Learning the Seventy-Two Transformations, Xue Qinghe Watches the Battle

That night, in the open woods behind the academy.

Bai Yi waited for Ye Lingling to arrive.

He counted the days. It had been exactly one month since the day he enrolled.

Over the past month, he had defeated nearly every student in Heaven Dou Class, successfully obtaining the Seventy-Two Transformations and Somersault Cloud.

And every night, he met Ye Lingling in the small woods.

Using Earth Fire Dragon Breath and Nine Heart Begonia, they cultivated the Indestructible Diamond Body.

But mastering it was far from easy. It would still take a long time.

After waiting for a while, Bai Yi sat cross-legged and circulated his mana through his body once.

A warm current traveled along a specific route from his head to his feet, then back from his feet to the crown of his head.

When it finished, he felt the skin all over his body tighten slightly, as though an invisible film had been stretched over it.

It felt as soft as ordinary skin to the touch, yet no mark remained when he pinched it hard with his nails.

This was the first stage of the Indestructible Diamond Body. A layer of resilience had formed beneath his skin.

Then he plucked out a strand of hair and carefully infused it with mana.

The hair flashed, slowly growing longer and thicker.

Bai Yi controlled his mana steadily. Under his gaze, the hair gradually transformed into a short golden rod the length of a little finger.

He stared at the short rod for three seconds.

The rod began to tremble unstably, as if the mana inside could no longer sustain it. Bai Yi hurriedly withdrew his power, and the rod slowly reverted to a strand of hair.

He sighed and tucked the hair back onto his head.

This was the most basic form transformation within the Seventy-Two Transformations, completely different from the Body Outside Body Technique.

The Body Outside Body Technique replicated himself and consumed a great deal of mana.

The Seventy-Two Transformations, on the other hand, changed the forms of matter. It required fine control over mana.

Bai Yi replayed the transformation process of that short rod in his mind and remembered where it had gotten stuck.

Simply changing its appearance was easy enough, but his goal was to transform a hair into a rod carrying part of the Golden Cudgel's power.

That difficulty increased geometrically.

A moment later.

Seeing that no one was around, Bai Yi thought for a moment and used mana to activate the Seventy-Two Transformations.

A few seconds later, he had become someone else.

Dugu Yan.

Bai Yi looked down at himself.

No, "Dugu Yan" looked down at her own body.

Dark purple hair draped over her shoulders, and she wore the dark green coat Dugu Yan usually wore.

He reached up and touched his face. What he felt was a young girl's face, with delicate, smooth skin.

A satisfied smile appeared on "Dugu Yan's" face.

He had really transformed.

But he could only maintain this form for about fifteen minutes. If it lasted too long, the mana would dissipate.

Bai Yi stood in place for a moment, adjusting his posture and expression.

Imitating Dugu Yan's usual manner, he slightly raised his chin and looked down at others.

Not bad. It was not very convincing, but no one could see clearly at night.

Before long, Ye Lingling walked over from the dormitories.

She carried a small cloth bag filled with medicine bottles and clean bandages.

She reached the old tree and saw "Dugu Yan" standing there. Her steps paused.

"Sister Yan?" Ye Lingling looked surprised. "Why are you here?"

Bai Yi lowered his voice and did his best to imitate Dugu Yan's tone.

"Just passing by. I wanted to see what you've been secretly doing this past month."

Ye Lingling glanced at "Dugu Yan" and did not reply immediately.

She was usually very familiar with Dugu Yan. Normally, she would not grow suspicious over a single sentence, but something about the way "Dugu Yan" stood there tonight felt off.

Her shoulders were held a little too stiffly, as though she were tense.

Her waist was the same. It lacked its usual snake-like suppleness and seemed rigid.

"Sister Yan, are you injured? Why does your stance look so strange?"

Ye Lingling asked.

Bai Yi fell silent. He only wanted to test the effects of the Seventy-Two Transformations. He had not actually intended to pry for information.

"It's nothing." He answered vaguely. "I'll interrogate you another day."

