Tang Dynasty Demon Suppression Division

"Ji Fanghua!"

"Well done!"

Having landed a successful blow, Ji Fanghua did not pursue. Instead, she silently retreated, creating distance again, and lowered her eyes as if the thunderous attack had nothing to do with her.

But none of the people present dared to underestimate her strength anymore.

The battle raged fiercely on the arena.

Chu Yunhe brandished his longsword, forcing Duan Sui to retreat repeatedly, displaying an air of elegance and composure.

Shen Lian's blade flashed like snow, his attacks were fierce, forcing Cheng Zhao to defend in a sorry state, and he was already showing signs of defeat. Soon, he was knocked off the stage by Shen Lian's blade.

Yu Ling'er and You Ying were locked in a fierce battle, their close combat so fast it was dazzling.

Wu Yu held his ground, repelling those who tried to attack him from time to time.

In the midst of the chaos, Ji Fanghua moved like a calm hunter, circling outside the battle. She did not attack anyone proactively, but whenever someone attacked, she could always neutralize the attack with the most unexpected moves.

Finally, Shen Lian seized an opening in Zhou Rencheng's defense, slapping him out of the arena with a single blow. He then followed up with a backhand strike, forcing Duan Sui to dodge in a sorry state.

His blade veered off course, colliding with the Shadow Dagger that had seized the opportunity to launch a sneak attack. Both men groaned and staggered backward.

In that instant, Ji Fanghua, who had been hovering nearby, flashed a cold light in her eyes and attacked the gap between Shen Lian, Duan Sui, and You Ying with her short sword.

laugh!

The attack was incredibly precise, disrupting the moves of all three simultaneously, causing them to momentarily freeze.

"Now!"

Chu Yunhe suddenly let out a long laugh, his sword light surged, and he joined the chaotic battle. His sword light split and attacked Duan Sui and You Ying at the same time.

The two were already somewhat disheveled due to Ji Fanghua's attack. Unable to defend themselves in time, they were struck by the sword energy, both coughing up blood and falling to the ground, no longer able to fight.

Chu Yunhe continued his offensive, slashing at Wu Yu beside him.

"ah!"

Wu Yu roared, unleashing his full inner energy, and punched Chu Yunhe head-on.

"Bang!"

As their fists and swords clashed, the force of their blows was overwhelming. Wu Yu was forced back seven or eight steps, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He eventually managed to regain his footing, though his face was pale.

Ji Fanghua had already quietly retreated and withdrawn from the center of the battle.

Li Yuan, watching from the sidelines, had a deep gaze. This girl had such a profound mind and her plans were so precise.

"I surrender."

Seeing Shen Lian attacking him, Wu Yu knew he was no match for him, so he smiled bitterly and jumped down, withdrawing from the fight.

At this point, only four people remained standing on the stage: Chu Yunhe, Shen Lian, Yu Ling'er, and Ji Fanghua.

The outcome is decided.

"stop!"

The referee's voice rang out.

The entire stadium fell silent for a moment, then erupted into a thunderous roar of cheers.

"We won! The Tian Shu class is too strong!"

"Ji Fanghua is amazing!"

"A dark horse, a true dark horse!"

At this moment, Ji Fanghua stood on the ring, listening to the deafening cheers, and lowered her head slightly, as if all of this had nothing to do with her.

The quarterfinals have concluded.

Ji Fanghua's bizarre fighting style also attracted the attention of the entire academy.

With the candidates chosen, the next step was a month-long intensive training program.

Liu Hongyan gathered the five people together for a team coordination drill, with Li Yuan as the captain, responsible for tactical arrangements and on-site command.

Everything went smoothly at first.

Li Yuan and Chu Yunhe, along with several others, were classmates and had a good understanding of each other.

As arranged by Li Yuan, he and Chu Yunhe were the main attackers, Shen Lian and Yu Ling'er were the defenders, and Ji Fanghua was mobile and mobile. The group tried out several attack and defense formations. Although there were some minor flaws, the overall performance was quite smooth.

The problem lies with Ji Fanghua.

