111: First Battle Against a Third-Year Senior
There was a vast difference between the third-year and second-year students of Lingdu Source Martial Academy.
The academy emphasized a solid foundation. In fact, most of the first year was spent building that foundation, with little study of practical combat techniques. From the second and third years onward, true combat training began, with the cultivation of techniques, secret manuals, Primordial Energy, and physical refinent advancing in parallel. By the second sester of the third year, the focus shifted to practical combat techniques and weapons. In the fourth year, students no longer stayed at the academy but went to various places for real combat experience or internships at important posts.
By the second sester of their third year, the students' combat abilities were already very strong, and their mastery of techniques, their respective departnts' unique martial arts, and combat strategies was quite comprehensive.
Unlike the previous rounds with byes, Yuyin was scheduled for the opening match of the entire Southeast Venue of the Source Martial Tournant, a clear sign of the academy's high regard for her.
Because the four venues were not holding matches simultaneously, the place was packed today. Everyone wanted to witness the grace of this first-year goddess, but opinions varied on how far she could go.
The general prediction was that she could contend for a spot in the top eight, but it would depend on her opponent. So were even more pessimistic.
Hua Qianyuan and Yingluo had naturally co as well, sitting in the front row of the stands. Behind them, many Source Martial Practitioners were discussing her.
"It's been a few months since I last saw Xia Yuyin. She seems to have an even more mature and ladylike charm. It's wonderful..."
"Yes, I like her so much. I really don't want her to lose."
"Who is her opponent?"
Just then, after Yuyin made her appearance as the first competitor of the tournant, her first-round opponent, a tall, dark-skinned male student in a silver-gray silk Chinese-style training uniform, stepped onto the platform. He held a sword against his arm in a reverse grip, a style unique to Daoist Arts cultivators.
"That's Wang Tianjie from the Daoist Arts Departnt!"
"What? Her first match is against Wang Tianjie?"
A few of the boys in Yuyin's fan club started to worry.
"Wang Tianjie can rank in the top fifteen of the Daoist Arts Departnt. The key is that his other grades aren't great, but he's especially skilled in practical combat. He's a tough character."
"Even if Yuyin is strong, her opponent's experience is probably far richer than hers."
"The third-year powerhouses are no joke. You can't underestimate any of them!"
The match was about to begin. As per tradition, Yuyin and Wang Tianjie first bowed to each other.
Wang Tianjie's movents were crisp and his manner courteous, with a hint of an ethereal air, the mark of his cultivation.
"Junior Sister Xia Yuyin, I am honored to et you on this stage. Don't laugh, but I also... greatly admire you."
"I look forward to your guidance, Senior," Yuyin said humbly.
"However, once we are on the stage, there are no seniors or Junior Sisters. Xia Yuyin, you will still be spending a long ti in the shelter of the academy, but I will soon be leaving to make my own way. This is a critical mont in my cultivation. The ranking, the Academy Credits, are very important to ! I'm truly sorry, but I'm afraid I cannot show you any rcy," Wang Tianjie said, cupping his hands around his sword.
"If Senior has the skill, you are welco to take it. If you can defeat , not only will the academy's 20 credits be yours, but I will personally give you another 20 credits to aid your cultivation and journey," Yuyin said, flicking her long, black hair back.
"Fine, you said it yourself! Then I will gladly accept. If I lose, I'll give you 20 credits as well," Wang Tianjie's eyes flashed.
A middle-aged instructor in a black Tang-style suit waved his hand. "Begin the match."
As the instructor stepped off the platform, Wang Tianjie moved.
"Go!"
Wang Tianjie tossed the sword in his hand towards Yuyin. The sword suddenly accelerated in mid-air, flying straight and swiftly towards her.
"It's a flying sword!"
"So third-year Daoist Arts Departnt students with high aptitude can already comprehend and use the art of controlling a flying sword. A flying sword can attack an opponent from a distance and can be controlled with great agility. It's very difficult to deal with!"
the Source Martial Practitioners exclaid.
"A flying sword?" Yuyin had heard of them, but this was the first ti she had seen one with her own eyes. She had been focused on her own cultivation and hadn't had ti to study techniques that weren't useful to her.
The sword was incredibly fast, faster than an arrow.
But Yuyin's reaction, while sowhat surprised and unaccustod, still allowed her to dodge it with a swift movent.
However, the flying sword circled around in the air above the stands, causing a wave of gasps, and then flew towards Yuyin again, as if it had a life of its own.
"Even the cheapest flying sword technique costs over 80 Academy Credits. This Wang Tianjie is really sothing."
"Even if Yuyin is strong, I'm afraid she doesn't know how to deal with a flying sword. Yuyin is going to be at a disadvantage!" the Source Martial Practitioners said nervously.
"Yuyin..." Hua Qianyuan and Yingluo couldn't help but hold hands, even though they weren't usually that close.
Although Yuyin could dodge it, the flying sword circled around her, continuously launching winding attacks. It was useless even if Yuyin blocked it with her sword. The flying sword was controlled by the opponent from a distance and could fly back to attack Yuyin's most vulnerable spots.
"The third-year seniors are truly not ordinary."
After circling with the flying sword for a while, Yuyin suddenly revealed a hint of an excited smile at the corner of her mouth. She seized an opportunity, dodged the flying sword with a subtle movent, and while it was flying at high speed outside the platform to circle back, she charged at Wang Tianjie with full speed.
"Ah!" Wang Tianjie hastily dodged, circling around the platform to avoid getting close to Yuyin. At this mont, he was unard. It wasn't that he could only use one weapon, but controlling the flying sword consud all of his concentration and a large amount of his Primordial Energy, leaving him unable to use another weapon.
"Senior, I'm sorry."
As the flying sword flew towards Yuyin, she had already cornered Wang Tianjie. Although Wang Tianjie's hands were empty, he was controlling the flying sword. At this mont, he could only grit his teeth and accelerate the flying sword for a desperate strike.
But Yuyin swiftly struck with the flat of her longsword.
Smack!
She sent Wang Tianjie, who had no room to retreat, flying off the platform.
The flying sword, in the end, was a step too slow. As Wang Tianjie landed, it lost control and was easily dodged by Yuyin with a slight shift of her waist.
"Xia Yuyin wins!"
"Surprising the entire audience with your victory. Gained 25 Soul Charm Points."
"Disproving the many claims that you lacked experience against flying swords. Gained 25 Soul Charm Points."
"From the sincere soul fluctuations of Wang Tianjie's admittance of defeat. Gained 10 Soul Charm Points."
Although Wang Tianjie was in the Late-Stage of Spirit-Seeking Realm, his close-combat ability was probably not as good as Wang Tieniu's. He had trained in the flying sword art, which indeed allowed him to injure people from a distance. However, he had only achieved so results in it a few months ago and was not yet proficient. How to deal with close combat in a confined space like a platform, he lacked experience and hadn't had ti to cultivate effective matching combat strategies. Once the initial few attacks failed and his opponent closed in, he would beco very passive. It might have been better in an open area.
"Yuyin possessed the ability to continuously dodge and block his flying sword and did not panic because of it. By swiftly closing in for the fight, Wang Tianjie naturally lost any chance of winning."
"Senior Sister Liu Xing," Hua Qianyuan said, a little surprised. Liu Xing was standing beside Yingluo and the others, though no one had noticed when she arrived.
"To turn your back on a flying sword and decisively charge the opponent may seem simple, but it requires extraordinary courage..." Liu Xing praised.
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