Swallow Counter Strike

After Xiao Yan got to his feet, he saw Xun'er pursing her lips at him. She was clearly blaming him for hitting too hard.

Xiao Yan hurried over to check on her. Seeing that Xun'er's little hands had turned somewhat blue, he immediately rubbed them gently, his heart aching for her.

"It's all Xiao Yan's fault. I hit too hard," Xiao Yan said apologetically.

Seeing Xiao Yan's concerned expression and his hands continuously rubbing her forearm, Xun'er's little face flushed. She gently moved his hands away and said shyly, "It was just a spar. Xun'er was being a little too delicate."

"Then I'll use less strength from now on." Xiao Yan scratched his head awkwardly.

"No need. Xun'er underestimated Xiao Yan's strength. Xiao Yan really is incredibly strong, and his attacks are swift as well. But Xun'er is at the Ninth Duan Dou Qi, after all! If Xiao Yan has to go easy on Xun'er even then, wouldn't that make Xun'er nothing but a vase? Be careful, Xiao Yan. Xun'er is going to counterattack now." Xun'er spoke softly. Then she stepped forward with elegant movements, light as a butterfly as she approached Xiao Yan. Just as she neared him, she gave a light push with her small hand.

The offensive and defensive positions switched. Xiao Yan did not dare let his guard down; carelessness could cost him dearly. Facing Xun'er's outstretched palm, Xiao Yan gathered all his strength and fiercely thrust both palms forward.

Bang! The Force Qi generated by the two of them blew the surrounding leaves into the air.

Seeing Xiao Yan block that palm strike, a sly smile appeared on Xun'er's little face. She said playfully, "Xun'er's attack isn't that simple!"

The moment Xun'er finished speaking, Xiao Yan felt another surge of force erupt from her palm. It was immensely powerful, sending him flying backward. Taking advantage of his flight, Xun'er unleashed a torrential barrage of attacks like raindrops. Unable to borrow any force while suspended in the air, Xiao Yan could only endure the beating passively.

Only when Xiao Yan landed did Xun'er lightly tap the ground with her feet, retreating backward through the air before landing gently.

Feeling pain all over his body, covered in bruises, Xiao Yan rolled his eyes and muttered, "Women... They say they're fine, but they hold grudges more than anyone."

"Hehe, is Xiao Yan all right?" Xun'er asked sweetly, her laughter full of smug satisfaction.

"I'm fine, but you won't be in a moment." Xiao Yan rose to his feet and shook his body. This little pain was no different from scratching an itch to him. His figure flashed as he charged at Xun'er once again.

The two exchanged blow after blow, only resting when their Dou Qi was exhausted. But once their Dou Qi recovered, they resumed sparring. It was not until the sun gradually set and both had exhausted their strength that they lay side by side on a huge boulder, watching the beautiful sunset together.

At the sight of the lovely scenery, Xun'er could not help using Xiao Yan's arm as a pillow, her face filled with a blissful smile.

Feeling the soft body of the girl in his arms, Xiao Yan's heart stirred. He reached out and stroked Xun'er's hair. Sigh! I have to cultivate hard. Otherwise, what if Xun'er ends up lying in someone else's arms someday...

At that thought, Xiao Yan could no longer enjoy the moment. He immediately got up and began cultivating, since exhaustion of both physical strength and Dou Qi was the best time to cultivate.

Seeing Xiao Yan suddenly sit cross-legged atop the boulder to cultivate, Xun'er could not understand why the Xiao Yan who had just been so intimate with her had abruptly become a different person.

Since Xiao Yan was cultivating, Xun'er found watching the sunset alone meaningless. She could only accompany him in cultivation.

Only after the sky darkened and the sun had completely set, once Xiao Yan felt the Dou Qi within him had become full again, did he stop cultivating. Seeing that Xun'er was cultivating too, he was greatly surprised. He had never seen this girl work so hard before; most of the time, she was either playing or reading.

Sensing that Xiao Yan had finished cultivating, Xun'er stopped as well and slowly opened her eyes.

"Since when did Xun'er become so hardworking?" Xiao Yan teased.

"I learned it from Xiao Yan. Xiao Yan left Xun'er alone and went off to cultivate. Is Xun'er really that unattractive?" Xun'er rolled her eyes.

"Er... hahaha! I just wanted to get stronger sooner." Xiao Yan looked this way and that, his gaze wandering as he spoke.

"Then why does Xiao Yan want to become stronger?" Seeing his shifty eyes, Xun'er asked again.

"Well, getting stronger is just getting stronger. What reason could there be? Does getting stronger need a reason?" Xiao Yan argued stubbornly.

Seeing that Xiao Yan refused to say it, Xun'er's bright eyes stared straight at him.

Xiao Yan grew flustered under her gaze and could only change the subject. "Was that move Xun'er used today, the one that pushed me so far away, a Dou Technique?"

