Seven Days Later, Qian Renxue Severely Injured

"What is it?"

Qian Renxue stood a few steps away, her gaze still lingering on Lu Yuan's face.

Lu Yuan shifted his gaze away from the top of her head.

The gray text had already faded, but those three characters that appeared at the very end remained in his mind.

Xue Qinghe.

Of course he knew what this name meant.

It was just that the Qian Renxue before him was only this big.

The Eye of Destiny only told him that after the age of nine, she would leave Spirit City, head to the Heaven Dou Empire, and live on under another identity.

As for why she would go, who would make her go, and what would happen, there was nothing at all.

"Thought of something," Lu Yuan said.

Qian Renxue asked, "What is it?"

"It has nothing to do with just now."

She looked at him for two breaths, not continuing to press.

Instead, she lowered her gaze to look at her own sleeve.

The place brushed by the end of the spear just now left a very faint gray mark.

"I'll count this as your win today."

"It was my win to begin with."

Qian Renxue raised her eyes.

"You only touched the sleeve."

"The rule you set was also just touching."

She was silent for a moment, the corners of her mouth twitching very slightly.

"Fine."

"I'll count it as your win."

Lu Yuan put away the Dark Iron Spear.

Before figuring out that node of destiny, he did not plan to tell anyone about the Eye of Destiny.

Not even Qian Renxue.

The mao hour of the next day.

The eight of them had just stood properly in the East Training Area when Yan Tuo had people carry over a circle of half-foot-high wooden fences.

The wooden fences enclosed a circle of about six zhang.

Someone was already standing inside.

In his early twenties, with broad shoulders and a thick back, both of his wrists were wrapped with black protective bands. Seeing a group of children looking over, he even raised a hand and greeted them.

Yan Tuo stood outside the fence.

"Wei Cheng."

"A twenty-second-rank Great Spirit Master."

Zhou Qi looked into the arena.

"Instructor Yan, is it still chasing people today?"

"No."

Yan Tuo raised his chin toward inside the wooden fence.

"Get him out."

The few of them immediately went quiet.

Hu Liena asked first, "Together?"

"One by one."

Now even she didn't speak.

Yan Tuo continued, "Wei Cheng won't use soul skills, and will only use a portion of soul power."

"You can use martial souls, and you can use your first soul skill."

"Whoever can make one of his feet land completely outside the fence finishes their training for the morning."

Zhou Qi glanced at the wooden fence, then looked at Wei Cheng inside.

"Just one foot?"

"Think it's too few?"

"Not too few."

"Then you go first."

The expression on Zhou Qi's face froze for a moment.

Someone nearby couldn't help laughing out loud.

"What are you laughing at?"

Zhou Qi glared over, vaulting over the wooden fence.

The iron armor quickly covered his arms again.

His martial soul was naturally adept at frontal collisions, and after his first spirit ring lit up, his two arms grew a circle thicker.

"Come."

Wei Cheng hooked a finger at him.

Zhou Qi didn't stand on ceremony either, charging over head-on.

Bang!

The shoulders on both sides collided.

Wei Cheng only swayed.

Yet Zhou Qi slid two steps backward.

Clearly unconvinced, he let out a low shout and charged up again.

This time Wei Cheng didn't take it head-on.

Right as the two were about to collide, he stepped aside by half a step, grabbed one of Zhou Qi's arms, and smoothly led him forward.

Zhou Qi's footing instantly became chaotic.

With one more step forward, he would be the first to rush out of the wooden fence.

He forcefully stopped himself, turned his head just preparing to go again, when Yan Tuo had already spoken.

"Get down."

"I haven't yet--"

"If you really fought, you'd already be flat on the ground just now."

Zhou Qi opened his mouth, and could only resign himself to going out.

The few people behind entered the arena one after another.

The fastest one was sent out of the wooden fence by Wei Cheng in a dozen breaths.

The one who lasted the longest only made Wei Cheng take three steps back.

When it was Hu Liena's turn, she didn't rush to touch the person.

After her martial soul avatar descended, her speed was obviously a section faster, circling Wei Cheng and changing directions successively.

Wei Cheng turned along with her.

Once.

Twice.

On the third time, he was finally forced to step backward.

The distance to the wooden fence was left with less than two steps.

Hu Liena's eyes lit up, seizing the opportunity to directly pounce forward.

