Come Down Here!

When Wen Zhao stopped at the edge of the training ground, the first thing he saw was the sword Xu Sheng held in his arms.

"Got a new one?"

"The elder gave it to me."

"Can you say that without smiling?"

"How could I?"

Xu Sheng drew a short length of the blade, turned it in the light, then slid it back into its scabbard with satisfaction.

Wen Zhao's teeth itched at the sight.

He had been in Spirit City for days and had finally gotten his turn at an assessment today. Xu Sheng had arrived yesterday and already had something from the elder this morning.

If only he hadn't treated him to that second pot of tea yesterday!

"Want to have a match later?" Wen Zhao asked.

Xu Sheng had been thinking the same thing.

After so much practice with Ji Juechen, he wanted to know just how he measured up against other players now.

The level-twenty-two Gale Twin-Headed Wolf before him was just right.

Soul Masters were stationed at the edge of the grounds to keep watch. Yue Guan sat farther away, with tea on the table before him. He hadn't touched it, instead twirling a freshly cut flower in his hand.

This wasn't an academy enrollment, and no one was made to take turns reciting their ancestral origins. Several Soul Masters took turns examining their Martial Souls and Soul Rings, then those willing to fight entered the grounds and let their actions speak for themselves.

The previous match had already shown Xu Sheng something interesting.

A young man named Cen Zhao was at level seventeen and had the Crimson Gold Chain Spear Martial Soul.

The spear wasn't long, but a length of fine golden chain was attached to its end. When he flung the spear out, his opponent knocked it aside with a saber, thinking he had dodged it. To his surprise, Cen Zhao flicked his hand, sending the chain around a pillar and the spear's butt sweeping back to strike him squarely in the side of the waist.

His opponent grimaced in pain.

Cen Zhao hadn't come away much better. He had taken a blow from the back of the saber to his shoulder and could barely lift one arm.

But the more Xu Sheng watched, the more satisfied he became.

He used his head and wasn't afraid to strike.

I have to remember this one!

On the other side, a female player named Bai Ji had only just released a cloud of smoke when her opponent circled around to its edge, forcing her to start coughing first.

"Isn't that your smoke?" someone couldn't help asking.

Bai Ji wiped the corners of her eyes, too angry to speak.

She had a way to make the smoke thicker, but no way to see through it herself. Usually, she could gain some advantage by remembering the terrain, but this was her first time here. She hadn't even figured out how many stones were underfoot, so naturally it was easy to make mistakes.

Xu Sheng gave her another look, though.

This one could be useful too.

"Done watching?"

Wen Zhao had already walked into the arena.

Xu Sheng looked away and entered with his sword.

The two stopped several yards apart. Wen Zhao rolled his shoulders, and cyan light surged from his body. His body grew sturdier, his hands turned into wolf claws, and the outline of a wolf's head formed beside his shoulder. Two yellow Soul Rings rose around him.

The wind sent fine sand rolling across the edge of the grounds.

White wings spread behind Xu Sheng, and his golden hair swayed gently in the wind.

The people who had just been discussing the smoke gradually fell silent.

They were all players, yet he already had a second Soul Ring.

Envious as they were, none of them wanted to miss this fight.

"Begin!"

Wen Zhao moved first.

His first Soul Ring lit up, and he swept a wolf claw forward. Several curved wind blades crossed paths as they came, cutting off Xu Sheng's escape to either side.

Xu Sheng didn't meet them head-on. His white wings beat backward, and he retreated some distance close to the ground.

The wind blades struck where he had just stood, carving several marks into the ground.

In the next instant, Wen Zhao was already upon him!

A wolf claw skimmed past the blade, and Xu Sheng's wrist dipped. Only then did he realize his opponent hadn't put his full strength into that swipe. The real attack was concealed in the other hand, which shot straight for his shoulder.

So fast!

Xu Sheng twisted aside and slashed upward, forcing Wen Zhao to withdraw his hand.

One advancing and the other retreating, the two exchanged positions several times in the arena.

The longer Wen Zhao fought, the more surprised he became.

Xu Sheng's Soul Power was one level lower than his, yet his swordplay showed no sign of disorder. Several times, Wen Zhao changed his moves and clearly fooled Xu Sheng's eyes, but when the real blow was about to land, the blade still came up to meet it from an awkward angle.

It was as though he had been beaten so many times that he was used to it.

Wen Zhao didn't know it, but this time he had guessed right.

Against another two-ring player, Xu Sheng might not have dared fight like this. But when it came to guessing which side a sword would come from at close range, he had spent almost every day of the past few months doing just that!

"Careful!"

Wen Zhao gave a low shout, and his second Soul Ring suddenly lit up.

