced at the other two; Madilan and Xiayin both looked blank.

He immediately realized that there seemed to be significant differences between Naxi Swordsmanship and the dream-realm swordsmanship he had acquired.

He paused again and explained.

"Most of the moves in Naxi Swordsmanship focus on thrusting, which is why our protective gear is designed to defend against stabs and cuts."

"But the swordsmanship I specialize in is different. I focus on thrusts as well as basic moves like hacking and slashing."

"So, Teacher, is your swordsmanship self-created?" Xiayin asked immediately.

"No," Lin Sheng shook his head. "My swordsmanship is inherited from an ancient school. I have named it..." For a moment, a multitude of terms flashed through his mind.

But after a moment of hesitation, he chose the most straightforward one.

"I named it Black Feather. Black Feather Swordsmanship."

Everything he had integrated and absorbed came from the soldiers and swordsmen of Black Feather City; naming these techniques "Black Feather" was perfectly appropriate.

"Black Feather? Why call it Black Feather?" Xiayin asked, her curiosity piqued.

"We'll talk about that later. For now, let's explain the principles behind this stance of mine."

Lin Sheng began to explain in detail.

"This stance is called the Iron Gate Stance. The Iron Gate Stance can have many variations, but the most commonly used one involves positioning the sword in the center, which is known as the Central Iron Gate."

"This posture can transition into quite a few follow-up sword techniques, and it is also the stance with the best defensive capabilities. It may look like it leaves the head exposed, but in reality, this is merely a lure to bait the enemy into attacking."

He began to demonstrate the variations and follow-ups of the stance to the three of them one by one.

Although the three had already mastered some stances of Naxi Swordsmanship, this was their first time hearing of such a stance, so they studied it with exceptional focus.

As Lin Sheng provided guidance, he was also mentally organizing the memories he had obtained from that Elite Rotten Swordsman.

From that swordsman's memories, he had not only gained a comprehensive foundation in Black Feather Swordsmanship but also acquired a true, orthodox sword technique.

Previously, he had obtained the sword technique Angry Strike from Ravel's notes, but he had not practiced it intensely.

He had attempted to practice Ravel's Angry Strike, but unfortunately, his progress was far too slow.

Compared to hunting Rotten Swordsmen and directly acquiring their experience and memories, he estimated that it would take him at least half a year to fully master Angry Strike.

As for integrating it completely into his own swordsmanship system, that would take an indefinite amount of time.

This was because Ravel's Angry Strike was a sword technique he had developed specifically for himself, making it the most suitable for his own style.

I can study and absorb its essence, but copying it entirely is not advisable. In his spare time recently, Lin Sheng had also been pondering the Angry Strike technique he had translated.

He was attempting to incorporate its force-exertion techniques into other similar sword moves, but unfortunately, progress was slow.

After a round of training, time slipped away, and forty minutes passed by in the blink of an eye.

Lin Sheng left behind practice assignments, bid farewell to the three, and departed the club.

Having obtained the memories of the Elite Rotten Swordsman, his strength had increased significantly. Although he had not fully digested them, the next time he entered the dream, he would no longer be the mere novice he once was.

At the very least, I should be at the level of a formal soldier, a first-tier warrior, right?

With this thought in mind, Lin Sheng returned home, dutifully reviewed his lessons, completed his exercise books, and studied his review materials.