Chapter 76: Guidance

“Come at me!” While Mr. Zuo might not match Li Zhen’s proficiency in beginner-level sword techniques, his overall skills were diverse and not limited to basic forms. As he thrust his sword forward, it created an illusion of light, dancing like mirages in the desert and accompanied by the roars of a tiger and the hiss of a dragon.

Faced with Li Zhen, a student who had achieved mastery of swordsmanship, Mr. Zuo dared not hold back. Losing to Li Zhen would cost him all his dignity.

Though his blade moved swiftly, in Li Zhen’s eyes, he could clearly anticipate its trajectory. This demonstrated the power of being in the intermediate stage of the first layer of Body Tempering.

Li Zhen, capitalizing on his momentum, also lunged with his sword. His aura remained contained, but his blade moved even faster than Mr. Zuo’s.

If Mr. Zuo had engaged directly, Li Zhen’s sword would have struck him first.

Realizing he couldn’t match blades with Li Zhen, Mr. Zuo shifted his stance, transitioning from offense to defense as he moved to block Li Zhen’s attack.

Li Zhen didn’t alter his approach; their swords collided with a clash.

At the moment of impact, Mr. Zuo subtly reduced his blade’s force. Coupled with Li Zhen’s immense strength, this resulted in a slight disadvantage for Mr. Zuo upon collision.

The instant Mr. Zuo felt his sword’s path falter, he knew he was in trouble and hastily retreated two steps.

From this clash, Li Zhen gained a bit of advantage. Seizing the opportunity, he unleashed a powerful downward strike, his aura surging.

The sword sped up even more. No matter how versatile Mr. Zuo’s sword techniques were, he had no choice but to block the faster strikes directly.

Clang, clang, clang! Continuous sounds of metal striking metal rang out from the two longswords.

Seeing Mr. Zuo fall into a defensive position, Teachers Du and Wu diverted their attention, casting a Fireball Spell and an Ice Arrow Technique that shot towards Li Zhen.

Had they been given a bit more time, relying on their combat experience, they could have easily defeated Shi Xuan and Wang Rushi first.

But Mr. Zuo’s swift defeat disrupted their rhythm, forcing them to intervene in Li Zhen’s battle.

The two teachers cast their spells with remarkable speed—a skill honed in their university days far beyond what non-university trained cultivators could match.

“What a pity!” Li Zhen exclaimed, forced to evade. This gave Mr. Zuo a chance to catch his breath.

If Li Zhen hadn’t cared about his allies, using his body tempering strength, he wouldn’t have needed to dodge and could have defeated Mr. Zuo first.

Of course, it was hard to judge how much effort Mr. Zuo had exerted; whether he’d held back or not remained unclear.

“That’s enough!” Mr. Zuo declared, waving his hand.

The brief skirmish had provided him with a much clearer understanding of the team’s capabilities.

Perhaps even with Li Zhen’s current combat strength alone, he could achieve impressive results in Tianchang City’s elimination rounds.

“Your teamwork is commendable. Li Zhen’s offensive capabilities are remarkably potent, which is your great advantage,” Mr. Zuo analyzed further. “However, it’s precisely Li Zhen’s lightning-fast attacks that Wang Rushi and Shi Xuan struggle to keep up with, inadvertently limiting Li Zhen’s effectiveness!”

Although Li Zhen had nearly defeated Mr. Zuo, the purpose of this sparring match wasn’t to determine a winner, but rather to provide Mr. Zuo with a deeper understanding of the team’s combat capabilities.

“It’s my fault for reacting too slowly!” Wang Rushi acknowledged proactively.

Indeed, her magic spells and mystical artifacts proved ineffective; she was unable to assist Li Zhen in blocking the two teachers’ magical attacks.

“Li Zhen, have you considered learning other swordsmanship styles?” Mr. Zuo asked.

Given the Han family’s sponsorship, Li Zhen could undoubtedly study a broader range of advanced sword techniques beyond the basic forms.

“I’ve decided to pursue the academy-style swordsmanship!” Li Zhen replied, having given it much thought.

“Very well, today I’ll apply for you to learn the Xian Nation’s intermediate sword technique within the school!” Mr. Zuo nodded approvingly.

“Choosing the academy’s sword technique path won’t be easy!” Mr. Du couldn’t help but remind him from the side.

This time, Mr. Zuo was the main organizer for the school’s challenge match, while Mr. Du and Mr. Wu were there to assist as observers.

However, upon hearing Li Zhen say he wanted to follow the academy’s sword technique path, he knew just how difficult this road would be.

“I’ve already considered it carefully. The academy’s sword technique is the strongest in the Xian Nation!” Li Zhen’s eyes gleamed as he smiled.

The “academy sword technique” referred to the comprehensive system of swordsmanship that included the Xian Nation’s beginner, intermediate, and advanced sword techniques.

