I Have a Saber

"He Zhiling, Six Harmonies Saber Technique at Mastery. Please instruct me!"

He Zhiling gripped his longsaber and saluted with clasped fists from afar.

He was around twenty, with thick brows, large eyes, and a solid build. He carried a composed, steady air that did not match his age.

"Chen Cheng, Chasing Wind Saber Technique at Beginner Level."

Chen Cheng returned the salute, carefully sizing up He Zhiling at the same time. His brows unconsciously drew together. His instincts told him this man would be a formidable opponent.

Not only because He Zhiling had mastered his saber technique, but because the aura he gave off was more than a cut above that of the other four martial hall disciples.

Even Liao San, who had likewise mastered his saber technique, and Zhou Biao of the Flying Eagle Gang had not given Chen Cheng such a powerful feeling.

He Zhiling was also observing his opponent.

The youth before him had delicate features and a lean frame, without the sharp, fierce bearing a martial artist ought to possess. He looked utterly ordinary, the sort who would vanish into a crowd without drawing a second glance.

Yet he possessed inborn divine strength, enough to injure Li Lin with one punch, even though Li Lin had trained the Fierce Tiger Fist close to mastery.

He Zhiling was naturally cautious and steady. He did not look down on Chen Cheng just because Chen Cheng's saber technique was only at the beginner level. Still, he had ample confidence that he could defeat Chen Cheng.

After all, in terms of strength, while he could not injure Li Lin with a single punch as Chen Cheng had, he was not far behind.

"You're strong, but I'm no weakling either. Because... I've already entered the Skin-Tempering Realm. Since Lady Shen has instructed us, I will certainly go all out in this fight. You'd better be careful!"

What martial artist did not want to rise above the rest?

With He Zhiling's strength, he had entered the City Guard Office with his heart set on earning rank and distinction. Chief Constable Shen Qingshuang was watching this battle. If he did not seize this chance to display his abilities, catch Shen Qingshuang's attention, and win her favor, then when would he?

With that, he stepped forward half a pace with his left foot, brought his right foot up after it, and shifted his center of gravity forward. Both hands clenched the saber hilt tightly. The blade stood upright, edge facing forward, level with his shoulders before his chest, while his gaze locked firmly onto Chen Cheng.

It was the opening stance of the Six Harmonies Saber Technique: "Moon Held in the Bosom!"

He was already a steady man, confident that his strength was not much inferior to Chen Cheng's. He had resolved to fight solidly and steadily, winning through saber technique—the very essence of the Six Harmonies Saber Technique.

As the saying went, when an expert made a move, one immediately knew whether there was substance to it.

He Zhiling's opening stance won a burst of applause from the people in the training ground. Even Shen Qingshuang on the viewing platform nodded inwardly.

Yang Tai, the instructor of the Six Harmonies Martial Hall, glanced at Liu Yunfeng. Seeing the other man's expressionless face, bitterness welled up even more deeply in his heart. This assessment had likely truly offended this constable.

Without pausing his movements, He Zhiling charged forward at speed, his longsaber thrusting straight for Chen Cheng's face.

It was the move, Sweeping Across the Six Harmonies!

Once his saber forms unfolded, they were broad and open, savage and sharp.

This fellow really is troublesome! Chen Cheng thought, focusing his mind as he slashed forward with his own saber.

No matter what, he would first meet him head-on and test his strength.

But halfway through his attack, He Zhiling's saber move abruptly changed. He tapped the ground with his toes, spun sharply, and swept his saber upward at Chen Cheng's waist.

The movement was crisp and clean, the transition smooth and flowing—swift, tight, precise, and vicious.

Chen Cheng hurriedly twisted to the side and dodged at speed, barely evading the blow.

He Zhiling pressed his advantage without mercy. His saber technique wheeled around into a move called Entangling Head and Wrapping Brain, slashing straight for Chen Cheng's neck with incomparably ferocious force.

Chen Cheng did not dare be careless. His feet moved swiftly as he retreated far away.

He Zhiling moved with his saber, launching a rapid, furious assault. Every stroke targeted a vital point around Chen Cheng's body.

This fellow was truly fighting with everything he had.

His saber forms balanced offense and defense, guarding front and rear. There was almost no opening to exploit.

