Chapter 28: Learn it at a Glance
Defeat yesterday was a disgrace for Chen Bingyao!
He had actually lost to a second-level Martial Soul like Yang Xiaotian. After returning, the more he thought about it, the angrier and less reconciled he felt.
He always felt that it was because of his carelessness that he lost to Yang Xiaotian, and moreover, it was rumored in the academy that Yang Xiaotian was proficient in Mysterious Iron Swordsmanship, which was why he was defeated.
Today, he intended to use another set of mastered Phantom Sword Technique to defeat Yang Xiaotian and wash away the shame of yesterday.
Phantom Sword Technique was even more unpredictable and powerful than Mysterious Iron Swordsmanship.
He just didn’t believe that Yang Xiaotian could withstand his Phantom Sword Technique.
“Another match?” Yang Xiaotian looked at Chen Bingyao whose fighting spirit was blazing.
“That’s right, what, are you scared?” Chen Bingyao said fiercely, his long sword buzzing in his hand.
The other students in the classroom were all looking at Yang Xiaotian.
“As you wish,” Yang Xiaotian said without saying much and walked to the middle of the classroom where they practiced.
Chen Bingyao secretly rejoiced and quickly stepped into the empty space in the middle of the classroom, then couldn’t wait to draw his sword.
At that moment, Cao Lu and the class leader, Zheng Zhipeng, also arrived in the classroom.
Upon seeing this, Zheng Zhipeng said, “Bingyao lost yesterday because he was careless. Today, Yang Xiaotian will not possibly win against Bingyao!”
Cao Lu nodded; he also didn’t believe Chen Bingyao would lose to Yang Xiaotian again.
Chen Bingyao glared at Yang Xiaotian fiercely, suddenly took a quick step, and thrust out with his sword.
Suddenly, there were heavy shadows of the sword.
It was impossible to distinguish which sword was real and which was feigned.
“Phantom Sword Technique, truly lives up to its reputation,” Zheng Zhipeng said.
Just as Chen Bingyao’s sword was about to hit Yang Xiaotian’s left eye, suddenly, Yang Xiaotian raised his hand, pinched with two fingers, and caught Chen Bingyao’s long sword perfectly.
All the sword shadows disappeared.
Chen Bingyao along with Zheng Zhipeng and the others were taken aback.
“You, you can see through my Phantom Sword Technique?” Chen Bingyao could hardly believe it.
At that moment, Yang Xiaotian lifted a foot and suddenly kicked Chen Bingyao’s chest.
Chen Bingyao only felt a severe pain in his chest, screamed miserably, and was kicked like a flying ball, hitting the stone wall of the classroom several meters away, making the wall sound with a thud.
The onlookers, staring at Chen Bingyao sliding down the wall with his legs open, were dumbfounded.
“Phantom Sword Technique, truly lives up to its reputation?” Yang Xiaotian said indifferently, glancing at Zheng Zhipeng.
Upon hearing this, Zheng Zhipeng’s face darkened, and he said coldly, “Yang Xiaotian, do you dare fight me?”
“Rest assured, at the final exam, I will fight you,” Yang Xiaotian said.
At Divine Sword Academy, every semester’s exam included a practical combat section.
That is, classmates would spar and compete with each other.
Hearing this, Jiang Shaofei, who was on good terms with Zheng Zhipeng, said mockingly, “Yang Xiaotian, if you’re brave enough, fight with our class leader now, why wait until the end of the term?
Yang Xiaotian replied, “Zheng Zhipeng is nine years old now, right? He awoke his Martial Soul over a year earlier than I did. If he’s so brave, why doesn’t he find a second-year student to fight?”
Zheng Zhipeng’s face did not look very good.
The previously vocal Jiang Shaofei also had a face full of embarrassment, not knowing what to say next.
“Alright, it’s time for class, everyone take your seats and let’s start,” Cao Lu suddenly said, effectively breaking Zheng Zhipeng out of the encirclement.
Everyone hurriedly took their seats.
And Chen Bingyao was helped to the medical room.
Zheng Zhipeng sat down and glared fiercely at Yang Xiaotian.
Yang Xiaotian didn’t take Zheng Zhipeng’s hateful gaze to heart. After all, to him, Zheng Zhipeng, with his seventh-grade strength, was merely a footnote.
