Resonance with Mountains, Meeting Han Yue Again

"Sure!"

Luo Zheng thumped his chest. After losing to Qin Yu last time, he had reflected deeply these past few days.

Though he had not fully figured it out yet, he felt he should be able to fight Qin Yu again today!

Seeing Luo Zheng's high-spirited fighting stance, Qin Yu did not know whether to laugh or cry.

This guy truly was not afraid of losing.

"Alright."

He nodded. After all, opponents with Metal-Attribute Battle Qi were not so easy to find.

The two stepped onto the arena together. Seeing that someone wanted to fight, the referee could not be bothered with nonsense and simply waved a hand to signal the start.

"Come on!"

Luo Zheng assumed his stance as grayish-white Metal-Attribute Battle Qi surged around him, radiating a sharp, cutting aura.

Qin Yu stood where he was without moving, merely watching him quietly.

This time, Luo Zheng did not rush to attack. Instead, he slowly circled Qin Yu, seemingly searching for an opening.

He has improved.

Qin Yu nodded inwardly.

During the New Student Examination last time, Luo Zheng had charged in and attacked wildly from the outset, allowing Qin Yu to seize an opening and defeat him in a single strike.

This time, he was clearly much steadier. He knew to observe first before making his move.

But... what if there was no opening to find?

The answer was—overwhelming force.

Qin Yu's right foot shifted slightly, as though he were about to move to the left.

Luo Zheng's eyes instantly lit up. His body instinctively moved in that direction, both fists brimming with Battle Qi as he prepared to block Qin Yu's attack.

Yet in the next moment, Qin Yu appeared from the other direction.

Mountain Qilin Leap.

The instant Luo Zheng's center of gravity shifted, Qin Yu cut in from the other side. His right fist clenched tightly as he fiercely unleashed the Qilin Fist.

Luo Zheng's reaction was much faster than last time. He forcibly twisted his body, crossing his arms before his chest to receive Qin Yu's punch head-on.

"Boom!"

Grayish-white and brown Battle Qi collided with a muffled explosion.

Luo Zheng's arms went numb from the impact, but his defense was not broken.

"I blocked it!"

Luo Zheng's eyes brightened, and joy surged through his heart.

However, he was celebrating too soon. The Qilin Fist's second wave of force pierced through his defense in the next instant, followed by the explosive eruption of the third.

Still one punch, still sent flying in an arc.

"Qin Yu wins!"

Luo Zheng lay on the ground beneath the arena, staring up at the sky. The sharp pain in his chest kept him from getting back up for the moment.

Yet he was very happy.

Last time, Qin Yu had caught an opening and easily blasted him off the arena. This time, at least, he had truly forced Qin Yu to use his real skills!

"Cough, cough..."

Luo Zheng coughed twice and struggled to prop himself up, looking toward the figure on the arena that was withdrawing his fist.

"Qin Yu!"

He shouted at the top of his lungs. Qin Yu turned around and looked at him.

Luo Zheng grinned. Though there was a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth, his eyes were filled with fighting spirit.

"Next time! Next time, I'll definitely beat you!"

Qin Yu was silent for a moment, then nodded.

"I'll be waiting anytime."

Hearing this, Luo Zheng smiled even more happily. He pushed himself to his feet, dusted off his clothes, and strode out of the arena grounds.

Qin Yu watched his retreating back, the corners of his lips lifting slightly.

Among the Five Elements, Earth Generates Metal.

That meant there had to be something worth studying between Earth Attribute and Metal-Attribute Battle Qi as well.

If he fought Luo Zheng a few more times, perhaps he could gain some useful insight from it.

Although he had won this match, the gap between Luo Zheng and Qin Yu's rankings was too great, so Qin Yu only received twenty points in the end.

Moreover, whether one was challenged or challenged someone else, each person could only fight one match per day.

Qin Yu simply left the arena grounds and headed toward the mountains on the outskirts of the academy.

But the moment he entered the mountains today, Qin Yu felt that something was different from usual.

The vague force he had sensed over the past few days, as though it connected him with the entire mountain, had become much clearer today.

Qin Yu stopped walking, closed his eyes, and sank his awareness into the earth beneath his feet.

A wonderful sensation spread outward from the soles of his feet, as though something were answering his call.

Following that sensation outward, the outline of the entire mountain gradually appeared in his mind.

It was not an image seen with his eyes, but a more direct kind of perception.

Where there were steep cliffs, where thick forests grew, where streams flowed through the mountains...

These things appeared clearly within his perception like an invisible web.

"This is..."

Qin Yu's heart stirred slightly.

Could it be that his cultivation during this period had formed some special connection between him and this mountain?

Perhaps this was... the Resonance with Mountains mentioned in the Mysterious Earth Qilin Formula?

Qin Yu continued sensing. Suddenly, an image surfaced in his mind.

Below a broken cliff halfway up the mountain was a thin stream flowing from a crack in the rocks. It wound down along the mountainside before finally gathering into a small waterfall.

The waterfall was not high, only three or four zhang, but the water was crystal clear. It crashed against the rocks below, splashing up a sheet of white spray.

Beneath the waterfall was a naturally formed pool. Its water was clear to the bottom, and lush trees surrounded it on all sides, making it secluded and hidden.

Qin Yu withdrew his perception and opened his eyes, a slight smile appearing on his lips.

This place suited him perfectly.

Once Xiao Yu broke through to the Dou Zhe realm and finished switching cultivation methods, he would need to come into contact with Water-Attribute Battle Qi.

This waterfall pool had water and mountains. It was the perfect place to test cultivating with the two attributes of water and earth together.

Following the direction he had sensed, he continued up the mountain path. After passing through a dense forest, he gradually began to hear the murmur of flowing water.

As he went farther, the sound of the water became clearer and clearer.

Qin Yu brushed aside the branches and leaves before him, and the scenery of the waterfall pool unfolded before his eyes.

Yet in the next instant, his footsteps halted.

By the pool, a silver figure sat cross-legged atop a smooth rock.

A head of waist-length silver hair shimmered faintly under the sunlight. The hem of her silver dress draped over the edge of the rock, revealing a fair ankle.

Her eyes were closed, her breathing long and steady. A faint icy-blue Battle Qi glow circulated around her as she cultivated.

It was Han Yue.

Qin Yu had not expected to run into her here.

He instinctively lightened his steps, but the faint sound of his foot landing on dry leaves still alerted her.

Han Yue opened her eyes and turned toward the source of the sound.

Her silver hair swayed slightly with the movement. Her cool, detached eyes fell upon Qin Yu, surprise flickering through them before they quickly returned to calm.

"It's you."

Han Yue's voice remained cool and clear, without any discernible emotion.

"Senior Han Yue."

Qin Yu nodded in greeting, then looked over this secluded little pool.

"You came here to find a place to cultivate too?"

"Mm."

Qin Yu nodded and answered honestly:

"I sensed flowing water at the foot of the mountain, so I came up to take a look."

"You sensed the water flow?"

A trace of puzzlement flashed through Han Yue's eyes.

She had visited these mountains on the outskirts of Jia Nan Academy many times, and this pool was extremely well-hidden.

If someone had not led the way, it would have been nearly impossible for a new student to discover it.

Yet Qin Yu had just said... he sensed it?

A Nine-Star Dou Practitioner could actually sense something from so far away?