“…Looks like the Third Prince has too much time on his hands.” Wen Yuncheng was utterly speechless and could only offer this sentiment. Thankfully, she thought, the Third Prince had just walked out. Otherwise, she might have had to bombard the practical combat building. She didn’t know if she’d be thrown in jail to cry behind bars, but she would definitely get a beating from Yan Ling.

“Do you want to learn swordplay?” Perhaps seeing Wen Yuncheng staring at her, Lin Jinyu glanced at the sword in her hand and asked. After all, she had only obtained this opportunity because of Wen Yuncheng.

“No, no, I can’t wield it.” Swordplay without the support of Star Power was just for show. In this fantasy world, she had no idea how to cultivate the internal energy of a martial artist. Learning swordplay would probably only be for looking cool, not for fighting enemies. Besides, Lin Jinyu might find it strange if she learned the swordplay but didn’t have an ice effect, and that would be hard to explain. —The explanation would just be ‘mutation’.

Wen Yuncheng scratched her head. Seeing that Lin Jinyu was fine, she planned to leave. She thought for a moment, then said, “I’m going to buy a pair of communication stones later. Can I give one to you?”

“Okay.”

“From now on, you can use that to contact me if you need anything,” Wen Yuncheng said softly with a smile. Communication stones could only be purchased in pairs or larger sets. Whether it was a set of two, three, or more, each stone was unique and could only communicate with its matching counterparts.

On the market, a pair of communication stones sold for ten thousand Star Stones. A set of three sold for thirty thousand. In short, it wasn’t a communication tool for commoners. This was one of the reasons why Gugu Bird delivery was still popular on the Starry Sky Continent.

It was only after learning the market price that Wen Yuncheng realized how good Yan Ling had been to her. Maybe… she had seen through to her poor essence.

The theoretical courses in S-Class weren’t much different from those in A-Class. If one had to point out a difference… it would probably be that the teacher’s lecture pace was much faster than in A-Class. This accelerated pace was intended to give S-Class students more time for independent study and cultivation. Fortunately, Lin Jinyu was an attentive student who took notes. Wen Yuncheng, having just transferred to S-Class, was not on the same academic schedule as Lin Jinyu, and Teacher Tan Qing wouldn’t reteach the material. Thus, Wen Yuncheng had to self-study the parts she had missed. Luckily, Wen Yuncheng could understand the new concepts, and Little Ice Mountain’s notes were clear and easy to follow at a glance. She could also ask Lin Jinyu about anything she didn’t quite understand, so Wen Yuncheng had no problems with her coursework.

Practical combat was handled by Yan Ling—after all, Wen Yuncheng was her disciple. During the first year, Yan Ling hadn’t managed her much, but now that she was in S-Class, she had to. Yan Ling had Wen Yuncheng write down the effects and limitations of all her combat skills, and then helped her figure out combos.

“Start with Corona. If the enemy isn’t close, use stun grenades and regular grenades. The flame exploder has a delayed burning effect, so throw it after the stun grenade takes effect…”

Listening to Yan Ling teach her combos, Wen Yuncheng felt a sense of unreality. So when Yan Ling said, “Now, try it,” Wen Yuncheng obediently followed the combo she was taught. But before she could even form the Corona, Yan Ling had already closed the distance, interrupted her skill, grabbed her hand, and executed a perfect shoulder throw before twisting her arm into a lock.

“Teacher!!!”

“That combo is for an ideal situation. In a real battle, you have to adapt to the circumstances.”

“…” Wen Yuncheng had figured it out. Yan Ling just wanted to beat her up.

Yan Ling wasn’t using a weapon, nor had she used any combat skills. Wen Yuncheng got serious. She felt that, as a Long Aotian, she shouldn’t be instantly defeated when her teacher was holding back so much! What just happened was an accident. Next—

She started with a stun grenade. The moment Wen Yuncheng threw it, she saw Yan Ling draw a dagger and casually send out a slash of Star Power, detonating the grenade in mid-air. The next second, Yan Ling charged toward her—Wen Yuncheng instantly abandoned the regular grenade and instead released a Self-Destructor and a Pursuer. At the same time, she threw a flame exploder in front of herself while continuously retreating, but Yan Ling abruptly changed direction.

Wen Yuncheng kept her eyes fixed on Yan Ling and finally threw a G-14 grenade. However, before it could even get close, Yan Ling casually detonated it with an attack. Wen Yuncheng’s head throbbed with frustration. The instant Yan Ling closed in, she used an topspin kick.

Normally, a skill granted by the system that executed instantly like this should be very difficult to interrupt. This was because the execution speed of both the topspin kick and the piercing kick was at the absolute limit of Wen Yuncheng’s current physical capabilities.

However, before Wen Yuncheng could complete the spin, Yan Ling grabbed her ankle, lifting her into the air—then her vision blurred as she was slammed hard onto the other side of the training ground. Before Wen Yuncheng could even get up, Yan Ling was already standing before her again. “Your reaction time is terrible.”

“Teacher! If I were at your level, I could do it too!” Wen Yuncheng felt both angry and amused. She had never seen a master train their disciple like this. This wasn’t practical combat, this was just plain abuse!

Yan Ling rolled her eyes. “Fine, fine. I’ll take you to the Dueling Arena.”

“…Okay.” Winning in the Dueling Arena granted experience and points, so that outcome would make everyone happy.

However, when Wen Yuncheng arrived at the Dueling Arena, she found it wasn’t the same kind of match she was used to.

