My stats are higher than yours!!

Fortunately, it was a success.

Bai Shuodong glanced down at his watch, a smile spreading across his face.

There's still plenty of time; I can make it to the afternoon training session. But with my current abilities, I'm afraid it will be difficult to defeat Xia Yanxin head-on. I need to devise a further battle strategy.

.....

In the afternoon, the sun was warm and scorching, shining directly on the vast training ground.

In the vast training ground, many students were scattered around. Some were practicing alone, while others were sparring. The instructor sat in the air, looking down at the students and occasionally offering a word of advice.

Outside the training field, a red-haired figure sat quietly in the shadows of the rest area; it was Xia Yanxin.

She sat there casually, elbows on her knees, her gaze coldly sweeping across the training field, scanning everyone back and forth, just to find a familiar figure.

Xia Yanxin had been searching for a long time, but she figured she wouldn't be able to find him if she kept looking, since Bai Shuodong had already taken leave and left. She lowered her eyes, feeling depressed, and thought she had been too foolish and too naive.

She touched the hilt of the greatsword with one hand, a deadly glint in her eyes.

Why lie?

It's fine to just refuse outright; it's not like I've been rejected before. This is just deceiving me...

Bai Shuodong, what exactly do you take me for?

Chapter Seven: Hey, long time no see!

'The air pressure is so low.'

He Jiaxin watched her from afar, and could roughly sense Xia Yanxin's feelings.

As a pure warrior, she detested this kind of behavior of standing someone up and running away after a duel, especially since Xia Yanxin believed that the other party would not run away, but the reality gave her a resounding slap in the face.

This made her even more upset, and Xia Yanxin was unable to accept reality.

He Jiaxin walked over to her and sat down a short distance away. Following her gaze, she looked towards the training field, sighed, and said, "He's not coming."

"..."

Xia Yanxin did not answer, but stared silently into the distance, her gaze not fixed.

“You are much stronger than him, and you didn’t know your limits when you fought, so it’s normal that he didn’t want to fight you. This guy probably wanted to escape, but he didn’t dare to tell you directly, so he took three days off and canceled the training class. That’s normal. It would be abnormal if he dared to fight.”

Upon hearing this, Xia Yanxin's clenched fingers turned slightly white, and her knuckles showed a forceful arc.

With her eyes lowered and her voice low and stubborn, she said, "Wait a little longer."

Xia Yanxin knew very well that she would most likely never see him again, but she just didn't want to accept reality. Even though continuing to wait would almost certainly lead to disappointment, she still refused to leave. It was her own stubbornness that couldn't be dissuaded.

Actually, she didn't know what she was waiting for, but she just felt uncomfortable and just wanted to sit here and wait, even if there was no result.

"Ah~"

He Jiaxin sighed, shrugged helplessly, and stood silently to the side without offering any further advice.

Perhaps because Xia Yanxin was here, and because of the challenge, she was in a bad mood, so not many people came near her. Even when she was tired and wanted to rest, she would go to other places. No one wanted to touch her mold.

Time passed little by little.

Until one moment, at the point where light and shadow intertwined at the entrance of the training field, a tall, upright young figure strode confidently into the training field.

The sunlight fell precisely on the boy's shoulder, clearly outlining his features.

Xia Yanxin's pupils suddenly narrowed, her body tensing up instinctively.

She suddenly looked up, instinctively raising her hand to slightly shield her eyes from the glaring sunlight. Her gaze pierced through the swaying light and shadow, locking onto that familiar figure. Her eyes suddenly became sharp and intense.

That's... Bai Shuodong!

He came! He actually came!

Bai Shuodong straightened his back and raised his head, his eyes gleaming with intense light, and quickly walked towards the rest area.

He looked up, meeting the red-haired girl's sharp gaze, a relaxed yet dazzling smile spreading across his lips, and said, "Yo, long time no see!"

Bai Shuodong's voice wasn't quiet, and given the low air pressure in the rest area and the fact that there weren't many people around, his words easily attracted a lot of attention. The other students who were practicing nearby also seemed to have triggered their "gossip radar" and all looked over.

Meanwhile, Teacher Ye, standing high above, couldn't help but frown slightly, thinking to himself: Didn't he ask for leave and run away? Why is he back on his own? What's going on with this guy?

"...Really?"

Xia Yan's heart was pounding at its fastest, his eyes filled with disbelief, and the corners of his mouth began to turn up wildly uncontrollably. A special kind of joy, unique to a true warrior, rose from the bottom of his heart.

This feeling...

It was like seeing a sumptuous feast after being starving for three days and three nights!

Delightful! So delightful!

At this moment, Xia Yanxin felt her blood boiling, her fighting spirit burning like flames, and her excitement was completely uncontrollable.

"Genuine product at fair prices".

Bai Shuodong slightly raised his eyes, his gaze suddenly brightening. Deep within his clear pupils, a hint of the fierce majesty unique to the King of Beasts was revealed.

[Lock]

With the passive activation of [Lion's Eye], Bai Shuodong's gaze was fixed intently on Xia Yanxin, like a lion staring at its prey.

Bai Shuodong was radiant, his energy and spirit reaching an unprecedented peak. He subconsciously raised his hand, his breathing quickening considerably, and continued, "Right now, I'm in absolutely fantastic condition!"

'No, that look, that feeling of being locked on by something...?'

Xia Yanxin's expression changed again, and she subconsciously exclaimed in surprise, "Comprehended a skill?"

"Correct!"

Bai Shuodong answered with a loud laugh.

He tilted his head slightly, his eyebrows and eyes completely relaxed, and a smile that was both incredibly relaxed and dazzlingly bright appeared on his lips.

