Song Changming pondered for a moment, noticing that Liu Dingsheng seemed interested, and without hesitation, he unleashed his saber once more.
This time, he held nothing back, seamlessly switching between the Flying Swallow Technique and the Soul-breaking Saber, the blade winds changing incessantly, giving it his all!
Gradually, this forced Liu Dingsheng to draw on his higher Body Refining Realmâs power to suppress Song Changming.
On one side of the courtyard, two figures in white quietly watched the duel between the old and the young, having arrived unnoticed.
Liu YanâErâs gaze was flowing, paying more attention to Song Changming.
"Xue Yu, how does this Song Guard Captainâs skill and strength compare to the senior brothers in our Wangyue Pavilion?"
"The Song Guard Captainâs sword skill is exceptionally brilliant, but itâs a pity that his body refining skills are still lacking. Overall, among the young disciples of our Wangyue Pavilion, Iâm afraid he wouldnât make it into the top ten," Shen Xueyu commented, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
She then added another point.
"If he had the same body refining cultivation, with the Song Guard Captainâs sword skill, he might very well be among the top in the pavilionâs young disciples!
Thatâs already very impressive, among the younger generation, Iâve never seen anyone with such remarkable sword skill before..."
Liu YanâEr nodded, saying nothing, her gaze still fixed on Song Changming, somewhat lost in thought.
A moment later, as Liu Dingsheng intentionally maintained the pace, the two exchanged over a hundred rounds.
Afterward, Liu Dingsheng flicked his saber again to knock Song Changming back, nodding, "Thatâs enough."
Upon hearing this, Song Changming immediately stopped.
By this time, he was already out of breath, drenched in sweat.
It must be said, dueling with a strong opponent like Liu Dingsheng was indeed quite exhausting.
Being suppressed at every turn, he had to exert all his strength to ensure he didnât lose at any moment.
There were often flashes of inspiration for extraordinary performances.
Despite the exhaustion, Song Changming felt the experience was extremely rewarding!
What seemed like an ordinary sparring session had surpassed the benefits he gained from many previous real battles!
Whether it was his flashes of brilliance while being suppressed or the exquisite saber techniques displayed by Liu Dingsheng, they all provided him with great inspiration.
"Thank you for your guidance, senior, Iâve learned a lot!" Song Changming panted and cupped his hands toward Liu Dingsheng.
In his opinion, this sparring session was enough to qualify as guidance.
In fact, not only did he think so, but this was also concretely reflected on his personal panel.
His Flying Swallow Knife Skill, after this sparring, had its experience value increased by over a hundred points, now very close to the final Perfection Realm.
Besides that, his Light Body Skill martial arts experience value also increased by more than fifty points at once.
This was much faster than the one or two points he painstakingly gained from practicing at home.
If Liu Dingsheng hadnât called a stop, he wouldnât have wanted to stop.
"This canât really be considered guidance, just a small bit of help," Liu Dingsheng shook his head, then went on to detail Song Changmingâs current learning.
"A set of superior blade skills similar to the Ghost Blade Faction, already perfect, plus a top-notch fast blade, and a top-notch light body skill, all having reached great perfection!
With attack and defense balanced, and advance and retreat at ease, your martial arts skills are already very complete, flawless, even far exceeding your current Body Refining Realm.
In other words, your true strength is limited by your Body Refining Realm, unable to fully unleash all youâve learned; itâs somewhat unfortunate..."
Song Changming heard this and thought, truly an expert.
In just one sparring session, Song Changming almost had even the color of his underwear seen through.
And with just a few words, his current shortcomings were pointed out.
"Senior, is there a way to speed up my body refining progress?" Song Changming couldnât help but ask.
Liu Dingsheng flicked his hand, the long saber accurately landing back on the weapon rack not far away.
"There certainly is, itâs just a matter of finding some heavenly and earthly treasures to consume. The rarer and more precious they are, the more significant the nourishment to your body."
Upon hearing this, Song Changming sighed inwardly.
Those superior top-grade martial arts medicinal materials indeed had great use for his body refining but were just too rare.
He either couldnât find them, or even if he did, he often couldnât afford them due to lack of money and silver.
"Moreover, I observed you seem to be practicing other body refining skills?" Liu Dingsheng suddenly frowned slightly and mentioned.
"Yes," Song Changming had nothing to hide, nodding directly in acknowledgment.
"Senior, do you think this is hindering my cultivation progress?"
"Practicing multiple body refining skills is inevitably slower than specializing in one path; this is a certainty," Liu Dingsheng nodded and said.
Then he shifted the topic.
