Genshin Impact: The Road to Reversal

Chapter 556 Practical Training

Zixuan stood on the training ground, staff in hand. This time, the target wasn't standing beside her as before. Instead, it moved at high speed across the track in front of her.

"Are you ready?"

Clementine smiled gently, and the hourglass turned again.

Zi Xuan took a deep breath, suppressing her distracting thoughts, and her gaze instantly became focused. She stood still, a faint light shining from the tip of her staff.

Under her precise control, the flames transformed into several slender streaks. With a flick of his arm, all the arrows were aimed precisely at the fast-moving targets.

boom! boom! boom!

The targets fell instantly, but more targets immediately took their place. Zixuan constantly adjusted the rhythm and angle of her spellcasting, trying to ensure accuracy while controlling the consumption of elemental power. However, the targets were moving faster and faster, even exhibiting feints.

clap clap clap!

Clover clapped and smiled, "Impressive! It seems the difficulty needs to be increased further."

As soon as she finished speaking, several targets suddenly stood up from behind, which startled Zixuan.

"Stay focused, Miss Zixuan!" Claire's voice carried a hint of playfulness as she reminded him. "On the battlefield, the enemy won't just come from one direction. And for warriors who are only skilled in ranged attacks, being caught in close combat is fatal."

Zi Xuan felt a chill run down her spine. The targets erected around her were very close, and if she exerted her strength rashly at this moment, Yu Bo might accidentally injure her.

Her instinct was to retreat and create distance, but soon more targets blocked her escape route. This time, Zixuan was completely enraged.

"Seriously, is this ever going to end?!"

She held her staff horizontally behind her and, facing the targets all around her, unleashed a sweeping attack.

The staff swept across with a powerful gust of wind, instantly sending the surrounding targets flying.

Clementine was stunned.

"No way, can it really be like this?"

Zhao Heng smiled slightly: "I almost forgot, she's also a melee mage."

For close range, they used their staffs to sweep across, while for long range, they summoned fire arrows to pierce through. In no time, all 50 targets had been knocked down, and at this point, the hourglass still had less than a third of its sand remaining.

The training ground fell into a brief silence, with only Zixuan's soft breathing.

Clementine blinked, and for the first time, a crack appeared in the gentle smile on her face, making her look somewhat surprised and... amused.

"This... is truly unexpected." She put down the hourglass and walked to Zixuan's side. "I thought you would rely more on elemental power, but I didn't expect your close combat ability to be so..."

Zixuan calmed her breathing and rested her staff on the ground: "You have to have some means of self-defense. After all, no one cares about these things in the game."

"A game?" Clementine paused for a moment, then looked at him with a puzzled expression. "Is that so? It's not hard to understand. I remember our teacher once taught us that in the trials, any mistake could be fatal. That's why the daily training is so rigorous."

She paused, her gaze sweeping over the training ground, now a mess again, and the young trainees who were sneaking glances in her direction during breaks.

"Your reaction and response were indeed... quite 'unique'. But the results... seem to be pretty good as well."

Zhao Heng walked over and said in a deep voice, "The way of fighting should vary from person to person. As long as it can defeat the enemy, it is a good method."

Clementine nodded, her smile returning to its gentle and bright tone: "That's true. It seems we need to give more thought to developing a training plan for you."

At this point, she suddenly had a flash of inspiration: "That's right, since that's the case, why not take this opportunity to have a practical training exercise!"

"Combat training?" Zi Xuan and Zhao Heng looked at her at the same time.

“That’s right!” Clementine’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “Just shooting at targets is so boring. Real combat is what makes people realize their shortcomings and improve their skills faster!”

Upon hearing this, Zixuan immediately had a bad feeling: "Wait a minute, you wouldn't be thinking of..."

Clementine smiled slightly: "That's right, naturally I will be your opponent. Don't worry, as your instructor, I will know my limits."

She removed the cloak that symbolized her paladin status and casually hung it on a nearby rack, revealing a set of lightweight leather armor underneath that allowed for easy movement. She stretched her wrists and neck, making a soft clicking sound.

"Wait a minute, this is developing too fast! Is your training usually this casual?" Zixuan was a little flustered.

After all, the other party was a contractor of Rek'os, and they were familiar with Rek'os's strength, so they naturally dared not underestimate him.

Moreover, the target training that was "a little more difficult" just now had already given them a taste of the "unique features" of glacier training.

"Practice makes perfect, that's a phrase my teacher always says." Claire assumed a relaxed starting stance, her smile remaining gentle. "Don't worry, I won't use the power of a paladin, just elemental power at a level 'equal' to yours. And..."

She glanced at Sirius beside her: "Lord Sirius can testify and also watch from the side, just in case."

Sirius crossed his arms, a smug smile playing on his lips, and nodded: "I have no objection, but please stop here."

"Don't worry, I definitely won't hurt our guests." Claire nodded and smiled.

Zhao Heng took a deep breath, gripped his spear tightly, and his expression turned serious: "Since that's the case, then I'll respectfully comply. Zixuan?"

Zi Xuan composed herself, held her staff horizontally in front of her, and nodded. Although she felt this "training" was a bit far-fetched, what Clementine said made sense.

“Then…” Claire bent down slightly, and a thorn sprouted from her hand, which then burned and transformed into a scythe.

Before she could finish speaking, Clementine's figure flashed out like a gust of wind! She was incredibly fast, almost instantly closing in on Zhao Heng's side. Her scythe, carrying a scorching heat wave, drew a sharp arc, aiming straight for Zhao Heng's arm holding the gun.

So fast!

Zhao Heng's pupils contracted. Without thinking, he instinctively swung his spear horizontally.

clang!

Sparks flew everywhere! A force far beyond his expectations came from the gun, making his arm go numb and causing him to involuntarily take a half step back.

This seemingly swift attack was precisely at Zhao Heng's limit upon contact, putting him under pressure without causing any real harm.

At the same time, Zi Xuan's staff lit up, and several blazing fire arrows bypassed Zhao Heng and accurately shot towards the predicted point of Clementine's movement trajectory.

Claire moved with agility, as if dancing among flames, seemingly dodging all the fire arrows with great difficulty. At the same time, she changed her attack with the scythe, sweeping the hilt in the opposite direction. In an instant, several thorns rose from the ground beneath Zixuan's feet.

"Oh no!" Alarm bells rang in Zixuan's mind. She immediately stopped casting the spell, leaped backward with her toes touching the ground, and at the same time, she slammed her staff down, causing a small vortex of flames to erupt from the tip of the staff, burning the newly sprouted thorns to ashes.

However, just as she leaped backward, her old strength exhausted and new strength yet to arise, Clementine's figure appeared like a ghost at the edge of the vortex of flames.

"Well done, but... still a little lacking!"