Changes in Spirit Hall

Snow fell several more times, on and off. By the time the skies finally cleared, Spirit City was deep in winter.

That day, Ning Buhui went to the training grounds to collect his new training schedule. As soon as he turned into the corridor, he sensed that the atmosphere was different from previous years. Young disciples hurried past, their faces charged with barely contained excitement. Groups of three or five gathered beneath the eaves, talking in low but animated voices. He listened as he walked, catching mostly words like "Mission Hall," "points," and "Whale Rubber."

He understood. The method of using Whale Rubber that he had offered had gradually gained traction within Spirit Hall over the past year, and some of the younger generation had already reaped incredible benefits.

At the edge of the training grounds, Zhou Qing and Wu Tie were sparring. They traded blows, blade and fists meeting with metallic clangs. Ning Buhui watched for a while and saw that Zhou Qing's saber strikes were heavier than last month, while Wu Tie's footwork had grown much nimbler. When Zhou Qing spotted him, he pulled back his saber and jumped away. "Kid, you finally showed up," he said with a grin. "Any later and I'd have come to your quiet room to corner you."

"What did you need me for?" Ning Buhui asked.

"That Whale Rubber, of course." Zhou Qing wiped his sweat as he walked over. "A while back, I exchanged points for a piece of Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue at the Mission Hall and refined it in four sessions, just like your instructions said. And I'll be damned, it really did help. My muscles and bones are firmer than before, and I can put more force into my saber strikes."

Ning Buhui nodded. "Your Soul Power Level was already high. Did the Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue improve it much?"

"Better than nothing, I suppose." Zhou Qing spread his hands. "I'm a Soul Saint, after all. At this level, there isn't much outside help can affect. But it's still a little extra foundation I got for free, so why turn it down? I'm planning to have Wu Tie exchange for a piece too."

"Do you have enough points?" Ning Buhui asked.

"Enough. The Mission Hall added it to the exchange list recently, and a piece of Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue doesn't come cheap. Luckily, what I've saved up over the years is enough to cover it. Those little brats have it rough, though. If they want Whale Rubber, they'll have to run their legs off first."

Ning Buhui's thoughts stirred. It seemed Bibi Dong had already put the system he proposed into effect: access limited to core members, with exchanges made using mission points. Keeping the Whale Rubber at the Mission Hall served two purposes: controlling where it went and encouraging disciples to undertake more missions and gain experience. It was a far better approach than handing it out for free.

After a few more words with Zhou Qing, Ning Buhui headed toward the center of the training grounds. He had only taken a few steps when Yan's booming voice rang out behind him. "Ning Buhui! Come over and have a little practice with us!"

He turned to see Yan and Xie Yue entering through the east gate, one behind the other. Yan strode ahead, his coat unfastened and the training clothes beneath soaked with sweat and plastered to his body. Though he was only fourteen or fifteen, the bulging muscles on his frame already hinted at the terrifying explosive power buried within him. Xie Yue followed at his usual unhurried pace, carrying his Moon Blades, their edges gleaming cold and white in the light reflected off the snow.

"How are we supposed to practice? Wouldn't one punch from you knock a little support-type Soul Master like me flat?" Ning Buhui rolled his eyes and answered irritably.

"I'm not asking you to spar with me. Xie Yue's gone crazy lately." Yan tipped his chin toward Xie Yue. "Because of that Whale Rubber method, he refined a piece of Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue a while ago. He said he felt he could try absorbing a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring, and he's been practicing on me. You came at just the right time. Support me while I fight him, so I don't have to spend all day getting beaten up."

Ning Buhui looked at Xie Yue. Xie Yue said nothing, merely turning his gaze toward him and nodding in confirmation.

"Then you'd better be careful, Brother Xie Yue," Ning Buhui said with a smile.

"Enough talk." Xie Yue walked to the middle of the grounds and took his stance, spinning a Moon Blade in his palm. "Come on."

Ning Buhui didn't stand on ceremony. He took off his thick outer robe and stepped back to stand five paces behind Yan. He summoned the Nine Hell Soul-Suppressing Pagoda, which hovered above his palm, while two purple rings, one dark and one light, circled him. It was also his first time revealing his Soul Rings before outsiders. Xie Yue's eyebrows twitched; he seemed quite surprised, but after thinking that Ning Buhui was the Pope's disciple, he said nothing.

Ning Buhui knew he wasn't the main player in this fight. Yan and Xie Yue were. All he had to do was provide support and give Yan every enhancement he needed; the rest could be left to that humanoid Ferocious Beast.

"Begin," Xie Yue said.

Before the word had faded, he vanished from where he stood.

Ning Buhui's vision blurred, and a streak of cold white blade light sliced toward Yan's left ribs from an angle. So fast. His heart skipped, but his hands didn't falter. He had already poured Soul Power into the pagoda, and his First Soul Ring quietly lit up.

"Nine Hell Soul Suppression, Butterfly Dance Flowing Radiance."

A white fish swished its tail, and a pale golden butterfly phantom flew from the pagoda. With a flutter of its wings, it landed on Yan's shoulder, then flashed gold and sank into his body. Yan felt as though a warm current had washed through every limb and bone, filling him with strength in an instant.

"That's the stuff!" he roared. Neither dodging nor retreating, he drove his right fist, wreathed in scarlet Soul Power, toward the incoming blade light.

His First Soul Ring lit up. Lava Fist.

