Chapter 20 Defense and Counterattack

[May 24th, early morning.]

[Inside the living room of the Teachers Apartment.]

[Wu Changhe listened to you explain that you had an Acquired Awakening of a Water-elemental Ability and your confusion regarding your saber techniques, his gaze falling upon the blade on the coffee table.]

[His originally serious expression suddenly turned strange. He stared at you for a long while before finally being unable to hold back, laughing out of sheer exasperation.]

["Concept? Saber Intent?"]

[Wu Changhe pointed at your nose, spittle flying everywhere: "Kid, have you been reading too many novels? Or do you think you're hot stuff just because you broke through to the Ninth Stage? You're a mere Qi and Blood Realm Martial Artist who hasn't even cultivated Yuan Qi yet, and your Mental Energy hasn't even undergone its transformation, yet you're talking to me about Concepts?"]

["But... Liu Xiyue, she..." You were somewhat puzzled.]

["That's her ability! That's a gift from the heavens! It's not because her swordplay is so profound!"]

[Wu Changhe tapped the table, frustrated that you weren't living up to your potential. "Li Ang, wake up. You've fought her; ask your conscience—purely in terms of weapon mastery, is she stronger, or are you?"]

[You paused for a moment as the scene from the arena that day flashed through your mind.]

[Although you lost in the end, before that layer of 'Crimson Gauze' appeared, Liu Xiyue's swordplay had actually been forced into disarray by your Major Achievement saber techniques; she had even been on the verge of losing her grip on her sword.]

["I am stronger," you answered honestly.]

["Exactly!" Wu Changhe rolled his eyes. "As far as I know, while Liu Xiyue's family swordplay is exquisite, she is at most at the Minor Achievement Realm. But what about you?"]

["Your Basic Saber Technique has reached Major Achievement!"]

[Wu Changhe stood up, picked up that textbook-like Basic Saber Technique manual, patted it, and his tone became solemn:]

["Li Ang, do not look down on the word 'Basic'."]

["This booklet was compiled a hundred years ago by the Federation, involving twelve Martial Saints and thirty-six Grandmasters, taking ten years to complete."]

["It is the most balanced, has the fewest weaknesses, and is the most suitable saber technique method for a Qi and Blood Realm Martial Artist to build their Foundation."]

["In our Federation, if an ordinary student can reach the Entry level in this saber technique during their three years of high school, they can get into a university; reaching Proficiency makes them a top student; reaching Minor Achievement is a configuration only geniuses have."]

["As for Major Achievement..." Wu Changhe looked at you with a complex gaze. "Usually, only elite sophomore or junior students at key martial arts universities can reach it after being tempered by countless missions."]

["Of course, excluding those monsters in the Federal Martial Arts University and Changjing Martial Arts University. Some of those freaks can practice basic martial arts to Perfection or even innovate upon them before they even enroll."]

["But you must realize, you are only eighteen, and you've been stuck in a resource-poor little place like Longnan! In my twenty years of teaching, you are the only one who has been able to practice the Basic Saber Technique to Major Achievement."]

[You fell silent.]

[You knew this wasn't because you were exceptionally gifted. It was because in the simulator, combined with the boost from [Blade Dao Genius (Blue)], you had practiced the blade for over a decade. It was built through countless boring years of swinging your blade.]

["So, don't aim too high by chasing some Concept, and don't think about learning those flashy ultimate moves."]

[Wu Changhe pointed out incisively, "Those fast blades that emphasize speed or heavy blades that emphasize power are paths chosen only after reaching university when your physical constitution has stabilized. What you need most right now is to play to your own strengths."]

["My strengths?"]

["Yes. What are your strengths?" Wu Changhe asked back. "Is your reaction speed fast? Or is your explosive power strong?"]

[You shook your head.]

[Wu Changhe's expression became odd; what was this kid pretending for?]

["My strength is... resilience."]

[You thought of the 'Hardworking and Enduring' talent, your newly awakened Water-elemental Ability, and your tireless practice of swinging your blade under the waterfall.]

["My Qi and Blood are several times deeper than others of the same rank, and my recovery power is several times that of an ordinary person."]

["As long as a single hit doesn't kill me, I can keep fighting forever."]

["Exactly!" Wu Changhe slapped his thigh hard. "Your Major Achievement in Basic Saber Technique means your defense is airtight; your long-lasting Qi and Blood means you can outlast any opponent of the same rank."]

["Therefore, you don't need to be an assassin, nor do you need to be a berserker."]

["The path most suitable for you is the Counter-attack!"]

[Wu Changhe casually picked up two teacups and placed them on the table to demonstrate.]

["Facing an explosive Genius like Liu Xiyue, you don't need to clash with her initial momentum. You use your Major Achievement saber techniques to defend and your Crimson Gauze to protect your body and endure. Once her initial burst is over, when her old strength is spent and her new strength has yet to rise..."]

