Only Battle! Only Violence! Must Not Fail!

"This is the Black Iron Puppet of the East Sea Legion."

Long Xiuyuan patted the metal casing of the device. "It has no Soul Skills, but its reaction speed, strength, and combat experience all simulate the fighting techniques of the military's elite."

Situ Xuan's eyes narrowed slightly; he could feel the threat contained within the machine, as if it were a slumbering beast.

"What you need to do is force it to shut down within three minutes without using any Soul Power."

Long Xiuyuan tossed over a restraint band. "Put this on. It will restrict the flow of your Soul Power and ensure you can only use your physical strength."

Situ Xuan caught the restraint, wrapping it around his wrists without hesitation. The metal buckle clicked shut, and the Soul Power within his body receded rapidly like a receding tide.

"Three minutes."

Long Xiuyuan pressed the start button. "Begin."

The eyes of the Black Iron Puppet suddenly lit up with a scarlet glow, and its skeleton emitted a metallic grinding sound as it extended. The next second, it stomped the ground and lunged forward like a cannonball!

Situ Xuan dodged to the side, the puppet's fist grazing his cheek as it slammed into the metal wall behind him, leaving a clear, deep indentation.

"So fast!"

Situ Xuan felt a chill in his heart, immediately adjusting his breathing. As the breathing technique of the Fist of the North Star circulated within him, the sharpness of his muscle reflexes increased once more.

The puppet gave him no chance to catch his breath, its next punch driving straight toward his abdomen!

Situ Xuan crossed his arms to block. "Bang!"

The heavy blow sent him sliding back half a meter, his feet carving two shallow pits into the metal floor.

"Its strength is at least three times that of an ordinary first-ring Soul Master!"

Sweat dripped from Situ Xuan's forehead, but his eyes grew increasingly sharp.

The puppet's offensive rhythm was extremely fast, the transitions between punches, elbows, and knees seamless, as if it were a perfect killing machine.

Situ Xuan dodged and weaved through the dense onslaught, his skin feeling hot from the sparks generated by his collisions with the metal.

"Thud!"

Another heavy punch smashed into Situ Xuan's crossed arms. He used the momentum to leap backward, adjusted his posture in mid-air, and upon landing, lunged forward to deliver a low sweep kick aimed at the puppet's knee joint!

However, the puppet's reaction was lightning-fast; it pulled its right leg back slightly, causing Situ Xuan's kick to miss entirely, only for him to be struck in the shoulder blade by a backhand punch!

"Ugh!"

Situ Xuan let out a muffled grunt, rolling to dissipate the force, but before he could stand steady, the puppet had already leaped high into the air, its knee crashing down like a war hammer!

"Bang!"

Situ Xuan crossed his arms to take the hit head-on, the force driving him down onto one knee and causing spiderweb-like cracks to spread across the floor of the Training Room!

His arms throbbed with intense pain and his chest heaved violently, but the fighting spirit in his eyes burned even hotter.

"Two minutes remaining."

Long Xiuyuan's voice rang out from the edge of the Training Room, devoid of any emotion.

Situ Xuan gritted his teeth and jerked his head up; the puppet's second wave of attacks was already upon him!

I can't fight it head-on...

Images of his sparring sessions with Long Xiuyuan flashed through Situ Xuan's mind—the way his opponent always avoided the brunt of an attack to strike at blind spots.

"If that's the case—"

Situ Xuan suddenly abandoned his defense, sinking his legs and lowering his center of gravity. The moment the puppet's fist was about to strike his face, he lunged forward!

"Whoosh!"

The fist grazed his hair as Situ Xuan's arms clamped onto the puppet's wrists like iron pincers, and he used the momentum to flip his body and throw it!

"Boom!"

The puppet was slammed into the ground by the powerful throw, its metal casing screeching against the metal floor.

Yet, it didn't pause for even a second, immediately flipping up and kicking toward Situ Xuan's chest!

"Bang!"

Situ Xuan was kicked away, his back slamming hard against the wall, a metallic taste of blood rising in his throat. But he didn't fall; instead, he sprang up the moment he hit the ground, his eyes flashing with a beast-like ferocity.

"One minute remaining," Long Xiuyuan's voice came.

Situ Xuan's chest heaved, sweat dripping down his chin, but he had no time to breathe as the puppet closed in once more.

This time, he didn't blindly clash with it, but instead focused on every subtle movement of the puppet—when its shoulder dipped slightly, it meant a punch; when its hip lifted slightly, it meant a change in leg technique.

"I can see through it!"

A flash of brilliance ignited in Situ Xuan's eyes. The moment the puppet threw its right punch, he sidestepped like lightning, his left hand turning into a blade and striking precisely at the puppet's wrist joint.

"Click!"

The mechanical joint took a heavy hit, and the puppet's movement stalled for a split second. Situ Xuan pushed off the ground with his left foot and whipped his right leg into the puppet's head!

"Boom!"

The puppet staggered back, but it quickly stabilized its stance and charged again.

"Thirty seconds remaining!" Long Xiuyuan's voice grew heavy.

Situ Xuan stared fixedly at the puppet, his eyes burning with fighting spirit. The next second, he took a deep breath and launched himself forward like an arrow released from a bow!

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Sparks from clashing fists and elbows erupted in the room. Situ Xuan's body seemed to have transformed into a weapon, each strike landing precisely on the puppet's mechanical joints. Even though his own arms were bruised and purple, his movements never faltered.

"Ten seconds!" Long Xiuyuan's countdown rang out.

"Boom!"

With the final punch, Situ Xuan's fist slammed directly into the Soul Guidance Core on the puppet's chest!

"Crack—"

A fissure split the core, the puppet's movements suddenly froze, its crimson eyes flickered out, and it finally collapsed to the ground with a crash.

"Time's up," Long Xiuyuan's voice sounded calmly.

Situ Xuan staggered back two steps, his disheveled appearance making it look as if he were anything but the victor.

Yet, that tangible sensation—the wildness of the battle, the thrill of the slaughter—brought him immense pleasure!

This... this was a real battle!

"Can you go again?"

Without waiting for Long Xiuyuan to speak, Situ Xuan raised his head, his eyes gleaming with a fierce light as he asked.

This was not a look of hostility directed at Long Xiuyuan; rather, it was the pent-up ferocity deep within his chest being released during the fight, a craving from the marrow of his bones roaring to be satisfied!

"Hmph,"

Long Xiuyuan stared steadily at this youth—who resembled a boy in neither height, build, nor temperament—and nodded. "Then let's go again."

Long Xiuyuan roughly yanked the Soul Guidance Core from the puppet's chest, replaced it with a new one, and clapped his hands. "From now on, you may use all your means to defeat it."

Having said that, whether it was something Long Xiuyuan had done or not, the Soul Guidance Core, which should have been unprotected, now emitted a thin film of soul power, meaning its original weakness no longer existed...

"Just as I intended!"

Situ Xuan grinned; the surging fighting spirit brought him satisfaction, and the rushing blood in his veins brought him joy!

Only battle! Only violence! Nothing else could live up to this!

"Fight!"

Situ Xuan let out a low growl, his muscles tensing like steel wires, causing the metal floor beneath his feet to hum and vibrate. He no longer waited, his figure suddenly bursting forward, each step causing the ground to cave in—at this moment, he had completely unshackled his hidden fighting intent!

The Black Iron Puppet's crimson eyes locked onto him, its arms spread wide as it met him head-on!

"Bang—!"

The collision of fist against fist sent a visible ripple of air pressure sweeping outward.