Sparring Match

A string of information flooded into Xu Wuyi's mind.

He snapped out of that mysterious state and stood where he was, carefully sensing the changes in his body.

His qi and blood had become more condensed. As it surged through him, it carried a vast sense of power, as if it truly possessed some of the heavy quality of a mountain.

He could not wait to sink his awareness into his sea of consciousness.

Martial Dao Diligence Record

Martial Arts: Basic Body Tempering Method

Current Realm: Minor Achievement (19.3%)

Martial Arts Trait: Mountain Suppressor

Evaluation: Foundation like bedrock, qi and blood like lead and mercury; already bearing the form of a mountain.

Before this, his realm had only been around 7% into Minor Achievement, and that was thanks to his diligent training over the past few days.

He had not expected that once his Martial Dao True Intent formed and unlocked a martial arts trait, the proficiency of his body tempering method would leap straight up by 12%!

"Mountain Suppressor..."

Xu Wuyi focused his thoughts on the Mountain Suppressor trait, and the related information naturally surfaced.

When he circulated the Basic Body Tempering Method, it would naturally draw out a trace of Mountain Suppressor's true intent, making the defensive power of his qi and blood even tougher.

When he actively triggered it, Mountain Suppressor's true intent could exert its trait of "suppressing all things," not only greatly enhancing his explosive power, but also affecting the enemy's mind.

Once the true intent emerged, it was like facing Mount Tai crashing down from above—one could only bow before it. That was where Mountain Suppressor's power truly lay!

"A permanent increase in efficiency, refined qi and blood, and this Mountain Suppressor trait..."

"As expected, the Martial Dao True Intent I comprehended is both offensive and defensive, but it still leans more toward explosive power."

After his battle with Li Mo, Xu Wuyi had already realized that what he was truly good at was not "defense," but "explosion."

Defense was only for finding an opportunity, locating the opponent's weakest point, and then killing with one strike.

If his explosive power was insufficient, then none of that held up. Defending would be for nothing!

In any case, he still felt incomparably pleasantly surprised.

He had not expected that the Martial Dao True Intent he had struggled so hard to integrate into his spear art, yet failed to grasp, would instead be comprehended naturally when he returned to cultivating the most basic body tempering method!

And it had directly unlocked a martial arts trait!

Time arrived at half past nine in the morning.

Inside Honghe No. 1 High School's No. 1 Training Hall, the atmosphere was even more solemn than usual.

All twenty-four students of the Sprint Class were present, standing in two lines according to ranking, their gazes focused on the empty area in the center of the hall.

The two teachers, Zhou Yun and Wang Wenhai, stood at the front.

The first guidance match was about to begin, and the time had deliberately been set for half past nine in the morning.

That was because many martial artists were used to practicing martial arts and tempering their bodies at dawn, and the two teachers themselves were no exception.

"The rules for the guidance match are very simple." Wang Wenhai's voice was resonant, his gaze sweeping over everyone like lightning. "Teacher Zhou and I will take turns being your opponents, suppressing our life level to the same level as yours."

"We will simulate the instructors from the practical combat exam of the college entrance examination, find your weaknesses, and give you guidance."

"This is not only to test the results of your past half month of training, but also to let you adapt to the rhythm of the college entrance examination in advance," Zhou Yun added. "Don't expect us to show mercy. Bring out everything you have. The longer you last, the more you will gain."

"Now, in order of ranking. First, Xu Wuyi." Wang Wenhai called the name directly, his gaze landing on Xu Wuyi. "You're up."

Xu Wuyi took a deep breath and calmly walked out of the line under everyone's watching eyes, then stood still in the field.

He took a training spear from the weapon rack nearby. It felt slightly heavy in his hands.

Wang Wenhai casually picked up an unsharpened single saber as well, weighed it in his hand, and walked over to stand opposite Xu Wuyi.

What he was truly skilled in was twin sabers, but for a guidance match with a student, a single saber was more than enough.

"Teacher Wang, please instruct me." Xu Wuyi saluted with his spear, then assumed the opening form of the Wind-Settling Spear, Army-Settling Stance. The aura around him instantly settled, like a mountain.

