Sheryl’s sudden decision to spar with Robin was no spur-of-the-moment whim. Ever since encountering Zhong Shenxiu and the pair in the Demonic Beast Forest a few days ago, he had been intrigued by the two mysterious children.
Through various clues, especially the kick Robin had delivered to Jerradin that day, Sheryl had judged that Robin’s strength was far from ordinary.
What truly solidified his decision, however, was yesterday’s chance encounter.
When (Lisi) deserted yesterday, he ran into Sheryl on his way home. Sheryl was quite puzzled by the sudden surge in Lisi’s power and questioned him about it. Lisi, already harboring a deep admiration for Sheryl, and having just been defeated by him, felt it would seem petty to conceal things, so he simply mentioned he was training under certain people, without naming them.
Sheryl’s first thought was Robin, because he had personally witnessed Lisi leaving with Robin that day!
Lisi then added that the person training him was very strong! He was actually referring to Angelia and Xia Luo, completely omitting Robin from consideration because Lisi had never sparred with Robin, nor dared to!
This only intensified Sheryl’s curiosity; he desperately wanted to know what kind of strength could cause such a dramatic increase in power in such a short time!
Returning to the main event, Zhong Shenxiu and Robin walked toward the training grounds with Sheryl. Perhaps because it was still early, the training ground was quiet, devoid of any other people.
Sheryl’s expression was serious. After putting a good distance between himself and the pair, he announced, “I am ready!”
Zhong Shenxiu looked at the sword in Sheryl’s hand with keen interest. He then transmitted a few words to Robin via sound transmission, stepped aside, and settled in to watch the show.
Sheryl had no idea what Zhong Shenxiu and Robin had discussed, nor did he know what fate awaited him. He could only watch Robin with focused wariness.
The “Dublai Magic and Martial Arts Academy” appeared serene in the early morning light. Having just concluded its internal ranking tournament, fewer students were out and about than usual!
The Vice Principal of the “Dublai Magic and Martial Arts Academy,” Edwin, decided to take an early morning stroll on a whim today.
As he walked casually, his expression suddenly froze, and he stopped dead in his tracks.
Wasn't that Sheryl, who had just won the championship yesterday? What was he doing there?
Hmm? Who were the two children beside him? He hadn't seen them before!
Just as Edwin was harboring his surprise, Sheryl and Zhong Shenxiu were already heading toward the training grounds.
With time to spare, and intensely curious about Sheryl’s connection to these two children, Edwin followed slowly.
He maintained a considerable distance precisely to avoid being noticed by Sheryl and the others. However, what he didn't know was that Zhong Shenxiu had spotted him long ago but simply chose to ignore him!
When Edwin saw Sheryl and his group enter the training area, a faint smile crossed his face. He inwardly mused: Ah, so Sheryl intends to instruct the two children in swordsmanship!
Yet, this thought lasted less than a minute before it began to waver. He then observed Sheryl standing in an opposing stance against the little girl—they weren't instructing; sparring was a much more fitting description!
This piqued Edwin’s interest even more. He thought to himself, Does Sheryl always instruct others through actual combat?
No one should blame him for constantly assuming Sheryl was instructing Robin, as this was pure ingrained thinking. No one would ever conceive that the newly crowned champion would issue a challenge to a mere little girl; it was inherently unbelievable!
Fortunately, the scene that unfolded next completely corrected Edwin’s misconception.
Sheryl unleashed his full battle aura and lunged with his sword. The little girl, however, seemed utterly unaware, remaining perfectly still!
Edwin’s heart leaped into his throat. He hadn't expected Sheryl to use his full strength right from the start, especially against someone who appeared defenseless and unarmed!
Good heavens, did he intend to kill that little girl?
Just as Edwin prepared to shout a warning, an absurd, bizarre, yet utterly breathtaking event occurred!
The adorable little girl vanished from her spot with a sudden whoosh, reappearing instantly with her two slender fingers clamping down on Sheryl’s attacking sword!
Th-this, how was this possible?
W-what in the world did I just witness?
Edwin vigorously rubbed his eyes, trying to confirm if he was hallucinating. But the result remained the same: the little girl was genuinely holding the sword with her fingers!
Heavens! Edwin’s shock was immense because he had clearly seen Sheryl attack with his full power. The force of that strike, if not utterly world-shattering, was certainly not something fingers could halt!
And yet, this little girl had done it so effortlessly!
Th-this, how is this possible??
It was a mercy Edwin didn’t have a congenital heart condition, or he would surely have dropped dead right then and there!
