Chapter 44: Training (Part 2)

Unknowingly, the two had already reached the depths of the cave. In the dimness, faint sounds suddenly echoed through the cavern. Crouching in the corner, they watched nervously, but after a long while, nothing stirred. Just as they moved away from the wall, a figure darted past them.

“Damn, trying a sneak attack.” The black shadow lunged straight at Du Bin, but Hu Guozheng, quick on his feet, swung his blade. The shadow narrowly dodged and melted back into the darkness, vanishing without a trace.

“He’s smart. Looks like this mission just got a lot tougher.” Du Bin’s nerves were taut as a ball of electricity the size of a tennis ball crackled to life in his palm, arcs of energy flickering along its surface.

Hu Guozheng quipped, “After all this training, it’s still only the size of a ping-pong ball! Hahaha…”

Du Bin shot him a disgruntled look. As if he wanted it this way? For an ordinary person to even begin wielding powers forcibly after just over half a year was a miracle, all thanks to their clan leader’s twisted methods. He’d been bound to a high-voltage power line for a month, eating, sleeping, and relieving himself suspended in mid-air, his whole body ceaselessly shocked by electricity as if he were some kind of bird. If not for the protective shield, he’d have been fried to a crisp. Yet, this ordeal had toughened him, making him immune to lightning and teaching him how to control it.

Hu Guozheng, on the other hand, had it easy—just swinging the Azure Dragon Blade and smashing it into the ground every day. Who wouldn’t envy that, even if it risked a bad back from overuse? The difference in treatment was like heaven and earth—no wonder he was the constant butt of this fat guy’s jokes.

Putting aside his irritation, Du Bin hurled the electric ball into the depths of the cave. The lightning illuminated everything it passed, but still, nothing seemed amiss.

“This ping-pong ball isn’t entirely useless—perfect as a portable searchlight!”

“Will you give it a rest?” Du Bin gritted his teeth.

“I’ll rest when I’m dead! Come on, throw out another lightbulb!” Hu Guozheng stuck out his tongue.

Du Bin ignored him, flashlight in hand, and strode deeper inside. After a few steps, he heard faint sounds from the wall. He conjured another ball of lightning and hurled it to the right. With a bang, a small stone dropped, leaving only a shallow dent in the rock.

A mocking voice drifted through the air, “Your hunter clan is arrogant to a fault! Sending two greenhorns like you?”

“So what if we are? Watch out, or these rookies might teach you a lesson.” Hu Guozheng retorted, hefting the Azure Dragon Blade and slamming it into the ground. The earth rumbled and shook.

“Heh, blowing harder than the wind. That’s not even enough to tickle me.”

Suddenly, a violent gust surged from deep within. The wind was so fierce it nearly swept them out of the cave; only by grabbing the rocks did they keep from being blown away.

“Damn it, I’m going to gut that beast!” Hu Guozheng charged in, deaf to Du Bin’s shouts behind him, forcing Du Bin to chase after.

At the end of the corridor, the space opened up. A figure stood at the center, wings unfurled, reminiscent of the time they’d met Xiang. Though a strange fear gripped them, the two stood firm.

“With just the two of you? You don’t even have the speed to keep up.” The man vanished before their eyes. In the darkness, he was impossible to track. Du Bin could only hurl balls of lightning left and right, their glow lighting up the cavern until it was bright as day.

“Catch my blade energy, handsome!” Now visible, their foe was targeted—Hu Guozheng wasted no time, swinging a wave of blade energy at him. The man halted, meeting the attack head-on.

“Take this—Shattering Heart Slash!”

Hu Guozheng plunged his blade into the ground, and fissures snaked outward. The man felt a sudden loss of control, a force surging from the earth to his heart.

He flapped his wings to escape the attack range, clutching at his aching chest. “Interesting.”

No sooner had he spoken than the surrounding “lightbulbs” shot beams of lightning at him. He wrapped his wings around himself, and the electricity fizzled out harmlessly against their surface.

“These lightbulbs are useless against me. Save your energy.” As the charge was spent, the lightning balls flickered out, plunging the cave into darkness again. Du Bin summoned his power anew, but before he could release it, the man dashed forward and landed a right hook, slamming Du Bin against the wall.

“Old Du, you alright?” Hu Guozheng called out, groping his way through the darkness, only to hear Du Bin take a beating.

Du Bin struggled to his feet, wiping blood from his mouth. “I’m fine.”

Laughter echoed all around them. Back to back, the two prepared themselves as Du Bin conjured two more lightning balls, their faint glow warding off the dark. Each time he created one, their opponent destroyed it, exhausting him quickly.

Hu Guozheng tried to protect the last ball of lightning, clashing directly with the enemy. He pounded the ground again and again, the tremors threatening to collapse the cavern. Realizing the danger, the two bolted for the exit, escaping just as the cave came crashing down behind them.

Collapsed against a tree outside, they gasped for breath. “Damn it, let’s see you act cocky now, buried under all that rock,” Hu Guozheng panted.

Before he could finish, the rubble exploded. Their foe emerged, unscathed, and Du Bin, too tired to even curse, muttered, “Oh my god, he’s still alive!”

Baring his fangs, the man lunged at them, but in an instant, a net of lightning ensnared him. Immobilized, he fell still as the Third Elder stepped from the shadows, sighing—a look of disappointment plain on his face.

“With your current strength, it’s still not enough. Go back and rest,” the elder said.

The next morning after training, Du Bin returned alone to the cave’s mouth. Sitting idly on the grass, he reflected on his recent efforts. The elder’s dissatisfaction last night was understandable—after all, he and Hu Guozheng didn’t truly belong to the hunter clan. If not for Wu Qiwei’s insistence, he’d never have had a chance to get involved at all.

Lost in thought, he didn’t notice a figure creeping up behind him until darkness suddenly fell over his eyes. “Guess who?”

“Xiao Tang.” No matter how she disguised her voice, he could always tell it was her. He might not be able to recognize others so easily, but with her, he was always certain.

“Hmph, no fun.” Ye Tang released her hands.

Seeing someone familiar instantly lifted his spirits. “You’re back! Don’t you need to be training in the forbidden grounds?”

“I snuck out to check on you. Wow, you’ve improved a lot in such a short time. Care for a spar?”

Du Bin was helpless—he’d just been scolded the night before, and he knew his own limits. Still, seeing her happy, he could only oblige. “Alright, I’ll be counting on your guidance.”

Ye Tang smiled softly, picking up a branch as her weapon. Du Bin was surprised—he’d expected her to use her powers, but she opted for close combat instead. With no choice, he attacked, and soon the forest echoed with his cries of pain.

Bruised and battered, he sat on the ground, gingerly touching his swollen injuries and cursing his luck.

“You’re more confident than before, and you’ve picked up some new abilities. Still, there’s a big gap between you and those in the Death Arena,” Ye Tang said, sitting behind him, back to back, basking in the sunlight.

“If I don’t work hard, I’ll never be able to face death head-on.”

Unbeknownst to them, Hu Guozheng, searching for Du Bin from afar, witnessed the scene. He whipped out his phone, snapping a picture with a wicked grin. “Ha! Caught you two at last. Still pretending to be innocent? I knew there was something going on between you two.”