Xuanhuo Abyss.
Chu Lingwei looked at the endlessly regenerating Scarlet Flame Wolves, and curses began to well up in her heart.
This place was truly strange. These Scarlet Flame Wolves were like the spirit beasts outside, her sword could cleave them in two, could sever their heads.
Their blood was warm, but within two breaths of falling, they would revive and pounce at her again.
"Ugh..."
Chu Lingwei let out another muffled groan. These spirit beasts wouldn't die, but she would, and she would get injured.
She finally understood what her senior brother Leng Xingzhi had told her before she entered: if she didn't seize the time, she would be torn to shreds by the Scarlet Flame Wolves before her.
Chu Lingwei quickly dodged two Scarlet Flame Wolves lunging at her. She already had seven or eight wounds, and her first movement would trigger intense pain.
Here, there were no tricks to speak of. It was all about practical combat.
Her master had said she lacked in combat, and she hadn't expected him to use such a direct and brutal method to improve her.
Chu Lingwei gritted her teeth, eyeing a Scarlet Flame Wolf that lunged at her again. She raised her sword and ruthlessly slashed at its head.
A direct hit.
A cold smirk played on Chu Lingwei's lips. It seemed that constant combat had indeed made her improve significantly. Now, she might be able to easily kill the Scarlet Flame Wolves lunging at her on her own.
For two full days, Chu Lingwei was in constant battle. Only for an hour each day could she take out healing medicine from her storage bracelet; other than that, she could take out nothing.
Once again.
Chu Lingwei looked at the Scarlet Flame Wolves, all lying on the ground, her body covered in blood, her original clothes unrecognizable, dyed crimson by the gore.
Before Chu Lingwei could feel any joy, a wave of dizziness washed over her. She found herself in a spiderweb-infested forest, her entire body bound tightly by the webs, unable to move.
Just then, a giant spider rapidly crawled towards her. It opened its maw, and in just three breaths, it could swallow Chu Lingwei whole.
Chu Lingwei channeled her meager three tenths of spiritual energy and unleashed her Ice Jade Frost Sword, hitting the spider's eye. The beast writhed in agony, thrashing wildly.
This spider was a level four spirit beast, its power far exceeding that of the level three Scarlet Flame Wolves. Its rage meant Chu Lingwei was in for trouble.
Chu Lingwei was flung to the ground by the enraged level four spider. Before she could react, a searing pain shot through her back.
"Ah!" Chu Lingwei cried out in pain. No matter how hard she tried to resist, she couldn't break free.
Just as Chu Lingwei thought she would be killed by the spider, she felt a lightness in her body. She was being supported, and a pill was being fed into her mouth.
"Senior brother." Chu Lingwei looked up and saw her senior brother looking at her with a gentle smile. "Each realm of spirit beasts is a chasm, and the difference between level three and level four is vast. You must not be careless when fighting them."
When Chu Lingwei was teleported here, she had been caught off guard, which led her to fall into the spider's web.
"Yes, thank you for your guidance, senior brother." Chu Lingwei reflected on her previous actions. This place was specifically designed to hone her combat abilities, and she couldn't afford to be careless for even a moment.
She had become complacent the moment she was sent here, and that was why.
Seeing that his junior sister understood his advice, Leng Xingzhi's smile deepened. He reached out and ruffled her hair.
"Good, your wounds have healed. Let's continue." Before he could finish speaking, Leng Xingzhi had already vanished.
Chu Lingwei still felt the lingering warmth on her head, leaving her utterly bewildered.
Senior brother had actually ruffled her hair just now!
"Ah!"
Before she could snap out of her daze, her body was struck with great force. Chu Lingwei flew backward, crashing heavily against a large tree.
Chu Lingwei gasped for air.
Male charm was a dangerous distraction.
Chu Lingwei composed herself. As the spider charged at her again, she had already leaped upwards with her sword, thrusting it fiercely towards the spider.
In the void of combat, Leng Xingzhi's faint smile flickered across his face before quickly disappearing.
Two months later.
"Not bad, you've improved."
Bei Chenfeng sat at the head of the table, looking with satisfaction at the bloodied Chu Lingwei standing before him.
He had thought his little disciple wouldn't last three days inside, but he hadn't expected her to stay this long. If he hadn't called her out, she probably would have stayed there indefinitely.
His little disciple used to be considered a waste in Xuanxin Sect, having no spiritual roots, and there were no signs of her practicing martial arts. To achieve what she had was already remarkable.
"Thank you for your teachings, master."
Chu Lingwei stood up straight. For the past two months, her life in Xuanxin Abyss had been worse than death, being forced into combat daily, almost always on the receiving end of beatings.
But it was this relentless battering that had allowed her to quickly recognize her own shortcomings and gain a deeper understanding of combat.
"In another month, the Hengtian Secret Realm will open. Pack your things and depart with your senior brother." Bei Chenfeng nodded, signaling Chu Lingwei to leave.
Exiting her master's palace, Chu Lingwei felt a moment of confusion, not knowing where to go.
"Junior sister, senior brother will take you to your cave dwelling." Fortunately, before she could ask, Leng Xingzhi appeared, pointing to a patch of cloud floating in the air. "That is your cave dwelling."
As Leng Xingzhi finished speaking, the area that had been mere clouds transformed into a celestial mountain, atop which stood an exquisitely beautiful palace.
Chu Lingwei couldn't help but exclaim. The Cultivation Academy was truly opulent. Compared to Xuanxin Sect, it was like heaven and earth.
"Let's go, I'll take junior sister there." Leng Xingzhi threw out a jade token, which instantly enlarged. It was a flying artifact.
"Junior sister, tidy up here first. We'll depart together in an hour." Leng Xingzhi brought Chu Lingwei down in front of the palace and then departed on the artifact.
Seeing her senior brother leave, Chu Lingwei entered the palace. The interior was decorated according to a woman's tastes, with various treasures adorning the palace, making it seem utterly dreamy.
"Greetings, Martial Aunt." Four servant disciples stepped forward and bowed to Chu Lingwei.
"Who are you?" Chu Lingwei looked at the two men and two women before her. They wore clothes bearing the emblem of the Cultivation Academy, so they were likely from there.
"Replying to Martial Aunt, we are servants assigned by the Dean to attend to your daily needs." The male disciple at the front took out his identification token.
Chu Lingwei nodded. In Xuanxin Sect, personal disciples usually had a few servants or maids to help them with chores.
"Now take me to wash up." Chu Lingwei had cast a cleansing spell on herself earlier when she entered the palace. She now needed a quiet environment to recover from her injuries.