The night descended upon Galaxy City, and the academy seemed especially quiet. Only a few distant houses emitted dim light, casting faint shadows of students who had yet to sleep. Chu Yi sat in his dormitory, his mind still replaying the events of the day. The training with the toxin resistance had left him exhausted, but he could also feel subtle changes in his body. The flow of his spiritual energy was smoother than ever before, and he even had the vague sensation that his body was pushing past some sort of limit.
"It looks like the training really paid off," Chu Yi murmured to himself as he stood up, stretched, and decided to get some fresh air.
Just at that moment, his three teammates—Qing Xiu'er, Zhang Liya, and Lin Xuanwu—were resting at the edge of the training grounds. Tonight, they planned to conduct a night training session, familiarizing themselves with each other's combat rhythm in preparation for the upcoming Major General competition.
"Chu Yi, just in time!" Qing Xiu'er flashed a smile and waved at him. "We've been waiting for you, ready for some real combat training."
Zhang Liya, sitting on a stone nearby, was adjusting the flute at her waist. Hearing Qing Xiu'er, she raised her head and said softly, "Yes, we don't have much time tonight. We need to focus on improving team coordination."
Chu Yi nodded, walking over and wiping the sweat from his forehead. Lin Xuanwu stood not far off, swinging his heavy iron rings, his muscles bulging as he prepared to enter battle mode.
"Let's begin," Chu Yi said, both excited and anxious. He knew his combat strength was the weak link in the team, but the toxin resistance training had given him more confidence in his ability to survive. He had to prove himself.
The four stood in the center of the training ground, the faint moonlight casting a gentle glow on them as the atmosphere grew tense.
"Alright, today's goal is to improve team coordination," Lin Xuanwu said, fists clenched, leaning slightly forward, clearly ready for battle. He looked at Chu Yi and asked, "Chu Yi, are your talismans ready?"
"I've brought them all, ready to be used anytime," Chu Yi patted the talisman pouch at his waist, silently hoping that tonight's training would go smoothly.
"Good, let's start then." Qing Xiu'er unsheathed her sword, spiritual energy flickering on the blade. "We'll follow the same distribution as last time. Lin Xuanwu will handle defense, Liya and I will focus on offense and support, and Chu Yi, you will provide long-range support with your talismans. Make sure we coordinate well, don't waste energy."
Chu Yi nodded, and the others quickly spread out, taking their respective combat positions.
The first exercise was to simulate defense against multiple heads of beasts. Zhang Liya gently played her flute, her spiritual energy flowing with the melody. The leaves around them began to stir, forming a small barrier of spiritual energy.
"Watch out for defense!" Lin Xuanwu barked as he crossed his arms in front of his chest and stepped forward. The iron rings in his hands emitted a heavy clank, forming a protective barrier around him. His defensive ability was the strongest in the team.
Qing Xiu'er swiftly emerged from behind Lin Xuanwu's defense, her spirit sword glowing silver as she struck at an imaginary enemy. Meanwhile, Chu Yi, at a distance, quickly activated a Fire Talisman. The talisman burned and flew into the air, turning into a fiery arrow that struck the target with pinpoint accuracy.
The four moved in perfect synchrony, as if they had long since adapted to this fighting style. Time passed quickly, and sweat continuously dripped from their foreheads.
After the training ended, the four gathered in the center of the training ground, sitting down to rest. The night breeze gently blew, bringing a cool sensation.
"Good coordination, much better than last time," Lin Xuanwu panted heavily, wiping the sweat from his face with the back of his hand.
"Yeah, especially Chu Yi's talisman support—it really played a key role," Qing Xiu'er smiled at Chu Yi, her eyes flashing with a hint of admiration.
Chu Yi smiled but still felt like he wasn't quite there. He knew this was just a simple simulation; real combat would never be this easy.
"However, our team is still missing one person," Zhang Liya suddenly spoke up, a trace of doubt in her eyes. "So far, the fifth member hasn't shown up. The principal said there would be one, but we haven't even seen a shadow of them."
