Chapter 84: The Test, Part 2
Seeing both pairs ready, Ye Wen called out, "Begin!"
Hu Rou moved first, her rabbit spirit's famous agility amplified by Shunpo, allowing her to close the distance in the blink of an eye.
"So fast!" Chen Youyu thought, alarmed. She had seen Huo Quan use Shunpo before, but hadn't expected a young spirit master like Hu Rou to be capable of such speed. Startled, Chen Youyu swung her broken sword instinctively.
"Clang!" Hu Rou, known for her powerful leg based attacks, chose to punch instead. Her fist, reinforced by Gangshi, glowed pink with soul power, making it as strong as iron. Chen Youyu staggered as Hu Rou's punch hit with surprising force, forcing her to turn her body and dodge to absorb the blow.
Recognizing she couldn't stay on the defensive, Chen Youyu decided to strike before being overwhelmed by the close combat beast spirit master.
"First Soul Skill: Sword Qi!" she called, sending a blue green wave of energy toward Hu Rou.
Unfazed, Hu Rou smirked, using her powerful legs to leap out of the way. In a flash, she appeared behind Chen Youyu and kicked.
Though Chen Youyu had started adjusting to the fast paced battle, she was struggling. Her martial spirit didn't bolster her physical reflexes like a beast spirit would.
"Second Soul Skill: Whispering Wind!" she activated, increasing her overall speed by 20%.
With her new boost, Chen Youyu barely managed to dodge another kick and countered with a series of aggressive sword slashes. While not on par with the deadly precision of Aba's blade, her attacks were fierce, far beyond a typical spirit master's level.
Ye Wen, observing closely, nodded with approval. "Chen Youyu may lack Aba's raw talent, but she's got potential."
Still, Hu Rou's experience shone through. Although Chen Youyu managed to graze her with some sword strikes, Hu Rou used Gangshi to harden her defenses, neutralizing the attacks.
"Darn it!" Chen Youyu thought bitterly. "Is this the gap between ordinary people and prodigies? I've used all my soul skills, but she's barely even had to try!" Exhausted and ready to yield, she thought apologetically, "I'm sorry, Aba I couldn't earn the chance to train alongside you."
At that moment, Ye Wen called out, "You've passed, Chen Youyu. From now on, you are my official disciple."
"Huh?" she stammered in surprise, not expecting the sudden declaration.
Hu Rou, grinning, stopped the sparring and ran over to Ye Wen, playfully asking, "Master, how was my acting?"
Seeing her proud expression, Ye Wen ruffled her rabbit ears, saying, "Look at you, all pleased with yourself. Did you forget this is what you're supposed to do? Or do you need more training with your second senior brother?"
"Oh no, I'm good! I'll just go find Mistress instead!" she replied, blushing and wriggling away, as Huo Quan, still under intense training nearby, watched in envy.
Chen Youyu, catching her breath, realized her opponent had been holding back, similar to Huo Quan's treatment of Aba the day before. With newfound determination, she bowed deeply to Ye Wen.
"Thank you, Master," she said formally.
Ye Wen acknowledged her with a nod. "You're fortunate to have a caring brother. I could tell that if you failed, he would have failed on purpose as well."
Understanding Aba's intentions, Chen Youyu's expression softened. "Yes, that's my brother. Despite his rough appearance, he's always been gentle and protective with me," she said, smiling quietly.
Ye Wen simply nodded, amused by her view of Aba. "If you say so…" he thought, skeptical about the "gentleness."
Meanwhile, Du Gu Xin and Aba's match continued. Having shaken off his prior limitations, Du Gu Xin's physical prowess was now fully on display. The Bicolor Python Serpent, descended from dragon blood, endowed him with both strength and flexibility, and in close combat, he was perhaps even more gifted than Huo Quan.
At the moment, Du Gu Xin was using his self created skill, Frenzied Python Strike, a fusion of Ye Wen's snake style techniques and his own family's unique understanding of snake spirits. His soul power took the form of writhing spirit pythons, each lashing out at Aba.
But Aba, a berserker in every sense, had no hesitation taking on soul masters much stronger than himself, let alone illusionary snakes. With an unrelenting drive, he hacked his blade through each spectral serpent, his crimson lightning slicing through the chaotic onslaught.
"Time to end this!" Du Gu Xin called out confidently, his fists a blur as they twisted and lashed out like a nest of writhing snakes. But suddenly, a voice whispered from behind him.
"It's over."
A cold blade rested against his throat as Aba, grinning in victory, held his knife poised and ready.
"What? How did I lose?" Du Gu Xin gasped, shocked.
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