Entering the Second Ring Arena

The next afternoon, Lu Yuan followed Yan Tuo through two high walls on the northern side.

Behind the walls, there were no wooden targets and mechanisms typical of the youth group; the three training grounds were very empty, with quite a few shallow scuff marks left by shoe soles on the ground. At the very back stood several wooden pillars wrapped in thick hide, one of which already leaned to the side, its trunk covered entirely in dents from impacts.

As soon as Lu Yuan stepped inside, someone nearby stopped moving.

The people here were obviously a cut above the youth group, with the youngest looking to be around ten years old. Someone was wrapping his wrists, while another leaned against a wooden rack to drink water, and seeing Yan Tuo bring in a six-year-old child, their gazes quickly fell upon him.

A short-haired youth spoke first.

"Instructor Yan, the youth group is to the south."

"I know."

Yan Tuo walked forward a few steps.

"He'll be training here in the afternoons from now on."

The short-haired youth was stunned, then looked back at Lu Yuan.

"One ring?"

"Mm."

This time, several people nearby also stopped.

Yan Tuo offered no explanation, merely nodding toward a gray-robed man at the edge of the training ground.

"I leave him to you."

The gray-robed man was named Shao Ping, and he was responsible for these few actual combat grounds in the north. He first sized Lu Yuan up for a few seconds, then looked at Yan Tuo.

"Are you sure?"

"You'll know after a fight."

Yan Tuo retreated to the side, clearly intending to say no more.

Shao Ping stopped asking as well, lifting his chin toward Lu Yuan.

"Martial Soul."

The Piercing Spear appeared in Lu Yuan's palm.

The pitch-black spear shaft was somewhat sleeker than the original Dark Iron Spear, and the dark gold edge lines on both sides of the spearhead were exceptionally striking in the light. The few people who had still seemed rather casual earlier saw that spear, and their expressions grew a bit more serious.

Shao Ping raised a hand and pointed to someone.

"Xu Heng."

The short-haired youth who had just reminded Yan Tuo he was in the wrong place put down his water pouch and walked into the arena.

"You're really having me do it?"

"You're at level 21, you're the lowest one here."

The corner of Xu Heng's mouth twitched.

"First time I've heard of level 21 being something to bring up."

Someone nearby immediately laughed out loud.

Shao Ping couldn't be bothered to care about him, simply laying out the rules once.

"Normal sparring, no boundaries set, strikes to places like the eyes and throat are not allowed. You stop when I yell stop."

With that, he looked at Lu Yuan again.

"First time here, don't think about winning; just finish this match first."

Lu Yuan gripped the Piercing Spear tightly.

"Understood."

Xu Heng also released his martial soul, his arms and shoulders and back quickly covered by a layer of dark brown coarse hair, and two yellow spirit rings rose from beneath his feet.

Long-armed Ape.

He moved his shoulders twice.

"I'll try to hold back a bit."

Lu Yuan raised his spearhead.

"Let's fight."

Xu Heng's eyebrows lifted, and with a stomp of his feet, he charged over.

His speed could not be considered exceptionally fast, but his stride was very heavy, and within a few steps he closed the distance right up close. Lu Yuan's first spear thrust went straight for the shoulder, but Xu Heng didn't reach out to touch the spear edge, merely sidestepping to let it pass and using his right hand to grab straight for the middle section along the spear shaft.

Lu Yuan quickly retracted his spear, but Xu Heng's hand had already followed, five fingers hooking onto the spear shaft and pulling it fiercely to the side.

Lu Yuan's feet slipped, nearly being dragged directly over, and he could only take a forward step in response while the butt of the spear simultaneously smashed toward Xu Heng's ribs.

Xu Heng raised an elbow to block, Lu Yuan's wrist instantly going numb from the shock, and the spear tip deflected away as well.

Xu Heng was just preparing to use the momentum to press in close, but the Piercing Spear in his hand suddenly vanished.

He grabbed empty air, his body involuntarily swaying forward.

Lu Yuan had already retreated two steps, the Piercing Spear falling back into his palm as the spearhead smoothly thrust forward. Xu Heng reacted very quickly, tilting his head to evade, yet the spear edge still grazed past his shoulder.

With a rip.

His training uniform tore open a gap; no blood was visible inside, but the laughter at the edge of the training ground stopped.

Xu Heng lowered his head to look at his shoulder.

"So sharp?"

Shao Ping reminded from the side, "That's why I told you not to touch the spearhead."

Xu Heng didn't talk back this time, and when he charged up again, he no longer casually reached out near the spear edge.

The moment Lu Yuan turned the spear to the left, he immediately shifted to the right, his palm constantly pressing down on the middle-rear section of the spear shaft, giving Lu Yuan no opportunity to fully unfurl his spear momentum. The strength and arm span brought by the Long-armed Ape were used very smoothly by him, and after several clashes, Lu Yuan's arms quickly began to ache.

More troublesome was that Xu Heng kept the distance compressed, not giving him the space to easily unleash Piercing Edge.

After a close-quarters exchange, the moment Lu Yuan horizontalized his spear, Xu Heng had already cut in from beneath the spear shaft, a palm landing on his chest.

