"It's almost impossible," Xuan Yi told Feng Xun. "Back then, I tried for a month, but still failed at the last moment. Grandfather has never tried to teach me since."Grand Secretary Fang had made up his mind, and the look on his face had never been so stern.

Feng Wu stood in the spacious martial arts arena with go chess pieces covering the ground around her. Each piece was the size of a fingernail.

A net had been hung up a hundred meters away from Feng Wu, and each hole was the size of a chess piece.

Behind the net was a bamboo tube with an opening as small as the human eye.

Grand Secretary Fang gazed at Feng Wu. "There are 99 chess pieces here. Kick each of them through the net into the bamboo tube."

The bamboo tube was deep enough to contain all 99 pieces.

That was to say, there was no room for error during this process.

Feng Wu nodded. It might sound difficult, but she had confidence in herself.

Taking a deep breath, Feng Wu raised her foot and kicked.

The amount of strength she exerted the first time wasn't right. The chess piece flew through the net, but missed the tube.

Taking a deep breath, Feng Wu adjusted her breathing and went on practicing.

The second piece hit the tube.

The third one hit the tube again.

-

It wasn't until the ninth piece -

Click -

There was a crisp sound. Everyone looked up to see a white chess piece shoot through the net like a streak of white light and fly toward the bamboo tube before there was a click.

Thump!

"Wow!" Feng Xun cried out in surprise. "She did it! She did it! I didn't know little Feng Wu was this good!"

However, Xuan Yi wasn't as naively optimistic as Feng Xun was. He kept his gaze on the thin bamboo tube.

Crack -

A cracking sound indeed followed!

The white piece exploded in the tube, blasting it to pieces.

The smile froze on Feng Wu's face.

She knew it... It couldn't be that easy.

Grand Secretary Fang stared at Feng Wu. "Do you know what you did wrong?"

Tilting her head, Feng Wu gave it some thought, and soon got it. "I can exert enough strength, but I don't know where to stop."

Without being able to control her own strength, she would never be able to master this stance.

Grand Secretary Fang's face remained stern, but his eyes flickered for a split second. With his hands behind his back, he nodded coldly. "Keep practicing!"

Right now, Grand Secretary Fang was no longer that kind, smiling old man that Feng Wu knew. He had turned into the strictest coach.

Time ticked by, and Feng Wu was only just getting started.

It was extremely difficult to achieve this task in one smooth move.

She kicked one time, ten times, a hundred times, a thousand times...

Gradually, Feng Wu's face was streaked with sweat.

Because of the huge consumption of spiritual essence, Feng Wu's face had gone ghastly pale, and her thin lips were almost bloodless.

Two thousand... three thousand...

Feng Wu was soaked with sweat. Her legs were shaking and she was exhausted.

Feng Wu's slim figure kept repeating the same movement, and it pained Feng Xun to see her like this. He turned to Grand Secretary Fang. "Grand Secretary Fang, is it necessary to push her so hard..."

However, before Feng Xun could finish, Grand Secretary Fang bellowed, "Keep talking if you want her to die!"

Feng Xun shut up immediately.

Just then, there was a click.

Before Feng Wu completely ran out of spiritual essence, she finally kicked a chess piece into the tube, which remained steady. It didn't even move, let alone explode.

Xuan Yi was dumbfounded. "I can't believe it!"

Feng Xun was excited. "Did Xiao Wu succeed?"

Xuan Yi shook his head. "She still has a long way to go before she can master the stance, but she's already making progress at a scary speed. When I was learning the stance, it took me three days to complete stage one."Feng Xun stared at Xuan Yi. "This is only stage one?!"

Xuan Yi said, "What do you think? Flying Dragon didn't earn its reputation for its ability to simplify complicated moves and overcome the enemy with a single strike for nothing."

Feng Xun looked sympathetically at Feng Wu. "But look at Xiao Wu... She can barely stand on her feet."

Xuan Yi heaved a long sigh. He could see that, too. The girl was soaking wet with sweat, as if she had just climbed out of a river. She was exhausted and was trembling uncontrollably.

