Chapter 279: The Invitation
Chapter 279: The Invitation
On the first day of March, Chen Chuanyi arrived early at Teacher Zheng's residence. Today, he would learn how to attack, entering the most crucial training phase of his entire education.
After meeting with his teacher, Teacher Zheng, following their usual routine, began by instructing him on various force manipulation techniques for offensive maneuvers when wielding a blade. Once Chen Chuanyi had grasped the basics, Teacher Zheng gave him further instructions:
"Offensive force manipulation is different from defensive techniques, but the altered organisms invoked are complementary to those used previously. Only by mastering both can one be truly well-rounded. So, don't neglect your defensive training during this phase either."
After this concise instruction, Teacher Zheng led Chen Chuanyi to the familiar training ground. He took a long blade similar to the Xuejun Blade from its rack and tossed it to Chen Chuanyi.
As Chen Chuanyi caught it, he immediately felt its overwhelming weight, realizing it was a heavy blade. He looked up and saw that Teacher Zheng was also holding a similar sword.
Teacher Zheng said, "Now, it's your turn to attack. You can only use the force manipulation techniques I just taught you. Try to force Teacher Zheng to retreat from her position."
Teacher Zheng effortlessly waved the blade in her hand, her muscular arm making it seem as light as a feather. She said, "Junior Chen, go ahead and strike."
Chen Chuanyi understood that it was time to switch from defense to offense. He could also observe Teacher Zheng's defensive techniques. He twisted his wrist and said, "Senior Zheng, I'm ready."
Knowing that both father and daughter were straightforward people, Chen Chuanyi stepped forward after speaking. He used the technique Teacher Zheng had just taught him, manipulating his altered organisms to generate force. He swung the blade down towards Teacher Zheng with a powerful overhead strike!
However, this powerful and heavy blow only produced a faint sound of contact. Despite the blades touching, it felt as if he hadn't struck anything at all, and the force seemed to have vanished.
Teacher Zheng's posture was relaxed, and it was hard to tell how much force she was exerting. Yet, with this casual block, she completely neutralized his strength.
Her feet didn't even seem to sink into the ground, as if she had used her entire altered organism to bear the full force without leaking any outwardly.
Chen Chuanyi took a breath, steadied himself, and slowly raised his blade. To break through her defense, he needed to improve the efficiency of his force manipulation, allowing him to exert more power in an instant.
Just as he had to experience defense during his previous training, he now needed to grasp offense. He had to repeatedly explore force manipulation techniques to overcome the obstacles before him.
Offense seemed easier than defense, but in reality, it was a more challenging test.
However, one crucial aspect of offense was that it was always proactive. When to initiate an attack and how to do so were entirely within his control.
He raised both hands, holding the long blade high. He meticulously manipulated his altered organisms, and when he felt he couldn't add any more force, he lunged forward with a bow step and delivered a heavy downward slash!
Teacher Zheng lifted her blade to block, and with a 'clang,' she stood firm like an immovable weight, her wrist not budging an inch as she caught his blade. Even the subsequent surge of force was absorbed by her.
Chen Chuanyi could clearly sense that this was far from Teacher Zheng's limit. Her robust body seemed capable of withstanding much more force, and his strike hadn't yet forced her to exert her full potential.
But he knew that Teacher Zheng could manipulate far fewer altered organisms than him. The fact that she had reached such a level of skill with just those organisms and could easily neutralize his offense was precisely the efficiency and variation in altered organism manipulation that he needed to learn.
Far from being disappointed, Chen Chuanyi felt invigorated. Through Teacher Zheng's manipulation, he saw a better way to apply defensive techniques. He was learning defensive skills even while practicing offense, a double reward.
He continued, taking a few steps back, spinning, and slashing horizontally. Teacher Zheng supported the blade with one hand and pushed with the spine of her blade, blocking it with a 'clang.'
Chen Chuanyi's strike, aided by his momentum and the blade's weight, was incredibly powerful. But Teacher Zheng, relying on her robust physique and altered organisms, absorbed the force, and only a minimal amount seemed to linger on her blade.
Chen Chuanyi tried various slashes, and as his force manipulation efficiency improved, his speed and power increased noticeably.
But no matter how much he improved, Teacher Zheng was like a sponge, always absorbing and neutralizing his force, preventing him from fully unleashing the power of his blade.
Three days passed without any progress.
However, Chen Chuanyi wasn't discouraged. He could genuinely feel his improvement, and the effects of the radiance exposure were gradually becoming apparent, as his physical strength steadily increased.
Especially towards the end, he noticed that Teacher Zheng was no longer blocking his strikes as she had before. Instead, she was using the same technique he had used earlier, intercepting his slashes before the blade fully descended, indicating that he was gradually approaching her defensive limit.
In the following days, his strikes seemed less tightly connected than before. He would pause for a moment, gathering his strength, before delivering a powerful blow, gradually increasing the tempo of his attacks.
On the seventh day, as Chen Chuanyi slashed down, Teacher Zheng's blade suddenly vibrated like a wave, causing her to involuntarily take a half-step back. She couldn't help but give him a thumbs up, genuinely impressed: "Junior Chen, well done!"
Chen Chuanyi held his blade and bowed, saying, "Thank you, Teacher Zheng, for your generosity."
