At the break of dawn, Mu Qingyun reached out and gave Su Qi a gentle push on the shoulder.
What she needed to teach, she would not neglect. The words she had spoken and the promises she had made were not things she would abandon lightly. Moreover, this would be an excellent opportunity to continue gauging the true depth of Su Qi's abilities while instructing him.
A muffled groan escaped Su Qi's lips.
His eyelids fluttered, and he opened his dazed eyes, the expression on his face a mixture of defeat and exhaustion, as though all hope had been drained from him.
"Get up," Mu Qingyun said calmly, lightly patting his shoulder. As she did, a private thought passed through her mind: This child must come from a comfortable, indulgent family. Who else can afford to sleep until noon without a care in the world?
She cast a casual glance around the cave. Aside from Fan Xuanye, who was already up and diligently cultivating, it seemed that both Xiong Ruoyou and Su Qi had made a habit of rising well past midday.
"Can I not train today?" Su Qi asked, his voice laced with desperation. He was truly on the verge of a breakdown.
Last night, instead of sleeping like a normal person, he had sneaked out into the dark to "accidentally" spy on Mu Qingyun bathing—only to return with a pounding heart and an empty mind. Even after she had come back, it had taken him quite some time to calm down and drift off. In total, he had barely slept five hours.
If this routine continued, he was certainly marching toward sudden death.
"I am far too tired," he said, raising a hand to point at his temple. "I did not sleep much last night. I woke up halfway through a nightmare, went out looking for you, and then could not sleep well once I returned."
Mu Qingyun heard this and shook her head gently, her tone firm but not unkind. "That is not acceptable. You cannot abandon your training halfway through. If you skip today, then everything you endured yesterday will be in vain."
She studied Su Qi's weary face—he looked half-dead from exhaustion—and could not help but think of her younger brother in his early days. The resemblance was uncanny. No sense of ambition, no spark of drive. Exactly the same.
With her brother, she had always used the memory of their mother's death and the humiliation he had suffered to push him forward. But with Su Qi… What could she use? How could she motivate this seemingly spoiled and apathetic young man?
Su Qi drew in a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment. He suppressed the irritation that had surged within him. If it had been anyone else waking him up like this, he would have already sent them flying with a single punch. But Mu Qingyun… she was sincere. She genuinely meant well.
"I will train. Stop talking. Give me a moment," he muttered.
Surprised by his sudden change of heart, Mu Qingyun froze for a second, blinking at him. Then she composed herself and gave a curt nod. "I will wait for you outside."
With that, she turned and walked out of the cave, her silhouette soon vanishing into the morning light.
As her footsteps faded into the distance, Su Qi blinked again. He allowed himself a brief moment to close his eyes and rest, then stood up and made his way outside.
He was not an undisciplined person by nature. During his days of cultivation and while protecting entire planets, he had always been ready at a moment's notice. But perhaps it was those very years of overexertion and sleep deprivation that had made his body more prone to resisting wakefulness now.
[A New Day Has Begun!]
[It is finally the weekend! Yes! I can watch the livestream without any interruptions!]
[Seriously? You are spending your weekend watching this boring livestream? Go outside or something.]
[Everything is online these days. Even when people go out, they are just playing networked games. Everyone sits around glued to their devices. Might as well stay home and save on gas.]
[True! I am syncing up with friends to watch this stream together. We are tuning into Mu-ge's broadcast!]
[Wow! The princess just shaped the water into a blooming rose! It is stunning!]
[Where? Where? Send the timestamp!]
As comments about Mu Xueyao began flooding in, nearly everyone who had been camped in Mu Qingyun's livestream quickly exited, racing over to Mu Xueyao's channel instead.
On the other side of the academy grounds, Mu Xueyao had risen early with nothing in particular to do. On a whim, she began playing with water energy. When she shaped it into a variety of intricate forms, her livestream immediately exploded with activity.
[Her Highness is so beautiful!]
[Show us the rose again! Please! The rose!]
