In one of the private training rooms at the Extreme Martial Arts Hall, two girls in tight-fitting combat suits sparred with weapons in hand. Blades flashed through the air as the sound of weapons cutting through the wind and clashing rang out without pause.
The training weapons provided by the Extreme Martial Arts Hall were made of ordinary materials and had no sharp edges. Xu Ai and the others also wore combat suits made of materials superior to the weapons, so there was no need to worry about accidentally hurting each other. Liu Ting didn't have to hold back at all; she put everything she had into every move.
As for Xu Ai, well, she did have to hold back...
But Xu Ai was a little annoyed. She'd held back, and hadn't gotten anything good in return.
She could clearly tell that Liu Ting's attacks were all aimed at her chest!
Actually, she didn't need to tell—she'd already been hit there several times!
Every hit made a smack sound. It was infuriating!
Fortunately, the combat suit offered excellent protection, so her chest didn't hurt much. Still, Xu Ai was really annoyed.
She wanted to fight back, but after raising her sword and looking Liu Ting up and down, she couldn't find a target she could humiliate.
(Liu Ting: So it's my fault, then...)
After they'd fought for quite a while, Liu Ting ultimately came out on top and "defeated" Xu Ai.
During the break, Xu Ai took off her helmet and sat down on the floor, leaning against the training room wall.
"Here, catch, Xiao Ai."
Liu Ting went over to pick up her backpack, took out a bottle of energy drink, and tossed it to Xu Ai. She'd bought it on her way to the martial arts hall.
Xu Ai didn't hesitate. She caught the drink, opened it, and started drinking.
Liu Ting also had a bottle of energy drink. She drank as she walked over and sat beside Xu Ai.
Xu Ai was genuinely resting, while Liu Ting rested and thought back over their fight, reviewing what she'd learned.
But when she recalled a certain part of the fight, she couldn't help looking at Xu Ai and asking:
"You seemed to use Micro Level footwork just now?"
"Yeah..."
Xu Ai gave Liu Ting a weary sidelong glance.
"You made me use it..."
"Ah... I didn't mean to, though~"
Liu Ting gave an awkward laugh. It was just that her target had been so obvious. She couldn't help herself!
Fortunately, Xu Ai had no idea what Liu Ting was thinking. Otherwise, she'd definitely have tried to find out what it felt like to beat up a little girl's butt!
"You seemed to use a Force Application Technique just now, too?"
"Yeah. I've been learning the first level of the Seven Kill Sword Technique for a month, and I finally got the hang of it."
Liu Ting smiled proudly. That was what she'd relied on to "defeat" Xu Ai!
For ordinary Martial Artists like Luo Feng and the others, they couldn't learn combat techniques until they became Martial Artists. But people with family connections, like Liu Ting and Xu Ai, could get an early start.
Liu Ting's aunt was a high-level War General at the Extreme Martial Arts Hall, and was on the verge of becoming a War God. With her savings, she could easily afford the first few levels of the manuals.
Xu Ai had the Xu Family behind her. Though the Xu Family wasn't a major clan, it had enough resources for her to start learning about Martial Artists early.
"The first level of the Seven Kill Sword Technique gives you 1.2 times Force Amplitude. Congratulations."
Xu Ai smiled. The Seven Kill Sword Technique ranked among the top ten on Earth, with a maximum Force Amplitude of 4.8 times. It was widely considered the best sword manual of its kind.
As an aside, Empress Ruthless had learned the Seven Kill Sword Technique before. She'd since modified it into a new sword technique with a Force Amplitude of 12 times.
Learning to use 1.2 times Force Amplitude at their age made Liu Ting something of a prodigy. If she became a Martial Artist, she could enter the Basic Training Camp right away.
Likewise, with Micro Level footwork and Specialist Level martial techniques, she could join the Elite Training Camp directly!
"I have to work on my footwork and swordsmanship at the same time right now, so I probably won't be able to take the Quasi-Warrior Assessment until next year. Then I'll take the combat assessment.
"Once I become a Martial Artist, having the first level of the Seven Kill Sword Technique will let me join the Basic Training Camp. And if I also have Micro Level footwork and Specialist Level swordsmanship, I'll have a much better shot at getting into the Elite Training Camp."
Liu Ting murmured to herself. That was the path she'd planned out. She was talented to begin with, and with her aunt's connections as a high-level War General, she didn't have to worry about finding a way into the Basic Training Camp.
The Basic Training Camp was also known as the Special Training Contract. If the Extreme Martial Arts Hall's junior students were like elementary school, its intermediate students like middle school, and its advanced students like high school, then the Basic Training Camp was like university!
It gave newly graduated Martial Artists who were already talented a chance to continue their education. Most of those who graduated from it became War Generals, while a few became War Gods.
Above it was the Elite Training Camp, which was like graduate school. It trained talented people with the potential to become War Gods and was also known as the War God Preparatory Camp. The top ten students there were among the very best War Gods. Some even went on to surpass the War God level and become councilors.