Lu Yuan was pushed back several steps, his chest aching dully.

Xu Heng did not pursue, waiting until he stood firm before asking, "Can you still fight?"

"Yes."

Lu Yuan raised his spear again.

"Then continue."

The two collided once more.

Lu Yuan no longer rushed to attack eagerly; every time Xu Heng closed in, he first used the spearhead to block the path, refusing to fight the opponent head-on even when batted away. After taking two more hits to his shoulders and arms, he finally grasped a bit of Xu Heng's habits when closing in.

As Xu Heng cut in from the right for the third time, Lu Yuan suddenly staggered half a step to the left while simultaneously planting the butt of his spear into the ground.

A yellow spirit ring lit up.

Piercing Edge!

The bursting momentum carried him in a fierce cut past Xu Heng's side, instantly widening the distance that had just been compressed between them. Lu Yuan used the momentum to spin around, and the Piercing Spear was already thrusting toward Xu Heng's chest from the lower side.

Xu Heng was just preparing to pursue when the spearhead arrived.

His footsteps halted, his first spirit ring lighting up in tandem, and the dark brown coarse hair on his arms rapidly grew thick, crossing in front of him to block.

Clang!

The Piercing Spear struck his forearm, and Xu Heng was pushed back a step by Piercing Edge.

Lu Yuan's hands also went numb from the shock, but he did not immediately retract his spear. The spear edge grazed outward along Xu Heng's forearm, the dark brown defense covering it sliced open by the dark gold spearhead with a fine trace.

Xu Heng glanced at the mark on his forearm, and when he raised his head again, his expression had grown quite a bit more serious.

"Fine, then I'll get serious too."

A second yellow spirit ring suddenly lit up.

The arms of Xu Heng, already significantly thicker than an ordinary person's, expanded once more, his shoulders and back sinking down, and as his feet stepped on the ground, even the fine sand nearby gently vibrated away.

Lu Yuan immediately lowered the spearhead.

Xu Heng had already arrived.

The Piercing Spear thrust out head-on, only to be batted away from the side by a single palm of his. Lu Yuan's wrist suffered a violent shock, and before he had time to turn the spear back, a second palm landed on the middle section of the spear shaft.

Bang!

The entire Piercing Spear was forcibly pressed aside.

Lu Yuan crossed his feet, using the momentum to retreat sideways, yet this time Xu Heng didn't give him any chance to re-establish distance at all, his long arm reaching out from above the spear shaft, and five fingers stopping right in front of his chest.

Less than half a foot away.

"Stop."

Shao Ping's voice rang out simultaneously.

Xu Heng immediately withdrew his hand, and Lu Yuan also slowly lowered the Piercing Spear.

A dull pain from the palm he had just taken still lingered in his chest, and the webbing between his right thumb and index finger was stinging with numbness.

Shao Ping walked into the arena.

"You lose this match."

Lu Yuan glanced at the hand Xu Heng had just pulled back.

"Mm."

"Still, being able to force his second spirit skill out, the first day isn't bad."

Xu Heng dismissed his martial soul and lowered his head to check his forearm. The first spirit skill had already faded, and the skin beneath was uninjured, leaving only a slight reddish tint.

He raised his head again.

"Are you really one ring?"

Someone at the edge of the training ground chuckled.

"A yellow spirit ring, didn't you just see it?"

Xu Heng turned his head.

"If you're so good, you come."

That person looked at the Piercing Spear in Lu Yuan's hand.

"I didn't say I wasn't coming."

Another person nearby chimed in.

"Xu Heng, didn't you just say the youth group is to the south?"

Xu Heng retrieved his water pouch, unscrewed it, and took a drink.

"Why don't you go send him back?"

That person instantly fell silent.

Shao Ping pointed toward the wooden rack nearby.

"Rest for a quarter of an hour, next one."

Lu Yuan had just prepared to walk over when his steps paused again.

"There's more?"

"You don't just fight one match an afternoon here."

Hearing those words, Xu Heng immediately laughed.

"Who made you fight first just now?"

Lu Yuan looked at him.

"You."

"Then slowly adapt to it."

Shao Ping had already flipped open the record book in his hand.

"Three matches today. If you can walk back on your own, your first day passes."

Yan Tuo had been standing outside the arena without interrupting the entire time, and only now turned to prepare to leave.

Lu Yuan called out to stop him.

"Three matches tomorrow afternoon too?"

Yan Tuo didn't stop his stride.

"Depends on how many beatings you take today."

A wave of laughter erupted around them.

Lu Yuan sat down beside the wooden rack, lowering his head to press against his still-numb wrist. The palm Xu Heng had landed on his chest earlier still hurt somewhat when he breathed a bit heavily.

Before the quarter of an hour was even up, a golden-robe deacon suddenly walked in from outside the grounds.

The other party swept a glance around, quickly locating Lu Yuan.

"A message from the Grand Pontiff."

Lu Yuan raised his head.

"Tomorrow morning, go to the Elder Hall."

The golden-robe deacon paused briefly.

"The Grand Pontiff will personally tell you how to train from here on out."