Yet this time Wei Cheng didn't retreat.

Sinking his waist and hips, he forcefully braced against that blow.

The moment Hu Liena's expression changed, he had already reached out and grabbed her arm, gently leading her off to the side.

Hu Liena stumbled forward a few steps, barely managing to steady herself.

She turned her head and glared at Wei Cheng.

"Didn't you keep retreating just now?"

Wei Cheng was amused.

"Me retreating, is that the same thing as me being afraid of your impact?"

Hu Liena couldn't reply for a moment.

"Get down."

Yan Tuo had already spoken.

She walked out of the wooden fence with a dark face.

Passing by Lu Yuan's side, she lowered her voice.

"His lower stance is very stable, don't collide with him head-on."

"Understood."

Hu Liena's footsteps paused.

"You understand again?"

Lu Yuan glanced into the arena.

"So many people in front couldn't budge him, do I still have to insist on personally colliding with him once?"

Hu Liena was choked speechless.

After two breaths she only snorted.

"Then I'll see how you handle it."

"Lu Yuan."

Yan Tuo had already called his name.

Lu Yuan hoisted his spear and entered the arena.

Seeing the Dark Iron Spear, Wei Cheng first loosened his wrists.

"Let's make it clear first."

"Don't send the spear tip toward places like the eyes and throat."

"Understood."

"Then come."

Lu Yuan didn't rush to activate Piercing Edge.

The first spear thrust toward the side of the shoulder.

Wei Cheng sidestepped to yield, his right hand smoothly slapping toward the spear shaft.

Lu Yuan retracted the spear in advance, the spear tip turning, and delivered it toward the side of the abdomen again.

It was still blocked away.

After twice, Wei Cheng began to actively press forward.

The round arena was already not large.

Once a long spear was closed in on, the room it could leverage was instantly reduced by more than half.

Lu Yuan could only retreat backward.

One step.

Two steps.

Three steps.

Zhou Qi couldn't help reminding, "You'll be out if you retreat anymore!"

Wei Cheng obviously saw it too.

He continued to force forward with his footing, his right hand already hooking toward the middle section of the spear shaft.

Lu Yuan's back foot was less than a foot away from the wooden fence.

"One more step back and you go out first."

Wei Cheng reached out to grab the spear.

This time, Lu Yuan didn't dodge.

Instead, both hands pressed downward simultaneously.

The end of the spear heavily braced against the ground.

Wei Cheng's five fingers hooked the spear shaft, pushing forward.

The Dark Iron Spear was immediately pressed to tilt backward.

Lu Yuan's body also leaned backward along with it.

His heels were already about to touch the wooden fence.

The few people on the sidelines all frowned.

A little more and he would definitely go out of the ring first.

Wei Cheng exerted force with his hands once again.

Right at this moment, the yellow spirit ring at Lu Yuan's feet lit up.

Piercing Edge!

Wei Cheng's expression changed slightly.

He obviously knew this soul skill, and the right hand gripping the spear shaft immediately tightened, preparing to directly control the spear to death.

Yet Lu Yuan didn't thrust forward at all.

The burst brought by Piercing Edge all fell upon his feet.

The tail of the spear braced against the ground.

Lu Yuan leveraged that momentum to swing fiercely toward the right.

His entire body slid outward, nearly brushing against the wooden railing.

Wei Cheng had originally been applying direct pressure with his spear, and not expecting him to suddenly move laterally, he instinctively turned along with him.

His right foot also stepped sideways in response.

It was this exact step.

Lu Yuan released his front hand.

The Dark Iron Spear came across horizontally.

It did not strike anyone.

The shaft pressed directly against Wei Cheng's waist.

Lu Yuan braced his shoulder against the spear body, putting the remainder of Piercing Edge's momentum entirely behind it.

Wei Cheng's waist and hips sank abruptly.

The first attempt did not move him.

Yet Lu Yuan's shoulder was rattled to the point of numbness.

Still, he did not let go.

He took another step forward with his feet.

Wei Cheng's body finally shifted half a foot sideways.

As it happened, when he turned along with Lu Yuan just moments before, his right foot had already drawn close to the wooden railing.

Crack.

The sole of his shoe grazed the edge of the wooden railing.

The next instant, his right foot landed outside the barrier.

