Chapter 102: Chapter 101: Traits, Fierce Slash! (Subscribe please)
"No."
Chen Fan was startled and quickly said, "Uncle Zhang, please don’t."
Zhang Ren said with reluctance, "But this is really unfair to you."
Chen Fan replied firmly, "Uncle Zhang, martial artists’ fights are not like arena competitions; there’s no such thing as fairness. Moreover, the more adverse the situation, the faster the growth."
"Exactly."
Zhang Ren was moved by his words and saw the determination in Chen Fan’s eyes.
He thought to himself, perhaps it is precisely this kind of fearless determination that has allowed him to progress so quickly.
"Then let’s continue."
Chen Fan nodded and secretly felt relieved.
Though he had been constantly suppressed and it was indeed frustrating,
the skill level of his Basic Saber Technique was visibly improving.
12.1%, 12.8%, 13.4%...
Each block increased his skill level by about 0.7%, and the most dramatic improvement came when Zhang Ren unleashed five or six consecutive strikes, raising his skill level by 5.5% in just a few seconds.
If Zhang Ren switched to a saber, his speed would be much slower.
Chen Fan took a deep breath, rekindled his fighting spirit, and charged forward again.
The sound of their blades clashing echoed incessantly.
Within less than ten minutes, Chen Fan felt a warm current rise within him, but before he could fully experience it, it disappeared.
[Basic Saber Technique: Level 3 (0%), Traits: Strong Level 3, Fierce Assault Level 3]
The Basic Saber Technique had leveled up, but no new traits had been unlocked.
However, the Level 3 Fierce Assault trait significantly doubled his saber speed, which was quite a substantial improvement.
"What’s wrong?"
Zhang Ren noticed Chen Fan’s brief hesitation and asked with concern, "Do you need a break?"
"No need."
Chen Fan grinned, surprised by the speed at which his Basic Saber Technique was improving.
It seemed he could achieve his goal tonight, and perhaps even advance one or two more levels.
With a higher Basic Saber Technique level, the time needed to perfect his cultivation technique would be much less.
"Uncle Zhang, here I come."
As he spoke, he charged forward again.
Zhang Ren’s long spear shook as it thrust towards Chen Fan’s chest.
A crisp sound followed.
Chen Fan deflected the long spear and took a quick step forward, closing the distance between them from three meters to about two and a half meters.
"Huh?"
Zhang Ren showed a hint of surprise in his eyes; this kid had gotten faster with his blade?
It reminded him of the last time he sparred with Chen Fan, and the latter had also kept improving during their duel.
But still, thinking he’d break through his inner circle was too ambitious.
He pulled back his spear slightly and immediately launched a series of rapid thrusts. Chen Fan struggled to fend them off, managing to block them all, only to find himself pushed back to over three meters away from Zhang Ren.
"I still need to close the distance."
Chen Fan refocused his attention away from the skill bar.
The previous block against Zhang Ren’s spear had only increased his skill level by 0.3%, which was less than half of the usual amount.
But when he managed to move half a meter closer, each block increased his skill level by nearly 1%!
What if he narrowed the distance to two meters, or even one meter?
Wouldn’t the skill level increase be even greater?
Of course, tricking Uncle Zhang into letting his guard down wouldn’t work. Only genuine skill and effort could close the distance effectively.
After calming his breathing, he charged forward once more.
Zhang Ren smiled. This time, he was ready; there wouldn’t be any chance for the kid.
One minute,
Ten minutes,
Twenty minutes passed,
and nearly every time Chen Fan charged forward, he was stopped at three meters, unable to take even a small step closer.
Only a few times did he manage to get within three meters.
It was indeed difficult.
But each time he did manage to close the distance, the rewards were significant, with skill level increases ranging from 3% to as much as 7-8%.
In just a few attempts, he accumulated nearly 30%.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
The spear tip clashed with the blade, and Chen Fan was pushed back several steps, showing a hint of disappointment in his eyes.
So close, just a bit more and he could have closed in.
But at that moment, the familiar warm current surged again, and a strange sensation flooded his heart.
Chen Fan was filled with joy; there was no doubt that the Basic Saber Technique had leveled up again, and it seemed to have unlocked a new trait.
[Basic Saber Technique: Level 4 (0%), Traits: Strong Level 4, Fierce Assault Level 4, Fierce Slash Level 1]
[Fierce Slash: Each level increase boosts saber power by 30%]
"I see."
Chen Fan adjusted his grip and even subtly changed his overall stance, resembling a tiger poised to strike.
"?"
Zhang Ren squinted, seeing a hint of someone else in Chen Fan at that moment.
That person was a friend of his, skilled in saber techniques, whether single, dual, or long saber.
But his forte was the sword and shield skill.
Even in ten bouts, Zhang Ren with his long spear could only win seven at most, often resulting in draws or six wins and four losses.
In tighter spaces, the outcomes could be different.
"Uncle Zhang, here I come."
As Chen Fan announced, he lunged forward.
In the next moment, the spear sped towards him, arriving in the blink of an eye.
Chen Fan slashed from an unimaginable angle with his saber.
"Clang!"
Zhang Ren’s spear trembled violently.
Chen Fan seized the opportunity, taking a quick step forward, closing the distance by half a meter.
Then, suddenly, the wind howled, and the spearhead left several afterimages in the air, stabbing towards him fiercely.
Chen Fan took a deep breath; instead of blocking with the blade, he aimed directly at the spearhead with his saber.