Then, he quickened his pace slightly, continuing with barely suppressed excitement and exhilaration, "After you reminded me, I went straight to the lion enclosure at Beishan Zoo."

"For three whole days, I observed the lions up close, learning their gaze and feeling the unique majesty and wildness of the lions. I even imitated their postures in front of the staff, completely absorbed in the moment. At my most engrossed, I almost forgot that I was still a human being!"

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

"Finally, I succeeded! I finally mastered it! I've mastered the skill - Lion's Eye! My mastered skill! Hahaha! Hahahaha!"

He Jiaxin, standing to the side, was completely dumbfounded. Her lips twitched violently several times, her face full of disbelief. She muttered to herself, "I don't understand, I don't understand at all, but it seems really amazing. This guy... he actually mastered the skill? In just three days?"

"Holy crap! He's practically Superman!"

These words were overheard by the other students and teachers around them.

Based on Bai Shuodong's current changes and the temperament he exudes, it is not difficult for them to judge that Bai Shuodong has indeed mastered a skill in just three days, and this skill seems to be quite powerful.

"Really? Is he that strong?"

"That's about learning a skill! How did Bai Shuodong learn it? Could it be done by observing a lion?"

"What a load of rubbish! I've seen it hundreds of times, it's completely useless! This guy is a monster!"

"Could it be... that there's a reason behind his challenge?"

"Stop making your sister Xia laugh."

...

A gentle breeze swept across the training ground, ruffling the hem of Bai Shuodong's clothes.

He stopped smiling, his gaze suddenly hardening. He raised his hand, pointed his index finger at Xia Yanxin, and said firmly, "Xia Yanxin!"

"The reason you lost is that you personally awakened a real lion!"

"Cause of failure?"

Upon hearing these two words, Xia Yanxin's smile completely burst forth.

She suddenly stopped and stood up, lifting the two-meter-long giant sword with one hand. Her body bent slightly, and a wild smile suddenly appeared on her lips. Her red hair was like blood, and her eyes were like those of a wolf eyeing its prey, full of undisguised aggression.

She licked her lips, her breathing quickened, and said, "The battle has only just begun, hasn't it?"

The atmosphere on the training ground gradually heated up, and the gazes between Bai Shuodong and Xia Yanxin became increasingly intense. They subconsciously took steps toward each other.

Xia Yanxin held the greatsword in one hand, making a scraping sound on the ground. Bai Shuodong casually snatched a training longsword from a passing classmate. The onlooker was stunned for a moment, then silently took out his phone and started recording a video.

The real battle is about to begin!

Chapter Eight: You Are the Challenger!

"Teacher Ye, who do you think will win?"

A student approached the teacher and asked a question.

"Xia Yanxin".

Teacher Ye answered without hesitation, staring at Bai Shuodong as he continued, "Although Bai Shuodong has gained the skill, his basic attributes have not improved significantly. Whether it is strength or agility, he is far inferior to Xia Yanxin, and the gap in talent level and skill is also huge... He cannot win."

The surrounding classmates nodded slightly, and someone said, "I see. So his current behavior must be because he was overwhelmed by joy after mastering the skill and lost his judgment."

"It's also possible that he didn't know Xia Yanxin's strength from the beginning and misjudged the gap between them, which is why he said that."

"What a pity."

"So how many bones do you think he'll break? How many days will he need to stay in the infirmary?"

"I bet he'll stay for three days!"

"I'll bet four days!"

...

During the training session, the students' voices rose and fell, and more and more people gathered around the arena where Bai Shuodong and Xia Yanxin were fighting, wanting to see how Bai Shuodong would be defeated by Xia Yanxin.

Teacher Ye, who was floating in mid-air watching the battle, frowned slightly. Just as he said, he thought Bai Shuodong was no match for Xia Yanxin, but he felt that something was not right.

There's a strange sense of disharmony about it.

"Bai Shuodong, make your move and let me see what you're capable of," Xia Yanxin provocatively beckoned.

"Make a move? Me?"

Bai Shuodong pointed to himself, then suddenly burst into laughter, and continued, "Xia Yanxin, you took the initiative to find me and challenge me, and now you expect me to take the initiative to make a move?"

"Don't get it wrong!"

"You are the challenger!"

"what?"

Xia Yanxin was clearly stunned for a moment, completely not understanding why he would do this.

Although theoretically she is indeed the challenger, the problem is that her basic attributes and special skills are far superior to Bai Shuodong's. If she takes the initiative, Bai Shuodong may not have a chance to make a move.

She chose to hand over the initiative to Bai Shuodong in order to take care of him. After all, Xia Yanxin had been reflecting on her own problems and had thought about controlling her strength as much as possible in the battle.

but...

Bai Shuodong didn't buy it, and even asked her to help him. This situation was too strange!

Could it be a scam?

"Whoo~"

Xia Yanxin took a deep breath, her sharp eyes fixed on the boy opposite her, her voice filled with barely suppressed agitation as she said, "Hey, you... do you know what you're saying?"

"Of course."

Bai Shuodong nodded matter-of-factly, a confident smile on his lips, his gaze piercing straight into her heart, and continued, "Xia Yanxin, it's been a long time since you've felt the urge to take the initiative to challenge someone, hasn't it? I can see that longing deep within your soul."

"Let me see your enthusiasm; I'll take it all on!"

"Hehe...hahaha...hahahaha!"

Xia Yanxin first chuckled softly, then her laughter quickly amplified, resounding throughout the entire training ground. Her aura suddenly shifted dramatically, and her usual reserved and considerate demeanor vanished completely.

A true beast has awakened!

She leaned down slightly, gripping the hilt of the two-meter-long greatsword tightly with both hands, her fighting spirit palpable.

...

"What is this guy saying?! Is he trying to commit suicide? Has he gone mad?"