Chapter 116 - 114: Martial Arts Extreme Realm
"Half gains and half losses..."
Song Changming looked at this annual evaluation summary and shook his head.
He remembered that last year it was also this evaluation.
The general meaning is that his performance this year had both good and bad aspects, so the overall score wouldn’t be too high.
Song Changming glanced over the description of the evaluation.
In terms of martial arts, he broke through to the Sixth Realm with the Bull Demon Skill, earning a high evaluation.
As for achievements, although he didn’t experience any major events or gain considerable achievements this year, he did catch many wanted criminals with a bounty. The key was on the last day, he fought hard against the Fog Beast, slightly raising his score, so the achievement score for this year was still considered positive.
In terms of social relationships, the main factor was his relationship with his superiors in the officialdom, which was progressing well. Additionally, he had a positive interaction with the veteran of Jianghu, Liu Ding, which was why his evaluation in this area was positive.
As for influence and reputation, his performance was mediocre in the past two years, neither getting promoted nor developing in other directions.
He just gained a Jianghu title, which prevented the evaluation from being too negative, but it was still considered negative, lowering his overall score for the whole year.
Finally, regarding family legacy, due to his age being already twenty-six this year but having not married, there was no possibility of founding a family.
Since last year, the evaluation in this aspect was essentially the worst grade, consistently negatively affecting his score as an unsolvable issue.
The reason it’s unsolvable is that he hasn’t decided whether to marry and have children.
There’s only one reason.
He is destined to have a long lifespan.
And whether he can accept this long lifespan in the future taking his wife and children one by one away from him.
Some people are naturally carefree, playing around in the world, focusing on experiencing life in various ways, and it might not matter much to them.
To them, partings and deaths are merely life experiences.
But at least for now, Song Changming cannot be so unrestrained.
He hesitates in his heart, so even though it disappoints his parents, and his annual evaluation score is lowered every year, he still hasn’t randomly found a woman to marry.
"Let things flow naturally, follow fate..." Song Changming thought.
He wasn’t intending to be permanently alone. Perhaps one day he would change his mind, deeply moved by a woman, then he wouldn’t deliberately avoid it.
If one cannot follow one’s heart in this life, then what is the meaning of longevity?
The overall score wasn’t high, so the annual reward this year was relatively ordinary.
He decisively consumed two hundred lifespan points to choose two attribute points.
This time, after some thought, he decided to add the attribute points to his Spirit Attribute.
Thus, his Spirit Attribute reached ten points.
The innate Spiritual Attribute is linked to his Comprehension Talent. After practicing some saber skills, he discovered that the speed of gaining Martial Arts Experience Value indeed slightly increased.
With ten points of innate talent attributes, he estimated that although it wasn’t in the realm of a genius, it was still outstanding among ordinary people.
"The effect is good..." Feeling the difference between before and after adding points, Song Changming was quite satisfied.
If the two points were added to his innate Root Bone Attribute, the enhancement effect would undoubtedly be average.
Just like this, through the method of slowly adding points, he would eventually transform from an ordinary mortal into a true genius.
The longer he lives, the stronger he becomes!
Time is his greatest asset!
...
Afterwards, the news about the Fog Beast in the city didn’t spread widely.
This was because the Fog Beast on that day was concentrated in the Liu Residence and didn’t harm other citizens.
Moreover, afterwards, the government deployed both patrol guards and soldiers to layer restrictions around the incident area, so not many people truly knew what happened in the Liu Residence that day.
On the contrary, some strange rumors became increasingly absurd.
That day, Zhuang Ren walked out of the Public Security Bureau with Song Changming, then walked past a street corner on foot and saw Liu Dingsheng’s new residence.
The new Liu Residence.
In terms of scale and style, it was no worse than the previous house.
One doesn’t know how much money and silver Liu Dingsheng spent to make the previous owner of this house willing to give it up to him.
The guards at the door saw Zhuang Ren coming, so they immediately went to report without delay.
"Chief Zhuang, please come inside." Quickly, the guards ushered them into a reception hall.
Liu Dingsheng had already brewed tea, waiting.
"Congratulations Brother Liu on your new home." Lord Zhuang presented a gift, smiling and bowing.
"Lord Zhuang, you’re really being polite." Liu Dingsheng said with a smile, welcoming Zhuang Ren and Song Changming to sit.
After a brief friendly chat, Zhuang Ren immediately asked: "Brother Liu, have any uninvited guests visited since that day?"
Liu Dingsheng sipped his tea calmly and replied with a smile: "Thanks to Lord Zhuang and the Governor’s Mansion’s care, nothing has happened recently."
"That’s good, Brother Liu, you can rest assured living here. This street is arguably the most heavily guarded area in my County City, so those people won’t come," Zhuang Ren said.
"I certainly feel very reassured." Liu Dingsheng chuckled.
After chatting for a while, Liu Dingsheng then looked at Song Changming, smiling and asking: "Young Friend Song, do you have anything to say today while coming here together?"
He could somewhat guess the intentions behind Song Changming’s visit.
"I’ve long heard of the senior’s renowned name in Jianghu. If I have the opportunity to receive some guidance from you this time, it will be worthwhile indeed," Song Changming said directly, without preamble.
"Oh? My guidance, you say." Liu Dingsheng rested one hand on his leg and stroked his beard with the other, nodding, "Since you said it, once I’ve given my guidance, we’ll owe each other nothing."
