Training Isn't Supposed to Be Like This

"Why is there still no signal after so long?" Xiao Yi Xian was worried.

Xiao Yan clenched his fists and encouraged her, "Don't worry. Huo Yuhao will be fine. Get ready. Once Yuhao gives the signal, we move!"

After deciding to strike against the Wolf Head Mercenary Group, Huo Yuhao had agreed with the two of them that he would scout ahead while Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian stayed behind and waited for his signal.

The battle was over. Not a single mercenary remained standing. Huo Yuhao looked at Mu Li, the Wolf Head Mercenary Group's young leader whom he had deliberately spared, and nodded in satisfaction.

"Five-star Dou Zhe. Very good. He's just right for Little Yan and Xiao Yi Xian to train against."

Huo Yuhao used the Qi Control Art to grab Mu Li by the collar and drag him before him. "In a moment, you'll fight two one-star Dou Zhes. Give it your all..."

Before he could finish, Huo Yuhao noticed something was wrong. He waved a hand in front of Mu Li's eyes. There was no reaction whatsoever. Looking at Mu Li's unfocused gaze, Huo Yuhao felt a headache coming on.

"Did he go stupid? What am I supposed to do now? Wait, I've got it!"

An idea suddenly came to Huo Yuhao.

[Necromancy—Soul Control]!

Making Mu Li meet his gaze, Huo Yuhao used the Necromancy Electrolux had taught him after a long time. Pale spiritual light shot from Huo Yuhao's eyes into Mu Li's soul. Soon, a pale soul flame burned within Mu Li's eyes.

"Master!" Mu Li respectfully saluted Huo Yuhao.

That did it! Huo Yuhao looked at the Mu Li under his control with satisfaction. He then began searching through his memories, so that Mu Li would be able to use his Dou Techniques when fighting Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian later.

"Oh! So there was a spy!" After reviewing Mu Li's memories, Huo Yuhao finally understood why the Wolf Head Mercenary Group had been tracking them.

Then, Huo Yuhao used Corpse Control from Necromancy to summon Mu She as well.

"Return to Green Mountain Town. Deal with the spy planted in Myriad Medicine Hall, then find an empty place and bury yourself. Try not to let anyone else notice when you act."

"Yes, Master." Mu She staggered toward Green Mountain Town.

"Alright, it's time to call Xiao Yan and the others over."

After sending the signal, Huo Yuhao looked around and felt something was amiss. He summoned a stream of cold air and froze every mercenary corpse except Mu Li's. He clenched his right fist. A faint burst of crackling sounded, and every ice sculpture shattered into tiny grains of ice. At that moment, the setting sun cast its final rays, and the refraction through the ice gave the place a strange beauty.

"Hurry, Yuhao sent the signal!"

Upon receiving it, Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian immediately rushed toward the battlefield.

Before they arrived, the air beside Huo Yuhao suddenly distorted, and Yao Chen's figure emerged.

"Yuhao, leading a team through training isn't supposed to be like this! You could have gone in together with those two. Even if they couldn't win, or you didn't make it in time to save them, wouldn't I still be here?"

As he spoke, Yao Chen narrowed his eyes and gave a cold smile. "Yuhao, don't tell me you thought I wouldn't be able to save you in time?"

"Ah—haha!" Huo Yuhao laughed awkwardly. "Sorry, Teacher. I didn't think it through."

Yao Chen's expression was complicated, but then he smiled in relief. Forget it. Yuhao couldn't possibly be from the Soul Hall. Otherwise, those people would have come looking long ago. Having worked it out, Yao Chen complained, "Even without a powerful enemy, letting them see this bloodshed would still count as training. But after what you did, this really turned into a picnic."

"Uh, well..." Huo Yuhao gave an awkward laugh, intending to change the subject, but then he heard Yao Chen say,

"Don't use that perception ability of yours from now on. Otherwise, the effects of their training will be greatly reduced. Facing dangers from unknown places is also indispensable training."

"But..."

"Don't worry. Your teacher is here."

When Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian arrived, only one figure remained at the scene.

"It's Mu Li!" Xiao Yi Xian asked in confusion, "Where is Brother Yuhao?"

