It gathered around the sword arm, then travelled through her centre as she stepped. The aura was not a wall. It had direction, weight, and a rhythm, just as the sword technique did.
Qiao Zhi adjusted her stance. The loose pressure around her body drew inward. She did not yet have a stable Heaven Profound aura, but for one brief instant her intent aligned so perfectly with her movement that Xan Min's next strike met resistance from a place it had not expected. The wooden swords locked together. A faint ring travelled through the court, and the disciples heard the weapons hum.
