The next day!
The weather was gloomy, with the sun hidden behind dark clouds, much like Flender's mood.
Since morning, he had been wandering aimlessly around the academy, looking here and there. Every brick, every tile, every blade of grass, and every tree—he had poured so much of his heart into this place that he couldn't get enough of it.
He had remained unmarried his entire life for the sake of one person—Liu Erlong. Unfortunately, Liu Erlong didn't love him; she loved Yu Xiaogang.
It was a clichéd love triangle, much like many others on the continent. For example, Tang Chen, Qian Daoliu, and Bo Saixi, as well as Tang Xiao, Tang Hao, and A Yin—all were stories of two men and one woman.
Flender deeply loved Liu Erlong, but Yu Xiaogang was also his closest friend. To let the two of them be together, he chose to step aside. After that, Shrek Academy became his solace.
However, even though he stepped back, Liu Erlong and Yu Xiaogang never truly got together. They were cousins, and after learning this, Yu Xiaogang fled in a frenzy, while Liu Erlong waited for him in vain to this day.
Thinking of this, Flender's mood seemed to lighten a little. A sly smile crept onto his lips as he muttered to himself in a voice only he could hear:
"Xiaogang, since you want me to dissolve the academy, don't blame me for setting you up. Erlong has been waiting for you for so many years. This matter needs to be resolved. It's time for the Golden Iron Triangle to reunite."
Although Shrek Academy was Flender's life's work, he was also a hopeless romantic. At this moment, he was already considering sacrificing the academy for the chance to reunite Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong.
The thought of bringing Yu Xiaogang to Liu Erlong, and perhaps earning her gratitude, filled Flender with a sense of excitement. If Shrek Academy had to close, so be it.
As he continued to wander around the academy, Flender thought of more things. His Shrek Academy had always only accepted geniuses, which meant there were more teachers than students.
But this year was different from previous years. They had admitted four new students at once, all of them top-tier geniuses. While this was a good thing, the students had formed cliques, and the division among them was severe.
Flender sighed. After walking around the academy, he realized that Dai Mubai, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun were probably still fooling around in the city and hadn't returned. Tang San and Xiao Wu were still training rigorously under Yu Xiaogang's demands. As for Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing, they were nowhere to be found. He had no idea where they had gone.
With the students forming cliques, the academy was bound to fall apart sooner or later. Flender felt exhausted. Perhaps it really was time to take a break.
---
As for where Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing had gone, they were naturally at the manor where Chen Yuan lived, on the training grounds.
Chen Yuan held a wooden stick in his left hand, while his right hand formed a sword finger. Sword energy flickered at his fingertips, and as the energy danced, the wooden stick in his left hand transformed into a wooden sword.
"Success!"
Chen Yuan chuckled softly, dispersing the sword energy in his hand. He transferred the wooden sword from his left hand to his right, twirling it to get a feel for it. Satisfied, he nodded.
Then he looked up into the distance, his sword-like eyebrows raised, his expression relaxed, and said with a smile:
"Come at me!"
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing exchanged a glance and nodded in tacit agreement, a wordless understanding passing between them.
Zhu Zhuqing, with her spirit activated, was the first to attack. As an agility-type spirit master, her speed was impressive. She leaned forward, raising her right claw to target Chen Yuan's throat—one of a person's weak points.
Chen Yuan nodded inwardly, appreciating her strategy of using speed to target weaknesses. However, her speed was still too slow.
In an instant, Chen Yuan moved. To Zhu Zhuqing, he became a blur. As they crossed paths, Chen Yuan struck. Zhu Zhuqing felt a chill on her right claw. Even though it was just a wooden sword, the coldness it carried was palpable.
Zhu Zhuqing bit her lower lip, deeply shocked. In just one exchange, she had been completely outmatched. If Chen Yuan had been holding a real sword instead of a wooden one, her right hand would have been crippled.
In that brief moment, she realized the vast gap between herself and Chen Yuan. But this was just a spar, and she wasn't alone.
Ning Rongrong also made her move. She summoned her spirit, and a seven-story, seven-colored glazed pagoda appeared in her hands. Holding the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda, two yellow spirit rings rose beneath her feet as she called out:
"Seven Treasures shine with glazed light, first: strength, second: speed!"
Two beams of light shot out from the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda, quickly landing on Zhu Zhuqing. With her strength and speed increased by 30%, Zhu Zhuqing regained her confidence. She turned around and charged at Chen Yuan once more.
Even so, she could only barely keep up with Chen Yuan's speed. This was already remarkable, as Chen Yuan had consumed a large amount of whale fat, absorbed two spirit rings beyond his limits, and had two spirit bones enhancing him—one external and one 100,000-year spirit bone. His physical abilities far surpassed those of spirit masters at his level.
Facing Zhu Zhuqing's attack, Chen Yuan remained calm and composed. The wooden sword in his hand came to life, thrusting, flicking, slashing, and slicing in a continuous, storm-like assault. Zhu Zhuqing was forced to retreat repeatedly, creating distance to minimize the attacks she received.
Sweat beaded on Zhu Zhuqing's forehead, her cheeks flushed, and her breathing became uneven. Chen Yuan gave her no time to catch her breath. For every step she retreated, he advanced, his sword leaving faint marks on her body from time to time.
Although the wooden sword had no edge and Chen Yuan wasn't using full force, the chilling sensation it carried left Zhu Zhuqing feeling utterly powerless.
Chen Yuan took the opportunity to offer guidance:
"Don't rush. Stay calm. Learn to focus completely during battle. If you can see through my attacks, you'll be able to hold out for a while."
Hearing Chen Yuan's advice, Zhu Zhuqing paused for a moment, then obediently followed his words. Her eyes focused intently on Chen Yuan's sword movements, her mind fully concentrated.
Soon, she actually noticed that Chen Yuan's movements seemed to slow down slightly. Overjoyed, she dodged a strike and quickly leaped back to create distance. Before Chen Yuan could pursue her, she landed and activated her spirit skill to launch an attack:
"First Spirit Skill, Netherworld Thrust!"
With the boost from her spirit skill, Zhu Zhuqing's speed increased further. She thrust her right claw, fingers clenched, aiming for Chen Yuan's throat. However, fearing she might actually hurt him, she held back 30% of her strength.
Chen Yuan remained unfazed. In an instant, he moved, striking faster than Zhu Zhuqing. His left hand caught her wrist, while the wooden sword in his right hand rested against her snow-white neck.
Chen Yuan looked at Zhu Zhuqing, who was now mere inches away from him. Her cool, beautiful face showed a hint of surprise as he smiled and said:
"You've improved. You managed to counterattack under my assault. But it's still not enough. In battle, use 70% of your strength and hold back 30% to allow for flexibility. But if you decide to strike with full force, you should give it your all. Even a lion uses its full strength to catch a rabbit. Don't make this mistake again."
After saying this, Chen Yuan exerted force with his left hand, sending Zhu Zhuqing flying through the air. She twisted her body mid-air and landed steadily on the ground.
Chen Yuan then added:
"There's still room for improvement. Let's go again."
(End of Chapter)
Word Count : 1,360
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