Wu Changkong stood in the center of the arena, his hands behind his back and his chin slightly raised. His white robes rustled softly in the wind, giving him the air of a master above worldly concerns.
Watching from the side, Qing Linyun could not help marveling that Wu Changkong really knew how to show off.
Meanwhile, Gu Yue, Xie Xie, and Tang Wulin formed a semicircle around him, but none of them made the first move.
"Everyone's here."
Wu Changkong glanced at the three of them and slowly explained the day's special training.
"Today's special training is simple. The three of you, come at me with everything you've got."
The three exchanged looks.
"I'll suppress my Soul Power to the level of a One-Ring Soul Master."
Wu Changkong paused, then gave them what amounted to a piece of good news.
"I won't use Soul Skills or my Martial Soul."
Xie Xie was the first to jump up.
"Teacher Wu, you're joking, right? You'll suppress yourself to one ring and won't use Soul Skills or your Martial Soul, and all three of us will attack you together?"
"What, afraid you can't beat me?"
"Afraid? You've got to be kidding!"
Xie Xie flashed a toothy grin.
"I'm afraid we'll hurt you, and there won't be anyone to teach us tomorrow!"
Wu Changkong did not answer, but the corners of his lips curved into a playful smile.
Qing Linyun stood at the edge of the arena, arms folded as he watched the fun.
He noticed the subtle change at the corners of Wu Changkong's mouth and understood at once.
Well, then.
He thought to himself.
That bigmouth Xie Xie is getting a beating tonight.
Gu Yue, on the other hand, had not paid much attention to the special training. But when she heard Xie Xie's words, she still frowned instinctively.
Has this human cub lost his mind? I'd better stay away from him, or I might get caught up in it when he gets beaten.
Gu Yue moved two steps to the side without showing a thing.
She even had the leisure to raise an eyebrow at Qing Linyun by the arena.
Her meaning was plain as day: watch closely, I'll put on a show for you in a moment.
Qing Linyun met her gaze. Instead of mocking her as usual or deliberately provoking her, he simply smiled at her.
A very slight smile.
It was a tender smile, one that nearly captured a certain Silver Dragon Fish's heart.
Gu Yue froze for a moment, then her face suddenly flushed red. As if she had been scalded, she quickly turned away and focused on the arena again.
But her thoughts had already drifted away, and no matter how she tried, she could not pull them back.
What's with him today?
Her heart was in a panic, her thoughts in a tangle.
Isn't he always making snide remarks? Why is he suddenly smiling so tenderly today?
Could he have fallen for me? Am I really that charming?
She did not dare think any further, yet she could not stop herself.
Lately, she could not explain it herself, but her eyes kept drifting toward Qing Linyun of their own accord.
He was clearly insufferable, with no filter on his mouth, but she just could not control her eyes.
And then there was the jade pendant against her chest.
She had originally wanted to throw away the one Qing Linyun had given her, but somehow, she had ended up keeping it and wearing it close to her skin.
The pendant had one benefit: after being worn for a long time, it could slowly mend the old injuries inside her body. It worked so slowly that she could barely feel it from day to day, but it was effective.
Gu Yue could not say what sort of thing it was, but it rested there, warm against her chest, and even when she wanted to take it off, she could not bear to.
So annoying.
She cursed inwardly, unsure whether she was cursing Qing Linyun or herself.
The jade pendant against her chest rested warmly against her once more.
She reached up and pressed a hand over it, lightly tracing its surface with a fingertip. As she did, the corners of her mouth lifted a little of their own accord, only for her to quickly suppress the smile.
Tang Wulin, meanwhile, stood there obediently, a cautious look on his face. He tugged at Xie Xie, who was still talking away beside him, and reminded him in a low voice.
"Xie Xie, stop talking."
"With Teacher Wu's strength, even without using Soul Skills or his Martial Soul, he could probably still knock our teeth all over the floor."
"No way! The three of us aren't particularly strong, but can we really not beat one man together? Just don't end up hurting Teacher Wu."
Clearly, the inept Xie Xie had not realized that he was already close to landing on Wu Changkong's must-kill list.
