CRASH!

Luo Lao's movements stalled for a moment. Contrary to his usual dominance, he was now suppressed by Huai Shi's rhythm.

As he stepped back to prepare for a powerful attack, he saw a Long Spear that had inexplicably appeared in Huai Shi's hands, thrusting towards his neck from the air with a whistling sound.

The collision of the Long Spear with steel was immediately followed by the cold light of a Short Knife.

Sharp sounds intertwined, merging into the rhythm. With Huai Shi's humming, they transformed into a tangible melody—that was "Diamond Eyes", played out by the steel!

The power of rock music!

With Huai Shi's husky humming, his movements grew faster and faster; the thunder from the void seemed to infuse his Axe and Spear, bursting forth with every slash and pierce.

Power, soaring with each beat!

In that instant, Luo Lao's movements hesitated unexpectedly, seizing a gap in Huai Shi's rhythm to launch a strong attack.

The strike missed. Missed? The old man paused, momentarily stunned.

Then, he felt the rhythm change once again...

That's right, the DJ had changed tracks.

From the fervent rock music, it transitioned to a deep and thunderous cello sound. Huai Shi fell from mid-air, twisted at the waist, and his Sacrificial Knife swept across towards Luo Lao's neck.

"Today, I'm going to let you see my Level 12 Cello Performance with integrated Bach Swordsmanship!"

The originally slow rhythm rapidly sped up. In Huai Shi's imagination, the weight on the metronome's arm slid lower and lower, the beat value changing as the tempo instantly soared to 208.

Two hundred and eight beats per minute!

This was a tempestuous unaccompanied cello suite!

Unless one could read minds and discern the musical score Huai Shi was currently reciting in his head, no one could predict how his rhythm would change—whether the next blow would be as swift as Thunder or insidiously cunning.

Even without a certain victory, there was at least an exchange of blows.

This time, it wasn't just me getting beaten up one-sidedly!

3/8 time, 1/4 time, compound meter, simple meter...

Huai Shi, getting into his groove, began to crazily switch tracks!

After a brief improvisation, the melody swiftly became bizarre and passionate again. In his hands, the Spear of Compassion, laced with venom, moved like a Snake, tracing an arc in the air and aiming straight for Luo Lao's throat.

"Take this, my Paganini Piercing!"

Hell's Sonata Change!

Amidst the rhapsody's fierce modulations, the insidious and precise style transformed once again, becoming grand and majestic. The Long Spear dissipated under the pounding of the Wolf Fang Club.

In its place came Huai Shi's long-charged, explosive counterattack.

"—Haydn's Axe!"

In just a few minutes, from Bach to Beethoven, then to Haydn, Brahms, and Schumann... He had virtually desecrated all the classical musicians in turn.

Exhilarating!

Just as the fervent melody, driven by the intense rhythm, climbed to its highest peak, a new transformation occurred on the pages of the Book of Fate within Huai Shi's consciousness.

Luo Lao had completely ground down several of Huai Shi's Martial Arts skills, effectively nullifying them: the Theravada Tantra Dual Sword Technique, Rome Dagger Fighting, and Old Judgement Court Swordsmanship. Now, the last remnants of ink representing these skills disappeared completely.

In their place, a line of faint gray characters rapidly emerged from the void. It solidified and then instantly formed, soaring madly upwards as if being pulled by the legendary-tier Cello Performance from the highest level of mastery.

[Sword Art: Ornament Play]

—Level 10!

Huai Shi was first stunned, then overjoyed.

The skills I comprehended myself were actually recognized by the Book of Fate! And they soared to such a terrifying height in an instant...

Presumably, apart from the various combat skills converted into experience points, the main reason was his breakthrough to Level 12 Cello Performance, right?

Though they seemed poles apart.

Yet their essence was completely the same: both were performances, merely using different instruments.

With this foundation rebuilt from destruction, Huai Shi's skills finally underwent a new qualitative transformation amidst the hellish torment.

But this elation was short-lived. He immediately felt the old man's shadow looming larger, breaking through his defenses, and suddenly appearing right before him.

