The satisfying, hard-fought sparring session came to an end.
Zhao Wei was already drenched in sweat, her damp hair sticking to her forehead and temples. She was so exhausted she didn't want to get up. Her muscles ached all over, but it felt wonderful. Her body was tired, yet her spirits were soaring. Once her breathing had eased a little, she turned her head to look at Lu Ji.
Lu Ji, who had been panting like a dog just like her not long ago, was already sitting up, wiping away her sweat with a clean towel.
Zhao Wei lay on her side in a reclining pose, propping her cheek up with one hand.
"Honestly, it's so unfair being a Martial Gall Warrior."
She was still panting, while the other woman had already recovered.
Lu Ji agreed. "It really is an advantage."
Her Martial Spirit rank wasn't high yet, so she wasn't much different from an ordinary person. It was only because she'd trained in martial arts since childhood and, like Zhao Wei, came from a military family that their sparring had been so evenly matched, with each of them countering the other's moves. But once their stamina was spent, the difference between having a Martial Spirit and not having one became clear. Even if she did nothing but regulate her breathing, her martial energy would circulate on its own, nourishing her meridians.
Ignoring the pain in her muscles, Zhao Wei grimaced as she sat up. Once she'd settled herself, she noticed Lu Ji's robe was loose and slightly open. From where she sat, she could see a strangely styled chest wrap beneath it. Zhao Wei burst out laughing.
"You're that grown and still wearing a chest wrap?"
Weren't men supposed to be unafraid of baring their chests?
Who said that?