Fist wind and blade collided in midair with a sharp clang, like a hammer striking a sheet of steel. Xie Yue's figure paused for an instant. He flicked his blade upward in a backhand stroke, and his Second Soul Ring flashed silver. Moon Blade Flight. The pair of crescent-shaped short blades flew from his hands, tracing two silver arcs as they swept toward Yan's blind spots from either side. Without looking back, Yan activated his Second Soul Ring in turn. Fire Wall! A scarlet wall of fire rose from the ground, stopping both Moon Blades short of his body. The blades cut through the flames, their momentum slightly reduced, and Yan spun around and knocked them flying with two punches.

"Again!" Yan was brimming with fighting spirit, flames blazing around his fists.

"That support of yours is pretty good," Xie Yue said during a brief lull in their exchange.

"Of course," Ning Buhui said with a smile. "Don't blame me for taking his side, Senior Brother."

"Good. Now I can fight without holding back." Xie Yue gave a cold snort, and silver light surged along his Moon Blades. Clearly, he was getting serious.

Xie Yue raised his hands to catch the returning Moon Blades. His Third Soul Ring flashed purple. Shattered Moon Impact! The two blades joined as one, and a silver-white blade ray burst forth like a shattering moon, cleaving down at Yan's head amid a piercing sonic boom. The strike was faster and heavier than any before it. Yan's pupils contracted. Rather than take it head-on, he dropped into a crouch. Ning Buhui's Second Soul Ring lit up, and his voice rang out at just the right moment. "Nine Hell Soul Suppression, Vine Armor Spring Life."

A dark green vine armor phantom covered Yan's shoulders and back almost as soon as he crouched. Shattered Moon Impact struck the armor with a muffled bang. Cracks spread all over it, but it took the sharpest thirty percent of the force off the blow for Yan. Yan seized the opening and charged forward, driving a Lava Fist straight at Xie Yue's chest. Xie Yue held his blades across himself to block, but his feet slipped and the impact drove him back three steps.

"This support is fucking amazing!" Yan roared, swinging another punch backhanded. Ning Buhui's expression remained unchanged as he flicked a finger ever so lightly through the air, placing a second piece of vine armor beneath Yan's ribs. Sure enough, Xie Yue had circled around to his right again. A Moon Blade swept in close to the ground and met the newly formed vine armor, sending sparks flying.

"Three inches below his right armpit. He drops his wrist before he strikes," Ning Buhui suddenly said.

Xie Yue's eyebrow twitched. Yan grinned. "Got it!"

The two clashed again. No longer on the defensive, Yan fought more fiercely with every exchange, relying on Butterfly Dance Flowing Radiance's enhancement to all his attributes and Vine Armor Spring Life's damage reduction. Xie Yue, meanwhile, was like a cold silver-white snake, his Moon Blades flashing as he tried to wear his opponent down with speed. But whenever he found an opening, a vine armor phantom would intercept his blade ahead of time, as though its path had already been calculated. He knew perfectly well this wasn't Yan's doing, but that of the child standing five paces away.

"Can you predict my moves?" Xie Yue asked during a brief lull.

"Just a coincidence," Ning Buhui said with a smile. "Your blades are too fast, Brother Xie Yue. I'm only guessing blindly."

"Guessing blindly?" Xie Yue snorted, and his figure abruptly split in two. Moon Blade Phantom! Both Moon Blades slashed at Ning Buhui simultaneously from the left and right. He didn't actually intend to hurt him; he only wanted to test the child's reactions. Ning Buhui remained calm. His pagoda shifted sideways, and with a tap of his toe, he drifted half a step back like a leaf. The blade light brushed past his ear, severing a few strands of hair.

"I'm your opponent!" Yan roared. Lava Body! His Third Soul Ring lit up, scarlet Soul Power flowing over his body like magma. Cracks covered his skin, making him look like a volcano ready to erupt at any moment. He took a step, melting the snow beneath him, and charged bodily at Xie Yue. Xie Yue pulled his blades back to defend, but the impact still sent him flying backward, carving two deep furrows in the snow.

"I'm done." Xie Yue landed on one knee, his Moon Blades buried in the snow and his chest heaving. He looked up at Ning Buhui. "You're impressive."

Ning Buhui put away his martial soul and smiled at Xie Yue. "Thanks for the compliment. You're even more impressive, Brother Xie Yue."

Applause suddenly came from the edge of the grounds. Hu Liena had arrived at some unknown point. Wearing a red velvet cloak, she stood in the snow like a freshly picked plum blossom. She clapped a few times and said with a smile, "Wonderful. Junior Brother, your support is pretty good."

Ning Buhui nodded to her. "What brings you here, Senior Sister?"

"I was passing by," Hu Liena said. "I heard quite a commotion and came in to look. I didn't expect to see the day when Yan wasn't the one being chased around and beaten."

"Hey!" Yan shouted. "I have support now. It's anyone's guess who'd be chasing whom!"

"Yes, yes, Brother Yan is mighty and brave." Hu Liena's eyes curved with her smile. Then she looked at Xie Yue. "But if my brother's Fourth Soul Ring really is ten thousand years old, I think your vine armor will soon be insufficient, Junior Brother."

"Not necessarily." Xie Yue wiped his blades without looking up. He knew clearly that only by fighting Ning Buhui would one learn his abilities went beyond this.

"Are there more surprises I don't know about?" Hu Liena asked, astonished.

"You'll find out later." Xie Yue put away his Moon Blades and tipped his chin toward Ning Buhui. "Today's fight was very useful. We should spar more often from now on."

"Sure," Ning Buhui said with a smile.

"Then support me again next time. Today's fight was fantastic!" Yan cut in.

Ning Buhui smiled. He knew the others were starting to acknowledge him. Perhaps he could even become a member of the Golden Generation at the Soul Master Tournament. Of course, before that, he still needed to raise his Soul Power Level.