Chapter 222: Last-Minute Preparations

"As long as everyone's alright. How are Jiuxiao and Xianchen doing?" Zhang Lie had been rather laissez-faire about the dojo's operations because he trusted Zhang Hong to take care of them.

"Your two apprentices? They've been training day in and day out as though their lives depended on it—I feel sorry for them just watching it, so you'd better not assign them too many trials!" Zhang Hong chastised him lightly.

Zhang Lie began to laugh. "They're training of their own accord—I didn't assign them any goals."

"Hoh?" Zhang Hong seemed momentarily taken aback. "I suppose they must be pressured to make something of themselves with a master like you. Are you going to take a look at them?"

"Yes. I'll have to leave for quite some time afterward, so I need to talk with everyone at the dojo before I leave."

It was almost time for the galactic stage of the Void Cup, which would be held on the planet Ural at the heart of the Milky Way. Ural was very far from the solar system, and even with these teleportation arrays, it would be at least a three-day journey, and the round trip and tournament would take around ten days or so.

𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Ten days didn't seem like such a long time, but it was three whole months within the dimensional world. As a result, he had to make sure to take care of affairs in the Zenith Dojo and with regards to his sister, Zhang Hanxiang.

In one of the Zenith Dojo's training arenas, the air filled with crackling lightning and dark, murky fog, a pair of children were fighting against each other. The boy was surrounded by wind and storm, and the girl exuded black fog wherever she went. They each had a specialized, sturdy wooden sword with which they were swinging at each other.

As the two swords clashed against each other, the two children paused momentarily.

Before the two of them could continue, applause came from the entrance. Zhang Lie praised, "You've both improved tremendously!"

"Master!"

Zhang Lie slowly walked toward the arena, instantly attracting their attention.

"Weren't you working on something important?"

"When did you come back?"

The two children jumped out of the arena and darted to his side.

Zhang Lie smiled. "I'm finished with all that, of course. Isn't it normal for a master to check up on his disciples?"

Jun Jiuxiao laughed. "Perhaps for a normal master, but we both know that you're the busiest person in the entire dojo."

"I'm so glad you had the time to see us!" Ye Xianchen added.

The two children were more thoughtful than he anticipated.

"You're both smart and capable, so I'm relieved to have both of you around." Zhang Lie found his apprentices more and more pleasing to the eye. "The two of you both seem to have made significant progress with your frameworks, but you seem to be rather rigid and inflexible with your techniques. Do you have any questions for me? Let's focus on working this out for now."

"Yes!"

"Thank you, Master!"

They peppered Zhang Lie with questions, which he answered methodically based on his experience in his two lives. So went the afternoon; they had gone over almost every problem his two apprentices had displayed during the fight, and Zhang Lie had had them practice until he was satisfied with the results.

As long as the two of them stuck to their training regimen, they would be fine for the future. Once the last problem was resolved, Zhang Lie stood up and stretched.

By then, Sun Mengmeng had been waiting by the door for quite some time.

"I'm going to be leaving for the galactic stage of the Void Cup. Keep practicing; once I return, I'll make sure to check up on your progress.

"Yes, Master! Don't worry—we won't let you down!"

Zhang Lie patted both of them on the head and walked out. "The dimensional world's time dilation is very suitable for quiet meditation and cultivation. Feel free to train there, but without my order, you're not to leave the settlement to try to get basic gene fragments for yourselves. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Master!"

Zhang Lie then hosted a special seminar for the remaining disciples, during which time he could check up on and evaluate their progress. When all this was done, he had a meeting with Zhang Hong and the most senior dojo instructors, the final task for the day.

Affairs at the dojo satisfactorily resolved, all that remained was to talk with his sister. That night, Zhang Lie slipped into the Holy Glory Academy like a ghost, a black cowl over his head. Unlike last time, however, Zhang Lie had informed his sister beforehand.

The two of them arranged to meet at a rather quiet library in the academy, one with only a few diligent students at this late hour. When Zhang Lie arrived at the door to the library, he saw the three girls waiting for him from afar.

Zhang Hanxiang was seated primly on her wheelchair, glancing left and right in order to try to catch a glimpse of her brother, while her two attendants were chattering away. They seemed to be the two girls he had met last time around, Qingqing and Lizi.

"Hanxiang, we're on good terms, aren't we? You're not lying to us?" Qingqing, who had fainted the last time around, was flushed and excited.

"Qingqing, you know Hanxiang wouldn't lie to either of us—how many times have you asked this question already?!"

"Ah, ah, I'm just excited, that's all! I have a signature pad ready, too!"

"Don't worry, Qingqing—my brother promised to be here at 9 PM, and I'm sure he'll be punctual!" Zhang Hanxiang replied.

"Of course! I wouldn't dare be late to a meeting with my dear sister." A dark shadow suddenly appeared in front of the girls.