Training Ground
Clang, clang, clang~
Blades flashed as two figures crossed and struck at each other on the platform.
"Holy crap, kid, you've already mastered Psionic Energy?"
Xiao Yunlong took two steps back, staring in astonishment at the dark purple Psionic Energy appearing along Qin Tian's blade.
After just one night of training, he could already channel Psionic Energy into a weapon—and control it quite steadily.
Did this kid have to make the rest of them look bad?
"It was just a matter of getting the hang of it~"
Qin Tian smiled faintly. Purple light flashed beneath his feet, and his speed suddenly surged.
"So fast!"
Xiao Yunlong's pupils contracted. Qin Tian's sudden burst of speed caught him off guard, and before he could react, Qin Tian's War Blade struck his arm.
Thud~
Xiao Yunlong flew sideways and hit the ground hard, his War Blade slipping from his hand.
"Ow, that hurts."
Xiao Yunlong rubbed his arm. Thankfully, Qin Tian had been using a training blade with no edge. If it had been an ordinary War Blade, he'd have ended up with only one arm.
Ninefold Thunder Flash really was fast.
"Qin Tian, you've surpassed your master. I'm no match for you anymore."
Xiao Yunlong stood up and dusted off his backside, readily admitting that Qin Tian's combat strength now exceeded his own.
The more he thought about it, the more Qin Tian seemed like a monster.
He had only just begun learning Psionic Energy, and was at most a First-Order, One-Star.
He hadn't even been practicing saber techniques for five days.
Yet under those conditions, Qin Tian had defeated him—a Second-Order, Five-Star veteran who'd been training with a saber for more than a decade.
The guy had a body comparable to an Orc's, and his talent for learning was terrifying.
Across the Empire, perhaps only the core disciples of the Gold Family possessed such talent.
Qin Tian lowered his War Blade, unbothered by Xiao Yunlong's teasing, and smiled faintly. "Thanks."
Without Xiao Yunlong's wholehearted instruction and sparring over the past few days, Qin Tian's saber skills wouldn't have reached their current level.
Just now, Xiao Yunlong had also taught him a few tricks for controlling Psionic Energy, helping him quickly grasp Thunderous Charge Saber and Ninefold Thunder Flash.
Qin Tian would always remember this kindness.
"Here, have something to drink."
Liu Zhaozhao brought two bottles of drinks onto the platform and handed one to Qin Tian and one to Xiao Yunlong.
"Thanks, Zhaozhao. You're so thoughtful. How am I supposed to live without you around?" Xiao Yunlong said with a cheeky grin.
Liu Zhaozhao glared at him. "What a smooth talker."
"Hehe."
Xiao Yunlong took a pleased sip of his drink. He seemed almost happy to have been scolded.
"Hah, I finally found you."
A rough, angry voice came from a distance.
Qin Tian turned around, his brow immediately furrowing.
"It's you."
Liu Zhaozhao's brows rose. The two men walking toward the platform were the Bearded Man and Bald Head, who had harassed her at the tavern that night.
"What are you here for?"
Qin Dadi stepped in front of them, his tone stern.
"What do you think?" The Bearded Man stopped and swept a cold gaze over the Earth Dragon Squad. "I'm here to settle the score, of course."
"You want to settle the score?"
Xiao Yunlong jumped off the platform, bristling with anger. "You were the ones who started trouble that night."
"What's going on?"
"Someone's here to cause trouble for our 319th Regiment?"
The special forces soldiers training nearby gathered around, glaring at the Bearded Man and Bald Head.
Though surrounded by a crowd, the Bearded Man wasn't fazed. He said coolly:
"I'm Dai Jun of the White Tiger Legion, and I hold the Purple Thistle Medal. Who dares lay a hand on me?"
The White Tiger Legion. The Purple Thistle Medal.
At those words, everyone present felt a jolt.
The White Tiger Legion was a renowned elite unit on Alpha-7 Star, having made great contributions to the conquest of Scorching Sun Valley.
And the Purple Thistle Medal was a symbol of honor and courage.
Only the bravest and most fearless warriors were eligible to receive it.
"Hmph."
The Bearded Man snorted and stared at Xiao Yunlong. "What, you had the guts to hit me over the head that night, but now you don't have the guts to admit it?"
Hit him over the head?
What did he mean?
Qin Dadi and Xiao Yunlong exchanged glances, bewilderment flickering in their eyes.
The Bearded Man read their expressions and guessed that neither of them had done it. Then he glanced at Liu Zhaozhao.
The person who'd hit him over the head that night had called out, "Hey!" It had been a man's voice, so it could only have been...
The Bearded Man turned his gaze to Qin Tian, who stood calmly on the platform. His expression grew colder.
"It was you?"
Qin Tian rested both hands one over the other on the hilt of his blade, its tip touching the ground. He looked at the Bearded Man calmly and nodded.
"Yeah."
What?
The three members of the Earth Dragon Squad stiffened and stared at Qin Tian in disbelief.
They hadn't expected Qin Tian to have sneaked out that night and hit the two men over the head, then kept quiet about it afterward.
If the men themselves hadn't come looking for him, they might never have found out.
"Qin Tian, when did you— Oh, I get it."
Xiao Yunlong's eyes suddenly widened. "I was wondering why you took so long in the bathroom that night. I never thought..."
Liu Zhaozhao pressed her lips together, her feelings surging as she looked at Qin Tian's cool, impassive face.
Who could have guessed that Qin Tian, who rarely spoke and always seemed so cold, had silently stood up for her?
"Good. Very good."
The Bearded Man laughed coldly. "I, Dai Jun, have always been a formidable man. Even the Orcs couldn't do a thing to me, yet I never thought a kid like you would catch me off guard."
"Since you admit it, tell me how you think we should settle this."
At that, Qin Dadi stepped forward to face the Bearded Man and said in a low voice:
"I'm the captain of the Earth Dragon Squad. If you have a problem, take it up with me."
"I'm here for him, not you. Besides..."
The Bearded Man glanced at the layer of stone forming over Qin Dadi's right fist and sneered. "You're only a Second-Order Ability User. What makes you think you can negotiate with me?"
After being hit over the head, he'd thought carefully about every enemy he had, then gone looking for them one by one to question them and clear their names.
In the end, he was certain that the bastard who'd hit the two of them over the head had been one of the four people they'd clashed with at the tavern that night.
After making inquiries through his connections and spending several days on it, he'd finally found his target.
319th Legion, Earth Dragon Squad, four members in all...
The captain, Qin Dadi, a Second-Order Rock Transformation Ability User.
The team member Xiao Yunlong, a Second-Order Psionic Warrior.
The team member Liu Zhaozhao, a Second-Order Flame Psionics user.
As a fellow Second-Order fighter who'd clawed his way out of piles of corpses, he didn't consider the three of them a threat.
The last person, however, was rather mysterious. Dai Jun couldn't find any official information about him, but he'd learned from others that the man was named Qin Tian.
Dai Jun believed that anyone from a powerful background wouldn't join a low-level squad like this. Qin Tian probably wasn't that strong, either. The only reason the two of them had been caught off guard that night was that they'd been drunk and let their guard down.
Now he had to settle the score.
"You..."
Anger flashed in Qin Dadi's eyes as more and more rocks covered his body, nearly encasing him completely.
Xiao Yunlong and Liu Zhaozhao stood behind Qin Dadi, ready to fight.
Just as the tension was about to reach its breaking point, a cool voice suddenly rang out.
"If you want to settle this, come up here and fight me!"
Before you continue