Bang!
After being sent flying, Yue Liqun crashed hard into the courtyard wall. With a loud thud, his body splayed out in a large X shape against it.
"Hiss!"
Feeling the burning pain in his back from the impact, Yue Liqun gasped sharply.
As he slid down the wall, he reached to touch his back, wincing at the pain, and then turned to look at the wall he had collided with, his eyes filled with shock.
To him, this wall looked completely ordinary, yet it was unexpectedly sturdy.
Given the current strength of his body and the force of Lin Qian's knee strike, Yue Liqun was certain that if he had crashed into a mountainside in the Gu Lin World, it would have caused a collapse.
"Stop staring. This floating courtyard was specially designed by the Huogong Department of the Hua Xia Empire for me. Even if you hit it with all your strength, you wouldn't be able to shake this wall in the slightest."
Lin Qian's words sparked Yue Liqun's competitive spirit. Seeing the look on his face, Lin Qian could easily tell what he was thinking.
"Don't believe me? Go ahead and test it yourself," Lin Qian said, pointing to the wall with a smile as he noticed Yue Liqun's reluctance to admit defeat.
Nodding to Lin Qian, Yue Liqun turned to face the wall. Taking a deep breath, he summoned his Yuan Qi core and components, equipping them into a fiery red flame staff.
As his fiery soul force ignited, Yue Liqun gripped the flame staff with both hands and, refusing to believe it, swung it fiercely at the wall.
Boom!
A deafening roar echoed, but the sound was tightly contained within the courtyard by its array, preventing it from escaping.
Crack!
A clear cracking sound followed as the flame staff in Yue Liqun's hands shattered into pieces. The force of the recoil caused his hands to split open at the tiger's mouth, blood dripping from the wounds, and sent him flying backward.
Lin Qian, amused, extended a hand and caught Yue Liqun mid-air, preventing him from flying out of the courtyard.
As Lin Qian set Yue Liqun back on the ground, he sat down heavily. When he stood again, his arms were trembling uncontrollably from the shock.
"How does it feel?" Lin Qian asked with a mischievous smile as he looked at Yue Liqun.
With a pained expression, Yue Liqun replied, "Numb!"
"Self-inflicted. You didn't listen to me," Lin Qian remarked before suddenly turning and kicking Yue Liqun in the chest, sending him flying once more.
Ugh! Yue Liqun grunted as he was thrown back again, crashing into the wall with a loud thud.
Sliding down the wall, Yue Liqun looked up at Lin Qian, his expression puzzled, as his entire body felt as if it had been shattered.
"Even though I used you as an experiment, you've benefited from so many of my resources. It would be a waste not to fully develop your potential," Lin Qian said, retracting his leg and looking down at Yue Liqun. "Many before you have seen their strength soar under my special training. With your talent, you should fare quite well."
In truth, Lin Qian greatly appreciated Yue Liqun's potential. After reaching the Life and Death Realm, he had chosen to reset his cultivation and start anew—a choice that was akin to setting the game to "hell mode."
Yet not only did Yue Liqun undertake this challenge, but he also succeeded, reaching the Awakening Realm once more.
With such natural talent, and after the successful use of the Reset Crystal, it would be a waste not to give him thorough training.
As for Yue Liqun's previous offenses against Lin Qian, they weren't significant. The grueling training ahead could serve as punishment for his past recklessness and disrespect.
"I'll personally train you. Don't disappoint me in the upcoming war," Lin Qian said, his eyes gleaming with a hint of cruelty. The sight sent a shiver down Yue Liqun's spine.
Logically, receiving personal training from Lin Qian should have been a great honor. So why did Yue Liqun feel a sudden chill creeping up his spine? He couldn't quite understand his reaction.
"Achoo!"
At Lin Hai State, by the seaside, one of the two men gazing at the ocean suddenly shook his head and sneezed.
Rubbing his nose, Lei Qian frowned. "How strange. Why did I suddenly think of the old days when the boss used to torture us in training?"
Crunch, crunch.
"But thinking about it, those were some memorable days," Lei Qian remarked, lying back on the beach chair Lin Qian had invented, enjoying the sea breeze.
Crunch, crunch.
"You have to admit, the boss really knows how to pick a place for relaxation. Beach chairs, refreshing drinks, beach volleyball—it's a great spot to unwind. After all, proper rest is crucial for good training," Lei Qian added, looking around at the bustling beach.
Crunch, crunch.
"...Could you stop making that noise while eating your edible jade?" Lei Qian finally snapped, sitting up in frustration and shouting at the man beside him, Gao Benli.
Gao Benli turned his head, his mouth suddenly puffing up into a large bubble, which continued to expand.
Pop!
A thin, translucent membrane covered Gao Benli's entire face, causing him to burst out laughing. Lei Qian, exasperated, slapped his hand to his face and collapsed back onto his chair. "Damn it, you idiot!"
No sooner had Lei Qian finished speaking than a thin layer of jade membrane was slapped onto his face, still slightly wet. He didn't need to guess where it came from.
"Gao Benli, I'm going to kill you!" Lei Qian roared, his body crackling with purple lightning as he charged at Gao Benli, and the two began to wrestle.
Their scuffle was short-lived, though, as both suddenly stopped and looked toward the ocean.
Those who had been enjoying surfing, a game developed by their emperor, began to panic and hurriedly returned to the shore.
From the distance, fully armed soldiers flew in and landed beside Lei Qian and Gao Benli.
These soldiers, once part of the Three Sects and Five Schools, now formed the Hua Xia Empire's third military force alongside the Imperial Army and Beast Army—the Protectorate Army.
"Seal off the near beach. All entertainment is suspended," Lei Qian said with a grim expression, gazing at the sea, which had turned a blood-red hue. "The situation seems to be getting worse. The southern region of the South Nine States is depending on you, boss!"
Beside him, Gao Benli also frowned, chewing on another piece of edible jade. "The current situation in the southern region of the South Nine States is much worse than the ancient records indicate. Large numbers of spiritual trees are dying, and the spiritual energy levels are plummeting at an alarming rate."
"The Tian Gong Department has sent word," Lei Qian said as he put away his communication token, looking at Gao Benli. "In two years' time, the spiritual energy across the southern region of the South Nine States might completely disappear."
Gao Benli's usually lighthearted expression turned serious. "If that's true, the southern region of the South Nine States will be finished."
"The Empress has summoned us for a council meeting. Let's go," Lei Qian said, patting Gao Benli on the shoulder and motioning for him to follow.
"Then things must be really bad," Gao Benli sighed, following Lei Qian as they both took to the sky.