"You bastard, what did you do to Yuhao—huh?" Xiao Yan was just about to shout angrily when he suddenly noticed something.

Mu Li, who had been standing there stupidly, said nothing. Suddenly, he pushed off the ground. His speed surged in an instant, and he appeared before Xiao Yan, throwing a right punch.

[Black Grade Dou Technique—Wood Hardening]!

Green light flared over Mu Li's right fist as it smashed toward Xiao Yan's still-confused face, carrying a fierce gale.

Caught off guard, Xiao Yan kicked off with both legs and shot backward, hastily throwing a punch in return.

"Eight Extremes Collapse!"

Bang! The two fists met in midair with a dull impact. Although Eight Extremes Collapse was a high-level Black Grade Dou Technique while Wood Hardening barely counted as low-level Black Grade, Xiao Yan had attacked in haste. On top of that, he was only a one-star Dou Zhe. As a result, Mu Li's punch sent him staggering back more than ten steps.

The instant Mu Li appeared before Xiao Yan, Xiao Yi Xian hurled the bottle she had been gripping at him. Without stopping, she retreated and pulled open the distance. She took several silver needles from her storage ring, pinched them between her fingers, and circulated her Dou Qi.

Though Xiao Yan had been knocked back, there was no tension or fear on his face. Instead, he smiled. "Explode!"

Bang!

Another dull boom rang out, and Mu Li's body suddenly stiffened.

Seizing the opening, Xiao Yi Xian flicked both hands. The silver needles coated in Dou Qi shot out, and she activated the Qi Control Formula. When the needles struck his acupoints, she forced them into his body.

Corroded by medicinal fluid, blasted by force, and pierced through acupoints by flying needles, Mu Li swayed twice after suffering one heavy blow after another before collapsing.

"Whew!" Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian adjusted their breathing slightly. Then Xiao Yi Xian stepped forward and carefully checked Mu Li's condition.

"He's dead." After confirming it, Xiao Yi Xian smiled. "Brother Yuhao, how did we do?"

"You figured it out?" Huo Yuhao emerged from behind a tree, looking somewhat depressed at Mu Li's corpse.

"Tch! Only an idiot wouldn't. If he was the only one left, then who sent the signal?" Xiao Yan said disdainfully.

"But Yuhao, how did you make him obey you?"

"Think of it as a kind of puppet technique." Huo Yuhao inspected Mu Li's body to see whether it could still be reused.

"Ah!" Xiao Yan scratched his head. "Did we break him?"

Huo Yuhao looked up at Xiao Yan with an unfriendly expression. "You bent my knife, and now you've broken my puppet. That makes twice already."

"Haha, right. Where are the other people from the Wolf Head Mercenary Group? Why is he the only one left?"

"I already dealt with all of them."

"Didn't we agree that once you gave the signal, we'd attack together?"

"I saw that they weren't very strong, so I dealt with them all. Besides, with your strength, facing that many mercenaries would have been dangerous."

Huo Yuhao paused, a faint smile appearing on his face.

"So I selected this young leader as a training opponent for you two, Little Yan. Being able to defeat him proves that you really have improved."

Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian wore expressions as though they were badly constipated. If they could have beaten Huo Yuhao, they might already have rushed over to beat him up. Even though he couldn't beat him, Xiao Yan still charged forward.

"HUO! YU! HAO!"

That night, although things had gone a little differently from what he had imagined, Xiao Yan was still rather happy after that battle. One could tell from the fact that he ate two huge extra chunks of roasted meat, though perhaps he was just eating out of anger.

Xiao Yi Xian, meanwhile, had already been conquered by the food. She happily ate a mouthful of magical beast meat followed by a mouthful of wild vegetable soup, offering muffled praise through her full mouth.

"It's so delicious! Brother Yuhao, even if you became a cook, you'd still be number one!"

"Hey! Leave some for me!"

Yao Chen's soul form emerged from the Ancient Flame Ring. Seeing that the soup was nearly gone, he looked anxious and began fighting Xiao Yan for it.

Xiao Yan complained, "Didn't you say you wouldn't come out unless there was a life-or-death crisis? How many times have you come out in just one day?"

"Being hungry is a life-or-death crisis."

"Can ghosts even get hungry?"