The power of a mastery-level saber technique really is formidable. But his movement speed seems a little slow!

With his Skin-Tempering Realm at Minor Success, Chen Cheng saw at a glance that although He Zhiling had entered the Skin-Tempering Realm and possessed considerable strength, his movement speed was still nowhere near as fast as Chen Cheng's had been when he first entered that realm.

Even while carrying fifty jin of weight, Chen Cheng could still calmly evade He Zhiling's saber attacks.

Since he held an obvious advantage in movement speed, Chen Cheng did not clash with He Zhiling's saber technique head-on. Instead, he avoided its edge, darting about without pause.

He Zhiling's saber technique was seasoned, but his movement speed was clearly far slower than Chen Cheng's. He could not touch him.

The battle between them gradually turned into a one-sided fierce assault by He Zhiling, while Chen Cheng circled around him, dodging and evading, occasionally striking out with a saber before swiftly withdrawing.

After several dozen exchanges, He Zhiling still could not do anything to Chen Cheng. Yet it also seemed impossible for Chen Cheng to defeat him. The two sides fell into a bitter stalemate.

On the viewing platform, Yang Tai of the Six Harmonies Martial Hall had initially looked tense, but he slowly relaxed. He had already seen that He Zhiling's movement speed was vastly slower than Chen Cheng's. There was no way he could injure Chen Cheng.

Liu Yunfeng also wore a relaxed expression.

Shen Qingshuang, however, kept staring at Chen Cheng, seemingly deep in thought.

Zhao Yongfeng was the one who could no longer hold himself back.

"This Chen Cheng does not seek to attack at all. He only knows how to dodge nonstop. He's clearly cheating! If they keep fighting like this, when will the match ever end?"

Liu Yunfeng shot him a glance and asked, "Constable Zhao, what are you in such a hurry for? When you spar with someone in saber technique, do you not dodge?"

Zhao Yongfeng snorted coldly and said no more.

After several dozen exchanges in the arena, Chen Cheng had gained a preliminary understanding of martial artists who had mastered their saber techniques.

With the mastery-level saber skill He Zhiling had displayed, he could likely slaughter more than a dozen burly men who only knew crude horizontal chops and vertical slashes all by himself.

But that was all.

Because Chen Cheng had also gained a new understanding of the strength of his own Skin-Tempering Realm at Minor Success.

All this time, he seemed to have wandered into a misconception about actual combat. He had always believed that no matter how high one's martial arts, one still feared the butcher's cleaver.

But in a true fight to the death, one's own strength was what determined whether one could win.

He Zhiling's moves might be exquisite, but what use were they if they could not hit anyone?

After his frenzied offensive, He Zhiling had expended enormous strength. His stamina seemed to be gradually failing, and both his movement speed and saber speed grew slower and slower. Chen Cheng, meanwhile, had been barely affected and was gradually growing more at ease.

It seemed that the scales of victory were slowly tipping toward Chen Cheng.

Yet on the viewing platform, Liu Yunfeng inwardly cried that things were bad. He Zhiling showed no sign of decline; he was secretly gathering strength for one final strike, and that strike would surely be incomparably fierce.

If Chen Cheng failed to see through his opponent's ruse to lure the enemy in, he might lower his guard and rashly attack. That would be terribly bad—at best, he would suffer grave injuries; at worst, he would die on the spot!

Just as Liu Yunfeng was about to warn him, Shen Qingshuang's somewhat cool voice drifted over.

"Constable Liu, stay calm."

She had already seen that Chen Cheng's strength far surpassed He Zhiling's. Even if He Zhiling resorted to trickery, he could never defeat Chen Cheng.

Liu Yunfeng said anxiously, "He Zhiling's saber technique is skillful, and he has abundant practical combat experience..."

"Enough!" Shen Qingshuang raised a hand to cut him off, then continued, "Just watch first."

As she spoke, Chen Cheng shifted and darted around, constantly changing positions around He Zhiling. The longsaber in his hand occasionally flicked out in probing attacks, faintly showing an intent to go on the offensive.

Disregarding Shen Qingshuang's words, Liu Yunfeng was about to warn him. But in the end, he was still a step too late. Chen Cheng suddenly shot forward, man moving with saber, the longsaber in his hand seeming to leave no shadow as it slashed straight for He Zhiling's right arm.