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The young man sat on the mat, his shoulders relaxed and wide, his legs crossed in a lotus position. His hands formed a circle, resting gently below his dantian, fingers slightly bent with palms facing upward, thumbs lightly touching each other.
With each breath he took, spiritual energy was drawn into his body, circulating throughout his meridians. In the midst of this hazy stillness, golden characters began to leap before his eyes. Initially shimmering and difficult to gaze upon, they gradually became clearer, each stroke and dot of the characters revealing intriguing meanings.
Qi Xiao was absorbed in this experience, savoring it with delight. At times, even when encountering the same character, he discerned different profound meanings within it. Unbeknownst to him, five days slipped by quietly.
He exhaled softly and opened his eyes slightly, feeling as if he had been pulled from a muddy pool—completely refreshed. Even the speed at which he absorbed and circulated spiritual energy had significantly increased compared to before.
Qi Xiao stood there in a daze, somewhat surprised. Could such clarity of thought lead to such a substantial transformation? Was this what it meant to elevate one’s state of mind? Unfortunately, his meridians were narrow and could not keep pace with the speed of absorbing spiritual energy; if only he could expand them a little, the results would surely surpass anything he had achieved before.
Suddenly, there was a gentle knock at the door. Upon seeing him emerge, Wang Hu scratched his head. "Brother Qi," he said, "the drawing of lots is about to begin. Elder Chang sent me to call you."
Qi Xiao nodded and went back inside to tidy up before heading to the square with him. Recently, things had been unsettled outside; Elder Chang announced that there would be no external trials for the next year.
This announcement stirred quite a commotion among the disciples since many weaker ones had hoped to improve their standings through these trials. Even Wang Hu couldn’t help but sigh; it hadn’t been easy for him to cling to Brother Qi’s coattails, and now that opportunity was slipping away.
Elder Chang explained that this was also the decision of the Sect Leader. As before, he raised a glowing orb with his spiritual power and waved it lightly; instantly, the orb burst into countless light points scattered among the disciples.
Qi Xiao reached out to catch one but before he could touch it, a delicate hand snatched it away. Ji Linglong held the glowing orb with a bright smile on her face. "The top disciple must be you or me," she said playfully. "How about we skip the process and have a direct competition? Whoever wins will be the first in the inner sect—a single round to determine victory. What do you say?"
She turned to Elder Chang and asked, "What do you think, Elder Chang?"
Elder Chang leisurely clasped his hands behind his back and replied, "If no other disciples have objections, I can agree."
Ji Linglong drew out her whip with a crack that echoed as it struck the ground. She circled around, locking eyes with everyone present; none dared meet her gaze for long.
"Is there anyone who disagrees? If you do, step forward and challenge me!"
The scene was silent, with no one daring to speak.
Ji Linglong turned her head with a smile, "Elder Chang, it seems the others agree with this proposal."
Elder Chang nodded and asked, "Qi Xiao, what do you think?"
Within the inner sect, aside from Ji Linglong, there truly was no one who could match Qi Xiao in combat. Her suggestion was efficient and practical, so there was nothing wrong with it.
Qi Xiao cupped his hands in respect and replied, "I humbly ask for your guidance."
Ji Linglong flew directly to a nearby arena. Seeing Qi Xiao land beside her, she smiled triumphantly.
"This time, you are bound to lose!"
Without further ado, she launched her attack. The whip moved so swiftly that it left afterimages, each strike more ferocious than the last. Just as one attack was parried, another would follow immediately.
She was determined not to give Qi Xiao any chance to react. A whip crack flew past Qi Xiao's ear with a thunderous sound. He quickly turned to evade it but barely managed to dodge when another lash came at him, this time significantly faster than before.
It seemed Ji Linglong understood that she had lost last time due to his soul attack; thus, she focused on speed and aggression this time, giving him no opportunity to gather his strength.
For a moment, Qi Xiao found himself in a difficult position. Noticing his troubled expression, Ji Linglong smiled slightly and taunted, "Qi Xiao, you’re not so lucky this time. You might as well admit defeat now; it will save you from a few lashes."
"Don’t be too confident. Do you really think I will lose?"
Ji Linglong frowned slightly but then realized Qi Xiao was trying to provoke her. "Aside from that move, what else do you have that can win? Enough with the nonsense; we’ll see the outcome soon!"
With that, Ji Linglong's strikes became even more ferocious. Although she managed to graze Qi Xiao's skin with her whip, she did not injure him severely.
Watching him nimbly evade her attacks only fueled her frustration; she abandoned all strategy and just wanted to settle the score quickly.
Seeing her desperation, Qi Xiao recognized his opportunity. He pretended to be pushed back by a whip strike and loosened his grip on the sword slightly, leaving himself open.
Ji Linglong was thrilled and rushed towards him. However, just as she approached, Qi Xiao deftly sidestepped and swept his leg out to trip her. She fell hard onto the ground, face down.
Ji Linglong was dazed from the fall and filled with humiliation as she struggled to prop herself up while gritting her teeth in anger. "Qi Xiao, you’re asking for death!"
Before she could finish her threat, Qi Xiao kicked her down again with a swift motion.
With a loud thud, she truly landed face-first into the dirt this time.
The arena fell silent for a moment before someone couldn't hold back and burst into laughter. Soon after, a chorus of chuckles erupted like a series of slaps across Ji Linglong's face.
Her cheeks flushed with anger, a mix of embarrassment and annoyance.
"Qi Xiao, you cheated!"
"Elder Chang, this round doesn't count," Qi Xiao replied leisurely, crossing his arms as he watched her from the platform.
"Weren't you the one who said the outcome would be decided in one round? Now that I've won, why does it suddenly not count?"
"Ji Linglong, can’t you handle losing?"
Surrounded by whispers and curious glances, Ji Linglong had never felt so humiliated.
"Who said I can't handle losing? It's just that in this arena, how can you win like that?"
Qi Xiao not only tripped her but also kicked her off the stage, clearly intending to embarrass her in front of everyone. Ji Linglong felt a dull ache in her backside, making her even more uncomfortable.
This Qi Xiao was truly despicable!
Qi Xiao rubbed his nose, seemingly unfazed. "I don't think anyone said that was against the rules."
Ji Linglong glared at him, her eyes practically shooting fire as if she wanted to burn holes through him.
Under her intense gaze, Qi Xiao suddenly felt a bit guilty. "I didn’t mean to do it on purpose; it just happened."
Hearing his muttering, Ji Linglong's face turned crimson. "Just happened? Is it really that easy?"
This Qi Xiao was infuriating!
As she clenched her whip and prepared to leap back onto the stage in anger, Elder Chang's calm voice stopped her.
"Once you've fallen from the stage, the outcome is decided. Even if you challenge him again, it won't change the result."
At his words, Ji Linglong gritted her teeth in frustration, glaring at Qi Xiao for a moment before finally stomping her foot and turning to leave.
Elder Chang watched her retreating figure and coughed lightly while glancing at Qi Xiao. "Next time, don't use such tactics."
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