(12 hours later...)

"Well... I guess you two are better than when you first started," Foyan remarked.

At the same time, their vision finally returned. To no one’s surprise, their bodies were bloodied and battered. Bruises covered their hands and feet as they lay on the ground, completely exhausted.

Xuan raised his head slightly, frowning at Foyan.

"Was hitting us that hard necessary...?"

"If I hit you two lightly, then you would forget today’s lesson by the time you wake up." Foyan scoffed, pulling two blindfolds out from his pocket and tossing them in front of Xuan and Hanbi.

"Practice in your off time whenever you want. Also, make sure you two don’t start accidentally dueling each other again. That was embarrassing."

He turned around. "I’ll be back in twelve hours. The training will be ramped up slightly, and if you perform the same as today, you might seriously get injured. That’s enough for me, though. See you later."

And just like that, without Xuan being able to track him in the slightest, Foyan vanished from sight, leaving the cave.

Hanbi exhaled a relieved breath. "He’s finally gone... I’m going to castrate that old geezer."

"Yeah?" Xuan raised a brow. "That’s a bit aggressive, don’t you think?"

"That’s what he deserves." Hanbi pouted. "Kicking and hitting us like that, just who does he think he is?"

"Have you never trained before or something?" Xuan asked, confused. "You do know most combat teachers go with the tough love approach. They beat you senseless, and despite what everyone says, that method is damn effective."

"I..." Hanbi lowered her gaze. "I never trained in real combat. In the Serene Blossom Valley, we always stop the spars after someone lands a clean strike."

"Seriously...?"

"A clean strike is all it takes to end a battle," Hanbi reasoned.

Xuan rolled his eyes. "And after the opponent just so happens to not instantly die from your ’clean attack?’ What if they go ahead and get you in the last moment? Honestly, that practice is stupid."

Before she could reply, he spoke instead. "But then again, it’s never too late to change your ways. Especially now."

He put on the blindfold and stood up.

"Are you hungry?"

Hanbi’s brows twitched, and with her usual competitive nature, she went ahead and put on a blindfold as well.

"I’m not hungry. Let’s train again. I’ll attack you, and you try to defend. If you dodge my hit and counter me, then we’ll switch over and over, okay?" Hanbi offered in a serious tone.

"Hmm? Sure," Xuan replied. "Take your blindfold off then. Otherwise, it’s not really fair."

Despite his insistence, Hanbi didn’t listen.

And when she threw the first punch, their intense training finally began.

.

.

.

(9 days later...)

Xuan and Hanbi moved in sync, avoiding the onslaught of sword strikes that came from Foyan.

They were blind, yet it didn’t seem that way. Every time a strike neared each of them, they nimbly dodged and counterattacked.

However, there came a point where they were no longer back-to-back. So they were now throwing punches directly at each other.

But when their fists were just about to connect, the two stopped, and in the next instant, sent a kick to the left.

Foyan was slightly caught off guard as he raised his wooden sword in time, blocking both their kicks. But it seemed like he forgot to reinforce the wooden sword with his Qi, as it snapped in two.

And when that loud snap resounded, Xuan and Hanbi finally relaxed.

"Good job," Xuan said with a chuckle.

"Your tempo was a little off," Hanbi remarked, putting her hand on her chin. "I think if you—"

"Just say good job," Xuan cut her off. "No need for all that analytical stuff. Also, I was meaning to ask you, but did you steal my bread earlier?"

Instead of replying, Hanbi merely whistled, acting as if she didn’t know what he was talking about.

Aside from that...

"It took you two a little longer than I expected, but you’ve done pretty well," Foyan praised. "Now we’ll move on to getting rid of your sight, sound, and... your smell too."

Xuan’s brows furrowed. "Last time, you said we’d only be missing sound."

"Circumstances change, kiddo." Foyan chuckled. "Now as it so happens, you two learn pretty fast. If I were to train you two separately, then I’m sure you’d comprehend what I’m teaching you within a few days... But, by learning beside each other, you get more benefits."

He raised a single finger, which they couldn’t see because they were still blind.

"By training alongside someone your level, you will understand their decision-making... Sure, you two are influencing each other greatly without knowing it, but that’s how it works on the battlefield too. Overwhelm your opponent and kill them. There’s no need for fancy duels and such."

He raised a second finger.

"But most importantly... rivalry. You strive to surpass each other, which in turn makes both of you significantly stronger. You might not realize it yet, but that’s how it is."

Having said that, the air cooled down slightly as he carefully took out two vials from his pocket and gently placed them in Xuan and Hanbi’s hands.

"Careful with this... It’s more potent, so it won’t only last 12 hours. It might last up to three days. Because of that, I want you to use these whenever you’re ready to practice."

Xuan tilted his head. "What are you talking about?"

"There are 21 days left in seclusion. I will show up in 21 days to test you," Foyan explained. "It will be the final test, and it will include real combat. I will be using a real sword, and I will be aiming to kill you. Your goal will be to survive exactly one minute against me with your sense of smell, sound, and vision gone."

"Hold on a second..." Xuan raised his hand in protest, but Foyan cut him off with a glare.

"My decision is final. Train without the vials first. When you think you’re ready, use them. You only get one chance to prepare for this... so don’t waste it."

Before Xuan or Hanbi could retaliate, they heard Foyan’s steps fade into the distance, and with that, they were left in a very troublesome situation.