Let's Talk

"Ji Fanghua!"

"Well done!"

Having landed her blow, Ji Fanghua did not pursue. She silently retreated, widening the distance once more, her eyes lowered as though that thunderous strike had nothing to do with her.

Yet no one present dared underestimate her strength any longer.

The battle on the arena was fierce.

Chu Yunhe wielded his longsword with effortless grace, forcing Duan Sui back again and again.

Shen Lian's blade flashed like snow, his attacks sharp and relentless, driving Cheng Zhao into a ragged defense. Defeat was already written across him, and before long, Shen Lian struck him off the arena with a single blow.

Yu Ling'er and Shadow were locked in close combat, their movements so swift they dazzled the eye.

Wu Yu held his ground on one side, repeatedly driving back those who tried to attack him.

Amid the melee, Ji Fanghua moved around the edge of the battle like a calm hunter. She did not take the initiative to attack anyone, yet whenever someone struck at her, she always dissolved the attack with the most unexpected technique.

At last, Shen Lian caught an opening in Zhou Rencheng's defense and knocked him flying out of the arena with one slash. Then, with a backhanded stroke, he forced Duan Sui into a desperate dodge.

His blade shifted, colliding with Shadow's dagger as she seized the chance to launch a sneak attack. Both of them grunted and staggered back.

At that very instant, Ji Fanghua, who had been circling nearby, flashed a cold light in her eyes. Her short sword stabbed into the gap between Shen Lian, Duan Sui, and Shadow.

Sshk!

The strike cut in with peerless precision. All three of their attacks were disrupted at once, and their movements faltered.

"Now!"

Chu Yunhe suddenly laughed aloud. His sword light surged as he joined the chaotic battle, the radiance splitting apart as it struck simultaneously at Duan Sui and Shadow.

Already somewhat disordered by Ji Fanghua's intervention, the two could not defend themselves in time. Swept by the sword qi, both vomited blood and fell, no longer able to fight.

Chu Yunhe's assault did not slow as he slashed toward Wu Yu nearby.

"Ha!"

Wu Yu roared, true qi erupting from his body at full force as both fists shot out to meet Chu Yunhe head-on.

Bang!

Fists and sword collided, their force scattering in every direction. Wu Yu was sent reeling back seven or eight steps, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth. He eventually steadied himself, though his face had gone pale.

Ji Fanghua had already quietly withdrawn from the center of the battle.

Li Yuan, watching below the arena, narrowed his eyes. This girl was deeply calculating. Her schemes were precise.

"I concede."

Seeing Shen Lian coming for him, Wu Yu knew he was no match for him. With a bitter smile, he leaped down from the arena and withdrew from the contest.

At this point, only four people remained standing on the arena: Chu Yunhe, Shen Lian, Yu Ling'er, and Ji Fanghua.

The outcome had been decided.

"Stop!"

The referee's voice rang out.

The entire venue fell silent for a moment before erupting in cheers that rolled like mountains and seas.

"They won! Pivot Star Class is too strong!"

"Ji Fanghua is incredible!"

"A dark horse! A true dark horse!"

At that moment, Ji Fanghua stood on the arena, listening to the deafening cheers. She lowered her head slightly, as though none of it had anything to do with her.

The eight finalists' melee had settled, the dust finally falling.

Ji Fanghua's strange fighting style had also drawn the attention of the entire academy.

With the candidates selected, what followed was a full month of special training.

Liu Hongyan gathered the five of them together for team coordination drills, while Li Yuan, as captain, was responsible for tactical arrangements and on-the-spot command.

At first, everything went smoothly.

Li Yuan, Chu Yunhe, and the others had already been classmates, so they had a fair degree of mutual understanding.

According to Li Yuan's arrangements, he and Chu Yunhe handled the offense, Shen Lian and Yu Ling'er the defense, while Ji Fanghua moved flexibly around the field. They initially tested several formations that shifted between attack and defense. There were minor flaws, but overall, the coordination was fairly smooth.

The problem lay with Ji Fanghua.