However, he didn’t want to expose too much just yet. His Martial Soul Awakening had happened less than two months ago; revealing seventh-grade strength would be too shocking to the world.
It might even alarm the Empire and arouse murderous intent in others.
“Yang Xiaotian, there’s one last seat at the back. You sit there,” Cao Lu pointed to the corner seat in the last row.
Although sitting at the back affected his view, Yang Xiaotian didn’t mind and walked over to take his seat.
“Now, everyone take out your Secret Tomes. I’ll start by explaining the first sword technique of Sword Thirteen,” Cao Lu said. Then he began to demonstrate the first technique of Sword Thirteen in the open space of the classroom.
Sword Thirteen was one of the Acquired Sword Techniques and a mandatory martial technique for first-year students at the Divine Sword Academy.
Yang Xiaotian took out the Sword Thirteen Secret Tome and started flipping through it on his desk.
He had been busy concocting the Dragon-Tiger Elixir the previous night and hadn’t had the chance to look at it yet.
Sword Thirteen consisted of thirteen techniques. The entire Secret Tome had only thirteen pages, each page accompanied by a sword diagram and detailed explanations of the variations and profundities of the sword techniques on that page.
Yang Xiaotian flipped through the tome quickly and soon finished reviewing all of Sword Thirteen.
Cao Lu was lecturing with great enthusiasm, but when he saw Yang Xiaotian consistently flipping through the Secret Tome in the corner, paying no heed to his explanations, he couldn’t help getting angry, “Yang Xiaotian, stand up! Demonstrate the first technique for everyone. If you can’t do it, you’ll be standing for an hour as punishment!”
Zheng Zhipeng and the other students listened and looked at Yang Xiaotian with glee at his misfortune.
Yang Xiaotian’s face remained calm as he took the sword thrown to him by Cao
“Draw your sword!” “Sword Rise Wind State!”
Cao Lu ordered sternly.
No sooner had he spoken than Yang Xiaotian leaped forward, his sword trembling and thrusting; instantly, a gust of sword wind swept past, causing the garbage bin in front to fly chaotically.
As Yang Xiaotian landed, the garbage bins were still flying about.
Cao Lu, Zheng Zhipeng, and the others were all dumbfounded.
“Teacher, is this Sword Rise Wind State performed correctly?” Yang Xiaotian asked in return.
Cao Lu said in disbelief, “Have you practiced Sword Rise Wind State before?”
More than correct, it was impeccable. Whether his movement or his sword drawing, no flaws could be found.
In the study of martial techniques, the levels of achievement from low to high are subdivided into beginner, Minor Achievement, Great Accomplishment, perfection, and Summit Mastery.
Usually, it takes a hard month or two of practice for Acquired martial techniques to reach the beginner level, and at least half a year to achieve Minor Achievement.
But just now, Yang Xiaotian performing Sword Rise Wind State and generating a sword wind definitely signified that he had reached the Minor Achievement Realm.
“I have not,” Yang Xiaotian shook his head. “I just flipped through it just now.”
Never practiced and only flipped through it once, yet mastered it to the Minor Achievement Realm? Of course, Cao Lu didn’t believe it.
“You mean to say you learned it just by looking once? Have you flipped through the entire thing? Do you know all the techniques of Sword Thirteen right now?”
Cao Lu asked.
Zheng Zhipeng and the rest of the students also couldn’t believe that Yang Xiaotian had learned all the techniques of Sword Thirteen just by flipping through the tome once.
Yang Xiaotian countered, “If I know all of them, does that mean I don’t need to attend class this month?” He really didn’t want to sit in the classroom every day, listening to Zheng Zhipeng talking about these most basic Acquired martial techniques.
If he had that time, he would rather spend it practicing his
Heaven-Penetrating Sword Technique and Primordial Dragon Art, or training in other sword techniques.
Hearing this, Cao Lu was fuming, “If you know all the techniques in the Secret
Tomes for this term, then you don’t have to attend classes for the entire term.”
Upon hearing that, Yang Xiaotian grinned, “Good!” With that, he brandished his sword, and the sword light immediately burst forth.
“Sword Cold Nine States!”
This was the second technique.
Suddenly, the sword wind rose again, and the garbage bin in front flew even higher..