Chapter 230: One Who Cannot Face a Blade Cannot Be Called a Swordsman
Chapter 230: One Who Cannot Face a Blade Cannot Be Called a Swordsman
Two months later, Caelum’s swordsmanship proficiency reached one point seven million.
The proficiency of all three forms of Haki reached three hundred sixty thousand.
Although his swordsmanship Realm had not broken through, Caelum’s strength continued to rise as his proficiency increased.
Cerys, wrapped almost completely in bandages, challenged Caelum once again.
This time, she held a real blade that had only just been forged.
She said to Caelum, "How about we fight for real this time?"
This was a stage every swordsman had to experience.
The master and the disciples of the training hall watched from the side, but none of them stopped Cerys from making this decision.
A person who did not dare face a blade could not be called a swordsman.
"Fine."
Caelum still held a wooden sword.
He said to Cerys, "If you can cut through the wooden sword in my hand, I will draw Cloudrend and fight you seriously."
Anger crossed Cerys’s face.
"You are looking down on me!"
Over the past two months, she had trained with everything she had.
Her swordsmanship had improved by leaps and bounds.
In the entire training hall, aside from the master and Caelum, every other disciple had already lost to her.
Caelum had seen all of her effort, yet he still intended to face her with only a wooden sword.
He was not even willing to draw Cloudrend.
He was clearly looking down on her.
A sharp whistle came as Caelum swung the wooden sword.
His next words only added fuel to Cerys’s anger.
"Let your strength speak. If you are angry, prove that you have the right to make me draw my blade."
"Arrogant!"
How could a wooden sword resist a real blade?
One slash should be enough to cut it in two.
Cerys burned with anger.
With a shout, she charged at Caelum, blade in hand.
The bright edge traced a clean arc through the air.
"Then I will show you my qualifications!"
The disciples of the training hall had no idea where Caelum’s confidence came from.
"How could a wooden sword possibly block a real blade?"
"This is too dangerous."
"Master, are you not going to stop them? At least make Morven draw Cloudrend."
The master said nothing.
Whether it was confidence or arrogance would be clear soon enough.
If someone was injured because of this, then no matter who it was, it would become a valuable lesson and experience.
Cerys had grown even faster after breaking through her limits.
In a flash, she rushed in front of Caelum and slashed without mercy.
The bright blade reflected Cerys’s determined face.
Anger burned in her eyes.
Caelum swung the wooden sword in his hand and struck the body of her blade with perfect accuracy.
Clang!
A crisp vibration rang out.
Cerys’s strike missed.
Before she could even process it, she immediately followed with another slash.
In the next instant, her expression tightened as she cut down again.
Caelum handled every strike with calm ease.
Each time, his wooden sword struck the body of her blade precisely.
Cerys wanted to cut through the wooden sword in his hand, but she never even found the chance.
For a time, the two exchanged blow after blow.
But from beginning to end, Caelum held his sword only with his right hand.
His feet had hardly moved from their original position.
Cerys’s attacks looked fierce, but she was the one being suppressed completely.
"The gap in strength is actually this large?"
The disciples stared in disbelief.
They knew Caelum was strong, but they had never truly understood what that meant.
None of them had expected him to be this powerful.
In the past, Cerys had been like a child holding a stick.
Now she was a beast with sharp fangs.
Even so, after completing her transformation, she still gained not the slightest advantage against Caelum.
Forget suppressing him.
Her storm like assault was blocked strike after strike.
And he was using a wooden sword.
"They are not opponents on the same level at all."
The master sighed inwardly.
It was not only the difference in speed and reaction.
Caelum’s sword technique was also far beyond what the current Cerys could compare to.
The gap between them was substantial.
He was curious just how strong this disciple of his could become.
The master estimated that Cloudrift Style might produce another Sword Master.
With Caelum’s talent, becoming a Sword Master was all but certain.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Cerys’s attacks fell like rain, yet every single one was deflected by Caelum’s wooden sword.
The longer they fought, the more shaken Cerys became.
She could hardly believe the gap between herself and Caelum was this great.
Her frantic offense had not gained the slightest advantage.
Cerys panted and retreated to create distance.
At that moment, Caelum moved.
One strike sent Cerys flying while her center of gravity had left the ground.
A heavy impact followed.
Cerys landed several meters away, breathing hard without pause.
Caelum looked at her calmly.
"This is reality. You still do not have the right to make me draw my blade. Temper your sword techniques properly."
Cerys sheathed her blade.
She was still unwilling to accept it.
But that unwillingness immediately transformed into blazing fighting spirit.
Each word she spoke carried force.
"Sooner or later, I will prove that I have that right."
"I will be watching."
After this battle, Caelum’s name spread throughout Hartstead.
The disciples of the training hall had all lost to Cerys and knew perfectly well how strong she was.
Yet Caelum had suppressed Cerys with only a wooden sword.
That was enough to show how powerful he was.
To prove herself to Caelum, Cerys continued training bitterly.
However, she had not found the correct direction.
Deep inside, she felt rather lost.
As time passed, Caelum’s reputation in Hartstead grew greater and greater.
News that he had become the heir of Cloudrift Style gradually spread to other towns.
Young swordsmen came after hearing his name and openly challenged Caelum.
The competitive spirit of swordsmen was extremely strong.
No one wanted to admit they were weaker than another swordsman of the same generation.
That was their pride as swordsmen.
Without exception, all of them were defeated by Caelum.
Not one of them could make Caelum draw Cloudrend.
Every challenger fell beneath his wooden sword.
As time went on, the master naturally saw more and more.
Only then did he realize that this disciple of his seemed to be a little too strong.
Among the swordsmen who came to challenge Caelum, there were several who had become famous at a young age and possessed impressive strength.
Yet no matter how strong they were, Caelum always held a wooden sword and ended the fight in a single strike.
The disciples of the training hall could only stare, again and again.
One day, a caravan passed through Hartstead.
A young swordsman working as one of its guards heard someone discussing Caelum in a tavern, and interest immediately rose in him.
"Where is this swordsman you are talking about?"
"At the training hall nearby."
The young swordsman left the tavern.
He headed toward the training hall with the attitude of someone looking for a way to pass the time.
He had shoulder length silver hair and wore expensive light armor.
A longsword hung at his waist.
A trace of disdain for Hartstead lingered in his eyes.
"I have nothing better to do anyway. I might as well go have some fun."
"What kind of powerful swordsman could appear in this broken countryside?"
"Most likely, it is just frogs in a well mistaking their narrow sky for the whole world."
He had traveled widely with the caravan and seen this sort of thing far too many times.
Then he would show these frogs in a well what real swordsmanship looked like.