N-A-A Chapter 61: Practicing the Sword
Chapter 61: Practicing the Sword
Of course, when applying the ointment to Yu Chen afterwards, Gu Yue completely forgot about the heartache in her heart, and only hoped that Wu Changkong's actual combat could last a little longer.
Because that way she could openly take advantage of Yu Chen.
Regarding the training, at the beginning, the special training of Class Zero maintained a relatively "mild" pace - several hours of high-intensity combat were conducted in the exclusive training ground every morning, while the afternoon and evening were reserved for free rest and soul power cultivation.
However, this good time didn't last long. Their rest time was ruthlessly exploited by the capitalist-like Wu Changkong, who changed their training from once a day to twice a day.
This high-intensity pace continued for several days, and even Yu Chen began to feel a bit mentally exhausted, but his progress seemed to have stagnated.
He realized that simply engaging in physical combat and refining basic skills had gradually reached a bottleneck, and it was time to introduce new variables.
At that moment, he remembered the naginata he had meticulously crafted, which had repeatedly appeared in battle but always ended in a crushing defeat.
So he decided to have Wu Changkong teach him how to use weapons, and Wu Changkong agreed after a little thought.
However, at first he wanted to teach Yu Chen how to use a sword, since his own martial spirit was a sword and he believed he had some understanding of swordsmanship.
However, Yu Chen had a particular fondness for swords, and Wu Changkong agreed after a moment's thought.
After all, with Yu Chen's terrifying strength, if he used a knife, he could perfectly unleash the knife's domineering power.
At this moment, two figures were engaged in fierce combat on the Zero Class training ground. Yu Chen was holding a wooden sword and struggling to defend against Wu Changkong's swift attacks. He knew that Wu Changkong always knew how to keep his distance, but this sense of restraint was simply the greatest torment for him.
Wu Changkong would only suggest taking a break when he was about to collapse. Yu Chen didn't know how he could tell, but it was almost always the same. Yu Chen could only attribute it to his omnipotent experience.
The sounds of clashing swords echoed through the empty space, and the sounds of panting filled the air, all belonging to Yu Chen.
"You've almost reached your limit. Do you want to rest?" Wu Changkong said calmly, his breathing steady.
"You said it's about the same, I can still hold on!" Yu Chen panted heavily, still holding the wooden knife and constantly blocking the wooden sword that was being swung at Wu Changkong.
"Why?" After a moment, Wu Changkong spoke again, his wooden sword thrusting at Yu Chen's ribs at a tricky angle.
Yu Chen barely managed to twist his body and use the side of the blade to deflect the attack, letting out a suppressed groan, too weak to reply.
"Why do you always push yourself to your absolute limit during practice sessions?"
Wu Changkong voiced his question for him, his sword thrusts continuing, "Your training has always been about pushing your limits. This almost self-torturing method of training isn't entirely wise."
Yu Chen gritted his teeth and poured all his strength into his next swing. The wooden sword and the wooden blade clashed again with a loud "bang".
After what felt like an eternity of five minutes, Yu Chen's movements became noticeably sluggish.
Wu Changkong's wooden sword, like a venomous snake spitting its tongue, pierced straight at his left chest, an open wound.
Yu Chen's expression hardened, and almost instinctively he pressed down on the hilt of his knife, barely managing to stop the sword tip. The enormous impact caused him to stagger back several steps, and finally, unable to hold on any longer, he knelt down on one knee, using the wooden knife to support his body so that he wouldn't fall completely.
"Huff... huff..."
He was breathing heavily, each breath accompanied by a burning pain in his lungs and a metallic taste in his mouth. His vision blurred, and sweat dripped onto the floor, quickly spreading into a small dark patch.
Wu Changkong sheathed his sword and stood quietly watching him, neither urging him nor leaving.
More than a quarter of an hour passed before Yu Chen's wildly beating heart gradually calmed down, and his oxygen-deprived brain regained its clarity.
He wiped the sweat from his face and answered Wu Changkong's question in a slightly hoarse voice:
"I just... don't want to feel powerless again."
He raised his head, his eyes somewhat unfocused with exhaustion, but the light deep within them remained unusually persistent.
"I don't want to wait until the people around me need help or protection, and then I can only stand by and do nothing... That feeling of just watching, waiting, and then regretting it, once is enough."
Yesterday, facing Di Tian's unfathomable pressure and the heavy sense of connection he felt after forming a soul contract with Gu Yue, he developed an unprecedented desire for "power".
The future is fraught with turmoil, and he wants to have the strength to protect what is important to him, no longer wanting to experience the helplessness and absurdity of being "run over in the face by a truck of fate" like he did in his previous life.
"Don't you want to... be powerless?"
Wu Changkong repeated it in a low voice. In his usually calm eyes, something extremely ancient seemed to shatter for a moment, revealing a trace of pain and sadness that was almost impossible to detect.
But he quickly returned to normal, only his gaze towards Yu Chen seemed to hold a deeper understanding.
Yu Chen nodded, took a deep breath, and tried to stand up, supporting himself with the wooden sword, intending to continue.
Just then, Xie Xie's energetic voice came from afar, breaking the tense atmosphere of the training ground.
"Teacher Wu! Brother Chen! Stop for a minute, come and have some fruit to replenish your energy! This was cut by Sister Gu Yue herself, it's very sweet!"
He was carrying a large tray with five or six bowls of neatly cut fruit on it, all colorful and looking very refreshing. Gu Yue followed half a step behind him.
Xie Xie walked over with a grin, casually grabbed a bowl for himself, and then plopped down on the cushion next to him.
"You must be exhausted, Chen-ge? Judging from your appearance, you've been battling it out with Teacher Wu all afternoon again? I'm impressed!"
Wu Changkong glanced at the tray, said nothing, calmly took a bowl, and slowly ate a piece of melon with his fork.
I accepted this somewhat abrupt but heartwarming "condolence" from the student.
"There's something to announce tomorrow, remember everyone needs to be there." With that last sentence, Wu Changkong left the training ground.
"There's something to announce tomorrow, could it be a new training mission?"
Xie Xie sighed inwardly, thinking to himself, "What a bitter pill to swallow!"
However, Xie Xie was always an optimist, and he quickly put these things out of his mind. He would deal with tomorrow's problems tomorrow and let tomorrow worry about them.
After figuring things out, Xie Xie's mood improved again, and he faced Yu Chen.
"Haha, thanks to you, Brother Chen, for finding a dance teacher to practice with and persisting for so long, we finally got this half-day off."
Xie Xie said as he handed Yu Chen the second bowl.
"Even without me, this afternoon is a break. We have a new task tomorrow, so Teacher Wu probably wants us to get back into shape."
Yu Chen answered while eating fruit, and soon the several bowls of fruit on the plate were all gone.
"Recover your condition? Brother Chen, you look exhausted right now. Won't that affect your performance tomorrow?"
Seeing Yu Chen's current disheveled state, Xie Xie couldn't help but feel worried for him.
"This level of fatigue will be completely relieved by a good night's sleep tomorrow."
Yu Chen rolled his eyes at Xie Xie, feeling somewhat speechless. After being classmates for so long, didn't he have any clear understanding of his own body's recovery ability?
Yu Chen took the large half-watermelon that Gu Yue had taken from the soul tool and started eating it with a spoon.
"Tsk tsk, Brother Chen, your recovery ability is unbelievable every time I hear about it. You're practically a human beast."
Hearing Yu Chen's words, Xie Xie muttered to himself, feeling like a giant light bulb was shining above his head as he watched the two interact so seamlessly.
Knowing his own limitations, he glanced helplessly at the two of them, then silently left the training ground, leaving them alone...