Every evening, without a single moment of reprieve or fail, the painful and gruelling cycle would continue as Bai Xifeng was mercilessly beaten to a pulp by Ji Yuan during their intensive practical training sessions. On the surface, Ji Yuan always appeared refined, poised, and gentle, a very living image of a scholarly and elegant master. However, the moment he actually made a move, Bai Xifeng knew with an absolute, sinking certainty that agonising pain would soon follow his every strike.
Meanwhile, the rest of the academy was equally bustling with frantic activity. Many other students were preparing intensely for the upcoming inter-division competition, aiming for the glory, rewards, and immense prestige that accompanied the coveted championship title. Others, however, remained completely indifferent to the hype, continuing their solitary and rhythmic cultivation routines without showing even a flicker of interest in the academy-wide spectacle.
