Chapter 195 – In Fact, I’ve Always Wanted to be a Swordsman
The grounds where the societies were typically held were silent, for everyone was at the arena partying their hearts out in celebration of their victory. As such, there should not be anyone disturbing the match between Wang Zhong and Cecil.
It wasn’t hard to guess why Scarlet was being so secretive about this match. She hoped that this match would be made private. Even if Wang Zhong were to lose, she didn’t want it to affect the prestige and status that he had worked so hard to achieve.
On the other hand, Cecil held no regards to whether this match was a private one or not. Hence, it did not matter to him if there wasn’t any audience watching. What he wanted wasn’t dignity, as things like that could not be attained simply by winning.
What he wanted to prove to his squad members, who were on the verge of collapsing, that there was no opponent that was invincible. As long as you look for it, there will definitely be a way to defeat one’s opponent! Regardless of the method used!
Pa Pa Pa Pa Pa…
The spotlights for the large hall were switched on in succession, lighting up the expansive hall that was over a hundred square metres long.
Casually walking in, Cecil took in the layout of his surroundings before standing at the centre of the large hall.
Grasped in his hand was a rune sword. The runic patterns carved on its surface were of excellent quality. However, it was still just a standardized weapon that was mass-produced. His symbolic small round shield wasn’t with him. That was not much of a surprise though, for group battles and duels differ greatly from each other and had distinct styles of fighting.
“Do you still need time to prepare yourself?” inquired Cecil.
With a smile, Wang Zhong gave an affirmative response with a single hand gesture, before walking towards the weapon racks of Black Rose.
Scarlet was dumbfounded at Wang Zhong’s actions. She had chosen the Black Rose Society as the location for the duel precisely so that Wang Zhong would be able to easily retrieve his cross wheels from the Prodigy Society, which was just next door. However, based on his actions, he seems to want to duel without them. Does he not need the cross wheels to win?
“Wang Zhong,” remarked Scarlet as she walked forward, “do you need me to take them for you?”
Wang Zhong knew that Scarlet was talking about his cross wheels. With a smile, he shook his head, before casually picking up some of the weapons that rested on the weapon racks.
The weapons found on the weapon racks were common rune weapons usually used society training sessions, and were not of excellent quality. However, they were still usable, and there was numerous weapons that ranged from blades, spears, swords to bows. Cecil narrowed his eyes and kept his silence the entire time he was observing Wang Zhong. In his opinion, as long as Wang Zhong agreed to the duel, victory would be his. If there was any other way, he would not be bullying Wang Zhong with his superior strength. His opponent was clearly a captain that was selected for his smarts. Therefore, his physical strength should not be that great, which was the reason why Cecil requested to duel against him.
Scarlet had no idea what Wang Zhong was thinking as none of the weapons available seemed to suit him.
For Wang Zhong, he considering which weapon to take was simply an act. He had already known what weapon he was going to choose. Fortunately, Wang Zhong did not take long to drop all pretenses and reached out for his weapon of choice. Seeing that Cecil has chosen the runesword, Wang Zhong followed suit. Picking up the rune sword on the rack, he waved it around to get a feel for it, generating swishing sounds as the sword sliced through the air.
Once satisfied with his decision, Captain Wang nodded his head and announced, “I’ll go with this.”
Hearing his words, Scarlet instantly turned speechless. Now, she was truly at a loss as to what Wang Zhong was thinking. His opponent was serious about this bout, and yet he went ahead and did something like this. “Wang Zhong… do you know how to use a sword?”
With a loud chuckle, Wang Zhong replied, “I’ve always wanted to be a swordsman! Just that I’ve never had the opportunity to. Now is my time to try it out!”
Wantedto be a swordsman?! Scarlet felt as though her brain had short circuited.
Cecil had also gawked in response to Wang Zhong’s words. An archer wanting to wield a sword? Is he simply mocking me?
“Are you sure that you want to use a sword?” asked Cecil in an icy voice. “Regardless of what you chose, I willnot show mercy!”
While it was possible that Wang Zhong was only joking with him, now was not the time to be doing so. The strong would prevail and reign supreme over the weak. Cecil wanted his squadron to find back the confidence they had lost. Although no one would witness this fight, landing their captain in the hospital tomorrow would uplift the spirits of his squadron.
