Chapter 114: Breakthrough in Swordsmanship, An Unexpected Invitation

Chapter 114: Breakthrough in Swordsmanship, An Unexpected Invitation

At 7 p.m., as the sky gradually darkened, Lu Heng turned on the lights in the training room, took a sip of his electrolyte water, and continued his battle for the last bit of proficiency.

After reaching a proficiency of 2999/3000 in Subtle-level swordsmanship, he had been struggling for more than an hour, but he still couldn't gain that final point of proficiency, as if his swordsmanship had reached a plateau.

This situation was actually a martial arts bottleneck. Lu Heng originally had insights from his previous life, and he shouldn't have encountered any bottlenecks, but he still did.

Lu Heng's temper flared, and the more he was stuck at that last point of proficiency, the more he felt stagnant, the more determined he was not to give up.

Even though he was hungry, he was determined to pass this hurdle first.

In fact, in situations like this, finding a swordsman of the same level for a friendly match might just be the breakthrough he needed.

However, finding a swordsman of the Near-Intentional level wasn't that easy.

Lu Heng thought for a moment, sat back down at his desk, and opened a video on his computer.

The video was of the Japanese swordsmanship competition champion, Hideyoshi Tsugawa, and this particular match was his rise to fame. After this battle, he became known as a master swordsman, receiving praise from countless people.

Lu Heng carefully watched the video and agreed that in this swordsmanship competition, Hideyoshi Tsugawa's performance was exceptional, especially his masterful use of a retreat counterattack technique.

This video was filmed three years ago, and in the three years since, with the extraordinary powers gained after the Abyssal Descent, how much would Hideyoshi Tsugawa have improved?

Lu Heng closed his eyes and simulated in his mind Hideyoshi Tsugawa's retreat counterattack technique from the video, imagining his own response.

If it were the same technique from the video, Lu Heng would find it easy to deal with, and he wouldn't even need any special techniques; he could simply use two fingers to clamp down on his opponent's sword.

Because in the video, Hideyoshi Tsugawa was just an ordinary person without any extraordinary powers, and his attributes in strength, agility, and other areas were all at the level of an average person.

Even if he was at the pinnacle among ordinary people, he was still just an ordinary person.

Lu Heng, with his 62 points of agility and the resulting nerve reaction speed, could easily clamp down on his sword with his fingers at the moment his sword tip approached."

But the current Hideyoshi Tsugawa was no longer the same person from the video.

While his swordsmanship level might not differ significantly, his physical attributes had undoubtedly skyrocketed by several times.

In other words, Hideyoshi Tsugawa's sword speed would be much faster than in the video.

Lu Heng fast-forwarded the video, directly jumping to three times the speed, and played it through. He couldn't help but furrow his brows.

With the increased sword speed, the oppressive feeling of his swordsmanship had also increased by several times.

Moreover, three times the speed probably wasn't even close to Hideyoshi Tsugawa's current level; it was definitely stronger than that.

Lu Heng closed his eyes and simulated in his mind Hideyoshi Tsugawa's retreat counterattack technique, increasing the speed to four times, and then five times.

Through this method, he was able to simulate Hideyoshi Tsugawa's current swordsmanship prowess.

After the simulation, it was clear that Hideyoshi Tsugawa's current swordsmanship was indeed very powerful.

At this stage, even for the top close-combat psychic warriors, it would be difficult to face him.

Lu Heng, with his eyes closed, repeatedly simulated Hideyoshi Tsugawa's retreat counterattack technique at five times the speed.

Again and again...

Until he had imprinted this technique in his mind.

In Japanese swordsmanship, the retreat counterattack technique was one of the nine types and thirteen techniques.

The word "retreat" in the technique's name implies that it involves retreating while simultaneously launching an attack, requiring an extremely fast reaction speed.

Lu Heng stood up, closed his eyes, and walked to the center of the training area, tightly gripping his Aurora Blade, imagining that Hideyoshi Tsugawa was right in front of him, engaging in a match.

After a two-second standoff, Lu Heng took the initiative and thrust out a Cloud Piercing technique, with the blade of his sword passing over the side of Hideyoshi Tsugawa's katana and aiming for his right shoulder.

"Haa!" Hideyoshi Tsugawa reacted swiftly, letting out a shout as he retreated to the left rear and immediately launched a retreat counterattack.

The retreat and counterattack happened almost simultaneously.

With this retreat counterattack, the situation took a drastic turn. Hideyoshi Tsugawa avoided Lu Heng's sword tip while his counterattacking sword strike had already reached above Lu Heng's head.

At this moment, Lu Heng, having taken the initiative to attack, was in a forward-charging state and couldn't retreat to avoid Hideyoshi Tsugawa's offense.

He was about to be struck by Hideyoshi Tsugawa's retreat counterattack.

In this split second, Lu Heng immediately responded with a Cloud Piercing technique, transforming it into a Swallow Turn, causing the sword light to suddenly change direction, turning from a thrust into a horizontal sweep, and with a "clang," he deflected Hideyoshi Tsugawa's katana.

[You have gained insight into swordsmanship. Swordsmanship Proficiency +1]



[Swordsmanship Proficiency: Subtle Level (3000/3000)]



[Subtle-level swordsmanship training is complete. You have entered the fourth level of swordsmanship - Intentional Level.]



Finally, a breakthrough!

Lu Heng suddenly opened his eyes and let out a heavy sigh.

In that moment when he responded to Hideyoshi Tsugawa's retreat counterattack, he executed the Cloud Piercing technique, transforming it into a Swallow Turn, and at the end of his attack, he made a feint.

