Night fell silently, and the jungle lay still.
In the Forest of Boulders, Xian Wu stared at the blazing flames and reached his Demon Left Hand into them.
What was the nature of fire?
Xian Wu was as bewildered as Newton after an apple fell on his head.
The world was made of matter, and naturally, the flames produced by burning firewood were matter too.
There was one thing he had no doubt about: the flames before him were the result of an oxidation reaction, and they could produce light and heat.
But Xian Wu had no idea whether fire was part of the fuel or part of the air.
His left hand jerked back by reflex. He'd been burned.
Though the Demon Left Hand could instantly break down any matter into atoms, it couldn't break down the heat produced by combustion.
Likewise, it couldn't break down light or sound.
Could it really break down everything in the world? That was a bit of an exaggeration.
The burn on his left hand was like a loud slap, jolting Xian Wu awake.
His left hand wasn't omnipotent. It couldn't withstand energy attacks or sound-wave attacks.
A dark cloud settled over Xian Wu's heart. It was as if a pair of enormous hands were gripping his throat, leaving him nearly breathless.
There were two ways to dispel his fear.
The first was to train hard until he became stronger than everyone else. Clearly, that wasn't realistic in the short term.
The second was to gain the protection of a powerful faction. For example, he could become Vice Dean Ye Sheng's godson, or the City Lord of the City of Brilliance's godson.
He didn't mind whose son he became. Once he grew strong enough, it wouldn't be impossible to turn the tables and take charge.
Xian Wu slapped his thigh, stood up, and began practicing the basic body-tempering technique, the Six Character Mantra.
He couldn't practice the Seven Star Divine Curse for now. He had memorized the text, but didn't understand what it meant.
He'd have to wait until the old instructor answered his questions tomorrow afternoon.
"Hoo... hoo... hoo..."
Suppressing the urge to pee, Xian Wu began practicing the Hoo Skill over and over.
The night was tranquil and ethereal, punctuated every so often by one or two "cuckoo" calls.
The moon shone over the vast land like a cold yellow rose. Strands of Moonlight Essence silently seeped into Xian Wu's body.
"Breathe... breathe... breathe..." Xian Wu trained diligently.
The once-bustling jungle was now utterly silent. The upperclassmen who'd been out hunting must have left.
Xian Wu was glad to have some peace and quiet.
Another half hour passed.
Soft footsteps came from beyond the Forest of Boulders. Xian Wu warily clenched his left fist. Could some demonic beast be coming to attack him in the night?
Beneath the bright moonlight, a graceful silhouette slowly approached.
"Are you... Xian Wu?"
He'd thought she was a female ghost, but it turned out to be Xiao Ning'er.
What was a young girl doing wandering around the Trial Grounds in the middle of the night? Wasn't she afraid of running into some lecher?
"What are you doing here?" Xian Wu asked nervously. Was she hoping to get closer to him?
They'd known each other for less than two days. They weren't close enough for that, were they?
Was Xiao Ning'er trying to be like Dao Baifeng and cuckold Duan Zhengchun?
No way. If the Xiao Family and the Sacred Family found out, they'd grind him to dust.
They might even send a hundred ugly women to take turns humiliating him. How could he go on living after that?
No. Absolutely not. He had to refuse! Yes, refuse decisively!
"You've taken over my campsite, and you're asking what I'm doing here?" Xiao Ning'er crossed her arms, her face icy.
Xian Wu froze at her words. So she didn't want to do that with him after all. He'd wasted all that time worrying.
No wonder there was so much firewood nearby. Xiao Ning'er must have been here yesterday.
"Your campsite?" Xian Wu pointed at the blazing campfire. "Why don't you call it and see if it answers?"
He still held a grudge over Xiao Ning'er closing the window on him at noon.
Xiao Ning'er was furious at Xian Wu's shameless words.
That was Xiao Ning'er for you: tough as nails and never one to waste words.
She took an Azure Moon Short Sword from her Space Ring and held it in a reverse grip, its cold edge glinting. "Please leave at once. Don't disturb my training, or I won't go easy on you."
Training? Xian Wu's expression turned strange.
A poor student who studied like a madman had run into a top student who studied like a madman. If they trained together, wouldn't one of them get crushed?
And there was a good chance he'd be the one who got crushed.
"I can leave, but you have to give me some firewood." Xian Wu picked up his coat and slung it over his shoulder.
"Fine." Xiao Ning'er nodded. She just wanted to get rid of Xian Wu and be alone.
She couldn't believe she'd run into him even in the Trial Grounds. Xiao Ning'er was at her wit's end.
If she'd arrived first, she'd have had reason to suspect Xian Wu was a creepy stalker following her.
But he'd gotten there first. Judging by the damp sweat on the ground, he'd been training there for quite some time.
He'd been training in peace, and forcing him to leave made Xiao Ning'er feel a little guilty.
She'd make up for it by giving him some firewood.
Xian Wu gathered as much firewood as he could carry and strode proudly into the depths of the Forest of Boulders.
Seeing that more than half her woodpile was gone, Xiao Ning'er furrowed her brows.
A man who loved taking advantage of others was definitely no good, she thought with a snort.
Xian Wu stopped several dozen meters from Xiao Ning'er.
The spot was surrounded by large boulders on three sides. It was spacious, and he wouldn't have to worry about a demonic beast sneaking up behind him.
He skillfully started a fire and continued training.
He'd wanted to ask Xiao Ning'er for help with the Seven Star Divine Curse, but given how cold she was toward him, he decided against it. Getting brushed off would be embarrassing.
The bright moon hung high in the sky. In the blink of an eye, midnight arrived.
With every breath Xian Wu took, Moonlight Essence kept streaming into his body.
The Six Character Mantra continued to train his internal organs, while layer upon layer of sweat poured from his pores.
Thankfully, he'd brought water with him.
Xian Wu didn't gulp it down. He just took a mouthful and moistened his throat.
It was only the first half of the night. There was still a long way to go.
To test the results of his training, Xian Wu placed several stones of different sizes in front of him.
The smallest was about the size of a fist, while the largest was about the size of a washbasin.
After drinking, Xian Wu gave them a try. With all his strength, he could just barely lift the fist-sized stone with one hand. The others were completely beyond him.
After all, his body was only thirteen years old and still growing. It was normal that he couldn't lift them.
For the rest of the night, Xian Wu planned to practice horse stance. But his body wasn't used to staying up late, and his eyelids kept drooping.
Once he learned the Seven Star Divine Curse tomorrow, he'd train his Soul Force during the first half of the night and his strength during the second half.
He'd try to leave the mentally demanding work for the first half of the night. Since he'd inevitably get sleepy during the second half, his training would be less effective.
The night grew deeper, and the demonic beasts became more active.
Their roars sounded from time to time nearby, and Xian Wu began to worry about Xiao Ning'er's safety.
Although Xiao Ning'er had sent him away, he didn't hold much of a grudge. After all, that spot had been hers to begin with.
"Ah!!!"
As if on cue, a piercing scream came from Xiao Ning'er's direction.
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