Combat Instructors

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Throughout the competition, all the fiercest battles were decided in the final moments—victory determined in the blink of an eye.

Li Xiang was pulled to his feet by Su Yun. His expression was subdued as he glanced at the seemingly harmless Su Yun. After a brief pause, he let out a soft sigh.

"A loss is a loss. No excuses. It's no big deal."

"Well done. That was wonderful," Lin Jin said, clapping with a grin.

His eyes lingered on Su Yun, clearly impressed.

This man had a deep understanding of combat. Judging by his skills, Lin Jin guessed Su Yun wasn't just some average civilian—he was probably a member of the Punishment Knights in Blackstone City.

That level of fighting ability couldn't be trained behind a desk.

Su Yun nodded at Lin Jin, smiling with quiet confidence. He was still full of fighting spirit.

"Who's up next?"

His voice was casual, almost playful.

There's a saying that the people who always smile with their eyes half-closed are the most dangerous—and perhaps it wasn't just a myth.

With a slightly provocative look, he swept his gaze across the spirit masters participating in the combat instructor selection.

Some of the weaker ones avoided his gaze. Others stared back thoughtfully.

"No rest?" Lin Jin asked, raising a brow.

"Even if the match was short, you still used some spirit power and at least one spirit skill. If you don't let your strength and cooldowns recover, you could be at a disadvantage in the next round."

"No need," Su Yun said, brushing it off.

"That barely took any effort."

Behind him, Li Xiang—still recovering from his defeat—blushed and glared at Su Yun before ducking into the crowd.

"Is there a challenger?"

"I'll take him on!"

A tall, thin man stepped forward—not toward Su Yun, but toward another middle-aged man who had been quietly standing off to the side.

The man in question opened his eyes slowly. A faint gleam of light flashed in his eyes, giving him a regal aura—cold, calm, and commanding.

Lin Jin smiled, a glint of amusement in his eyes.

"Alright. Step forward."

The two men faced each other and bowed.

"I'm Cui Shan," said the tall, thin one, locking eyes with his opponent.

"Martial spirit: Pangolin. Level 35 Defense-type Spirit Elder. Please give me your guidance."

The middle-aged man returned the bow calmly.

"Zhang He. Martial spirit: Forest Demon Bear. Level 45 Control-type Spirit Sect. Pleased to meet you."

Cui Shan froze.

"Level 45?" he repeated in disbelief.

Zhang He's brows knit slightly. "Is that a problem?"

As he spoke, four spirit rings appeared beneath his feet: yellow, yellow, purple, purple.

Words could be faked—but spirit rings never lied.

Cui Shan fell silent. Around them, the other participants frowned.

A Spirit Sect? That meant one of the two finalists—Su Yun and Zhang He—was clearly far above the rest.

Some turned to look at Su Yun, who only smiled faintly. But that smile didn't comfort anyone.

A smiling predator is still a predator.

The others couldn't help but feel a sense of futility. Was there even a point in trying?

"I concede," Cui Shan said bitterly.

A ten-level gap in spirit power, plus a control-type opponent? He'd be crushed.

No one criticized him. On the contrary—most saw his retreat as wise.

Wasting strength against an opponent you had no hope of defeating was nothing but foolish pride.

But Zhang He frowned and snapped, "Retreat without a fight? Coward."

Everyone turned to look at him in surprise. Su Yun, meanwhile, remained thoughtful.

He lowered his head, silently repeating Zhang He's name to himself.

Then, suddenly, Su Yun's eyes lit up. He looked up sharply, a spark of recognition in his gaze.

"Zhang He... It's him!"

Shen Yang, standing nearby, turned in curiosity.

"You know where he's from?"

"I heard something," Su Yun said.

"The Heaven Dou Empire stationed a border army near Blackstone City to deal with the spirit beasts coming from the Star Dou Forest. Zhang He... was one of the vanguard officers."

"Oh? Then why is he here?"

A voice came from the side.

Su Yun pondered for a moment, then subconsciously replied, "I heard Zhang He was seriously injured multiple times in his early years. At his age, his body probably can't keep up anymore."

"Hmm… Wait—how could it be you?!"

Su Yun snapped out of his thoughts and turned, startled to find Lin Jin beside him.