“There’s no need for it.” replied Wang Zhong with a chuckle. Walking to the centre of the hall, he pointed his sword to the floor before saying, “Please.” 居然真的用剑……
He truly wanted to use a sword to duel against Cecil…
Apprehension and nervousness filled Scarlet’s heart. She was not hoping for a victory; rather, she simply wished for Wang Zhong to get out this duel unharmed. Perhaps, it would be better this way as he wouldn’t lose too much face if he were to lose.
Taking a deep breath, Cecil stopped talking and focused. Slowly pointing the tip of his sword downwards, a sharp and incisive aura started to radiate from him. It made him seem as though he had become a sharp sword unsheathed from its scabbard!
Auras wasn’t something that anyone in the Casted Soul Stage should possess.Though many would try their best at mimicking the nuances of it, what they would only achieve is the form without the intent. An aura required an intent bornt from gaining a deep understanding of one’s martial arts and combining it with one’s soul power. Even in the CHF that was full of experts, only the aces from the main branch of the various great families were able to form their own auras.
Radiating with a sharp and incisive aura, Cecil turned and faced Wang Zhong. In contrast to Cecil’s fierce and sharp aura, Wang Zhong was much more casual, which made him appear harmless. It was not imposing, and surprisingly, it was not affected by the sharp and incisive aura from his opponent.
Seeing what has transpired made Scarlet even more worried. She was afraid that Wang Zhong was still basking in the glory of the victory from earlier today. Cecil could be considered to be an unscrupulous person. However, she was unsure how far Cecil would be willing to go to achieve his goals. Scarlet had assumed that the alcohol and the victory Wang Zhong had attained was influencing his decisions. But, it was not her place to say it out.
Wang Zhong was like any other person. If he were to reject the duel, it would be a smear upon his name and would forever brand him as a coward. Perhaps, even if he was to lose this match, it would make him feel more at ease as compared to outright rejection. At this point in time, Scarlet refused to walk away from all this even though she disapprove of this duel, for it would only prove the lack of confidence she had in him.
Just like that, the two faced each other solemnly, under the large bright lights and the jet black roof, not making any sound.
Instantly, Scarlet could feel that the atmosphere in the hall had become intense, making it hard for anyone to breathe. Unable to control it, she coughed gently.
Gu…
Right at this moment, both Cecil and Wang Zhong made their move and attacked! Their swords clashed against each other, sending out a loud ringing that resounded out. The clash sent shivers up the arms of both Wang Zhong and Cecil as they both held their ground.
Both of them attacked at almost the same speed, appeared right in the centre of the hall in the blink of an eye. The two swords furiously clashed against each other, causing sparks to shoot out!
The sliver of contempt that was originally present in Cecil’s eyes instantly vanished. Although his opponent’s soul power wasn’t much, his sword was not inferior to his in terms of speed, strength or vigor! He even managed to take advantage of opportune moments to counter back.
An archer should not be this proficient in the ways of the sword. This fellow…
A sparkle of brilliance flashed from Cecil’s eyes. A second later, he had pulled back his sword and entered a different stance. Soul power instantly burst forth from him!
His sword stabbed forth in a strange pattern that was arrhythmic and chaotic. Not every pierce was aimed at attacking Wang Zhong. However, they seemed to flow from one to another, creating an indescribable resonance with each other.
Sword formation, Adolf’s Thirteen Successive Slashes!
Most swordsmen of the Casted Soul Stage from ordinary academies might still be stuck on training the basics, purely pursuing speed and the eruption of strength in their swordsmanship. However, for a true swordsman, the most important thing was the fluidity of their sword!
What does it mean by fluidity of the sword?
Many swords strikes that seem to do nothing but strike thin air were there simply to seal the opponent’s movements and block off any evasive maneuvers. There were some that were intended to force the enemy to block, thus disrupting the rhythm of the opponent. This technique made it hard to identify feints and the killing blow would be hidden among the series of feints!
Due to his limited soul power and fierce onslaught of attacks from Cecil, Wang Zhong was forced to retreat, leaving him no openings for him to attack.
This was a one-sided match. The technique was a sword formation constructed from the hard work and numerous revisions of many experts and teachers from Adolf Academy. For action the opponent made, the sword formation would change correspondingly, hence ensuring that the opponent’s movements would be sealed till his defeat.