"Inspiration and Rivalry":

Prabhas's eyes had already closed. Sourabh and Vishakha had tears in their eyes, while Kapil was filled with rage but couldn't do anything as the tree's branches had him bound.

The witch continued to laugh. Suddenly, Vishakha's body began to ignite in flames. The fire from her Fire Lotus powers set the tree ablaze.

The witch turned to see the tree burning due to Vishakha's powers. As the branches burned away, Kapil was freed.

The moment Kapil's feet touched the ground, he, brimming with anger, placed his hand on the sword's hilt and muttered, "Ordinary Style 9th Form: Blade Cutting Strike," unleashing a powerful attack.

With his very first strike, Kapil cut the witch into 12 pieces. Eleven pieces turned to ashes and dispersed, but one regenerated into the witch again. The witch began laughing maniacally.

As she laughed, two wings sprouted from her back, and blood started dripping from her body. Her nails on both hands and feet grew even longer.

The witch flapped her wings and launched an attack on Kapil. Kapil, with a single slash, cut off her wings, but before the witch hit the ground, her wings grew back.

The burning branches also freed Sourabh. He ran toward Prabhas and gave him a healing potion to treat his wounds. Vishakha's flames subsided as well, and she hurried to Prabhas's side.

Prabhas opened his eyes slightly and told Sourabh, "There's an energy core in her chest."

Prabhas's eyes closed again. Sourabh instructed Vishakha to tend to Prabhas while he turned toward Kapil.

The witch had now transformed into her most deadly form, appearing more terrifying and dangerous than ever before. Kapil, undeterred, launched an attack, shouting, "Ordinary Style 8th Form: Shadow Strike Assault."

The attack hurled the witch 40 meters away.

Kapil launches his next attack, saying, "Advanced Style 1st Form: Energy Slash Strike."

This time, along with the witch, Kapil cuts off several of her legs.

After this attack, Kapil begins to feel exhausted.

Sourabh shoots an arrow that hits the witch directly in the chest.

The witch screams in agony, and fear becomes visible on her face.

Kapil also realizes that the witch's weakness lies in her chest.

He continuously targets her chest, attacking with precision.

The witch struggles to defend herself against the two-sided attacks.

Meanwhile, Prabhas slowly opens his eyes.

Vishakha gives him a healing potion, and after a while, Prabhas feels rejuvenated.

Prabhas stands up and signals something to Sourabh.

Kapil, now appearing weakened, distracts the witch.

In the next attack, Prabhas slashes the witch exactly where the energy source was located.

Sourabh follows up with a perfect shot, piercing the energy source.

The witch screams in pain, unable to regenerate herself.

Prabhas then launches his next attack:

"Basic Style 11th Form: Shadow Sword Lockdown."

With this strike, ropes of shadow begin to spin around the witch.

The ropes inflict several wounds on her.

The witch's energy source, which was black in color, becomes clearly visible, appearing like a swirling shadow in the air.

Vishakha steps forward, extending her hand toward the witch.

A wave of fire erupts from her hand, engulfing both the witch and her energy source, reducing them to ashes.

The night slowly gives way to daylight, and the sun shines brightly in the sky.

After the witch's demise, numerous skeletal remains were scattered around the house, indicating that the witch had claimed many victims.

The four mounted their horses and began their journey toward Shahpur City.

Kapil advised Vishakha, "You should only use the power of the Fire Lotus when it's absolutely necessary and your life is in danger."

Vishakha remained silent, while Sourabh smiled and said, "This was just a regular battle for us."

Everyone burst into laughter. Before dusk, they reached Shahpur City.

From afar, Shahpur appeared stunning and magnificent. Kapil mentioned to the others that this was his third visit to Shahpur City.

Before nightfall, they arrived at the swordsmanship academy in Shahpur City, where they met a few trainers.

After dinner, they were sent to their respective chambers for rest.

Swordsmanship Academies

1. Provincial Academies:

Located in the Koshal Nagar region, these academies select the most powerful students.

These students are given three years to prove themselves.

2. Private Academies:

Found near every small and large town, these academies focus on foundational swordsmanship.

There are 512 such academies, with the largest private academy of the Madhya Region located in Shahpur City.

3. Advanced Academies:

These are established in districts and special states, totaling 26 in number.

That night, due to the day's exhaustion, everyone fell into a deep sleep.

However, Prabhas sat below, meditating. He wasn't satisfied with his performance and resolved to leave no stone unturned in improving himself.

As dawn broke, Kapil was the first to wake up, followed by Sourabh. They could hear the commotion of students practicing in the distance.

Prabhas, despite sleeping late at night, also woke up. Vishakha, however, was still asleep.

The three decided to leave Vishakha behind and headed outside to the training grounds.

The trainers welcomed them warmly. Boys and girls aged 12 to 18 stood assembled, and a buzz of conversation about Prabhas filled the air.

Among all the young warriors, Prabhas was idolized.

Due to his remarkable performance three months ago, Prabhas had become the talk of all the academies.

The young warriors aspired to be like him—a prodigy who, at just 20 years of age, had defeated over 30 powerful and talented individuals.

The young warriors began their training with postures and exercises.

Meanwhile, a few 18-year-old girls in the academy had started to view Prabhas as their potential life partner.

Vishakha's eyes opened, and she heard some noises coming from outside the building. She was still feeling embarrassed because, once again, she had woken up late. However, gathering her courage, Vishakha headed toward the training ground.

As Vishakha entered the ground, many of the students there were mesmerized. They had never seen such a beautiful girl in Shahpur City. The jealousy on the faces of the young women standing in the ground was evident.

After two hours, everyone began leaving the ground.

The trainers informed them that later, there would be competitions among the young participants of this place.