"If you hurt me, that's to your credit."
"Begin," Wu Changkong said calmly.
Tang Wulin opened his mouth, wanting to say more, but Xie Xie had already run out of patience. "All right, all right, Teacher Wu said to begin, so quit dawdling! Go!"
The battle began the moment Wu Changkong's words fell.
All three released their Martial Souls at once.
Xie Xie flipped his hands and gripped a Light Dragon Dagger glowing white in his right hand. The Yellow Soul Ring at his feet slowly rose, its light illuminating half his face.
The phantom image of an Elemental Stone appeared behind Gu Yue, the translucent stone shimmering with seven colors as two Yellow Soul Rings pulsed in unison.
A stalk of Blue Silver Grass emerged from Tang Wulin's palm, its wilted leaves swaying in the wind. The White Soul Ring at his feet also lit up.
The three exchanged a glance and charged at Wu Changkong together.
Wu Changkong stood where he was without moving a muscle.
Xie Xie was the fastest. The Yellow Soul Ring at his feet flashed, and his Light Dragon Dagger stabbed straight at Wu Changkong's face.
Gu Yue followed behind him. She raised a fingertip, sending two icicles whizzing out, while a wall of earth appeared behind Wu Changkong, sealing off his retreat.
Tang Wulin was half a beat slower. The White Soul Ring at his feet glowed faintly, and Blue Silver Grass spread along the ground, attempting to wrap around Wu Changkong's ankles.
At first glance, their opening assault looked fairly convincing.
Xie Xie was actually quite skilled with his dagger. The Light Dragon Dagger struck from tricky angles, and his skill was nothing to be ashamed of among his peers.
Gu Yue's control over the elements was even more flawless. The angles of her icicles and the timing of her wind blades were spot-on with every shot.
Even Tang Wulin's Blue Silver Grass, though slow, went in the right direction. He knew to sneak in from below rather than meet their opponent head-on.
Individually, none of the three was weak.
Unfortunately, put them together, and everything fell into chaos.
Wu Changkong shifted sideways and caught the tip of the Light Dragon Dagger between two fingers, using neither too much nor too little force. Xie Xie's charge came to a halt as if he had run into a wall.
Wu Changkong lifted a foot and flicked the Blue Silver Grass aside with his toe, then struck backhanded with his palm, smashing both icicles to fragments.
The whole sequence flowed like clouds and water, and not even the hem of his robes fluttered.
Cool as hell, his hem slightly dirty.
Xie Xie stared in disbelief.
Gu Yue was not surprised. Even with one ring's worth of Soul Power, Wu Changkong still had the body of a Soul Emperor.
She snorted, and the second Yellow Soul Ring at her feet flared.
She thrust out her palm, unleashing Elemental Tide. Ice, wind, and earth surged around her, turning into a three-colored torrent that blasted toward Wu Changkong.
Only then did Wu Changkong give her a proper look. He raised a hand and blocked the torrent outright.
"Interesting," he said.
Qing Linyun stood at the edge of the arena, thoroughly amused.
A Soul Emperor with one ring's worth of Soul Power isn't really a one-ring soul master.
His physical strength and combat experience are right there. Those three little fellows are a long way from beating him with brute force.
Qing Linyun could not help smiling. Sure enough, watching someone blast fish in a barrel was more entertaining.
For their second assault, the three changed tactics.
Xie Xie had learned his lesson. Instead of charging straight in, he used Gu Yue's elements for cover, darting in from the left and then the right.
Gu Yue changed her approach as well. The second Yellow Soul Ring at her feet lit up again, and Elemental Tide spread a sheet of ice across the ground. It was slick and slippery, making Xie Xie's steps speed up and slow down, hard to predict.
But that was also where the problem lay.
Xie Xie darted left while Gu Yue pressed right, and the two nearly collided.
Xie Xie stopped short, his Light Dragon Dagger nearly slicing into Gu Yue's ball of elemental light. Her expression changed, and she flung a wind blade at him, sending it flying past his ear.
"What are you doing?!" Xie Xie jumped in fright.
