Xie Yue moved first. His Moon Blade cut through the morning mist, its silvery gleam shooting straight toward Xiao Ran's left ribs. Xiao Ran sidestepped and thrust out a fireball. Xie Yue blocked with the flat of his blade, and the fireball exploded against it, splashing silver-blue sparks across his face. Xie Yue stepped back half a pace and shook his head.
"Your strength really is off today," Xie Yue said.
"I know," Xiao Ran answered bluntly.
Yan flanked him from the other side, a firestorm gathering in his palm. He had learned his lesson yesterday. Instead of clashing head-on as Dai Mubai had, he used his flames to restrict Xiao Ran's movement. Caught between them, Xiao Ran erupted with silver-blue light. Stone posts across the training ground were caught in the attacks one after another, sending rubble flying.
The three sparred for nearly an hour. Xiao Ran never used his fourth soul skill and rarely even unleashed his third, relying instead on his first soul skill, Galaxy Flash Slash, and his second, Galaxy Fireball. Xie Yue and Yan grew increasingly coordinated, the Moon Blade sealing off the left and flames blocking the right, forcing Xiao Ran to meet their attacks head-on.
Xiao Ran suddenly stopped.
"That's enough," he said.
Xie Yue and Yan pulled back at the same time. Panting, Yan looked utterly confused. "What's wrong? We were just getting into it."
Xiao Ran did not answer. He lowered his head to look at his right palm, where silver-blue markings were slowly fading. During that last round of sparring, his Galaxy Fireball had been almost twenty percent weaker than usual, and his Galaxy Flash Slash had consistently missed its mark by half an inch.
Hu Liena rose from the rock and walked to the edge of the training ground.
"You used three cards yesterday," she said. "Ultraman Tiga, Taro, and Agul."
Xiao Ran looked up at her.
"The cards consume far more soul power than soul skills," Hu Liena said. "You used three in a row yesterday. Your soul power probably still hasn't fully recovered."
Xie Yue froze for a moment, then swore. "Then what the hell are you training for? Go back and rest."
"I can't stop training," Xiao Ran said. "The tournament is over, but Tang San won't stand still. He'll definitely go into secluded cultivation once he returns to Shrek. The next time we meet, he'll be stronger than he was yesterday."
Yan frowned. "You're worried about him?"
"He's not the one I'm worried about," Xiao Ran said. "I'm worried about the person behind him."
Xie Yue and Hu Liena both turned to look at him. Yan scratched his head, not understanding.
Xiao Ran did not explain. He turned and walked to the edge of the training ground, picked up the outer robe draped over a stone post, and put it on. Most of the morning mist had cleared, and sunlight spilled over the ridge, bathing the entire training ground in light.
"Come on, let's get breakfast," Xiao Ran said. "No more training today."
"Oh," Yan said, following him out. Xie Yue walked behind them, alongside Hu Liena.
"What did he mean by that?" Xie Yue asked in a low voice.
Hu Liena watched Xiao Ran's retreating figure, the morning light reflected in her foxlike eyes. After a moment of silence, she said, "We both know what Tang San's Clear Sky Hammer means. For someone from the Clear Sky Sect, there's only one person who could be standing behind him."
Xie Yue's pupils contracted slightly.
"Tang Hao." Hu Liena spoke the name softly, as though it were not a name to be mentioned lightly.
Xie Yue said nothing more. The two quickened their pace and caught up with Xiao Ran and Yan.
There were few people in the dining hall. Most of Spirit Hall's students were still resting. With the tournament just over, the bishop had given them three days off. Xiao Ran found a table in a corner and sat down. Yan brought over a large plate of steamed buns, set it on the table, and immediately grabbed three and stuffed them into his mouth.
"Slow down," Xie Yue said, giving him a look of disgust.
"Hungry," Yan mumbled.
Hu Liena sat across from Xiao Ran, served herself a bowl of porridge, and drank it in small sips. Xiao Ran picked up a bun and took a bite, but he chewed for a long time without swallowing.
"Xiao Ran." Hu Liena set down her bowl.
"Mm?"
"What are you going to do about Tang Hao?"
Xiao Ran put the remaining half of his bun back on the plate and leaned against his chair.
"Nothing," he said. "If Tang Hao comes for me, I'll face him. If he doesn't, I won't go looking for him. There's only one thing I need to do now."
"What?"
"Level up," Xiao Ran said. "Level forty-nine is too low. I need to reach at least level fifty and get my fifth soul ring first."
Yan finally swallowed the buns in his mouth and cut in. "You can beat Tang San at level forty-nine. How strong will you be at fifty?"
"Tang San will level up too," Xiao Ran said. "And he won't do it any slower than I will."
Yan curled his lip and grabbed another bun.
Xiao Ran said nothing more. He picked up the porridge in front of him and finished it one mouthful at a time. Outside the window, sunlight had spread across all of Spirit Hall. The morning bell rang from the distant bell tower, marking the start of a new day.
People came and went in the dining hall as Spirit Hall's other students gradually arrived. Xiao Ran and his three companions sat in the corner, with an empty ring of space around them. No one dared come too close. News of the final had spread throughout Spirit Hall overnight. The prodigy with a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring, the Holy Son who had finished the match alone—those reputations together were enough to make ordinary students steer clear.
Yan did not care about any of that. He went and brought back another plate of buns.
"Aren't you afraid you'll eat yourself to death?" Xie Yue asked with a frown.
"I fought all morning. I'm hungry," Yan said, utterly unapologetic.
Xiao Ran leaned back in his chair and gazed absently out the window. Sunlight fell across his face, and the silver-blue markings had vanished, leaving him looking no different from an ordinary soul master. But Hu Liena noticed that his fingers kept tapping lightly against the table in an erratic rhythm.
"What are you thinking about?" Hu Liena asked.
"My fifth soul ring," Xiao Ran said. "I've been stuck at level forty-nine for almost two months. I've built up nearly enough soul power, but I'm always just short of that final push."
Xie Yue set down his chopsticks. "You need the right opportunity. Forcing a breakthrough can easily damage your foundation. You'd be better off waiting."
"I can't wait," Xiao Ran said. "Once Tang San returns to Shrek, he'll definitely train under Tang Hao. That old man has plenty of resources at his disposal. If Tang San reaches level fifty first, I won't be able to close the gap."
With his mouth full of buns, Yan mumbled, "Then go hunt a soul beast. Find one over fifty thousand years old. A fight might be all you need to break through."
Xiao Ran glanced at him.
The look made Yan uneasy. He swallowed his bun. "Did I say something wrong?"
"No." Xiao Ran stood up. "You're right."
Xie Yue frowned. "You're not going right now, are you? Your soul power hasn't even fully recovered."
"I'm not going to hunt a soul beast," Xiao Ran said. "I'm going to see Her Holiness the Pope."
Hu Liena's foxlike eyes narrowed slightly.
Xiao Ran left the dining hall, crossed the corridors of Spirit Hall's main hall, and headed straight for the Pope's Palace. Xie Yue followed behind him, and Hu Liena came along as well. Yan stuffed the remaining buns inside his robe and hurried after them.
At the entrance to the Pope's Palace, the two guards saw Xiao Ran and merely bowed their heads slightly instead of stopping him. Xiao Ran walked straight inside.
Bibi Dong sat in the seat of honor, a document spread out before her. She raised her head and glanced at Xiao Ran, little surprise showing in her purple eyes.
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