The night air was cool when Ye Mingzhi finally stirred awake. As he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was a young man sitting beside Qi Jue and Fei Yue, chatting casually as if they were old friends.
Qi Jue crossed her arms, glaring down at him with puffed cheeks and mock fury.
"Baka master! You finally woke up? It's already supper time! Where's my lunch? And how could you be so careless and get poisoned like that? Hmph! I think it's time you learned antidote crafting from Xi Yue!"
Before he could reply, Chu Xiyue leaned in with concern—and just a touch of sass.
"Ah Zhi, seriously. If I weren't around… what would you do? You'd better learn proper medical skills."
Fei Yue and Qi Jue exchanged a glance, and then—almost in sync—grinned mischievously.
"Wow," Fei Yue said, tilting her head. "You two really do sound like a married couple."
Qi Jue smirked. "So? When's the wedding, hmm?"
Ye Mingzhi coughed, a faint flush creeping up his neck. Chu Xiyue swatted Qi Jue with mock annoyance, but she didn't deny. The two sword spirits quietly left the couple some space and motioned for Jing Quan to follow them.
Once away from camp, the sisters sat cross-legged beneath a tree, their usual bickering replaced by a rare moment of serious discussion.
"Little brother," Fei Yue began, folding her arms, "since we've been overworking ourselves lately, we've decided... it's your turn to take charge of their training."
Jing Quan blinked, startled. "Huh? Me? I—I've never taught anyone before!"
Qi Jue grinned. "Perfect time to start, then!"
"But—"
Fei Yue cut him off, her eyes narrowing with amused fondness. "Don't act humble, Jing Quan. You're the one who created the Thousand Blades Formation, remember?"
Qi Jue chimed in, "You're the one who lured Chang You Dao Jue's prized disciple, into a trap and wiped out his ten-thousand-man army. You think we forgot?"
Jing Quan scratched the back of his head, looking sheepish. "Well… that was just strategy."
"Exactly." Fei Yue smirked. "That's why we're trusting you with this. You're not just good with a sword—you're a tactical genius. Guide them. Forge them into warrior's worthy of the coming war."
Jing Quan swallowed hard, then straightened his posture.
"…Alright then. I won't let you down."
The next morning, Qi Jue and Fei Yue gathered everyone and made an announcement.
"Starting today," Qi Jue said, grinning, "group training will be conducted by our dear little brother—Jing Quan."
Jing Quan stepped forward awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Uh… hi."
After a brief introduction, the participants lined up: Ye Mingzhi, Chu Xiyue, General Lim Hui Ye, Wu Yue, Ting Xue, and Zi Ling.
Jing Quan's tone turned serious. "When you enter the sword formation, keep your mind clear. This first trial will test your focus and how you respond to pressure. Don't rely on brute force. Think."
With a flash of light, the **sword formation** activated.
Swoosh! Blades rained from all directions. In less than five minutes, the entire team was knocked out and thrown out of the formation.
Flat on the ground, groaning, the team looked around in confusion.
"What… just happened?" Wu Yue muttered, clutching her ribs.
Ting Xue coughed. "I blinked and saw nothing but blades."
Qi Jue burst into laughter. "Wow! Impressive! You all lasted… five whole minutes."
Fei Yue added dryly, "You call this teamwork? Tsk."
She turned to Jing Quan with a suspicious look. "Hey… did you *increase* the difficulty again?"
Jing Quan whistled innocently. "I might have... adjusted a few settings."
Qi Jue facepalmed. "He's been itching to show off."
The team groaned in unison.
After a short break, both spirits began reviewing each team member's weaknesses.
"Ye Mingzhi," Fei Yue began, "your defense is solid, but as the team's conductor, you need more than strength. You must learn to observe quickly, adapt the strategy on the fly, and coordinate the others."
Qi Jue added, "Chu Xiyue, your strikes are accurate—but you rush in too eagerly. That creates openings and disrupts the team's rhythm."
As for the rest of the team, the biggest issue was communication. "No one's calling out targets or giving feedback," Jing Quan pointed out. "If something isn't working, speak up. You're not solo warriors—you're a unit."
With the feedback fresh in their minds, the group stepped into the formation once more.
This time, Ye Mingzhi took command more decisively, adjusting positioning and giving clearer instructions. Chu Xiyue restrained her impulses, waiting for the right moment to strike. The others supported one another, watching blind spots and signaling when overwhelmed.
They still didn't clear the trial—but the improvement was obvious.
When they regrouped outside the formation, breathless and bruised, a sense of quiet determination hung in the air.
"We're getting closer," Ye Mingzhi said.
"Not bad," Fei Yue nodded. "Now figure out what's still holding you back."
"Tomorrow, let's aim to last at least ten minutes. Tonight, we focus on refining our strategy," Ye Mingzhi said firmly, his voice steady.
Qi Jue crossed her arms and huffed, "Baka master, all of you are way too slow. Hmph! I think your team needs even more training!"
The rest of the group exchanged glances, wiping off sweat and trying not to laugh at Qi Jue's usual antics.
Fei Yue added with a faint smile, "Well, she's not wrong. You all have potential—just need sharper execution."
Chu Xiyue patted Ye Mingzhi's shoulder. "No pressure, commander. Let's all get it right tomorrow."