A Half-Beat-Late Draw

After the winning-streak challenge ended, Suotuo City grew even livelier.

News of Myriad Phenomena's three straight wins spread overnight.

Word also spread that Blood Scythe's sneak attack had failed and that his weapon had been coated with poison.

The Spirit Arena wanted to bury the matter.

But too many people had seen what happened that night.

There was no covering it up.

Early the next morning, Flender returned from Suotuo City.

He held a money pouch, but he didn't look pleased.

Yuan Yu sat at the edge of the training ground, wiping his blade.

"Dean, did they short us?"

Flender tossed him the pouch.

"No."

Yuan Yu caught it and weighed it in his hand.

"Then why aren't you smiling?"

Flender snorted.

"The Spirit Arena thinks money will make this go away."

Zhao Wuji said from beside him, "We can't just let this slide."

Flender nodded.

"Of course not. But we don't have enough evidence yet. We'll let them owe us for now."

Ning Rongrong walked over.

"Do you need the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to step in?"

Flender glanced at her.

"Not yet."

Ning Rongrong didn't press him.

A few days ago, she probably would have invoked the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to intimidate them.

This time, she held back.

She would see how things developed before deciding whether to bring in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Zhao Wuji clapped his hands.

"Everyone, over here."

The others quickly gathered.

Ma Hongjun was still yawning.

"Teacher Zhao, we just fought last night. We're training today?"

Zhao Wuji grinned.

"Yuan Yu fought yesterday. What's that got to do with you?"

Ma Hongjun had no answer.

Zhao Wuji looked at them all.

"Today, we keep working on teamwork."

Xiao Wu immediately looked at Yuan Yu.

"He still has to wait half a beat?"

"Yes."

Zhao Wuji said, "This time, it's more than half a beat. Yuan Yu, you can only draw your blade after I call your name."

Yuan Yu froze.

"Teacher Zhao, are you tying my hands?"

"Your hands are too fast. I have to."

Zhao Wuji walked to the center of the training ground.

"Dai Mubai, Tang San, Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, Ma Hongjun—you five attack me."

"Ning Rongrong and Oscar, stay in the rear."

"Yuan Yu, you're the last line of defense."

"And there's one more rule today."

Zhao Wuji looked at Oscar.

"You can't just stand at the back handing out sausages."

Oscar's face fell.

"Teacher Zhao, I'm Food System."

"Food System or not, you still have to run."

Zhao Wuji pointed at Ning Rongrong.

"When she retreats, you retreat with her. When she stops, hand her a sausage. If someone targets her, you call out first."

Oscar looked at Ning Rongrong.

She glanced at him too.

"Don't let me down."

Oscar puffed out his chest.

"Don't worry. Whatever else I'm bad at, I'm quick with a sausage."

Ma Hongjun muttered, "That sounds weird too."

Oscar glared at him.

Flender sat watching from a distance.

He said nothing.

Training began.

Dai Mubai charged first, his White Tiger Martial Soul taking hold.

Tang San's Blue Silver Grass spread across the ground.

Xiao Wu sprang up with its help.

Zhu Zhuqing slipped in from the side.

Ma Hongjun's Phoenix Fire Line blocked the way from the other flank.

They worked together much more smoothly than they had a few days ago.

But Zhao Wuji opened a gap with a single step.

He feinted at Dai Mubai, then reached toward Xiao Wu's landing spot.

Xiao Wu's expression changed.

Ordinarily, Yuan Yu would already have been there.

This time, he stood still.

Zhao Wuji hadn't called his name.

Tang San immediately raised a hand.

Blue Silver Grass tugged at Xiao Wu's waist, pulling her half a foot to the side.

Zhu Zhuqing moved in to cover her, claw shadows darting toward Zhao Wuji's wrist.

Zhao Wuji chuckled.

"Not bad."

Xiao Wu looked a little pale when she landed.

She glanced at Yuan Yu.

He spread his hands.

"Teacher Zhao didn't call me."

Xiao Wu gritted her teeth.

"Again!"

In the second round, Zhao Wuji charged straight for the rear.

Ning Rongrong summoned her pagoda at once.

"Seven Treasure Mantra, Second: Speed!"

A glow of speed settled over Zhu Zhuqing.

