Those who didn't believe in themselves weren't even worth the effort!

Gu Yue's forehead veins bulged, her Soul Power surged rapidly through her meridians, and the overload caused her temples to throb, yet her eyes were clearer than ever before.

The surrounding elements of ice, fire, earth, wind, and space seemed to come alive, flowing and arranging themselves according to her will. With a slight movement of her fingertips, the elements took shape. She was now the master of the elements in this space.

With a wave of her hand, the soil beneath her feet trembled violently.

Amber Rock Wall Rampart

A half-meter-thick crystallized rock wall rose abruptly from the ground, its surface shimmering with an amber glow, lying directly across Bai Yushan's path. The instant the rock wall took shape, countless fragments of rock were automatically ejected from its surface, densely packed and striking to the left and right, sealing off all angles of evasion.

Bai Yushan laughed heartily, his steps not slowing down at all. His right palm, fingers together, was like a knife, the Crane-shaped power concentrated at his fingertips, sharp enough to cut through the air.

Crane Beak Void-Breaking Peck.

He slammed his fingertip into the center of the rock wall. With a sharp crack, spiderweb-like cracks appeared in the amber rock wall from the center point. He twisted his wrist, releasing a burst of internal force, and the entire rock wall exploded. Debris and dust shot into the sky, blurring people's vision.

"You think you can stop me?!" Bai Yushan's voice drifted out from the smoke and dust, laced with utter mockery.

In that brief moment of hesitation, just as he broke through the dust and took a step forward, the light above him suddenly dimmed. Looking up, he saw the entire sky filled with countless dense amethyst prisms, each gleaming with a chilling purple light, their sharp tips all pointed at him, the cold almost freezing to the bone.

Amethyst Ice Spike Rain!

"You underestimate me, Bai Yushan! I can make you bleed now!"

Gu Yue stood at a distance, her long silver hair fluttering in the wind, her purple eyes flashing with cold light, as she raised her hand and pressed down hard.

A deluge of icicles rained down with a piercing whistling sound, like a purple downpour, covering an area of several meters in radius, sealing off even the smallest gaps for dodging.

Bai Yushan's eyes lit up. Instead of dodging, he charged towards the icicles.

Lightning Escape: Lightning Armor

A purple-blue arc of electricity instantly enveloped his entire body, crackling and exploding. He threw out both fists simultaneously, unleashing the full power of his tiger-like form, his fists carrying lightning as they slammed into the rain of icy shards.

Tiger Roar Mountain-Crushing Fist!

A series of crisp bangs echoed as the icicles hurtling towards them were shattered one by one, scattering ice fragments that reflected a cold light under the lamplight.

"Should I give you an award? You piece of trash. If you're so tough, come at me head-on!"

As Bai Yushan punched and shattered the ice, he laughed loudly, his voice piercing through the icy rain and clearly reaching Gu Yue's ears.

Gu Yue's expression turned cold, and her fingertips subtly twitched within her sleeve. The icy rain hadn't stopped yet, and the fire element beneath the ground had quietly accumulated to its maximum.

Crimson-Gold Solar Flame Pillar!

Right at the foot of Bai Yushan, a dazzling golden-red pillar of fire suddenly shot into the sky, its temperature so high that it distorted the air and engulfed him entirely.

Leng Yaozhu, watching from the sidelines, raised an eyebrow slightly. This ice-fire combo was perfectly timed, using the rain of ice shards to obscure the view while the underground flames launched a surprise attack. If it were an ordinary Soul Ancestor, they would probably have been severely burned.

Even as the pillar of fire rose, Gu Yue did not relax for a moment. She knew all too well how powerful Bai Yushan's physical body was.

Sure enough, a figure crackling with electricity shot out from the pillar of fire the next second.

Bai Yushan was surrounded by lightning, his clothes were burned and torn to shreds, but his skin was not even slightly burned. In fact, he was even faster than before, rushing straight towards her.

"Just this little flame? Not even enough to warm you up!" Bai Yushan grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, his eyes gleaming with even more madness.

Gu Yue remained calm and composed, his palm loosely forming a ring.

Jade Vacuum Ring!

A nearly transparent emerald green aura formed in front of her, without making a sound, yet carrying a sharpness capable of cutting through everything, sweeping horizontally towards Bai Yushan. Wherever it passed, even the air was cut open, leaving a faint trace.

Bai Yushan paused, dodging to the side. The vacuum ring grazed his arm, slicing through the Lightning Armor and leaving a shallow bloodstain on his arm.

"Oh?" Bai Yushan glanced down at the beads of blood seeping from his arm, his grin widening. "It really did break the skin. Not bad."

"I told you, you would become my defeated opponent sooner or later!" Gu Yue shouted coldly, flicking her fingers repeatedly.

Azure Crystal Spike Thrust!

Thousands of tiny ice needles burst forth from the void, exploding in starlight-like patterns and enveloping Bai Yushan from all directions. Each ice needle carried a chilling power that would freeze one's blood upon contact with it.