There was no doubt about her individual strength. Li Yuan had assigned her to conduct surprise attacks and rescues because he was making the best use of her talents, but in actual coordination, she repeatedly made mistakes.

Either she advanced too rashly, broke away from the formation and ended up isolated and unsupported, or reacted a beat too slowly and missed the best opportunity to assist.

After several such incidents, Chu Yunhe and the others grew dissatisfied. Ji Fanghua, however, merely pressed her lips together, lowered her head, and said nothing.

That day, during training, Ji Fanghua made another rash advance, disrupting the rhythm of Li Yuan and Shen Lian's combined attack. Wu Yu and the others, who were training alongside them as sparring partners, seized the opportunity and crushed the flank where Yu Ling'er was positioned in one stroke.

The training ground immediately fell silent.

Liu Hongyan stood at the edge of the field, her phoenix eyes narrowing slightly, but she said nothing. This was something Li Yuan should be handling.

Li Yuan pondered briefly as he looked at Ji Fanghua's distant back, vaguely guessing the reason.

"Junior Sister Ji, let's talk."

Ji Fanghua's body trembled slightly. In silence, she followed him away from the training ground and into the small woods nearby.

"Junior Sister Ji," Li Yuan said after stopping, his tone as gentle as possible, "many people in this world have pasts they do not wish to speak of. I am no exception."

Ji Fanghua's shoulders trembled. At last, she raised her eyes to look at him.

Ever since entering Divine Martial Academy, she had been avoiding Li Yuan, afraid he would recognize her.

But now, it seemed he had discovered her identity long ago.

"Whatever your identity may be, it does not change the fact that you are a member of Divine Martial Academy, nor does it affect your right to represent the academy in battle."

"Right now, we represent Divine Martial Academy. We are teammates fighting shoulder to shoulder. If you cannot set aside the misgivings in your heart, how can everyone else feel at ease entrusting their backs to you?"

The ice in Ji Fanghua's eyes began to melt. She seemed moved.

Li Yuan paused, his tone candid. "No matter what you bear, as long as you stand here and wear this uniform, you are our teammate."

"And as captain, all I need to do is trust you without condition. I also ask that you open your heart and try to trust them."

"Can you do that?"

He looked quietly at Ji Fanghua. She looked back at him, struggle flickering in her eyes for an instant before she finally nodded slowly.

"I can."

Her voice was soft, yet it seemed as if she had cast off a burden weighing a thousand jin. Her gaze also became lighter.

Li Yuan smiled and held out his hand to her. "Welcome aboard, Junior Sister Ji."

Clap!

With a crisp high-five, the stiffness at the corners of Ji Fanghua's mouth finally softened into a rare, gentle curve.

The two emerged from the woods. Yu Ling'er's eyes rolled, and she immediately came over with a radiant smile. "Sister Ji, let's discuss our tactics."

Ji Fanghua stiffened slightly, unaccustomed to it, but in the end, she did not push Yu Ling'er away. She merely gave a quiet "Mm."

The atmosphere during their subsequent training changed completely. Ji Fanghua truly stopped resisting and began trying to understand Li Yuan's tactical arrangements.

She worked hard to adjust her rhythm and find the most suitable position. Though she was still somewhat awkward at first and mistakes were inevitable, she improved at an astonishing pace.

Li Yuan also made slight adjustments to the tactics based on Ji Fanghua's traits. Rather than simply treating her as a roaming surprise force, he designed several formations in which she was responsible for offense and defense on the flanks.

The month passed swiftly. Through repeated practice, the five-person team developed greater and greater understanding. Li Yuan copied the tactics of special forces from his previous life and devised several hand signals unique to them for command.

Now, with a single gesture or a low shout, everyone could understand one another's intentions.

Standing at the edge of the field, Liu Hongyan watched this rapidly growing team, and at last a satisfied expression appeared on her face.

Several days later, Divine Martial Academy welcomed a grand occasion.

The representative teams from the Tiance, Wanxiang, and Taixu Academies, along with their accompanying teachers, arrived one after another and took up residence in the guest quarters specially prepared by Divine Martial Academy.

For a time, the academy was filled with gifted young talents, lively beyond compare.