17: Chapter 17 Introduction to Top-Tier Swordsmanship (Part 1)

A faint, awkward blush instantly spread across Huang Yu's face. He forced a smile and hunched his neck, avoiding Wang Ruiming's glare, which was almost spitting fire.

"Fifth place, 138 points, ..."

"..."

"Fifteenth place, 128 points, Xue Jun."

"Sixteenth place, 125 points, Wang Ruiming."

... After all the scores were read, there was joy for some and sorrow for others.

The slight smugness Wang Ruiming had felt moments ago had long since vanished, replaced only by shock at Li Wen's 'meteoric rise,' the frustration of falling short of his own expectations, and the bitter indignation of being ruthlessly deceived by the 'show-off Scholar' beside him, making him want to roar at the heavens.

Jingle-ling— —

The bell signaling the end of the morning classes dispersed the atmosphere of joy and oppression in the classroom.

[Profession: Scholar lv3 (193 → 217 / 400)]

Li Wen packed his books, his gaze sweeping over the Profession panel where the experience value had quietly increased again.

The experience bar for lv3 was already over halfway, approaching 218 points. He let out a long breath and stretched his slightly sore muscles from sitting too long.

Tomorrow was the official final examination. After six consecutive subjects, and if he could maintain the standard he showed in math today... Reaching lv5 in [Scholar] was certainly not a pipe dream.

Thinking of lv5, a fervent flame of anticipation ignited in Li Wen's eyes.

He knew that lv5's [Absolute Focus] would be a qualitative leap! Not only would the Comprehension Ability amplification increase to a terrifying 50%, but more importantly, it would gain controllability for the first time.

He would finally be able to decide the duration for which this powerful skill was activated, no longer being trapped in a dangerous situation where he had to wait for an external interruption to stop it, otherwise, his mental will would be drained.

This would be his most critical trump card when facing the final Martial Arts assessment and the upcoming Flying Star Class selection.

However, what excited him the most right now was the afternoon's Cultivation. He clenched his fist, feeling the surging power within his body.

"Rainbow Light Saber Technique... Today is the day of introduction."

Muttering this goal silently, Li Wen's eyes held a resolute Battle Intent. He strode out of the classroom like a shooting star, walking resolutely toward the Martial Arts Training Room.

Time was pressing, and the finals were imminent; every bit of improvement was crucial.

...

In the afternoon, the sunlight slanted through the light-filtering layer of the huge floor-to-ceiling windows of the Qingshi No. 3 Middle School library, casting long, neat grid shadows on the polished floor of the training room.

The air was filled with the smell of dust dancing under the energy beams, mixed with the faint metallic scent of sweat and cooling metal.

This was the battlefield Li Wen had chosen—the training room on the top floor of the library, with less than two days remaining until the razor's edge of the final exams.

"Hoo—" Li Wen took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, clearing his mind of distracting thoughts.

His left hand gripped the cold sheath of the standard quick saber, while his right hand rested steadily on the handle wrapped with anti-slip cloth strips.

His legs bent slightly, and his muscle groups tensed in an instant, like a spring compressed to its limit.

"First Move—Long Rainbow!"

His mind flashed, and the moment the command was issued, his body transformed into a blurry shadow. His legs erupted with astonishing power, propelling him surging forward.

"Swoosh~"

A slight yet extremely sharp sound of air being cut sliced through the space.

The quick saber, originally resting securely in its sheath, had been drawn by Li Wen at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye. A brief but clear line of bright light was drawn across the air.

The movement was clean and decisive, the drawing of the saber and the horizontal sweep completed in one fluid motion. This speed far exceeded the limit of any Move he performed while executing the Advanced Blade Technique.

The power of a Top-tier Blade Technique lay not only in the subtlety of its Moves but also in its perfect Fusion with movement techniques.

The core of the Rainbow Light Saber Technique, as a Top-tier technique, was the pursuit of the ultimate in speed—the saber must be as fast as light, and the body must Move like the wind.

Only by reaching the state of "body Moves as the saber follows, saber turns as the body turns" could one ultimately aim for the Martial Artist's highest realm: "Body, Mind, and Technique Unity."

This Blade Technique converted speed into the foundation of offense and defense. Advancing, it could tear the void; retreating, it could become elusive and untraceable. With such freedom in movement, one could stand undefeated in true combat.

"The speed is still a huge gap compared to the instructor during the demonstration... However,"

Li Wen, having completed the Move and stood firm, carefully absorbed the muscle memory and airflow feedback from the burst of power. His gaze was sharp.

"It should be more than enough to deal with the Acquired level final exams."

The final exam was a display, a proof, and a necessary battle to contend for the top ten spots in the class and win the prize money.

A brief rest was for a more concentrated explosion. Li Wen adjusted slightly, and once his breathing stabilized, he immediately plunged into the next round of practice.

He discarded distracting thoughts and began to practice the remaining sixty-three Moves of the Rainbow Light Saber Technique one by one.

Thanks to the diligent breakdown practice under the holographic projection previously and the passive effect of "One Proof, Eternal Proof," he had already mastered the first fifty Moves like the back of his hand.

Although executing them lacked the natural flow and imposing Aura of that Senior in cyan fighting attire, they were smooth and accurate enough, with precise movements, barely meeting the introductory standard.

However, starting from the fifty-first Move, the difficulty suddenly increased! His movements began to stiffen, and his steps became heavy.

The speed of his body movement could not keep up with the saber paths conceived in his mind, or the subtle variations in the saber Moves made it impossible for his footwork to mesh perfectly.

The further he went, the harder it became, especially the last dozen or so Moves—the fifty-eighth Move 'Shattering Star,' the fifty-ninth Move 'Chasing Cloud'... and the sixtieth Move 'Shadow.'

Either the saber was half a beat too slow, the trajectory deviated by a hair's breadth; or the footwork was half a beat too heavy, missing the optimal point of force application.

Body and blade were like gears that had not yet been properly broken in, always missing that tiny bit of perfect engagement.

Repeated failures were like invisible whips lashing at his heart. A sense of inexpressible irritability began to build up in his chest, as if tiny sparks were darting around.

Fine beads of sweat broke out on his forehead. Every repeated mistake consumed the physical strength and spirit he had accumulated throughout the afternoon.

"Hoo... No rush."

Li Wen took another deep breath, forcibly suppressing the restless agitation.

The passive effect of "One Proof, Eternal Proof" was his greatest reliance at this moment.

"Can't be chaotic. One Move at a time. As long as it succeeds once, the body won't forget; as long as it succeeds once!" He repeatedly emphasized in his heart, like an anchor for his belief.

He adjusted his strategy, no longer wasting time practicing the entire sequence. He decisively singled out those final Moves that caused stuttering and could not be executed successfully for repeated tempering.

Focus, concentrating all his spirit on a single objective.

The entire training room in the afternoon seemed to become an isolated island where time accelerated, featuring only Li Wen's repeating figure, the light whistle of the blade cutting the air again and again, and the barely audible 'pat' sound as sweat dripped onto the floor.

Sweat soaked through his training vest, clinging to his back and outlining the lean silhouette of the youth. His breathing became heavy, and his movements trembled slightly due to fatigue, but his eyes shone astonishingly bright due to his complete concentration.

The golden light of the setting sun gradually covered the training room, dyeing everything in warm colors, yet mercilessly reminding him of the passage of time.