It appeared that Theresa was Cyprus's daughter, not only because of the proud way he looked at her, but also because of how Jordan had clearly held back.
Even so, Corvus believed that whether Jordan held back or not, the result would have been the same. Theresa didn't just surpass him by a stage; her reliance on aggressive offense completely overwhelmed Jordan's defensive tactics.
"You did well, but you can improve," Cyprus said to Jordan, who bowed in acknowledgment.
Cyprus then turned to Theresa and nodded with a warm smile before facing Corvus and the other four.
"This is a perfect example of how spirit masters are meant to fight. You must identify your opponent's weak points and strengths, and then take advantage of them. Theresa utilized these three principles. She could see that Jordan's martial arts required him to focus his spirit qi on specific areas for defense. By creating the false impression that she was attacking his flank, she forced him to abandon his defensive stance to protect an opening, only to target a completely different spot."
Cyprus gave them time to process his words before turning to Jordan once more.
"I'll leave them with you. Let them familiarize themselves with their spirit control," he said, before turning and taking his leave.
"Yes, Chief," Jordan replied, bowing deeply
It was midday when Jordan finally felt it was right to bring the training session to an end. Aside from the sparring earlier, there hadn't been any other physical exercises ,only Jordan's and Brandon's insights on how they best utilised their spirit qi.
The five of them had to demonstrate a basic level of spirit qi control, which Corvus had found troublesome because of Red Ball's distinct colour and ability. However, it was quite easy to fool everyone since the bright sky did well to hide the hue. He focused his spirit qi primarily on his fists, and most importantly, Cyprus was absent during the demonstration.
Jordan and Brandon had also tried befriending everyone, a feat they couldn't achieve with Corvus due to his nature and reputation. It wasn't hard, however, for Blake and Aaron to butter up to them both. Theresa just stood to the side, remaining silent the entire time, which made Corvus suspect she might actually be mute.
Corvus had also been keeping a close eye on Leon throughout the session. He knew his old friend was troubled, and he suspected it had to do with his younger sister. He worried that she might be suffering from another of her episodes.
Leon's sister was three years younger than him, making her thirteen. She hadn't always been this sick at least, not as severely as he remembered.
Unlike his grandmother, whose illness was simply a product of old age, hers was an immune infection. Leon's circumstances hadn't allowed him to provide a cure, causing her condition to worsen.
This made Corvus hesitate. He considered bringing his old friend in on a plan to make more money now that they were spirit masters, but unpleasant memories resurfaced, making him change his mind. Instead, he decided to think of an alternative.
One that would involve him doing the heavy lifting, but he didn't mind. As much as he had become cold and stony-faced, he couldn't fully eliminate the old emotions he held for his close friends at least, not yet.
Besides, he still didn't know if his plan would actually be profitable.
'Well, there's only one way to find out,' he thought.
He decided to leave the training fields and head back home to check on Granny before heading to the market district, the place where his plan could be tested. But it seemed someone had a bone to pick with him.
"How disrespectful of you, Corvus, just leaving like that without paying respect to our seniors," Aaron called out.
This made Corvus pause in his steps and drew the attention of the rest of the group. He sighed internally, feeling how vexing Aaron was becoming; though he didn't blame him, his tolerance was reaching a fever pitch.
"Don't you think you should at least thank them for their time and effort?" Aaron added, leaving the gazes of Jordan and Brandon on Corvus. The latter felt moved by Aaron's gesture to acknowledge them.
Corvus stared directly at Aaron with a steady gaze before exhaling and facing the seniors.
"I apologize for my haste; I simply have something important to attend to. I thank you for your time as well," he said, easily surprising Jordan and bringing a frown to Aaron's face, who had expected a confrontation.
"You could have asked for our permission to leave first," Brandon interjected, taking a step forward. He was quickly held back by the shoulder by Jordan, who smiled at Corvus.
"It's fine, Corvus. Go attend to whatever it is you wish," Jordan nodded. Unlike Brandon, who was clearly a meathead, Jordan had easily read between the lines. He saw the unhidden hatred in Aaron's eyes and realized the boy was trying to play them against Corvus. Jordan wasn't interested in being a pawn, nor was he that petty.
"Thank you, Senior Jordan," Corvus replied, while staring unfazed at Brandon,he turned and headed toward the stone gate, with Aaron staring daggers at his back.
"That kid definitely has an attitude," Brandon muttered.
Jordan shook his head. "Everyone has an attitude of their own, Brandon," he said, before glancing at Aaron with a look that was not entirely pleased.
Luna had clearly seen the near-escalation that would have erupted around her friend. She couldn't help but push past her hesitation and follow Corvus.
"Thank you, seniors, for your efforts. I'll be taking my leave now," she said, bowing before chasing after him. Leon noticed this and watched their retreating figures, wondering if they were actually talking.
The thought that his old friend might be reverting to his old self made Leon happy, even though he doubted it. At the same time, he felt a sharp sting in his heart that he managed to ignore.
And Leon wasn't the only one who noticed Luna following Corvus; both Blake and Brandon saw it too, with the latter looking quite displeased by the sight.