"However, this path isnât a wrong one. I have observed that those who stand at the pinnacle of the Martial Tao, those truly powerful figures seated above the clouds, all have achieved Martial Arts Great Perfection, with bodies that are perfect and flawless.
They all walked this path, proving that it is the path of ultimate strength!
Everyone understands this point; the Four Realms Great Perfection will ultimately be stronger than those who specialize in one path. Yet, there are very few who can truly achieve Martial Arts Great Perfection.
Talent, opportunity, and luck are all indispensable. If you do not wish to waste your life, while you are still young, carefully plan, and consider changing your mindset, itâs not too late."
Liu Dingshengâs words were mainly a reminder and warning.
In fact, Zhuang Ren had also mentioned this matter to Song Changming several times.
The pros and cons of practicing multiple body refining skills, Song Changming himself was well aware.
If he didnât have the panel to grind Experience Value, if he didnât have immortality, without these extraordinary advantages, he certainly wouldnât be overly ambitious and cling to this so-called perfect and flawless state.
And these unique advantages he possesses are unknown to others.
With endless years ahead, he can freely experiment and err on the Martial Tao path without worrying too much.
"Thank you for the advice, senior," Song Changming nodded and said.
Liu Dingsheng noticed Song Changmingâs unwavering expression and couldnât help but chuckle.
He looked at Song Changming with a bit more unique appreciation in his eyes.
Whether itâs youthful arrogance or high self-regard,
every young prodigyâs rise begins this way. Their hearts need to be stronger and more robust than their peers, rarely swayed by the outside world, always clearly knowing what they want.
Those who hesitate and are indecisive are destined not to reach the pinnacle!
Based on Song Changmingâs current performance, in Liu Dingshengâs view, he is likely to reach that highest realm of the Martial Tao which he himself couldnât attain!
Afterward, Song Changming asked, and Liu Dingsheng answered.
They discussed matters related to the Martial Tao for a long time, until the sun set and evening arrived, only then did they conclude.
Liu Dingsheng glanced at the sky and said, "Itâs getting late, letâs stop here for today. If you want to find me in the future, feel free to come anytime."
He originally intended to patiently guide Song Changming once, as a repayment for a previous favor.
But after today, he changed his mind.
Song Changming is undoubtedly promisingâa high-quality jade somewhat carved but not finely so. Liu Dingsheng has inexplicably developed some expectations for him.
For him, having more interactions with such a young junior in the future wouldnât hurt...
On this, Song Changming was naturally pleased. He had gained a lot from Liu Dingsheng today.
Zhuang Ren was right, Liu Dingshengâs martial arts experience was indeed like a treasure trove, where a few words could enlighten Song Changming, benefiting him greatly.
Besides, Liu Dingsheng for Song Changming was like a walking human-shaped experience pack.
Sparring with the purpose of guidance genuinely increased Song Changmingâs Martial Arts Experience Value, which was an unexpected delight.
Previously, Song Changming practiced martial arts alone without a sect or faction and had never been guided by anyone.
Therefore, it was his first time experiencing the benefits of being guided.
In the courtyard.
"Why is YanâEr still there? Could it be she has taken a liking to that boy?" Liu Dingsheng looked at his granddaughter and joked.
"Grandpa, what are you saying?" Liu YanâEr approached, her tone with a touch of coquettishness, yet without the usual shy embarrassment of a young girl.
"Whatâs wrong with that? If you like him, you like him. That boy is still unmarried, has potential and skills, his looks arenât much different from when your grandpa was young.
The only thing lacking is a background, but thatâs no big deal. As long as he maintains this spirit and drive, he will surely become renowned in the future, becoming someone of significance. Grandpaâs judgment wonât be wrong," Liu Dingsheng laughed heartily.
Liu YanâEr did not argue any further, instead asked, "If Grandpa sees such promise in him, why not take him as a disciple?"
Upon hearing this, Liu Dingsheng shook his head and said, "Iâve never taken a disciple in my life, and thereâs no need in my later years. However, if that boy truly suits my taste, I wouldnât mind teaching him some skills in the future."
Hearing this, Liu YanâEr no longer discussed the departed Song Changming, she only said,
"Grandpa, Wangyue Pavilion has sent a message asking all the disciples to return as soon as possible. I came today to say goodbye."
"Yes, go ahead," Liu Dingsheng nodded and said, "Recently, there have been some rumors from the Imperial Capital. Iâm afraid it wonât be peaceful in this world anymore. Itâs good that youâre leaving early. Wangyue Pavilion is a Hidden Sect; it might be able to avoid this great turmoil."
"Alright, take care, Grandpa."
...