Zhao Weis eyes are filled with excitent. Li Feng and Lan Xiaohui both wear neutral expressions. A stillness settles in the area like a thick invisible veil that trails in the wake of the falling snowflake.
On a nearby branch, the accumulated snow overpowers the rigidity of the branches and falls to the ground. The mont it hits the ground, Li Feng and Lan Xiaohui burst with sword energy and move faster than a mortals eyes can follow.
My [Critical Analysis] talent activates on its own and provides a context.
[Heaven - Footwork] Cloudwalker Fairy Steps
It is a surprising additional function of my improved talent, but I am not certain why I can divine the na of the technique. Is it because I can read Li Fengs mind, or is it related to my Dao? Perhaps, connected like this, I am able to access Lan Xiaohuis mories. That seems like the most likely possibility. They went to the sa sect together, after all.
Lan Xiaohuis Waning Moon Step is no lesser than Li Fengs footwork and of the sa grade, but there is a degree of difference in execution. Lan Xiaohui is slightly slower.
From her provocation her carefully chosen words to the first exchange is all part of Lan Xiaohuis strategy. In terms of cultivation, her chances of defeating soone in the Late stage of Foundation Establishnt are exceedingly slim if not hopeless. It is not impossible, but one may as well jump off a mountain and bet on surviving the landing.
But as Lan Xiaohui has learned over the past months: cultivation is not everything. Yet her opponent is not a demonic beast that lacks martial arts, but is an expert with martial arts of the sa Grade.
A series of bursts of energy crackle through the area, causing the surface of the pond to shimr and tremble in the midday sun. On one side, flashes of gold and white sword energy expel sparks as the ground beneath crumbles under the heavy steps, and on the other side flashes of black and red do the sa.
They circle each other like two neutron stars about to collide, their distance shrinking with each orbit around the arena. After a whole second they collide, blowing away the falling snow and causing the branches to bend away from the direction of the impact, as if twisted by hurricane winds.
The collision is so powerful I feel it pulse deep within my vessel and I even suspect that this will have caused internal damage. I am no ordinary sword, but Li Fengs sword is not a cheap treasure either.
The swords collide without a martial technique behind them, only sword energy that is neither forced to retreat nor able to advance, and dissipates harmlessly.
With their weapons locked against each other, Lan Xiaohui and Li Feng exchange cold glances. Despite the surprise that Lan Xiaohui has managed to withstand his first strike or keep up with his footwork I know that Li Fengs heart is calm and steady.
On the other hand, Lan Xiaohuis heart brims with heat and eagerness. She is enjoying this. It takes significant effort for her not to smile. This close to death, she can see her Dao hovering just out of reach. A step forward and her fingers can reach it.
Lan Xiaohui, blessed with strong roots, fortunate enough to cross paths with and enhance her physique, and possessing a profound battle instinct, also turns out to be the kind of deviant that enjoys dangling on the precipice of death. I truly could not have hoped to find a better companion.
I unleash my consciousness and the mont I do so, Li Fengs eyes narrow. Zhao Wei takes another step back. Only Lan Xiaohui remains unfettered by the sudden presence of such tyrannical attention. [Tyranny] is an appropriate na for the quality of my consciousness.
Hmph, Li Feng scoffs, and then overpowers Lan Xiaohui, pushing her away and freeing his sword. In a clash of fierce and rigid stances, it is only natural that the one with more physical power will win the contest.
Sword energy cascades over Li Fengs sword and a potent sword Qi erges from the blade, like snowflakes falling upwards and in reverse. Each point of light within the sword is like a star.
[Heaven - Sword] Falling Star Slash
Once more, my [Critical Analysis] activates and I automatically point out the near-future to Lan Xiaohui. To her, it must seem like she can see an ethereal version of Li Feng, moving one breaths ti in advance of his actual body.
At the sa ti, a sub routine fires, showing a changelog of my most recent advancent.
[ Soul Perception: Grade D -> Grade C ]
Lan Xiaohui widens her stance and shifts her body to the side. She effortlessly and smoothly changes from a rigid stance to a soft and flexible one, aware of the incoming attack and its vectors.
She inhales and a thick plu of black and red sword energy rises from my vessel, washing over the edge of my blade like a fog. Her sword Qi fuses into the sword energy, causing it to glimr also like stars in a vast night sky.
Li Fengs surface thoughts informs of his shock. Even though Lan Xiaohuis sword Qi is weaker than his, it is compressed and refined to such a point that it could easily overpower all of his. There is awe in that mont of hesitation. Awe and a deep, unshakable portent of danger.
Lan Xiaohuis Storm Cleaver ets with the Falling Star Slash head on. There is no way to avoid it. If Lan Xiaohui attacks any other part of Li Feng, she may kill him but she will also lose her life in the process.
The two swords clash, my vessel black with a silver edge, and Li Fengs treasure a pure silver with streaks of azure. At the mont of impact, I feel a deep rush of foreign Qi barrage through my internal vessel attempting to expel Lan Xiaohuis Qi, and it might have been successful in doing so were it not for Lan Xiaohuis profound understanding of the Dao and the sword Qi she has been sharpening and refining for weeks.
The two sword energies clash and rge together, resulting in a single jet of white, blue, black and red shooting off into the air, carrying glittering fragnts of solidified sword Qi that cuts apart everything in its path.
Li Fengs sword cracks at the point of impact, and then breaks, chipping a large piece of the treasure swords blade.
Now, Li Feng feels nothing but cold terror gripping his heart and, to a lesser degree, confusion.
Zhao Wei takes a bit longer to understand the situation. His mbership in the Alchemy Hall does not focus on martial arts and techniques, or even the cultivation of sword Qi, but even he can understand that this result is unexpected.
Perhaps sensing that his life is fleeting or standing on thin ice, he steps forward, gripping his sword, but all it takes is a single falling star of sword Qi to pass in front of him for him to feel the vibrant and chilling killing intent contained with it and then to step back once more.
Lan Xiaohui exhales her held breath and relaxes her stance. She could not kill Li Feng in one blow it was likely impossible from the beginning. She could not overpower him in a eting of rigid and fierce styles she never expected to win that contest in the first place.
Now all she had left was to counter attack.
Co, Li Feng, she says, closing her eyes she does not need them anymore. It is getting dark and cold.
The most surprising part about those words is not that Lan Xiaohui may be talented in the art of communication, but the fact that she actually looks forward to resting next to a campfire when she is done here.
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