It was indeed a generous gesture, as Teacher Zheng was likely not using her most familiar blade. If she had, his previous strike wouldn't have been so easily deflected. In terms of technique, he still had a long way to go.
Teacher Zheng nodded in satisfaction, "It's good that you know your shortcomings, but don't be too modest. How long have you been practicing? Your performance is not bad. You've passed this training session. Next will be light saber training, followed by dual saber training."
"Accordingly to your progress, you should have a good grasp of the fundamentals by the end of this month. After that, you'll enter real combat training, which is the true focus. If you don't practice well, don't even think about passing my assessment. Alright, go back and rest now. Come back in the middle of the month."
Chen Chuan thanked Teacher Zheng and his daughter. If possible, he would have liked to continue training, but they also had their own matters to attend to, and he couldn't neglect his daily training regimen.
In the blink of an eye, it was another leisure day. He called his aunt's home and Teacher Cheng's place, updating them on his recent situation and assuring them not to worry.
He also received a telegram from Gao Ming, saying that the matters at hand were almost settled, the procedures were completed, and he was preparing to come to Central City.
It was just a bit later than the originally planned time, and he would likely arrive at the end of March, with specific details to be notified in advance.
At noon, as Chen Chuan was flipping through some martial arts materials from the academy, Ni Qianqian's contact request came in. He thought it might be related to the Processing Bureau, so he accepted the call. Ni Qianqian's voice sounded, "Little Brother Chen, are you at the Academy Tower?"
"Yes, is there another mission to carry out?" Chen Chuan asked.
"It is and it isn't. Are you free? I'll take you to a place. I'll be there soon."
"I have time," Chen Chuan replied.
"Then see you later."
Chen Chuan was quite concerned about the matters of the Processing Bureau, as they were his investors and provided resources that genuinely enhanced his abilities. He quickly tidied up and headed downstairs.
After waiting for only a moment, a red sports car turned the corner from the opposite direction and drifted to a stop in front of him. Ni Qianqian lifted her purple goggles, her wavy long hair swaying in the wind, "Little Brother Chen, get in the car."
Chen Chuan walked over, opened the passenger door, and sat inside. Before he could fasten his seatbelt, the car sped off.
6◇9◇Book◇Bar
As Ni Qianqian drove, she said, "Wei Wusheng sure knows how to hide. Recently, he's disappeared without a trace. Remember those attackers from the case you were involved in?"
"I remember, it seems one of the leaders escaped," Chen Chuan replied.
"That's him," Ni Qianqian said. "We were tracking him, but he escaped to the Lower City District through the Moss Gang's channels. Someone at the Bureau suggested that you go down there to track him. I immediately rejected the idea. What a joke, the Lower City District is a big trouble. Although you have the ability, you're not at that level yet.
But I rejected their proposal. Recently, they might assign you another task, which is quite troublesome. You need to be careful."
"Thank you for the reminder, Sister Ni," Chen Chuan said.
"Hmm, there's another matter. Someone wants to meet you today, and they specifically asked me to find you."
"Meet me?" Chen Chuan asked.
Chen Chuan thought for a moment and came up with a possible explanation.
The sports car didn't leave the Wuding District, and within a few minutes, they arrived at the largest private green park in the district. Ni Qianqian parked the car outside, called out to him, and showed her identity to the security personnel.
Inside, there was a vast lake where people could be seen leisurely boating. The spring breeze blew, causing the willows on the shore to sway gently. Unlike the colorful, dazzling lights commonly seen outside, the park appeared clean and unadorned.
Crossing an arched bridge and walking through a wooden corridor, they arrived at a pavilion where an unassuming elderly man was instructing a child. As they approached, the elderly man turned and glanced at Chen Chuan, "Young man, you're here."
"Elder Cheng," Chen Chuan replied, recognizing the man as Cheng Shang, the uncle of Cheng Zitong, whom he had met and briefly conversed with at the Yangzhi City Judgment Court.
Cheng Shang waved his hand, indicating for the child to play on their own, and he walked to the stone table in the center of the pavilion and sat down. "You two young people, take a seat," he said.
Ni Qianqian sat on one side, leaning against a recliner, while Chen Chuan thanked him and took a seat on the stone stool in front of Cheng Shang.
Cheng Shang said, "Young man, when you were in Yangzhi City, Zitong kept praising you in front of me. Since you came to Central City, I've been paying attention to you, and it seems you're adapting well. I called you here today because there's an internal exchange tournament, and I'd like to know if you're willing to participate. Ni family girl, you can explain it to him."
Ni Qianqian spoke up, "Little Brother Chen, you should know that besides the Wu Yi Academy, there are also traditional teaching methods passed down in Central City, right?"
Chen Chuan indicated that he was aware of this, referring to Teacher Cheng Zitong and his senior brother, whose disciples were nominally classmates, but he had never seen them. At most, they were just registered at Wu Yi Academy.
Ni Qianqian pointed to herself with her slender fingers, "Your sister Ni, me, was taught in this traditional manner. However, it's not advisable to be closed-minded, so every year, the disciples taught using traditional methods will find a way to spar and exchange with some students from the Wu Yi Academy to test their strengths and weaknesses.
Since you're also considered an acquaintance, Elder Cheng proposed letting you participate. But we won't let people work for free; there will be compensation. What do you think, Little Brother Chen?"
Chen Chuan sincerely replied, "I'm very willing to spar and improve with the other students."
...
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(End of Chapter)
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