"Haha, Brother Hao, it seems another member of your group has fallen! Looks like our group will be the victor today!" Jianhai said, swinging his wooden sword once again at Zhenhao. A wide smile stretched across his face as he taunted, but to his surprise, Zhenhao laughed too.
"What's so funny? Have you already accepted defeat? Well, that's true adaptation!" Jianhai sneered.
But Zhenhao just shook his head, his smile widening to match Jianhai's. But unlike Jianhai's, Zhenhao's eyes gleamed with genuine amusement.
Annoyed by the look in his opponent's eyes, Jianhai's lips twitched with irritation. He lashed out again, but like before, Zhenhao met his strike with ease.
Their swords locked, and for a moment, they stood still, eye to eye.
Then Zhenhao spoke, his grin still in place, but now paired with a glint of sharp confidence.
"Do you really think that's all there is to it? How naive, Brother Hai." His grip on his sword tightened, and he shoved Jianhai back a step, catching him off guard.
"You think we didn't anticipate this situation? Heh... you underestimate us. Yes, you've beaten us in most group spars, especially with Haodao not even participating, but did you really think we'd just give up?"
His voice grew firmer, his gaze alight with conviction. Then, with another forceful swing, he shouted, "Ha! Naive! Today, we will win this spar, even with Haodao on your side!"
For a moment, Jianhai froze, stunned by the unwavering confidence radiating from Zhenhao. He had never seen this side of him before. But as the sword came down, Jianhai snapped out of it just in time.
The Sword struck his left shoulder, lightly, nowhere serious enough to be disqualified.
Jianhai stepped back, trying to regain his footing, but Zhenhao was relentless, slashing and swinging his sword without mercy, staying on him like a shadow.
Sweat dripped from their foreheads, soaking into their robes, which clung to their bodies. Both were visibly exhausted. Yet, despite their fatigue, their eyes told a different story.
Zhenhao's gaze burned with fierce confidence, while Jianhai's eyes held the resolve of a man who believed everything would go according to plan.
Their movements slowed, each swing, step, and block growing heavier with effort. Their breathing deepened, turning ragged. Jianhai had the advantage here.
His cultivation technique emphasized breath control and endurance. Zhenhao's technique, though also focused on stamina, leaned more toward maintaining a constant speed, because of that, while Zhenhao was faster, he was also quicker to tire.
Now, his speed had dulled just enough that Jianhai could keep up.
Locked in combat, they had entered a world of their own, where nothing else existed. Only a thought rang in their minds.
"Endure the fight!" "Defeat him!" But then, a voice cut through their private battlefield, loud and clear.
"Anbo and Sanye, out!"
"What?" Jianhai exclaimed, stunned.
His head jerked toward the source of the voice. His eyes searched the field, trying to locate where Anbo and Sanye had fallen. The shock of the announcement clouded his focus. For a critical second, he looked away from his opponent.
And in that moment, it happened.
By the time he realized his mistake, it was already too late. Zhenhao's sword was at his neck.
"You dared to look away? You really underestimated me, Brother Jianhai."
Zhenhao's voice was cold with fury.
Jianhai froze, stunned by his own lapse in judgment. And before he could utter a word, "Jianhai, out!"
Hearing those words, Jianhai stood frozen for a moment before letting himself collapse to the ground.
"How could I lose like this? No, why did I look away?"
His gaze swept across the training field and landed on the fierce battle between Haodao and Liangyu. The clash was intense, each strike filled with fury. Haodao's eyes were bloodshot with rage.
"Weak."
The word came out loud, so loud that all three fighters heard it. Only Yayang didn't take it personally, knowing the insult wasn't aimed at her. But Jianhai did. His heart sank.
The word struck deep.
"Weak?" he muttered under his breath, shaken. He questioned himself, was that truly what he was? Weak?
Zhenhao looked at him and sighed.
"Haaa... Brother Jianhai, you're not weak. You just didn't see through our plan. Qimei's elimination wasn't intentional, but it turned out to be the perfect sacrifice to divide your group."
Jianhai's eyes widened in disbelief as he looked into Zhenhao's steady gaze.
"You know," Zhenhao continued, "you could've won our fight. After a few more exchanges, I would've collapsed from exhaustion. But in the end, you didn't take me seriously enough. When your teammates were taken out, your focus shattered. I would've been just as stunned in your place."
He smiled faintly, then turned away and began walking toward the ongoing battle between Haodao and Liangyu. Yuexin moved too, joining Zhenhao in approaching Haodao.
From fighting just Liangyu, Haodao now had to face all three, Liangyu, Yuexin, and Zhenhao, but the two newcomers were nearly exhausted, just as Haodao was.
