The next morning, the crisp air of the training ground split apart. The sharp crackle of spiritual energy echoed.
Su Ting moved like a phantom. His steps were silent. They were precise. He closed the distance with a burst of pure physical speed.
Su Jiao, his face beaded with sweat, slapped a talisman onto his own body. A gust of wind erupted. It pushed him back just as Su Ting's fist swept past where he had been.
It was a difficult fight. Su Jiao was at a severe disadvantage. He was allowed only ten attack talismans for the entire spar, a rule Su Kang had imposed to force him to think efficiently.
In the beginning, he had been beaten soundly. He was not used to fighting without a constant flow of Qi to power his techniques. He had never cultivated his body like Su Ting.
Then without spiritual energy, his combat prowess plummeted. From a distance, seated at a stone table, Su Kang watched them. A pot of tea sat before him.
Our family hasn't faced a major conflict in decades, he mused, taking a slow sip. And so, our people have grown soft. Both Su Ting and Su Jiao lacked real fighting experience.
They didn't know how to truly maximize their strengths or exploit an opponent's weakness. It was the same for many of the younger clan members. They had never faced a true life-or-death battle.
Many cultivators don't die fighting a stronger opponent; they die battling someone of equal strength. People naturally avoid fights they cannot win. They engage when they believe they have a chance.
In those battles, a slight difference—in luck, in ability, in experience—decides who lives and who dies. As he was lost in his thoughts, the situation on the field shifted.
Su Jiao was being pushed back again. He was cornered. With a desperate grit of his teeth, he used his last Wind-Step Talisman to dodge Su Ting's lunging fist.
It bought him a few precious feet of space. Now, only two talismans remained in his hand: one thunder, one fire. Su Ting moved forward with confidence.
He had already learned Su Jiao's patterns. A thunder talisman meant a direct, linear strike; he just had to avoid its path. A fire talisman meant an area-of-effect blast; he just had to get out of its range. Simple.
Su Jiao clenched his teeth. He activated the thunder talisman. A bolt of crackling lightning shot from the paper charm, blazing a trail through the air directly at Su Ting.
Just as Su Jiao had hoped, Su Ting was already moving, sidestepping based on his prediction. The thunderbolt seared past his right shoulder. It charred his robe. It burned the skin beneath with a sharp, stinging pain.
He clenched his fist, ignoring the injury, and pushed forward with all his might. Su Jiao scrambled back, trying to create more distance. He needed time to activate the final fire talisman.
Su Ting knew this. He had to close the gap before that explosion came. Su Jiao watched Su Ting speed towards him.
Even without Qi skills, his speed is incredible, he thought, a flicker of panic in his heart. Su Ting was closing in. Soon, he would be too close.
A faint, confident smile touched Su Ting's lips. His victory was expected. At this range, if Su Jiao activated the fire talisman, the blast would engulf them both.
Su Jiao's weaker physical body would suffer far more damage, so he would surely avoid it. The fire talisman floated in the air. It began to glow. But it didn't activate immediately.
Instead, Su Jiao stopped his retreat after a dozen steps. He smiled, a wry, self-deprecating expression on his face. Su Ting was now only ten steps away.
He saw the determined look appearing on Su Jiao's face. A bad premonition bloomed in his heart. The talisman glowed brighter between them.
He tried to move, to create distance. It was too late. BOOM!
A wave of concussive force and searing heat erupted outwards, its deep, guttural roar echoing across the sealed training ground. Su Kang turned, his teacup halfway to his lips.
He was surprised by the sight. The explosion had hit them both. Su Ting, closer to the edge of the blast, had his robes shredded and his skin peppered with red burns.
He was thrown back but managed to stay on his feet. Su Jiao, however, had taken the brunt of it. His body was covered in severe burns.
He collapsed to the ground, coughing up a mouthful of blood, his breath coming in ragged gasps. In the next instant, Su Kang appeared between them.
A gentle wave of his spiritual energy washed over their bodies, soothing the immediate pain. Su Kang looked at Su Ting. "You didn't expect this, did you?"
