The three people outside the gate exchanged a glance. Hu Liena pressed a hand on Yan's shoulder, then followed the steward inside first.
But that small action only made Yan, who walked at the rear, even more displeased. As someone secretly in love with Hu Liena, when had he ever seen her praise someone so much? He made up his mind. He had to teach Wu Ling a lesson. When that happened, Hu Liena would surely look at him in a new light.
Led by the steward, the three passed through the front courtyard and main hall. Yan and Xie Yue only felt that the house was truly large. Hu Liena alone understood that this residence was already bigger than the homes of some elders.
Of course, the size of a house could not represent a person's status or strength by itself. But it did show how much Bibi Dong valued Wu Ling. The residence Bibi Dong had granted her was only about half this size. They were both the Pope's disciples, yet this comparison alone revealed the difference in how much the Pope valued each of them.
When they reached the rear courtyard, they saw Wu Ling leisurely drinking tea. On the grass nearby, two men with roughly eighty percent of Wu Ling's features, one blue-haired and one red-haired, also drew their attention.
Hu Liena had learned about them through the elders. She knew Wu Ling had a Spirit Skill similar to cloning, but unlike ordinary clones, these clones had their own consciousness and could even help Wu Ling cultivate.
"So those are the special clones the elders mentioned?"
Hu Liena glanced at the two clones, then turned her attention back to the real person.
"Senior Brother Wu, I heard you came ba..."
"You are Wu Ling?"
Before Hu Liena could finish, Yan, who stood behind her, suddenly questioned him.
Wu Ling looked at Yan's arrogant face and waved his hand, dismissing the steward.
"Yes, I am Wu Ling. What is it?"
Yan's face was full of disdain. He swept a contemptuous glance over the two cultivating clones.
"Using clones to cultivate. I have heard about that. Looks like this is all you amount to."
"Yan!" Hu Liena warned him sternly.
But to Yan, the more Hu Liena tried to stop him, the more he had to continue. He wanted Hu Liena to see that he ruled his own fate, not the heavens.
Seeing Yan continue provoking Wu Ling despite her warning, Hu Liena grew anxious. She looked toward her older brother, hoping that her always outstanding brother would help stop Yan.
But Xie Yue acted as if he had not heard anything Yan said. Though he spoke as if he respected Wu Ling, his true thoughts were not much different from Yan's. He simply had the habit of keeping quiet. Borrowing Yan's mouth to test Wu Ling's measure suited him just fine.
Seeing the state of the three of them, Wu Ling already understood. Hu Liena had probably come to meet him and build some familiarity. They were both the Pope's disciples, and they would see each other often. Getting acquainted was reasonable. But the other two clearly had different ideas.
"If I remember right, Yan is Hu Liena's suitor. Is he trying to show off in front of her?
"Heh. This guy is exactly like those brain-dead romance rivals in low-effort webnovels, the kind dragged out only to make the protagonist look strong. Or maybe he is just a filler character used when some failed author cannot figure out how to write daily-life chapters."
While mocking the scene in his heart, Wu Ling did not bother with the usual webnovel routine of trading insults and then showing off his strength to cause gasps of surprise. He had always preferred things direct. More importantly, his mood was not good to begin with. The three of them had walked straight into the muzzle.
Wu Ling set down his teacup and slowly stood. Then, with a crisp snap of his fingers, countless Magecraft arrays appeared all over the residence.
The three visitors were stunned by the sight.
"I understand what you mean. Words are pointless, so let us fight directly. Of course, for the sake of fairness, I will not use any Spirit Skills. You may use whatever you like. If you can force me to use a Spirit Skill, you win. Also, the arrays around us are only here to protect the house. They are not dangerous, so attack freely."
"That is not it, Senior Brother Wu. We..."
"Perfect!"
Yan interrupted Hu Liena again. In that moment, Hu Liena sincerely began to dislike this companion she had known for years.
Even Wu Ling, whose emotional intelligence was not high, understood that interrupting someone was rude, especially when that person was a girl. But right now, the passionate man of fire felt excellent about himself.
"Nana must be shocked by my performance right now. As long as I defeat Wu Ling, she will see me in a new light. Then His Holiness will know about me, I will become the Holy Son, marry Nana, and finally reach the peak of life.
"As for Wu Ling, hmph. Who gave him the confidence to think he can defeat us without using Spirit Skills? Forget the three of us. I alone can beat him. There is not that much difference between the physical strength of a Spirit Elite and a Spirit Leader, and my Martial Soul is a top-grade beast Martial Soul. His arrogance suits me perfectly. The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. Once Nana sees what he really is, she will definitely fall into my arms."
Although Yan's intelligence had plummeted because of his hormones, his hands moved quickly.
"Flame Lord, possess me!"
With a thunderous shout, two pairs of sharp horns grew from Yan's head, and his hands became claws. Two yellow rings and one purple ring rose behind him.
"Third Spirit Skill, Hellfire!"
As Yan shouted, he punched the ground. A line of flame raced all the way to Wu Ling's feet, then erupted violently.
"Hahaha! My Hellfire came from a thousand-year Flame Lion. Even an ordinary Spirit Meister would not dare take it head-on!"
The moment his voice fell, a pair of hands reached out from the smoke. With a casual wave, Wu Ling stood there completely unharmed. The flames had not even burned the edge of his clothing.
Yan frowned at the untouched Wu Ling, then immediately relaxed.
"Hmph. As His Holiness's disciple, you are bound to have some ability. What about this? First Spirit Skill, Hell Magma Rush!"
As his first Spirit Ring lit up, magma-like cracks appeared across Yan's skin. Then he clenched his right fist and charged at Wu Ling.
Sparks and magma trailed behind him. As he neared Wu Ling, his second Spirit Ring suddenly lit up.
"Second Spirit Skill, Granite Rock!"
Yan's right hand swelled several times over, and the surface of his fist seemed to gain a layer of stone. After closing in on Wu Ling, he smashed his fist down toward Wu Ling's head.
Wu Ling silently raised his right hand.
There was a boom as the two collided. Stone shattered, dust surged, and Hu Liena and Xie Yue both widened their eyes, waiting for the result of that clash.
But in the next instant, when the scene inside the smoke appeared, their pupils constricted.
Wu Ling was pressing one hand against Yan's head, while Yan had already been shoved face-first into the ground.