Several days had passed since Feng Qingxuan's breakthrough, and the excitement in the academy had gradually subsided. That morning, he summoned the entire team to the training grounds.
"Now that you've all rested enough," Feng Qingxuan stood in the center of the training ground, looking at the thirteen people before him, "Let me see what you've accomplished in these three months of training outside. The rules are simple: I'll use one hand, without releasing my Martial Soul or using Soul Skill. All thirteen of you come at me together. Whoever can force me to use my second hand wins."
Shi Yan's eyes widened. One hand? Against thirteen people? But no one felt it was unfair—the gap between Titled Douluo and Soul Master couldn't be bridged by numbers. Before the fight began, Feng Qingxuan added another condition: everyone had to release their Soul Power to the minimum, squeezing out true teamwork under extreme conditions.
After saying that, he took a step back, clearing the central space.
Feng Xiaotian was the first to strike. He used the Gale Flash Step, his figure moving as fast as a shadow swept by the wind, rushing straight at Feng Qingxuan. Lu Qing followed closely behind, his twin scythes crossing and slashing diagonally downwards. The two attacked from one behind the other, their attack routes almost overlapping.
Feng Qingxuan held his right hand behind his back, using only his left hand to fight. He sidestepped Feng Xiaotian's direct punch and lightly tapped Lu Qing's wrist, causing the scythe to deflect slightly.
Ji Ning's Hummingbird Sting followed closely behind Feng Xiaotian, but Feng Qingxuan deflected it with a backhand, sending him crashing into Shi Yan. Shi Yan quickly withdrew his shield and sidestepped— Ji Ning flipped over his shoulder, landing with his hand on the ground and springing back up.
" Ji Ning, your toes slammed too hard on the ground. Shi Yan, you left half a step empty after you moved aside; that will get you killed in real combat."
Feng Lingtian and Lu Hanxiao simultaneously attacked from both flanks. The Falcon Strike pierced straight down from above, Silent Flight gliding out from the shadows. Feng Qingxuan slightly lowered his shoulders, and with a flick of his left wrist, he pushed Feng Lingtian aside, causing him to crash into Lu Hanxiao. Lu Hanxiao was forced to dodge to the side, and the ice beneath his feet, which had not yet solidified, was crushed under his foot.
" Lingtian, your finishing move was a bit slow. Lu Hanxiao, Silent Flight is good, keep increasing the pace."
Su Mei'er's Wind Lightning Chain wound along the ground towards her ankles, while Cheng Luo's Wind-Binding Vine simultaneously wrapped around her left hand—a precise and coordinated double-control sealing technique. Feng Qingxuan took a half-step back, touching the ground with his toes, and flicked out two gusts of wind with his left hand, one deflecting the chains and the other lifting the vines.
"The anticipation wasn't enough—the vines should have blocked my escape route before they blocked me. Cheng Luo, when you're entangling the vines, you need to watch your opponent's feet."
Ye Qingyu's Wind Zither - Light Sound unfolded, and Bai Yu's Wind Chime - Gale overlapped the moment Feng Xiaotian made his second move, causing his attack speed to surge. Su Ran's Recovery Ear of Rice fell into the hands of Lu Qing, who was panting the most.
Feng Xiaotian pressed forward again, his speed even faster than before. He used Gale Flash Step to change direction twice in a row—feinting to the left to force Feng Qingxuan to the side, and then aiming straight for his shoulder from the right. The three consecutive Swift Step changes of direction pushed his Soul Power to its limit. Something deep in his dantian vibrated slightly—it was an extremely subtle tremor, as if the Soul Power that had been compressed to its limit was spontaneously rotating at its core for a moment.
Feng Qingxuan's eyes lit up. "That change of direction was spot on!" He shrugged to the side, his toes barely touching the ground—it was smoother than before, his skills honed over the years.
Jiang Lin's Spirit Eyes caught the slight droop of Feng Qingxuan's shoulder as he retreated, and he instinctively shouted, "Falcon, left flank!" Feng Lingtian turned around upon hearing the call, and Feng Qingxuan abruptly stopped, his right hand almost rising to block, but he forced himself to the side, letting his hand blade graz his shoulder.