She was already like this. How was she supposed to endure the second and third stages, which were even more rigorous?

After Feng Wu successfully kicked the first chess piece into the bamboo tube, she gradually had full control over her power and knew the exact amount of strength to exert. She was simply honing her skill with the other 98 chess pieces.

As expected -

After Feng Wu kicked all the pieces into the bamboo tube, she turned around, panting. She looked at Grand Secretary Fang with a relieved smile on her face, expecting some sort of acknowledgement.

Grand Secretary Fang remained as serious as before. He said solemnly, "We're only getting started."

Feng Wu was dumbfounded.

Grand Secretary Fang nodded with a straight face. "You can back out now if it's too much for you."

A resolute look appeared on Feng Wu's exquisite face. She clenched her fists. "No, I can do it."

Grand Secretary Fang remained unperturbed, and said with a serious face, "Keep going, then."

Feng Xun wanted to say something, but hesitated.

By now, Feng Wu was completely exhausted and her face was ghastly pale. One could tell at a single glance that she had given it her all. How was she supposed to keep going like this?

However, a determined look flickered in Feng Wu's bright eyes.

Feng Xun and Xuan Yi were put to use in the second stage.

Grand Secretary Fang let the two of them take turns to act as Feng Wu's training partners.

Xuan Yi went first.

He stood in front of the bamboo tube, and what Feng Wu had to do was kick the chess piece so that it flew through the net and avoided Xuan Yi before dropping into the bamboo tube.

What that meant was that Xian Yi was acting as an extra obstacle.

And a very difficult one.

Feng Wu kicked the first piece. Click!

Xuan Yi hit it back.

She kicked again. Click!

Xuan Yi hit it back again.

And Feng Wu tried again...

Over and over again...

Time ticked by. Feng Wu's clothes were soaked with sweat and her legs felt like lead. She could barely lift them.

But she was still repeating the same movement as if it had become instinct.

The look on her face was very serious.

And her moves were meticulous.

After a thousand hits, Xuan Yi slipped slightly in his movements, and Grand Secretary Fang replaced him with Feng Xun. The training went on.

After what seemed like tens of thousands of times of practice -

Crack -

Feng Wu stumbled forward, falling to the ground. She hit her forehead on a rock and blood oozed out right away.

Feng Xun panicked. He was about to rush over to help her up, when Grand Secretary Fang cast a stern look at him.

Crossing his hands behind his back, Grand Secretary Fang looked relentless. "If you don't want to learn, feel free to give up!

Feng Wu lay on her stomach, feeling drained of all strength

The Taiyi formation had an endless supply of spiritual essence, but she was using her spiritual essence up way faster than it could be replenished.

Feng Wu had continued to absorb spiritual essence from the spiritual stones, and continued to outperform herself.

Her vision went dark when she fell to the ground head first. She could see stars and her head was swimming.She couldn't even lift a finger.

How she wished she could pass out just like this.

She was so tired that she wished she were dead.

But at that moment, a firm voice rang out in Feng Wu's head.

"Do you want to live?

"Master this, or you won't be able to defeat Xuanyuan Yi.

"You won't survive if you can't beat him."

If she was dead, no one would bring her beautiful master back to life, no one would be there to protect her family, and no one would kill Zuo Qingluan!

As long as she could breathe, she had to stand up!

Feng Wu pushed herself up from the ground with both hands. Blood oozed out from between her fingers, and there were bloody handprints everywhere.

And it wasn't just her fingers that were bleeding. Feng Wu's right foot was soaked with blood, which had seeped through her boot, painting it red...

It was a frightening scene.

A figure had appeared quietly on the wall when no one was looking.

No one knew how long he had been standing there. There was a domineering look in his eyes, which could send a chill down one's spine.

He kept his unblinking gaze on Feng Wu, and looked as intimidating as death itself. However, there was also a hint of pity in his eyes, and he even looked a little moved.

Jun Linyuan knitted his exquisite straight eyebrows. He jumped off the wall and landed lightly on his feet. He then walked steadily toward Feng Wu on his long legs.

