**Martial Arts Training Ground.**
Countless eyes stared in disbelief at what had just unfolded.
From the very first move, Wang Xian had forced Teacher Cui to take a step back—a feat shocking enough on its own. After all, none of the other students present could have managed even that much.
But then, impossibly, he went on to exchange over a dozen blows with Teacher Cui!
With a vitality rating below 0.6!
And by the end, he had even pushed Teacher Cui back several steps!
From start to finish, he had never once been at a disadvantage.
Now, the screen displayed two glaring words in bold:
**125 points!**
**First-tier Saber Mastery!**
“This is insane!”
“Since when did Wang Xian train in saber techniques?”
“Right now, I think only one guy in Class 10 has reached first-tier saber mastery in our whole school…”
“I swear, that first strike of his could’ve cut me down in one hit!”
“There’s no way he’s on performance enhancers, right?”
Murmurs of shock and skepticism rippled through the crowd.
Some insisted Wang Xian must have taken enhancers. Others argued otherwise.
But now, with irrefutable proof laid bare before them, many felt a pang of guilt for ever doubting him.
Of course, most were simply stunned by the fight itself. After all, not a single student in their class had ever lasted more than a dozen exchanges against Teacher Cui!
“Hah! See? I told you my boy Wang Xian wasn’t on enhancers!” Zhou Xukun sneered, pointing at Li Zihang and the others. “Got anything else to say now?”
Li Zihang’s face flushed red—partly from humiliation, partly from sheer disbelief at Wang Xian’s score.
Meanwhile, Chen Yuting stood frozen, her expression a mix of astonishment and delight. Yet when her gaze fell on Wang Xian as he walked off the platform, there was something unreadable in her eyes.
She approached him suddenly and spoke:
“Wang Xian, I’m sorry for misunderstanding you earlier.”
Her tone was sincere, as though she genuinely meant the apology.
Wang Xian paused mid-step but only shook his head in response.
Internally, he found it odd—back in high school, Chen Yuting hadn’t seemed this mature.
*Could it be because of… Ye Miyue?*
“I have a question,” Chen Yuting continued slowly. “Who taught you saber techniques?”
Wang Xian didn’t answer.
No one here would ever guess that this was his first time wielding a saber.
To be precise, from the moment he had begun fighting Teacher Cui, his skill had skyrocketed.
By the time the match ended, he had already crossed the threshold into first-tier mastery.
And now, he felt something deeper—insights that needed time to digest.
Given another stretch, he’d likely touch the edge of the second tier.
With his past life’s martial experience, mastering other weapons came far more easily.
Wang Xian remained silent, and Chen Yuting didn’t press further.
The only teacher skilled in saber techniques at their school was Class 10’s homeroom instructor.
Otherwise, he must have trained at an off-campus dojo.
Meanwhile, in Class 9…
“Damn, Wang Xian was kinda cool just now!”
“I’ve seen Pang Sandao from Class 10 fight—it’s nothing like this. His saber style lacks that same domineering edge, that effortless flair!”
“Saber techniques rely on presence. If your spirit’s weak, you’ll never capture that same ferocity.”
“Pang Sandao treats the teacher like an elder—hesitant, restrained. But Wang Xian? He went at Teacher Cui like he was facing a real enemy!”
“Still, if he wasn’t on enhancers, his foundation training is way too strong. Barely anyone in our class can hold a stance for forty minutes, let alone make it look easy…”
“Something just doesn’t add up…”
Saber techniques weren’t common in their school.
Most had assumed swords were far more stylish—until Wang Xian proved them wrong.
His saber wasn’t elegant like a blade.
It was brutal. Unyielding. Like a mountain crashing down.
From behind her towel, Ye Miyue peeked out, whispering under her breath:
*‘Just like him…’*
Just as domineering and unreasonable…
Then—
“Alright, gather up!”
Teacher Cui—Cui Sanyan—clapped his hands, taking a deep breath.
Unlike the students, he had seen everything with perfect clarity.
He didn’t know who had taught Wang Xian saber techniques.
But at the start of the fight, Wang Xian’s skill had definitely not reached first-tier.
It was only with that final strike that he broke through.
Before that, he had relied purely on raw power and speed—pushed to their absolute limits—to hold his own.
Yet without ever leaving an opening.
That, more than anything, left Cui Sanyan baffled.
*How does a slacker who’s wasted two years have combat instincts and experience like this?*
Most students would’ve shown flaws within two or three moves.
Otherwise, they could’ve lasted longer.
Put simply—
Wang Xian had squeezed every last drop of potential from his sub-0.6 vitality.
For a high schooler, that was nearly impossible.
Even many professional martial artists couldn’t maximize their strength at a given level.
And yet…
Wang Xian hadn’t even gone all out.
With his Divine Meridians, his fist strength could exceed a thousand jin. A full-force slash from his saber? Easily over that.
What he had shown was merely the peak of what a 0.6 vitality student *should* be capable of.
Not his own true limits.
If two more divine meridians were unlocked, the boost in power would be even more staggering.
At that point, one could even overpower ten opponents with sheer strength alone!
"Students! Wang Xian's progress teaches us an important lesson," Teacher Cui stood on the training platform, his gaze solemn as he addressed the crowd. "Senior year is a pivotal time. If you aspire to walk the path of martial arts, it’s never too late to begin."
"Some of you may believe that awakening a martial talent is the only way to defy fate and change your destiny."
"I won’t deny that possibility, but you must understand—awakening talent isn’t the only path to greatness!"
The students fell silent.
Clearly, not all of them were convinced.
"By the way, Teacher," Zhou Xukun interjected, "earlier, when you drew a circle with your staff and stood immobile, you effortlessly countered all our moves. How did you do that?"
Cui Sanyan smiled and replied,
"That was footwork."
"Footwork at the *Fangcun* level."
"*Fangcun* means 'within the space of an inch, not a speck of dust can touch you.' When your footwork reaches this stage, you can evade even drifting motes of dust within that tiny space."
The students' eyes lit up at once.
That sounded incredible!
"Don’t concern yourselves with this level of footwork yet," Teacher Cui said sternly.
"Because this is a skill only achievable at the *third-tier* of footwork mastery!"
"You’re still far from achieving perfect control over every part of your body. If you want to train your footwork, focus on walking the *plum blossom stakes* to sharpen your reflexes and improve your speed."
"Your current goal should be *first-tier* footwork—'millisecond-level reaction time.'"
The students' expressions dimmed slightly at his words.
In short: don’t even think about running when you haven’t mastered walking yet.
*Fangcun*-level footwork…
Wang Xian chuckled inwardly.
Back then, he hadn’t mastered it until after graduating from university, had he?