This system was easy to learn but difficult to master. In reality, focusing on a powerful offensive sword technique would yield quicker results than delving into this system.

Yet, if one truly mastered this entire sword technique system, it effectively dominated almost any other single sword technique.

After all, this system was developed by several esteemed sword cultivators who had blended numerous techniques together. It had then been refined further by a super-intelligent system for optimal performance.

“May your swordsmanship journey be fruitful!” Mr. Du refrained from further persuasion, his gaze filled with appreciation, anticipation, and a hint of concern.

While they had some time left, the three teachers seized the opportunity to provide more detailed guidance to the students individually.

By the time school was dismissed, Li Zhen’s identity bracelet had already downloaded the Intermediate Swordsmanship curriculum from the Xian Kingdom.

The Intermediate Swordsmanship course was an elective for those who had mastered the fundamentals of swordplay to a select level. Most students didn’t qualify for this intermediate training until their university years.

Given Li Zhen’s exceptional mastery of basic swordsmanship, he clearly met the requirements for the next level.

Without Mr. Zuo’s help in filing the application and the school’s support, it would have been highly unlikely for Li Zhen to qualify for intermediate swordsmanship training as early as his first year of middle school.

Li Zhen didn’t visit the Going Beyond Swordplay venue today; instead, he headed straight home.

“Mom, Dad, the school’s arranging a challenge match in Tianchang City tomorrow. We’re leaving first thing in the morning!” Li Zhen announced at dinner.

“Tianchang City is so far away. Is it safe to travel?” Mrs. Li’s worry was understandable, given her son’s recent ordeal still fresh in her mind.

“Of course there will be teachers accompanying us. Don’t worry too much!” Mr. Li reassured her.

“Mom, the school wouldn’t risk our lives!” Li Zhen gazed at his slightly frowning mother, feeling warmth flow through his heart.

“I’ll go help Zhen’er pack his belongings for the trip!” Mother Li said softly, standing up with a slight sense of relief yet still feeling restless.

Li Zhen, having finished his meal, entered the cultivation room. However, he was not in the mood to practice cultivation; instead, his mind was deeply immersed in the intermediate sword techniques displayed on his retinal display.

He skipped the section on flying swords and focused solely on longsword techniques for close combat.

These advanced sword techniques involved applications of sword glares and spiritual energy, which required Mid Qi Refining stage to master fully. Nevertheless, the forms and theories were still within his grasp.

The insights Li Zhen gained from mastering Thunderous Slash provided him with a remarkable advantage, even in the realm of intermediate sword techniques. Consequently, his mastery progressed at a breathtaking pace.

Unfortunately, the cultivation room was too cramped for him to properly execute these moves. After a moment’s consideration, he decided to practice in another world.

Upon returning to the market, he first sought out Old Cultivator Qian. He provided Qian with additional talismans and informed him that he might be going into secluded cultivation for some time.

If he left Yunxi County, he couldn’t be sure when he’d reach the market next. He needed to explain this to Old Immortal Qian ahead of time.

Then he headed towards the outskirts of the market. The Iron Sword Gang and the Zhao Clan were targeting the Lin Clan, so they rarely went after ordinary rogue cultivators.

Li Zhen needed to practice his swordsmanship, so he chose to leave the market. It wasn’t that he was afraid of anything outside; he simply wanted to avoid trouble.

He had several ways to save his own life. If worse came to worst, as long as he had a bit of time, he could use his spatial divine ability to leave this world.

Once outside the market, he triggered a ‘Lightening Talisman’.

Li Zhen had quite a few talismans on his person, all drawn by himself. Because there were too many, he had been holding back on supplying Old Immortal Qian with more.

A ‘Lightening Talisman’ was very cheap to make. Rather than wasting his own spiritual energy to cast a ‘Lightness Spell’ for free, it was more cost-effective to use a ‘Lightening Talisman’.

He took a big step forward, choosing the grasslands direction. There, the grass grew as high as a person, making it easy to clear out a patch where he wouldn’t be disturbed.

As Li Zhen strode away, a figure watched his retreating form from behind a concealed array in the distance.

“That’s Li Zhen!” The observer was none other than the former steward Zhao, who had managed the spirit fields at the market. He recognized Li Zhen at once.

A look of bewilderment flickered in his eyes. Li Zhen’s casual use of a ‘Lightening Talisman’, coupled with his confident stride, made it clear that he was no ordinary cultivator.

Why would a rogue cultivator leasing a spirit field waste a ‘Lightening Talisman’ so carelessly? Such talismans were meant to be reserved for life-or-death situations.

Steward Zhao, one of the individuals most familiar with Li Zhen’s true circumstances in the market, found himself deeply intrigued by his actions. Without alerting other cultivators, he cast a Lightening Talisman on himself and set off in pursuit of Li Zhen.

As he chased after him, he caught sight of Li Zhen soaring through the air on a ‘Green Jade Flying Leaf’.