Forcing the Young Master to Reveal Their Martial Soul

Forcing the Young Lord to Use Her Martial Soul

Early the next morning, when Lu Yuan arrived at the training ground, Qian Renxue was already standing inside.

Yan Tuo did not set up wooden targets, nor did he call Wei Cheng over, only having the people clear out the open space in the middle before glancing toward the two of them.

"No boundaries today, and no fighting over objects. Fight normally."

Lu Yuan held the Piercing Spear in his hand.

"What level counts as the end?"

"I say stop, and it stops."

After speaking, Yan Tuo turned his gaze to Qian Renxue. "You set the rules."

Today, Qian Renxue was still wearing a practical martial outfit suitable for movement. The injuries left from Qingshi Valley were no longer visible, and the last circle of thin cloth on her wrist had also been removed. She stepped back a few paces, her gaze landing on the tip of the Piercing Spear.

"I won't use my martial soul, nor will I use soul skills."

Lu Yuan glanced at her.

"Making such a concession?"

"Yesterday Wei Cheng used his second soul skill, and you still didn't win."

Wei Cheng, who was drinking water nearby, paused in his motion.

"Young Lord, can we not mention me today?"

Hu Liena couldn't help laughing out loud.

Yan Tuo didn't even lift an eyelid.

"Begin."

Lu Yuan moved his feet, and the distance of three zhang was closed in the blink of an eye. The Piercing Spear thrust forward first, aiming straight for Qian Renxue's left shoulder.

This spear strike did not use Piercing Edge, yet its speed was much faster than during the Dark Iron Spear period. Qian Renxue sidestepped to let the spear point pass, her right hand naturally pressing toward the middle section of the spear shaft. Instead of eagerly pulling it back like before, Lu Yuan let his right hand slide backward along the shaft, utilizing the momentum of the forward rush to thrust the long spear half a foot further.

The dark gold spear edge grazed almost against her sleeve.

Only then did Qian Renxue take a step back.

Lu Yuan pressed forward after her, the spear tip lowering as it swept toward her flank. She raised her foot to tap against the spear shaft, and the Piercing Spear was instantly pressed down by a few inches. However, Lu Yuan's left hand had already let go, his body pivoting to the side along the spear body, and the tail of the spear trailing behind leveraged that momentum to strike upward.

Qian Renxue tilted her head to avoid it, and as the spear tail brushed past the side of her shoulder, her palm also landed on Lu Yuan's shoulder.

Slap.

The force wasn't heavy, but Lu Yuan was still pushed half a step to the side.

"If this were a real fight, you would have already taken a palm strike just now," Qian Renxue said.

Lu Yuan re-gripped the long spear firmly.

"If this were a real fight, what I used just now wouldn't have been the spear tail either."

Qian Renxue glanced at the spear shaft that had just swept past her shoulder and did not reply.

Yan Tuo stood nearby.

"Continue."

This time, Qian Renxue moved first.

She was inherently faster than Lu Yuan, closing the distance to him in just a few steps. Lu Yuan's spear tip successively blocked her path, yet he was always half a beat too slow. The first two strikes had just been avoided, and the third strike hadn't even had time to be fully thrust out before she had already bypassed the spear tip, her fingers hooking toward his wrist.

Lu Yuan hastily retreated, pulling the long spear horizontally across his front.

Qian Renxue didn't give him the chance to widen the distance again, her feet closing in once more. With a single palm strike, she deflected the spear shaft, and her other hand was already reaching toward his chest.

Lu Yuan's gaze narrowed, and the yellow spirit ring at his feet lit up accordingly.

Piercing Edge!

Soul power poured into the Piercing Spear in an instant.

Qian Renxue was extremely familiar with this soul skill, sidestepping away almost the exact moment the spirit ring lit up. Yet this time, Lu Yuan didn't thrust forward at all.

The Piercing Spear violently plummeted downward, its tip grazing the bluestone ground and kicking up a few fine, scattered sparks. Then, utilizing the explosive force of Piercing Edge, it flicked upward from a lower angle.

Just as Qian Renxue had avoided the frontal assault, she instead fell right into the path of the spear momentum.

The Dark Gold Edge Line flashed past.

Her waist leaned backward, and the spear tip grazed past her lapel by less than half a foot.

Wei Cheng subconsciously touched his own shoulder.

During yesterday's spear strike, he had originally thought he could block it, but in the end he still had to activate his second soul skill.

Hu Liena had stopped training long ago, watching the arena intently.