Bai Yushan let out a low shout, and a ring of lightning suddenly exploded around his body.

Rampaging Volt!

The high-voltage electromagnetic wave spread outwards from him, instantly melting and evaporating the ice needles that rushed towards him, preventing them from even getting close. The residual force of the wave did not diminish and continued to spread towards Gu Yue.

Gu Yue was prepared, and multiple layers of ice prism mirrors instantly rose in front of him.

Frost-Cold Thousand-Layer Mirror!

Layer upon layer of ice mirrors were stacked together. High-voltage radio waves struck the ice mirrors, melting them layer by layer. The ice mirrors shattered and regenerated repeatedly, and the cold air eroded them in the opposite direction along with the radio waves.

Taking advantage of the moment when the radio waves were blocked, Gu Yue swayed.

The Goshawk Swift Feather Flash!

She leaped out like a falcon, leaving a trail of feather-like streaks in her wake, and within a few breaths she was behind Bai Yushan. Spatial power condensed at her fingertips, and a jet-black slash was silently unleashed.

Spatial Slash!

Bai Yushan seemed to have eyes in the back of his head; without even turning his head, he swung his claw.

Ape-Arm Star-Plucking Hand!

The claws moved nimbly and accurately, aiming for Gu Yue's wrist.

Gu Yue hurriedly withdrew his hand and pressed down, their fingertips colliding, and they each took half a step back.

In close combat, Gu Yue was not afraid in the slightest.

With her bloodline awakened and her body tempered by electricity, her physical form was now completely different. Earth element enveloped her fists, and fire element attached to her knuckles. She twisted her waist and threw punches, each move carrying the power of elemental enhancement, engaging Bai Yushan in close combat.

Fists, palms, claws, elbows—the two were locked in close combat, the sounds of their collisions echoing continuously.

Gu Yue switched between elements with fluid grace; one moment his fist was imbued with heavy earth energy, the next it transformed into scorching flames; his legs swept out with the sharpness of Wind Blade, occasionally weaving through spatial rifts to ambush his opponents.

But Bai Yushan's Five Beast Way is even more ruthless. Tiger Fist is fierce and powerful, Bear Paw is heavy and heavy, Deer Step is agile and nimble, Ape Claw is cunning and treacherous, Crane Beak is swift and fast. He can switch between the five kinds of force at will, and every move is aimed at joints and acupoints.

As the fight went on, Gu Yue gradually fell into a disadvantageous position, her arms and legs aching and numb from the blows she had taken.

"What are you doing? Trying to flirt with me?!" Bai Yushan slapped her fist away and sneered.

"Don't be so smug!" Gu Yue took half a step back and slammed her hands together.

Purple Flame Spiral Blast!

The purplish-black flame spiral rapidly contracted in her palm, collapsing inward to its limit before exploding with a deafening roar. The high-temperature shockwave, carrying an aura of destruction, hurtled towards Bai Yushan at close range.

The distance was too close; there was no way to avoid it.

Bai Yushan crossed his arms to protect his chest, channeling his strength into his arms, and forcefully withstood the blow.

With a deafening roar, the shockwave swept across the area, blasting a shallow crater into the ground.

Bai Yushan slid back several meters, his shoes leaving two deep grooves on the alloy floor, and his arms felt slightly numb.

"That's interesting," he said, swinging his arm and widening his smile, "But only a little bit!"

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly exerted force with his feet, and his whole body shot out like a cannonball, so fast that he left a trail of afterimages.

Lightning Flash Step!

In the blink of an eye, he rushed in front of Gu Yue, raised his right fist high, lightning Entanglement the blade, and slammed it down from above.

"Fist Bone! Impact!"

The instant the roar exploded, the lightning on his fist surged several times over, and the surging current condensed into a blue "+" in Bai Yushan's hand! His imposing aura firmly locked onto Gu Yue's body.

The air crackled and popped from the force of the punch, even causing the alloy plates on the ground to sink slightly. At that moment, Gu Yue felt as if he were sealed off from all sides, with nowhere to retreat and nowhere to escape.

Gu Yue's eyes suddenly hardened.

If you can't avoid it, then don't try to avoid it.

She quickly formed hand seals in front of her chest, and all six colors of elemental energy around her vanished, replaced by a wisp of deep purple lightning that shot out from her palm. This was the seventh power hidden deep within her bloodline, the might of thunder, far surpassing ordinary elements.

Destruction Lightning!

A deep purple lightning bolt, carrying an aura of destruction, crashed head-on into Bai Yushan's fist. Wherever the lightning passed, even the space itself trembled slightly.

"Too weak! Gu Yue! Learn to face me!"

Bai Yushan let out a wild laugh, and instead of retracting his fist, he opened his mouth wide and bit directly at the Destruction Lightning.

With a crisp snap, the raging lightning was bitten between his teeth. Purple electric snakes darted around the corner of his mouth, but they couldn't even scratch his skin.

He didn't stop; instead, his punches became even more powerful.

With lightning crackling from his mouth, he slammed a punch into Gu Yue's chest.