A cyan wolf silhouette appeared and swiftly merged into his body. He spread his shoulders, and the force of his charge abruptly increased. With one claw ahead of the other, he actually forced Xu Sheng to give way three steps to the side.

Twin Wolf Possession!

His offense, defense, and speed all rose at once. The clashes Xu Sheng had barely managed to withstand a moment ago suddenly grew much heavier.

Xu Sheng's arm went numb, but he broke into a smile.

Finally!

His first Soul Ring lit up, and crimson light spread along his blade. He pressed the edge down at an angle and cut along the side of Wen Zhao's claw, forcing the pursuing hand away.

Immediately afterward, his second Soul Ring lit up as well.

Firmament Holy Wings!

His white wings beat, and Xu Sheng shot upward.

Wen Zhao reached out to grab him, but caught only a wisp of dispersing white light.

A chorus of startled cries immediately rose from the sidelines.

Xu Sheng stopped in midair and looked down at Wen Zhao, the smile on his face growing brighter.

That was a good fight just now, wasn't it?

Now it's my turn!

"Come down here!" Wen Zhao shouted up at him.

"You come up!"

"I won't even consider flight until my third ring!"

"Then wait until your third ring and we'll talk!"

Before the words had faded, wind blades were already slicing through the air toward him.

Wen Zhao had never intended to wait for his answer. The wind blades no longer spread to either side, but came one after another. The first forced Xu Sheng to turn, the second blocked the path of his turning wing, and the third headed straight for his chest.

Xu Sheng had no choice but to swing his sword and cut the last one apart.

The impact sent a numb jolt through his arm, and the smile vanished from his face.

Flying was an advantage, but it wasn't as though taking to the air meant he had won!

Wen Zhao kept moving his feet, never giving him a comfortable place to land. Wind blades followed one after another, forcing Xu Sheng to keep adjusting his direction as his Soul Power was gradually consumed.

Neither of them could afford to drag this out.

Xu Sheng glanced at the ground, then suddenly folded his wings and plunged.

The strike came with blinding speed. Riding the momentum of his dive, the crimson blade aimed straight for Wen Zhao's shoulder.

Wen Zhao raised both claws, but instead of blocking head-on, he charged diagonally forward.

This was the moment he had been waiting for!

When someone in the air came down, there had to be a moment when he checked his momentum. As long as Wen Zhao closed in on the blind spot where the wings spread, Xu Sheng would have to fight him at close range again.

But Xu Sheng's descending sword suddenly changed direction.

Instead of pursuing Wen Zhao, the blade scraped diagonally across the ground, kicking up a spray of grit.

Wen Zhao instinctively narrowed his eyes, but still thrust his right claw forward.

It caught nothing.

Xu Sheng had never landed firmly in the first place.

The instant his toe touched the ground, he used his wings to push sideways again, skimming past Wen Zhao's shoulder. The crimson blade swept through half a circle and came at him anew from behind.

Wen Zhao heard the rush of air and spun around.

A moment too late!

The long sword lay across his shoulder and neck.

Xu Sheng stood behind him, hardly any steadier on his feet. One boot had dragged a long mark across the ground, and he had only just managed to stop himself.

Yet the sword hadn't advanced another half inch.

"Thanks for the match."

The spectators fell silent for a moment before someone called out in praise.

Wen Zhao lowered his head to look at the sword, then looked up at him.

"What if you hadn't stopped that move just now?"

Xu Sheng withdrew his sword and shook out his aching hand.

"Then you would've won."

Wen Zhao froze for a moment, then laughed.

"All right. Let's fight again next time."

"Why wait until next time?"

Xu Sheng pointed to the side.

Ji Juechen stood holding his sword, his gaze fixed on Wen Zhao's hands throughout. He had clearly taken in the changes Wen Zhao had made when closing in behind those wind blades.

"Once you've recovered, have a match with him," Xu Sheng said. "Weren't we still short of people who could fight yesterday? Well, here's one."

Wen Zhao looked at Ji Juechen, and the smile slowly faded from his face.

Level twenty-six.

I just finished fighting one who could fly, and now I have to fight one who practices swordsmanship?

Meanwhile, Xu Sheng had already run over to Yue Guan.

"Elder, have you finished examining my four friends too?"

"I have."

"How were they?"

Yue Guan glanced at Lu Song and the others, who were still discussing how to work together at the edge of the grounds, then looked at Xu Sheng.

"Come with me to see the Pope tomorrow morning."

Xu Sheng instantly forgot that his arm was still aching.

See the Pope?

Bibi Dong!

Clutching his new sword, he had only one thought left in his mind.

This time, I'm really going to move up!