"I… I never thought he would do something to hurt himself." Su Ting wiped a trickle of blood from his lips. "He could have lost his limbs."
Su Kang nodded. "If he had only used a middle-tier fire talisman, the situation would have been different." He gave him a healing pill. "Take this. Rest for a few days."
He moved towards Su Jiao and helped him with another pill. He was barely conscious. For Su Jiao, it was his first time getting hit by a talisman.
The attack was more powerful than he expected, despite preparing for it. "Su Jiao, good job." Su Kang's voice was quiet, but his eyes held a slight nod of approval.
He then used the Dream Art Illusion to put Su Jiao into a peaceful sleep. Su Jiao had chosen to harm himself to guarantee a hit on his stronger opponent.
Perhaps it was his pride, or frustration from the daily beatings. For Su Kang, it was what he needed to see. It was not about winning or losing; it was about mentality and willpower.
Well, he thought, the situation is not hopeless yet. There's still some spirit left in them. Su Kang arranged for servants to escort both of them to their courtyards.
He exited the sealed training ground and saw an unusual commotion among the disciples gathered outside. He stopped. He asked a nearby young disciple, "What is the cause of this commotion?"
The disciple bowed quickly. "Young Master… someone heard the servants talking. They said that Miss Hua has returned."
"What? Sister Hua was supposed to return today?" Su Kang was surprised. Why didn't anyone told me about this?
Su Kang immediately left the training area, his steps quickening as he headed towards the main clan building. As he entered, he asked a passing servant, "Have Lady Su Hua and the Third Elder returned?"
"Greetings, Young Master. Yes, they returned some time ago," the servant replied respectfully.
"Where are they now?" Su Kang asked. "Miss Hua is with the Young Lord and Young Master Feng. The Third Elder is with the Clan Head," the servant answered.
Su Kang left with a nod, his pace growing faster as he moved through the familiar halls. Soon, he reached the guest room and entered without pausing.
He saw Su Liang and Su Feng sitting with a lady. She wore a brown and white robe, patterned with the subtle outline of some black beast.
Her hair was braided, long enough to reach her waist. Her face was fair, with dark, intelligent brown eyes. She turned her gaze to him, a look of surprise on her face.
"Su Kang, what a pleasant surprise. I thought I would have to visit Qingyun City to meet you."
"Sister Hua, it's been a while." Su Kang laughed, a genuine warmth in his voice. "Have you been well?" He went ahead and took an empty seat near Su Feng.
"I have been well. Tell me when did you return to clan?" she asked, a smile gracing her lips.
"He has been here for a few months already," Su Liang answered with a slight laugh. "He will be staying here from now on."
"Truly? But why?" Su Hua frowned, her brow furrowed in confusion. Su Kang then told her everything: the war between the Hai and Mun sects, the Heavenly Sword Sect's recruitment exam, and his decision to stay.
She listened intently, taking a sip of tea. "Su Kang, I think you should have gone with your fellow sect disciples. Many of them were in the Foundation Building realm, right?"
"If they can go and take risks to join a powerful sect, then you should have done the same."
"Sister Hua, there was no need to take such a risk when we can afford to send him later," Su Feng interjected, his tone cautious.
"Moreover, disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect aren't participating in the war. It could be far more dangerous than it seems. It's better to be cautious in such matters."
"Oh? So it's like that." She agreed with a nod. "Yes, if something is shady, we can't let him go there."
"Su Hua, where did you travel all this time?" Su Liang asked. "I heard you went outside of Jiang State."
"Yes, Grandpa and I went outside the state." Su Hua's fingers traced the rim of her teacup. "I was in the Barren Lands for most of the time. I also spent a few months in Wanguo State."
"What? You were actually in the Barren Lands?" Su Kang's surprise was evident in his voice. He had been told she was traveling for opportunities to break through.
The Barren Lands lacked good spiritual herbs and high-tier spiritual veins. It wasn't a place people would go to look for resources.
"Actually, Grandfather went there to look for something, by the orders of the ancestor," she replied calmly. "So I asked him to take me along with him."