Ding Meng pondered and said, "According to Mr. Zhao, the situation on the battlefield changes rapidly. I may face all kinds of enemies, and the enemies may use all kinds of weapons. Swords may be one of them. If I am not familiar with swords, the situation will become very dangerous. But if I know more about swordsmanship, my saber skills will inevitably improve …"
There was a trace of appreciation in Mr. Zhao's gray eyes. "Correct, very correct. As the saying goes, know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated. Mr. Ding, your theoretical level is not low. Are you interested in learning classical swordsmanship?"
Of course, he was interested. Ding Meng was now hungry. As long as it was useful, he would learn it, whether it was theoretical or practical.
The so-called classical swordsmanship was actually very different from modern swordsmanship. The difference lay in the sword itself. Nowadays, the mainstream cold weapons were alloy blades and vibration sabers. As the name implied, these weapons were made of multi-element alloys, which were extremely hard and sharp. They could easily cut ordinary armor or steel plates. Weapons like vibration sabers had crystal power devices inside, and the blade could operate at a high speed of thousands of times per second, which was equivalent to a laser cutting saw.
To put it bluntly, these weapons did not have high requirements for the user, as long as you could afford the sky-high price. However, the classical swordsmanship was the opposite. The sword itself was not important. What was important was the personal cultivation, understanding and application of the sword, because compared with the sword, the talent was more important. No matter how good a weapon was, it still needed people to use it. The user decided whether a weapon was trash or a sharp weapon.
Not only did Ding Meng agree with this theory, but even Little Rascal was impressed by Mr. Zhao.
Once the two of them started talking, they couldn't stop. At first, Yu Man could barely understand the gist of the conversation, but gradually, she couldn't understand what the two were talking about. Because the two of them talked about many examples of actual combat, she felt like she was listening to a heavenly book. The more Ding Meng listened, the more excited she became.
"Mr. Zhao, according to what you said, swordsmanship is actually more powerful than fists and feet?"
Elder Zhao's face revealed a proud expression. "That's right. I've said before that the sword is a gentleman among soldiers. It's the combination of many weapons. In fact, all weapons and martial arts have the same goal. To sum it up, it's the perfect combination of speed, strength, and timing."
Ding Meng said, "Teacher Zhao, can you demonstrate it?"
"That works too."
Mr. Zhao lowered his head and took out two yellow swords from under the podium. They were the most primitive kind of long swords. Upon closer inspection, they were actually two wooden swords.
"Well …" Ding Meng was a little speechless. No matter how limited the teaching resources were, there was no need to use a wooden sword to practice, right?
The school was really stingy. The unpopular subject was given to him by his stepmother. He wanted this treatment and insisted on it.
"What?
Are you looking down on wooden swords? "
Elder Zhao's expression turned serious. He casually tossed a sword to Ding Meng and said, "If you really learn the sword art, any sword in your hand will be a sharp weapon."
Ding Meng weighed the sword in his hand. It was as light as a feather. He didn't dare to use his Origin Energy. If he did, the sword would probably shatter into pieces.
Elder Zhao waved his hand and said, "Come, use this sword to attack me."
Ding Meng hesitated. "Well … Mr. Zhao, will this …"
Elder Zhao's mouth revealed a trace of a smile. "Don't worry. If you can really hit me, I'll take you to the advanced training center. I still have a free quota. After all, I'm an A-level teacher in our school."
Upon hearing the word "free", Ding Meng was overjoyed. Even Yu Man was full of anticipation. It should be known that the advanced training center in Lissten Academy was never free. You either had to pay to enter or have a special quota from the teachers.
However, anticipation was just anticipation. When he raised his head again, Ding Meng's expression immediately turned serious. Elder Zhao was standing there casually with his left hand holding the sword hilt and the blade pressed against his back. His posture was elegant and carefree.
To be honest, this posture would be a suicidal posture in a real battle. However, Ding Meng didn't think so. When Elder Zhao had walked into the classroom, he looked like a seriously ill and crippled old man. However, once he held a sword in his hand, his entire person changed. It was as if he was suddenly filled with vigor and vitality. His entire person was filled with fighting spirit and sharpness. He didn't look like a crippled old man at all.
