Chapter 401: Terrifying Talent

In the blink of an eye, Ning Ruyu’s footwork shifted rapidly, leaving behind an afterimage as he vanished from his spot.

Chen Ling’s punch hit empty air, his eyes filled with slight bewilderment. Even with his pupils glowing with a faint blue light, it was difficult to track Ning Ruyu’s movements.

The next moment, a whistling palm strike came from behind his head!

Chen Ling lunged forward almost instinctively, a sharp aura grazing his hair. He stumbled and rolled half a circle on the ground before steadying himself and looking back.

"Such fast reactions." Ning Ruyu’s clothes fluttered as he looked at Chen Ling with immense astonishment.

"Such terrifying combat instinct... Little Junior Brother, are you really of the Opera God Path?"

Chen Ling was slightly stunned.

Well... strictly speaking, he really wasn't of the Opera God Path.

Back in the Aurora Realm, three God Path stars had extended an olive branch to Chen Ling simultaneously, and the first to appear was the Soldier God Path... and the fact that Chen Ling ended up on the path of the Opera God was an accident.

Han Meng had once said that the Soldier God Path required killing to awaken, and for those with weak talent, even killing hundreds or thousands might not be effective. Yet, Chen Ling had only killed one person, and it had already drawn the attention of the Soldier God Path...

He, Chen Ling, might not have talent for opera, but in the Soldier God Path, his talent was absolutely top-tier in the world!

Chen Ling excelled at combat, but for the Opera God Path, combat was not the core ability. Using the top-tier combat talent of the Soldier God Path against an Opera God Path practitioner of the same level was essentially a dimensional strike.

"Perhaps." Chen Ling smiled.

Ning Ruyu stared blankly at Chen Ling, then began to laugh as well.

"I knew it, our Little Junior Brother’s talent must be peerless in this world... Come! Fight again!"

Two figures, one red and one white, collided rapidly!

Perhaps it was because of the intense suppression from the previous lessons, but now Chen Ling was like a beast off its leash. The [Killing Dance] engraved in his mind was displayed to the fullest, and combined with the experience gained from countless brushes with death in the Aurora Realm, he grew fiercer with every exchange!

As for Ning Ruyu, he consistently maintained his strength at the same level as Chen Ling’s. His white robes fluttered flexibly on the arena. He didn't strike often, but every time he did, he would point out a flaw in Chen Ling’s combat, forcing him to immediately correct his defense.

Ning Ruyu was like a perfect sparring partner, his movements unhurried, allowing Chen Ling to unleash his combat talent to his heart's content.

The few hours of "lessons" that had initially been so agonizing for Chen Ling flew by during the combat, and by the time he came to his senses, the sun was already setting behind the mountains.

The dim, golden sunlight spilled onto the arena, as if plating it in a layer of pale gold.

Ning Ruyu, his white robes spotless, stood at the edge of the arena, looking at Chen Ling, whose eyes were like torches, and smiled slightly.

"Let's end today's lesson here. Little Junior Brother, you really are very talented."

Chen Ling took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, as if venting all the stagnant energy he had accumulated over the past few days.

He then bowed earnestly to Ning Ruyu:

"Thank you, Senior Brother."

"No need to thank me, it’s what a Senior Brother should do." Ning Ruyu paused for a moment. "However, you should find a suitable weapon when you have time. Being empty-handed all the time makes you prone to disadvantages when facing enemies."

A weapon...

Chen Ling realized then that he hadn't really used a weapon much until now... except for a gun, the kind that shoots bullets.

With the support of the [Judgment Court], using a handgun as a long-range attack method was indeed effective, but once in close quarters, the disadvantage was obvious.

"I understand." Chen Ling nodded slightly.

The sunset stretched their shadows long. As Ning Ruyu raised his hand gently, the surrounding scene folded once more, eventually collapsing into a small disc case...

"Let's go." Ning Ruyu put away the disc and smiled at Chen Ling.

"It’s time to eat... remember to bring a big bowl today."

……

Dinner time.

Luan Mei, Wenren You, and Mo Jiao fell into deep thought as they watched the radiant Ning Ruyu.

"Senior Brother, can I have another bowl?" Chen Ling, who had finished his first bowl in silence, asked Wenren You.

"...You may."

"Thank you."

Chen Ling got up to go to the kitchen for more rice.

Taking advantage of Chen Ling’s absence, Mo Jiao opened his mouth and whispered, "Senior Brother... how did it go today?"

"Very well, extremely well." Ning Ruyu laughed. "As expected of someone chosen by Master himself, Little Junior Brother’s talent is truly terrifying..."

"Are you serious?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

“……”

Mo Jiao and the others exchanged glances, their postures seeming to stiffen even more.

When Chen Ling returned with his rice, the group stopped discussing the topic. Ning Ruyu saw the empty seat at the end and asked with some concern:

"Master, Fifth Brother hasn't come to eat for three days in a row now..."

"Hmm? What’s wrong?"

Ning Ruyu hesitated for a moment before saying, "Is this punishment... a bit too harsh? If it’s not okay, I’m willing to take the punishment for him."

"Punishment? Who punished him?" The young man raised an eyebrow.

Ning Ruyu was stunned. "Wasn't it you who punished him? Otherwise, with Fifth Brother’s personality, how could he not be enthusiastic about eating..."

"You’re overthinking it. He’s just been busy lately." The young man waved his hand dismissively, taking the opportunity to snatch a piece of braised pork from in front of him.

"Busy with what?"

"Kids' business, don't ask so many questions."

Ning Ruyu: ...

Chen Ling finished two large bowls of rice, then bid his Senior Brothers farewell and went back to rest.

Ning Ruyu was also preparing to leave, but as soon as he sat up, Mo Jiao grabbed him and pulled him back into his seat...

"What’s wrong?"

Seeing that Chen Ling was far away, Mo Jiao breathed a sigh of relief, exchanged glances with Luan Mei and Wenren You, and said solemnly to their Master:

"Master... we need to have a serious talk about Little Junior Brother’s situation."

……

The stars twinkled silently in the sky as Chen Ling pushed the door open and returned to his room.

He seemed to remember something, glanced back at the direction of the main gate, then acted as if nothing had happened, washed up, and got into bed... After yawning several times, he closed his eyes.

Time passed second by second, and Chen Ling even began to snore lightly. Both inside and outside the house were deathly silent.

Two hours later, a figure finally poked its head out sneakily from outside the dim courtyard...

Under the hazy starlight, one could only see a round little head backlit by the light. With a light vault, it crossed the wall and landed silently in the courtyard.

On its back, it carried a giant bouquet over three meters long, looking like a massive sunflower umbrella that swayed left and right with its steps. In contrast to this giant bouquet, the small figure wasn't even as tall as the stems and leaves.

It stared with bean-like eyes and tiptoed to the door. Just as it was about to put down the bouquet in its hands, a voice suddenly came from inside the room:

"I’ve finally caught you."

"Eek!!" The figure was startled, like a frightened rabbit, and bolted out with a whoosh!

At the same time, the door of the house was thrown open, and a figure in red chased after it!