Chapter 87: Chapter 87: Defensive Line

“Hah!”

Chu Lingguang was panting heavily.

He had to block this staff strike.

Spinning his Long Spear, he generated a pulling force that intercepted the staff at the very last moment, buying himself a chance to catch his breath.

Lin Yuanfu’s brow furrowed. He could tell that the power of Chu Lingguang’s second-level Skillful Force was far beyond ordinary. Though his staff could break free from its pull, doing so wasted precious time, costing him the chance to land a fatal blow to Chu Lingguang’s throat.

However, the Staff Technique was all about adaptability.

He had broken through Chu Lingguang’s Spear Technique defense once, and he could do it again. He was confident he could even throw the boy’s entire technique into disarray. At that point, even if Chu Lingguang’s second-level Skillful Force was far superior to his own, he would be unable to dodge a strike to a vital point at the crucial moment.

Chu Lingguang felt he was in constant peril.

At the critical moment, he had used the power of his second-level Skillful Force to secure a sliver of a chance at survival.

Lin Yuanfu was incredibly strong. His Staff Technique had reached the Form Realm, and he had also mastered the first and second levels of Skillful Force. However, he had not yet brought either level to its peak.

Chu Lingguang, however, relied on his Perfect mastery of Skillful Force.

His power at both levels surpassed Lin Yuanfu’s, especially the second level. Its binding and entangling force always forced Lin Yuanfu to execute an extra move just to break free.

But the Staff Technique was inherently versatile.

Executing an extra move didn’t cause Lin Yuanfu to lose his advantage, but it did give Chu Lingguang an opportunity to catch his breath.

And so, to the onlookers, Chu Lingguang was in a perilous state, always a hair’s breadth away from being struck by Lin Yuanfu’s Pointing Stick or Whip Stick techniques.

Everyone broke out in a cold sweat for Chu Lingguang.

But Chu Lingguang, caught in the heart of the storm of blows, knew only to focus on that one additional strike. Each time, at the most critical moment, he would use his second-level Skillful Force to ensnare it and break free from the phantom-like staff images.

CLANG!

And so, Chu Lingguang remained entirely on the defensive.

Lin Yuanfu’s Staff Technique grew faster and his moves more treacherous. The whistling of his staff was like muffled thunder, piercing the silence of the backyard.

Teng Qingshan was secretly astonished.

’If I were the one facing that level of Staff Technique,’ he thought, ’even if I could block the first few assaults, I’d be thrown into confusion soon after.’

In contrast, while Chu Lingguang was constantly in peril, he always managed to secure a moment’s respite at the last second. His Spear Technique remained solid, showing no signs of him becoming flustered.

His expression was grave and strained, yet he bore all the pressure, holding fast to his final line of defense. His Mental Realm did not waver in the face of the dire situation.

It was as if he were clinging to a last strand of hope, guarding it with all his might. Even on the edge of a cliff, he would never give up.

That final line was his last stand.

Tears welled up in Teng Qingshan’s eyes as he watched, deeply moved. He had just lost to Chu Lingguang, and his world had gone dark. Though Guo Wei had helped him regain his confidence, his heart had remained unsteady.

But now, seeing Chu Lingguang remain composed in the face of danger, withstanding all the pressure at the final moment, and resisting Lin Yuanfu’s Staff Technique over and over again to hold that last line of defense—that unwavering determination to never give up deeply inspired him.

’Chu Lingguang truly deserves the title of a future Martial Arts Scholar,’ he thought.

Guo Wei watched it all unfold, his heart filled with shock and emotion. He had told Chu Lingguang about the importance of Guarding the Heart. And though Chu Lingguang was slow-witted, he had unwavering faith in his master’s teachings and always followed them to the letter.

Now, he remained composed under pressure. Though his Spear Technique was suppressed by Lin Yuanfu’s Staff Technique, he grew more resolute with every setback, constantly mounting a final resistance that brought their battle to a stalemate.

’In this battle,’ Guo Wei thought, ’it doesn’t matter when Lin Yuanfu finally breaks his last line of defense. Even if his Long Spear ends up on the ground, in my heart, Chu Lingguang has already won.’

