Zhang Ye’s current strength was certainly several times greater than when he was at Tier Four, but to deal with the Forest Magic Ape and the Dread-claw Bear simultaneously... To be honest, he lacked confidence.
The Forest Magic Ape was a dual-attribute metal and wood beast, on the same level as the Blade-tail Tiger, possessing formidable combat strength.
The Dread-claw Bear was even more formidable, on the same level as a Berserk Bear. This Mid Stage Tier Six Dread-claw Bear possessed the raw power of a Late Stage Tier Seven!
Zhang Ye had the confidence to handle one alone, but facing both at once? The difficulty wasn't as simple as one plus one equals two.
“This is to train you. When I was at Tier Five, I could handle three of these beasts without a problem.” Leona gave a stunning smile. “Becoming my man won't be that easy.”
Hearing this, Zhang Ye took a deep breath. “Fine!”
For the sake of the twins, I’ll give it my all!
Then, Leona tapped her finger, and a faint red glow emanated from Zhang Ye’s body.
Instantly, the two magical beasts, which had been warily eyeing each other, turned their gaze toward Zhang Ye.
“I’ve cast a Bait Spell on you. Now, both beasts will prioritize killing you as their primary target. By forcing them to work together against you, I’ve made sure you can’t just wait for them to kill each other and reap the rewards. This will maximize your practical combat training.”
“So, wasn't that thoughtful of me?”
Zhang Ye: “...”
Well, thank you so much!
Zhang Ye’s lips twitched. “You’re far too thoughtful!”
Leona laughed heartily. “I know, right!”
Zhang Ye sighed helplessly as he looked at the two beasts, which were already baring their teeth and growling at him.
“Take it easy on me.”
“Roar!!!”
...
As the Dread-claw Bear finally collapsed, Zhang Ye’s body swayed before he sat heavily on the ground, leaning against a tree.
“Go in peace, you two...” he murmured in his heart.
At this moment, his body was covered in wounds. A claw mark on his back nearly spanned the entire length of it, and a blunt injury to his shoulder left his left arm hanging limp, the bones shattered.
Zhang Ye lowered his head and spat out a mouthful of blood.
In all his life, he had never suffered such severe injuries. The intense pain made his entire body tremble, and he nearly crushed his teeth from gritting them so hard.
Those two beasts were truly ferocious. He had been forced to give his absolute all and even “cheated” by copying several of Leona’s Tier Seven spells just to barely kill them. Now, he was gravely injured, and both his mana and mental energy were completely depleted.
Leona landed in front of him and nodded. “Not bad. First, focus on feeling the pain in your body. This will help you build a stronger tolerance for pain in the future.”
“In battle, your pain tolerance determines your limits. Given the same injury, if your tolerance is higher, you’ll be able to make faster and more correct decisions than your opponent, allowing you to control the outcome of the fight!”
Zhang Ye nodded silently, his body trembling slightly as he endured.
An hour later, Zhang Ye truly couldn't take it anymore. He looked up at Leona with a pitiful expression.
“What are you looking at me for? Endure it. The longer you endure, the better it is for you!”
“That’s how I got through it back then!”
“If you want to become strong, you must endure the pain that ordinary people cannot!”
Zhang Ye didn't say a word, simply continuing to look at her.
Seeing him like this, Leona’s heart skipped a beat for some reason.
She eventually softened.
She bit her lip and finally said, “Fine, fine. That’s enough for today!”
With that, she reached out to heal Zhang Ye.
Soon, Zhang Ye’s injuries were mostly recovered.
Only then did Zhang Ye break into a brilliant smile. “Thanks, Leona.”
Leona covered her forehead and sighed.
She had always thought her state of mind was as hard as iron, but for some reason, whenever she saw Zhang Ye’s pathetic, pleading expression, she couldn't help but soften.
No, this isn't good.
“From now on, after every battle, I won't heal any injuries that don't interfere with your cultivation. Even if you’re seriously injured, you must endure it for at least one Goldglass to train your tolerance and willpower. Do you understand?”
In this world, 1 Hourglass equaled 10 minutes; 1 Silverglass equaled 1 hour; and 1 Goldglass equaled 2 hours.
Zhang Ye nodded. “I got it.”
“Also, stop looking at me with those eyes, you hear me?”
“What eyes?” Zhang Ye asked, puzzled.
Leona: “...Nothing!”
She was afraid that being looked at by Zhang Ye like that would affect her own state of mind.
She absolutely couldn't soften up in the future.
This was for his own good!
Lunch was the Dread-claw Bear.
Leona once again displayed her superb culinary skills, making the two front paws incredibly fragrant, tender, and delicious.
