Makexin lay in bed, utterly unable to sleep. She wanted to talk to Elena, but Elena had already drifted into her dreams.
The thought of tomorrow morning's class made the blood in Makexin’s veins begin to churn restlessly. After much consideration, since she couldn't sleep anyway, and fearing she might oversleep in the morning, she quickly got up, dressed, and headed toward the training grounds.
Since the training hall was open around the clock, it was accessible even in the dead of night.
Makexin assumed she would be the earliest one to arrive for class. But when she pulled open the door to the training hall, she froze. More than ten people were already there; some were sitting together chatting, while others were practicing alone.
“Sister Kexin, you’re here!” Daisy rushed over as she saw Makexin standing there in a daze. “W-why are you all here so early?” Makexin asked, astonished.
Daisy pulled Makexin to a spot to sit down and replied with a smile, “I was afraid of being late tomorrow, so maybe they thought the same thing!”
Makexin nodded, unsure whether to agree or not.
They had barely exchanged a few words when the door opened again, and Cherry poked her head in.
Her expression upon entering was identical to Makexin’s—she clearly hadn't expected such a crowd. After a quick glance around, she spotted Makexin and Daisy sitting in the corner and practically skipped over to them.
“Cherry, why are you here so early too?” Makexin looked at Cherry in disbelief. Did everyone arrange this beforehand?
Speaking of Cherry, Makexin still hadn’t thanked her. If Cherry hadn't held her back that day, she never would have witnessed such miraculous magic, nor would she be sitting here now!
“I’m a day student, so I came early to avoid rushing tomorrow!” Cherry stuck out her little tongue and shot back, “Sister Kexin, why are you here so early?”
“I couldn’t sleep!” Makexin managed a wry smile.
Thus, everyone arrived sequentially, save for Angelia and Rhys.
Time ticked by. Some, feeling sleepy, would lie on the floor for a quick nap; if boredom struck, they got up to practice. The atmosphere wasn't oppressive at all.
The sky gradually brightened. Wayne and a few other class monitors volunteered to buy breakfast for everyone, and they mingled harmoniously!
Amidst everyone’s hopeful anticipation, Zhong Shenxiu finally walked in. Beside him were Robin, Angelia, and Rhys, and one other person—Xialuo!
Few among the crowd had met Xialuo, leading to looks of confusion.
“Let me introduce you; this is my assistant!” Zhong Shenxiu gestured toward Xialuo.
Xialuo stepped forward gently and introduced herself. Her presence seemed to be a last-minute decision by Zhong Shenxiu, partly to have her help, but mostly because he didn't want to isolate her!
“Class officially begins now.” Zhong Shenxiu scanned the group, and once everyone was standing straight, he continued, “Today’s task is simple: to test your maximum combat strength.”
Expectation and confusion washed over the students’ faces. They wondered if Zhong Shenxiu would teach them various ultimate moves after the tests.
“The Swordsmen will be tested by Xialuo; the Mages by Robin. Those two will be tested by me!” Zhong Shenxiu said, pointing toward Leng Xiangxue and a boy next to her.
Angelia and Rhys were exempt from testing, as Zhong Shenxiu already knew their capabilities very well.
“You have fifteen minutes for warm-up!” Zhong Shenxiu finished and then turned away from the group, beginning to lay out defensive arrays around the training hall.
Though curious about what Zhong Shenxiu was doing, the students dared not lose focus and tensed up, preparing themselves.
They didn't know the purpose of Zhong Shenxiu’s testing, so the consensus was simply to perform to the best of their ability!
The fifteen minutes passed quickly. Zhong Shenxiu had set up a simple defensive formation that, with care, shouldn't cause further destruction to the facility!
Since there were more Swordsmen, the testing began with Zhong Shenxiu assessing Leng Xiangxue and the boy.
As testing them one by one would be too tedious, Zhong Shenxiu had them engage together. Leng Xiangxue and the boy knew Zhong Shenxiu’s strength was astonishing, so they unleashed their full power from the outset!
