Chapter 34 - Clashing Swords

[Ding!]

[No ailments to the PHysical body detected.

Avatar is 100% Efficient after Levelling up!]

[Battle Countdown

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Go!]

The two figures stood still.

"It's nice to meet you again," Lu WenXian said as he removed his sword from its scabbard. 

"Wish I could say likewise but it's really not,"

Lu WenXian smirked. "Why do you say that? You can't still be resenting me about making Veritas your Starter Village, right?"

Cheng Xiu took out her sword. "Are you not attacking?"

"I am hoping you would attack first so that I can learn your weaknesses faster."

Cheng Xiu sweatdropped. "Isn't that a bit too honest, Senior?"

"Is it?"

Cheng Xiu scowled and lunged towards him.

Lu WenXian spread his legs to stabilize his footing and met her blade head-on. 

Their blades collided. 

The recoil from the impact pushed both of them back.

Cheng Xiu stumbled back.

She pursed her lips. Just as she had thought. Lu WenXian's fighting style was far more stable than her own. Cheng Xiu didn't have a fighting style per se. She was just using her understanding of her earth style of the True Qi Cultivation that she had learned from that old man and using it in sword battle.

Cheng Xiu leapt at Lu WenXian again and their swords met once more.

The swords clicked and ringed.

Cheng Xiu frowned.

Lu WenXian smirked.

He pushed back against her.

Cheng Xiu dug her feet to the ground, refusing to budge.

Lu WenXian looked at her in surprise. It would seem that not only her speed, even her strength was above her level limit.

He stepped back and leaned away.

Cheng Xiu almost fell face-first to the ground. 

She stumbled to a stop.

Lu WenXian brought his sword down to stab her in the back.

Cheng Xiu fell to the ground and rolled away.

His sword slashed the ground.

It was a good thing that she saw the glint of his sword beforehand.

Cheng Xiu lunged at him.

She tried to stab him in the guts.

Lu WenXian twisted his waist and leapt back. "So close. Rude Rookie!"

"Backstabber."

Lu WenXian shrugged. "I'm usually very honourable. It's because I have been living with my little brother too much. He is completely black-bellied."

"Very doubtful," Cheng Xiu said as she leapt at him.

"Really! I'm telling the truth" Lu WenXian said to her as he blocked her attack once again and pushed her back.

Cheng Xiu stepped back, and bent her knees to get a better balance to her stance.

Lu WenXian frowned. She was already fixing her form as they were fighting? She only stumbled once!

Lu WenXian observed her. He realised something. She was copying him!

During their first clash, she hadn't known how to stabilize her footing and nearly fell on her butt. But on the very next round, during the second recoil, she had tried to copy his way of regaining balance. 

Though her stance wasn't perfect, it was still many times better than their first clash. 

Scary.

He couldn't let her improve that easily.

"Miss SelaXiu," Lu WenXian called.

"Hm?"

"You are a scary woman!"

SelaXiu sweatdropped. "Okay? Thank You?"

"And now it's my turn!" 

He leapt at her. 

Cheng Xiu dodged his attack and tried to kick his side.

Lu WenXian spun the Sword around, trying to cut her leg off.

Cheng Xiu let herself fall to the ground and used the momentum to kick Lu WenXian's ankle.

He stumbled but used his sword as a support stick. "Good recovery, Rookie!"

"Thank you senior!"

He ran towards her with the sword held straight.

Their blades clashed again.

This time, neither of them stumbled when they stepped back.

Lu WenXian looked at Cheng Xiu's earth stance in surprise. He realised that she was too good at fixing her mistakes.

"Scary!" Lu WenXian said as their blades met once again.

They met again and again and again.

Cheng Xiu's attacks became crisper and solid as they fought once more.

"Why isn't Brother Xian using his winds!" WuQi asked. "That damned rookie is gaining on him!"

"He was trying to gauge where SelaXiu was at in terms of Swordfights and how well she could recover when someone attacks her weak spots," Frost said. "It would help him understand his opponent better and make a plan on how to best use their weaknesses."

"Oh!" WuQi exclaimed. "That makes sense! Brother Xian will be able to defeat the newbie soon then!"

"That should be the case...but…" Frost said.

"But what?"

"That rookie's recovery is far too quick," Matchstick said to her. WuQi looked at him in confusion. "Usually, people take a few battles and training to fix the problems that arise during their matches. But this girl...she barely took any time at all. Within three clashes she stabilized her fighting stance against Brother WenXian."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning," Yue said, a small frown on her face. "If brother wants to gain an advantage over her, he shouldn't let her think. He shouldn't let her improve."

"That's easier said than done," Star Phoenix said. "The rookie is using her superior speed to keep WenXian from thinking."

"She has a sharp mind," Yue commented.

"But will her intelligence be enough to keep Brother WenXian away from herself?" Matchstick asked.

"To win against her, he has to use his wind techniques," Crow, the red-clad man said. "In the Grandmaster's Arena, the only advantage that a Level 70 player has over someone who is below level 50, is their experience as level 70 players. We are more aware of our limits and our potential than those of the lower realm. but SelaXiu…"

"Is very good at correcting the mistakes that are pointed out to her," Yue concluded. "This makes her fight with brother WenXian a learning experience for her where she is realizing her limits...and even more scarily, her potential."

"I wish I had won against her so that I could have her in my guild," A voice said from behind Long Hei.

Long Hei nodded. "That's right! Thank God Lotus lost to her so that her Guild doesn't get her as a member, right Lotus!"

The place fell into silence, the only sound coming from Cheng Xiu's and Lu WenXian's blades clashing against each other again and again.

Long Hei started and backed away, hiding behind San Zhe. "Ah! Lotus! When did you get here!"

The violet haired girl smiled sweetly at him.