Ye Lingling looked at him again but did not press further.

"I'm waiting for Bai Yi here."

She said it seriously.

Hearing his own name come from Ye Lingling's mouth felt a little strange to Bai Yi.

"Dugu Yan" nodded and said, "Then I'll be going," before turning into the bushes.

He took a detour, and after confirming that Ye Lingling could no longer see him, he released the Seventy-Two Transformations.

As the mana around him dispersed, he returned to his original small stature.

Bai Yi rolled his shoulders. He had kept them rigid while transformed into Dugu Yan, and now they were terribly sore.

He walked beneath the old tree, where Ye Lingling was already waiting.

When she saw Bai Yi arrive, she said, "Sister Yan came by just now."

"Mm." Bai Yi kept a straight face. "What did she say?"

"She asked what I was doing here." Ye Lingling thought for a moment. "But I felt like something about her was strange."

Bai Yi held back a laugh. "What was strange?"

"She usually wants to know what you and I are doing. If she really wanted to know, she wouldn't stand under the tree waiting. She would hide somewhere and spy on us directly."

Ye Lingling said.

Bai Yi was nearly speechless. He could only cough and change the subject.

"Forget it. That's just how she is. Come on, let's practice one more time tonight."

Ye Lingling did not dwell on it any longer. She placed the cloth bag beside the tree roots, and Nine Heart Begonia bloomed in her palm.

The next morning, Bai Yi's homeroom teacher called him into the office.

"Tomorrow afternoon, His Highness the Crown Prince will visit the academy for an inspection."

Zhi Lin spoke seriously. "A prince will also accompany him. He is the Crown Prince's uncle."

Bai Yi nodded without showing any surprise.

Zhi Lin continued.

"The Crown Prince specifically asked to watch you in actual combat. Attend tomorrow afternoon's practical combat class as usual. When he arrives, he will observe from the side. How well you perform is up to you."

"Understood."

Bai Yi replied calmly.

After leaving the office, Bai Yi considered the matter in his mind.

That afternoon, during practical combat class.

There were several more people in the stands than usual.

Xue Qinghe sat in the center, with a middle-aged man in his fifties seated beside her. He wore dark purple formal robes and had a stern face.

That should be the prince.

When Bai Yi stepped into the center of the field, he noticed that Xue Qinghe's gaze had remained fixed on him.

Meng Shenji stood beside Xue Qinghe, speaking to her in a low voice.

"...When he enrolled a month ago, he was only level 20. Now he is nearly level 22."

"Over the past month, he has defeated nearly every student in Heaven Dou Class, including Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan. On average, each battle lasted no more than three minutes."

"His martial soul takes the form of a rod. We estimate that its grade is no lower than the Clear Sky Hammer, perhaps even higher.

"Among the known tool martial souls on the continent, none is more domineering than this rod."

Xue Qinghe listened attentively without interrupting.

But she was already considering how to approach Bai Yi.

By the time Meng Shenji finished, Bai Yi had already stepped into the center of the training ground.

Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan stood across from him, seemingly preparing to challenge him again.

Bai Yi glanced at Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan, then at the eager students behind them.

Over the past month, Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan had challenged him many times, but they had almost never won.

Battles like that could not help him improve.

Bai Yi looked up at Meng Shenji. "Teacher, have them form a team and fight me."

Meng Shenji froze for a moment. "What did you say?"

"All of them."

Bai Yi pointed at the Heaven Dou Class students behind Yu Tianheng.

"Have them form teams of seven and come at me one team at a time. I only need one teammate."

The entire venue fell silent for two seconds. Then it erupted.

"What did he say? One against seven?"

"Does he know the difference between team battles and individual combat? A well-coordinated team can defeat opponents above their level. He wants to fight seven people alone?"

"No matter how strong he is, he can't possibly take on an entire team by himself, can he?"

The prince beside Xue Qinghe frowned and whispered something to her.

Xue Qinghe did not answer. She merely sat up a little straighter, her gaze on Bai Yi becoming more focused than before.

