"Xiao Clan's Xiao Ling will accept Ruo Lin's twenty-move challenge on behalf of my good-for-nothing younger cousin."
"What do you think, Sister Ruo Lin?"
Xiao Ling paid no attention to the wave of discussion that had erupted around the square. He simply gazed gently at the woman before him, as calm as water, and waited for her reply.
"H-holy crap... Is this guy out of his mind?"
"He's definitely crazy. He looks only eleven or twelve. Could he possibly be a Da Dou Shi? That's complete bullshit!"
"..."
Like Xiao Ling, Instructor Ruo Lin paid no attention to the chatter around the square.
She blinked her limpid eyes at the little boy in white before her, then suddenly smiled warmly.
"Since you've put it that way, little Xiao Ling, how could I possibly refuse?"
"But don't think that just because you called me 'big sister,' I'll go easy on you."
"On the contrary, now that you've called me that, I'm even less likely to hold back."
"Otherwise, people might think I was going easy on you."
"And then I'd have a hard time explaining myself to certain old geezers at Jia Nan Academy."
Ruo Lin's voice grew very quiet as she spoke the last sentence, low enough for only the two of them to hear.
Xiao Ling: "???"
Was that what he meant?
He'd only been polite to her. How had she taken him seriously?
At a breakfast shop on the outskirts of the square, Xiao Wu sat among a group of Xiao Clan juniors. His injuries had nearly healed by then.
After all, a Fourth-Rank Healing Pill was very effective—especially when it was a Wulou Cloud Pill that Xiao Ling had traded to the system for a month of his lifespan, at a premium.
"Little brother, are you ready? If you are, big sister will make her move."
Instructor Ruo Lin looked at the little fellow, who had suddenly seemed distracted, and asked gently.
Hearing her, Xiao Ling snapped out of it and gave the woman before him, as calm as water, an apologetic smile.
"Go ahead, Sister Ruo Lin... I'm ready whenever you are..."
"Hmph, what a boastful little fellow. I hope your strength can match your words. Don't disappoint me, all right?"
Instructor Ruo Lin smiled faintly and gave a soft snort.
Then she drew on the Dou Qi within her, raised her slender wrist, and flicked it toward the little boy in white. The Dou Qi she had prepared surged out at once, condensing into blue vines as thick as a baby's fingers, which coiled toward Xiao Ling.
"I-isn't that Instructor Ruo Lin's signature move, 'Water Mandala'?"
"I can't believe she's already using that move. It looks like she's not holding back against Xiao Ling at all."
"Yeah... I hear that move of hers is incredibly powerful."
Bai Zhi paid little heed to the gasps of the juniors behind her. Her adorable, wide eyes were fixed on the two people in the square, and anticipation stirred in her heart.
Like Instructor Ruo Lin, she wanted to see just how strong this White-robed Youth was—and whether he was worth lowering herself to recruit.
The crowd around the square also began murmuring when they saw the force of Instructor Ruo Lin's attack.
"Looks like that kid from the Xiao Clan is in for it... Maybe Instructor Ruo Lin will accidentally kill him..."
At that moment, three figures hurried over from the other side of the square. They arrived just in time to see Instructor Ruo Lin attack, and one of the elderly men voiced his concern.
"Clan Leader, can Young Master Xiao Ling withstand that blow?"
The middle-aged man walking in front pondered for a few seconds before giving a measured reply.
"Based on the cultivation Ling'er showed earlier, he has at least the combat strength of a Da Dou Shi. It just depends on how much he intends to reveal.
"That child always likes to hold something back, so it's hard to judge.
"But one thing's certain: Instructor Ruo Lin, with her water-type Dou Qi, isn't strong enough to hurt Ling'er."
After hearing the clan leader's explanation, the Second Elder and Third Elder both breathed a sigh of relief. Then, led by Xiao Zhan, the three of them found a spot in the crowd and watched their surroundings, prepared for anything.
Among the Xiao Clan juniors, Xiao Yu grew worried when she saw the force of Instructor Ruo Lin's attack. She clasped her slender hands together, betraying her unease.
A delicate hand reached over from beside her and took hold of hers. Xiao Yu froze for a moment, then turned to see Xun'er smiling at her.
"Cousin Xiao Yu, we have to trust Brother Xiao Ling. Have you forgotten how he defeated Wu Ming last time? I believe he'll amaze everyone today!"
Xiao Yu came to her senses and smiled gently, nodding.
"You're right, Xun'er. Brother Xiao Ling is sure to amaze everyone."
Compared with Xiao Yu and Xun'er's worry and confidence, the other Xiao Clan juniors behind them were much simpler.
They all gazed at the White-robed Youth in the middle of the square with adoration.
As Xiao Ling watched the countless vines rushing toward him to bind him, he remained perfectly calm, as if everything were going exactly as he'd expected.
And in fact, it was. In the original story, Instructor Ruo Lin had used this very move against his younger cousin Yan Di. To be precise, it was the only move Instructor Ruo Lin knew.
With that in mind, Xiao Ling watched as the blue vines were about to wrap him up like a dumpling. He raised his hand, joined his fingers like a sword, and swept them lightly forward.
"Yanhuang Finger: Slash!"
As his finger swept out, a flaming blade several feet long formed in an instant. In the blink of an eye, it sliced through the vines before him.
To the spectators, it looked as though the vines had just enveloped Xiao Ling when a streak of fire burst out before they could tighten around him, slashing toward Instructor Ruo Lin.
It all happened so quickly that no one had time to react. Even Instructor Ruo Lin was startled for a moment. Then she raised her slender wrist, flicked it lightly, and cried out:
"Water Mirror Wall: Refract!"
As soon as Instructor Ruo Lin spoke, a surge of Dou Qi burst from her body and formed a spinning blue mirror wall in front of her. In an instant, it swallowed the flaming slash headed her way.
Then, in a strange twist, it spat the attack back out, redirecting it toward Xiao Ling.
"Hehehe, little brother, I have water-type Dou Qi. It's just the thing to counter yours."
Instructor Ruo Lin giggled at the White-robed Youth, whose expression had just shifted, unable to hide her smugness.
Since meeting him, it was the first time she'd seen him make that face...
Xiao Ling stepped forward. A layer of fiery-red Dou Qi Gauze immediately appeared around him. He raised a hand and crushed the flaming slash headed his way, then looked toward the woman across from him, as calm as water, and smiled faintly.
"Don't be so sure, Sister Ruo Lin. It's still too early to say who counters whom."
Before you continue