Consequently, for the next ten minutes, various 'booms' echoed incessantly. Compared to Zhong Shenxiu’s serene composure, both Leng Xiangxue and the boy were drenched in sweat, their sword hands starting to tremble.
They had already expended too much energy—it was like asking someone to run a thousand meters at the speed of a hundred-meter dash. Such an all-out assault, even for just ten minutes, pushed them to their limits.
Forget attacking Zhong Shenxiu now; it was a minor miracle they could even remain standing!
It was through this exchange that Leng Xiangxue truly grasped the depth of Zhong Shenxiu’s strength, which could only be described as 'immeasurably profound.' After nearly ten minutes of sustained, full-force offense with the boy, they hadn't even managed to brush against Zhong Shenxiu’s clothing, yet they had been sent flying repeatedly!
The others, initially confident about the test, began to feel a knot of doubt after witnessing this battle.
Next came Robin’s test for the Mages. Although she didn't have them engage all at once, she split them into two groups.
Twenty minutes later, all the mages were exhausted and panting heavily. Their clothes bore scorch marks, and several nearly suffered accidental exposure. Fortunately, Robin showed great restraint; though she left them looking utterly disheveled, none were actually injured!
“Mages can be this strong?” Leng Xiangxue gazed blankly at Robin’s small and graceful figure. This was her first time seeing Robin fight, and she hadn't expected her to be so terrifyingly capable.
If she had seen Robin’s swordsmanship, she would understand that Robin was even more terrifying than she imagined!
Xialuo’s bout took longer. She lacked the freakish power of Zhong Shenxiu and Robin and had to test the Swordsmen one by one.
Although the Swordsmen’s strength was significantly inferior to Xialuo’s, they made up for it with sheer numbers in a grueling rotation. By the end of the testing, not only were the Swordsmen utterly spent, but Xialuo herself nearly collapsed from exhaustion!
Surprisingly, Zhong Shenxiu allowed them less than ten minutes of rest before launching a new round of testing. This time, Xialuo would test the two dual-discipline practitioners (Magic/Martial). Zhong Shenxiu would test the Mages, and Robin would test the Swordsmen!
Those unfamiliar with Robin assumed she was purely a Mage, but once they engaged her, they realized how catastrophically wrong that assumption was—so wrong it brought them to tears! In truth, the assessment was more accurately a trial of everyone's ultimate endurance. Besides Zhong Shenxiu and Robin, everyone else looked half-dead, barely able to stand and talk easily!
This session ended in this manner. Xialuo had experienced what it meant to be completely drained.
Angelia supported Xialuo as they followed Zhong Shenxiu. Rhys remained behind at the training hall to look after the others.
As the four walked, Zhong Shenxiu suddenly stopped, turned to Xialuo, and uttered a strangely pointed remark: “Hey, woman, I don’t think swords suit you!”
Xialuo blinked, then adopted a look of profound frustration. She interpreted the comment as Zhong Shenxiu mocking her weakness.
But Zhong Shenxiu’s next words made her pause again.
“I think there is a certain type of weapon that suits you perfectly!” As he spoke, a faint smile played on Zhong Shenxiu’s lips, making his thoughts impossible to read.
“What weapon?” Xialuo’s interest was piqued, and she seemed to regain a surge of energy.
“The Saber!”
“The Saber?”
“And a very special kind of saber!” Zhong Shenxiu’s smile deepened, his expression hinting at deep contemplation.
Xialuo was utterly bewildered. She knew the basic shape of a saber. However, across the entire continent, few people used sabers as weapons. Because a saber has only one sharpened edge and cannot be used effectively for thrusting, people held a collective misconception: they believed wielding a saber was inherently disadvantageous compared to a sword!
Thus, some preferred dual-bladed polearms over choosing the saber!
Xialuo couldn't fathom why Zhong Shenxiu would say this. Was he teasing her?
Yet his tone didn't suggest mockery. In recent months, Zhong Shenxiu had never played games with her, so this time was likely no different. What could be the profound meaning?
For a moment, Xialuo sank into thought.
