Pointers

"Brother An, please advise."

On the Sparring Stage, Miao Yunying wasted no time. After a brief greeting, he drew his Dharma Weapon—a strangely shaped Bronze Seven-Star Sword—and prepared to attack.

But when he noticed that An Jing hadn't drawn a weapon or, as he had in the past, used Condensing Qi into Weapon, Miao Yunying stopped and asked in confusion, "Why aren't you using a weapon?"

"Huh?"

An Jing blinked in surprise. "Isn't this just a spar? Do we have to use weapons?"

As if he realized how his words might sound, he hurriedly added, "Blades and swords have no eyes. I'm afraid I might hurt you, Brother Miao."

"...Thanks."

Miao Yunying was at a loss for words. He knew that even without a weapon, An Jing's body-refining cultivation was beyond what an ordinary Dharma Weapon could hope to match. The outcome would be the same either way.

Forget it. It's just as well he isn't using a weapon. We can spar longer and I might improve a little more.

With that thought, he said, "Then I'm going to attack," and launched himself at An Jing.

Water-and-fire inscriptions adorned the Bronze Seven-Star Sword, and the fragrance of Alchemy wafted from it. As soon as he swung it, scorching mist curled around him, forming a layer of Auspicious Cloud Alchemy Barrier. Then the Shihui Peak specialty, Condensed Light Clear Qi, surged forth, its Sword Qi crashing toward An Jing like a tidal wave.

Mingjing Peak as a whole leaned toward the esoteric path of "Martial Arts," and Miao Yunying was no exception. As his Sword Qi swept forward, starlight flickered along his blade, followed by a barrage of interwoven water and fire techniques raining down on An Jing.

Sword Qi, defense, water-and-fire techniques, and Miao Yunying himself wielding a Dharma Weapon,