Even Little Rascal could sense this. "Ding Meng, this old man isn't as simple as he looks."
Ding Meng took a deep breath. "Mr. Zhao, you have to be careful."
Elder Zhao laughed. "Worry about yourself."
Ding Meng didn't answer. Instead, he suddenly stepped forward and swung his sword. This was the "reverse cut" he was best at and most used to because this was the only move he knew.
The blade of the sword was originally aimed at Elder Zhao's shoulder, but the wooden sword stopped halfway because Elder Zhao's wooden sword was already in front of him. The tip of the sword was right at his throat. If he forcibly cut down, Elder Zhao's wooden sword would penetrate his throat first.
Ding Meng was still able to calculate this because he had also clearly seen that Elder Zhao's sword arrived first even though he had attacked later. There was no technique involved, but it was still extraordinarily fast.
Ding Meng slowly withdrew his sword, lowered his head and said respectfully, "Mr. Zhao, I've learned a lot."
Elder Zhao's eyes flashed. "Student Ding, you're very good."
This was true praise. The fact that Ding Meng was able to stop his sword in midair proved that his eyesight was excellent. If it were anyone else, they wouldn't be able to see the sword's trajectory clearly. This Ding Meng had a very good foundation.
Little Rascal was also surprised. "This old man, is this the realm of martial arts?
How many realms has he reached? "
"You can try again," Elder Zhao spoke again.
Ding Meng said, "Okay."
As soon as he said that, the wooden sword flew up again. This time, he didn't use the reverse cut, but the most direct thrust. The reason was simple. A "thrust" was faster than a "cut", and a straight line was the shortest distance between two points.
Moreover, he chose the best time to attack. As soon as Elder Zhao finished speaking, he attacked. It was very likely that Elder Zhao would let down his guard.
However, he was wrong again. Just like before, his sword stopped abruptly halfway because the tip of Elder Zhao's sword was pointed at his throat again. This sword was unbelievably fast. In Yu Man's eyes, she couldn't see it clearly at all. She could only see the result.
Seeing Ding Meng withdraw his sword again, Elder Zhao said seriously, "Student Ding Meng, you're still no match for me. My sword technique is at the peak of the realm. However, you're not bad either. Your sword speed is at least above the first two stages of the realm. This proves that you have a good foundation."
Every realm of martial arts was divided into three small stages: the first stage, the second stage, and the third stage. Only by reaching the third stage could one break through. If it was a high-end martial arts technique, there would be even more stages in each realm, which meant that it would be more difficult to break through.
Ding Meng returned the wooden sword to Elder Zhao and sighed. "Mr. Zhao, how can I reach your level of speed?"
"Just training hard is far from enough. You have to pay attention to the scientific method, step by step." Elder Zhao explained. "Why is my sword speed fast?
It's because I can draw my sword fast. If you want to draw your sword fast, the first thing you have to practice is drawing your sword. However, drawing your sword fast is because of the control of your strength. And to control your strength accurately, you have to practice your strength first. The essence of this can only be understood through repeated practice … "
Little Rascal couldn't help but praise, "The old man is absolutely right. The foundation determines everything."
Ding Meng lowered his head thoughtfully. "I understand. Thank you for your guidance, Mr. Zhao."
Elder Zhao looked down at his wristwatch. "Hehe, an afternoon passed by without me noticing. Let's call it a day. Student Ding Meng, thank you for coming to my class."
Ding Meng hurried forward. His expression was a little unnatural. "Mr. Zhao, can I stay here … to practice my swordsmanship? I … I have nowhere to go in this school."
Elder Zhao was stunned. However, he quickly remembered that Ding Meng wasn't a student of his school. "Hehe, student Ding Meng, you're not bad. Most people don't like this place. You can practice here as much as you want. If the administrator comes to check, just say that I gave you permission to practice here."
"Thank you so much, Mr. Zhao."
Ding Meng was overjoyed. "I wonder when Mr. Zhao's next class will be. I'd like to come and listen."
Elder Zhao smiled. "If nothing unexpected happens, it should be the day after tomorrow. You're welcome to come and learn."