Night Asura (2)

Ye Hua thrust his right hand forward, knocking Long Haochen back three or four steps.

"Very good. You won. I lost because I was deceived by your appearance and underestimated you. That was a fatal mistake. Thank you for teaching me this lesson." As he spoke, Ye Hua clenched his right fist and pressed it to his left chest, giving Long Haochen a knight's salute.

Long Haochen hurriedly returned the salute. "Thank you for your guidance, Instructor."

The knights who had been running had now completely stopped, staring over in stunned disbelief. Though they had not seen exactly how Ye Hua had lost, the fact itself was simply too shocking. Especially since Night Asura had actually given a knight's salute to a trainee. It was as unbelievable as a cat kissing a mouse.

"What are you all standing around for? Do you think my words are farts? Get running! Fifty more laps!" But in the next instant, the Night Asura in their hearts had returned to his Asura-like bearing. His furious roar erupted, frightening the knights into hurriedly setting off again.

"You, come with me." After roaring at them, Night Asura coldly said another sentence to Long Haochen before turning and leaving.

Long Haochen quickly followed him into the Knight Hall under Ye Hua's lead.

A massive figure seemed to have been waiting there all along. Watching them approach, he smiled. "Well? Didn't I tell you so?"

"Hall Master Nalan." Long Haochen called out in surprise.

The owner of that massive body was none other than Nalan Shu. At this moment, he looked like an old fox, smiling slyly at Long Haochen and Night Asura.

"Dead fatty." Night Asura snorted coldly.

Nalan Shu laughed heartily. "Stone face, our Haoyue Branch Temple is going to shine this time. Oh, right, I forgot to tell you how old he is this year. Haochen, are you twelve yet?"

Long Haochen shook his head. "I'll be twelve in four months."

"What?" Ye Hua, who had always been icy and expressionless, finally showed a change in expression upon hearing this. Shock and fervor surfaced almost at the same time.

"Not even twelve? And he can already use Sun Slash?" How could he possibly fail to recognize the skill Long Haochen had unleashed with his shield earlier?

Nalan Shu said smugly, "Didn't I tell you? Our Haoyue Branch Temple has gained a peerless genius. Do you understand what peerless means? You idiot."

Ye Hua seemed not to care about Nalan Shu's mockery in the slightest. The frostiness on his face had completely turned into solemnity as he stared at Long Haochen. "Since you know Sun Slash and the Ascension Array, all you have learned before this has been Punishment Knight skills. Why not continue cultivating as a Punishment Knight? Why do you want to become a Guardian Knight?"

Without the slightest hesitation, Long Haochen replied, "I hope to have the ability to protect everything I want to protect. My father told me that one person's strength is ultimately limited. When facing the Devil Race and protecting our homeland, Guardian Knights play a far greater role than Punishment Knights."

Ye Hua's eyes brightened slightly, and he slowly nodded. "Very good. Starting today, you will study Guardian Knight skills with me alone. Without my permission, you are not to spar with any other knight. Do you understand?"

Long Haochen paused slightly. "But won't a lack of sufficient real combat affect my cultivation?"

Ye Hua gave a cold snort. "Say that after you defeat me. Go wait for me at the training grounds."

"Yes." With a trace of confusion, Long Haochen answered, saluted Nalan Shu once more, and turned to leave.

Watching his departing back, Ye Hua's gaze gradually grew heated. "Dead fatty, where did you find such a treasure?"

Nalan Shu said smugly, "Stone face, convinced now? You didn't believe me when I told you yesterday, but you believe me now, right? With this little fellow joining us, our Haoyue Branch Temple will blaze with brilliance in the near future. We might even be elevated to a main temple. Then those people who've been pushing you aside can see just how powerful the disciple you taught is."

Ye Hua ignored Nalan Shu's boasting entirely. After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Do you know this little fellow's Innate Internal Spiritual Power?"

Nalan Shu shook his head. "No. I asked him, but he refused to say. Still, I tested his current total spiritual power. It was as high as two hundred and sixty-eight. I'd say this little fellow's Innate Internal Spiritual Power can't be below forty—perhaps even higher. Why are you asking? Haven't you always held those powerhouses with high Innate Internal Spiritual Power in contempt?"

The coldness on Ye Hua's face suddenly became somewhat strange. "If talent truly could be replaced, I wouldn't be confined to the rank of Earth Knight today. If my Innate Internal Spiritual Power had been above fifty, there would surely be a place for me upon the Divine Seal Throne. Damn heavens—they gave me wisdom and comprehension, yet stripped me of my talent."

Nalan Shu's thick palm hooked around his shoulder. "All right, stop blaming heaven and lamenting fate. Isn't Haochen's arrival an opportunity for you to display your talent? Even if you can't sit in that position, wouldn't it be the same if your disciple can do it someday?"

Ye Hua took a deep breath, and the flush stirred up by excitement on his icy face gradually faded. "Dead fatty, thank you."

Nalan Shu laughed loudly. "Why are you saying that to me? If it hadn't been for you back then, these three hundred pounds of fat would have been left behind on the battlefield long ago."

Ye Hua said in a deep voice, "I need you to do a few things for me. First, starting today, unless it is for knight-rank examinations, I want exclusive use of the temple training grounds. Second, seal off the news—especially the news of this child's age. Do not let any other main temple or branch temple learn of it. At the Demon Hunter Group Selection Competition two and a half years from now, I want this child to astonish the world with a single feat."

"Fine, no problem. But, stone face, don't be too eager for quick success. No matter what, you mustn't hurt this child. Pulling up seedlings to help them grow will only have the opposite effect."

Ye Hua said faintly, "This child is tougher than you imagine. The reason I see hope in him is not because of his age or talent, but because of his persistence. Of the Knight's Ten Great Principles, he has already grasped at least bravery and persistence. He is a child who refuses to admit defeat, and he possesses observation unlike that of ordinary people, as well as imagination that soars like a Pegasus through the heavens. Two and a half years is a little short, but I believe he can still shock the entire temple."

Nalan Shu nodded slightly. "As I said, don't be too eager for quick success. I can't tell you this child's background, but perhaps in the not-too-distant future, he can become humanity's hope."

Ye Hua smiled. When that icy face smiled, it was truly uglier than crying, but Nalan Shu could be certain that he was smiling. On his face appeared a smile that had not been seen for at least ten years.

Still smiling, Ye Hua walked outside, his voice drifting into Nalan Shu's ears. "I treasure this child even more than you do. He will be the continuation of my dream."

Long Haochen did not know that he had only just escaped the tiger's den of his father's hellish training, only to enter the demonic grasp of an Asura with a touch of fanaticism.

From that day onward, Ye Hua, the chief instructor of the Knight Temple's Haoyue Branch Temple, whose nickname was Asura, suddenly ceased teaching at the Knight Hall. Nalan Shu personally took over as chief instructor. And the young knight who had flashed into view like an epiphyllum bloom vanished along with him.