He never called her "Yanyan" ,they were already in a relationship, and to use such an intimate nickname would be inappropriate and possibly offensive.
Faced with Yu Tianheng's confusion, Dugu Yan wrapped her arm around Fang Ling's even tighter.
Then, with a radiant smile on her face, she hummed lightly, "No reason. Fang Ling is simply more hardworking ,and stronger."
Naturally, things like external spirit bones and immortal herbs couldn't be revealed to outsiders.
Yu Tianheng shook his head slightly, seemingly ready to make one last attempt.
He looked solemnly at Fang Ling and said in a deep voice, "Fang Ling, would you be willing to duel me?"
"Tianheng-ge…" Fang Ling reached out his hand, looking slightly troubled, as if trying to dissuade him.
He had come here only to demonstrate his cultivation, attract Qian Renxue's attention, and avoid being targeted harshly by Spirit Hall ,not to fight Yu Tianheng.
Over a year had passed, and though Yu Tianheng had trained harder, he had only gained a few levels and was still just an ordinary Spirit Elder.
Crushing the weak ,what meaning is there in a one-sided beating?
Fang Ling bore him no deep hatred and hadn't come with a mocking attitude.
However, Yu Tianheng didn't understand that Fang Ling was actually trying to preserve his dignity.
Seeing the troubled expression on Fang Ling's face, he thought Fang Ling was worried that the iron scythe might again attract a concentrated lightning strike and embarrass him in front of his girlfriend.
This was a logical assumption ,Fang Ling had indeed fallen for such a tactic before.
Even after more than a year, it was hard to imagine someone jumping from level 30+ straight to Spirit Ancestor.
He dismissed the ridiculous thought from his mind and fixed his gaze on Fang Ling, eyes burning with fighting spirit:
"Yan said you've worked harder ,I accept that. But I want to see just how strong you really are. So, fight me."
"Stronger?" Fang Ling mulled over those words and suddenly smiled. "Tianheng-ge, what level are you now?"
"Level 36," Yu Tianheng said proudly.
Spurred on by Fang Ling's arrival ,like a catfish stirring the waters ,he had improved faster than before, even drastically so.
At this rate, he wouldn't need to wait until he was 19 or 20 to hit level 39.
If he kept it up, he'd reach Spirit Ancestor in two years.
But it still wasn't enough.
Fang Ling felt a tinge of regret for him.
You train hard ,but I'm cheating.
Before the astonished crowd, a slightly altered martial spirit appeared in Fang Ling's hand.
Yellow, yellow, purple, black ,four spirit rings floated around him, rising and falling, spinning slowly.
The first three weren't too surprising, but the last ,a dazzling, profound, and mysterious black spirit ring ,seized everyone's attention.
Four!
Four spirit rings ,a Spirit Ancestor!
And one of them a ten-thousand-year spirit ring!
How was it possible to absorb a ten-thousand-year ring at just Spirit Ancestor level?
"Impossible!" Qin Ming felt as though everything before him defied common sense.
His jaw dropped so wide it nearly dislocated. Clenching his fists in disbelief, he was stunned.
Even Shrek Academy only required students to be level 20 at twelve years old.
And Fang Ling ,with a Silver Spirit Fighter title already in hand ,had basically graduated at the age others were just entering school?
Too fast. It was simply too fast!
Qin Ming's mind was blank with shock ,he couldn't even speak.
"A Spirit Ancestor with a ten-thousand-year ring!"
The usually cheeky, handsome blond Yu Feng was speechless with amazement.
Oslo, the ghostly leopard spirit master with pretty boy looks, stared blankly and even pinched his own face, wondering if this was all an illusion.
Yu Tianheng, as the nephew of Yu Xiaogang, was deeply familiar with his uncle's theories and believed in them completely.
That was why he found all this hard to comprehend.
This defied the widely accepted logic in both the great clans and the spirit master world ,absorbing a ring beyond the optimal age limit?
Whether it was a twelve-year-old Spirit Ancestor or the deep, dazzling fourth black ring, both were unprecedented.
He couldn't make sense of it.
"How did you do it?" Yu Tianheng asked instinctively.
Fang Ling didn't know what specifically he was referring to, so he gave a vague answer: "Through countless hours of hard training, and being unafraid of death."
"That simple?" Yu Tianheng opened his mouth, clearly unconvinced.
"Simple?" Ye Lingling's eyes flashed sharply, stepping in to defend him:
"If you, as captain, could also be pushed to the brink of death by Lord Dugu Bo over and over again, and still come back alive, then you'd know it's anything but simple."
"I've drained my spirit power countless times just helping him train."
"I apologize, I misspoke," Yu Tianheng quickly said, hearing the coldness in her tone.
After apologizing, he added dejectedly, "It's just that Fang Ling's spirit rings and level were too shocking…"
"Twelve years old ,a Spirit Ancestor with a ten-thousand-year ring? How is that possible?"
Fang Ling withdrew his martial spirit and smiled, "It may have been impossible before. But now, it's real."
"My current cultivation isn't just thanks to my own effort ,one part is my hard work, one part Ye Lingling's healing, one part Yan's encouragement, and the other seven parts… come from my teacher's help."
"Meditating under the crushing pressure of my teacher's spirit power, training while resisting toxins until my body felt like it was dissolving ,I'll never forget those moments."
Thanks to his **Gold Body LvMax** trait, he couldn't be poisoned, but everything else was real ,and he had asked Dugu Bo to go all out.
His muscles nearly melted, his organs almost collapsed.
If not for Ye Lingling being an extraordinary healer, he wouldn't have dared to risk it.
All to awaken his warrior's will ,and he went as far as possible without dying.
Dugu Bo, for the sake of helping him acquire a spirit bone, wasn't always around, but each time he returned, he'd help Fang Ling by applying intense spirit power pressure.
Fang Ling trained without a moment's rest.
That was how he broke through and awakened the warrior's will.
Yu Tianheng was shaken by everything he just heard.
So, Lord Dugu Bo really did favor Fang Ling this much, even personally helping him train?
In his own clan, no matter how chaotic things got, even his grandfather Yu Yuanzhen wouldn't offer that kind of help.
He could only sigh, "I'm not as good as you ,but I still want to try."
"You once challenged me. Now it's my turn to see how far the gap has grown."
Seeing that Fang Ling still looked hesitant, Yu Tianheng straightened up:
"I know I'll lose. I don't want Yan's attention through this. This fight isn't for victory ,it's to witness the brilliance of a true genius!"
"You're the strongest now. I'm no longer fit to be captain."
Though he sounded serious, he was screaming internally.
He had miscalculated.
But as the challenger, it would be disgraceful to back out just because he realized the gap was too wide.
As the inheritor of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon spirit, how could he fear challenge ,or failure?
Even if I lose, I'll lose with dignity!
Fang Ling really believed Yu Tianheng just wanted to see his power, and silently thought: You're honest and upright ,I'll give you a clean, decisive match.