Chapter 268: Sparring
Chapter 268: Sparring
Chen Chuan held the Snow Lady Sword in his hand and returned the bow with a fist, saying, "Senior Zheng, please teach me."
Teacher Zheng stood by and reminded him, "Student Chen, in a moment, I'll ask you to only defend and not counterattack or dodge. Stand in place and use the method I taught you to unload and redirect the force. Once you master these techniques, we'll move on to the next stage."
Zheng Tongtong gracefully waved the heavy-backed sword in her hand and said, "Classmate Chen, please draw your sword."
Chen Chuan reached out, gripping the hilt, and slowly drew out the Snow Lady Sword. As a snowy blade glow gradually emerged, the entire training ground seemed to fill with a chill.
"Oh? A mutated weapon?"
Teacher Zheng was taken aback. Such craftsmanship was a rare sight these days, and not many possessed this skill, and moreover...
His expression turned serious, and the cold light on the sword gave off an indescribable sense of threat. It was certain that many skilled warriors had fallen to this blade.
Zheng Tongtong waited until the Snow Lady Sword was fully drawn, and Chen Chuan had assumed a defensive stance. "Junior Chen, be careful," she said, and with that, she leaped forward, delivering a chop straight at him. Her movements were incredibly agile, like an inflated rubber ball, bouncing towards him.
Chen Chuan heeded Teacher Zheng's words, not dodging, but instead, using the method taught by Teacher Zheng, he manipulated the mutated tissue to meet the Snow Lady Sword with a horizontal block.
A powerful force was transmitted as their blades connected, causing Chen Chuan's feet to sink, and the customized floor beneath him also depressed. This force pressed down for a while before dissipating.
Instead of continuing her attack, Zheng Tongtong took a few steps back, giving Chen Chuan time to adapt and think. Clearly, this wasn't her first time sparring, and she was very experienced.
Chen Chuan understood her good intentions and thought for a moment. Although he had neutralized the force from her previous attack, he had been too slow in his redirection. Under the condition that he couldn't dodge, if Zheng Tongtong had delivered a second chop, he would have been split from his standing position, and his entire defensive stance would have crumbled. Therefore, his next task was to improve the speed of his force unloading and redirection.
After realizing this, he nodded to Zheng Tongtong.
Zheng Tongtong's previous chop was just a test of his endurance, and now she knew how far to push him. She raised her sword for another chop.
With a loud clang, Chen Chuan firmly withstood the attack, and this time, his feet sank not in unison but with a certain reasonable distribution, hinting at a counter-attack stance.
"Well done, Junior Chen! You've got a solid foundation," Zheng Tongtong praised.
She had intended to hold back a bit, but Chen Chuan had caught her attack perfectly. Although his force unloading and redirection were not yet proficient, they were very standard and executed precisely.
"Junior Chen, your foundation is solid, so I won't hold back from now on," she said.
Saying this, she raised her sword and chopped down again, and this time, it wasn't just one chop but a continuous series of over a hundred chops!
Each of her chopping motions was identical, whether in the distance of her swings or the force behind them; there was no distinction. And with each successive chop, she would time it perfectly, striking just as Chen Chuan unloaded the force, leaving him no room to breathe. She demonstrated incredibly solid basics and control.
Under this relentless chopping pressure, Chen Chuan had no choice but to mobilize his mutated tissue to unload and redirect the force. Although he struggled to adjust during the first dozen or so chops, with Zheng Tongtong's skilled sparring methods, he quickly adapted and mastered the technique. By the time she reached the latter part of her series, he had become calm and composed.
Teacher Zheng watched from the side, and after Zheng Tongtong had delivered over a thousand chops, and Chen Chuan had completely adapted to this chopping style, he finally spoke up, "That's enough, take a break."
Zheng Tongtong immediately retreated, returning to her previous position. Despite her intense chopping, her breathing remained steady, and her entire being seemed relaxed, indicating that the previous activity was nothing to her.
Chen Chuan adjusted his breathing, looked up at Zheng Tongtong, and nodded to her in gratitude.
This was no ordinary sparring partner; her combat prowess aside, Chen Chuan had never encountered such a skilled training partner. He only needed to focus on performing at his best, without worrying about anything else, as his partner would naturally provide the appropriate response, guiding him to bring out his best state.
If left to train by himself, reaching that final state would, optimistically, take an entire day. But all of this was compressed into those thousand chops.
Now, he felt like the technique of force unloading and redirection had been imprinted into his mutated tissue, a natural feedback after receiving external stimuli and self-awareness.
No wonder those fighters were willing to pay a high price for a good private trainer; the benefits were indeed significant. A good sparring partner provided immense assistance to fighters.
Teacher Zheng said, "Next, I'll have Tongtong increase the difficulty. Get ready." He called out to his daughter, "Tongtong."
Zheng Tongtong acknowledged and reminded Chen Chuan, "Junior Chen, this time, I'll increase the force of my chops. Be careful."
Chen Chuan agreed and adjusted his stance.
