Internal Competition Among Fellow Disciples

"Little Junior Brother! I'm here again!"

A crisp, slightly willful cry shattered the silence of the practice arena.

A figure rushed in like a whirlwind.

Hu Liena was dressed in red, her ponytail tied high, the ends whipping through the air as she ran.

She dashed up to Ling Xiao and began by looking him up and down.

Her tone carried a hint of exasperation.

"No way, Little Junior Brother? You really reached level nineteen?!"

"I heard Master say it yesterday, but I didn't believe it!"

A year ago, she was already a level twenty-five Soul Grand Master.

Meanwhile, Ling Xiao had just absorbed his first soul ring and only had level thirteen Soul Power.

She had assumed that, given her own talent, she could comfortably stay ahead of him for several years, even if he did have Innate Full Soul Power.

But who could have imagined that in this past year, Ling Xiao's cultivation speed would be like riding a rocket?

Fourteen, fifteen, eighteen...

He broke through obstacles like a hot knife through butter.

In just one short year, he had surged to level nineteen.

He was only one step away from becoming a level twenty-level Soul Grand Master.

This cultivation speed had completely overwhelmed Hu Liena.

She had originally thought that as the Senior Sister, she should maintain a certain standard, and she had been quite diligent in her daily cultivation.

But watching Ling Xiao's Soul Power level catch up day by day, she began to lose her composure.

Throughout this year, she had been forced to stay in the cultivation room meditating.

She had only managed to struggle from level twenty-five to level twenty-nine.

Even so, looking at Ling Xiao's progress, she was terrified every single day.

She was deathly afraid that one day she would wake up and find that she, the Senior Sister, had been surpassed by her Junior Brother.

If that really happened, she would have nowhere to hide her face.

"It is merely cultivation following the standard steps."

Ling Xiao leaned his long spear against the weapon rack nearby and spoke indifferently.

"Senior Sister has outstanding talent; going from level twenty-five to twenty-nine in one year—looking across the entire Martial Soul Hall, how many people could achieve that?"

Rising four levels in a year was already an extremely fast speed for a Soul Grand Master.

Not to mention that the further one progressed, the more massive the Soul Power required for a breakthrough became.

Being able to maintain such progress was enough to show how much hard work Hu Liena had put in.

"That's only because you forced me to!"

Hu Liena huffed, placing her hands on her hips.

"You little monster, cultivation is as easy for you as drinking water."

"If I don't give it my all, I'll be the one calling you 'Little Junior Sister' by next year!"

Ling Xi, standing to the side, couldn't help but laugh, though she didn't dare make a sound.

Over this past year, Hu Liena had visited Qinghui Hall even more frequently than she visited the Pope's Main Hall.

She came almost every two or three days.

She called it "checking on her Junior Brother's cultivation progress," but in reality, she was just checking to see what level Ling Xiao had reached, terrified of being overtaken.

Every time she saw Ling Xiao's Soul Power increase, she would turn around and rush back to the cultivation room to go into seclusion.

Bibi Dong saw all of this and was happy to let it happen.

A few days ago, Bibi Dong had specifically called the two of them to the main hall.

She had teased them with a smile, saying that with the two of them urging each other on, she, as their master, had been saved a lot of worry.

She even specifically set a rule that the two of them must spar at least once a week to hone their practical combat abilities.

Occasionally, she would even come personally to act as the referee.

"Speaking of which, Master told me yesterday that I should practice practical combat with you more often."

Hu Liena's eyes lit up as she flexed her wrists, her Soul Power surging slightly around her.

"Since I'm here today, shall we have a spar?"

As she spoke, her gaze swept over Ling Xi, who was standing beside Ling Xiao, and she raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Same old rules: the two of you come at me together."

"I want to see if you two have made any progress."

Ling Xi immediately looked toward Ling Xiao.

Seeing him nod slightly, she stepped forward and bowed to Hu Liena.