However, this feint wasn't for offense but for defense.

The original Cloud Piercing technique was an offensive move, and the transformed Swallow Turn was also an offensive technique.

But by turning an offensive technique into a defensive one, it was also a form of "transformation."

Previously, Lu Heng had been solely focused on fierce attacks, which had caused his swordsmanship to stagnate at that last point of proficiency. By switching to a defensive stance, he finally broke through.

This is the understanding of swordsmanship.

After the breakthrough, Lu Heng's face lit up with a smile. This breakthrough was not only in his swordsmanship but also in his mindset.

Sometimes, being overly aggressive can lead to one's downfall. Knowing when to defend and temporarily abandon the offense is the essence of a higher swordsmanship realm.

Lu Heng savored the process of this breakthrough. At that moment, his stomach growled loudly in protest.

He checked the time; it was already 7:30. To gain that last bit of proficiency, he had been battling for an hour and a half.

Finally, he had achieved the breakthrough.

Lu Heng hurried home to eat and satisfy his growling stomach.

...

The next day, at noon.

Lin Zeyu had made all the necessary preparations, and everyone was in place, waiting for the right moment.

Just then, a minor incident occurred.

Lu Heng received an invitation from Kenji Kino and Hideyoshi Tsugawa, inviting him to visit Kenji Kino's mansion in Yue Ning District and discuss swordsmanship with Hideyoshi Tsugawa.

For the past month, the Springtop Group had been persistently trying to woo Lu Heng.

After all, Lu Heng not only possessed formidable power but was also a Tempering Master. Whichever side could recruit him would gain a significant advantage in the world of Abyssal Descent.

When Lin Zeyu saw this invitation, he became furious, "That Kenji Kino! Doesn't he know we've already signed a team contract? Does he still want to poach our people? We were already planning to take action; just ignore it and go ahead with our plan."

Su Muyu also expressed concern, "I'm worried this could be a trap."

Lu Heng thought carefully and said, "The original plan remains unchanged. However, I will accept this invitation."

"Huh? How will this work?" Lin Zeyu frowned.

"You guys continue with the original plan. I'll go and see what Kenji Kino and Hideyoshi Tsugawa are up to." Lu Heng made his decision.

In the afternoon, Lu Heng boarded a car sent by Kenji Kino and headed for a manor in Yue Ning District.

The manor wasn't particularly large, but it was quite exquisite.

Kenji Kino personally greeted Lu Heng at the entrance, "Welcome, welcome, Mr. Lu Heng. It's an honor to have you here."

Beside him stood another man dressed in a ronin outfit, none other than Hideyoshi Tsugawa.

Lu Heng politely responded and was led into the manor by the two men. They sat down in a tearoom beside the garden to enjoy some tea.

A woman in a kimono knelt on the wooden floor, preparing the tea.

Lu Heng got straight to the point, "Mr. Kenji, why did you invite me here today?"

Kenji Kino wasn't used to such a direct conversation style and cleared his throat, "Mr. Lu, you're indeed straightforward. So, I'll be direct as well. There have been some misunderstandings between me and the Lin family, and I regret not becoming friends with you.

"So, I've thought of a win-win solution. I hope we can shake hands and make peace.

"Mr. Lu, you can act as a mediator between me and the Lin family.

"Additionally, I'd like to invest in your Tempering service support company. The Springtop Group will provide full investment but will only hold 40% of the shares.

"You, Mr. Lu, can contribute your skills and hold 60% of the shares. What do you think?"

Lu Heng was slightly surprised by his proposal.

It was indeed an attractive offer.

However, Lu Heng didn't have the energy or time to manage a company. Even if they established a company, it would eventually be handed over to a manager.

Company management was a complex matter, and with the Springtop Group holding 40% of the shares, one could predict the potential issues that might arise.

Lu Heng smiled but didn't immediately accept or reject the offer. Instead, he asked, "Is there anything else?"

Kenji Kino continued, "There's also the matter of the Team Contract."

Lu Heng reminded him, "The Team Contract has already been used, so it seems we can't discuss it."

Kenji Kino raised his hand and said, "Mr. Lu, don't be quick to refuse. If I'm not mistaken, there should only be three signatures on that Team Contract."

Lu Heng nodded in agreement, "Yes, only three people have signed it so far."

Kenji Kino smiled and said, "This is in line with my previous proposal. I'm willing to buy the remaining two slots for an even higher price than the auction price of the contract."

Lu Heng's eyebrows furrowed as he understood his intention. Kenji Kino was willing to pay 650 million for the remaining two slots on the Team Contract.

If calculated this way, it meant that Lu Heng's side wouldn't have to spend a penny and would gain three team slots for free.

Moreover, there was a subtle aspect to this.

Who would receive this money? Kenji Kino had invited Lu Heng personally, which meant that if Lu Heng accepted the 650 million, Kenji Kino wouldn't object.

However, if Lin Zeyu found out about this, he would likely feel uncomfortable.

Lu Heng still didn't outright refuse but asked, "Who does Mr. Kenji plan to give these two slots to?"

Kenji Kino gestured to Hideyoshi Tsugawa beside him and said, "Allow me to introduce you to Hideyoshi Tsugawa, the swordsmanship champion of Japan. He ranks among the top ten swordsmen in Japan.

"If you agree to this proposal, Hideyoshi Tsugawa will become your teammate.

"With a powerful swordsman like Hideyoshi Tsugawa, I believe there won't be another team of psychics in the world that can surpass yours."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end