"I was about to ask you the same thing!"
Gu Yue glared at him coldly. "Where are you stabbing that dagger? You nearly stabbed me!"
"I was dodging Teacher Wu!"
"You dodged Teacher Wu by coming my way?"
"Because I wanted to!"
While the two were bickering, Wu Changkong's figure flickered, and he appeared in front of Xie Xie before striking him in the back with his palm.
Xie Xie could not dodge in time. The blow sent him flying, and he rolled twice on the ground before scrambling to his feet.
Only after taking that blow did Xie Xie finally understand just how great the gap was between Teacher Wu with one ring's worth of Soul Power and a One-Ring Soul Master.
It was not a gap in Soul Power, but in experience and physique. Wu Changkong was a genuine Six-Ring Soul Emperor, after all, and neither his physical toughness nor his strength was comparable to an ordinary One-Ring Soul Master's.
Every palm strike Wu Changkong made seemed to anticipate where they would plant their feet. Each looked like a casual swing, but in fact sealed off every path of retreat.
Xie Xie rolled out of the way, but before he could catch his breath, Wu Changkong was already in front of him. His soul nearly flew from his body in fright, and he waved his Light Dragon Dagger wildly. Wu Changkong merely tilted his head, avoiding a vital hit, then caught his wrist with a backhanded motion and gave it a gentle twist. The Light Dragon Dagger slipped from Xie Xie's hand and clattered onto the arena floor.
"You two, are you fighting me or each other?" Wu Changkong asked calmly.
Gu Yue and Xie Xie glared at each other, but neither made a sound.
On the third assault, Tang Wulin fell behind.
Gu Yue and Xie Xie charged in again, leaving Tang Wulin in the rear. His Blue Silver Grass could not keep up with their pace.
He wanted to hold Wu Changkong back, but he was afraid of getting in their way. He could only run in a hurry, then stop after a couple of steps, standing there helplessly, unsure where to position himself.
Qing Linyun saw it clearly and sighed inwardly.
Tang Wulin really was a little too useless right now. With his Golden Dragon King Bloodline Seals still unopened and his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul unevolved, he was a complete combat-power-five weakling.
But it was precisely while he was such a weakling that Qing Linyun had the best opportunity to act.
After all, bringing charcoal in the snow was bound to be far better than adding flowers to brocade.
Qing Linyun had plenty of good things on hand. Giving Tang Wulin just a little would be enough to sustain him for now and improve his strength somewhat. It would be a favor, and it could also let Tang Wulin keep Gu Yue occupied for a while, leaving Qing Linyun more time.
After all, Qing Linyun could not exactly give Tang Wulin a Martial Soul or good Soul Bones and the like.
At most, he would help increase the age of Tang Wulin's Soul Ring so that he could keep up with Xie Xie. Qing Linyun would do no more than that.
The situation in the arena was gradually improving, however.
After fighting for a while, Gu Yue had begun to figure things out. She stopped competing with Xie Xie, and the second Yellow Soul Ring at her feet flashed repeatedly as Elemental Tide spread the ice farther. She sent icicles, wind blades, and light arrows flying in turn, firmly pinning down Wu Changkong's attention.
Xie Xie found an opening. The Yellow Soul Ring at his feet lit up as he slid across the ice, his Light Dragon Dagger slashing and stabbing from extremely tricky angles.
Tang Wulin finally found his place. The White Soul Ring at his feet flashed, and Blue Silver Grass emerged from beneath the ground, quietly winding around Wu Changkong's ankle. Though Wu Changkong broke free with a kick, it still held him for an instant.
For once, the three of them managed something resembling proper teamwork.
Wu Changkong glanced slightly to the side and gave Tang Wulin an extra look.
"Interesting."
This time, his interest was genuinely stirred.
He had to put in some effort before he could break the three's assault.
The ice burst apart, the Blue Silver Grass was snapped, and Xie Xie's Light Dragon Dagger was knocked aside by a palm strike. All three were forced back to their original positions.
But as soon as Wu Changkong steadied himself, his brows furrowed.