Chapter 403: Chapter 399 Special Training

As his gaze shifted, a fierce sword wind suddenly attacked from above his head. Ling Chen looked up and saw Yuan Yun holding a sword in both hands, raised high, chopping straight towards him. Without time to think, Ling Chen immediately retreated, trying to avoid the range of the steel sword’s attack.

However, for every step he took back, Yuan Yun pressed forward a step, continuously swinging the steel sword, fast and ruthless, with unstoppable force. After Ling Chen had retreated more than ten steps, his back hit something hard, completely blocking his retreat. At this moment, Yuan Yun’s steel sword rapidly enlarged in his eyes. For a moment, Ling Chen’s pupils slightly shrank under that fierce Sword Force, and he actually felt suffocating pressure.

"Alright, that’s far enough."

Qiu Yong’s voice came, and Yuan Yun’s steel sword immediately stopped in mid-air, less than an inch from Ling Chen’s forehead. Looking at Ling Chen’s dazed expression, Yuan Yun smiled slightly, sheathed his sword, stood up, patted Ling Chen’s shoulder, and asked, "Ling Cheng, are you alright?"

Regaining his senses, Ling Chen gave a bitter smile and touched his nose, saying, "I lost."

"Losing to your third brother is no big deal; he just wanted to test your skill and figure out the gap between you and Yi Shuiyan," said Qiu Yong as he walked over. "Besides, your third brother might not excel in other skills, but his swordsmanship is almost as good as Yi Shuiyan’s. Choosing him to spar with you couldn’t be more appropriate." With that, Qiu Yong turned to Yuan Yun and said, "Third brother, you just tested Ling Cheng’s skill, you should give your thoughts."

Yuan Yun nodded and said, "Ling Cheng’s martial foundation isn’t bad, but perhaps because of his previous occupation, his moves mainly aim for a one-hit kill, discarding fancy maneuvers. Overall, Ling Cheng is a little too eager for quick success, too desperate to defeat his opponent. His martial arts may work against ordinary martial arts practitioners, but if he faces a true master, the effectiveness will be greatly reduced."

"Ling Cheng, to defeat Yi Shuiyan, you must change your habits, abandon everything you’ve learned before. The martial arts of Huaxia are profound and encompassing; every move is the essence evolved from our predecessors. Comparing combat skills in the military with martial arts is like comparing heaven and earth. Only by seeking change can you make progress."

"Change?" mused Ling Chen.

However, as easy as it sounds, it’s difficult to do. Changing one’s old habits is not so easy.

"Yi Shuiyan excels in swordsmanship, why don’t you learn swordsmanship from me?" Yuan Yun suggested.

Xia Yue chimed in, "Yi Shuiyan has over twenty years of hard training in swordsmanship; how can Ling Cheng compare with him? It’s more reliable for him to learn swordsmanship from me. I can teach him how to counter swordsmanship."

Qiu Yong waved his hands, "Ling Cheng’s hand-to-hand combat skills are pretty good, and besides, his external skills have already reached the pinnacle. I think he’s more suited to learn the Cross Training of Iron Cloth Shirt from me."

For a time, everyone talked at once, each expressing their desire to impart their Absolute Skill to Ling Chen.

"Enough, stop arguing," said Xu Ming, and everyone immediately quieted down. Xu Ming looked at Ling Chen and said, "There are only less than two months left; no matter what you study, you can’t make much progress. Any skill needs persistent effort; there are no shortcuts."

Hearing this, Xia Yue asked, "Second brother, then do you have any good ideas?"

"There is one method; instead of learning a single skill, why not combine the strengths of various styles, simplify the complex, and impart the essence, allowing him to master a variety of different techniques? This way, when facing the enemy unexpectedly, it might have a surprising effect."

After hearing Xu Ming’s suggestion, Qiu Yong’s eyes lit up, nodding in agreement, "Second brother’s method is good; I think it’s feasible. Ling Cheng, what do you think?"

"I’ll follow everyone’s arrangements."

"Good, you were just injured last night, so go back and rest for today, and come back here early tomorrow morning."

Scratching his head and feeling somewhat embarrassed, Ling Chen said, "Big Brother, I might as well stay here. Wanqing doesn’t even know I’ve been injured yet."

"Suit yourself; there are plenty of rooms available here anyway."

...

The next day.

As dawn broke, Ling Chen was already up and out of his room.

At this moment, Qiu Yong and the others were in the yard, preparing for the upcoming training. When Ling Chen arrived in the courtyard, he saw four supports placed in the center, connected at the top by sticks. From each stick, more than a dozen fist-sized sandbags hung by thin strings, constantly swinging.

Ling Chen walked over with a puzzled look and asked, "Big Brother, what’s this for?"

Qiu Yong said with a smile, "This is a listening training specially prepared for you by your junior brother. He was born blind but has sharp hearing. With those ears of his, he is no less capable than a normal person with sight. His abilities also come from training since childhood."

After hearing Qiu Yong’s explanation, Ling Chen immediately understood; he also possessed the ability to discern location by sound. However, he had previously relied on the sound of gunfire to determine the position of enemies. If a sound were too soft, his ears would not pick it up.

Blindfolded, Ling Chen, guided by Yang Chen, walked towards the swinging sandbags, listening carefully to the faint sound of sand rustling to gauge their distance and position for dodging.

However, this level of training was more than ten times harder than the training Ling Chen underwent at Ghost Base. In less than half an hour, he was nearly dizzy from the swinging sandbags and completely lost his bearings.

After being ’tortured’ by Yang Chen for two hours without much break, Ling Chen was then dragged away by Xia Yue to learn swordsmanship.

Among the eight eccentrics, all but Wei Jiahao, whose Mechanical Techniques were not suitable to teach Ling Chen, extracted the essence of their Absolute Skills and imparted them to Ling Chen. Each person trained him for two hours in uninterrupted intensive sessions.

Even with Ling Chen’s iron-clad physique, after being tormented for twelve straight hours, he was left aching and weak, barely able to walk steadily.

After a busy day, when Ling Chen returned to his room, he didn’t even take a bath. Smelling of sweat, he collapsed into bed and fell asleep.

A week passed, and Ling Chen lived and ate with Qiu Yong and the others, never returning home nor having time to do so. Each day he could only find a moment for a phone call with Nanrong Wanqing, to keep her reassured.

Besides learning the unique skills of the eight eccentrics, Ling Chen didn’t forget to cultivate the Prajnaparamita Sutra. No matter how formidable the martial skills he learned, Inner Strength was the most crucial foundation. Only by advancing in both aspects would he have a chance to surpass Yi Shuiyan.

That day, after breakfast, Ling Chen was preparing to continue getting thrashed by Yang Chen when he saw Qiu Yong approaching and saying, "You have the day off today. Go out and relax. Training must maintain a balance between tension and relaxation; you can’t wind yourself too tight."

"Really?" Ling Chen’s spirits lifted; finally, he could relax for a bit.