On the first of March, Chen Chuan arrived at Teacher Zheng’s residence early in the morning. Today, he would learn how to attack, entering the most crucial phase of his training.

After they met, Teacher Zheng, as was his custom, first taught him various offensive Power Techniques for his Saber Techniques. Once Chen Chuan had a preliminary grasp, he instructed,

"Offensive Power is different from Defensive Power, but the Mutated Organizations you utilize are complementary to the ones you’ve used before. You must have both for your skills to be complete, so remember not to neglect your defensive training during this phase."

After this brief explanation, he led Chen Chuan to the familiar training ground. He took a Long Blade similar to the Snow Monarch Blade from a rack and tossed it to him.

Upon catching it, Chen Chuan found it incredibly heavy and immediately realized it was a Heavy Blade. He looked up and saw that Zheng Tongtong was also holding a similar blade.

Teacher Zheng said, "Now, you attack. You are only to use the Power Techniques I just taught you. Find a way to force Tongtong back from her spot."

Zheng Tongtong gave the blade in her hand a light swing. In her sturdy arms, it was as if she were brandishing a piece of straw. She said, "Junior Brother, come at me whenever you’re ready."

Chen Chuan understood. It was time for the roles of attacker and defender to be reversed. He could also use this opportunity to see how Zheng Tongtong defended. He rotated his wrist. "Senior Sister Zheng, I’m ready."

He knew the father and daughter were both straightforward people, so the moment he finished speaking, he stepped forward. Using the method Teacher Zheng had just taught him, he activated his Mutated Organization to channel his Power and brought his blade down on Zheng Tongtong’s head!

But this powerful, heavy strike only produced a faint sound of contact. The two blades had clearly met, yet it felt as if his hadn’t connected at all. He had no idea where the force had gone.

Zheng Tongtong’s stance was completely relaxed, revealing no hint of how much Power she was using. Yet with such a casual block, she had completely dissipated his strength.

Her feet hadn’t even sunk into the ground. It seemed she had truly used her entire body’s Mutated Organization to distribute the full force of the blow, without letting a single trace of it escape.

Chen Chuan took a breath and adjusted his stance, slowly raising his blade. ’To break through her defense, I have to improve the efficiency of my Power circulation and unleash more force in an instant.’

Just as he had learned during his defensive training, he now had to comprehend through attacking, contemplating the techniques of Power application again and again to break through the obstacle before him.

Attacking seemed easier than defending, but it was actually a greater test of one’s skill.

But one thing was certain: the attack was always his to initiate. When and how to strike—it was all in his hands.

This time, he raised both hands, lifting the Long Blade high. He mobilized his body’s Mutated Organization, strand by strand, thread by thread. When he felt he could stack no more Power, he lunged forward and brought the blade crashing down!

Zheng Tongtong raised her blade to block. CLANG! She was like an immovable weight, catching his blade without her wrist so much as trembling. She even absorbed the subsequent surge of force that followed.

Chen Chuan could clearly sense that this was nowhere near Zheng Tongtong’s limit. Her sturdy body seemed capable of withstanding even more force, and his strike hadn’t even forced her to display her full skill.

’But he knew that, in reality, Zheng Tongtong could utilize far fewer Mutated Organizations than he could. ’Just with these, she can reach such a level of skill and easily neutralize my attacks. This efficiency and versatility in using Mutated Organizations is exactly what I need to learn.’

So, far from being disappointed, his spirits lifted. Through watching Zheng Tongtong, he saw a better way to apply his Defensive skills. He was learning defensive techniques while practicing his offense—a double reward.

Again!

He retreated a few steps, spun, and unleashed a horizontal slash. Zheng Tongtong steadied her hilt with one hand and placed the other on the spine of her blade, pushing forward. CLANG! She had steadily blocked him once again.

This strike from Chen Chuan, aided by his momentum and the weight of the blade itself, was immensely powerful. But Zheng Tongtong relied on the combination of her powerful physique and her Mutated Organization to absorb the force raw, and very little of it seemed to remain on the blade itself.

Chen Chuan then tried a variety of slashes. As the efficiency of his Power application improved, not only did his attack speed increase, but the force behind each swing also grew noticeably.

But no matter how much he improved, his Senior Sister Zheng was like a sponge, always absorbing and neutralizing his Power, preventing him from unleashing the full force of his blade.

For three whole days, he made no progress.

He wasn’t discouraged, however. He could genuinely feel himself improving, and the effects of the Radiant Light treatments were gradually becoming apparent as the strength of his physique continued to increase.

Especially toward the end, he noticed that Zheng Tongtong was no longer just rigidly blocking him from a stationary position as she had at first. Instead, she adopted the same method he had used previously, proactively intercepting his strikes before his blade fully descended. This told him he was slowly but surely approaching his senior sister’s defensive limit.

In the following days, his strikes were no longer as rapid-fire as before. Instead, he would often build up his power for a moment before unleashing a single slash, then gradually increase his rhythm from that foundation.

On the seventh day, as he unleashed a strike, a ripple-like vibration suddenly ran through Zheng Tongtong’s blade. She involuntarily retreated half a step. She couldn’t help but give him a thumbs-up, genuinely happy for him. "Nicely done, Junior Brother!"

Chen Chuan held his blade and offered a fist-and-palm salute. "Thank you, Senior Sister. You let me win."

