Chapter 151: Evenly Matched

Suddenly, I felt the spiritual energy within my body begin to swell rapidly, and I knew an breakthrough was imminent. I calmed my mind and focused, settling into a rhythm of deep cultivation. As the spiritual energy surged, I sensed a concentrated flow rushing toward the crown of my head.

Second Rank of the Spirit Lotus!

I slowly opened my eyes to find the sky beginning to brighten; checking the time, it was already past six in the morning. I felt completely refreshed, the fatigue of the previous day wiped away, and my body hummed with newfound power. After changing into my plain white robe, I pushed open the door.

The morning air was crisp and refreshing. I began to practice Baji Quan. Birds perched on the treetops watching me, and the sound of a mountain stream cascading down nearby made this environment feel like my ideal sanctuary. After a while, my great-uncle woke up.

"Not bad, not bad. To advance a rank in just one night," he said, offering me a nod of approval that left me feeling somewhat bashful.

"Come, let us spar a bit." He took off his heavy coat and beckoned to me with a curl of his finger. I did not refuse and walked toward him.

"The old rules: no spiritual energy."

No sooner had he spoken than he launched a swift, sudden strike. Even though I reacted in time to dodge, he followed up immediately with another punch. His fist was powerful and sharp; I could feel the rush of wind even before the blow arrived. I had barely regained my footing when I realized I could no longer dodge, so I took the hit head-on. The punch connected with my defensive arm, sending me stumbling back several meters. My arm throbbed with a dull, tingling pain—it was clear he was holding nothing back, and I knew I couldn't afford to be lax.

I let out a low cry and used the Six-Star Step to close the distance rapidly. I had learned many forms recently; if it were a contest of repertoire, he might not be able to outdo me, but in actual combat, the outcome was far from certain. My great-uncle possessed a profound understanding of technique, while I had a vast array of moves at my disposal. We circled each other, trading tentative blows.

I grabbed a large stone from the side and executed a move called "Flood Dragon Leaves the Sea," thrusting my fist directly toward his chin. He leaned back, dodging it with ease. We were locked in a stalemate, neither daring to make the first rash move.

I have a naturally impatient temperament, so I began to throw a flurry of punches. This style emphasized speed, with every strike aimed at his face. My great-uncle’s reactions were those of a man who remained vigorous in his old age; he was no slower than I was, and he parried every one of my strikes with ease.

After one round, neither of us had gained the upper hand. My great-uncle had once taught me that when facing an evenly matched opponent, if you wish to end the fight quickly, you must take risks and adopt unconventional tactics. I lunged forward again, intentionally exposing my center, but he was sharper than I, refusing to take the bait and continuing to pressure me. After a knee strike served to distract him, I sensed an opening. I seized the chance to land several punches and followed with a spinning kick, all of which connected with his elbows, forcing him to retreat. It seemed these blows weren't enough to defeat him; I needed a better strategy.

This time, my great-uncle abandoned his conservative approach and went on the offensive. As the old saying goes, the best defense is a good offense, and staying on the defensive only leads to being battered. I met his assault head-on. Though we parried and countered with great enthusiasm, we were burning through our stamina at an alarming rate. Beads of sweat as large as peas had formed on his forehead, but neither of us would admit defeat; we continued to grapple. Every punch he threw was heavy, and I suffered for it.

Continuing like this was no solution. I had to find an opportunity for a decisive strike. I feigned relaxation, slowed my footwork, and threw my punches with increasing sluggishness, all while plotting in my mind. My priority was to recover my stamina while draining his, creating an opening for a counterattack. He clearly didn't realize my ruse and continued to throw punches with great force, while I quietly regained my strength.

As his speed began to wane, I sensed that he had less than half of his stamina left. Now was the time. I suddenly shifted from defensive to aggressive, catching him completely off guard. I unleashed the full repertoire of my training, attacking him with everything I had. Yet, he was a cunning veteran; he parried every attack with unhurried precision. Only then did I realize he had been feigning exhaustion as well. Our mastery of technique was matched only by our psychological game.

Suddenly, he unleashed a move I couldn't defend against, striking at me with blinding speed. I had no choice but to take the blows with my body, though I could tell he was pulling his punches. I was knocked to the ground, and he pulled back, letting out a deep breath.

"Not bad at all," he said, standing with his hands behind his back, exuding the air of a true master.

"Oh, I still couldn't beat you," I said, rubbing my joints as I scrambled to my feet.

"Hah! Neither of us used spiritual energy. If we had, I might not be your match."

I believed him. Without spiritual energy, it all came down to experience and reaction time. Just as I was about to offer a polite reply, a crashing sound echoed from Nangong Xi's room. My great-uncle heard it too and strode toward her room. Pushing open the door, we found her sitting on the floor with her legs crossed; the noise had been her kicking over a table.

"What happened?" I moved to wake her, but my great-uncle stopped me.

"The girl appears to be advancing a rank."

Advancing a rank? That was different from my own experience. My great-uncle explained later that not everyone reacts the same way, just as everyone's innate talent differs. He walked over to her and pressed a hand to her back, channeling his energy into her. Nangong Xi let out a muffled groan, whether from pain or otherwise, I couldn't tell.

I noticed the spiritual energy within her body beginning to swell violently, as if it were about to burst out. She appeared to be in great distress, sweat beading on her forehead. My great-uncle frowned and quickly fed her a tiny pill. Once she had swallowed it, her state improved significantly, and he let out a long sigh of relief.

Suddenly, I felt the spiritual energy within her body gather and strike her forehead twice in rapid succession. This... a double rank advancement? I had never even experienced such a thing.

"Hmm... excellent," even my great-uncle nodded in amazement, having never seen such a thing before. Shortly after, Nangong Xi successfully emerged from her meditative state, looking at her own hands in disbelief.