Lu Yuan did not stop. The momentum brought by Piercing Edge had just faded, and the Piercing Spear in his hand had already returned to alignment. Soul power flowed along the spear body all the way to the tip, completely devoid of the uncomfortable stagnation of the past.

The moment one spear strike ended, the next one followed right after.

Qian Renxue avoided them twice in succession, and on the third time, she finally raised her hand to strike the side of the spear shaft, batting the spear edge away.

"It really is much faster."

Lu Yuan's breathing was slightly heavy.

"Yesterday it was still the Dark Iron Spear."

"That's why I came today."

After saying this, Qian Renxue closed in once more.

This time, she didn't wait for Lu Yuan to strike first like before. The moment Lu Yuan raised his hand, she had already cut to the inside of the long spear, her shoulder slamming against the shaft and pressing the Piercing Spear outward. Lu Yuan's hands were forced off-center by the impact, instantly exposing an opening in front of his chest.

Qian Renxue's hand had already reached out.

If it were the past, Lu Yuan would only have been able to retract his spear or retreat.

Yet, looking at the distance of less than a step between the two of them, he suddenly didn't dodge. Instead, his right foot stepped half a pace forward.

Clearly, Qian Renxue hadn't expected him to proactively lunge forward, and her movement paused slightly.

At this exact instant, Lu Yuan's waist violently twisted. The Piercing Spear, which had been pressed to his right side, looped out from behind with his movement, its tip carving out an extremely short arc and heading straight for Qian Renxue's flank.

The two were so close that Lu Yuan didn't even have time to activate Piercing Edge, but this strike didn't require a soul skill in the first place.

Yesterday, the Piercing Spear had been able to slice through even Wei Cheng's first soul skill; nobody would dare test with their actual body just how sharp it truly was.

Qian Renxue had originally been about to touch Lu Yuan's chest when her peripheral vision caught the approaching dark gold spear edge at that very moment.

Instinctively, her feet wanted to retreat, but it was already too late. The spear tip was left with only the final few inches from her flank.

The next moment, dazzling golden light abruptly surged from within her body.

A wave of soul power far stronger than before instantly rippled outward. Lu Yuan's vision was illuminated by gold, and amidst the blur, he only saw a tall and sacred phantom emerge behind Qian Renxue, its six feathers unfurling.

A palm covered in golden light descended simultaneously.

Clang!

The Piercing Spear was batted away from the side.

Lu Yuan's tiger's mouth went fiercely numb, his entire person dragged sideways two steps by that force as the soles of his shoes scraped a harsh, grating sound against the bluestone ground.

By the time he stabilized his footing, the side of the training ground had already grown quiet.

The golden phantom behind Qian Renxue rapidly faded, and she pulled back her soul power as well.

Wei Cheng was the first to react.

"Who was it that said they wouldn't use their martial soul just now?"

Qian Renxue turned her head and glanced at him.

Wei Cheng immediately swallowed the second half of his sentence, lowering his head to continue drinking water.

Hu Liena could no longer suppress the corners of her mouth.

Yan Tuo walked into the arena.

"That's it for today."

Lu Yuan flexed his numb fingers and looked down at the Piercing Spear. The spear body was intact, and the Dark Gold Edge Line showed no changes whatsoever.

"Who wins this?"

Yan Tuo glanced at him.

"You?"

"I was just asking."

"If you actually kept fighting, you'd still lose right now."

Lu Yuan wasn't surprised, raising his head to look at Qian Renxue.

"Then what counts as her using her martial soul?"

This time, Yan Tuo didn't answer.

Qian Renxue remained silent for a moment, lowered her head to look at the spear edge that had nearly landed on her flank just a moment ago, and then raised her eyes once again.

"Consider it me underestimating this spear."

Lu Yuan said, "And me."

Qian Renxue looked at him, and Lu Yuan didn't avert his gaze either.

After two breaths, the corners of her mouth curved up slightly.

"Alright."

"And you."

Yan Tuo offered no further commentary, merely waving a hand to the side to signal that today's session was concluded.

Lu Yuan took back the Piercing Spear, and just as he prepared to leave, Qian Renxue had already walked toward the outside of the arena a step ahead. After taking a few steps, she stopped once more.

"Tomorrow at the same time."

Lu Yuan asked, "Still no martial soul?"

Qian Renxue turned her head back, the morning light cascading in from outside the training ground and reflecting within her light-gold eyes.

"No."

"Tomorrow, I'm using it."