As Zhang Ye ate, he smiled and said, “I’ll be so lucky once I marry you.”
Leona rolled her eyes at him. “Even food can’t keep your mouth shut!”
She felt like she had used up a lifetime’s worth of eye-rolls since she started staying with Zhang Ye.
After finishing the meal, Zhang Ye devoured the magic cores of the two beasts. After cultivating for a short while, a flash of light erupted from his body again.
Newly Advanced Tier Six!
Leona couldn't help but marvel at this.
How long had Zhang Ye been cultivating?
By all accounts, it hadn't even been ten days. To go from Unranked to Tier Six in less than ten days was a terrifying speed.
Back then, it had taken her over a year to reach this level.
However, rising in cultivation too quickly wasn't necessarily good; first and foremost, the cultivation needed to be consolidated.
Zhang Ye had the Devour skill, so digestion served as consolidation. But digestion also took time, and the higher the tier, the longer it took.
Furthermore, the cultivation Zhang Ye gained through his own meditation also needed to be consolidated.
Otherwise, rising too fast would lead to an unstable foundation, and his mana control would suffer.
Finally, there was the state of mind.
As cultivation rose, the state of mind needed to keep pace.
Zhang Ye’s state of mind was what Leona was most worried about.
She felt this guy was a bit... unconventional.
He was serious when he needed to be, but most of the time he was playful, mischievous, and acted like a child.
What was strange was that she didn't actually hate him for it. One had to realize she was a strong woman who despised nothing more than sissies.
Perhaps it was because Zhang Ye always backed up his words with action. But while she didn't hate it, Leona knew Zhang Ye had to possess the state of mind of a powerhouse. Otherwise, no matter how high his cultivation, he would never be able to achieve great things or become a true expert!
Leona was reasonably satisfied with Zhang Ye’s current performance, but she wasn't yet certain if he possessed the true state of mind of a powerhouse.
If he didn't, she would need to guide him.
This would require time to observe.
In the afternoon, it was time for mana control practice.
After six consecutive hours of practice, Zhang Ye only stopped when his mental energy was nearly depleted. By this point, his mana control had become formidable.
His Mana Skin could now cover his entire body, and he could simultaneously condense one hundred and twenty Mana Threads, each as thin as a strand of hair!
“The next step is Circle Inscription. You need to maintain your Mana Skin while using Mana Threads to draw a magic circle.”
“To start, you can use all your Mana Threads to draw a single low-tier magic circle.”
“Then move on to intermediate and high-tier ones.”
“After that, you’ll need to split your focus, controlling multiple groups of threads to draw several magic circles at once.”
“The more Mana Threads you can control, the more circles you can draw simultaneously, the higher their tier, and the faster your speed, the stronger your mana control will be!” Leona explained.
Zhang Ye sat on the ground and took a sip of water, then asked curiously, “So, how many circles can you draw at once?”
Leona’s lips curled into a grin. “Tier One circles? I can draw thousands simultaneously.”
“Thousands...” Zhang Ye’s mouth hung open.
He had just tried to control his Mana Threads for Circle Inscription.
Although the diagram for a Tier One circle was very simple, trying to control over a hundred Mana Threads to draw it while maintaining the necessary precision was something he found difficult to achieve.
Leona could draw thousands of Tier One circles at once? Just how powerful was her mana control?
However, he didn't feel discouraged. He believed that sooner or later, he would reach and eventually surpass Leona!
Seeing the light flashing in Zhang Ye’s eyes, Leona smiled faintly.
This kid was even more impressive than she had imagined.
Zhang Ye suddenly said, “Leona, I want to eat roasted whole pig.”
Leona’s eyebrow arched. “Hmm? You dare to order me around?”
Zhang Ye said, “Let me rephrase that...”
“Oh, my dear Lady Leona, would you be so kind as to prepare a delicious feast of roasted whole pig for your adorable student?”
“My dear Lady Leona, I believe you won't regret it. Your student will be eternally grateful. You truly are the best mentor in the world!”
Hearing Zhang Ye’s string of silver-tongued flattery, Leona couldn't help but burst into laughter. “That’s so cheesy. You really have no shame, do you?”
Zhang Ye chuckled and shook his head. “No shame at all. If I can eat your roasted whole pig, I wouldn't mind if it cost me my life!”
Leona rolled her eyes. “Stop saying such unlucky things... Just wait!”
With that, she flew off.
Watching Leona’s departing figure, Zhang Ye gave a brilliant smile, his face full of happiness.
Did he really just like eating roasted whole pig? Not necessarily.
Perhaps what he wanted was just that... feeling of having someone to rely on.
Rate on N.U.
