ALL NOVEL Chapter 73: Chapter 73: Admitting Defeat
"This... this power... how is this possible?"
Everyone from the Spirit Hall, including Hu Lina and Hun Ling, was crushed by the overwhelming pressure of this aura. It wasn't soul power, but its sheer intensity was utterly chilling.
Hu Lina struggled to lift her head and caught sight of Han Yu, still wearing a calm, smiling expression as he looked at them. To release such an oppressive force and remain so composed was beyond what an ordinary person could achieve.
"Their depth of character is terrifying. Even under this kind of pressure, they remain completely unaffected. It seems they truly won't yield just because we're disciples of the Spirit Hall!"
Abandoning any thoughts of leveraging her identity for concessions, Hu Lina chose to admit her mistake. Pressuring these individuals any further was a risk she wasn't willing to take. With their strength, they could easily eliminate her without breaking a sweat.
"Fine. It was indeed our fault. We'll pay the compensation!"
On their side, Hun Ling—who had been their primary combatant—had already depleted most of his soul power resisting the toxins, leaving him no energy to deal with two individuals who had effortlessly taken down the Bi Shui Dragon Jiao, plus the enigmatic Han Yu, whose aura alone subdued everyone.
As soon as Hu Lina uttered those words, the oppressive atmosphere dissipated. Han Yu, grinning from ear to ear, pulled out a cloth pouch from who-knows-where and stepped forward to collect their compensation.
"Who exactly is this guy? I've never heard of such a powerful young figure emerging from any known faction. And their techniques… they don't seem to rely on martial spirits?"
Watching Han Yu cheerfully pocket their offerings, Hu Lina felt a mixture of frustration and bafflement. She wasn't blind—both Xiao Yan and Ace clearly deferred to him as their leader.
Neither Ace nor Xiao Yan's moves gave off any soul power fluctuations. Yet their powerful techniques couldn't possibly be executed without soul power, which left only one conclusion:
They weren't soul masters. They were using a completely different kind of power!
"Who are these people?" Hu Lina narrowed her eyes as she observed Han Yu's group. She couldn't even begin to guess their origins.
"All right. Erina has finished absorbing the spirit ring. We've gained a lot this time. Let's head back," Han Yu said cheerfully, storing the compensation into his "little treasury" before waving them off.
A light breeze swept through. Instinctively, Hu Lina and her group raised their hands to shield their eyes. By the time they lowered them, the group had vanished.
"They're gone… and we didn't even notice when they left!"
"What terrifying people... which faction could they possibly belong to? I've never heard of them!"
"This is so humiliating... we've never been so thoroughly outclassed before…"
The spot where Han Yu's group had stood was now completely empty. If not for the faint aroma of roasted meat lingering in the air and the charred remains of the Bi Shui Dragon Jiao floating on the lake, Hu Lina might have thought the entire encounter had been an illusion.
"Han Yu, aren't you going to collect a spirit ring for yourself?"
While leaping through the forest, Erina turned to Han Yu with the question. Having gained her first spirit ring, her body had grown significantly more adapted to the use of soul power.
Now that she had experience with activating soul skills, she had also learned to channel soul power into her legs for enhanced movement.
Erina could now barely keep up with Han Yu's group, though that was only because they weren't deliberately trying to leave her behind. If they had been, she still wouldn't stand a chance.
"I've had another idea. I don't even need to find one myself—someone else can deliver a spirit ring to me," Han Yu replied with a sly gleam in his eye.
Among the miscellaneous items he had acquired from the general store, there was one called the "Forcible Seizure Card."
The function of this card is to designate and seize any skill or item from another party. The target won't lose the skill or item, but if the goal is to permanently deprive them of it, the card can be upgraded to an "Ultimate Forcible Seizure Card" by spending 100 upgrade points.
Han Yu was no longer surprised by the system's exorbitant upgrade requirements. However, he didn't see the need to permanently take away something from someone else. Gaining access to the ability or item for himself was already more than sufficient.
"I'm not a soul master myself, and I don't possess soul power. All my soul power exists within the Clear Sky Hammer. It's only because of the peculiar traits of the general store that I acquired this martial spirit in the first place. For me, the usual restrictions on spirit ring levels don't apply. The higher the level of the spirit ring, the better," Han Yu explained as he leaped through the forest.
"But I still don't get it. What does this have to do with you not searching for a spirit ring yourself?" Erina asked.
"I have my own methods," Han Yu replied.
Han Yu wasn't keen on going into detail about the items he had obtained from the general store. They were far too extraordinary, and revealing them would only bring trouble.
Since Han Yu wasn't willing to elaborate, Erina and the others didn't press him. Everyone had their own secrets. Asking too many questions could cross boundaries. If someone wanted to share, they would do so willingly; there was no need to force the issue.
To help Erina practice her control over soul power, the group didn't stop running, maintaining a steady pace the entire time.
Ace was doing fine. His years of physical training had already made his body far superior to that of an ordinary person. Moreover, with his Flame-Flame Fruit abilities, he could release bursts of flame from his feet, propelling himself through the air at speeds of 40 to 50 meters per second. This allowed Ace to effortlessly keep up, treating the exercise more as a casual jog.
Erina, however, was gritting her teeth. Beads of sweat slid down her smooth forehead, and a few strands of hair stuck to her face. She wiped them away carelessly with her sleeve and pressed on without complaint.
She understood that Han Yu was testing her. She also knew that this training was nothing compared to the challenges she would face in the future. If she gave up now, Han Yu might decide she wasn't cut out for martial spirit cultivation.
"I can do this. This is nothing!"
Determined, Erina bit her lip and focused on the sensation of channeling soul power through her body. Her control over it was improving rapidly.
Without turning back, Han Yu's lips curled into a faint smile as he thought to himself:
"Good. If Erina had given up and started complaining, I'd have crippled her soul power as soon as we returned. Compared to what she'll face in the future, this is like a vacation. If she can't handle this, there's no point in her continuing down this path. But fortunately, she hasn't let me down."
Suddenly, Han Yu's body stiffened mid-stride. His sharp gaze locked onto a specific direction, and without warning, he changed course and increased his speed significantly.
"What's going on?"
Seeing Han Yu suddenly accelerate, Erina struggled to keep up. She had no idea why he had picked up the pace.
Although Xiao Yan didn't know what was happening either, he instinctively chose to trust Han Yu. He released a bit of his battle energy to support Ace and Erina, helping them pick up speed and catch up with Han Yu.
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