"Annoying," Haodao muttered, snorting as he struck down a wooden spear flying toward him.
Liangyu's spear was in rough shape, cracked and splintered from repeated clashes. Haodao never dodged, he only attacked, because of that, Liangyu had grown cautious.
He knew the moment his spear broke, the match would be over for him. His job was to stall Haodao, to keep him from aiding his team and in that, he had succeeded.
"Brother Haodao, we've already won," Liangyu said calmly, offering a gentle smile. "Three against one, it's clear who wins and who loses."
But to Haodao, that smile was pure mockery. His rage flared.
"Clear who wins and loses?" he growled. "Then surrender. Because from now on, I won't be holding back."
"Spare me?" he asked, one foot instinctively sliding back. He hoping his teammates would soon arrive to suppress Haodao together. His eyes never left Haodao's, he was confident his group would come through.
Seeing Liangyu shift into a defensive stance, Haodao glanced around. Both Zhenhao and Yuexin were approaching. Though they were visibly exhausted, barely able to catch their breath, the short moment of rest would allow them to recover just enough to fight again.
"Fools," Haodao muttered arrogantly. "They think three are enough to defeat me?"
Without a second glance at them, he let his wooden sword fall to the ground with a thud.
"Huh?" Liangyu gasped in surprise. Until now, Haodao had always fought with a sword. Was he giving up?
But just as the thought crossed his mind, Haodao began to laugh.
"Good… good… ah, this is perfect. Finally! Seems I can finally take this seriously!" His voice grew louder, more unhinged. "Hehe, Teacher always said the others should fight too, not just me taking them all on alone!"
Liangyu furrowed his brows. He couldn't make sense of Haodao's words. The man now laughed like a madman, his grin stretched unnaturally wide across his face.
"Hehehe..." Haodao chuckled once more. His eyes sharpened, and his smile twisted into something wild. Then, with a loud shout, he launched himself forward.
"Get ready for my Three Clawed Dragon!"
At that moment, Zhenhao and Yuexin, sensing the shift in the fight, pushed through their fatigue and charged in, Zhenhao with his sword, Yuexin with her spear.
But Haodao's movements changed entirely.
His hands formed a new shape, his pinky and ring finger curled in, while the remaining three fingers extended, claw like. His hand now resembled the talon of a three clawed dragon.
It was bizarre and sudden, catching everyone off guard. Still, Liangyu reacted quickly, thrusting his spear forward in defense.
But Haodao caught the spearhead, with just three fingers.
His fingers weren't just agile, they were like iron. With one sharp grip, he crushed the wooden spearhead, splintering it in an instant.
Liangyu's eyes widened in shock.
Instinctively, he stepped back, shaken by the destruction of his weapon, but before he could fully retreat, Haodao's clawed hand reached for him.
Panicking, Liangyu raised the broken shaft of the spear and swung it at Haodao, desperation in every movement.
"Hehe." Haodao chuckled lightly as he effortlessly grabbed the neck of the incoming spear. His fingers clenched like steel around the shaft. One violent twist and Liangyu staggered back, the breath knocked from his lungs.
Liangyu couldn't react in time. His eyes widened in confusion, unsure of what was happening, until the teacher's voice rang out across the training ground.
"Liangyu, out!"
With those words, Liangyu's fate was sealed. He dropped out of the match, but the battle wasn't over yet. Two opponents still remained, Zhenhao and Yuexin, rushing in from Haodao's blind side.
The teacher's announcement startled them both. Zhenhao's eyes widened for a brief moment, but he gritted his teeth and pressed on. Yuexin, however, froze in shock.
Haodao noticed it instantly, his wicked grin deepened.
Without hesitation, he turned and lunged straight toward her.
"Yuexin!" Zhenhao shouted. He had seen Haodao move, but Yuexin was just outside of Haodao's immediate reach. Thanks to Zhenhao's call, she barely had time to brace herself.
But it wasn't enough.
Haodao used the same technique he had used on Liangyu. Her spear snapped under his crushing grip. Stunned and caught off guard, Yuexin was helpless.
Unlike Liangyu, who had managed to react, she couldn't adjust in time and that made her an easy target.
"Yuexin, out!"
Zhenhao heard the teacher's voice again, but this time, he didn't falter. His eyes didn't waver. If anything, his focus sharpened.
Now, only he remained.
Zhenhao stepped forward, slowly and deliberately, his gaze locked onto Haodao.
He could feel the ache in his limbs, the weight of fatigue dragging at every step, but none of it mattered. His breath steadied, his grip tightened, he would not falter.
"For the Young Talent Tournament," Zhenhao whispered.
Then he raised his sword.