Gu Qingshan practiced with Oldest for a while.
They each used the power of Death and Radiance, trading blows for half an hour.
"I've found that my control over the Power of Death has grown stronger."
Gu Qingshan spat out a mouthful of blood and said,
—He especially treasured that suit of Death Blazing Flames armor. He couldn't bring himself to wear it even for sparring, and ended up taking a hit by accident.
Wiping the sweat from his brow, Oldest looked lost in memories. "This kind of training really takes me back."
Seeing him get distracted, Gu Qingshan secretly sent him a mental message. "All right, you can make it look like you're about to break through now."
Oldest snapped back to attention, uneasy. "Won't that be too sudden?"
"No. We've been fighting for a while, so there's been enough buildup," Gu Qingshan continued telepathically.
Oldest was still hesitating.
After a long while, he shook his head and sent back, "No, I feel like breaking through this quickly would look a little too deliberate."
"Then shall we fight another round?" Gu Qingshan asked helplessly.
"How about this? Use some dangerous moves against me. I'll break through at the brink of life and death—wouldn't that seem more natural?" Oldest asked.
"Hmm, that would work, but it's a bit risky," Gu Qingshan assessed.
"It's fine. We'll be careful," Oldest said.
"Then let's begin," Gu Qingshan said cautiously.
He quietly held his breath and brought himself into peak condition.
—If he wanted Oldest to break through between life and death, he had to strike at exactly the right moment.
Too early, and Oldest would be seriously injured. Too late, and it would look fake.
It was quite the test.
Layer upon layer of black flames appeared from the void, settling behind Gu