Awakening

Awakening

Qian Xunjie needed to return to Spirit Hall to receive his title, and Rota also needed to go to Spirit Hall for his formal inauguration ceremony as an elder.

"Once Yue Guan has recovered, we'll set off for Spirit Hall. We can rest for the next few days!" Qian Xunjie left after saying that, leaving only Ghost and Rota behind.

"Ghost, sometimes there's no need to worry too much. Some things will naturally get better. You have to trust your closest friend~"

Seeing Ghost's restless state of mind, Rota kindly offered him a reminder.

"Thank you for the reminder, Elder Kizaru. I believe Old Chrysanthemum will get through this ordeal."

"That's good then~" Rota continued reading the newspaper. He had said what he needed to say; whether Ghost could take it in depended on Ghost himself.

"By the way, Ghost, how old are you and Yue Guan this year?"

"It's like this, Elder Kizaru. Old Chrysanthemum and I are both fifty-nine this year."

Fifty-nine... According to the original story, Yue Guan broke through to Rank 90 at sixty-five. That meant Yue Guan had to be at least over seventy when the plot began, putting it at least ten years away from now.

Tang Hao became a Titled Douluo at forty-four, so he should only be around thirty-eight now. Compared with people like them, who attained the title after sixty, Tang Hao's talent truly was formidable.

Of course, another genius on par with Tang Hao was the future Pope of Spirit Hall, Bibi Dong. Bibi Dong should have been about the same age as Tang Hao at this time. It was truly a pity that Qian Xunjie had ruined her.

Time passed bit by bit when Notting's administrator suddenly rushed over to report urgently to Rota, "Elder Kizaru, Lord Yue Guan has awakened!"

"Oh, much faster than I expected~"

Ghost's reaction was far more intense than Rota's. He immediately had the administrator lead the way. He had refrained from disturbing Yue Guan while he rested, but now that he heard Yue Guan had awakened, Ghost naturally could no longer hold himself back.

"What a passionate bond~" Rota chuckled.

Inside Yue Guan's hospital room, Ghost finally relaxed when he saw that Yue Guan had regained some of his vigor. Ghost and Yue Guan were friends who had faced life and death together. It could be said that if anything happened to Yue Guan, Ghost would not be able to go on living either.

"Old Chrysanthemum, how does your body feel?"

"Not bad. This time, I actually gained something from misfortune. My Soul Power Level rose by one, and I'm Rank 86 now." Yue Guan sighed with emotion. He had never expected this ordeal to let him stumble into a breakthrough.

The higher one's rank, the harder it became to advance even a single level. Yue Guan's breakthrough could truly be called a blessing amid misfortune.

"Congratulations, Old Chrysanthemum, on breaking through to Rank 86."

"Honestly, Old Ghost, I realized something through this battle. If we keep living such comfortable lives, it'll hinder our progress."

Comfort breeds decline. That saying made a great deal of sense. In the past, the opponents Ghost and Yue Guan encountered had posed little threat. Even soul beasts did not require them to expend much effort.

"Looks like we've been settled for too long. Perhaps that's one of the reasons our strength has stopped improving!" Ghost agreed with Yue Guan's conclusion.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Ghost told Yue Guan to rest well. Yue Guan had only just recovered and still needed quiet recuperation. At the very least, he could not engage in strenuous activity over the next few days.

Upon returning to the lounge, Ghost looked at Kizaru, who was reading the newspaper as usual, and sincerely requested, "Elder Kizaru, I have an improper request. I hope you can agree to it."

"Oh? Did something interesting happen?"

Rota was rather curious how Ghost had changed so much after merely visiting Yue Guan.

"I never expected Old Chrysanthemum to break through to Rank 86. It also made me realize that our past comfort is the reason our strength has been unable to improve," Ghost suddenly murmured heavily.

This was beyond Rota's expectations. He had not expected Yue Guan to receive such an opportunity. It seemed the saying that surviving a great disaster brought future blessings did have some truth to it.

Ghost had certainly not come to him merely to mention Yue Guan's advancement.

"Elder Kizaru, could you give me some special training? I believe your strength will definitely help me improve as well."

Ghost's tone and attitude were extremely sincere, making Rota swallow the refusal that had been about to leave his mouth.

"That's quite a problem~ Sparring with me doesn't necessarily mean you'll advance."

"Yes, but I still want to try. Please help me, Elder Kizaru. No matter what happens, afterward I'll treat you to some of my finest treasured tea!"

If there was fine tea involved, Rota could help Ghost out. Accompanying Ghost could simply count as some leisure after a meal.

"Alright, alright, this old man will practice with you~"

"Thank you very much for your help!" Ghost bowed to Rota.

"No need to bow like that. This old man isn't much older than you, you know? Colleagues should help each other!"

Truthfully, Rota was only interested in the fine tea Ghost had mentioned.

"There's a training ground outside. Let's spar there!"

It seemed Ghost had already scouted the place beforehand. He had even picked out the location.

"This old man has no objections. You choose the place!"

Before long, two figures stood in the training ground: Rota and Ghost.

"Elder Kizaru, please show a little of your true strength!"

As long as one was not blind, they could see that Kizaru loved to hold back, so Ghost specifically reminded him.

"No problem. This old man will get a little serious~"

Ghost was an agility-attack Soul Douluo, mainly specializing in speed-based attacks. His methods primarily revolved around unpredictability and surprise assaults.

"Eighth Soul Skill, Ghost—"

Before Ghost could make his move, Rota had already appeared before him. He extended two fingers and released a dazzling flash.

Ghost's eyes were temporarily blinded, leaving him unable to see.

"This Dizzying Flash will blind your eyes for a while. During that time, try using your senses to fight this old man!"

Only now did Ghost understand just how powerful Kizaru's combat strength was. He was surely among the very strongest even among Titled Douluo. With just one move, he had interrupted the activation of a soul skill and even inflicted a negative condition on him!

"This old man is going to attack now~"

Ghost sensed a faint disturbance in the air and prepared to defend himself. Unfortunately, even a restrained Light Speed Kick from Rota was not something a Soul Douluo could fully withstand.

The strength Rota displayed was genuinely at the level of a Titled Douluo. To draw out Ghost's potential, his strength naturally had to surpass that of a Soul Douluo.

Rota's kick sent Ghost flying over fifty meters. Fortunately, the training ground was not small, or that blow might have pierced straight through it.

"Huff... Huff... As expected, you're as strong as a monster!" Ghost had now seen what a monster among monsters truly was.

In Ghost's eyes, facing Kizaru felt like facing a Fierce Beast. The pressure Kizaru gave him was just that intense.

"What's wrong? How long are you planning to lie on the ground? You won't accomplish anything like that~"