The training ground instantly fell quiet.

"Stop."

Yan Tuo's voice rang out.

Lu Yuan immediately discharged his force.

Wei Cheng lowered his gaze to glance at his own right foot, then looked back up at him.

"You kept backing up just now specifically to lure me to the edge?"

"I couldn't push you back when we were in the middle."

Lu Yuan rubbed his shoulder.

"I could only make you get a little closer to the outside yourself."

Wei Cheng stared at him for two breaths.

"Weren't you afraid you'd be the one to go out first?"

"I was."

"You were afraid and you still dared to pull that stunt?"

"If I didn't pull that stunt, I wouldn't have stood a chance of winning."

Wei Cheng was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"Fine."

"I'll take the loss this time."

Lu Yuan lifted his spear and stepped out of the wooden railing.

The expressions in the eyes of the few people watching from the surroundings had already changed.

Zhou Qi still looked somewhat unconvinced.

"Does that even count?"

Yan Tuo looked over at him.

"Did Wei Cheng's foot go outside first or not?"

"It did."

"Then what else is there to question?"

Zhou Qi shut his mouth.

Hu Liena hurried over and checked Lu Yuan's shoulder.

"Does it hurt?"

"It hurts."

"And here I thought you weren't afraid of anything."

Lu Yuan glanced at her.

"Pain and fear are two different things."

Hu Liena thought about it, but remarkably found herself unable to come up with a reply.

Yet Yan Tuo did not let Lu Yuan leave.

As the next person entered the arena, he beckoned to Lu Yuan.

"Come here."

Lu Yuan walked over.

Yan Tuo glanced at the Dark Iron Spear in his hand.

"Piercing Edge is handling much more smoothly than when you first arrived."

"I've been using it a lot these past few days."

"Just using it a lot is useless."

Yan Tuo said, "When you first obtained your soul ring, you couldn't even manage to stop after executing Piercing Edge. Now you at least know this soul skill isn't just meant for stabbing forward."

Lu Yuan flexed his fingers, which were still somewhat numb.

Yan Tuo spoke again, "You don't need to participate in the afternoon training."

Lu Yuan raised his head.

"Why?"

"That routine is still useful for them."

Yan Tuo paused.

"For you to keep practicing it would be a waste of time."

This remark was not deliberately lowered in volume.

The few people nearby heard every word.

Hu Liena was the first to turn her head.

Zhou Qi was also struck dumb.

Yan Tuo acted as if he had not noticed their reactions.

"Starting tomorrow, your training difficulty will be increased by one tier."

Lu Yuan asked, "By how much?"

"You'll find out when the time comes."

"I'll warn you beforehand."

Yan Tuo looked at him.

"With a higher tier of difficulty comes a higher tier of beatings."

Lu Yuan nodded.

"Alright."

Hu Liena finally could not hold back.

"Can the difficulty be increased individually like that?"

Yan Tuo turned to look at her.

"If you finish your training first for two days in a row, I'll increase yours too."

Hu Liena instantly fell silent.

Yan Tuo turned his gaze back to the arena.

"Lu Yuan, your morning session is over."

"Arrange your afternoon however you like."

Lu Yuan lifted his spear and walked outward.

Just as he stepped out of the training ground, a deacon dressed in the standard-issue robes of the Elder Hall walked down the stone steps ahead.

"Lu Yuan?"

"It's me."

"The Young Lord sent me to find you."

Hu Liena's pace noticeably slowed down behind him.

Lu Yuan halted his steps.

The deacon retrieved a Temporary Access Token from his bosom.

"Seven days from now, there will be a practical combat training session outside Spirit City."

"The Young Lord's side is still short of one person."

"She sent me to ask you."

"Are you going?"

Lu Yuan reached out to take the token.

The moment his fingertips brushed the cold metal, a familiar gray hue surfaced from the edge of his field of vision.

His movements paused slightly.

[Qian Renxue]

The second line followed closely behind.

[Seven days later, outside Spirit City]

The expression on Lu Yuan's face faded bit by bit.

The final line became completely clear.

[Fate Node: Severe Injury]

Severe injury.

Not just ordinary injuries.

Lu Yuan stared at those two words for two breaths.

The deacon was still waiting.

"Well?"

Lu Yuan gripped the access token tightly.

"I'm going."