Mu Xueyao's eyes lit up as she saw the flood of comments. She had been aware for some time now that Mu Qingyun had been stealing the spotlight lately—gathering fans, attention, even supporters who defended her publicly.
That simply could not be allowed to continue.
When the military academy announced the names of those selected for the trial, she had been the one everyone was looking forward to. It was time to take the spotlight back.
Blue energy shimmered at her fingertips. In moments, droplets of water floated upward, gathering into the elegant form of a delicate rose. It hovered above her palm like a fragile bloom of light.
Meanwhile, back near the training area—
"Today's schedule is the same as yesterday. First, we start with horse stance. Then we move on to taking hits," Mu Qingyun instructed, swinging the plastic training baton in her hand. "But at noon, under the hottest sun, I want you to run ten laps around the cave."
"Understood." Su Qi nodded without hesitation.
Mu Qingyun raised her eyebrows slightly in surprise. He was strangely obedient today. That was… unexpected, but not unwelcome.
"Then let us begin," she said.
Training resumed. The morning air was filled with focused breathing and the rhythm of exertion. From time to time, Su Qi glanced down at his sleeves, his eyes clouded as if lost in deep thought.
"Stay focused. You are in horse stance," Mu Qingyun snapped. "If you lose concentration now, when it comes time to take hits, you may not be able to get up tomorrow."
Without waiting for a reply, she raised the baton and struck him squarely on the arm.
"Ow! Help! Someone help me!" Su Qi yelped theatrically.
Suddenly, a smooth, magnetic voice called out from behind them.
Both Mu Qingyun and Su Qi turned their heads at once.
A handsome man dressed entirely in white came stumbling toward them in a panic. The brightness of his attire was almost blinding, causing them both to squint.
"You two—up ahead! There is something chasing me!" the man shouted as he ran.
Just as he spoke, a massive lion—its mane billowing with power and majesty—came barreling after him in full pursuit.
Su Qi glanced casually at the man, his expression unreadable. When he noticed Mu Qingyun looking at him, he quickly widened his eyes in feigned surprise. "Yi Beixuan?"
"You know him?" Mu Qingyun raised an eyebrow. When Su Qi nodded, she sprang into action.
Her right hand flared with flames. In one swift motion, she grabbed the elegant-looking man—Yi Beixuan—by the arm and hurled a fireball directly at the approaching lion.
The attack hit, but it seemed to have no real effect on the virtual beast.
Without missing a beat, Mu Qingyun shoved Yi Beixuan behind her and launched herself forward, her foot kicking off the ground as she dashed straight at the lion.
Relying on her tight combat technique, she brandished a short dagger. Back and forth, she exchanged blows with the lion, never missing a beat.
She was focused entirely on the lion, and as such, she failed to notice the quiet exchange happening behind her.
"I came to find you, Qiluo," Yi Beixuan said in a soft voice, his gaze still on Mu Qingyun to ensure she was not paying attention.
Su Qi gave him a lazy side-eye. "I told you not to come. Now the Doctor will definitely want to kill us."
"What, you can come and I cannot?" Yi Beixuan grinned, entirely unrepentant. "It is not a big deal. The Doctor has a high tolerance. At most, he will grumble about us behind our backs."
He turned his attention toward Mu Qingyun and gave a slow nod. "Is this the one you mentioned? Your successor?"
"Yes," Su Qi replied flatly.
"Impressive. That technique of hers is exceptional," Yi Beixuan said, clearly intrigued. "You have no idea how popular she has become. She has been trending nonstop for several days. The surge in her name's search volume almost crashed the network."
"So what?" Su Qi's eyes turned cold.
He did not care how popular Mu Qingyun became. As long as he had made his decision, no one could take her away from him.
"What if she refuses?" Yi Beixuan countered with a raised brow. "Once the buzz goes out, offers will come pouring in. Reality shows, endorsements, public appearances—you know how it is. She will have money, fans, power. With all that… she might not want to take your place after all."
Su Qi gave a chilling smile.
"She is a man of integrity," he said firmly. "I do not believe she would choose mediocrity."