"Yes." Song Changming nodded.
"Good, I’ll agree to this." Liu Dingsheng didn’t overthink it and agreed readily.
In fact, he had a bit of admiration for this young junior, Song Changming.
Especially Song Changming’s accomplishments in Sword Skill; he had observed many talented individuals in the world, young prodigies.
Yet, young people possessing Sword Skill like Song Changming are exceedingly rare.
And when considering Song Changming’s grassroots background as a farmer’s son, it’s even more unique; he hadn’t seen another young person of such humble origins who could compete with Song Changming.
Because of this, he didn’t mind using guidance as a way to gain a deeper understanding of Song Changming.
"The General Department still has affairs to attend to. Since that’s the case, I won’t disturb you further." Zhuang Ren heard and smiled, putting down the teacup in his hand and timely standing up to take his leave.
If he stayed any longer, it would be somewhat impolite.
"What do you want my guidance on?" After Zhuang Ren left, Liu Dingsheng looked at Song Changming and continued to ask.
"In Martial Tao," Song Changming said without hesitation.
Liu Dingsheng’s Martial Arts Cultivation needs no elaboration, absolutely a powerhouse who has reached the Extreme Realm!
The so-called Extreme Realm refers to reaching Perfection in the Ninth Realm of Body Refinement.
Such Extreme Realm martial artists have few remaining doubts in Body Technique; what should be understood and experienced is entirely clear to them.
This is a precious experience of predecessors.
Any casual words of advice from him would be greatly beneficial to the young Song Changming.
Aside from Body Refinement, in the realm of martial arts, even if Liu Dingsheng isn’t proficient in Sword Skill himself, he’s fought in countless battles and seen a vast number of martial artists as splendid as stars, and the sword skills he’s encountered are many.
He can similarly provide Song Changming with many of his insights into martial arts.
"Come on, follow me." Liu Dingsheng drained the tea in his cup, stood up, and led Song Changming to the courtyard.
In the courtyard was a row of weapon racks, holding the eighteen weapons used for martial practice.
Liu Dingsheng casually drew a long saber from the rack and performed a few elegant saber moves.
"Though I’m not an expert in Sword Skill, I’m not an outsider either. Let’s exchange a few moves first."
Liu Dingsheng pointed the saber at Song Changming and said.
"Senior, excuse my offense!" Song Changming was straightforward, drawing the Dragon Pattern Saber and attacking Liu Dingsheng.
The Soul-breaking Saber Skill was first to be unleashed, a consummate Sword Form, seemingly natural and flawless.
Liu Dingsheng’s eyes shone, sensing the swift, fierce gusts rising from Song Changming’s long saber.
"As expected, this is indeed a Superior Blade Skill, and it’s already perfect! Good lad!"
Amidst the gusts, it seemed as though a hundred ghosts were rushing towards Liu Dingsheng, with killing intent without end.
Yet he remained standing, holding the saber in his right hand, with his left hand behind his back, poised and calm.
Suddenly, he lifted the long saber, meeting a chilling gleam within those dark winds with precision.
Clang!
The clash of blades erupted in a burst of sparks, evidence that both had exerted full force, not merely testing each other.
From Liu Dingsheng emanated an aura majestic like a towering mountain, immensely formidable, slowly pressing forward.
In just an instant, the ghostly wind generated from Song Changming’s Sword Momentum dissipated, and the wailing, clinging specters vanished into thin air.
Liu Dingsheng flicked his long saber, causing Song Changming’s hand holding his saber to tingle, feeling as if the unstoppable force of his entire body was being led by Liu Dingsheng’s saber.
This flick not only dissipated his momentum but suddenly rebounded with force, sending him flying.
A backward somersault, and Song Changming landed but had to step back two steps to finally disperse the impact force upon his body.
"How was that move of mine, the Blade Flick?" Liu Dingsheng chuckled.
The blade move he effortlessly wielded was also of the Mastery Realm. In terms of intricacy, it was not inferior to his Soul-breaking Blade Technique, even comparable to his expanded Flying Swallow Technique!
Though Liu Dingsheng might not consider himself exceptional in sword skills, this was undoubtedly a Top-level Saber Form!
If he’s not considered an expert in blade skills, then how formidable must his true martial arts forte be?!
Moreover, Song Changming could tell, Liu Dingsheng had merely matched the force on his saber, without applying the Body Refining Realm to overpower him, purely relying on the sophistication of the saber form to drive him back.
"Very powerful!" Song Changming admitted honestly.
"I learned this from an old friend of mine twenty-five years ago. At that time, he was already an Extreme Realm swordsman, and his martial skills were stronger than mine!" Liu Dingsheng smiled faintly.
"And now he...?" Song Changming couldn’t help but ask.
"Passed away." Liu Dingsheng shook his head, "Twenty years ago, he fought with someone and eventually died in the wilderness, unnoticed and unclaimed, and in the end, it was I who erected a solitary grave for him..."
Song Changming hadn’t expected that such a strong figure would die just like that, not from old age, but by being killed.
Liu Dingsheng saw Song Changming’s expression and seemed to understand his thoughts, smiling helplessly, "What are you thinking? The Body Refining Extreme Realm is far from the end of Martial Tao. Once you’ve cultivated to a certain height, you’ll realize how vast the world is, and how insignificant you are.
Let’s continue!"