Time flowed on.
At the center of the silent, deserted clearing stood a petite and lovely figure,, one hand resting on her hip.
Though her frame was slender, it radiated an aura that could not be underestimated.
Beside her stood a heavy sword taller than she was, its thick blade planted firmly into the ground.
The blade shimmered with a cold gleam beneath the dim light, creating a sharp contrast against her petite, adorable appearance.
Yunli's eyes were gently closed, her expression calm and content, as though she were immersed in the tranquility surrounding her.
After a while, a gentle breeze swept past, stirring the loose strands of hair by her temples.
She suddenly opened her eyes.
Begin!
Bang—
A series of rustling sounds suddenly echoed from all around her, the brushing of grass blades exceptionally clear amidst the silence.
Yunli, however, acted as if she heard nothing.
Her posture remained as straight as a pine tree, while only her golden eyes gleamed brilliantly with unwavering confidence.
Clearly, these minor disturbances had long since fallen within her expectations.
Patter—
As the rustling drew closer, Yunli finally made her move.
Her gaze swept across her surroundings like lightning, taking in every hidden movement.
At the same time, her slender hand suddenly gripped the hilt of the giant sword.
Holding her breath, she focused all of her concentration on locking onto the concealed figure. Even her breathing became almost imperceptible.
Snap.
A crisp, unmistakable sound suddenly shattered the peaceful atmosphere.
It came directly from behind Yunli.
The next instant, Yunli's small face grew serious as she shifted into a combat stance.
Her fair, delicate bare foot kicked forcefully against the base of the heavy sword.
Old Mettle, a weapon far taller than its wielder, was effortlessly lifted into the air with a single hand.
Without the slightest hesitation, Yunli gripped the hilt with both hands and swung the enormous blade fiercely behind her.
The immense force tore through the air with a shrill whistle, creating a deafening shockwave.
Unexpectedly...
There was nothing behind her.
Yet Yunli showed no intention of stopping.
Still gripping Old Mettle, she used the momentum of the missed swing to spin her entire body.
The heavy blade carved a full circle through the air before crashing violently toward the front.
Clang—!
A deafening metallic collision rang throughout the clearing.
Accompanied by a faint click of the tongue.
"Tsk."
The person forced out of hiding was none other than Mo Xin.
Her ambush had failed.
The recoil from the collision sent a powerful shock through her arms. Her grip nearly gave way as she stumbled backward several steps, barely managing to keep hold of her sword.
"It's not over yet!"
Yunli let out a light shout.
Her bare feet slammed against the ground, instantly spreading several fine cracks across the earth beneath her.
Using the momentum of her previous swing, she twisted her slender waist and accelerated into another full rotation.
Old Mettle howled through the air, stirring up a fierce gale that sent dust flying in every direction.
Still carried backward by inertia, Mo Xin had no chance to evade.
Seeing the massive sword bearing down on her, she inwardly cursed her bad luck.
Almost instinctively, she gripped her sword with both hands, lowered her center of gravity, steadied her breathing, and barely managed to assume a defensive stance.
The next second—
Clang—!
An overwhelming force crashed into her.
It felt as though she'd been struck head-on by a speeding truck.
Her bones groaned under the impact, and before she could even react, her body was launched uncontrollably through the air before crashing heavily into the clearing some distance away.
However...
Although Yunli's attack had landed cleanly, the feedback traveling through her sword felt strangely... off.
Yunli (๑•̀ㅂ•́): 'I see... Knowing she couldn't block it head-on, she redirected part of the impact using softness against hardness to avoid taking the full force.'
In an instant, Yunli pieced together exactly what had happened.
Before she could dwell on it any further, something suddenly entered her field of vision.
A sword was rapidly hurtling toward her.
It was clearly the weapon Mo Xin had decisively thrown after being blasted away.
Rather than panic, a satisfied smile appeared at the corner of Yunli's lips.
She immediately drove Old Mettle deep into the ground.
Using the reaction force, her body shot gracefully into the air, effortlessly avoiding the incoming blade.
