The sunlight shone brightly, casting a golden glow on the sandy ground of the training ground.
The air was thick with a mixture of tension and excitement.
Liu Feng, Erhu, and Liu San stood to the side, their eyes fixed on Liu Qing in the center of the arena.
Liu Qing held a long spear in his hand.
The spear was long and straight, with an ancient luster.
The sharp spearhead gleamed coldly in the sunlight, as if it could cut through the air at any moment.
Liu Qing remained calm, his gaze sharp, and slowly spoke, his voice steady and powerful, echoing in the training ground: “Today, you have been learning spearmanship from me for some time now.
It’s time to test your progress and conduct a practical combat exercise.”
His gaze swept over the three boys in turn, and he continued, “The three of you will take turns sparring with me one-on-one.
We will all use wooden spears.
Don’t be afraid of getting hurt; treat it as a real battle.”
During the match, I will point out your weaknesses, and I hope you will concentrate fully and learn from them.
Liu Feng, Erhu, and Liu San all nodded, their eyes filled with tension.
They knew that this was both a rare learning opportunity and a major test of their spearmanship.
“Xiao Feng, you go first.” Liu Qing looked at Liu Feng, his tone encouraging.
Liu Feng took a deep breath to calm his nerves and steadily walked into the center of the training ground.
He gripped the wooden spear tightly, assumed the standard starting stance, his feet firmly planted on the ground, knees slightly bent, the tip of the spear pointing diagonally at the ground, his eyes fixed firmly on his father, burning with fierce fighting spirit.
At this moment, he understood that this was a stage to showcase his spearmanship and a good opportunity to learn from his father.
“Let’s begin.” As soon as Liu Qing finished speaking, he slowly raised his spear and assumed a defensive stance.
Liu Feng instantly entered battle mode.
Without hesitation, he exerted force with his feet, raising a little dust from the ground.
His wooden spear, like a black lightning bolt, pierced straight towards Liu Qing’s chest with a sharp whooshing sound.
The thrust was fired with incredible speed; it was clear he had used every trick in the book and was determined to win.
However, Liu Qing remained calm and composed in the face of Liu Feng’s swift attack.
He turned slightly to the side, his movements light and fluid, as Liu Feng’s wooden spear flashed past the hem of his clothes.
Immediately afterwards, Liu Qing flicked his wrist, and the wooden spear in his hand turned like a nimble snake, thrusting back towards Liu Feng’s shoulder.
Liu Feng reacted quickly and hurriedly retreated, but Liu Qing’s spear tip followed closely, pressing him relentlessly.
“The speed is good, but the power is too scattered.” Liu Qing’s calm voice came through.
“The point of spearmanship is to concentrate the power on one point, rather than blindly pursuing speed.”
Liu Feng was startled and immediately realized his mistake, quickly adjusting his posture.
He took a deep breath, gathered all his strength into the tip of his spear, and launched another attack.
This time, his wooden spear struck Liu Qing’s abdomen like a white lightning bolt.
A hint of approval flashed in Liu Qing’s eyes, but his movements remained steady.
With a gentle flick, he skillfully deflected Liu Feng’s attack with his wooden spear, then swung it backhand, the tip pointing directly at Liu Feng’s throat.
But Liu Qing’s spear tip still grazed his neck, bringing a chill.
Liu Qing put away the wooden spear and said calmly, “Your reaction speed is acceptable, but your defense is too passive.
Spear skills are not just about offense; defense is equally important.
Let’s try again.”
Liu Feng nodded, keeping these valuable experiences firmly in mind.
He adjusted his breathing again, bringing himself to the best physical and mental state, and resumed his attacking stance.
This time, he was no longer in a hurry to attack, but instead kept a close eye on Liu Qing’s every move, trying to find a weakness.
Liu Qing saw through Liu Feng’s intention, smiled slightly, and said, “Very good.
Knowing how to observe the opponent’s movements is the beginning of progress.” After saying that, he took the initiative to launch an attack.
Liu Qing’s wooden spear attacked swiftly like a storm, each strike aimed directly at Liu Feng’s vital points.
The spear flashed, dazzling the eye.
Liu Feng defended with all his might, rapidly wielding his wooden spear in an attempt to withstand Liu Qing’s fierce offensive.
However, Liu Qing’s spearmanship was too sharp.
Although Liu Feng tried his best to block most of the attacks, a few strikes still grazed his body, leaving shallow marks on his clothes.
As Liu Qing’s attack pace quickened, Liu Feng gradually felt his stamina waning, and his defense began to show weaknesses.
“Your defense is too rigid and lacks flexibility.” Liu Qing patiently pointed out while attacking, “Spearmanship requires a balance of strength and flexibility.