Meng Shenji was silent for a moment before looking at Yu Tianheng. "Tianheng, what do you think?"

Yu Tianheng did not hesitate. "Fine."

He turned and selected six people from the crowd behind him.

He and Dugu Yan were fixed members, while the other five were those who coordinated with them most often.

Bai Yi also turned toward the edge of the field and called out, "Ye Lingling."

Ye Lingling had been standing at the edge of the field. Upon hearing her name, she lifted her head and silently walked onto the field.

This was Bai Yi's only teammate.

The venue stirred once more. Ye Lingling said nothing and quietly walked into the field to stand behind Bai Yi.

The battle began.

The seven-person team led by Yu Tianheng formed a standard offensive and defensive formation.

Two defensive Soul Masters stood at the front. Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan occupied the middle as the main attackers. One agility-attack Soul Master stood on each side to provide support, while an auxiliary Soul Master in the rear released buffs.

Bai Yi moved before they could fully deploy their formation.

The Golden Cudgel appeared, and his first Soul Ring lit up.

"Mountain Crushing Peak Suppressing."

The Golden Cudgel smashed into the ground, and a golden shockwave burst across the surface. The two defensive Soul Masters in front were jolted two steps backward, opening a gap in the middle of their formation.

Bai Yi charged into the gap, swinging the Golden Cudgel horizontally as his second Soul Ring lit up immediately after.

"Earth Fire Dragon Breath."

Orange-red flames ignited along the rod, leaving a trail of scorched black marks wherever they passed. When the flames swept across one of the front-row defensive Soul Masters, his Soul Power shield lasted only two seconds before shattering.

Bai Yi did not look at him again. He sidestepped a blade thrust from the agility-attack Soul Master on the left, then swung his rod backhandedly into the opponent's waist.

The man let out a muffled groan and collapsed.

Less than a minute after the battle began, one person on the opposing side had already fallen.

Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan tried to seal off Bai Yi's routes of movement, but Bai Yi was too fast.

The moment the shockwave from his first soul skill exploded, the flames of his second soul skill were already burning at the next position.

The others tried several times to surround him, only to be driven back by the flames swept out by the Golden Cudgel.

When Bai Yi crashed head-on into a defensive Soul Master's shield, the rod and shield collided with a dull boom.

A soul skill striking from the side grazed his shoulder, tearing open a wound as blood seeped out.

He did not stop. With a backhand swing, he smashed that person to the ground.

More and more of the enemy's soul skills landed on Bai Yi. His fighting style was too aggressive, and he stayed too close to dodge them all.

Behind him, Nine Heart Begonia shone in Ye Lingling's hand, and white light descended upon Bai Yi.

His wounds healed at a visible speed. Torn flesh regrew, leaving not even a scar.

The expressions of the opposing team changed.

They had only just made Bai Yi bleed when Ye Lingling instantly healed him. There was no way to wear him down with this fighting style.

Yu Tianheng immediately changed tactics and said in a low voice, "Attack Ye Lingling first."

The two defensive Soul Masters in the front charged at Ye Lingling simultaneously.

Bai Yi pivoted and positioned himself in front of Ye Lingling, blocking both attacks for her.

The Golden Cudgel swept once to each side, forcing the two men back.

But his back was exposed. A blast of Green Phosphorus Blue Poison from Dugu Yan struck his back, and numbness shot down his spine.

Bai Yi gritted his teeth and relied on the Indestructible Diamond Body to withstand the paralysis before turning and smashing his rod toward Dugu Yan.

Dugu Yan recoiled backward, but the force of the rod still clipped her shoulder, sending her stumbling back two steps.

Bai Yi caught his breath as well.

The wounds on his body kept increasing. A slash had been cut across his chest, poison had eaten away a patch of his back, and his left leg had been struck by an agility-attack-type Soul Master.

Each time Ye Lingling healed him, the other side inflicted fresh wounds.