Bang--!

The muffled thud made the entire platform tremble three times.

Gu Yue flew backward like a kite with a broken string, her white clothes fluttering in the wind, and her back slammed heavily against the alloy wall of the training ground.

Clang!

The thick alloy wall was smashed into a human-shaped dent, and cracks spread out for more than ten meters along the hole. Gu Yue was embedded in the wall, her long silver hair disheveled and covering her face, her limbs hanging limply, like a painting hanging on the wall.

Bai Yushan landed, his feet shattering the thin ice on the ground, and stood firmly. He snapped his jaws shut, making a few crunching sounds, and swallowed the purple lightning in his mouth with a tilt of his head back. He wiped the electric sparks from the corner of his mouth, revealing a mouthful of white teeth, and laughed wildly.

"Gu Yue, when will you understand that neglecting the cultivation of your true self will never make you a true powerhouse?"

"Stop lecturing me!"

The figure on the wall moved. Gu Yue picked at the crack in the wall with her fingers and slowly slid down from the pit. She staggered when her feet landed, and she gasped for breath, supporting herself on her knees. Her white clothes were covered in dust, and there was a trace of blood at the corner of her mouth. Her whole body felt like it was falling apart, and she could barely lift her arms.

But she still straightened her back.

There was no sign of retreat in his purple eyes; instead, they burned with a fierce fire.

"I don't care what people in this world say about me. I only want to act according to my beliefs, and I will never regret it, now or in the future!"

She shouted it out with her last bit of strength; her voice was still trembling, but every word was firm and resounding.

Bai Yushan was stunned for a moment, then threw his head back and burst into wild laughter.

"Oh, hahaha!"

His laughter shook the ceiling, causing dust to fall in a flurry. He laughed for a long time before finally stopping, his eyes less playful and more serious.

"A person who doesn't believe in themselves has no value in making an effort."

"If one day you lose this spirit, I will personally beat you until you kneel and beg for mercy!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a red figure suddenly appeared beside him. The speed was so fast that even the Electromagnetic Clarity could only catch a fleeting afterimage.

"You damned apprentices! I sent you to spar, not to make enemies!"

Leng Yaozhu's eyebrows furrowed, her crimson-gold eyes filled with anger. She raised her hand and flicked her finger hard across Bai Yushan's forehead.

Thump--!

A muffled thud, even deeper than the sound of fists colliding earlier.

Bai Yushan didn't even have a chance to react before his head slammed into the alloy floor with a loud thud. His head was embedded in the ground, and cracks spread out like a spider web around it, leaving only the back of his head sticking out, his black hair sticking up in a messy, unruly manner.

Gu Yue stood on the opposite side, watching this scene, and the corner of her mouth twitched violently.

The guy who was so arrogant just a moment ago was suddenly pinned to the ground.

Leng Yaozhu withdrew her hand, flicked her wrist, and her chest heaved slightly with anger.

"I told you to test her elemental fusion, who told you to go for the kill? If you really hurt her, I'll skin you alive!"

A muffled thud came from the floor, indistinct. "Teacher... I'm holding back..."

"Can you really smash someone into a wall by pulling back your strength?" Leng Yaozhu raised her foot and lightly kicked him in the butt. "Still being stubborn! You'll reflect on your actions in there for ten minutes!"

"No, teacher!" Bai Yushan shouted in a muffled voice, "The floor is too hard, it's uncomfortable!"

"Bear with it." Leng Yaozhu glared at him and turned to walk towards Gu Yue. She raised her hand, and a gentle golden-red flame covered Gu Yue's shoulder. The warmth spread along his meridians, and the soreness in his body was relieved by more than half.

"Are you alright?" Leng Yaozhu's voice softened a bit. "That kid doesn't know his own strength, don't take it to heart."

Gu Yue shook her head, her purple eyes still fixed on the figure embedded in the floor, her expression complex.

"I'm fine, teacher. It's just that I'm not good enough."

"You've done very well." Leng Yaozhu patted her shoulder. "To be able to use the seventh lightning element to this extent right after awakening is beyond my expectations. However, no matter how strong the elemental power is, it still needs to be well coordinated with the physical body and movement techniques, otherwise it's easy to be suppressed by close-range experts."

"Disciple understands." Gu Yue nodded, his eyes growing even more determined.

She remembered that punch she received today.

One day, she will return it intact.

On the other side, Bai Yushan had been stuck in the floor for less than two minutes when he started to get restless. He strained his shoulders slightly, trying to pull his head out, but after only a couple of movements, the back of his head was jolted again.

"Behave yourself." Leng Yaozhu without even turning her head.

Bai Yushan immediately froze, obediently lying on the ground, muttering to himself, "Violent woman..."

"What did you say?" Leng Yaozhu turned around, raising an eyebrow.

"It's nothing! I said the teacher was right to reprimand me!" Bai Yushan immediately changed his tune, his voice loud and clear, even those muffled by the floor could hear it clearly.

Seeing his expression, Gu Yue couldn't help but smile, but quickly suppressed it again.