When defending, you must also leave room for counterattacks.”
Upon hearing this, Liu Feng immediately adjusted his defensive strategy.
He no longer simply blocked, but instead tried to use skillful techniques to neutralize Liu Qing’s attacks.
Sure enough, Liu Qing’s attack rhythm was slightly disrupted.
Liu Feng seized the opportunity and launched a sudden counterattack, his wooden spear stabbing towards Liu Qing’s chest like a venomous snake.
A hint of surprise flashed in Liu Qing’s eyes, but his movements remained steady.
With a gentle flick, he skillfully deflected Liu Feng’s attack, then with a backhand thrust, aimed directly at Liu Feng’s brow.
Liu Feng hurriedly retreated, but Liu Qing’s spear tip still touched his forehead.
“Not bad, that counterattack was quite threatening.” Liu Qing put away his wooden spear and nodded approvingly.
“But your timing could have been more precise.
Remember, the essence of spearmanship lies in the precise grasp of timing.”
Liu Feng took a deep breath and nodded to indicate that he understood.
He knew he still had many areas to improve, but this match was very rewarding for him.
Next up was the showdown between Erhu and Liu Qing.
Erhu was tall and strong with amazing strength, but his spearmanship was rather clumsy.
In his match against him, Liu Qing mainly pointed out that his movements were too stiff and lacked flexibility.
“You are very strong, but spearmanship is not just a contest of strength.” Liu Qing said patiently while easily deflecting Erhu’s attacks.
“You need to learn to use your strength skillfully, instead of just blindly going for it.” You are reading on g.com, the official source.
Erhu nodded repeatedly.
Although his movements were still somewhat stiff, under Liu Qing’s careful guidance, his spearmanship gradually improved, and he began to understand how to use skillful techniques.
Finally, it was the showdown between Liu San and Liu Qing.
Liu San’s spearmanship was agile and varied, but because he had grown up eating food from many different families, he was rather thin and lacked strength.
In his duel with him, Liu Qing mainly pointed out his lack of strength and insufficient attack power.
“Your spearmanship is very agile, but it lacks the support of strength,” Liu Qing said patiently as he easily blocked Liu San’s attack.
“You are rather thin, but you can try to combine agility and precision to unleash the true power of your spearmanship.”
“There’s no need to worry too much about strength; it will naturally increase as you get older.”
Liu San nodded.
He was well aware of his situation and was very grateful for Liu Qing’s guidance.
After the combat exercise, Liu Qing stood in the center of the training ground, looked at the three teenagers in front of him, and said earnestly, “You all performed well in today’s duel, but there are still many areas that need improvement.”
“Remember, spearmanship is not just a contest of skills, but also a comprehensive application of strength, speed, and timing.
I hope you will continue to work hard and constantly improve yourselves.”
Liu Feng, Erhu, and Liu San responded in unison, “Yes!”
At this moment, the afterglow of dusk shone on the training ground, gilding the figures of the three boys with a golden edge, making them appear exceptionally tall and resolute.
“Alright, that’s all for today.
Dismissed.”
With Liu Qing’s command, the three of them breathed a sigh of relief.
Afterwards, Liu Feng followed his father home.
A gentle breeze carried the aroma of food from afar, and the two quickened their pace without realizing it.
At dinner time, the Liu family’s dining table was filled with simple yet steaming home-cooked dishes.
The rising steam carried the aroma of the food, filling the entire house.
Liu Qing picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks, looked up at Liu Feng and Liu Bai and said, “I won’t go to town to sell medicine tomorrow.
I have to go deep into the forest to collect some medicinal herbs.”
“Recently, the Dragon Rising City Soul Master Academy’s semi-annual Soul Hunting season has arrived, and the town’s healing medicines are selling out very quickly; the stock is almost depleted.”
Liu Bai nodded, put down the bowl in his hand, stroked his beard, and said, “Perfect, I’ll go with you tomorrow too.”
“Xiao Feng is almost 9 years old, and the medicinal supplements at home have little effect on him anymore.
It’s time to take him to the forest for some hands-on experience.”
“Let’s venture deeper into the area and see if we can hunt some soul beast meat or find some high-grade nourishing medicinal herbs.”
Upon hearing this, Liu Feng’s eyes lit up, and he quickly said, “Grandpa, can I go too?
I’ve been cultivating for a long time and I’ve been looking for an opportunity to test my skills!”
Liu Qing smiled and patted Liu Feng on the shoulder: “Of course you can, but the forest is not like home, it’s full of dangers.
You have to follow instructions and not run around.”
Liu Feng nodded repeatedly, excitedly saying, “I will definitely listen!”
[end of the chapter]