["That is when you Counter-attack!"]

["But teacher," you raised a question, "I can manage the defense, but the Counter-attack... my offensive methods are still too singular. I lack the explosive power to deliver a decisive blow and tear through her 'Crimson Gauze' defense."]

[This was why you had lost before. Even if you caught a flaw, if you couldn't cut through the defense, it was all for naught.]

["You've hit the nail on the head."]

[Wu Changhe smiled mysteriously, turned toward the bookshelf, and from the pages of a thick 'Martial Arts Theory Almanac', he pulled out a yellowed thin booklet of only a dozen pages.]

["Take it."]

[You took the booklet; on the cover were four ancient characters—'Nine Layers of Overlapping Waves'.]

["This isn't some legendary Secret Manual, nor does it have any mysterious 'Concept'," Wu Changhe explained. "This is an exertion technique created decades ago by a Grandmaster who specialized in fluid mechanics, combined with ancient martial force."]

["Its principle is simple: through specific muscle tremors and Qi and Blood circulation paths, a portion of the power from each saber strike is 'stored' within the body. Like sea waves, the following wave pushes the one before it."]

["The first strike is ordinary; the second strike adds ten percent more power; the third adds twenty percent..."]

["Theoretically, if you can stack up to the ninth strike, your power will be three times its usual level! That kind of instantaneous explosive power—never mind Crimson Gauze—could even split an alloy steel plate for you!"]

[Your eyes lit up as you listened, but then you frowned: "But teacher, the load this technique puts on the body..."]

["Exactly. This technique puts an immense load on the Meridians and muscles. If an ordinary Qi and Blood Martial Artist tries to practice it, their own hand will be ruined before they even reach the third layer. That's why this technique has always been quite useless, left to gather dust in a corner."]

[Wu Changhe looked at you, his gaze burning: "But you are different."]

["Though I don't know how you did it, your current Meridian toughness far exceeds that of an ordinary person. And more importantly, you now have a Water-elemental Ability!"]

["Water can be the softest, but also the hardest. The nourishment of the water element can perfectly offset the backlash brought by 'Overlapping Waves'; and the characteristics of Overlapping Waves perfectly match your water-elemental power."]

["Li Ang, this is practically a combat method tailor-made for you!"]

["First, use Major Achievement saber techniques to defend, build momentum, and overlap waves. By the ninth strike, it will be earth-shattering—a certain kill in one blow!"]

[You tightly gripped that thin booklet, your mind suddenly clearing.]

[Build a strong camp and fight a steady war.]

[If you can't kill me, I'll wear you down; if you can't block me, I'll kill you with one strike.]

["Thank you, Teacher, for showing me the way!" You bowed deeply.]

["Alright, enough with the formalities." Wu Changhe waved his hand and yawned. "There are ten days left until the big exam. For these ten days, you'll stay here with me. During the day, I'll spar with you to help you practice 'Overlapping Waves'; at night, you'll review your academic subjects. Even if you are 'God Li', if you lose too many theory points, I'll hold you accountable!"]

["Yes!"]

[For the next ten days, the school training ground became your place of secluded cultivation.]

[With a clear direction, your cultivation progress advanced by leaps and bounds.]

["Overlapping Waves" was a bit simpler than you had imagined; after all, it was just an exertion technique.]

[With the Major Achievement Basic Saber Technique as a Foundation, you picked it up very quickly, combined with your 'Hardworking and Enduring' talent and your tireless practice.]

[Entry level in three days, Minor Achievement in five, and Major Achievement in seven.]

[By the eighth day, you could already stably stack the "Eighth Layer Wave".]

[Although there was still some distance to the highest ninth layer, with eight layers stacked...]

[A single strike from your blade could leave a five-inch deep gash on an alloy post!]

[June 6th.]

[The night before the College Entrance Examination.]

[You sheathed your blade and looked at the full moon outside the window.]

[The Qi and Blood within your body surged like a great river, your Crimson Gauze was restrained, and your gaze was as calm as water.]

[You took out your phone to check the information on your electronic admission ticket one last time.]

[In the [Candidate Category] column, besides the standard "Martial Arts Student", there was now a striking line of golden remarks:]

[[Declared: Water-elemental Ability (Acquired Awakening) · Audit Passed]]

[This was the procedure Wu Changhe had dragged you through to get special approval for, even if it meant using the back door, the very day you returned to school.]

[For this, he had even specifically treated the Director of Academic Affairs to a heavy round of drinking.]

[With this line of text, you possessed the "Special Bonus Point Rights" for the College Entrance Examination and "Priority Admission Status" for key universities.]

[All preparations were complete.]

[All trump cards were held close.]

["Tomorrow..."]