The sword narrowly passed beneath her bare feet, its wind brushing lightly against her soles.
But that was all.
Yunli didn't lower her guard in the slightest.
Because her intuition told her...
Her apprentice was about to surprise her.
Just as Yunli completed her dodge, her eyes instinctively followed the sword that had seemingly missed its target.
The very next moment—
The flying sword vanished without warning.
Yunli's pupils contracted slightly.
Meanwhile...
After being slammed heavily into the stone wall, Mo Xin lay sprawled across the ground in an utterly miserable state.
She grimaced in pain, lacking even the strength to stand.
Yet...
A smug smile quietly spread across the corner of her lips.
Everything was proceeding exactly according to plan.
Because...
The vanished sword suddenly reappeared directly above Yunli.
It plunged straight downward toward her while she remained suspended in midair.
A truly vicious angle.
One that exploited Yunli's inability to fly.
Mo Xin (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧: 'Let's see how you dodge this! I win!'
But...
If nothing unexpected happened—
Then the unexpected was about to happen.
Mo Xin, who had just begun celebrating her victory, suddenly froze.
The smug smile on her face stiffened instantly.
Her eyes widened in disbelief, as though she had just witnessed something utterly impossible.
Faced with the unavoidable sneak attack,
Yunli tightened her grip on Old Mettle.
Supporting her entire petite body with only one arm, she used the massive sword as a pivot.
With astonishing agility, she adjusted her posture in midair.
Then—
She performed a clean forward flip.
Effortlessly avoiding Mo Xin's carefully prepared trap.
Mo Xin (*ﾟﾛﾟ)!!: 'No way... That's even possible?!'
Lying pitifully on the ground, Mo Xin was left completely dumbfounded.
Before she even had time to complain—
The astonishment on her face instantly turned into horror.
"Wait—!"
"Take this!"
Yunli landed smoothly from her flip.
She immediately yanked Old Mettle free from the ground before dropping her wrists and bringing the enormous blade crashing straight toward the figure sprawled on the earth.
The heavy sword descended with an unstoppable gale.
Watching the massive weapon bearing down upon her,
Mo Xin instantly forgot the agonizing pain throughout her body.
Almost instinctively, she rolled desperately to the side.
The blade narrowly missed her.
Even the loose strands of hair by her temples were whipped across her face by the tremendous wind pressure.
"Damn! Do you really have to be this ruthless?!"
As Mo Xin scrambled awkwardly back to her feet while complaining,
the corner of her eye suddenly caught sight of Yunli.
She had already closed the distance.
And she was empty-handed.
Having only just regained her footing, Mo Xin abruptly lost sight of her opponent.
Without time to think, she relied purely on instinct.
Gripping her remaining sword tightly in her right hand, she slashed fiercely toward her side.
Unexpectedly—
The strike accurately intercepted Yunli, who had been approaching from her blind spot.
Seeing the opening, Mo Xin immediately pressed the advantage.
Sword in hand, she rushed forward without hesitation.
Can't let her retrieve her weapon!
The instant that thought crossed her mind, her attacks became noticeably sharper.
Her blade danced through the air, leaving swift afterimages behind.
Every slash was aimed directly at a vital point.
However...
An offense this aggressive was also the easiest to expose flaws.
At that exact moment,
Mo Xin unleashed another horizontal slash.
Yunli took advantage of her petite stature, lowering her body in a flash and effortlessly slipping beneath the attack.
In that instant,
Mo Xin's entire stance was left wide open.
Her defenses were completely exposed.
Just as Yunli prepared to end the battle,
she caught sight of a sinister smile curling across the corner of Mo Xin's lips.
Yunli's heart skipped a beat.
Somehow...
The sword Mo Xin had thrown earlier had reappeared in her supposedly empty left hand.
Almost simultaneously,
Mo Xin flipped her wrist.
The second sword descended with a sharp whistle.
This spar between master and apprentice...
was finally about to reach its conclusion.