’And she really did let me win,’ he thought. ’Zheng Tongtong probably wasn’t using her preferred blade. If she had been using a weapon she was familiar with, forcing her to move with that last strike wouldn’t have been so simple. In terms of technique, I still have a long way to go.’

Teacher Zheng said with satisfaction, "It’s good to know your own shortcomings, but don’t be too modest. How long have you been training? This performance is excellent. You’ve passed this stage of training. Next is light blade training, followed by light and heavy Dual Blades.

"At your pace, you should be able to master the basics of all of them this month. After that, we’ll move on to real combat training. That’s the most important part. If you don’t train well, don’t even think about passing my assessment. Alright, go home and rest for now. Come back in the middle of the month."

Chen Chuan thanked Teacher Zheng and his daughter. If he could, he would have preferred to continue training without a break, but he knew the two of them had their own affairs to attend to. Besides, he couldn’t neglect his own daily training regimen.

In the blink of an eye, it was another day off. He called his aunt and Teacher Cheng to update them on his situation and let them know they didn’t need to worry.

He also received a telegram from Gao Ming, saying that he had nearly finished handling his business. The necessary procedures had been completed, and he was preparing to come to Central City.

He would be arriving a little later than originally planned, likely around the end of March, and would send a specific notice in advance.

At noon, while he was looking through some public combat materials from the academy, a call came in from Ni Qianqian. Thinking it might be about the Processing Bureau, he answered. Ni Qianqian’s voice came through: "Brother Chen, are you at the Academy Building?"

"I am," Chen Chuan replied. "Is there another mission?"

"Yes and no. Are you free? I’m coming over to take you somewhere."

"I have time," said Chen Chuan.

"See you in a bit, then."

Chen Chuan paid close attention to matters concerning the Processing Bureau. After all, as his sponsor, the resources they provided could genuinely help him improve. He tidied up a bit and went downstairs.

After a short wait, a red sports car came around the corner. It executed a sharp drift and screeched to a halt in front of him. Ni Qianqian pushed her purple goggles up onto her forehead and tossed her wavy hair. "Brother Chen, get in."

Chen Chuan walked over, opened the passenger door, and got in. The moment he buckled his seatbelt, the car shot forward.

Ni Qianqian spoke as she drove, "Wei Wusheng is a real slippery one. He’s completely vanished recently. And that case you were involved in before—remember those attackers?"

"I remember," said Chen Chuan. "I think their leader escaped."

"That’s the one," Ni Qianqian said. "We were tracking him, but then we discovered he used the Moss Gang’s channels to escape into the Lower City District. Someone in the Bureau suggested sending you guys down there to track him, but I immediately shot that down. Are you kidding me? The Lower City District is a huge mess. You guys are capable, but you’re not at that level yet.

"Anyway, I vetoed that, but they might assign you something else soon, something tricky. You need to be careful."

"Thank you for the warning, Sister Ni," Chen Chuan said.

"Mhm. On another note, someone wants to see you today. They specifically asked me to come and get you."

"See me?"

Chen Chuan thought for a moment and came up with a possible candidate.

The sports car didn’t leave Wuding District. A few minutes later, it turned into the district’s largest private park. Ni Qianqian parked outside, called to him, and then flashed her credentials to the security guards at the entrance before leading him inside.

Inside was an enormous lake where people could be seen boating leisurely. A spring breeze rustled the willow trees along the shore. There were none of the dazzling, colorful lights that were ubiquitous outside, giving the place a clean, pristine feel. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

They crossed an arched bridge and walked along a wooden corridor until they reached a pavilion. An unremarkable-looking old man was instructing a young child. As they approached, he turned and glanced at Chen Chuan. "Young man, you’ve arrived."

"Elder Cheng," Chen Chuan said. The old man was none other than Cheng Zitong’s uncle, Cheng Shang. He had met him once before at the Judgement Court in Yangzhi City and had even exchanged a few words with him.

Cheng Shang waved his hand, dismissing the child to go play. He walked to the stone table in the center of the pavilion and sat down. "You two young people, have a seat," he instructed.

Ni Qianqian moved to the side and sat on a reclined bench. Chen Chuan said his thanks and sat down on the stone stool opposite Cheng Shang.

Cheng Shang said, "Young man, back in Yangzhi City, Zitong was always praising you to me. I’ve been keeping an eye on you since you came to Central City, and it seems you’re adapting quite well. The reason I called you here today is about an internal friendly competition. I want to ask if you’d be willing to participate. Miss Ni, why don’t you explain?"

Ni Qianqian explained from the side, "Brother Chen, you’re probably aware that besides Wuyi Academy, Central City also has lineages that teach through traditional methods, right?"

Chen Chuan nodded. He knew. For example, his teacher Cheng Zitong’s senior brother. The disciples he taught were nominally Chen Chuan’s classmates, but he had never met any of them. At most, they were just registered with Wuyi in name only.

Ni Qianqian pointed to herself with a slender finger. "Your Sister Ni here is a product of that system. But you can’t improve by training in a vacuum, so every year, the disciples taught through traditional methods arrange internal sparring sessions with some of the students from Wuyi Academy to test their strengths and weaknesses.

"Since you’re an acquaintance, Elder Cheng suggested you participate this time. But we don’t expect people to work for free, of course. There will be compensation. So, Brother Chen, what do you think?"

Chen Chuan said sincerely, "I would be glad to spar with the other students and improve together."

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