Without hesitation, Zhu Zhuqing stepped in front of Oscar and Ning Rongrong.

She knew she couldn't hold Zhao Wuji off for long.

But half a breath would be enough.

Tang San's Blue Silver Grass followed.

Dai Mubai charged back from the front.

Ma Hongjun's fire line sealed off Zhao Wuji's flank.

Zhao Wuji's steps faltered.

This time, they hadn't needed Yuan Yu.

At the edge of the training ground, Flender nodded.

Yuan Yu smiled too.

"See? That's pretty good."

He had barely finished speaking when Zhao Wuji suddenly turned.

Slipping past the edge of Ma Hongjun's fire line, he struck at Dai Mubai's ribs with his palm.

Dai Mubai reacted half a beat too late.

"Yuan Yu!"

Zhao Wuji had called him.

Lightning Flash flared beneath Yuan Yu's feet.

"Thunder Breathing: First Form."

"Thunderclap and Flash."

His sheathed blade tapped Zhao Wuji's wrist.

Zhao Wuji's palm veered off and struck empty air.

Dai Mubai stepped back, sweat on his forehead.

He really hadn't been able to stop that one.

Zhao Wuji withdrew his hand.

"See that?"

No one spoke.

Zhao Wuji said, "Yuan Yu can save you, but he can't do it for you every time. You hold on first, then he draws his blade. That's teamwork."

Tang San nodded.

"Understood."

Zhao Wuji put them through three more rounds.

In the third, Xiao Wu didn't rush in first again.

She waited until Tang San's Blue Silver Grass had spread, then used it to launch her attack.

In the fourth, Ma Hongjun didn't burn through his whole fire line at once.

He kept a stretch of flame beside the rear, blocking Zhao Wuji's route around them.

In the fifth, Oscar handed Ning Rongrong a sausage ahead of time.

Without looking back, she took it and ate it.

It wasn't graceful.

But it was faster than that morning.

Zhao Wuji watched them finish and nodded.

"Now that's more like it."

Ma Hongjun sat down on the ground.

"Teacher Zhao, could you make a compliment sound a little nicer?"

Zhao Wuji said, "No."

Ma Hongjun sighed.

Ning Rongrong said quietly, "I was slow with the second speed boost."

Zhu Zhuqing looked at her.

"You were faster than last time."

Ning Rongrong paused, then nodded.

"Still not fast enough."

Xiao Wu looked at Yuan Yu.

"Next time, don't wait for Teacher Zhao to call you."

Before Yuan Yu could speak, Tang San said, "No."

Xiao Wu frowned.

Tang San looked at her.

"We have to cover each other first."

Xiao Wu huffed.

"I know."

Yuan Yu watched them, his fingers lightly brushing the Sun Wheel Blade.

The Rosy Cloud Pattern lit up again.

This time, it was clearer than it had been last night.

A faint Divine Sense entered his mind.

"To judge people, watch what they do first."

Yuan Yu looked up.

On the training ground, Dai Mubai was explaining that last move to Zhu Zhuqing.

Ning Rongrong had pulled Oscar aside to ask how long his sausages took to restore someone.

Tang San was marking out positions for his Blue Silver Grass on the ground.

Xiao Wu crouched beside him and listened. She argued back, but her eyes were intent.

Ma Hongjun stood with his arms folded, unusually quiet.

Yuan Yu suddenly smiled.

Flender spotted him from a distance.

"What are you smiling at?"

Yuan Yu said, "Dean, your academy is a bit run-down."

Flender's face darkened.

"But the people are good," Yuan Yu added.

Flender snorted.

"As long as you know."

That night, the Rosy Cloud Pattern was still glowing when Yuan Yu returned to his room.

He had just laid the Sun Wheel Blade across his knees when a thin mist rose outside the window.

A woman's voice came from the mist.

"The Sixth Trial is almost here."

Yuan Yu sat up straight.

"Which senior am I speaking to?"

Her voice was soft.

"Learn to see through the whole game before you ask my name."

The mist dispersed.

Yuan Yu stared at the Rosy Cloud Pattern on the blade. After a long pause, he said, "Do you gods all enjoy keeping people in suspense?"

Outside the window, Ling Yuan said coldly, "Go to sleep."

Yuan Yu lay down at once.

"Right away."