My Mosquito Clones Are on a Killing Spree

Zhang Quan’s gaze swept over the brand-new Owl Dragon C-82 longspear in Lin Yi’s hand, and he nodded slightly.

"Nice spear. New? Looks like you’re determined to walk the path of the spear."

"Yes, Teacher Zhang."

Lin Yi nodded, gripping the longspear firmly. He felt the cold touch of the shaft and a faint resonance with his own Qi and Blood.

"Yesterday in the martial arts room, I tried all sorts of weapons, but only the spear felt right in my hands."

"Feeling right is what matters most! The spear is called the trickster of all weapons, but it is also their king. Master it, and your thrusts will be like starlight, your sweeps like a python, your techniques endlessly versatile."

Zhang Quan unslung the deep cyan longspear from his back and casually set its butt on the floor. It rang against the alloy ground with a crisp DING, and an aura, as steadfast as a mountain yet concealing a sharp edge, emanated from him.

He then asked in a low voice, "Have you ever handled a spear before? How many years have you been training?"

Lin Yi looked a little sheepish and answered honestly, "I’ve never touched a spear before. This is my first time."

"What? Not even once? You’re a complete novice?"

Zhang Quan’s thick brows shot up, his face a mask of clear astonishment. He then shook his head.

"This is a problem! I thought you had some basics down and was planning to teach you the Water Source Spear directly. But now... that’s clearly not going to work."

His voice was tinged with resignation.

"A weak foundation makes the whole structure unstable! If you force yourself to learn the Water Source Spear now, your form will be full of openings, and you’ll get half the results for twice the effort! We have to start from the very basics. The more solid you build your foundation, one drop at a time, the faster your progress will be and the farther you’ll go with the spear."

Lin Yi nodded emphatically, his eyes clear and focused. "I understand!"

He knew full well that even the tallest towers are built from the ground up. The stronger the foundation, the steadier and farther one could travel on their future path.

"Good!"

Seeing Lin Yi’s earnest attitude, Zhang Quan’s expression softened slightly, and he began to explain.

"The foundation of spear arts lies in ten basic movements: Point, Jab, Block, Seize, Coil, Press, Cleave, Fling, Flick, and Circle! These will become your flesh and bone. You must train! Train them to death! Train until they’re as natural as breathing, an instinct carved into your very bones!"

He paused, then continued.

"But just having the moves isn’t enough. Your Body Technique and footwork are just as crucial!"

"There are four key points to Body Technique:"

"First: relax your waist and sink your hips! The waist is the axis of power; the hips are its root! With a relaxed, sunken waist and hips, your center of gravity will be as solid as a boulder. Only then can power surge up from the earth and infuse your entire body!"

"Second: hollow your chest and straighten your spine! Your chest should be slightly concave, your back as straight as a pine. Your upper body must remain centered. It can’t be as stiff as Wood, nor can you lean forward or backward and lose your balance!"

"Third: twist your waist and turn your hips! Remember, seventy percent of a spear technique’s power comes from the waist and hips! A single twist and turn, like a great python coiling, is what allows power to flow smoothly through you and all the way to the spear’s tip!"

"Fourth: unity of body and weapon! Your body is the dragon; the spear is its claw! Every movement, every twist of your body must naturally guide the spear. In turn, the spear’s trajectory must follow your body’s rhythm. There can be no separation between the two!"

"As for footwork..."

Zhang Quan began to pace, his footsteps silent.

"Bow Stance, Dragon-Riding Stance, Drop Stance, Empty Stance, Pad Step, Sliding Step... these are the foundation of your foundation."

"You must remember this: think of the spear as a coiling lock, and your footwork as its living soul! It must be agile and deceptive, perfectly synchronized with your spear techniques! You must achieve ’advance to close the distance, retreat to leverage your reach.’ Always keep your opponent within your optimal striking range!"

Zhang Quan spoke at length, laying out the essentials of fundamental spear arts.

Lin Yi listened, his heart sobered. He never imagined that mastering something as seemingly simple as a longspear involved such profound complexity.

"Do you understand now?"

Zhang Quan said, looking at Lin Yi’s slightly grave expression.

"The spear isn’t like a sword or a saber. The hard work required to truly master it is far beyond what you can imagine! An ordinary person couldn’t hope to master these fundamentals in less than three to five years. However..."

His tone shifted.

"You are already a First-Grade Martial Artist. Your physique is strong, your Qi and Blood are abundant, and your body control is far beyond that of an ordinary person. If your aptitude isn’t lacking and you’re willing to train with everything you’ve got, then in three months... you might just get a feel for it!"

His gaze burned as he stared at Lin Yi.

"What you need to do now is train! Train like your life depends on it! Train mechanically, train through the boredom, and repeat every movement thousands of times! You must drill each basic action until it is perfect down to the millimeter, as precise as a ruler! Only when you’ve put in the real grunt work and it’s become muscle memory can you be said to have truly stepped through the gates of the Martial Dao of the spear. Only then will you be qualified to cultivate true spear-fighting arts!"

"Yes, Teacher! I understand!"

Lin Yi’s voice was steady and decisive.

He was prepared for the grueling training.

Besides.

His Cultivation all depended on his Mosquito Avatar.

It wasn’t like he had to do the Cultivation himself.

During the time his Mosquito Avatar was out hunting for Demon Beasts...

...he had all the time in the world for this grueling work!

Zhang Quan was very satisfied with Lin Yi’s resolve and nodded.

"Very well. We’ll start with stance training. I will teach you the Bow Stance Spear-Holding Drill."

"This drill is the root of all spear arts. It’s a stance for stabilizing your lower body and tempering your physique, but it’s also the preparatory killing posture from which you launch your attacks! It will train your lower body to be as firm as an old tree’s gnarled roots, your body to be a single integrated structure, your grip on the spear to be as steady as Mountain Tai, and your power to flow like a surging river!"

"The key points are critical. Get them right, and you’ll get twice the results with half the effort. Get them wrong, and you’ll tear a muscle or break a bone! A spear isn’t a saber you can just swing around wildly. If your form is even slightly off, not only will you lose most of your power, you could end up injuring yourself!"

With that, Zhang Quan began to demonstrate, breaking down the Bow Stance Spear-Holding Drill into its finest components and explaining every detail to Lin Yi.

Then, he had Lin Yi assume the stance and personally adjusted him. He corrected his shoulders, pressed on his waist, straightened his knee, and repositioned his hands, meticulously calibrating every minute angle and distribution of force.

Only when Lin Yi’s posture was barely up to standard did he finally nod. "Hold this position. Train hard. I’ll be back to check on you in an hour."