Her personal abilities are beyond doubt. Li Yuan assigned her to be in charge of raids and rescues, which was a good fit for her talents. However, she made mistakes repeatedly in actual cooperation.

They either overextend themselves, break formation and become isolated, or react too slowly and miss the best opportunity to provide support.

After several such incidents, Chu Yunhe and others expressed their dissatisfaction, but Ji Fanghua remained silent, her lips pursed and her head bowed.

That day, during practice, Ji Fanghua's reckless advance disrupted the rhythm of Li Yuan and Shen Lian's combined attack, allowing Wu Yu and others who were training with her to seize the opportunity and defeat Yu Ling'er's flank in one fell swoop.

The training ground fell silent.

Liu Hongyan stood on the sidelines, her phoenix eyes slightly narrowed, but she didn't say anything. This was something that Li Yuan should be responsible for.

Li Yuan pondered for a moment, looking at Ji Fanghua's distant figure, and vaguely guessed the reason.

"Junior Sister Ji, let's talk."

Ji Fanghua's body trembled slightly, and she silently followed him out of the training ground and into the nearby grove.

"Junior Sister Ji!" Li Yuan stopped, speaking as gently as possible, "Many people in this world have a past they don't want to talk about, and I'm no exception."

Ji Fanghua's shoulders trembled slightly, and she finally looked up at him.

Ever since entering the Divine Martial Academy, she has been avoiding Li Yuan, afraid that he will recognize her.

But now it seems that the other party probably already knew her identity.

"Regardless of your identity, it will not affect your status as a member of Shenwu Academy, nor will it affect your qualification to represent the academy in the upcoming battle."

"Now, we represent Shenwu Academy, and we are teammates fighting side by side. If we can't put aside our concerns, how can everyone trust us to turn our backs on you?"

The icy look in Ji Fanghua's eyes began to melt, as if she had been touched.

Li Yuan paused for a moment, then said frankly, "No matter what you're carrying, as long as you're standing here in this uniform, you're our teammate."

"As the captain, all I need to do is trust you unconditionally, and I also ask you to open your heart and try to trust them as well."

"Can you do it?"

He looked at Ji Fanghua quietly, and she looked back at him. There was a moment of struggle in her eyes, and finally, she slowly nodded.

"able."

Ji Fanghua's voice was soft, yet it seemed as if a heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders, and her eyes also became relaxed.

Li Yuan smiled and extended his hand to her: "Welcome to the team, Junior Sister Ji."

"Snapped!"

With a crisp clap, a rare hint of softness finally appeared on Ji Fanghua's stiff lips.

The two emerged from the woods, and Yu Ling'er, her eyes darting around, greeted them with a beaming smile: "Sister Ji, let's discuss some tactics!"

Ji Fanghua stiffened slightly, feeling a little uncomfortable, but ultimately did not push Yu Ling'er away, only giving a soft "hmm".

In the next joint training session, the atmosphere changed completely. Ji Fanghua, as expected, stopped resisting and began to try to understand Li Yuan's tactical arrangements.

She worked hard to adjust her rhythm and try to find the most suitable position. Although she was still a bit awkward at first and mistakes were inevitable, she made rapid progress.

Based on Ji Fanghua's characteristics, Li Yuan also made minor adjustments to the tactics, no longer simply using her as a detached surprise attack, but designing several formations for her to be responsible for flank offense and defense.

A month passed quickly. Through repeated practice, the five-person team became more and more in sync. Li Yuan imitated the tactics of special forces soldiers from his previous life and designed some unique hand gestures for them to use in command.

Now, with just a gesture or a low shout, everyone can understand each other's intentions.

Standing on the sidelines, Liu Hongyan watched this rapidly growing team, and finally a look of satisfaction appeared on her face.

A few days later, Shenwu Academy was filled with great fanfare.

Representatives from the three academies of Tian Ce, Wan Xiang, and Tai Xu, along with their accompanying teachers, arrived one after another and checked into the guesthouse specially prepared by Shenwu Academy.

For a time, the academy was filled with outstanding talents, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.