"Begin." Wang Wenhai wasted no words. The moment he announced the start, he moved.

There was no storm-like rush of attacks as expected. Wang Wenhai's footwork slid, and his figure became ghostly and elusive as he began circling Xu Wuyi.

The single saber in his hand sometimes feinted forward, sometimes lightly traced through the air, bringing up faint whistling sounds. He was in no hurry to close in.

Xu Wuyi's mind was highly focused. The Mountain Moving Method circulated, and his thoughts were as still as an ancient well.

He gripped the spear tightly, its tip adjusting slightly with the direction of Wang Wenhai's movement, always maintaining the best angle for defense and counterattack.

He did not dare show the slightest carelessness. Teacher Wang was a quasi-martial master, with a life level of at least 28 or above. His combat experience and understanding of martial arts were far beyond what Xu Wuyi could compare with.

Even with his life level suppressed, his technique was still enough to form an overwhelming advantage.

Sure enough, after several probing feints, Wang Wenhai's true attack came.

His figure suddenly accelerated, cutting in from an extremely tricky angle, the single saber thrusting straight toward the joint of Xu Wuyi's spear-wielding arm.

The strike was extremely fast, and its angle was even more vicious. If it landed, the joint would be badly injured, and his entire arm would probably lose strength in an instant.

Xu Wuyi reacted with incredible speed. Without moving his footwork, he drove power through his waist, and his long spear spun back as if it had a life of its own, using Wind-Returning Sweep to accurately parry the blade.

However, in the instant before spear and saber were about to meet, Wang Wenhai's wrist gave the slightest tremble. The saber tip sprang upward like a living thing, avoiding the block and turning instead to slash toward Xu Wuyi's face!

The change in move was as swift as a flash of lightning!

Xu Wuyi's heart chilled. With no time to think, he relied on the bodily control granted by the minor attainment realm of the Basic Body Tempering Method and suddenly leaned backward.

The saber tip skimmed past the tip of his nose, and the cold wind it carried raised a layer of goose bumps on his skin.

That was close!

Before he could feel relieved, Wang Wenhai's offensive had already arrived one blow after another, like an unbroken autumn rain.

Chopping, hacking, thrusting, lifting, slicing... Simple saber forms, when executed in Wang Wenhai's hands, were filled with endless variations and follow-ups.

He never clashed head-on with Xu Wuyi's spear at all. Instead, he always used more exquisite steps and movement techniques to seek out gaps in Xu Wuyi's defense, the light of his saber clinging tightly like a bone-deep affliction.

Xu Wuyi pushed the defensive capabilities of the Wind-Settling Spear to their limit.

Army-Settling Stance held the centerline firm, Wind-Returning Sweep protected his whole body, and the occasional Cloud-Piercing Thrust he seized a chance to stab out was always easily dodged by Wang Wenhai by a hair's breadth, or its force was skillfully deflected by the body of the saber.

He felt as if he had been covered by a vast invisible net. The more he struggled, the tighter it bound him.

Teacher Wang's fighting style was different from any opponent he had faced before.

It was not Han Mengmeng's technical suppression, not Zeng Bonan's calm solidity, not Hu Haobo's frenzied ferocity, and even less Li Mo's absolute strength.

This was an extreme form of "field control."

Teacher Wang seemed able to predict his every move, always striking at the moment when his power was just about to be released but had not yet erupted, when his old strength had faded and new strength had yet to arise.

It left him with strength and spear techniques he could not use, as if he had sunk into a mire. His whole body felt uncomfortable, and his rhythm was completely thrown off.

He had thought about unleashing Cloud-Parting Force to force the situation open.

But Wang Wenhai's roaming tactics gave him no such chance at all. The saber light always hovered just within reach yet just out of reach, preventing him from locking onto the target, and his attempts to build up power were interrupted again and again.

This feeling of having strength with nowhere to use it was even more stifling than losing in a direct clash.

In reality, this was exactly the suggestion Li Mo's third uncle had given him after his defeat.

Xu Wuyi's strengths and weaknesses were both very clear, so the two high-level martial artists had, independently of one another, found this solution.