Four days before the start of the final phase of the tournament.

Somewhere in the outskirts of the academy, on the side of a random mountain was a clearing where several tents where pitched. In the middle of the clearing, two figures were repeatedly running into one another, sending small shockwaves through the rocky mountain.

*Bang*

*Bang*

The figures collided with one another before being sent tumbling away into the mountainside.

The one on the right pushed away the loose debris falling on top of him and jumped out. His black hair were covered with dust. He wasn't wearing a shirt so the burn marks and scars on his upper body were out for all to see.

This was of course Hao Xuan.

"Again!" he said while spitting out a pebble that had gotten into his mouth.

The other person was a slightly chubby man, almost the same size as Hao Xuan himself at a little over seven feet (2.2m). He was in much better condition and even seemed relaxed.

"Hao shi, come on already. It's been three hours since we started," Fulke grumbled. This was not what he had in mind when Hao Xuan invited him to "have fun" in the mountainside. There weren't even any girls here, well, of course, other than those two.

He looked at the three people sitting by the side in the shade of a large umbrella, his expression turning ugly the more he stared at them.

"Why do they get to sit there and enjoy themselves while I have to fight? This isn't fair!" he stomped on the ground while pointing at the people in the distance. A small tremor was created from that stomp, lighting up several formations around their camp that quickly neutralized it.

Henrik lowered his sunglasses a little bit and took a sip of the green ice-cold beverage in his hand.

"Because of that," he gestured towards the dim formations, "That's all me baby," he mumbled and closed his eyes again, returning to his nap.

With nothing else to say to him, Fulke looked to the left where the other two people were sitting. They seemed to be in the middle of a board game. It looked like chess but all the pieces were of beasts and monsters.

One of them was a girl with rather tomboyish features and dressing, and the other was a rather normal-looking young man. He was picking his nose with a seven-headed piece before placing it on the board.

"Hydra to 1E. It eats all of your lord pieces. Checkmate," Jin Wang muttered while trying to reach a glass of the same beverage that was in Henrik's hand. It seemed to be just out of his reach and if he got up a little he could reach it, but he gave up and instead chose to lay there.

"This game makes no sense!" Hazel mumbled with a deep frown looking at the board.

Jin Wang shrugged, "I don't make the rules, it is how it is," he lied through his teeth.

Hao Xuan had taught him a few things about chess but he made the pieces and rules up himself, trying to create a new, more interesting game as it were.

None of them were even paying attention to Fulke and Hao Xuan's fighting and were doing their own things.

"Another one?" Jin Wang looked at her while waving a Roc piece. Hazel looked at it for a couple of seconds before finally giving in and starting another game.

Hao Xuan dusted off his trousers, "Because you're the only one that cultivates a physique scripture as well as an unarmed combat technique, and a good one at that. Those guys are all TOO weak," he said the last sentence louder so they would hear him.

Jin Wang gave him the middle finger without looking while Hazel lowered her head in embarrassment. Henrik didn't even bother to react.

But it had the intended effect and Fulke instantly brightened up.

"Y-Yeah, I guess that's true," he said trying to act casually, "Okay, let's go."

He stood at an angle and extended both his hands forward, the right one further than the left. A faint red Qi swirled around hands in the shape of a fog.

"Good good," Hao Xuan nodded.

He bent his knees and made a punching motion.

"HAH!" with a shout he threw a punch from over ten meters away. An oversized yellow fist shot towards Fulke at the speed of sound. It was bigger than his entire body but when it was within three meters, he lightly jerked his hand to the right and the fist suddenly changed its direction and flew into the mountain.

"Again!" Hao Xuan shouted and repeated the same motion. This time it was a palm, then a finger, then a knee, then a kick.

This was a very rudimentary way of training one's Qi control. The images in the air were created by the Force Qi that Hao Xuan released from his body. They did have decent damage but consumed too much Qi and could not change direction after leaving his body.

But doing this over and over again helped him better regulate Qi and control it with ease.

This continued for another hour before Hao Xuan's spirit band vibrated with a message.

"They are ready," it said.

Hao Xuan let out a breath of relief, "Finally."

He looked up at Fulke, "Let's take a break here."

"Oh thank the gods!" Fulke almost fell down to his knees. he was already running low on Qi reserves and that was never a good thing. Having less Qi would have the same effect as starvation on a cultivator's body.

Hao Xuan quickly ran into his tent and clicked on the spirit band.

"Did you finish all the programming?"

*Beep*

"Yes. It took longer than I initially expected but I had to make a lot of improvements. We can start anytime."

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