"Saintess, please offer us your guidance."

Over the past year, sparring between the three of them had become a routine.

At the very beginning, relying on the absolute advantage of her Soul Power Level, Hu Liena had dealt with Ling Xiao and Ling Xi with ease.

Back then, Ling Xiao had just started practicing the spear and lacked practical combat experience.

Ling Xi had also just absorbed her soul ring, and her control over her soul skills was clumsy.

Even joining forces, the two could not defeat Hu Liena and were toyed with by her until they were spinning in circles.

As time passed, the situation gradually shifted.

Ling Xiao's spear technique became increasingly refined, his control-type soul skills blending seamlessly with his long spear, leaving no openings in his long-range offense or close-range defense.

Ling Xi had also discovered the combat style best suited to her and had practiced a nimble, tricky whip technique.

One focused on offense, the other on auxiliary control.

Their coordination grew ever stronger.

Working together, their strength was no longer a simple case of one plus one equals two.

From their initial rapid defeats, they had progressed to being able to trade blows evenly with Hu Liena.

Now, facing their combined efforts, Hu Liena was finding it increasingly difficult to keep up.

"Are you ready?"

Hu Liena flashed back to the other end of the training ground.

She placed her hands on her hips and tilted her chin toward them.

"Don't say your Senior Sister is bullying you; I'll let you make the first move!"

"Then we accept your concession, Senior Sister."

Ling Xiao nodded slightly.

The moment his voice fell, his figure was already in motion.

He stepped lightly, his long spear striking out like a dragon emerging from the sea.

A cold glint flashed at the spear tip as he thrust directly toward Hu Liena's center.

At the same time, Ling Xi moved.

She flicked her wrist, and a Silver Whip lashed out from her sleeve.

The tip of the whip, like a viper flicking its tongue, coiled toward Hu Liena from the side.

Pink soul power flashed in her eyes as her First Soul Skill: Mind Control was quietly activated.

"Well done!"

Hu Liena's eyes brightened, but she remained unhurried.

Her first soul ring lit up, a pale yellow halo enveloping her body as she initiated Martial Soul Possession.

Two furry fox ears sprouted from the top of her head.

A fluffy fox tail swayed behind her.

Her Second Soul Skill: Charm collided head-on with Ling Xi's mental assault.

The two mental forces clashed in mid-air.

Ling Xi let out a muffled groan, her momentum stalling for a split second.

Her soul power was only level fifteen; compared to Hu Liena's level twenty-nine, she was still a significant distance behind.

In a direct confrontation, she was at a disadvantage.

Just then, Ling Xiao's spear arrived before her eyes.

The tip pointed straight at Hu Liena's shoulder, the fierce wind of the spear making her hair fly.

Hu Liena did not panic; her footwork shifted, and her figure dodged to the side like a phantom.

Her second soul ring lit up, and scorching Fox Fire erupted from her palms, attacking Ling Xiao.

"Little Junior Brother, watch out!"

Hu Liena called out, but the Fox Fire showed no mercy, sealing off Ling Xiao's path of evasion.

Ling Xiao flipped his wrist, his spear spinning to create an airtight wall of steel.

He swept the shaft horizontally, batting away all the incoming Fox Fire.

His first soul ring suddenly flared.

"First Soul Skill: Scarlet Dream Entanglement!"

An invisible mental force surged toward Hu Liena once more.

Hu Liena felt her vision blur as her spirit was pulled by a bizarre power.

A sense of intimacy uncontrollably welled up from the depths of her heart, forcing her second soul skill, Fox Fire, to be interrupted!

Now!

Ling Xi seized the opportunity, lashing out with her soft whip, which coiled around Hu Liena's wrist like a spirit snake.

Ling Xiao's long spear also came to a halt at the side of Hu Liena's neck at this very moment.

The icy tip of the spear pressed against her skin, its cold glint mere inches away.

The outcome was decided!