Bai Lingxi watched with a neutral expression as Min Li assumed a fighting stance, thick dark clouds beginning to gather above them. Soon, the entire sky was completely covered by the ominous clouds.
"Huff, I didn't expect I would need to go all out," Min Li mumbled, closing her eyes as her body began to emit a dim purple glow that brightened within seconds.
Bai Lingxi stood still, observing silently. She remained calm and unfazed by the immense pressure radiating from Min Li. Anyone else might have launched a surprise attack by now, but Bai Lingxi simply watched.
"Hmm," Bai Lingxi raised an eyebrow as she noticed purple sparks beginning to emerge from Min Li's body. As time passed, the weak sparks transformed into powerful lightning, accompanied by sizzling sounds.
Rumble
Lightning rumbled across the sky as Min Li opened her eyes.
Her eyes have changed, Bai Lingxi thought, noticing that Min Li's eyes had turned a vivid shade of purple.
"Lightning Spirit Form," Min Li muttered.
Rumble... Rumble
The thunder grew even louder, and bolts of lightning struck down from the sky, hitting Min Li directly. However, instead of harming her, the lightning seemed to assimilate into her body. Two horns made of crackling purple lightning formed on her head.
"What kind of technique is this?" Bai Lingxi murmured as she shifted into a battle stance. Her previously indifferent expression changed, and her neutral eyes now carried a hint of seriousness.
---
Wang Ming, who was watching from the side, widened his eyes in surprise when he sensed the immense power emitting from Min Li's lightning technique.
"System, what rank is that technique?" Wang Ming asked in a low voice.
[System Message: Host can use his Soul Eyes technique to directly see the description of the technique in use.]
The system's response caused Wang Ming to raise an eyebrow in surprise.
"I can do that?" Wang Ming said in a surprised voice, as he had never tried to see the description of a person's technique using Soul Eyes before.
[Lightning Spirit Form]
[Type: Elemental Technique]
"At a minimum, this should be a Sky Rank technique," Lin Xue commented.
"No, it's a Heaven Rank technique," Ren Xi interjected.
"What? How can she have such a precious technique? They're so rare," Xue Jiaxin said, astonished. She knew how scarce such techniques were—likely only the Supreme Elder, the Sect Leader, or a few Peak Masters would have one.
"It's not surprising. Did you forget which family she belongs to?" Tang Jingling remarked.
"Oh..." Xue Jiaxin muttered.
"I've never seen it in person, but the Min Family in the Imperial Capital is known for their lightning techniques. It's one of the reasons they're among the top eight families in the capital," Ren Xi explained.
"Makes sense," Lin Xue agreed.
---
"That's an interesting technique you have," Bai Lingxi commented as she observed Min Li closely.
"Thanks for letting me complete my transformation. If it were someone else, they would have interrupted me. This is my family technique. I'm still inexperienced; otherwise, I would have completed the transformation instantly," Min Li said, her eyes fixed on the calm Bai Lingxi.
"Where's the fun in interrupting? It's not like you can defeat me anyway," Bai Lingxi said with a shrug.
"We'll see about that," Min Li retorted with a snort.
"Can I ask you something?" Bai Lingxi said.
"Sure," Min Li replied.
"You're from the Min Family, right? Why did you come to this sect? I'm sure you could have easily gotten into the number one sect," Bai Lingxi asked curiously.
"Honestly, I initially planned to join the Heavenly Sword Sect, but after this sect announced the Non-Dual Cultivation Department, I changed my mind," Min Li explained.
"I wanted to access the Spirit Dimension of the sect and realized it would be much easier here with less competition. I figured that after increasing my cultivation, it would be easier compared to other sects, as the disciples here lack combat experience despite their high cultivation. But I didn't expect to encounter an anomaly like your partner here. However, now that I have entered the top three and I can enter the Spirit Dimension," Min Li added.
She knew her current cultivation wasn't enough to compete for the spot outright, but she believed that with the resources from her family, she could reach the level of the Core Disciples. When the elders announced the reward for reaching the top three, she was shocked and ecstatic. Even though she couldn't defeat Wang Ming, she was confident in her ability to reach the top three. And when she saw Wang Ming knocking everyone else out, she realized she had secured a spot in the top three. Even if she lost to Bai Lingxi now, she would still gain access to the Spirit Dimension.
"I see. Alright, let's start," Bai Lingxi said, drawing her bow.