Chapter 71: Training

Lu Xiu brought me to the White Tower.

This time, we didn’t go to see any doctors, nor did we deal with any masked personnel. Instead, we went straight to the bottom floor of the White Tower, to an empty room hung with various weapons.

“What are we doing here?” I asked, a bit confused.

I saw Lu Xiu roll up his sleeves and take off the clothes he usually wore draped over his shoulders, placing them on a nearby table.

“Sparring. I thought about it and decided the best way to improve you for now is to hone your combat experience. Although your instincts are very sharp, they are still just instincts. They only determine your floor, but they cannot raise your ceiling.”

He took the Unsharpened Sword from his pocket and rubbed his arm.

“So, I discussed it with Qu Le. In a while, we’ll leave Biandu and go to a place where someone I know lives. That person can help you master your power and hone your skills.”

“Ah?”

“What do you mean, ‘ah’? You don’t actually think you’re powerful, do you? Most of your attacks rely on brute force — the kind of style where you think raw strength can make a brick fly.”

“You focus on miracles through power, but it’s a waste of energy. If you face a battle of attrition, won’t you be worn to death? Not to mention your attacks are full of openings at every moment, so this is a necessary step.”

“But the Heavenly Kingdom…”

“No need to worry about that. They won’t leave Biandu. Besides, the Response Division is tracking their location.”

“If the Heavenly Kingdom shows their face, they’ll be collectively suppressed by the surrounding Response Divisions. This is also why we decided to have you train during this period.”

I nodded, roughly understanding what he meant.

“Are we coming back?”

He raised an eyebrow. “Why? Do you want to stay there?”

I shook my head. Compared to an unfamiliar place, this was more comfortable.

“All right, enough talk. Before we leave, I’ll build a foundation for you first. Otherwise, I’m afraid they won’t accept you when the time comes.”

He hopped around, and after finishing his warm-up, his entire temperament instantly changed. He raised the Unsharpened Sword and pointed it at me.

“Are you ready? Here I come.”

I swallowed hard but put on a fearless front. “I’m ready — “

*Shing — *

He vanished in front of me instantly. Silver light flashed, dazzling my vision.

‘This is bad!’

I instinctively retreated, only to see the unsharpened tip of the blade pressed against my throat. Then he retracted it and smacked it against my head.

*Bonk — *

“Ouch!”

“Are you daydreaming?” He looked at me, frowning. “If this were a battlefield, you’d be dead already.”

I didn’t know what to say.

Lu Xiu retracted the sword. “Be serious next time. I’m not joking with you, Sui.”

“I… I understand.”

I nodded and took a deep breath, pushing all my emotions aside.

Faced with each other again, just as Lu Xiu raised his sword, I immediately swung a giant white bone palm from behind me, trying to crush him!

*Boom — *

The white bone palm crashed into the wall, but an afterimage flickered, rushing toward me along the arm of the palm.

I immediately changed my move and clasped my hands together. Layers of white bone palms surrounded me, wrapping me into a huge white bone cocoon.

*Clang, clang — *

The sound of slashing came from outside. The parts being hit gradually petrified. Before I could catch my breath, the Unsharpened Sword pierced through the gaps in the bone and stopped in front of me.

*Click — *

The blade was withdrawn, and light from outside shone through the gaps, along with Lu Xiu’s voice.

“No, you’re still holding back. The white bone palm could have been faster just now, but you hesitated. You shouldn’t hesitate. I’m not as fragile as you imagine.”

“You shouldn’t underestimate your opponent. Besides, why wrap yourself up? You’ve completely restricted your own vision and space. You’re digging your own grave.”

I slowly dissolved the white bone cocoon. Lu Xiu had already walked to the opposite side and turned around. “Again. Remember the mistakes you made, then correct them.”

I didn’t nod, but instead looked at Lu Xiu seriously.

‘I can’t hold back… I have to go all out… but…’

‘I don’t want to hurt Lu Xiu…’

“Hesitation toward an enemy is cruelty to yourself, and also to your companions.” Lu Xiu seemed to see my hesitation and read my mind.

“As I said before, trust your Partner. Although your overall power is greater than mine, if it comes down to technique, I can knock you down in minutes. You should be pitying yourself instead of worrying about others.”

“This time, I won’t hold back. Don’t blame me if I make you cry.”

“I… won’t cry…”

I suppressed that bit of frustration and stopped thinking about whether I would squash Lu Xiu into a meat patty. I was going to make him cry!

“Three, two — “

The moment he finished speaking, his figure vanished. The white bone palm arrived in an instant, but he brushed past it. Instead, he flipped over and rushed toward me by stepping on the bone.

That move again!

But this time, I didn’t defend. Instead, I continued to reach out. My palms split open, and layers of white bone connected, shooting out violently.

“Too slow!”

With a twist of his ankle, his entire body shifted, dodging the attack once more. Then, he used the Unsharpened Sword to cut the connection of the white bone.

He grabbed one of the hands and gave it a sudden, forceful pull. A thick surge of power traveled along the white bone, dragging my entire small body toward him.

‘Oh no!’

I almost instinctively tried to clasp my hands.

*Bonk — *

My head was hit hard again.

It hurt so much!

Lu Xiu was already standing before me as he withdrew the Unsharpened Sword.

“Your problem is still very obvious. The white bone’s attacks are too heavy and dull. You shouldn’t rely entirely on this ability.”

“Weren’t you able to combine your abilities before? Why aren’t you using them now? Are you saving them for dinner?”

‘I’m… I’m so angry…’

But he was right. I was indeed relying too much on the white bone palms, which allowed him to take advantage of them and turn them into a means of attacking me. I couldn’t keep doing this.

“Three, two, one.”

He vanished again, and I disappeared along with him.

*Clang — *

A shockwave instantly rippled through the center of the room. Crimson claws collided with the grayish-white blade, sending sparks flying. I opened my mouth slightly, and heat escaped from my breath.

Through the reflection of the blade, I could see my own appearance. The taotie motif on my body surged and spread, and even my Eyes began to spin rapidly, like a bottomless crimson abyss.

*Shing — *

Lu Xiu twisted his blade, and I bounced off with the momentum, separating as soon as we touched. I landed on all fours, my body leaning forward slightly, preparing for the next attack.

“Changed tactics? Heh, but it’s still not quite enough. Look at your hands.”

“Eh?”

I froze for a moment and looked at my hands, only to find that my claws were already tinged with some gray stone.

‘Is this petrification?’

Just as I was about to look up, my head was hit hard again.

“Ah! It hurts!” I clutched my head.

“You really are an idiot. This is a battle; how can you get distracted?”

He withdrew the Unsharpened Sword that had smacked my head.

“The problem this time is that you changed your tactics, but you didn’t change them enough — or rather, it produced a side effect. Since my weapon has the ability to petrify, engaging in close combat is simply giving me free points. Do you think you’re not losing fast enough?”

Having said that, he extended the sword again and tapped my head a few times.

“So, before fighting an opponent, you need to understand their abilities, characteristics, and weaknesses. This is combat information.”

“If you can’t learn this, you’ll only ever be able to fight based on instinct for the rest of your life. If you encounter someone who counters you, you’ll only be able to die with regret and become a soul under their sword.”

Seeing my contemplative expression, he nodded, walked a distance away, and looked at me.

“Again.”