He lowered his head and swept his gaze over the situation on the field:

Three opponents had already fallen, leaving four still standing.

They included Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan, as well as a defense-type Soul Master and an agility-attack-type Soul Master.

Bai Yi charged forward again.

This time, he did not dodge. The Golden Cudgel slammed into the ground, and as the golden shockwave erupted, flames surged after it.

Yu Tianheng blocked from the front and was knocked back two steps. Taking advantage of that opening, Bai Yi sent the agility-attack-type Soul Master flying with a blow from his staff.

Only three remained.

Bai Yi panted lightly. Several parts of his clothes had already been torn, but his injuries were not severe.

That was because Ye Lingling's Nine Heart Begonia had remained lit the entire time.

White light continuously fell upon Bai Yi.

Wounds healed, numbness faded, fractured bones mended, and then fresh injuries appeared again.

Over and over, she watched the wounds on Bai Yi's body rapidly fade, only to rise again.

Yet she said nothing, merely holding her martial soul in silence.

Bai Yi propped himself up with the Golden Cudgel and walked to the center of the arena.

The remaining three stood in a row and watched him: Yu Tianheng, Dugu Yan, and the last defense-type Soul Master.

"Going again?"

Bai Yi grinned, blood at the corner of his mouth.

He was not tired at all. Instead, he was excited. Tempering his body in actual combat would only make his physique stronger.

Yu Tianheng did not answer, but he moved.

The remaining three charged at him simultaneously.

Bai Yi took a deep breath, and flames ignited once more along the Golden Cudgel.

His first and second soul skills lit up at the same time.

He no longer intended to hold back.

The Golden Cudgel struck the ground. Golden shockwaves and flames burst forth together, and in that instant, a stretch of the training ground was scorched red.

Yu Tianheng was blasted away and crashed to the ground.

Dugu Yan's clothes were singed by the flames, forcing her to shrink back and dodge.

The final defense-type Soul Master's shield collided head-on with Mountain Crushing Peak Suppressing and Earth Fire Dragon Breath.

It lasted only a second before shattering, and its owner was sent flying as well.

The entire arena fell silent.

Yu Tianheng pushed himself halfway up from the ground, glanced at the shattered dragon scales on his hand, clenched and loosened his fist, then finally lay back down.

Dugu Yan crouched beside Yu Tianheng, clutching her sleeve. It was impossible to tell whether the expression on her face was anger or fear.

Bai Yi stood supported by the Golden Cudgel. Not a single patch of cloth on him remained intact. His trouser leg had torn in two places, exposing flesh that had only just been healed and had not yet regained its normal color.

His breathing was heavy, his chest rising and falling violently, with the heat of battle still clinging to his body.

"Teacher, have the next team come up."

He spoke to Meng Shenji.

Meng Shenji opened his mouth, then ultimately turned to look at Xue Qinghe.

Xue Qinghe did not look at him.

Her gaze rested on Bai Yi, traveling from his battered shoes to the collar stained mostly red with blood, then to the hand he used to grip the Golden Cudgel as he exhausted all his strength to remain standing.

Finally, Ye Lingling's white light covered him once more.

She narrowed her eyes slightly, and her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but she did not speak.

The prince beside her lowered his voice. "This boy must never be allowed to go to Spirit Hall."

Xue Qinghe finally looked away. "I know."

Bai Yi was still standing there, gasping for breath.

Ye Lingling walked to his side and held the shaft of the Golden Cudgel, allowing Bai Yi to lean against it and catch his breath.

"Do you still have enough stamina?" Bai Yi asked Ye Lingling.

Ye Lingling looked down at him, her gaze carrying an indescribable emotion.

"You blocked eleven attacks for me just now," she said.

Bai Yi froze for a moment. "Why are you counting that? Are you scared? Or don't you want to keep going?"

Ye Lingling looked deeply at Bai Yi without speaking. She merely used her sleeve to wipe away the smudge of black ash on his face.

Then she released her martial soul again and stood behind Bai Yi, signaling that she could still fight.