Qing Xiu'er nodded in agreement, frowning. "Yeah, the Major General competition is coming soon. Who is this mysterious fifth member? Why haven't they shown up yet?"
"Maybe they're observing us from the shadows, waiting for the most crucial moment to appear?" Lin Xuanwu speculated.
Chu Yi felt a sense of unease in his heart. This arrangement seemed a bit odd. According to the academy's usual practices, all team members would meet and get to know each other in advance, but this fifth member had yet to appear, almost as if deliberately avoiding them.
As they were discussing this, the ground of the training field suddenly began to shake violently, as if some enormous creature was approaching. The four immediately jumped up, alert, scanning their surroundings.
"What's going on?" Lin Xuanwu shouted, his hands gripping the iron rings.
Before they could even react to the fifth member's absence, the ground shook again, and a tall figure slowly emerged from the darkness. He was massive, muscles bulging, resembling a moving mountain. Over his shoulder, he carried a huge war hammer, its head glowing faintly red as though it had been burned by flames. The intense heat seemed to make the air around them warmer by several degrees.
"Ha ha ha ha! What are you kids doing here?" The man laughed loudly, his voice booming like thunder, causing their ears to ring. His aura was overwhelming, as though he could unleash incredible power at any moment.
"Who are you?" Qing Xiu'er quickly drew her spirit sword, her eyes cold, a sliver of spiritual energy gathering on the blade, ready to engage.
"Hey, you don't need to know who I am," the man sneered, then swung his war hammer with no warning. The hammer descended upon them instantly.
The hammer cut through the air with a roaring sound, trailing flames. Chu Yi immediately felt a sense of pressure, and the ground beneath him shook with the hammer's strike.
"Get back!" Lin Xuanwu reacted fastest, stepping forward, his arms crossed in front of him as the iron rings quickly formed a spiritual barrier, trying to block the overwhelming force.
"Boom!" The massive war hammer struck Lin Xuanwu's spiritual barrier, instantly erupting in a flash of fire and a deafening explosion. Flames flew everywhere, and the air filled with the scent of burning. Though Lin Xuanwu defended with all his strength, he was still pushed back several steps, the ground beneath him cracking under the force.
"Who is this guy? How is his power so strong?" Chu Yi and the others quickly dodged, astonished at the strength of the man. They had never seen anyone unleash such a powerful flame attack in an instant.
"Ha, what's wrong, scared silly?" The man laughed even louder, his war hammer spinning in the air, the red glow still lingering on the hammerhead, making it look even more terrifying. The red light was not just a regular strike mark; it was infused with fiery explosive power, making every blow a devastating explosion.
"How can he have such fire attribute attacks?" Qing Xiu'er furrowed her brows, her eyes filled with confusion.
"The energy surrounding him... it's strange," Zhang Liya said warily, her eyes flickering with unease.
"Ha ha, of course you wouldn't know!" The man laughed arrogantly, "I've long fused with a beast spirit—the power of the 'Fire Pattern Bear' is now a part of me."
"Fire Pattern Bear?" Chu Yi repeated the name softly, alarmed. The Fire Pattern Bear was a very aggressive and dangerous beast, its claws always carrying explosive fire attributes. It was strong and hard to tame, yet this man had successfully fused with the beast spirit!
"This guy is not just a brute, he's also a beast spirit fusionist?" Qing Xiu'er's expression grew even more serious. Beast spirit fusionists were extremely rare; they enhanced their combat abilities by merging with the souls of magical beasts, gaining the same attack properties as the beasts they fused with. The Fire Pattern Bear, with its explosive fire ability, perfectly matched this man's fighting style with the war hammer.
The man continued to boast arrogantly, "That's right, I'm Ju Gouzi! After fusing with the Fire Pattern Bear, every strike of mine carries an explosive fire attribute. You little brats are no match for me."
With that, the war hammer rose once again, trailing red flames...