"Begin," Liu Yong declared.
Both of them exchanged attacks fiercely. Wu Zhen's strikes were heavy and hard, while Jing Lei's were flexible and fast.
"…I don't think this battle will end anytime soon," Bai Zhi commented.
"Why is that?" Yang Luoya asked.
"…They both have good bodies and stamina," Bai Zhi replied.
Just like Bai Zhi said, the fight dragged on for more than two hours, yet both of them still looked fine, not even a drop of sweat on their faces.
"This fight really won't end," Yang Luoya said.
Both fighters stopped for a few seconds."Junior Brother, since this battle won't end, how about we exchange one blow each? The goal is to push the opponent outside the arena," Wu Zhen suggested.
"If Senior Brother says so, this junior will agree," Jing Lei replied.
"Then Junior can go first." Wu Zhen shifted into a defensive stance.
Jing Lei charged in with incredible speed. His blow became heavier, pushing Wu Zhen several meters back, but not out of the arena.
"Good attack. It's my turn now."This time Wu Zhen's strike was much heavier.
"Wu Zhen! Control your strength!" Yang Luoya warned, afraid he might hurt the junior disciple more than necessary. Jing Lei was pushed back until his foot touched the arena line.
"…This junior lost. Thank you for the fight, Senior Brother." Jing Lei pressed his hands together in salute.
"The winner, Wu Zhen", Wu Zhen returned to his seat beside Yang Luoya."Fyuuh, that was a good exercise," he said, not even sweating. "You almost made him disabled, you idiot," Yang Luoya scolded.
"Since the fight has ended, let's continue the exam. Is there any peak master who wishes to take disciple Jing Lei as their direct disciple?" Liu Yong asked.
Unexpectedly, Shen Ming raised his hand. A huge smirk appeared on his face.
"Oh… Peak Master Shen Ming raised his hand? Then I'll let it slide this time since Peak Master Shen Ming rarely takes any disciple," Sun Guang leaned back in his chair. Gao Jun and Yue Lan simply nodded.
"Jing Lei, will you take Peak Master Shen Ming as your master?" Liu Yong asked.
"This disciple greets Master." Jing Lei bowed with hands pressed together.
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.
"…It's been three years, huh… Was the sky always this blue? Maybe because I've been inside the cave for three years without sunlight," said a tall young man staring at the sky in front of a cave. A smile formed on his face.
"I miss my big brother already…"
The next day…
"Ah, this year finally came," Yang Luoya said as he walked down the mountain. Kirin, floating beside him, asked, "What year do you mean?"
Yang Luoya smiled. "Yang Wei's coming-of-age ceremony. In a few days, he'll turn sixteen. We have to return home for the big ceremony."
"But he hasn't come out of seclusion, right?" Kirin asked.
Yang Luoya turned his head. "He will soon. But if he doesn't, I'll pick him up myself", Right after saying that, he stumbled on a mountain-rock stair and almost fell. A hand reached out and held him steady.
"Ah, thanks." Yang Luoya looked up at the person's face.
"You're welcome, Big Bro", It was Yang Wei.
Yang Luoya was shocked—Yang Wei had grown taller and bigger than him. Yang Luoya only reached up to his neck. "Yang Wei? Is that you?" He seemed bewildered by the young man in front of him. Slowly, a smile formed on his lips. "You came back… and you're taller than me now. Is it puberty?" he mumbled the last part.
"Maybe because I eat a lot and train a lot. Besides, I made a promise—to grow stronger, strong enough to depend on, and strong enough to protect you", Yang Wei took Yang Luoya's hand and kissed his palm.
"(Ehhh…? Somehow he's different than before…)" Yang Luoya thought in confusion. "Brother, we haven't met for a long time. I want to spend more time with you," Yang Wei said like a lost puppy.
"Sure. Do you want to go to town for a walk?", Yang Wei nodded happily.
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They walked side by side, blending into the crowd. The market was still busy even though it was almost night. "Yang Wei, your coming-of-age ceremony is near. We'll return home soon to hold it," Yang Luoya said.
"Ah… I'm sixteen this year, aren't I?" Yang Wei muttered, lost in thought. Then suddenly he smiled. "Well… as long as Big Brother is with me, I don't mind going anywhere."
"Say… you've changed, Yang Wei. Did secluded training change you that much? At this point I won't be surprised if you suddenly bring home an omega", Yang Luoya kept walking, but Yang Wei suddenly stopped after hearing that.
He didn't say anything, but his expression became complicated. Noticing Yang Wei falling behind, Yang Luoya turned around, "What are you waiting for? Did you forget something?"
Yang Wei just smiled and followed. "Nothing. Just thinking about when we'll depart."
"Soon… I'll submit my leave-of-absence request tomorrow morning, so we can leave next week."
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The next day, after the first study period, Yang Luoya already had the permission letter in hand.
"Oh? You're leaving the sect soon?", it was Wu Zhen, with Jing Lei, Bai Zhi, and Xu Yanran behind him. "Yes, Yang Wei's coming-of-age ceremony is near. We need to prepare," Yang Luoya replied.
"Oh cool, should we come too?" Wu Zhen asked suddenly. "Isn't going without an invitation rude?" Jing Lei whispered.
"No problem. I can put your names on the guest list. I'm one of the people preparing the ceremony, so I can at least do this," Yang Luoya said.
"You hear that? Let's send our leave requests too! First one to reach the administrative office wins!", Wu Zhen started running. "Hey! That's cheating!" Jing Lei chased after him.
"They've become so close?" Yang Luoya asked. "Mhm. After the third exam yesterday, they started forming some kind of rivalry," Xu Yanran explained.
"Really? But I don't think that's the case. To me, it feels like Wu Zhen finally found someone who can match his pace. He has such a childish side, but that's not a bad thing," Bai Zhi chuckled softly.
"Senior Yang Luoya, can I come too? I'm curious about how royalty holds a ceremony", In truth, Bai Zhi just admired Yang Luoya too much and wanted to spend more time with him.
"Mhm… don't worry, I'll put your name on the list too", Bai Zhi's eyes glimmered at those words. "Then I'll submit my leave request as well", Bai Zhi left after that.
"…I saw Yang Wei today. He's really grown—mentally and physically," Xu Yanran said.
"Yeah… he's taller than me now, and I'm jealous. I wouldn't be surprised if he introduces me to his partner soon," Yang Luoya replied.
"…You see, I think he already has someone in mind. I don't know who, but I can feel it—woman's intuition," Xu Yanran said carefully.
"He's already seeing someone secretly?"