Volume One: The Beginning of the Path Chapter 124: The End of the Battle

Inside the protective barrier, Fan Yan and Lu Renjia were naturally unaware that Ye Junze and Yun Tianhan, who had finished their own tasks, were watching their duel from the outside. Both fighters were fully focused on their opponent, not daring to show even the slightest carelessness.

Suddenly, Fan Yan delivered a whip kick, slashing down toward Lu Renjia. Facing this sudden strike, Lu Renjia remained composed; with agile footwork, he stepped to the left and evaded the blow. Seeing her attack miss, Fan Yan did not lose heart; she steadied her breathing and launched a new wave of assaults.

Watching the entire exchange, Yun Tianhan exclaimed, "Wow, that kick by Big Sister Fan was sharp!"

Ye Junze nodded in agreement, adding, "It was, but it's a shame it missed."

"Yeah, I didn't expect that guy Lu Renjia to react so quickly," Yun Tianhan replied, his expression shifting into a dramatic pout. "None of you guys are easy to deal with. Am I the only one who's too young and keeps getting bullied by all of you in turns?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Junze waved his hand dismissively. "Stop right there. If you keep going, I can't guarantee what my fists might do." As he spoke, he flexed his left hand into a tight fist.

Seeing this, Yun Tianhan immediately fell silent. He instinctively touched his abdomen, recalling the punch he had taken from Ye Junze during their own recent fight; the mere sight of that raised fist made his stomach ache all over again.

While they spoke, the battle between Fan Yan and Lu Renjia was nearing its end. Fan Yan, having exerted herself through intense movements, was panting heavily, gasping for air. Opposite her, Lu Renjia was also visibly exhausted, though not quite as drained as she was; nonetheless, he was clearly struggling.

Despite her depleting stamina, Fan Yan refused to give up, tirelessly launching one attack after another. However, her strikes had lost their initial force. Lu Renjia could dodge them with little effort and even find openings to counterattack.

When another one of Fan Yan's punches missed, she tried to shift her momentum to strike again, but her lack of energy forced her to pause to catch her breath. Lu Renjia seized this opening, identified her weakness, and landed a sudden, firm punch. With no strength left to defend, Fan Yan could only watch as the blow landed.

Staggered by the heavy impact, Fan Yan could no longer hold her ground and began to fall backward. Lu Renjia quickly moved to her side, catching her just before she hit the ground.

"Thanks," Fan Yan whispered. "I lost this round."

Lu Renjia waved his hand. "If I hadn't been wearing you down the whole time, the outcome might have been different."

Fan Yan straightened up and said nonchalantly, "It doesn't matter. A loss is a loss. I'm not an unreasonable person, so you don't need to comfort me."

Lu Renjia wanted to reply, but his male intuition warned him that it was best to stay silent; otherwise, he might find himself facing a world-class dilemma. He wisely held his tongue.

As they spoke, Lei Fan noticed their situation. After settling the students who had just finished their own matches, he walked over and deactivated their protective barrier. Seeing this, Ye Junze and Yun Tianhan stood up and walked toward them.

Lei Fan approached the pair, nodded with satisfaction, and said, "You both worked hard. Take a rest now."

The two nodded in acknowledgment. "Thank you, Teacher," they said in unison.

Lei Fan waved his hand to dismiss the formality, then noticed Ye Junze and Yun Tianhan approaching. Once they arrived, he instructed them, "That's good. Since you all seem to be on good terms, and you two have already rested, why don't you look after them?"

They had no objections, as that had been their intention all along. They nodded and replied, "Understood, Teacher Lei. You go ahead with your duties."

Lei Fan didn't say anything more; he waved to them and walked off to check on the others.

Once Lei Fan was out of earshot, Ye Junze turned to Fan Yan and Lu Renjia, asking with concern, "How are you two holding up? Are you alright?"

Fan Yan waved her hand without speaking, while Lu Renjia nodded and replied, "I'm fine."

At that moment, Yun Tianhan produced several bottles of water from somewhere and handed them over. "Alright, enough of that. The fight is over, so don't worry about it for now. Drink some water and take a breather."

Lu Renjia took the water and handed a bottle to Fan Yan. "I won't stand on ceremony then. Thanks."

"Thank you," Fan Yan added softly after taking the bottle.

Ye Junze looked at Yun Tianhan, and the two shared a knowing smile, though they remained silent. After Fan Yan and Lu Renjia finished their water, Yun Tianhan spoke up again: "How is it? If you need more, I have plenty. Don't be shy." He produced a few more bottles.

They accepted the water without refusal. Watching them recover, Yun Tianhan suddenly remarked, "Big Sister Fan, that whip kick earlier was really cool."

Fan Yan felt a bit shy and waved him off. "I'll begrudgingly accept your flattery."

Yun Tianhan wasn't offended in the slightest. He turned to Lu Renjia and clicked his tongue. "But you, Lu Renjia, you're usually quite good at masking your true self. If I hadn't seen you fight Big Sister Fan, I would have been completely fooled. How could you not show some gentlemanly grace and go easy on a girl?"

Lu Renjia quickly defended himself. "It's not that I didn't want to! Fan Yan told me to use my full strength, saying that if I held back, she'd make me pay. What else could I do but give it my all?"

Yun Tianhan nodded sympathetically. "Don't get me started. I know exactly what you mean. Someone threatened me with the same thing just a while ago. If I hadn't complied, it’s a mystery whether you'd even be seeing me right now."

Hearing Yun Tianhan making veiled digs at him, Ye Junze didn't get angry; he just let out a dry, mirthless chuckle. The other two, however, caught the implication.

"Wait a second," Lu Renjia asked. "Are you saying the two of you just fought each other?"

"Yep, that's right," Yun Tianhan replied.

Fan Yan, instantly intrigued, asked, "So, who won?"

"Well, naturally..." Yun Tianhan dragged out his answer, teasing them. "It was... me!"

Lu Renjia and Fan Yan looked at him with wide, curious eyes. Sensing their attention, Yun Tianhan felt quite satisfied, though he shot a glance at Ye Junze, warning him not to contradict him. Ye Junze played along and remained silent.

"That's absolutely impossible," Yun Tianhan added, dropping the act.

Fan Yan and Lu Renjia let out a collective groan. Fan Yan rolled her eyes and mocked, "Whatever. I knew it. How could someone like you possibly beat Ye Junze? So, what happened? Did he beat you until you were black and blue?"

Yun Tianhan, thick-skinned as ever, didn't mind the jab. He said dramatically, "Oh, how did you know, Big Sister Fan? I'm so embarrassed. Do you want to see? I really am black and blue!" As he spoke, he made a show of trying to pull down his pants.

Fan Yan blushed and spat, "Ugh! Who wants to look at that? If you're beaten, you're beaten—at least you're still alive."

"And here I was, so worried about your safety, Big Sister Fan. I didn't expect you to treat me like this. My heart is shattered into a thousand pieces." By the end, Yun Tianhan looked as if he were on the verge of tears. Anyone who didn't know him might have actually fallen for his act and mistaken him for a heart-broken victim.

Ye Junze laughed helplessly and shrugged at Fan Yan and Lu Renjia, as if to say, "He's always like this; there's nothing I can do."

The two nodded in agreement, casting a look of disdain at the oblivious Yun Tianhan while silently moving a few steps away to distance themselves.

As they chatted, more students finished their second round of combat and emerged from the protective barriers. Li Ling was among them; after defeating his opponent, he spotted the group of four and walked over with a friendly greeting.

Once they were all gathered, all the battles in the field had concluded. Lei Fan stepped forward and announced, "I now declare the second stage of the practical combat lesson to be finished."