"Well said! But you're still a beat too slow— Spirit Eyes needs to keep an eye on not only the opponent, but also on his own people."
Zhong Yue and Shi Yan's defensive line was repeatedly attacked, and the tortoise shell and bell cover vibrated and hummed. The same subtle ripple flashed across the surface of Shi Yan's bell again— Feng Qingxuan glanced at it during the battle.
Lu Hanxiao's Silent Flight became increasingly tricky, and his method of applying force by grinding his feet into the ground was exactly the same as Feng Xiaotian's. After Feng Qingxuan successfully deflected two of his attacks, he gave a positive evaluation.
"This time it's decent—the foundation of Gale Flash Step, the logic of power generation is correct. Nobody taught you, you figured it out yourself?"
"I observed this a few times during practice sessions with the captain."
"You've learned this much just by observing yourself; it's quite impressive. You've added the rhythm of Silent Flight — Xiaotian's Instant Step is more of a fast attack, yours is quieter. You're developing your own style." Feng Qingxuan looked into Lu Hanxiao's eyes and said earnestly, "Keep refining it. But you need to be more decisive when you strike."
Lu Hanxiao nodded. The phantom of the Snowy Owl flashed faintly behind him—a natural reaction of his Martial Soul when he was emotionally agitated.
The group gritted their teeth and endured several more rounds until the last person was forced back to the edge of the arena. Feng Qingxuan never used his right hand. He slowly lowered his right hand, looked at the thirteen people panting in front of him, and nodded in satisfaction.
"I am very satisfied with your performance today. Your teamwork is already quite good. It is very commendable that you were able to maintain mutual trust and support under pressure. Keep it up."
Then his gaze turned to Zhong Yue and Shi Yan. " Shi Yan, your Bell Martial Soul is a bit special. Come to my place in the next few days, I want to take a look myself. Zhong Yue, come too." Shi Yan nodded vigorously.
After the competition, Feng Qingxuan had the whole team meditate and recuperate in the training ground.
Feng Lingtian sat cross-legged on the stone steps, and after only a short while of adjusting his breathing, he was the first to enter a meditative state. His Soul Power spontaneously accelerated its circulation within his body, breaking through a thin barrier—level thirty-six. It wasn't a deliberate breakthrough; it was the result of accumulated experience, a natural progression.
Lu Hanxiao leaned against the pillar and closed his eyes, intending only to take a break, but his Soul Power silently began to boil. He had repeatedly used Silent Flight just now, squeezing his Soul Power to its limit with each change of direction, and Feng Qingxuan's last words, "You have your own style now," were like a key that turned a lock. He suddenly opened his eyes, and the phantom of the Snowy Owl flashed and disappeared—level thirty-four.
Ye Qingyu found a more natural breathing method while switching auxiliary rhythms, breaking through to level 34. Ji Ning's unarmed stabbing attacks no longer had any stuttering, breaking through to level 34. Shi Yan shield became more stable after being hit repeatedly, breaking through to level 34. Su Ran's recovery ears of grain were repeatedly activated under extreme consumption, and the smoothness of Soul Power circulation was much higher than before, also breaking through to level 34.
Zhong Yue, Su Mei'er, Jiang Lin, Cheng Luo, and Lu Qing have not yet made a breakthrough. However, they can sense that they are very close to the next level.
That evening, Feng Lingtian turned to the page about Shi Yan in his journal and added a line below "reason unknown"—Father has also noticed the fluctuations inside the bell and will personally inspect it soon.
Meanwhile, Shi Yan was lying on his bed in his dormitory, tossing and turning over the same thing: the dean said his Bell Martial Soul was a bit special. What was so special about it? He couldn't quite put his finger on it. He just vaguely felt something vibrating gently deep inside the bell every time he went all out in defense—as if it were responding to his heartbeat.
End of Chapter 016