While Shi'an applied medicinal herbs on Tiel's wounds, which made the young man hiss a few times, Nael called over a few people to help him fix the training ground. A few volunteers walked from the crowd and tactically joined hands to clear up the mess Mo'an had made.
Without looked back at Tiel, who was giving him the look of a thousand deaths, Nael made sure to busy himself, keeping a safe distance between him and his friend. In any case, the ring had to be repaired. They couldn't let Mo'an and master Ru spare while there was a crater in the middle of the training ground. Such a small detail certainly wouldn't hinder their fight, not at their level, but it would increase the likelihood of them splitting the tree stump into two.
Although the protection provided by the stones was limited when monsters like Mo'an and master Ru fought, it was still better than nothing. Sadly, Nael knew they didn't have the time to seal the hole with another stone - cutting and smoothing the stone to fit it into the crater would take at least a day, if not two, and Mo'an certainly wouldn't wait that long; she was leaving tomorrow morning, after all. Thus, they could only fill the gap with solid pebbles and thick mud, then cover it with dry sand. While doing so, they silently hoped that Mo'an and master Ru would restrain themselves a little. Otherwise, they feared there would be no ring left after their sparring match.
In the corner of their mind, they thought that, perhaps, they should build a training ground elsewhere specially made for their top-ranking warriors. However, those old experts rarely spared before others, except for some rare cases, and when it happened, they usually didn't fight at the public square for fear of destroying it. In the top-ranking warriors of their tribe, there was only Mo'an who loved to drag her friends to the training ground, but she never fought with all her might.
Today was even the first time she broke the stones.
Even though it greatly surprised the audience, they rapidly came back to their senses, and they didn't make a big deal out of it. They thought such a thing probably happened because Mo'an was still adjusting her fighting style to her new body, and thus wasn't able to control her strength very well. In truth, they all knew that it was already difficult for her not to go overboard, so it was only reasonable that she would have a mishap while testing her 'male' body. Anyway, the training ground hadn't been damaged for a long time since, as said, high-ranking warriors rarely sparred in front of others, and repairing it wasn't too demanding.
In the end, building another ring for one high-level sparring match every ten years didn't seem worth it, and the people fixing the ring tossed the thought aside. They shouldn't ask for the sky when they were already lucky enough to be able to observe Mo'an, Tiel, and Nael spare regularly. Today, they even had the chance to watch a battle between a master of the old generation and a young prodigy! Still, it was a pity that they couldn't go all out only because the training ground couldn't stand the tremendous power behind their attacks. Nevertheless, it promised to be entertaining, and the spectators were excitedly talking about the incoming fight.
While a small team worked on repairing the training ground, master Ru asked the crowd to step back a few meters. Those sitting on the rope bridges or the ladders were far enough, but the ones standing near the ring were too close. If they insisted on staying at the same place only to have a better view of the match, it would put them at risk later on. If they disregarded his advice and didn't move, he told them that he wouldn't be responsible for their injuries.
Even if Master Ru was considered as one of the strongest in their tribe, he wasn't conceited; he knew he couldn't fight half-heartedly with Mo'an. That little girl's synergy with her inner beast was too strong. She had long gone beyond her capacity as a beastman. It was to the point where no one in the tribe had anything left to teach her.
Perhaps, a bigger tribe with more resources and knowledge could exploit her potential more efficiently and also help her control her inner beast. However, their relationship with the other tribes deteriorated in the past few years. It was now impossible to send her over to another tribe to learn and train under a skillful master. Moreover, she had to leave for her military service and hide her gender, complicating everything. In this situation, they could never entrust her to another tribe.
It was a pity, but Mo'an never complained, nor did she blame the old generation for their past choices, resulting in their strained relationship with the other beastmen. When she did open her mouth about the subject, she always proclaimed at the top of her lungs that she could get stronger by herself. There was no need to depend on those trashy tribes who only knew how to backstab people.
Over the years, Mo'an had indeed proved that she was someone who could learn by herself, although there was still a limit to how much she could improve by herself. She also lacked experience, but master Ru believed that sooner or later, she would overthrow them, the old masters, and take their title. Yes, she would leave all of them in the dust and achieved great things he wouldn't even dare to imagine.
Even if a youngster dozens of years younger than him were to surpass him, then so what? Master Ru didn't feel humiliated or envious, on the contrary. This idea made him happy from the bottom of his heart. Their tribe had produced such a gem! How could he not be proud? Not only was Mo'an powerful, but she was also strong-willed and kind-hearted.
As master Ru thought of her last match, a smile stretched his lips, and he took a step, standing beside her. Then, he said with a soft voice that only Mo'an could hear, "Thank you for going easy on my stupid disciple."
The teenage girl, who now looked like a teenage boy, glanced at the man by her side, and with an innocent smile, she answered, "Master, what are you saying? A loss is a loss, no need to comfort me."
His smile grew wider, shaping his eyes into two crescent moons, but master Ru didn't reply, knowing perfectly well that she would never admit the truth. A moment ago, he had carefully watched over their match, and he knew that from the beginning to the end, everything went according to her will. Lyell played into her hands without realizing it.
Whenever Mo'an was about to land a hit, she always leaked a bit of her killing intent, startling Tiel's inner beast, which in turn made him act on instinct. Even if her blows were deadly, she knew he was able to block them or dodge them. She appeared ruthless, but she wasn't. The two last exchanges of blows were particularly splendid. She guided Tiel's footwork into the position she wanted him to be, then made it look like she inadvertently missed her target and flew out of the ring, purposely losing.
Like many, Mo'an didn't love to lose, but she wasn't overly stubborn, unlike Tiel. The young man inherited his father's stubbornness, and he wouldn't admit defeat even if his body was drilled with holes. That was one of the reasons he was able to keep up with master Ru's hellish training. That youth always complained, yet he never willingly gave up. Maybe he didn't realize it himself, but once he set his mind to something, he wouldn't stop until he was satisfied with the result. Afterward, he would laze around for days, exhausted.
"The ring is ready!" said Nael, dusting his clothes.
Master Ru nodded, then invited Mo'an to follow him on the training ground. Today, he would properly thank her for taking care of his idiot disciple all those years and fight with her to her heart's content. It was the first time they would spare together, which excited Mo'an to no end. She was barely able to stay still, impatiently waiting for the beginning of the match.
Shaking his head, master Ru couldn't help but smile indulgently. 'Ha! Youth! Seeing her so energetic made me feel so old,' he thought in the corner of his mind, getting ready to exercise his old, rusty bones.