Zheng Tongtong, seeing that he was ready, didn't hesitate and delivered another powerful chop, and the force behind it was evidently stronger than the previous one.
Chen Chuan, instead of waiting for her chop, slightly raised his hand, sticking the back of the Snow Lady Sword upwards.
After this exchange, there was no intense collision like before. Instead, the force from the sword only pressed him down slightly, as if the sword didn't slash down but was placed upon him.
Teacher Zheng observed this move with satisfaction. Technique is about utilizing all advantageous conditions to mitigate unfavorable factors. When the opponent's strength changes, you must also seek new opportunities to break through. This move is very proactive, and it doesn't exceed the limits of his current capabilities.
Very good. No wonder his combat decision-making in the entrance assessment was top-notch. It was this aspect that Teacher Zheng valued, which led him to decide to mentor Chen Chuan seriously. Technique and physical fitness can be improved through practice and other means, but this innate combat talent is rarely possessed by others and is almost impossible to enhance through acquired means.
As a qualified sparring partner, Zheng Tongtong noticed his proactive change and responded by increasing the difficulty of her attacks. Her offensive moves were no longer limited to vertical slashes but shifted to the more challenging left and right horizontal slashes.
Chen Chuan initially struggled to block these attacks, but he quickly adjusted. Once he adapted, Zheng Tongtong changed her moves to diagonal slashes, followed by thrusting and then sweeping slashes... Each time Chen Chuan adapted and caught up, she would change her attack style.
After Chen Chuan successfully handled all these moves, she seamlessly combined various sword techniques, leaving no gaps in between. Under this high-tempo guidance and sparring, Chen Chuan's understanding of force redirection techniques steadily improved.
Teacher Zheng spoke up at this point, "Let's stop here for now and continue in the afternoon."
Zheng Tongtong heard the instruction and swiftly sheathed her sword.
Chen Chuan checked the time and realized it was already 11:30 AM. Unknowingly, the entire morning had passed by.
Teacher Zheng said, "Tongtong, go and prepare."
"Okay," Zheng Tongtong replied.
Zheng Tongtong turned and walked out. After hours of sword practice, she wasn't even slightly out of breath, not even breaking a sweat. It was evident that her force control and breathing technique had reached an exceptionally high level.
Teacher Zheng walked up to Chen Chuan and examined him from head to toe. He showed no signs of fatigue, and his eyes remained bright and spirited. Teacher Zheng was very pleased and said, "Student Chen, your foundation is excellent. Well done. Based on your performance, we will increase the intensity this afternoon, focusing on force control."
Chen Chuan took a deep breath and replied, "Okay, Teacher Zheng."
He was aware that the training so far had been relatively simple because Zheng Tongtong, as the attacking side, had only varied her sword techniques without employing any force control changes. The latter was the real test of one's abilities.
Teacher Zheng offered him some pointers on areas to pay attention to. At that moment, a savory aroma of grilled meat wafted over from the front yard. With a smile, he said, "Let's go eat something first."
He led Chen Chuan to the front yard, where a barbecue grill had been set up. Under Zheng Tongtong's skilled hands, slices of meat were being skewered and grilled.
Teacher Zheng said, "Sharpening does not hinder chopping wood. Good food stimulates better practice. I believe that every class, whether academic or martial, should have a circle of barbecue grills beside them. If you study well, you get to eat; if you don't, you watch others eat. It'll ensure that every student is eager to learn."
Zheng Tongtong couldn't help but say, "Dad, this is just your personal preference."
Teacher Zheng disagreed, "How can this be just my personal preference? The most wonderful things in the world are eating and sleeping. We practice combat, and only with good food and sleep can we have the energy to fight."
He walked forward, took a skewer of grilled meat, and tossed it to Chen Chuan, "Try this."
Chen Chuan caught it and took a bite, feeling a bit surprised.
The meat was excellent, with a crispy exterior and tender, juicy interior. Each bite was warm and satisfying, quickly replenishing his energy, almost like eating a nutritional paste.
Teacher Zheng smiled, "This isn't ordinary lamb, but high-cliff sheep obtained through Zhan Tong United's channels and raised in a special region. It's specifically provided for us fighters as a benefit from the Handling Bureau."
Chen Chuan pondered for a moment. Compared to expensive medications, good ingredients were relatively less costly but could bring immense pleasure and satisfaction. The Handling Bureau's arrangement in this regard was very effective in enhancing one's sense of belonging, a benefit without much cost.
As for Zhan Tong United, he hadn't heard of this company before. After checking the interface token, he learned that their business specialized in various niche items and rare objects. Regardless of how exotic something was, as long as you could afford it, this company had the means to acquire it for you.
After finishing the skewer in his hand, Zheng Tongtong handed him over a dozen more. He thanked her and took them.
Teacher Zheng said, "To fully absorb the nutrients from this meat, you'll need intense training. This meat will be enough for your afternoon workout."
"The force I taught you, you've grasped the basics, but it's not yet your own. Just as everyone has their own habits, everyone also has their own unique force. So, in the afternoon training, you must find the force that belongs to you!"
(End of Chapter)
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