Lin Jin ignored his reaction, rubbing his chin as he studied Zhang He with admiration.

'Sure enough… whether in the past or now, there are always people who charge forward even knowing they'll lose. Are they foolish? Of course not. They're smarter than most, but their efforts go unrecognized, their names forgotten. Ridiculous…'

After a moment of reflection, Lin Jin turned to Su Yun, patted his shoulder, and smiled.

"Come on. I'm quite optimistic about you."

Su Yun's expression twisted into something strange. He even felt slightly uncomfortable.

After all, Lin Jin looked like a teenager.

A young man—who looked so much younger than himself—patting him on the shoulder, speaking like an old sage and offering words of encouragement? The whole thing felt off.

Su Yun quickly regained his composure, brushing off the weirdness. He scoffed and smirked.

"Just a bunch of third-rate amateurs. Who can even land a hit on me?"

Arrogant. Completely insane!

But behind his bold words, his confidence had teeth.

Lin Jin stood there with a calm smile—quite the contrast to the stoic and mountain-like Zhang He.

"He doesn't have any friends in Spirit Hall, does he?" Lin Jin asked Shen Yang.

His tone was casual, but there was certainty behind the question.

Shen Yang glanced at Su Yun's expression—momentarily frozen—then grinned.

"You're right. Nobody wants to hang out with this guy except me. Everyone else avoids him."

"If I didn't know him since childhood, I'd keep my distance too."

Su Yun, unbothered, curled his lip and snorted.

"Ordinary people... hardly worth talking to."

Then he turned to glare at Lin Jin.

"Don't distract me. You're the dean—stay out of my headspace."

Lin Jin raised his brows and zipped his mouth with a smirk.

"Alright, good luck to you then."

Su Yun didn't respond. Instead, he turned and shouted to the crowd,

"Who's next?! Who dares battle me for three hundred rounds?!"

'Oh great,' Lin Jin thought, chuckling to himself.

'He thinks he's a general from the Three Kingdoms.'

Watching the other spirit masters fume, he smiled mischievously.

'Let's see if they can hold their own.'

As time passed, one thing became clear:

Though Su Yun had a sharp tongue, he had sharper skills—especially when paired with his martial spirit.

In the end, he remained the last one standing, securing the final victory.

"Hehe! Well? What do you say now?"

Su Yun slung the Myriad Manifestation Umbrella over his shoulder, still in its spear form, and looked down at Lin Jin triumphantly.

Lin Jin's expression remained calm. His lips curved slightly.

"What do I say? Do you want to fight me?"

Suddenly, a surge of spirit power burst forth from Lin Jin—stronger even than what Zhang He had shown earlier.

His aura transformed, becoming ethereal and sharp.

In that moment, he stood like a towering blade cutting across the plain—unshakable and awe-inspiring.

Su Yun's face changed.

Zhang He's expression shifted.

The surrounding spirit masters all stared at Lin Jin in shock.

What overwhelming presence!

Su Yun recalled the rumors—Lin Jin once defeated Ding Sanshi in a single strike.

His heart skipped a beat.

'This guy… is not to be trifled with.'

His smile returned, now bright and exaggerated.

"Me? Fight you? Never! Dean Lin is unmatched and divine. How could I ever be your opponent!"

Though the words were flattery, Lin Jin could still hear the sarcasm laced within.

He simply rolled his eyes and looked to the rest of the crowd.

"Anyone else want to challenge?"

Everyone looked at each other—but no one stepped forward.

Seeing this, Lin Jin raised his voice.

"In that case—Su Yun and Zhang He will be our new combat instructors!"

[Ding! Congratulations—Two Instructors Successfully Recruited!]

[Instructor: Su Yun]

[Age: 27]

[Martial Spirit: Thousand Mechanisms Umbrella]

[Spirit Power: Level 39]

[Management Capability: SR]

[Teaching Ability: SR]

[Combat Capability: SSR]

[Special Trait: Natural Warrior – A born combatant with exceptional fighting instincts. As battle drags on, reaction speed and attack strength gradually increase, up to +20%.]

[Instructor: Zhang He]

[Age: 43]

[Martial Spirit: Forest Demon Bear]

[Spirit Power: Level 45]

[Management Capability: R]

[Teaching Ability: SR]

[Combat Capability: SR]