However, his astonishment paled in comparison to Sheryl’s own profound shock!
Sheryl knew his own strength well. While he wasn’t entirely confident about defeating Robin, he certainly hadn't anticipated this outcome! To have his full-force strike captured by merely two fingers—the result was too ironic, too crushing!
Sheryl stared at the utterly relaxed Robin, his face etched with horror, one question looping relentlessly in his mind: How did she do that?
This posture was held for about a minute before Sheryl finally managed to react, attempting to pull his sword free.
But to his surprise, no matter how hard he pulled, the longsword would not budge an inch. It felt as if it were no longer a sword but a mighty, immovable mountain!
Just then, another unexpected event quietly unfolded.
Robin’s delicate wrist twisted, followed by a sharp crack—the longsword was wrenched and snapped clean in two by Robin’s brute force!
At this point, Sheryl was beyond mere stupefaction; he was utterly frozen in place!
He knew exactly how hard that sword was. He had spent nearly a year’s savings to acquire it from the “One-Furnace Fire Armory” only days ago; there was no way it suffered from age or neglect. Furthermore, Andrew, the seller, had repeatedly guaranteed that this sword was indestructible, incapable of snapping or cracking. But now...
While Sheryl stood there dumbfounded, Zhong Shenxiu strolled over with a wicked grin. “Hey, kid. You were bragging about this sword earlier, but it seems it wasn't quite reliable!”
Sheryl’s mind was a complete blank. He hadn’t registered a word Zhong Shenxiu said, nor did he know when Zhong Shenxiu and Robin had left.
Of course, he wasn't the only one stunned. Edwin, spying from a distance, wore the exact same expression!
It was unclear how much time passed before Edwin finally snapped back to reality. After all, he was the Vice Principal; despite being second in command, he had weathered enough storms to possess some resilience.
He crept closer, carefully examining the broken blade Robin had tossed onto the ground. After a long silence, he asked, “Who were those two children?”
Sheryl was finally jolted back to the present by Edwin’s voice. He lifted his head...
...
On the streets of “Gulou City.”
Laurent was leading Solomon somewhere.
Ever since they were both defeated by Garib and Austin on that day, Solomon had been listless and despondent, as if deeply struck.
It was understandable. He, a student about to graduate from the “Homebody Magic and Martial Arts Academy,” had suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of students from a minor academy. It was a truth he found hard to accept.
Laurent felt deep self-reproach for Solomon’s state. If he hadn't been so impulsive back then, this result wouldn't have happened; if his own strength hadn't been lacking, Solomon wouldn't have stepped forward to protect him. If only... but now, too many “ifs” were useless!
To lift Solomon’s spirits, and also because the sword Solomon was using had sustained a chip, Laurent planned to take him to select a new blade. Their destination was the weapon shop he frequented—the One-Furnace Fire Armory!
“Brother Solomon, let me tell you, this ‘One-Furnace Fire Armory’ is a place I visit often. The equipment there isn’t just high quality, the prices are fair too,” Laurent chattered enthusiastically.
Solomon, however, remained silent, offering no response.
As they talked, they arrived in front of the “One-Furnace Fire Armory.” Upon entering, they saw Andrew tinkering with a weapon on a rack.
“Master Andrew, I brought a friend today to look for a sword. Do you have any new arrivals?” Solomon asked while glancing around.
Andrew showed no excess warmth just because Laurent was a regular customer; his expression remained rigidly impassive, as if impervious to shock!
“I happen to have just forged a few new swords,” Andrew said, gesturing toward another rack. “You can take a look!”
Laurent hastily pulled Solomon forward to browse, but Solomon seemed to show little interest.
“Brother Solomon, what do you think of these swords?” Laurent inquired.
Solomon glanced at the swords but then asked a question that nearly caused Andrew to explode: “These swords don't look very sturdy. Are there quality issues?”
Andrew was infuriated. He hadn't been forging weapons for a day or two, and no customer had ever brought a quality issue to his attention!
“Don’t worry, every single sword in my shop has absolutely no quality problems,” Andrew said with a grim face.
Solomon, failing to notice Andrew’s darkening expression, pressed on: “They won’t just break mid-use, will they?” He picked up a sword and made a few practice swings.
Andrew was deeply offended, barely managing to restrain himself from puffing out his chest. He spoke curtly, “If any sword purchased from my shop breaks or cracks within one month, my shop will not only refund the full amount but also allow you to choose five swords for free!”
As soon as he finished speaking, he noticed a young man nearby staring at him with an expression of immense complexity!
And that young man was none other than Sheryl!