Unexpected Training

“Stand up.” Ning Qi’s firm voice pierced Zhuang Xun’s ears.

Zhuang Xun propped herself up with one hand on her sword, which was driven straight into the floor. She looked up at Ning Qi, haphazardly wiping the sweat and grit from her cheeks.

The training room’s lights felt blinding. How much time had passed?

After she had asked to be taught, Senior Ning Qi had suddenly charged at her with a shovel. Zhuang Xun hadn’t been given a single moment to react. If not for her subconscious vigilance, she would have been down and out in that first instant.

Zhuang Xun swallowed hard, casting a gaze down at herself. Her clothes were torn in several places, yet there were surprisingly few wounds on her skin. Very few of them even bled.

It was as if… Senior Ning Qi had been perfectly controlling her strength.

Ning Qi spoke indifferently, “Is this all the strength you possess?”

Zhuang Xun gasped for breath. She knew Ning Qi was powerful, but this was far beyond what she had anticipated. She could not lose. Even if she were to fall, she would never concede.

With a resolute grit of her teeth, she used her sword as a lever to push herself back to her feet, meeting Ning Qi’s gaze. Ning Qi’s eyes remained calm, her tone flat.

“Continue.”

In the next second, Ning Qi, shovel in hand, darted toward her again. Zhuang Xun gripped her hilt tightly, blocking the shovel’s fierce, heavy strike. Her arm buckled under the weight.

The sword, once gleaming and whole, finally shattered beyond repair. Flying fragments grazed Zhuang Xun’s face, leaving a trail of bloodstains.

Ning Qi’s unwavering gaze flickered with a momentary hesitation. Zhuang Xun seized this opening, reaching out to touch the metal of the shovel before pulling her hand away instantly.

A triumphant glint appeared in Zhuang Xun’s eyes. “Senior, how can you show hesitation in battle?”

Immediately after, she cried out, “Eternal Frost Realm, Absolute Zero—Freeze!”

From the shattered remains of the sword, a burst of frigid ice pillars erupted, swiftly assailing Ning Qi. Ning Qi’s expression remained unchanged. “Is this all you’re capable of?”

The instant her words fell, the ice pillars approaching Ning Qi halted in mid-air, then dissolved into harmless droplets that splashed to the ground. Zhuang Xun lowered her head, the sound of water and Ning Qi’s voice echoing in her ears.

“Still not giving up?” Several seconds later, a hint of confusion entered Ning Qi’s voice. “Hm? …Ha, when did you do that?”

Zhuang Xun looked up, a subtle curve gracing her lips. From this angle, she could see that the shovel she had intentionally touched was now completely frozen—along with Ning Qi’s right arm.

“Ah, ah… was it then?” Ning Qi used her left hand to brush through her hair.

Zhuang Xun seized the opportunity to create distance. At this moment, her broken sword completely gave way, leaving only the hilt in her hand. She had never intended to defeat Ning Qi with such an obvious spell; the ice pillars were merely a diversion to conceal the contact she made with her hand.

Ning Qi did not move her frozen arm. She stood silently, looking at Zhuang Xun. “Freezing someone’s hand so stealthily is no low-level magic. Did Shen Xian teach you?”

Zhuang Xun calmly wiped away the blood from her face. “There was relevant knowledge in a book Senior Sister gave me.”

“So, you just read that book and mastered it?”

Zhuang Xun looked at Ning Qi and nodded.

Ning Qi gave her a meaningful glance. “I see…”

Zhuang Xun remained vigilant, her peripheral vision constantly flicking toward that frozen hand. Her magic was nearly depleted, and her weapon was ruined. If this spell were broken, she would be utterly defeated.

Ning Qi was a senior she had personally sought out. Though the experience differed from what she had imagined, a real duel was far more exhilarating than mere training. Ning Qi’s fighting style was entirely different from Shen Xian’s. Shen Xian was gentle yet lethal, while Ning Qi was much more aggressive.

“Hey.”

Zhuang Xun snapped back to attention. Ning Qi’s lips curved into a slight smile. “Junior Zhuang, with this talent, why not follow me instead?”

Zhuang Xun’s pupils widened. What…?

Before she could speak, Ning Qi was already in front of her. The next second, Zhuang Xun’s entire back slammed hard against the wall.

“Cough!” Zhuang Xun felt her internal organs tremble from the impact.

“Compared to Shen Xian, I can teach you better. How about choosing me?”

Ning Qi’s hand was clamped tightly around Zhuang Xun’s neck, making it nearly impossible to breathe. In her fading consciousness, Zhuang Xun noticed that Ning Qi’s eyes were unfocused, as if she weren’t entirely there.

She gasped out a few words, “Senior… Senior Ning…”

Just as she was about to lose consciousness, a familiar voice rang out.

“Sakura Blossom!”

“Cough! Cough, cough!” Zhuang Xun slid to the ground, clutching her neck and gasping for air.

Then, the owner of the voice stood before her, shielding her. “Ning Qi, are you trying to kill Little Zhuang Xun?!”

Shen Xian’s voice was filled with anger and a slight tremor. Zhuang Xun raised her head slightly. Shen Xian’s back was just as it had been years ago when she first stood in front of her, only now her tone was much firmer.

She couldn’t see Ning Qi’s face, only hear her voice. “Hiss… It’s been a long time since I saw you strike so heavily.”

Shen Xian gripped her staff. “Have you regained your senses? Do you even know what you’re doing right now?!”

“Ugh… I just wanted Junior Zhuang to follow me, and then…” Ning Qi’s voice trailed off, then she spoke as if utterly surprised by the situation herself. “Oh no!” Her words were laced with caution. “Junior Zhuang, are you still alive?”

Shen Xian turned her head, her eyes meeting Zhuang Xun’s.

Zhuang Xun gasped for breath, her voice weak. “Senior Ning, I’m still alive.”

If Senior Sister hadn’t arrived, she would have fainted. There was an unwritten rule among magical girls: they were absolutely forbidden from fighting to the death. She hadn’t understood the weight of this rule before, but now, she felt fortunate it existed.

Ning Qi seemed to have heard Zhuang Xun’s words and let out a sigh of relief. “My apologies. I seem to have… lost consciousness just now.”

Zhuang Xun saw Shen Xian’s gaze linger on her for a second before turning back to Ning Qi. Her voice was exceptionally cold. “If your physical state is under too much pressure, you should take leave to rest, not engage in duels until you lose control of yourself.”

Ning Qi shrugged. “I shouldn’t have been under any pressure recently; what just happened was quite unexpected.”

“You’re crazy, aren’t you? Do you even know what you—”

“Shen Xian.” Ning Qi interrupted, “Is this something we should discuss in front of a junior?”

A momentary struggle flickered in Shen Xian’s eyes. She tugged at her hair. “You! I’ll find you personally later.”

Then Shen Xian turned and crouched down, placing Zhuang Xun’s arm over her shoulder. “I need to take Little Zhuang Xun to the infirmary first. Ning Qi, you’d best wait here for me.”

Ning Qi’s expression was unreadable. She pointed to her frozen arm. “Before you leave, shouldn’t Junior Zhuang undo the magic on my arm?”

Shen Xian pretended not to hear, supporting Zhuang Xun as they headed out. “I have some questions for you when we get to the infirmary, too.”