Invited to Join

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

The piercing clash of blades echoed across the battlefield. Two shallow tracks appeared beneath Pusis's feet as she skidded back, barely managing to steady herself.

Her sharp eyes never left her opponent as she sized him up.

"What incredible combat technique. It's practically flawless!"

Pusis marveled inwardly.

Now she finally understood why Kulu had lost in a single move.

Bai Yuan's combat technique was so exquisite that every movement was precise beyond belief.

Even when she replayed his actions in her mind in extreme slow motion, she couldn't find the slightest flaw.

Or rather, even if she could find a flaw in theory, her body couldn't react fast enough to exploit it.

This wasn't suppression in strength or speed. It was an absolute domination in combat technique.

Whoosh!

Pusis attacked again.

This time, she moved like flowing water, her feet tracing complex steps as her body blurred into several afterimages. She circled Bai Yuan at high speed.

This was her signature movement technique, "Flowing Shadow Phantom Steps," which had once made her nearly unbeatable among her peers.

Bam!

The moment Pusis launched a surprise attack from behind, Bai Yuan turned without warning, as if he had eyes in the back of his head. His War Blade swept out at an angle that looked simple but was terrifyingly precise, meeting the full force of her attack.

Sparks flew where blade met sword.

When her strike failed, Pusis quickly retreated, her figure melting back into the afterimages.

Next, she moved faster, attacking from different angles.

A feint from the left followed by a real strike from the right; a deceptive move from above suddenly turning into an attack on his legs. Every attack was vicious and cunning.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

The ringing of blades continued without pause.

Yet Bai Yuan's expression never changed. He didn't even alter his breathing.

He merely adjusted his steps slightly, and his War Blade always appeared in exactly the right place at exactly the right moment, blocking every one of Pusis's attacks.

The dazzling assault, which looked overwhelming to the onlookers, seemed to have no effect on him at all.

The three people watching from the sidelines wore different expressions.

Kulu looked grave, a trace of bitterness in his eyes.

He had just experienced that same feeling of helplessness firsthand.

The other two, meanwhile, were utterly stunned by the fight before them.

"How can he make it look so easy? Just how terrifying is this guy?" one of them murmured.

The other swallowed hard and said in shock, "Exactly. Pusis has clearly given it everything, and she still can't do a thing to him. They're not even on the same level."

Kulu gave a bitter smile and explained, "It's no use. His combat technique has reached the level of 'Insight into Opportunity.' To him, Senior Sister Pusis's footwork is as clear as glass. He's probably already seen through everything and can easily predict her every move."

As if to prove Kulu's point, Bai Yuan suddenly spoke.

"There's a 0.1-second delay between the third and seventh moves of your footwork. When you turn left, your center of gravity rises by two inches. And before every attack from behind, your right shoulder sinks half an inch without you realizing it."

At his words, Pusis froze, her face filling with shock.

She hadn't even noticed these tiny habits herself, yet her opponent had seen them all.

Bai Yuan continued, "Your technique is already excellent, but you rely too much on fixed patterns. Real combat has no patterns—only responses."

Before he had even finished speaking, Bai Yuan made his first move.

He wasn't particularly fast, but his movements were terrifyingly precise. Every step landed where Pusis was about to move, and every strike targeted the angle she found hardest to defend.

After three moves, the long sword in Pusis's left hand was knocked away. Bai Yuan lightly touched the tip of his blade to the armor at her throat, then withdrew it.

"You fought well."

Pusis stood frozen in place. Only after a long while did she let out a slow breath and say with a bitter smile,

"I lost. I accept it completely."

Her opponent was stronger than her, but not by much. And when it came to speed, he was far slower.

Yet his exquisite combat technique more than made up for every difference between them.

She had lost fair and square.

"I have one more question. I hope you'll answer it." Pusis looked at Bai Yuan with a serious expression.

"Go ahead."

"How much of your strength did you use just now?"

That was the question Pusis cared about most.

She could tell that Bai Yuan hadn't gone all out. She just didn't know how much he had held back.

"How much of my strength?" Bai Yuan considered it briefly, then answered honestly.

"I can't really say. If I went all out, I could kill the version of myself you just fought in an instant."

After three months of secluded cultivation, all his abilities had improved significantly.

Besides, even three months ago, his combat strength would have been enough to defeat Pusis with ease at the same level.

Pusis drew a deep breath, forcing down her shock, then extended her most sincere invitation.

"Yuan, on behalf of the Hundred Tiger Tower, I sincerely invite you to join us. With your talent, you'd become at least a First Grade Elite in the Hundred Tiger Tower. You might even be made a Special Grade Elite right away!"

She spoke earnestly, then continued, "You may be from the Blade Clan, but when you're out in the universe, it's safer to have a powerful organization backing you than to wander alone."

Bai Yuan felt no stir of emotion at her words and waved his hand to politely decline.

"No need. I've already decided that once I break through to the Star Realm, I'll head to the Universe Mercenary Alliance."

If he really wanted to join an organization, wouldn't the Ganwu Dojo or the Virtual Universe Company be better choices?

The Ganwu Dojo had been established by Lord of Ganwu to repay his debts and was dedicated to cultivating geniuses.

Bai Yuan wasn't bragging, but with the talent and strength he had demonstrated, he could easily become a First Grade Elite at the Ganwu Dojo.

As for the Virtual Universe Company, it was one of the Five Great Giants in the vast universe. Even the Ganwu Dojo had to yield to it, let alone the Hundred Tiger Tower.

Ultimately, Bai Yuan didn't want to join these organizations because he didn't want to be constrained.

Pusis wasn't surprised by his answer.

Many powerful figures in the universe would rather join the Universe Mercenary Alliance and live with danger and constant life-or-death battles than submit to the rules of any organization.

And yet, that very path had forged countless true powerhouses.

Martial Artists who had been stuck at a bottleneck, unable to break through, often transformed under the pressure of life-threatening danger.

Such cases were far from rare in the universe.

The "Giant Axe Martial Artists" of the Giant Axe Arena, for instance, had to survive a brutal challenge of a thousand consecutive victories.

In that environment, failure to break through meant death.

Those who survived were all ruthless fighters who had surpassed their own limits.

"All right. If you don't want to join, we won't force you. If you don't mind, how about adding me as a friend?"

"Sure."

The two added each other as friends.

It wasn't just Pusis and Kulu. The other two also took the initiative to exchange contact information with Bai Yuan.

They had all recognized his extraordinary potential. His future achievements would surely surpass theirs by far, so they naturally wanted to befriend him early and build connections for the future.

To put it bluntly, they might never even reach the threshold of the Universe Realm.