Danger!

Huai Shi instinctively defended himself.

Immediately following that, he saw the old man's mouth full of yellow teeth open wide, his voice roaring like thunder.

It was the Lion's Roar!

"—Eating meat every day, I never get fat! Soliciting prostitutes daily, I'm fit as a fiddle, yeah!!!"

In the old man's roar, just inches away, the rough folk song from Nanzhao violently barged into the cello's melody, churning all rhythm into a soupy mess.

It threw Huai Shi's tempo off, sending his hands into disarray.

An opening!

Huai Shi shuddered violently and was sent flying, smashing into the wall.

"No way?"

The young man looked up blankly, coughing up a mouthful of frustrated blood. "You can do that too?"

My new trick was still hot off the press! How did I get defeated by a Nanzhao Mountain Song!

Indeed, the old saying doesn't lie. Classical falls short of rock, rock gives way to pop, and even pop has rivals it can't beat. Any brainwashing earworm, once mixed with a Nanzhao Mountain Song, is finished!

No matter how poignant a classic like 'Romance in the Rain' might be, it couldn't beat the explosive, risqué charm of 'Old Timer, Give Me a Ride!'

Huai Shi, amidst shock and regret, suffered a complete and utter defeat!

Huai Shi lost the ability to respond. This time, however, Luo Lao didn't follow up to kick him while he was down. Instead, the old man stood there, listlessly tossing aside the now bent and broken Wolf Fang Club.

Upon hitting the ground, the twisted Wolf Fang Club completely fell apart.

It had fulfilled its purpose.

"Although it's still a bit rough, let's just say you've passed this test for now."

He dusted off his hands and shook his head. "Also, if you like to sing, wear earphones and keep it to yourself. Don't foolishly hum it out for others to hear. Come early tomorrow; we're running short on time. I need to finish your lessons before the rookie competition."

Huai Shi was taken aback.

At first, he was incredulous, hardly believing he had passed just like that. This was followed by utter bafflement. What other lessons could there possibly be? The basics of unarmed combat, the structure and posture of weapon attacks, mastering timing and rhythm changes... all these basic lessons have already been covered.

Given that muscle-bound old man's brute-force style—kicking you in through the door and telling you to figure out the rest on your own—what else could there be to teach?

"You're just the sort who lacks perseverance, aren't you?"

Luo Lao sat down in a chair, scrutinizing Huai Shi's astonished face. "To be precise, you don't really love the things I teach. After all, these things are not your goal, are they?"

It wasn't a criticism, nor a case of feeling that his potential was wasted.

From the very first day Huai Shi arrived, Luo Lao understood that this fellow, deep down, did not regard the teachings here as a path to pursue for a lifetime.

There are many kinds of passion in the world, and they vary in intensity.

Huai Shi's passion for these Fighting skills was, at best, comparable to someone who enjoys playing video games. Strictly speaking, he considered them merely a part of his job. While fulfilling his duties, he simply chose to strive for excellence.

But what does that matter?

In the end, weren't all the skills he taught meant for taking lives? They couldn't establish peace, only instigated conflict on earth. Compared with true Power, they were insignificant, negligible.

Upright people should sneer at this. They should treat it as something to be learned in passing, used only if necessary.

Although, if one treats these skills merely as a means, they must be prepared to never become the strongest. However, using them as just a means grants more choices than a lifetime dedicated to killing...

In the silence, Luo Lao quietly gazed around the training area, at the collection hanging on the walls—weaponry that covered almost every known method of combat.

The collection was almost all-encompassing. It featured everything from common blades, spears, swords, and halberds, to more obscure items like the Claw hook and Fist Edge. It even included the increasingly rare Axe Gun and the Macawet, a weapon practiced by only a few Samurai in America.

Countless weapons of iron and stone were gathered in one place, forming a terrifying collection so vast that it would take more than a lifetime for an ordinary person to master.

"Didn't you say you wanted to do as you please?"

He slowly withdrew his gaze, looking intently at Huai Shi before him.

"Given that, the more means you have, the better, right?"

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