"Let's continue." Biting her lip, Feng Wu stared at Grand Secretary Fang with a resolute look in her eyes.

"B- Boss Jun?"

Feng Xun was the first to spot Jun Linyuan, and he cried out in surprise.

Hadn't Boss Jun voluntarily locked himself inside the water dungeon as punishment?

He still had those injuries on him...

Jun Linyuan walked up to Feng Wu and raised his hand, but it never landed on her head.

"You want to continue?" Even Jun Linyuan himself didn't realize that the expression on his finely sculpted face had changed.

Other people might not know how tiresome or painful training aimed at breaking one's limits was, but he knew.

All they knew was how fast he made progress and how omnipotent he was, but what they didn't know was the excruciating pain he had to endure over and over again to break through his limits during his cultivation as he pushed his body to the point of collapse.

Therefore, when he saw Feng Wu in this state -

Even the crown prince, who had never let any emotions show on his face, was moved.

Feng Wu struggled to look up. Right now, even lifting her head hurt excruciatingly.

She saw an incredibly handsome face with deep-set features, well-defined lines, and a pair of brooding eyes.

One look at his eyes and Feng Wu knew that he understood her.

Many people pitied her and wanted her to stop, but he understood her...

A faint smile appeared on Feng Wu's fair face. It was barely detectable, but was as bright as fireworks.

"I want to keep going."

With each word, she felt as if a blade was scraping the inside of her throat, but she still grabbed Jun Linyuan's hand and emphasized each word earnestly.

Feng Xun, Xuan Yi, Chaoge, and Qiuling were all there, and they were all calling out to her, telling her to stop, but she wouldn't give up.

Jun Linyuan looked down at Feng Wu's hand.

The teenage girl's hands used to be so soft and tender, but now, all her fingers were bleeding and trembling uncontrollably.

"I'm with you." Taking both hands, he sent a streak of warm spiritual essence from his fingers. It flowed into her body through her injuries.

Feng Wu felt -

A streak of warm spiritual essence flowed from the teenager's hands into hers through her bleeding fingertips.Feng Wu, who was barely breathing and looked like a withered flower, slowly revived, as if she had been watered with spiritual water.

"Keep going."

The teenager patted her head with his slender fingers, and his lips curled into a smile.

Feng Wu was a little dumbfounded.

But she soon came back to herself. Licking her lower lip, she nodded. "Yes!"

Grand Secretary Fang had been standing a few steps away from them the whole time and hadn't said a word since Jun Linyuan showed up.

Feng Wu had complained to him quite a few times about how Jun Linyuan picked on her, and the old man had been thinking about finding a time to mention it to His Majesty.

But now -

Seeing the way the teenager patted Feng Wu's head, Grand Secretary Fang had a strange feeling...

With Jun Linyuan as her training companion, Feng Wu was even more efficient in her practice now, but that didn't mean that her pain was in any way reduced.

The pain, the dizziness, and the hopeless state were all still there.

Chaoge and Qiuling watched with teary eyes until they cried. More than once, they almost ran over to Feng Wu to wrap their arms around her bloody body and yell, "That's it. We give up!"

However, when they saw how hard Feng Wu was trying, they sobbed and couldn't say a word.

Jun Linyuan's face was as breathtakingly handsome as ever. He kept his gaze on Feng Wu the entire time with a stern look on his face. Every now and then, a pitying look would flicker in his eyes.

No one else noticed, but Grand Secretary Fang, who had been looking closely, was utterly surprised.

Could it be... Was it what he thought it was? If that really was the case, the girl would never be able to get away from Jun Linyuan.

However, Feng Wu couldn't see anything else at the moment. She was devoted to her practice and was giving it all she had, sparing no effort!

Right up until the very last moment -

Feng Wu kicked the last white chess piece into the tube!

At that moment, Feng Wu burst into tears. Her legs gave out and she felt backward.

Before her head hit the ground, the teenager rushed to her side to catch her, and he picked her up in both arms.

He looked down at her. His lethal, threatening air was long gone, replaced by a gentleness that no one else had seen before.

