For almost an hour, Derek and Yami continued to spar. Derek was drenched in sweat, his movements growing sluggish from exhaustion.
But he still didn't stop. There was no hesitation, no intention of ending the fight anytime soon.
Finally, Yami had to intervene. "Alright, Derek. That's enough for today."
Derek was mid-motion, about to launch another attack, but halted the moment he heard Yami's voice.
He quickly bent over, hands on his knees, panting heavily… and then collapsed onto his back, utterly exhausted.
"Thank… thank you, master."
It had been a long time since Derek had pushed himself to this extent.
"That was amazing, Derek," Meridith said as she approached them. "Your strength really has increased — and by a huge margin at that. But why would your cultivation realm drop? I've never seen such a thing happen before."
"I wish I knew, ma'am," Derek replied between ragged breaths, trying to steady his breathing.