Zhong Shenxiu, in fact, operated by an unwavering principle, immutable by heaven or earth:
He would never trifle with those who treated him sincerely! He would never exploit their feelings for him to cause them harm!
Having spent so long with Xialuo and the others, Zhong Shenxiu already considered them close companions; otherwise, he wouldn't be teaching them skills and giving them gifts!
Zhong Shenxiu might deal with the arrogant or the complete strangers, but he never played games with those who were genuinely good to him. Robin and Caine's experiences served as proof of this point!
Zhong Shenxiu was the type of person who would return kindness with even greater kindness. Most people only knew he disliked owing favors, but few recognized this core principle!
“Hey, woman, within three days, I will gift you a saber. If you behave, I will also teach you a set of saber techniques!” Zhong Shenxiu suddenly dropped a massive carrot.
“Really?” Xialuo burst with excitement, instantly pulling herself free from Angelia’s support.
She knew that anything Zhong Shenxiu crafted was the pinnacle of treasures, and any technique he taught was the zenith of skill!
“So, you need to perform well these next few days!” With that, Zhong Shenxiu continued walking forward.
Though Xialuo didn't have time to respond verbally, her expression clearly communicated: I will definitely perform well from now on!
Amidst her joy and excitement, she also felt a strange curiosity. She couldn't understand why Zhong Shenxiu was suddenly being so kind to her. Was it because his personality had changed?
Angelia, watching from the side, showed a look of envy, but she felt no jealousy toward Xialuo. She knew that as long as she performed well herself, Zhong Shenxiu would certainly treat her well too!
Inside the faculty dormitory, Elena was massaging Makexin’s back and shoulders.
At this moment, Makexin lay on the bed like a pile of mud. She was utterly exhausted; every muscle in her body ached intensely. She had never been this tired in her entire life!
But then again, this feeling after a thorough sweat was incredibly satisfying, as if all past unhappiness had been purged. Especially now, enjoying Elena’s kneading, it was sheer bliss!
Elena desperately wanted to know what Makexin had gotten up to—why she was missing since morning and returned looking like she’d fled a disaster! But seeing Makexin in her current state, she couldn't bring herself to ask too many questions!
“Lina Jie, a little lower, yes, right there, it’s fine if you use a bit more strength!” Makexin mumbled into the pillow with a low groan.
Elena rolled her eyes but said nothing.
Just then, a knock sounded at the door from outside.
“You stay here and rest; I’ll check who it is!” Elena said, then went to open the door.
Upon opening it, she saw a female student she didn't recognize and asked curiously, “Excuse me, what can I do for you, student?”
“Are you Teacher Elena?”
“Yes. What do you need me for?”
“Someone is looking for you at the reception office! They said it’s your father!” The girl delivered the message and then left.
Elena, however, took a long moment to process this. Why would her father be here?
In her memory, her father had never come looking for her here. Firstly, he was very confident in her, and secondly, he was always too tied up with his business!
Old Danny was in real estate; he constantly dealt with people buying and renting properties and rarely had time to travel elsewhere!
With growing apprehension, Elena headed to the reception office. There, she indeed saw a familiar figure—it was her father!
“Father, why are you here?” Although Elena saw him in person, she was still surprised.
In her mind, her father was an extremely driven man regarding his career. Why would he suddenly drop his business to visit her? Even stranger, why hadn't he notified her in advance?
Old Danny seemed slightly agitated when he saw Elena, but he first exchanged pleasantries, asking how she was doing, if her younger brother was still behaving, and similar small talk.
Elena answered each question, yet her confusion about her father’s purpose only deepened!
“Lina, did your Uncle Donald visit here?” Old Danny finally got to the main point.
“Yes, it was about half a month ago, but he left in a hurry after a short stay,” Elena murmured.
To his surprise, upon hearing this, Old Danny’s eyes lit up, and he pressed further, his voice urgent: “Then do you know if he purchased any equipment?”
“Yes!” Elena nodded, then continued, “I took Uncle Donald to buy it, along with Kexin!”
“What?” Old Danny’s eyes widened dramatically, and he asked in a voice laced with tremor, “Where? Take me there now!!”