Seeing Feng Wu collapse into Jun Linyuan's arms, Chaoge and Qiuling were both worried sick!

During Feng Wu's practice, Chaoge had tried to run to her a few times, but Feng Xun had stopped her each time. Now that the training was over, she finally dashed over like a shooting arrow!

"Xiao Wu! Xiao Wu -"

Chaoge tried to take Feng Wu back from Jun Linyuan.

.

But the crown prince didn't even look at her. With Feng Wu still in his arms, he jumped onto the wall with light feet.

"Quickly, go with him." Feng Xun tugged at Qiuling and Chaoge. "Go get some warm water and fresh clothes."

An hour had passed after they cleaned Feng Wu up.

"How is she?" Feng Xun stared at Jun Linyuan nervously. "When will little Feng Wu wake up?"

Jun Linyuan knitted his fine eyebrows. "It's hard to say."

"Boss Jun, are you leaving?" Seeing that his leader was leaving, Feng Xun was a little nervous.

Jun Linyuan glanced sideways at him, the look in his eyes brooding.

Before he left, he gave the Fang manor a long look.

Despite its ordinary appearance, the house was equipped with a top-grade essence-gathering formation, which had abundant spiritual essence. He wondered what formation master had designed it.

But Jun Linyuan was on a tight schedule and couldn't stay here any longer.

"Take good care of her."Jun Linyuan glanced at them sideways, and the look on his face reminded them of a god of death. His intimidating power spread out in the yard.The people of Fallen Star Yard only came back to themselves after Jun Linyuan left.

"Is... is..." Qiuling grabbed Chaoge's hand nervously and said in a tiny voice, "Is His Royal Highness and Miss Wu..."

For a split second, Chaoge thought the same.

But she rejected the possibility right away. "No, it can't be!"

"But His Royal Highness carried Miss Wu back himself..." Didn't the crown prince abhor the touch of other people?

After some thought, Chaoge shook her head adamantly. "Who knows what the hell is wrong with that crown prince. Anyway, it's all in your head!"

Qiuling said, "Alright..."

"That's right! My sister will never like him! She's my sister and nothing else!" The boy standing in the doorway spoke angrily with his cheeks puffed up.

Feng Xun was lost for words.

Xuan Yi's mouth fell open.

The two of them exchanged wry smiles.

It seemed that Boss Jun still had a long way to go before he could win the girl's heart.

However, the more pressing issue now wasn't winning the girl's heart, but -

Would Feng Wu wake up before noon?

Feng Xun said, "It's dawn now, and the sun is about to rise."

Neither Feng Xun nor Xuan Yi left. They stood in the yard and looked up at the dark sky.

The air was as cool as water and both looked worried, even from behind.

Xuan Yi said, "Yes."

Feng Xun asked, "Do you think Feng Wu can wake up before that?"

Xuan Yi said, "The chances are slim."

Feng Xun heaved a long sigh. "She worked so hard. After everything she put into this, it would be such a pity if she has to give up because she missed the stipulated time."

"This Xuanyuan Yi really is something. He's given all of us a sleepless night." Feng Xun smiled bitterly.

Back in the day, they wouldn't have wasted their breath on a nobody like Xuanyuan Yi.

Time crawled by.

The night ended and the sun rose.

As the streets got busier, the entire imperial capital seemed to wake up.

However, Feng Wu still lay completely motionless, without any sign of waking up.

The people of Fallen Star Yard were calm at first, but as time went by, they couldn't remain as unperturbed.

Feng Xun kept running into Feng Wu's room to check on her.

"Is she still not awake?" Feng Xun asked quickly.

Qiuling was pale, and was visibly worried. She shook her head.

"We only have two hours left here." Feng Xun frowned.

While Feng Xun was feeling worried sick, his mother had been summoned to court.

The empress dowager frowned as soon as she saw Lady Northern Feng. "I heard that Feng Wu is in trouble again."

Lady Northern Feng's stomach sank, and she wondered who had been saying bad things about Feng Wu in front of the empress dowager.

She looked up at the empress dowager.