Liu Ting's first goal was to enter the Basic Training Camp, her second was the Elite Training Camp, and her ultimate goal was to become a War God.
Since she'd planned things out in advance, she'd spent most of her time training her force application and footwork. She intended to use her talent to sign a Special Training Contract with the Extreme Martial Arts Hall as soon as she became a Martial Artist. That was why her physical fitness had fallen behind Xu Ai's.
Liu Ting's biological parents were both Martial Artists, though neither was particularly high-ranked. Thanks to the Martial Artist genes she'd inherited from them, her physical talents were actually a little better than Xu Ai's and Luo Feng's.
Even though she'd devoted most of her effort to Force Application Techniques and footwork, her punch strength was still 834 kilograms. After learning Dragon Tendon Tiger Bone Fist, it had risen to 867 kilograms, making her second only to Xu Ai at school.
Luo Feng was in second place. Xu Ai had the revised Dragon Tendon Tiger Bone Fist, plus the Vegetation Spirit that Empress Ruthless had exchanged from Hong, but it had still taken her three months to reach her current level. Maybe she was the least talented one...
No, wait—Zhang Haobai was even worse!
Even without Dragon Tendon Tiger Bone Fist and the Vegetation Spirit, Xu Ai was confident she could reach a punch strength of over 720 kilograms through hard work. That was still well above Zhang Haobai, whose punch strength had barely crossed 700 kilograms.
"Xiao Ai, you should start thinking about training your swordsmanship and Force Amplitude, too."
The Basic Training Camp and Elite Training Camp weren't places you could enter based on physical fitness alone. Their assessments tested the actual combat strength produced by your force application, footwork, and combat techniques, so it was important to learn how to fight.
"Of course. I'll learn those things, too, but I'll wait until I become a Martial Artist."
Xu Ai nodded. Of course, she was just placating Liu Ting. When it came to knowledge and skills, she and Empress Ruthless essentially shared everything.
Aside from certain abilities that were too high-level for her to use, such as domains, and Spirit Reader techniques she couldn't use for now because she lacked the talent, she could use just about everything else—and already could use some of it.
"True. You don't have to rush, anyway. You've already reached Micro Level footwork, so once you become a Martial Artist, you can go straight to the Basic Training Camp."
Liu Ting shifted closer and nudged Xu Ai with her shoulder.
"Looks like you'll get into the Basic Training Camp before me. Will I have to call you 'senior sister' when that happens?"
Learning Micro Level footwork at sixteen, right after becoming a Martial Artist, was enough to qualify Xu Ai for the Basic Training Camp!
Xu Ai's mood lifted at that.
"Be a good junior and stick with your senior sister. I'll make sure you get candy."
"Yeah, right. Don't get ahead of yourself. The Basic Training Camp and Elite Training Camp recruit students in March and April, so you won't be able to go until next year."
Liu Ting pursed her lips.
"The Quasi-Warrior Assessment is held on the first of every month, and the combat assessment is held every six months. That means if I pass the combat assessment before next February, we'll be classmates. You want to be my senior sister? Dream on!"
"Aw, I thought I'd get to pat your little head. What a shame."
Xu Ai looked at Liu Ting regretfully and sighed, shaking her head.
She had to admit, patting the head of a violent little girl like Liu Ting really was a lot of fun!
Too bad Liu Ting wouldn't let her. If Xu Ai tried, Liu Ting would go berserk.
"Even if you become my senior sister, I'm not letting you pat my head! Besides, I'm older than you. You should call me 'big sister'!"
Liu Ting couldn't help smacking Xu Ai's long leg. It went clang.
Well, Xu Ai's combat suit covered her entire body, so Liu Ting hadn't actually hit her thigh...
"Haha, but you act more like a little sister~"
Xu Ai put an arm around Liu Ting's shoulders and pulled her close.
Liu Ting turned away in disgust, took another sip of her drink, and, feeling that she'd rested enough, stood up.
"I'm rested. How about you?"
"Sure. I've been waiting for you."
Xu Ai stood up, and she and Liu Ting returned to the center of the training room. They took their positions, then began to swing their weapons and fight again.
They continued sparring until after eleven that night, when they finally ended their combat training.
Thanks to Xu Ai feeding her moves, Liu Ting had become much more proficient with the Seven Kill Sword Technique. She could now use 1.2 times Force Amplitude with almost every strike, though it took quite a lot of stamina.
As for Xu Ai, she'd just been feeding Liu Ting moves and getting in some training of her own while they fought.
They put their combat suits and weapons back where they belonged, then showered in the changing room before saying goodbye and heading home.
What Xu Ai found confusing, though, was that Liu Ting had come out of the showers with a nosebleed, looking rather crestfallen—and a little dazed, as if she'd been stunned.
What was there to feel crestfallen or dazed about? And there was even less reason to be stunned... She must have imagined it.
Xu Ai shook her head. Watching Liu Ting's stiff figure grow smaller in the distance, she tugged at her mask and turned toward home.
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