Sparring with Xun'er, Enlightenment in Battle

"I only took Xun'er's technique to see what was so special about a high-grade Xuan-tier technique." Xiao Yan toyed with the scroll in his hand.

Slender fingers pressed against her snow-white chin. So curious about a high-grade Xuan-tier technique... Could it be that Xiao Yan-gege's cultivation technique was of a lower grade?

Xun'er said with a smile, "Can you let Xun'er see what grade of cultivation technique it is?"

"Cough... You can't judge a cultivation technique by its grade alone. You also have to consider who cultivates it and how." Xiao Yan gave a dry laugh.

Seeing Xiao Yan like this, Xun'er's eyes slowly narrowed into a dangerous curve. Yet her gentle voice remained soft and pleasant. "Xiao Yan-gege, you should still let Xun'er take a look."

Seeing Xun'er persist, Xiao Yan could only helplessly extend his hand. His battle qi vortex slowly spun, and a wisp of battle qi flowed through his meridians. A faint pale-yellow glow rose from his palm.

Seeing this battle qi, like the last flicker of a candle in the wind and seemingly ready to extinguish at any moment, Xun'er's little face darkened slightly. Her rosy lips pressed tightly together, revealing the anger in her heart.

"Xiao Yan-gege, this is the better cultivation technique you said you could find?!"

"You clearly know that having a high-grade cultivation technique in the early stages brings immeasurable benefits to future cultivation. Xun'er even brought you a high-grade technique. You could have returned it after finishing cultivation, but now you've chosen to cultivate the lowest-grade technique. Are you doing this just to make me angry?"

Xun'er's eyes widened, both angry and anxious. A few crystalline droplets even clung to her long lashes, making her pitiful appearance especially heartrending.

She and Xiao Yan-gege were destined to be together in the future. But if he cultivated this low-grade Huang-tier technique, how could he suppress the opposition from the people of her clan in the future?

For gentle and mild-tempered Xun'er to speak in such a manner, one could imagine just how confused and angry she was over Xiao Yan's actions.

Looking at Xun'er biting her lips, stubbornly demanding an answer from him, Xiao Yan helplessly shook his head and said with a bitter smile, "We've lived together for nearly ten years. Don't you understand me by now?"

"But your technique... It's clearly low-grade Huang-tier. My senses can't be wrong." The anger on Xun'er's little face eased somewhat, but she remained stubborn.

"You know my talent. You'll understand in the future," Xiao Yan said with a smile.

"Really?" Looking at Xiao Yan's rather confident expression, Xun'er fell silent briefly before asking again hesitantly.

Before Xiao Yan could answer, Xun'er's delicate brows relaxed. She smiled lightly and said, "Then please show Xun'er some of your strength now, Xiao Yan-gege. Xun'er has also broken through to the Fighter realm."

From gloominess to a bright smile, it was like spring wind sweeping over ice and snow, making the girl's cheeks bloom like flowers. At this moment, Xun'er radiated a charm that came from deep within.

"It's the effect of the fourth-grade pill, Qi Gathering Powder, isn't it? You really are a little rich girl," Xiao Yan said with a faint smile.

Given the Xiao Clan's means, for Xun'er to reach the ninth stage of battle qi would naturally have required a long period of accumulation.

But Xiao Yan knew that Xun'er could accomplish it even if she ate Qi Gathering Powder like food, let alone used it to break through.

Xun'er pursed her lips, her eyes especially serious. "Only in real combat can Xiao Yan-gege realize the benefits of high-grade cultivation techniques."

Xun'er had no doubts about Xiao Yan's talent, but he had been born in remote Wutan City, where there were many unknowns when it came to cultivation. He was not yet twelve, so it was entirely possible that some old monster had deceived him.

"I'll spar with you a little, then." Xiao Yan raised a hand, drew out the Black Heavy Ruler, and fiercely plunged it into the ground.

It looked like an ordinary movement, but under Xiao Yan's strength, the incomparably heavy Black Heavy Ruler stabbed straight into the hard ground with a bang.

Xun'er's beautiful eyes widened in shock. She had been so concerned about the cultivation technique that she had completely failed to notice this unremarkable black ruler...

Xiao Yan smiled faintly and stepped back several paces. Show me what you can really do.

Biting her red lips lightly with pearly teeth, Xun'er did not dare be careless. Her battle qi vortex slowly began to spin faster and faster, while golden light flickered in her beautiful eyes.

The blazing sun hung high in the sky, its scorching rays baking the earth like a furnace. Threads of heat seeped from the ground and slowly rose into the air, slightly distorting one's vision.

Sunlight filtered through layers of leaves, casting tiny patches upon the ground blanketed in dead leaves. They scattered like stars.

As a breeze swept past, two figures in the small forest suddenly crossed paths. Their palms collided, generating waves of faint gusts that sent the nearby dead leaves flying in all directions.

Though his attacks appeared fierce and forceful, Xiao Yan had only used thirty percent of his strength.

Even so, it exceeded Xun'er's limit. A slightly bluish bruise appeared on her small hand.

"So strong!" Xun'er drew a sharp breath. She had been nearly inseparable from Xiao Yan and knew that he had never learned any combat techniques, focusing solely on cultivating battle qi.

She had originally thought that after breaking through to the Fighter realm, he would merely possess strength without knowing how to use it. Yet in their very first spar, he had displayed such formidable power!

Xiao Yan's foot slammed into the ground, and his body shot forward. Dirt immediately flew everywhere. When he was still about a meter away from Xun'er, he abruptly halted. The transition between extreme motion and absolute stillness was flawless, without the slightest sense of abruptness.

Seeing how skillfully Xiao Yan controlled his own speed, Xun'er could not help but reveal a trace of admiration in her limpid eyes.

"Eight Extremes Collapse!" Xiao Yan shouted. He threw a simple, direct horse-stance punch without any flourish, charging straight toward Xun'er's delicate body.

Watching Xiao Yan's fierce attack, golden flames danced in Xun'er's eyes.

Her fair little hand traced a small semicircle before her. A pale golden glow abruptly flared from her palm. Her hand curled into a strange semicircular arc, then struck Xiao Yan's fist without hesitation.

"Bang!"

As fist and palm met, a muffled explosion rang out of nowhere. The dead leaves covering the ground were swept away in an instant, scattering through the sky.

After his fist and her palm remained locked in midair for a moment, both figures swiftly retreated.

Xiao Yan felt as if he had struck a leather ball. Not only had it neutralized his attack, it had also rebounded a portion of the force. As expected of someone from an ancient clan.

"A high-grade Xuan-tier battle skill, Swallow Return Strike. Once cultivated to its highest level, it can reflect an opponent's attack back at them. I'm still only at the initial stage, so I can only reflect around ten percent of the force," Xun'er said with a smile.

Borrow force to strike back... Xiao Yan's mind seemed to clear like clouds parting to reveal the sun, and enlightenment suddenly dawned upon him.

[You used the method of Stellar Transformation, condensing power into a single point, to deduce it. You entered a state of enlightenment and comprehended an entirely new battle skill—Samsara Tribulation: Shatter Heaven and Earth!]