Chapter 244: Team-Based Sword Fighting Competition!

The members of East Court's sword team were all easy to get along with.

Even Ye Nanfeng, who was defeated by Ling Feng, quickly bounced back from his disappointment and resumed his lively demeanor.

Ling Feng soon discovered that among the members of East Court's sword team, apart from the eccentric Gu Tengfeng who had opened fifty-six meridian gates, the others only had around forty gates.

The strongest among the others were the vice-captain Gong Cheng, with forty-nine gates, and Xue Xiaolin, who also had forty-nine gates.

Following closely behind were the gambling enthusiast Lin Mochen and Ye Nanfeng, both with forty-nine gates. The weakest official member was Yu Sixian, likely due to dissipating his talents through indulgence in wine and women, leaving him with only forty-eight gates.

As for the substitute members, they ranged from forty gates to forty-five gates.

Although Ling Feng himself only possessed six meridian gates, his explosive combat prowess enabled him to rival that of any sky-tier student with fifty gates or fewer.

However, despite Ling Feng's addition, it was still far from enough to immediately compete with the first teams of the other four courts.

Team-based sword fighting competitions were battles of teamwork and the Tianwei Academy was filled with geniuses.

So, being individually exceptional could not entirely determine the outcome of such competitions.

This was evident from Gu Tengfeng's case.

Despite him being very strong, ranking among the top ten among all sky-tier students, the East Court's sword team still failed three consecutive years when trying to advance past the second round of the tournament.

Therefore, Ling Feng's first task upon joining East Court's sword team was to familiarize himself with each teammate's strengths and abilities.

Ye Nanfeng was the agile swordsman of the team, known for his swift swordplay and nimble movement arts.

Such team members generally sought to break through the opponent's defense during the competition, directly entering the flag-guarding area to cut off the opposing flag-bearers. By knocking down the battle flag, they could secure victory.

Of course, this was an ideal scenario. The flag-guarding area was typically a forbidden zone for a sword team, where the frontline attackers stationed there would never allow the opposing members a chance to enter.

Gong Cheng, the second-in-command of the sword team, mainly handled command and coordination within the team, assisting members like Ye Nanfeng, who excelled in speed, in breaking through the defensive lines.

Although Xue Xiaolin was the only female member in the team, her strength was comparable to Gong Cheng's. She guarded the flag in the flag-guarding area while providing support to the members active in the attack and defense zones.

It's worth mentioning that Xue Xiaolin was a cultivator of wood attribute martial arts, and her wood attribute true qi possessed some healing effects. While consuming qi-restoring pills on the sword fighting arena was prohibited, using teammates' true qi as supplementation was deemed reasonable.

As for Lin Mochen and Yu Sixian, they were active members in the attack and defense zones, capable of both offense and defense. They generally followed the vice-captain Gong Cheng's arrangements.

Of course, the most important figure in the sword team was the soul of the team, Gu Tengfeng.

He could be described as the vanguard of the team, leading wave after wave of assaults, charging into the opponent's attack and defense zones aggressively, creating immense defensive pressure on the opponent, and allowing the team's swift swordsmen to infiltrate the opponent's flag-guarding area. His efforts allowed his team members the opportunity to seize the opponent’s flag.

[1]

Generally, a team would have one vanguard, one flag guardian, and the remaining three would be considered versatile in offense and defense. However, the position of Ye Nanfeng, the swift swordsman, was indispensable for any sword team.

Some teams even abandoned the midfield attack and defense zone entirely, focusing all their efforts on breakthroughs with their swift swordsmen.

"As for Ling Feng, he excels in speed and bursts of energy. So the most suitable position for Ling Feng should be a swift swordsman like Nanfeng!"

After going over the abilities of all members and the roles they played in the sword fighting competition, Vice-Captain Gong Cheng began analyzing the team structure while resting his chin on his hand.

"No worries. The official Five Courts' Sword Team Grand Competition is still about half a year away. During this time, let’s have Ling Feng become familiar with the playing styles of each position."

Gu Tengfeng patted Ling Feng's shoulder. "Hope you won't find the upcoming training too burdensome!"

"No, not at all!" Ling Feng smiled faintly. "Actual combat is the fastest way to improve, isn't it?"

"You're a good lad; I knew I didn't misjudge you!" Gu Tengfeng laughed heartily. "Alright, next let’s have Gong Cheng lead you to team up for a three-on-three match, so you can get accustomed to the flag guardian's position."

"Yes, captain!"

Ling Feng felt a surge of enthusiasm, developing a strong interest in this form of team competition.

...

While Ling Feng busily underwent the special training from the sword team, the entire East Court exploded with excitement.

Ling Feng, their chief, becoming a member of East Court's sword team had become a sensational event that rocked the upper echelons of Tianwei Academy!

Of course, upon hearing the news, there were quite a few traditionalists who shook their heads, dismissing it as mere theatrics, thinking that Gu Tengfeng was getting more and more reckless.

However, ultimately, it was a matter concerning the students, so the academy did not interfere too much.

Two of the mentors, Zhu Rong and Pei Miao, who had argued fiercely for Ling Feng's recruitment, felt a sense of pride upon learning the news.

Indeed, the student I recognized back then is truly outstanding!

Similarly, Ye Guichen, the academician, also harbored such sentiments. He had always wanted to find an opportunity to recruit Ling Feng as his student. However, after the old lunatic Yan Cangtian caused a commotion in the director's office, the director warned all the academicians not to have any ideas about Ling Feng.

If one were to talk about cunning, it was Yan Cangtian, this old fox, who was truly cunning. He had pre-selected Ling Feng early on, making it clear to the academicians and vice-directors that none of them could think of taking Ling Feng as their student!

Also receiving the news was Yue Yunlan, who hurriedly returned to Tianwei Academy and briefly reunited with Ling Feng during the joint evening event of the Five Courts.

1. Author's note: Here, the rules of team-based sword fighting competition and the victory condition of knocking down the opponent's battle flag are explained. This was hinted at in the previous match between East Court and West Court, where Ling Feng's individual abilities overshadowed the entire game. However, in the official Five Courts' Sword Team Grand Competition, Ling Feng would encounter many formidable opponents, hence the introduction of some rules of sword fighting competition. Since this is all based on my personal imagination, I ask for your understanding if there are any inconsistencies. ☜