Guarding the Heart meant guarding one’s original passion and perseverance for Martial Arts.

It sounded simple, yet few could truly achieve it.

Even Guo Wei felt that he himself fell short.

“Watch closely! And learn!”

Thinking of Hei Hu’s impetuous nature, Guo Wei couldn’t help but admonish him.

“Yes.”

Hei Hu nodded, watching Chu Lingguang tirelessly hold his final defensive line. He found it incredible and couldn’t help but compare himself to the other man. ’If I were the one being suppressed by Lin Yuanfu like that,’ he thought, ’I’d definitely have launched a vicious counterattack to try and turn the tables.’

’But against Lin Yuanfu’s endlessly adaptable Staff Technique, my defenses would have been shattered in an instant, and my Long Spear would have been knocked from my hands.’

After thinking it over, Hei Hu concluded, ’Only someone with a one-track mind could be so consistent and unaffected by everything else. Ah, Junior Brother, your success today is all thanks to that stubborn mind of yours. I guess it’s true that fortune favors fools.’

Hei Hu attributed it all to Chu Lingguang being slow-witted and simple-minded. He figured the only reason Chu Lingguang could hold out for so long was that he didn’t overthink things.

BOOM!

Lin Yuanfu changed his angle of attack again, but Chu Lingguang’s second-level Skillful Force was like a barrier, always managing to intercept his assault at the crucial moment.

He had been suppressing Chu Lingguang the entire time, with victory seemingly in his grasp, yet his inability to break that final line of defense was gradually making him anxious.

Though his Staff Technique was as formidable as ever, his shifting mental state created several openings in his form.

However, Chu Lingguang did not seize the opportunity.

’Lin Yuanfu isn’t like Liu Quan,’ he thought. ’It’s not as if a single opening is enough to secure a win. Even if I took the chance, I wouldn’t be able to press the advantage and defeat him.’

Chu Lingguang also worried that Lin Yuanfu had deliberately created the opening as a trap.

So he remained on the passive defensive, blocking Lin Yuanfu’s onslaught. And as Lin Yuanfu’s state of mind shifted, Chu Lingguang’s single, final line of defense seemed to solidify into two.

Guo Wei watched this development with delight, nodding to himself.

’Chu Lingguang is wise in Guarding his Heart, able to resist temptation. With such a disposition, even if he’s slow-witted, as long as he receives guidance from a great master, he is certain to achieve great things on the path of Martial Arts.’

“HRAAAGH!”

Lin Yuanfu roared, surging all the Qi Blood in his body. If he couldn’t break through with technique, he would use sheer Qi Power to shatter Chu Lingguang’s defense.

Unfortunately for him, Chu Lingguang’s mastery of the Tidal Breathing Technique was at the Perfection level. Though Chu Lingguang was several years younger and his Qi Blood Power wasn’t as potent as Lin Yuanfu’s…

…his Qi Blood recovery rate far surpassed it.

Furthermore, having been on the defensive the entire time, his Qi Blood consumption was much lower than Lin Yuanfu’s. In the end, Chu Lingguang withstood this ferocious assault of pure power.

This sight nearly broke Lin Yuanfu’s spirit.

He was famous for his Staff Technique. In the last Provincial Examination, he had missed becoming a Martial Arts Scholar by a single rank. Now, after nearly two more years of training, he couldn’t even break through Chu Lingguang’s defense.

One can only imagine his despair.

Without realizing it, the transformations in his Staff Technique lost their initial devious and unpredictable nature, even becoming somewhat listless.

Chu Lingguang finally saw his chance to counterattack.

He unleashed the power of his second-level Skillful Force, and the pulling force erupted. Lin Yuanfu felt his iron staff being yanked from his grasp and suddenly snapped out of his stupor, cursing himself for losing his composure.

The next moment, he saw Chu Lingguang’s Spear Technique sweeping toward him.

A Five-Gun Sweep, each strike stronger than the last! Chu Lingguang applied the core principles of the Continuous Slash Saber Technique to his Spear Technique, striving to seize victory with this single move.

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep