Our Dharma Masters are like this.

Chapter 116: Attack Only
Zellier took a deep breath and gripped the hilt of his sword tightly.

He felt the power that came from the fusion of the magical contract and the Seed of the Source.

attack!

This time, Zellier once again started with a powerful vertical slash, intending to crush Gray's defense with absolute force!
"clang!"

After knocking down Gray's wooden sword located in the center, Zeril then unleashed a wide range of left and right slashes in an attempt to suppress him.

But Gray's defense was impenetrable.

His longsword was held diagonally downwards, and his footsteps moved in small steps in rhythm with Zellir's attacks, accurately parrying each attack and dissipating most of its force.

Just as Zellir's slash was deflected, Gray seized the fleeting opening and delivered a sudden upward slash!
"boom!"

The wooden sword struck Zeril's horizontal parrying blade with tremendous force, breaking through his defensive stance. Gray then followed up with another thrust.

Hit the right chest.

In the second round, Gray wins!

"I've already told you, you're still very young when it comes to swordsmanship."

Gray sheathed his wooden sword, his face beaming with smug satisfaction.

"Tch..." Zellier curled his lip.

Why don't we just use the mist-flowing gauze to fight him?

"Okay, okay, I won't bully you anymore."

Gray waved his hand, his expression becoming more serious. "If you want to truly learn swordsmanship, you need to find your own niche first."

"position?"

"Yes, you need to have a general direction in mind when you want to learn a particular type of swordsmanship, right?"

Gray casually slung the wooden sword over his shoulder and began to explain things to Zellier.

"From what I understand, take the common Rock Style as an example. Its characteristics are a balance of offense and defense, and a wide-ranging, sweeping style."

"Warriors who use this sword technique are usually equipped with thick and sturdy arm and shoulder armor."

"The Rock Style places great emphasis on the stability of the lower body and defensive stance, and it is meticulous and efficient in every movement. Marcus is a typical Rock Style practitioner. You can tell by watching him fight; he is as stable as a mountain."

"Besides the Rock Style, there are other schools, such as the more agile Wind Style. Its characteristics are high speed, agility, and a particular emphasis on footwork, like mine."

At this point, a look of pride appeared on Gray's face.

"Windwalker swordsmen never engage in direct confrontation. Instead, they seek out the slightest opening in the enemy's defense through constant exchanges and evasions, striking with a single, fatal blow. Thrusting is clearly a more dangerous technique than slashing."

"After that, there are some schools of thought that use other weapons. Techniques like those using decapitation swords or broad axes, and spear techniques using long spears, are all pretty good, but I don't know much about those."

“That sounds complicated,” Zellier rubbed his temples.

It's like studying magic theory.

"It's alright. It may sound like a lot, but it all boils down to the same thing. There are only a few options to choose from."

Gray said.

"Moreover, most people only need to master the basic sword moves. In the end, what matters is the ability to adapt to changing circumstances and physical fitness. The best swordsmanship is the physical reaction that is formed over time."

"Even if I were to master swordsmanship to the highest level, I'd still be dead if I ran into a mid-level warrior. One swing of their sword and they'd cut you down along with your weapon. What would you use to block that?"

“That’s true.” Zellier nodded.

One force can overcome all techniques; physical fitness is the most important foundation for all skills.

"If you ask me, you'd be better off going down the Rock Stream build. You don't need a shield, just get some arm armor or something, so you can defend yourself when enemies get close," Gray suggested.

“Then no need. I only need to learn the offensive techniques.” Zellier shook his head decisively.

"Isn't this a bit too radical?" Gray raised an eyebrow.

“Because I don’t need defense,” Zellier said.

"What?" Gray was amused by Zellier's arrogant words. "You brat..."

"Come."

Zellir simply put down the wooden sword in his hand, raised his chin at Gray, and said, "Try cutting me with your sword."

"That's a strange request."

Although Gray said that, he still became interested.

He wanted to see what tricks Zellir could pull.

Gray raised his wooden sword and casually swung it forward.

However, just as the wooden sword was about to strike Zeril's chest, an invisible, strange force acted on the sword.

Gray felt as if his sword had struck into a sticky swamp, the force on the blade being redirected and limply sliding to the side.

"This is this?"

The relaxed expression on Gray's face vanished, and his eyes slowly widened.

Before him, Zelier was enveloped in a hazy halo, like flowing morning mist.

"Is this some kind of magical shield?"

Gray roused himself, and this time he thrust out with even greater force.

The result was the same; the moment the tip of the wooden sword came into contact with the hazy halo, it was completely deflected by a strange force, and it was completely unable to harm Zeril in the slightest.

"Alright. Now I finally understand why you want to learn swordsmanship."

After several unsuccessful attempts, Gray finally gave up.

"With just this magical shield, plus your strength, those monsters or enemies who thought you were weak in melee combat are really going to suffer a great loss."

"More or less." Zellier dispersed the misty veil.

Mastering another skill means having another way to attack; you never know when you might need to use it when your magic runs out.

"I really envy you magicians..."

Gray muttered, "They can conjure up all sorts of weird and wonderful magic."

However, he always had a misconception.

Why does the hazy halo around Zellir feel so familiar?

"If that's the case, then you really don't need much defense."

Unable to figure it out, Gray stopped thinking about it and perked up. "I'll teach you the most basic sword moves first, starting with the thrust."

Gray beckoned to Zeril, "Come on, attack me with a thrust."

Zellir gripped the hilt of his sword tightly with both hands, took a step forward, and thrust swiftly toward Gray's chest.

However, Gray simply slid to the side with ease, and with a flick of his wooden sword, he deflected the blade outwards.

"Snapped!"

With a crisp clash, Zellier felt a subtle force dissipating from the sword.

His sure-fire sword strike was easily deflected, piercing empty air, and his body was left with a huge opening due to the excessive force he exerted.

Gray didn't even bother to retaliate; he simply tapped Zellir's shoulder lightly with the blade of his sword and shook his head.

"That's not called a thrust, that's called a push."

Gray chuckled. "Soft and limp, not a threat at all."

“My speed and strength are not bad either.” Zellier was a little confused. He sheathed his sword, stepped back, and readjusted his stance.

(End of this chapter)