Gu Yue

In the time that followed.

Running was part of their daily physical training in nearly every class.

Tang Wulin and Xie Xie received special attention in preparation for the Class Promotion Tournament.

Su Qiu was the only student who did not have to run. However, no one envied him.

Because while they were running, Su Qiu was sparring with Wu Changkong.

It was like this every day.

Unlike their first match, neither of them used Soul Power. They simply traded moves and counters with wooden swords.

After one sparring session, while resting, Wu Changkong displayed an emotion entirely unlike the one he showed before the students. He said with feeling, "Your swordsmanship is improving quickly. If you can comprehend Sword Intent next, your strength will take a huge leap."

Su Qiu's talent for combat truly exceeded his expectations. Even though Su Qiu's Soul Power Level was far below his, Wu Changkong gained quite a lot from every sparring session.

In Wu Changkong's eyes, Su Qiu was not some student. He was a fellow traveler with whom he could improve together.

"Sword Intent..."

It was somewhat abstract to Su Qiu.

He had simply been cultivating for too short a time. Only three years.

Blacksmithing, cultivation, combat.

Every single one required a great deal of time.

A level-four Blacksmith, Soul Power that had just broken through to level thirty-three, and extremely powerful combat skills.

To reach this point, Su Qiu had worked harder than a beast of burden over the past three years.

Just then, a girl slowly walked across the Intermediate Department's field from the direction of the school gates.

She looked about the same age as the students of Class Five and wore a white top and white trousers.

Her features were delicate, though she could not be called beautiful. She had long black hair and black eyes. Her figure was quite well-proportioned, above average among her peers.

Wu Changkong's gaze paused on her for only a moment before he ignored her and continued reviewing their sparring session with Su Qiu.

But the girl's bright eyes were fixed on them.

As she approached, there seemed to be a peculiar rhythm in her steps, one that also accentuated the strange aura surrounding her.

Wu Changkong still could not be bothered with her. He would rather discuss things with Su Qiu.

"Teacher," the girl called out.

Left with no choice, Wu Changkong temporarily stopped the discussion and stepped forward.

"What is it?"

"I came here to enroll, but they said the registration period has already passed." Though she seemed to be asking Wu Changkong, the girl's curious gaze was fixed on Su Qiu.

Su Qiu's heart tightened as his mind raced.

Is this Gu Yue?

At the same time, he quietly edged behind Wu Changkong.

"You're not a student of Eastsea Academy?" Wu Changkong frowned.

"Not yet."

"Then come back next year. You missed the deadline yourself, so who can you blame?" Wu Changkong's unexpected answer and impatience left the girl at a loss for how to continue.

"But I really want to study here. Is that okay, Teacher? I can take an exam."

"Then I'll give you a chance." Wu Changkong said coldly, "What is your name?"

"Gu Yue."

Wu Changkong nodded and called out, "Xie Xie!"

The girl froze, pondering for a moment. Was she supposed to reply, "You're welcome"?

She was just about to say it.

One of the students running around the field took off his weighted shirt and handed it to a classmate beside him, then broke away from the group and ran over.

"Phew, phew..." Xie Xie panted heavily. After catching his breath, he asked, "Teacher, what is it?"

Seeing how exhausted Xie Xie was, Wu Changkong said, "Your stamina is far too poor."

Xie Xie protested, "We agility-type battle Soul Masters only need explosive power and flexibility. We don't need such strong stamina."

"Shallow." Wu Changkong could not be bothered to say more. He pointed at Gu Yue. "Since you don't want to run, I'll give you a chance. Defeat her, and you can skip today's laps."

"Huh?" Xie Xie was terrified out of his wits. "I'm fighting Su Qiu?"

"Hm? What Su Qiu?" Only then did Wu Changkong notice that Gu Yue had somehow drifted over to Su Qiu's side and was staring intently at him.

Su Qiu stood straight, his eyes fixed forward.

"Not Su Qiu. That girl." Wu Changkong shook his head.

"Oh, that's fine." After sizing Gu Yue up a few times, Xie Xie adjusted his Soul Power and said casually, "Now?"

"Rest for twenty minutes first, then begin."

Xie Xie immediately sat cross-legged on the ground and began meditating to recover. The endless laps had still taken a considerable toll on him.

"Teacher, can I fight him?" The girl suddenly pointed at Su Qiu.

Before Wu Changkong could answer, Su Qiu shook his head repeatedly. "I don't have time. Teacher, I still haven't fully processed our sparring session just now."

Wu Changkong looked surprised. What did he mean, he had not processed it? That was bullshit.

Did Su Qiu know Gu Yue?

"No." Wu Changkong chose to go along with Su Qiu and rejected Gu Yue's proposal.

After being refused, Gu Yue did not bring it up again.

And so, twenty minutes passed.

Xie Xie had recovered his vigor. He sprang to his feet and stretched his limbs.

"Thirty meters apart." Wu Changkong acted as the referee. "Begin!"

The battle erupted at once. Xie Xie shot forward, but his prized explosive power and agility failed to so much as touch the hem of Gu Yue's clothes.

Gu Yue wielded ice, fire, earth, wind, and all manner of elements to perfection. The battle was completely one-sided, like an old man playing with a child.

Gu Yue truly was the old man.

And Xie Xie truly was the child.

Su Qiu thought silently.

As he watched the battle, even the two Purple Soul Rings that rose around Gu Yue did not surprise Wu Changkong.

What intrigued him was the endless stream of elemental power she displayed.

"What kind of Martial Soul is this? Why does it possess so many attributes?" Having long regarded Su Qiu as an equal powerhouse, Wu Changkong inadvertently asked aloud.

"It should be a Martial Soul that controls elemental power." Su Qiu spread open his palm. Three elemental spheres of wind, water, and fire appeared above it, spinning continuously.

Looking at the elements Gu Yue wielded in the distance, Su Qiu felt something strange in his heart.

"You..." Wu Changkong was startled for a moment. It was the first time he had seen Su Qiu use such power.

Why had he not used it during their previous sparring sessions?

After hesitating briefly, Wu Changkong did not ask. Since Su Qiu had said he had gone all out then, perhaps his elemental power was not very strong.

In the distance, Gu Yue, who had been toying with Xie Xie, abruptly turned her head when Su Qiu revealed the three elements and froze in place.

"Good chance." Xie Xie's eyes lit up. He burst forth with all his strength, the Light Dragon Dagger and Shadow Dragon Dagger crossing as he charged forward.

A flash of silver light flickered around Gu Yue, and she suddenly shifted three meters sideways. She no longer wanted to play. Business came first.

As expected. Su Qiu was certain that Gu Yue had come for him.

In the Original Work, Gu Yue had come to Eastsea Academy because of a wager with Na'er, only to later discover the Golden Dragon King's power within Tang Wulin.

Now that she had still come to Eastsea Academy, it could not be because there was another wager, could it? The only thing Su Qiu possessed that could attract Gu Yue and Na'er was the power belonging to the Holy Spear.

Over the past three years, Su Qiu had carefully studied the elemental control granted to him by the Holy Spear.

His control held an extremely high priority. After many experiments with Su Wuyan, a Super Douluo, and Mu Chen, a Saint Craftsman, they reached an inconclusive conclusion.

Su Qiu's elemental control seemed to be an authority granted by this world—or rather, by nature itself.