After all, the Fierce Slash trait only activated during offensive moves.
A series of intense clashes echoed, more forceful than before.
"Xiaofan seems to have improved?"
Gao Yang said, wide-eyed.
"Indeed, he was previously suppressed by Old Zhang to the point where he couldn’t lift his head. Now, he is holding his own against him."
"Impressive, Xiaofan."
The crowd marveled.
Chen Guodong also showed a proud expression.
"This kid is improving quickly?"
Zhang Ren squinted his eyes. Using only the strength of Body Tempering First Layer, he couldn’t push Chen Fan back to three meters anymore.
Even keeping him at two and a half meters was difficult; the duel had turned into a tug-of-war around the two-meter mark.
However, he felt more gratified than anything else.
Because a saber is for attacking, and the saber-wielder must press forward relentlessly.
Some saber masters could instill a deep fear with a single strike due to their sheer presence.
Of course,
Even so, he still had the advantage.
Because Chen Fan’s physical strength was depleting much faster than his own.
Indeed, Chen Fan was breathing heavily, and his attacks were slowing down. Soon, he was pushed back several steps by Zhang Ren’s spear thrust.
"Take a break."
Zhang Ren withdrew his spear.
"Sure."
Chen Fan smiled awkwardly.
He indeed needed a few minutes to recover his strength.
[Basic Saber Technique: Level 4 (18.5%)]
In just a few minutes, his Basic Saber Technique skill level had risen from 0 to nearly 20%, thanks in part to closing the distance.
But a major contributing factor was his proactive offensive approach.
When separated by two meters, each block with his saber increased his skill level by less than 1%, but if he struck the spearhead, the skill level surged by over 2%.
Moreover, each successful hit bought him crucial time to close the distance further.
This way, his skill level would increase even more.
Going by this progress, reaching Level 5 in Basic Saber Technique tonight was a certainty.
A few minutes later, Chen Fan tightened his grip on the wooden saber.
"Ready?"
Zhang Ren asked.
"Yes, Uncle Zhang, I’m going on the offensive now."
Chen Fan smiled and charged forward again.
Just like before, he easily closed the distance to two and a half meters, and the grueling tug-of-war began anew.
After repeated cycles,
his Basic Saber Technique leveled up again!
[Basic Saber Technique: Level 5 (0%), Traits: Strong Level 5, Fierce Assault Level 5, Fierce Slash Level 2]
Almost instantly as he leveled up, Chen Fan’s wooden saber accelerated, leaving an afterimage in the air, and struck the spearhead fiercely.
The long spear was flung far to the side, vibrating intensely.
"!"
Zhang Ren’s eyes widened sharply.
This kid’s saber skills advanced again?
With one brief moment of distraction, Chen Fan had already closed in and launched an attack.
After nearly two hours, this was his first real chance to strike at Zhang Ren.
The latter remained calm, positioning his spear horizontally in front of him.
"Clang!"
The saber tip was immediately blocked.
Chen Fan wasn’t surprised and switched from a thrust to a slash.
Zhang Ren leaned back his head and raised his spear to block the incoming slash.
However, it was clear to everyone that the roles had now reversed.
Zhang Ren tried to push Chen Fan back with the spear tip, but the latter didn’t give him a chance, each strike being quick and relentless, growing braver as the fight continued.
"Isn’t Uncle Zhang about to lose?"
Wang Ping’s mouth fell open.
"It looks that way,"
Zhao Feng stammered.
While a longer weapon can be advantageous, a shorter one offers greater agility.
"Brother Fan is amazing; it seems Uncle Zhang can hardly hold his ground."
"How long has it been? Just a moment ago, Brother Fan was getting beaten badly."
"Exactly..."
That scene was still fresh in their minds.
And now? There’s been a complete 180-degree reversal.
If not witnessed personally, it would be unimaginable.
...
Not far away, Gu Ze was also observing, involuntarily clenching his fist, feeling a huge pressure.
This guy’s archery skills already surpassed his own, and now his saber skills were impressive too? And he had just started practicing it.
If there ever came a day when they fought in close quarters, wouldn’t he be defenseless?
"No! I need to train with a short weapon too!"
He made up his mind.
"Alright, I concede."
Zhang Ren leapt out of the circle, smiling wryly.
Chen Fan was momentarily stunned, then smiled sheepishly upon hearing it, "Uncle Zhang, you’re being gracious. I merely took advantage of the higher realm."
After all, Zhang Ren was only using the strength of Body Tempering First Layer. If he had used Body Tempering Second or Third Layer, the outcome would be hard to tell, or Chen Fan might not have landed a hit at all.
"That’s not entirely true."
Zhang Ren shook his head, "Your progress is genuinely fast, that’s undeniable."
Chen Fan chuckled and eagerly checked his skill bar.
[Shadowless Swift Blade (Incomplete): Completely Ignorant (0%)]
[Collection Progress: 36%]
[Completion Requirements: Body Tempering Third Layer, Basic Saber Technique Level 5, reached]
[Completion Time: 24 hours, confirm completion?]
"One day?"
Chen Fan thought. It wasn’t too long nor too short.
Still, the sooner the better.
Considering this, he looked at Zhang Ren and asked:
"Uncle Zhang, how about we continue?"
Zhang Ren glanced at him meaningfully and said, "Alright, with your current saber skills, I’ll use the strength of Body Tempering Third Layer to duel with you."