The training courtyard had become completely silent.
Every gaze remained fixed upon the two figures standing opposite one another.
Han Feng.
Rank twenty-five Spirit Grandmaster.
One of the strongest young talents in North River Spirit Hall.
And Lin Yuan.
A newly awakened Spirit Scholar whose spirit ring had not even been obtained yet.
Under normal circumstances, this match should have been laughable.
Yet nobody was laughing anymore.
Not after witnessing the appearance of the Asura Prison.
The invisible pressure hanging over the training ground felt unsettling even to spectators.
Han Feng slowly exhaled.
His initial carelessness had disappeared completely.
The martial soul before him was strange.
Very strange.
His instincts continuously warned him that this child was dangerous.
“I’ll attack first.” Lin Yuan nodded calmly.
Han Feng’s spirit power erupted instantly.
Boom.
His first spirit ring lit up.
A massive gray wolf phantom emerged behind him while his speed increased dramatically.
The distance between them vanished almost instantly.
Gasps echoed around the courtyard.
Fast.
Very fast.
This was the strength of a genuine Spirit Grandmaster.
Yet Lin Yuan remained motionless.
Only his eyes followed Han Feng’s movements.
Closer.
Closer.
Closer.
Then— Boom.
Pressure exploded outward.
The ground beneath Han Feng suddenly sank.
His pupils contracted.
Gravity?
No.
Something similar.
His speed dropped noticeably.
Only for an instant.
But that instant was enough.
Lin Yuan moved.
For the first time since the battle began, he stepped forward.
His fist collided directly with Han Feng’s arm.
Bang.
A shockwave spread across the training ground.
Several spectators widened their eyes.
Han Feng was forced backward three steps.
Lin Yuan only retreated one.
The crowd erupted immediately.
“A Spirit Scholar pushed back a Spirit Grandmaster?” “Impossible.” “Did Han Feng hold back?” Even Xu Mingshan’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Han Feng stared at Lin Yuan with genuine surprise.
His arm felt numb.
Not because of spirit power.
Because of physical strength.
This child possessed absurd physical strength for his age.
Meanwhile, Lin Yuan silently evaluated the exchange.
As expected.
Without a spirit ring, defeating Han Feng directly would be extremely difficult.
But years of pressure refinement had given him an advantage ordinary Spirit Scholars did not possess.
His body.
It had been tempered continuously since childhood.
Han Feng suddenly laughed.
The surprise in his eyes transformed into excitement.
“Good.” Spirit power surged around him again.
“Very good.” His second spirit ring illuminated.
The wolf phantom behind him grew larger.
Sharper.
More ferocious.
The pressure surrounding him increased significantly.
Several younger spectators instinctively stepped backward.
Xu Mingshan remained silent.
Han Feng was still controlling himself.
But the battle was becoming serious.
Across the courtyard, Lin Yuan’s expression remained unchanged.
The Mental Battle Space had already taught him a valuable lesson.
A stronger opponent was not something to fear.
It was something to learn from.
Han Feng disappeared.
The spectators gasped.
Too fast.
Many could barely track the movement.
A shadow flashed around Lin Yuan’s side.
Then behind him.
Then above.
Wolf-type spirit masters excelled in speed and hunting instincts.
Han Feng was no exception.
His attack came from Lin Yuan’s blind spot.
A perfect strike.
At least— It should have been.
Boom.
Pressure exploded again.
Han Feng’s movement suddenly slowed.
Not enough to stop him.
But enough to disrupt his rhythm.
Lin Yuan turned instantly.
Their eyes met.
For the first time, Han Feng saw something unsettling within those calm black eyes.
Not fear.
Not excitement.
Focus.
Pure focus.
As though the entire battle existed only inside Lin Yuan’s calculations.
Bang.
Their attacks collided once more.
This time, Han Feng remained unmoved.
But Lin Yuan was thrown backward several meters.
The difference in spirit power finally became obvious.
Several spectators nodded.
This outcome made more sense.
No matter how talented Lin Yuan was, he remained only a Spirit Scholar.
Yet before anyone could relax— Lin Yuan smiled.
Very slightly.
Han Feng’s instincts screamed.
Danger.
Without hesitation, he leapt backward.
A moment later— Boom.
The stone beneath his previous position shattered.
The spectators stared.
Several cracks spread across the ground like spiderwebs.
Xu Mingshan’s eyes sharpened immediately.
Pressure concentration.
The child was learning during battle.
Han Feng stared at the damaged ground.
If he had remained there— The attack would have landed directly.
A cold sensation ran through his spine.
Lin Yuan wasn’t fighting recklessly.
Every action served a purpose.
Every exchange gathered information.
The realization shocked him.
This wasn’t the combat style of a twelve-year-old.
It resembled a veteran hunter.
Across the courtyard, Lin Yuan quietly adjusted his breathing.
His chest rose and fell steadily.
The Mental Battle Space had simulated thousands of deaths.
Thousands.
Against stronger enemies.
Faster enemies.
Smarter enemies.
Compared to those endless battles— This spar felt almost familiar.
Han Feng suddenly understood something.
The child before him had extraordinary talent.
But talent was not the scariest thing about him.
The scariest thing was his mindset.
Because Lin Yuan wasn’t treating this like a spar.
He was treating it like training.
As though Han Feng himself was merely another opponent helping him improve.
The thought made Han Feng laugh again.
This time genuinely.
“You’re unbelievable.” Lin Yuan tilted his head slightly.
Han Feng rolled his shoulders.
Spirit power surged once more.
The wolf phantom behind him released a low growl.
“Let’s stop holding back.” The atmosphere across the training ground immediately changed.
Even the spectators sensed it.
The real battle was finally beginning.
And for the first time since awakening his martial soul— Lin Yuan felt excitement rising inside his chest.
Not because of victory.
Not because of pride.
But because he had finally found someone capable of pushing him forward.