Training Partner

In just a few exchanges, the battle in the Soul Fighting Arena had turned into six spiders fighting Li Ruolan.

Li Ruolan had still held back. Otherwise, she could have killed the Dream-Weaving Spider with a single sword strike, leaving Duan Fan no chance to release one Soul Skill after another.

But this was a practical class, not a real battle.

Li Ruolan only needed to put pressure on Duan Fan.

Compared to his first fight against Li Ruolan, Duan Fan now controlled the six spiders with much greater fluidity. Even without Li Ruolan using any Soul Skills, he could still put a little pressure on her.

From Duan Fan's perspective, he could sometimes predict Li Ruolan's movements and launch more effective attacks.

He also had an unobstructed view of Li Ruolan's every move, including the details of the fight and her position.

Duan Fan could easily find weaknesses in Li Ruolan's fighting style and control the Dream-Weaving Spiders to put even more pressure on her.

He owed it all to the Eye of Insight.

Duan Fan had long since grown used to using the Eye of Insight in battle, making the most of his advantages.

The reason he had been able to handle Wen Xiyue with ease was also the Eye of Insight.

Wen Xiyue's Black-Striped Ghost Leopard martial soul was fast, but with her movements predicted and the details of her attacks laid bare, Duan Fan could lead her around by the nose.

The battle on the Soul Fighting Platform quickly reached a fever pitch.

Duan Fan's six spiders attacked with ever-increasing ferocity, finally forcing Li Ruolan to use a Soul Skill.

Once she did, Li Ruolan immediately turned the tide.

Moving at incredible speed, she killed two spiders and carved out a path, then charged straight at Duan Fan.

Duan Fan naturally wasn't foolish enough to stand there and wait for Li Ruolan to reach him. The moment she charged, he moved as well, while directing the spiders to intercept her.

Li Ruolan had managed to close in on Duan Fan during the earlier exchanges, but each time he had turned the danger aside.

Though Duan Fan seemed to be wholly occupied controlling his six spiders, as if he had no attention to spare for anything else, he had actually kept close track of his own position. He adjusted it as the battle changed, always keeping a safe distance from Li Ruolan.

This was why practical classes could teach you so much.

Li Ruolan had taught Duan Fan many details of combat. While putting pressure on him little by little, she was also helping him better recognize his strengths and weaknesses in battle, so he could make use of the former and avoid the latter.

Before using her Soul Skill, Li Ruolan had let Duan Fan enjoy the fight and show what he could do.

Now that she had activated her Soul Skill, she was making him search for opportunities in the midst of adversity and helping him recognize his shortcomings more clearly.

The Dream-Weaving Spiders Duan Fan drew were certainly powerful, but he himself had little ability to fight.

If Duan Fan, armed with a Writing Brush, tried to fight Li Ruolan, who held an Iron Sword, he'd be asking for death.

As Li Ruolan pressed him at every turn, Duan Fan felt immense pressure.

And under that very pressure, his combat experience continued to grow.

He used the Eye of Insight more and more often, and his command of it grew ever more practiced.

Now, the instant he saw a battle unfold, he could quickly identify his opponent's weaknesses and his own best options.

It also made Duan Fan understand more deeply that no amount of skill could make up for an absolute gap in strength.

That was one of the things driving him to train with all his might.

Before long, all six of Duan Fan's spiders had fallen to Li Ruolan's Iron Sword.

The instant the last spider vanished in a scatter of silver light, Duan Fan's defeat was already sealed.

But Duan Fan didn't give up just because all his spiders had been wiped out.

He fought on with the Fantasy Pen until the very end, even trying to use it as a weapon to ask Li Ruolan for pointers on swordsmanship.

Of course, the outcome was never in doubt: Duan Fan lost.

Though defeated, he had fought Li Ruolan for a long time and put on an incredibly thrilling display. He could certainly hold his head high despite his loss.

After the battle, the students beneath the Soul Fighting Platform burst into applause. It was proof of Duan Fan's ability, too.

Li Ruolan offered no guidance on Duan Fan's performance. Instead, she said, "You did a little better this time than last time. I don't have much else to say, so just reflect on it yourself. Go straight to the Mimicry Cultivation Area and train."

"Yes, Teacher!"

Duan Fan answered at once, then hurried down from the Soul Fighting Platform and headed for the exit of the Soul Fighting Arena.

Just then, Li Ruolan suddenly called after him.

"Oh, I forgot to mention something. Duan Fan, wait a moment."

Duan Fan turned back, puzzled.

Li Ruolan wasn't speaking to Duan Fan alone. She looked over at all the students and smiled as she spoke.

"Here's some good news: tomorrow, three senior students from the Advanced Class will come to guide you during practical class. You'd better be ready and try to get a little stronger today, so you won't lose your nerve when you face them tomorrow."

After speaking, Li Ruolan looked at Duan Fan, signaling that he could leave.

Duan Fan left without hesitation, not even pausing at Li Ruolan's announcement.

The other students in Junior Class Ten, however, all looked eager after hearing it.

"Three seniors from the Advanced Class. They must all be at least three-ring Soul Masters. I wonder how strong they are."

"It'll be nice to have a different sparring partner tomorrow."

Duan Fan was looking forward to it, too. But more than tomorrow, he was eager to train in the Mimicry Cultivation Area later.

"I'll try to reach the first layer of Diamond Skill today!"

After leaving the Soul Fighting Arena, Duan Fan soon reached the cultivation area and entered the wooden hut specially built for him to train.

Duan Fan wasn't particularly interested in the paintings and calligraphy inside the hut, nor did he think this sort of "immersive experience" could do much to improve his cultivation.

At least, that was how it was for him.

In his view, the main reason cultivation went faster was the special stones embedded in the hut and the ground.

Duan Fan sat cross-legged and soon entered a state of cultivation.

Unlike his previous meditation training, Duan Fan had now added Diamond Skill body tempering to his routine.

He trained his body while cultivating at the same time.

The biggest difference between these two methods of cultivation was how they felt physically.

Meditation training was all about "stillness."

Diamond Skill body tempering, on the other hand, was all about "pain."

If the pain had been any harder to bear, or if Duan Fan's willpower hadn't always been strong, there would have been no way to keep this training up.

Duan Fan trained for a full day.

When he finally finished, he really had reached the first layer of Diamond Skill.