Combat Prowess Beyond His Age

"Begin."

Before the word had even faded, Situ Xuan's fist had already torn through the air, hurtling straight for Long Xiuyuan's face!

There was nothing flashy about this punch, only pure brute force, yet it was astonishingly fast. The force of the blow even produced a sharp whistle.

A flicker of surprise crossed Long Xiuyuan's eyes. His body instinctively leaned back as he raised his right arm to block.

Bang!

Fist and arm collided, and a dull impact exploded across the training grounds.

Long Xiuyuan's arm shook, going slightly numb from the punch! His brows rose as his previously careless demeanor instantly vanished.

"What a heavy punch."

Long Xiuyuan was secretly startled. As an intermediate teacher at Eastsea Academy, most students he taught relied on Soul Power. Very few had ever made him feel threatened through sheer physical strength.

Yet Situ Xuan's punch was a completely terrifying burst of power, even reminding him of veteran soldiers who had fought for their lives in the military.

Situ Xuan did not pause. After his right fist, his left leg swept out like a battle axe!

Long Xiuyuan no longer took the attack head-on. He sidestepped while shaping his right hand into a claw and reaching for Situ Xuan's wrist. He wanted to test the boy's reaction speed.

However, Situ Xuan's kick had not yet run its course when he forcibly changed moves in midair!

His knee shot upward, slamming straight toward Long Xiuyuan's chin!

Smack!

Long Xiuyuan's palm blocked the knee at the last possible instant, but this time he could not fully disperse the force. The impact drove him back two steps.

"Oh?" The interest in Long Xiuyuan's eyes deepened.

Situ Xuan's assaults came without pause. Every attack was precise and vicious, without a single unnecessary movement. His fists, palms, elbows, and knees—every joint in his body became a weapon, as though he himself were a pure killing machine.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The two figures darted past each other in the center of the training grounds, the dull collisions of fists and feet echoing like war drums.

All the students at the edge of the field were stunned.

Lin Yao's mouth fell open. He had originally thought Situ Xuan was merely a muscle-bound fellow, and Situ Xuan's level-three Innate Soul Power had made him look down on him even more.

But now, he watched with his own eyes as that boy exchanged blows head-on with Long Xiuyuan and even forced the teacher back!

Although everyone knew it was because the teacher had not used his martial soul or Soul Power...

Although everyone knew the teacher was holding back to a certain extent in this fight...

The raw, flesh-on-flesh brutality of those blows gave the students of Class Three an extraordinary impact!

"This guy... really only has a Body Martial Soul?" Zhou Tianyang asked quietly.

Mo Xiaoyu gripped the corner of her clothes so tightly that her nails nearly dug into her palms. She could not even see their movements clearly, only hear those terrifying impacts.

"Their speed... is too fast..."

In the center of the field, Situ Xuan's eyes were fixed on every tiny movement Long Xiuyuan made.

Long Xiuyuan's fighting style was entirely different from his—Situ Xuan's attacks were violent and direct, while Long Xiuyuan was like a prowling hunter. Every strike was precise and tricky, avoiding direct clashes as he specifically sought out weak points.

But in Situ Xuan's eyes, that only made him more excited.

"Again!"

He gave a low shout and abruptly changed moves. His originally straight punch suddenly became a knife-hand strike that slashed toward Long Xiuyuan's throat!

Long Xiuyuan's gaze sharpened. "You change moves quickly enough." He raised his right hand to block while his left leg silently swept toward Situ Xuan's supporting leg.

However—

Situ Xuan's left foot suddenly exerted force, and he actually used the momentum to leap into the air. His right leg lashed toward Long Xiuyuan's temple like a whip!

Boom!

Long Xiuyuan did not take it head-on and swiftly retreated, but the edge of Situ Xuan's kick still grazed his shoulder.

A faint stabbing pain spread through him.

Long Xiuyuan lowered his head and found that his uniform had been torn open at the shoulder, revealing slightly reddened skin beneath.

"Interesting." The corner of his mouth lifted slightly.

Situ Xuan landed and breathed faintly heavily, but his eyes remained sharp as blades.

"Your fighting techniques aren't academy style."

Long Xiuyuan spoke slowly. "A family inheritance? Or underground fighting?"

Situ Xuan did not answer, but his eyes narrowed slightly.

Long Xiuyuan saw through his silence and gave a soft laugh. "Looks like I guessed right."

Before his words had even faded, his figure suddenly vanished!

Situ Xuan's pupils contracted as every muscle in his body instantly tensed.

Too fast!

Long Xiuyuan's speed was actually several times faster than before!

"Three minutes are almost up."

Long Xiuyuan's voice sounded beside Situ Xuan's ear. "One last move. Let me see your limit."

Situ Xuan reacted almost instinctively. He spun around sharply, his right fist blasting out like a cannonball!

Bang!!!

Their fists collided!

A terrifying shockwave erupted. Situ Xuan was blasted back several steps, both arms numb. Long Xiuyuan, meanwhile, remained standing where he was without moving an inch.

The entire field fell silent.

"Time's up."

Long Xiuyuan glanced at his watch and resumed his lazy expression. "Not bad. You lasted the full three minutes."

Situ Xuan's chest rose and fell violently, sweat dripping from his chin. His hands trembled slightly, and his knuckles had already turned red, yet a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

"Twenty laps with weights."

Long Xiuyuan spoke indifferently, turning toward the exit of the training grounds. "Everyone else, continue practical combat training."

Situ Xuan stepped after Long Xiuyuan's retreating figure. Their footsteps echoed through the empty corridor. The noise from the training grounds gradually faded away, leaving only the faint hum of the Soul Guidance Lamps along the walls.

The iron door of the equipment room was somewhat old. Long Xiuyuan took out a ring of keys from his waist and casually flipped through them until he found the right one.

The lock clicked softly, and a mixed scent of metal and leather rushed toward them.

"Pick one yourself."

Long Xiuyuan pointed at the neatly arranged weighted belts along the wall. "I suggest starting with twenty kilograms."

Situ Xuan's gaze swept across the dark weighted belts.

Each one was made from a special alloy, its surface covered in fine anti-slip patterns. He reached out and picked up the one in the middle. The cold sensation beneath his fingertips reminded him of the raw iron waiting to be forged in the blacksmith shops of Aolai City.

"This one." He weighed it in his hand. The thirty-kilogram belt sagged slightly in his grip.

Long Xiuyuan raised a brow but said nothing. He merely took two wrist weights from the rack and tossed them over. "Add these, and the total will be thirty-five kilograms."

Situ Xuan efficiently fastened the equipment on.

When the final buckle clicked into place, the heavy pressure immediately settled across his waist and thighs.

The familiar sensation of restraint reminded him of running around the prison yard in shackles in his previous life.

The all-around physical abilities provided by his Body Martial Soul allowed him, in some respects, to surpass the physique expected of someone his age.

But likewise, in some respects, this was merely a temporary advantage gained by giving up development in other areas.

Situ Xuan did not like falling behind, so naturally, he had devoted great effort to diligent training!

"Go run laps now."

Long Xiuyuan leaned against the doorframe, the afternoon sunlight outlining his profile with a golden edge. "Come find me after you finish twenty laps."

Situ Xuan nodded and turned toward the track around the outer edge of the training grounds.