Wang Dongchen stood up from the floor and brushed the wood chips off himself. His shoulder was still bleeding, but he didn't care. His eyes stared straight at Situ Xuan, and the corners of his mouth split into a bloodstained grin.
"Again."
Lily spun the Moon Cold Blade in her hand, the frost on its edge flashing with a cold gleam beneath the sunlight. The corners of her mouth lifted slightly, revealing a cool, beautiful smile with a hint of provocation.
"Again."
Jiang Xiujie broke free from the dent in the wall and planted both feet on the floor, his body leaning forward slightly. His fists were still swollen, but his fighting spirit had not diminished in the slightest. Golden light burned in his eyes, and a savage smile hung on his lips.
"Again!"
Qi Jiayou climbed up from the floor, gripping the Long Rainbow Halberd in both hands, the silver-white light on its blade flickering in the sunlight. Wood chips still clung to his back, and blood stained the corners of his mouth, but his eyes were astonishingly bright.
"Again!"
Tao Huanli's ice blades condensed anew in her hands. Ten blades of ice spun at her fingertips, giving off crisp clinking sounds as they struck one another. Her silver-white hair drifted in the wind, and a gentle smile hung on her lips, but the fighting spirit in her eyes burned hotter than anyone's.
"Again!"
Thirty-six people, thirty-six voices, merged into a torrent that exploded through the training hall.
Situ Xuan looked at them, and the smile at the corners of his mouth deepened. His right foot drew half a step back, his center of gravity sank, his fists clenched, and he assumed a starting stance he had not used in a long, long time.
"Come!"
Situ Xuan stamped his