Lin Xia nodded thoughtfully. "My father went out early today for clan business, so he's not here. But…" She smiled faintly. "I can take you to borrow a martial arts manual."
Lin Xuan's eyes lit up. "Really? Thank you, Sister Lin Xia!"
Lin Xia's expression turned serious.
"I noticed you were using the Falling Rock Fist during that fight.
Now that you've broken through to the sixth level of Body Tempering, a first-grade martial art like that won't be enough."
She crossed her arms and continued, "The clan competition is only a few months away. Instead of focusing on movement techniques right now, you might want to learn a second-grade fist technique to boost your combat power."
Lin Xuan paused, considering her words.
"You make a good point, Sister Lin Xia.
With Yuan Power, first-grade techniques are indeed starting to feel weak.
I should definitely upgrade my martial arts… but I still want a movement technique too."
He smiled. "So why not both? Can I borrow two manuals?"
Lin Xia blinked in surprise.
It was the first time she had ever seen Lin Xuan smile like that. Since the death of his parents, he had always been cold and withdrawn.
"Brother Lin Xuan," she said warmly, "you look much better when you smile. Try to open your heart more.
If you do, your martial arts will reach even greater heights."
Lin Xuan nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."
Still, Lin Xia couldn't help but offer some advice.
"Training two martial arts at the same time, especially second-grade ones, is no small task.
Don't be too greedy. With only a few months left, you might not have enough time to master both."
"It's fine," Lin Xuan said with a calm smile. "I'll study both first and focus on whichever one comes more naturally."
"Alright," Lin Xia agreed, her lips curling into a faint grin. "But before we head to the martial arts hall, let me test your foundation."
Her tone carried a hint of challenge. She was genuinely curious about Lin Xuan's growth....after all, he had fought Lin Hong without losing ground.
"Alright," Lin Xuan said with a helpless shrug.
But at the same time, he gave a mental command to his system.
System, create a task.
[Task Created: Spar with Lin Xia.
Reward: A bottle of second-grade Qi and Blood Pills.]
[Task Created: Defeat Lin Xia.
Reward: +1 Physique, +1 Bone Structure.]
Lin Xuan created two tasks at once.
The second task was ambitious.
Lin Xia was already at the peak of the sixth level, preparing to break through to the seventh level of Body Tempering.
She also cultivated the Spirit Sword Finger, a powerful second-grade martial art.
With Lin Xuan's current abilities, defeating her would be nearly impossible.
But there was no time limit on the task. If he couldn't win now, he would simply wait until the clan competition to settle it.
"Brother Lin Xuan, I'm starting!" Lin Xia announced.
Her slender fingers came together like an eagle's beak, stabbing straight toward Lin Xuan's face with sharp precision.
The oppressive aura of her strike made it feel impossible to dodge.
"Falling Rock Fist!" Lin Xuan roared.
He poured Yuan Power into his fists and struck down like a collapsing boulder.
Faced with his overwhelming strength, Lin Xia was forced to withdraw her hand and dodge, surprise flickering in her eyes.
"Your Yuan Power is unusually strong," she said, astonished. "Did you really just break through recently?"
"It's been a few days," Lin Xuan replied with a casual chuckle.
His power was clearly far greater than that of an average sixth-level cultivator.
"Interesting," Lin Xia said with a playful smirk. "Then I'll get serious."
She gathered Yuan Power at her fingertips, forming a shimmering finger sword. Her strikes came like lightning, aiming at Lin Xuan's acupoints and joints.
"Pa! Pa! Pa!"
Lin Xuan countered with his perfected Penetrating Back Fist, his attacks sticking closely to her movements.
The clash of fists and fingers echoed through the courtyard.
With a sudden burst, Lin Xuan unleashed nine rapid strikes, forcing Lin Xia to retreat several steps.
Her eyes widened slightly. "Both your Falling Rock Fist and Penetrating Back Fist have reached Great Achievement? Impressive!"
However, Lin Xia wasn't done.
The Spirit Sword Finger was a second-grade martial art, far superior to Lin Xuan's first-grade techniques.
Her finger sword slipped skillfully between Lin Xuan's fists, breaking through his defenses.
Finally, she tapped his wrist lightly, scattering the Yuan Power in his fists.
Lin Xuan's arms went limp, his attack completely neutralized.
"Sister Lin Xia, you're amazing!" Lin Xuan said, quickly retreating with a grin.
"I truly admire your skill."
He still had one final move, the Penetrating Back Ten Sounds, but there was no need to reveal it.
This was just a friendly spar, and his purpose today was to gain her help, not to defeat her.
Sometimes, making allies was far more important than winning a fight.
Lin Xuan knew this well.