"A High-Grade Profound Rank Dou Technique: Swallow Counter Strike... Once mastered, it can return an opponent's attack to them. Xun'er is only at the beginner level now, so she can only return about ten percent of the force." Seeing Xiao Yan directly change the subject, Xun'er had no choice but to answer helplessly.

"Swallow Counter Strike? That name isn't very good. I think Heavenly Shift sounds much more imposing." Xiao Yan felt this Dou Technique resembled Murong Fu's signature technique, Heavenly Shift, from martial arts stories. Both used an opponent's strength against them.

"Heavenly Shift?" Xun'er's little face showed some confusion at the unfamiliar term, though it did sound far more impressive than Swallow Counter Strike. Then she said with a smile, "Xiao Yan does come up with better names. From now on, this Dou Technique will be called Heavenly Shift."

"Sounds good, right?" Xiao Yan had been influenced by countless online dramas from his previous life, filled with endless martial arts techniques. Coming up with a good name was easy enough.

"Then does Xiao Yan want to learn it?" Xun'er asked with a sly expression.

Xiao Yan really was tempted. After all, he could return an enemy's move to them, then mock them after killing them by saying, "To die beneath your own famous Dou Technique, you can be said to have died without regrets."

No, the more he thought about it, the more tempted he became. He then asked awkwardly, "Can I?"

Seeing Xiao Yan's embarrassed, bashful expression, Xun'er burst out laughing. Then, with a light tap of her finger, a golden scroll appeared in her hand, which she gently handed to Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan took the scroll, and his soul perception immediately sank into it to examine the cultivation method of this advanced Dou Technique. It took him the time it took to brew a cup of tea to finish reading its contents. He had no idea until he looked—then he was shocked. This was the second High-Grade Profound Rank Dou Technique Xiao Yan had encountered.

This Swallow Counter Strike—no, the Dou Technique Xiao Yan had already renamed Heavenly Shift—was several times more profound than Eight Extremes Collapse. After all, the main difficulty of Eight Extremes Collapse lay in physical strength; the circulation routes through the acupoints and meridians were comparatively simple. Of course, that was only compared to other High-Grade Profound Rank Dou Techniques.

"Xiao Yan, Xun'er will first teach you the simple method of using it," Xun'er said calmly.

Since Dou Techniques had to be taught hand by hand anyway, Xiao Yan did not stand on ceremony and began learning from Xun'er.

By the time Xun'er had finished teaching him everything, the sky had already grown dim. But Xiao Yan did not care whether it was dark or not. He could not wait to master this Dou Technique.

Xiao Yan slowly closed his eyes and recalled the acupoints and meridian circulation routes of Heavenly Shift. He mobilized the Dou Qi within his body and slowly guided it through those acupoints and meridians.

Xiao Yan's hands also unconsciously rose slowly, palms facing each other in a circle at about the height of his navel. His left palm faced downward and his right palm faced upward, crossing one another in the shape of a yin-yang fish. His hands slowly separated to either side, as though tracing a flat circular arc. When his palms faced each other again, he gently pushed them forward and immediately felt a gentle force form in his palms. Though soft, it did not lack strength.

"I never expected Xiao Yan to learn it in one try. Back then, Xun'er spent more than half a month just mastering it!" Xun'er said enviously.

"It's because Xun'er taught me well!" Xiao Yan said happily. He had not expected to learn it so quickly either. He felt as if this Dou Technique had been tailored specifically for him.

"Then does Xiao Yan want to test its power?" Xun'er asked with a smile.

"Uh, can we?" Xiao Yan looked at the sky, which had already become completely dark, and even the moon had risen. Yet with the moon's appearance, the surroundings had become a little brighter instead.

"Hehe, Xun'er also wants to know how much power this Dou Technique can display in Xiao Yan's hands!" Xun'er said with a smile. Then a faint golden glow appeared on her palms as she gently pushed them forward.

Seeing Xun'er make her move, Xiao Yan did not dare be careless. He immediately circulated all the Dou Qi in his body, pouring it into the acupoints of Heavenly Shift, and gently thrust both palms forward as well.

The two gentle forces collided. Xiao Yan only felt a slight push, but Xun'er was sent flying backward.

Seeing that Xun'er had been sent flying, Xiao Yan instinctively dashed to the spot where she was about to land and caught her in his arms.

Looking at Xun'er in his embrace, Xiao Yan froze. Their eyes met, and the two simply stared at one another. The atmosphere immediately turned somewhat ambiguous.

In the end, Xun'er was the first to lower her head, her little face red as she said shyly, "Aren't you going to put me down?"

"Oh, I was just afraid you'd get hurt from falling." After setting Xun'er down, Xiao Yan scratched his head awkwardly and spoke apologetically.

"I'm going back first." Xun'er kept her head lowered, said that, and hurried down the mountain.

Seeing Xun'er run faster than a rabbit, Xiao Yan raised his hand to his nose and sniffed it, smiling. "She smells pretty good!"