Yan Ling was choosing an opponent for her. And it was in a private area—one with no audience. It was like a private room in a hotel lobby, a luxurious ring within the Dueling Arena itself. There wasn’t even a spectator section, just a large ring identical to the ones Wen Yuncheng usually fought in.

“A typical Star Warrior-level opponent would have a hard time defeating you, so I’ve chosen Star Master 1st Layer opponents for you.”

“…Teacher, how many Star Stones does this cost?”

“Why are you worried about that? Go figure out your combat skills.” Yan Ling rolled her eyes impatiently and shooed Wen Yuncheng onto the ring. Within three minutes, the Star Master 1st Layer opponent Yan Ling had just selected knocked respectfully on the door. After being let in and bowing to Yan Ling, he stepped onto the ring to face Wen Yuncheng.

“Starting with a stun grenade is fine, but don’t throw it if you’re not absolutely sure you can hit the opponent!”

“The moment the enemy is incapacitated, attack! What are you spacing out for?”

“Corona! That was a perfect opportunity just now, why didn’t you know to use a skill with a long cast time?”

“Are you sleepwalking, Wen Yuncheng? Can you please look where the enemy is before using your topspin kick? Do you think kicking the air is cool?!”

“Piercing kick! Why didn’t you follow up the piercing kick with a grenade or a flame exploder! Don’t you know how to seize the moment when the enemy is stunned?!”

“Are you an idiot! Wen Yuncheng, has your hand cannon even hit the enemy once? If it can’t deal any damage, then don’t use that weapon!”

“Close range! Why didn’t you use your steel spikes just now at close range? Don’t you know how to use the mechanical armguards you invented?!”

Wen Yuncheng was drenched in sweat. After being called an idiot by Yan Ling one more time, she finally collapsed onto the ring floor. “N-No, I can’t go on. I need to rest…”

“Rest? The private room is six thousand Star Stones an hour. The sparring partner I found for you is eight thousand Star Stones an hour. How long do you want to rest?”

A demon. Yan Ling was definitely a demon. Wen Yuncheng stared at the deep blue ceiling above the ring, gritted her teeth, and hauled herself up from the floor.

It wasn’t until five in the afternoon that Wen Yuncheng, completely exhausted, walked out of the Dueling Arena with Yan Ling. This exhaustion wasn’t just physical; it was mental, and it was reflected in her MP. She had only been given four breaks the entire afternoon, each lasting just ten minutes. This was the first time Wen Yuncheng had ever experienced the pain of running out of MP.

Thankfully, her soul was resilient and her MP regeneration was fast, otherwise she didn’t know how she would have lasted.

“From now on, go back and soak in a hot bath with this for an hour every day.” Yan Ling tossed Wen Yuncheng another storage ring. “You can still go to the Fire Tempering Bath as usual. This medicinal bath doesn’t conflict with it.”

“…Okay, thank you, Teacher.”

“After your bath, don’t just collapse into bed. Practice two sets of fist forms or run a couple of laps.” As she spoke, Yan Ling tossed Wen Yuncheng a manual for a set of fist forms. “It’s not any special combat skill, it’s purely for tempering your body. —Did you hear me clearly? Answer me properly.”

“I will! I remember! I guarantee I’ll complete it!” Wen Yuncheng was so startled that she immediately roared her response with full force.

Previously, Wen Yuncheng had thought Yan Ling didn’t care about her, that she was just a teacher in name only. Only now that she was truly in Yan Ling’s hands did she feel regret. Even during that long three-month vacation, fighting in the Dueling Arena until she wanted to puke was easier than being drilled under Yan Ling’s watchful eye.

“In one month, challenge Yao Mu.” Yan Ling directly set a small goal for Wen Yuncheng. “If you lose, training doubles and rest time is halved.”

“…And if I win?”

“If you win, the training continues, and next month you’ll challenge Zhao Qiuyu.”

Wen Yuncheng: …You really are my dearest teacher.

Yan Ling watched Wen Yuncheng walk toward the dormitory with a frown, which only relaxed after she was far away. She chuckled softly, then used her communication stone to contact Tao Jingyun. “Headmaster, got any work tonight? …You do? Well, just dump it on the Vice Headmaster. I’m dead tired today, come out for a drink. …Qiu Fei? Invite her along, but if she comes, I’m not paying… Alright.”

When Wen Yuncheng returned to her dorm, she remembered that her room only had a shower, not a bathtub. After a moment of silence, she had no choice but to leave the academy again to buy a large wooden tub and place it in her bathroom.

“…Teacher is so rich.” Wen Yuncheng looked at the ring Yan Ling had given her. It was another fifty-square-meter one. Inside, it was filled with small vials of medicinal solutions for her baths. “How much must all this have cost! I could use these potions into my next life and still not run out!”

[You should know, although your mentor is extremely low-key, if she doesn’t work hard at cultivating, she’ll have to go inherit an auction house.]

Wen Yuncheng: Damn!

After filling the tub with hot water and pouring in a vial of the solution, the entire tub of water turned a vibrant emerald green. Wen Yuncheng took off her clothes and submerged herself completely. The pain of body tempering she had imagined never came. Instead, she was enveloped by a warm, tingling sensation, as if an invisible pair of hands were massaging all her sore muscles.

Wen Yuncheng was so comfortable she almost fell asleep! Especially after a day of torturous training with Yan Ling, this moment of comfort felt like heaven.

[One hour. Don’t fall asleep. Remember to practice your fist forms after you run, don’t waste the medicinal effects.]

“I know.” Only then did Wen Yuncheng understand why Yan Ling had given her that final warning. If she hadn’t been intimidated, she definitely would have gone straight to sleep after her bath.