Chapter One Hundred and Thirty: Healing in the Hot Springs

"Training begins!"

Yixin faced the four wooden puppets without issue. Bolstered by the footwork of his Blazing Flame Fist, his melee combat skills surpassed those of an average mage, and he threw himself into the fray with raw, spirited intensity.

With a single punch, he sent a puppet reeling back half a meter. Had the puppets not been reinforced by Yun Lan’s mana, that blow would have shattered their wooden frames to pieces.

Heiyu relied on his agility to weave through the puppets with ease, moving with grace and precision. His trident, lightweight and versatile, offered excellent piercing and cutting capabilities, granting him a significant edge in close quarters.

Melee combat was not exactly Bai Shengye’s forte, but once he transformed his staff into its secondary form—the Ice Blade Sword—his combat power surged, allowing him to hold his own.

The three girls, however, were in a miserable state. Already sore and aching from their "ten-part special training," they were now forced to fend off these relentless wooden attackers.

Ling Xiaolei landed a weak, desperate blow on a puppet's face, but it had no effect. The puppets were not only sturdy but also unnervingly flexible. Before she could react, the puppet’s limbs shot out to strike her. She blocked with her staff, but the limbs detached from the puppet's body, flying toward her from unexpected angles and trajectories, catching her completely off guard.

More importantly, these puppets, controlled by Yun Lan, moved with unpredictable, ever-changing patterns that defied analysis. Ling Xiaolei could do nothing but sharpen her instincts and focus entirely on defense and evasion.

Shen Zaiguo, originally adept at melee combat, had been swinging her longsword with unstoppable force, but every puppet she severed immediately reassembled itself. Soon, exhausted by her own furious outbursts, she found herself gasping for breath, forced to rely on her hardened dragon wings for passive defense.

Lingmeng was the least suited for melee combat among them. Frail and lacking physical strength, she wielded a short, mana-focused wand that was utterly useless in this scenario. The howling winds surrounding the arena made it hard for her to even stand, let alone counterattack. She fought blindly, eyes shut tight, and before long, she was covered in bruises and simmering with frustration.

Yun Lan stood on the perimeter, appearing relaxed, though he felt a twinge of sympathy as he watched his delicate students become battered and bruised. With his hands behind his back, he called out, "In the Magic Duel Tournament, if you are suppressed by a melee-focused warrior, is this all you can do to resist?"

His words stirred a brief spark of fighting spirit, but as time dragged on, the puppets—devoid of life and fatigue—continued their assault without faltering. In contrast, the students began to slow down.

Shen Zaiguo gradually fell into a disadvantageous position, yet she endured the pain, not making a sound even as the wooden arms struck her repeatedly. Ling Xiaolei, fueled by a stubborn refusal to give up, found a burst of raw power in her moment of desperation. The more bruised she became, the more ferocious her fighting grew.

Only Lingmeng faltered, her thin frame swaying like a butterfly in a storm. Unable to sustain the defense, she was forced to take hit after hit. Suddenly, her vision blurred, her footing faltered, and she nearly collapsed.

Seeing this, Heiyu immediately used his staff to deflect the two puppets attacking her, drawing their attention toward himself. With only two puppets left before her, Lingmeng was able to manage. Bai Shengye and Yixin exchanged a glance and stepped in to take two puppets each from the sides of Ling Xiaolei and Shen Zaiguo. For the moment, they managed to hold the line.

"It seems this level isn't enough to stop you. Time to increase the intensity!"

Yun Lan raised his hands. The wind roared, suddenly intensifying, obscuring their vision and disrupting their footwork, while the puppets’ attack speed doubled in an instant.

"What? Still increasing it?" Ling Xiaolei felt faint, yet she dragged her exhausted body to keep standing.

Amidst the gale, leaves and sand swirled violently, making it impossible to keep their eyes open. They could only see the puppets’ attacks becoming even more dizzying. Three hours had passed, and every one of them was utterly spent. The remaining test was a grueling trial of endurance beyond the point of exhaustion.

Heiyu, facing eight puppets moving at blinding speeds, was surrounded by a flurry of strikes so fast he could no longer track their trajectory. Sweat soaked through his clothes, and his muscles ached with unbearable fire. The staff in his hands felt heavier with every passing second, and he could only swing it with mechanical effort.

Lingmeng felt a surge of resentment. She was a Healing-type Elf; she should be standing safely behind her teammates in battle, protected by them. Why was she subjected to this? Yet, unable to voice her grievances, she could only endure in silence.

Watching his students suffer, Yun Lan felt a heavy heart. But his duty as a teacher reminded him: they might one day face all manner of powerful foes. To be soft-hearted during training would be the greatest disservice to them.

Only when Yixin and Heiyu were finally reduced to a state of total exhaustion and passive defense did Yun Lan finally calm the raging storm.

The puppets fell into silence, collapsing into piles of wood neatly arranged on the ground. Freed from the threat, the students’ strength vanished instantly, and they all slumped to the ground.

"Good work. That’s it for today’s puppet training. We continue tomorrow!"

"What? Still more?"

"And tomorrow’s training will be even more difficult!"

"Ugh..."

Bai Shengye helped the weak Lingmeng sit under a nearby tree. She was so tired she couldn't even lift her arms, which were covered in bruises. He felt a pang of heartache and carefully applied medicinal ointment to her wounds. Yixin panted heavily before finally sinking to the ground, while Heiyu and Ling Xiaolei, abandoning all pretense of decorum, sprawled out on the grass.

Seeing this, Yun Lan’s sympathy flared up again. Reproaching himself, he said, "Ahem, everyone has had a rough day. How about... I treat you all to a hot spring?"

"A hot spring?!"

The words were like dew after a drought; everyone perked up immediately, their fatigue seemingly cut in half. They had long heard of a famous hot spring village at the foot of the Northern Mountains on the outskirts of the Holy City. Bai Shengye distributed stamina-restoring potions to everyone, and after drinking them, they helped each other up and set off in high spirits.

Inside a private room at the hot spring inn, a steaming hotpot sat on a square table. The delicious broth was filled with crabs, prawns, and other seafood, along with various vegetables and sliced meats, filling the room with an intoxicating aroma. Ling Xiaolei and Shen Zaiguo crowded around the pot, their mouths watering as they exclaimed, "It looks so delicious! I can't wait! Teacher Yun Lan is the best!"

Yun Lan sat in the corner of the room, his eyes crinkling with a kind smile as he watched them enjoy themselves. Lingmeng set out the bowls and chopsticks, and before long, the hotpot was ready.