Chương 20: War God — Chapter 20 - First Step into Martial Arts Unending — Real Combat Begins!

"This blade technique is exceptionally outstanding even among foundational martial arts." After mastering it with ease, Wang Xian left the library. On the way home, he replayed it continuously in his mind. With his past life's martial insight, he could see at a glance what made this blade technique unique. Use the nature of water to train the form of the blade.

"At my current pace, with a suitable sparring partner, reaching perfected mastery within a month wouldn't be difficult." The best way to rapidly improve martial technique mastery is always real combat. Having a suitable opponent would be ideal. Best if it's free and consistent. Third Uncle's martial hall is certainly a decent choice, but most students there focus on fist training. Showing up with a blade to spar is clearly inappropriate. That leaves online. Going to other martial halls costs money.

Wang Xian saw no need for that. Besides, he didn't have much money to throw around right now. So the only option is...

"Martial Arts Unending..." Rong City, Old District, Hailan Residential Complex, Building 3, 10th Floor, Unit 38. The moment Wang Xian got home, this game was the first thing that came to mind. He headed straight to the study, put on the virtual helmet, and suited up in the virtual martial equipment. This house was left by his parents. He lives here alone. At home, he can play however he wants. He'd bought this helmet and matching equipment when he first started high school. A few thousand total.

Most people in Dragon Nation can afford them, which is what made this martial arts game a nationwide sensation. [You have not logged into the game for 3 months. Paopao has prepared a returning player reward for you...] As soon as he came online, a notification chimed. In his past life, after entering senior year, Wang Xian remembered he rarely logged into this game. Senior year had no strict evening self-study sessions. If there was any, it just meant going home to train martial arts on your own.

Usually when he got back, he'd read novels or look for chances to beg Chen Yuting to go to the martial hall so he could act as her training partner... Even when he logged in to play, he usually only played the game's 'Battle Royale' mode. That game mode leans toward entertainment. Different players' real-life martial levels get adjusted by the system. It's the entertainment mode the masses love. Paopao is the game's artificial intelligence AI.

"Enter solo martial arts arena ranked matches." Wang Xian cut straight to the point. Solo martial arts arena ranked matches are the game mode with the highest weight of real skill. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. An individual's real-life martial strength receives no system adjustments, only margin of error. Whatever you are in reality, in this mode, the margin of error won't exceed 5%.

That 5% still has quite an impact on martial artists above the third realm. Especially for martial artists above the sixth realm, even a 1% difference gets infinitely magnified. But for martial artists below the third realm, a 5% difference doesn't have much impact. High weight of skill means more attention, more viewers, and stronger players inside. [Player life force 0. 5 has been registered. Detected that this is your first time in ranked matches. Adjust the five senses? (Note: The higher the upper limit of the five senses, the more realistic it is, and the stronger the pain you will feel.)]"Adjust all to the upper limit." [Adjusted. Your current tier is Bronze, 0 wins 0 losses.] [Matching you with an opponent...] [Match successful. Your opponent is: I'm a Little Roast Chicken (Bronze), life force 0. 6, 5 wins 2 losses.] The instant the match was made, Wang Xian felt his figure flash. He appeared on a martial arts arena.

At the same time, on the opposite side of the arena, a not-very-tall man also appeared. He held a longsword, wore a face mask, and his long hair flowed in the breeze, giving him quite the air of a wandering swordsman. Wang Xian knew the other party had virtualized his clothing and attire. In other words, he was wearing a 'skin.'

"Please instruct me." The other man chuckled. He seemed pleased to have run into a little newbie with zero battle record. An easy free win. Wang Xian nodded. The words had barely finished when the cold sword gleamed like light. The man lunged forward, his movement technique somewhat eerie as he attacked Wang Xian. Very fast. Wang Xian's eyes brightened slightly. As expected, those who dare to play martial arts ranked in this game all have some real skill.

This person's life force looked to be only mid-tier level in his class. Yet the moment he moved, his speed was faster than anyone in his class. This meant he could bring out at least 80% of his life force into actual combat power. Wang Xian stayed in place, unhurried. He only gently turned the side of the long blade in his hand. Using stillness to await motion. The nature of water is ever-changing and formless. The nature of the blade is the same. Until a certain moment.

Wang Xian's long blade carried an invisible force as he slashed out.

"Huh?" The man seemed not to have reacted yet and abruptly raised his sword to block. In the next instant, the long blade hacked down like a violent storm, flowing like drifting clouds and running water. After only a few strikes, the latter could barely hold on. Until one slash shattered his body. He collapsed entirely, transforming into specks of light and disappearing from the arena. [Congratulations on your victory. Current record: 1 win 0 losses.] [Win 9 more matches to advance to Bronze I.] Wang Xian smacked his lips. Flowing Water Blade Technique, one move of Drifting Clouds and Flowing Water. He hadn't even fully executed it yet, and the opponent was already gone. But have to say, online real combat with people does have a certain flavor to it. Drifting Clouds and Flowing Water is the opening move in the Flowing Water Blade Technique.

It emphasizes that once the first blade sticks, blade after blade follows without interruption, like an endless stream of water slowly wearing the opponent down until they're powerless.

"Blade techniques really are interesting..." In his past life, he used a spear from start to finish. In this life, he might as well try more other martial arts to enrich his own martial philosophy. Having won against his opponent, Wang Xian didn't stop. He continued matching. The second opponent had a battle record and life force slightly better than the previous one. But even so, they only barely allowed Wang Xian to finish executing Drifting Clouds and Flowing Water.

It wasn't until the fifth opponent that Wang Xian was forced to bring out the second form, Wind and Rain Like Gloom. In Flowing Water Blade Technique, this form emphasizes one slash splitting down with a sky full of blade shadows, like wind and like rain, the illusory within the real, the real within the illusory. It counts as a semi-finishing move. After following up Drifting Clouds and Flowing Water, it suddenly breaks the rhythm and shifts techniques. Generally extremely difficult to defend against.

Under this move, Wang Xian won another 4 matches in a row. By this point, Wang Xian felt his insight into Flowing Water Blade Technique had deepened a bit more.

"A pity, still no one has been able to make me use the final form..." Right now he was only at the comprehension stage. If he could use the final form, Surging Waves Overturn the Heavens, in real combat, then in just a few days at most, he should be able to reach perfection at the first stage of Glimpsing the Threshold. However, after the winning streak, the opponents he matched with were getting stronger and stronger. The life force of the last two was already close to 1.

And most of them had trained in foundational martial arts. [Detected that you have won 9 matches in a row. The next match is a placement match. Do you wish to continue?]"Continue." [Matching...] [Match successful. Your opponent is: Undying Love Grandpa Tong (Bronze I), life force 1. 5, 58 wins 3 losses.] The moment he saw the information, Wang Xian froze. His expression turned odd.

"Good lord, what kind of excellent matchmaking algorithm is this?" Wang Xian shook his head. He could tell at a glance that this opponent was clearly not meant to be in this tier. This was someone who, after the seasonal tier reset, had come to stomp on low-rank players. ➤ Next: Smurfing Backfired! Blade Technique Reached Small Success!