Chapter 166: Golden Turtle Physique; Tough Body, Unrivaled Power! Mo Chang’s Unrequited Love for Mu Lingxi.

Yang Wei tossed the ball up and caught it, repeating the action to hone his focus while observing Mu Lingxi’s batting form.

Lingxi likely has greater physical strength than me, as do most high-level cultivators since they focus on cultivating their bodies. However, my current cultivated body is actually physically superior to my old magic-focused one. So, if I use body refinement techniques, I might just gain an advantage.

Cultivating the Golden Turtle Body requires a body as tough as iron because it draws Qi directly from its origin, Xuanwu’s shell, which can be corrosive. But, thanks to body refinement using blood pills, my muscles and bones have become denser, and my body has become much more resilient to injuries and diseases than it ever was when I focused on studying magic.

After a few minutes, the referee got fed up with the time wasting. "If you don’t get on with it I’ll penalize you for foul play!"

Yang Wei, unaware of how much time had passed, apologized, "Oh, sorry about that."

Alright, focus...

Closing his eyes, he began to perform the Eight Progressive Steps of the Tortoise Sovereign’s Kata.

Confusion swept through the spectators, with murmurs spreading among the disciples in the bleachers.

"What in the Nine Heavens is he doing?"

"Dancing... maybe?"

"Has Senior Brother finally gone mad?"

Gu Zhi burst into laughter, exclaiming, "Bahahah! The boy must’ve lost his mind!" Suddenly, her laughter turned to agony as her back gave out, and she cried out, "Ahhh! My back!"

"You should watch how you move, old lady..." Chen Yuxi bluntly spoke.

"Bitch! You would dare call me o--" Gu Zhi’s back snapped even more. "Ahhhh!"

"I told you..." Chen Yuxi folded her arms and sighed, watching Yang Wei once again.

Concerned, Guo Xiaomei questioned, "Is Yang Wei alright? Because the Dragon Blossom Sect doesn’t even have this sort of martial arts."

Sun Yurong chimed in, "Indeed... neither does the White Serpent Sect."

Xiu Yulan glanced at Sun Yurong, puzzled. "Why does that matter?"

Sun Yurong hesitated before responding, "Um, it’s not important."

They all redirected their attention to Yang Wei.

Mu Lingxi might’ve been puzzled by Yang Wei’s repeated martial arts moves, but she didn’t lose focus. She kept a tight grip on her dao bat handle.

The referee was starting to feel like the time spent on these moves was dragging on too long. Just as she was about to say something, she noticed something that made her pause.

"What in the--"

He watched as Mu Lingxi sent the ball flying for a home run, but he still felt like he could catch it.

I’ll just have to use the Tortoise Warding Stance!

He executed another form, this one more rigid than the last.

He took the time to perfect it, before slamming his feet forcefully onto the ground. The earth shook and this triggered the manifestation of the golden turtle avatar once more. The massive turtle wasted no time and moved to block the ball with its hands, but it wasn’t enough. The ball tore through the avatar’s grasp and soared high into the air for a complete home run.

"What?!" Sun Yurong gasped in shock.

Xiu Yulan and Guo Xiaomei just nodded knowingly, as if they had seen it coming all along. After breaking the stance, the golden turtle avatar dissipated into particles of energy. Yang Wei squinted, following the trajectory of the dao ball as it continued to travel through the sky. "At that speed, it might just make it all the way to the Linwu Kingdom," he mused, shaking his head.

He turned to look at Mu Lingxi and she was already "running the celestial path" to rack up maximum points. She swiftly maneuvered around the celestial bases while evading the opposing team’s attempts to intercept.

He let out a small chuckle. "Well, good for her."

Then he looked down at his hand, forming a fist thoughtfully.

It’s not fully perfect yet, my body refinement just has one more thing that’s missing but I don’t know what it is... I might just have to ask Meixiu the next time I return to the Osmanthus World.

...

Mo Chang had a small smile playing on his lips as he peered out from the dugout, admiring Mu Lingxi’s impressive run. Turning to Mu Yuki, he spoke, "I wasn’t aware the Young Miss had such skills in heavenly dao ball."

Mu Yuki chuckled, nodding in agreement. "Oh yeah, she’s always been a natural. We used to play it all the time when we were younger. But then, you know, Father got serious about her cultivation. He said she had more talent than anyone in the family."

Listening intently, Mo Chang could sense the melancholy in Mu Yuki’s tone. He gave a slight nod, acknowledging the change in priorities. "I see," he murmured softly.

Then, Mu Yuki hit him with a surprising question. "You’re in love with her, aren’t you?"

Mo Chang’s expression shifted, a mash of surprise and defensiveness sparked his facial features. "What?" he responded with a voice that carried more emotion than usual.

Mu Yuki did his best to maintain his gentle smile, reflecting his peaceful yet sociable nature. "Come on, man. I’ve seen the way you look at her when you’re on guard duty. It’s love, or am I somehow wrong?" he perked an eyebrow.

Mo Chang didn’t try to deny it or get defensive. Instead, he averted his gaze, admitting quietly, "Yes, I love her."

But I know she’ll never feel the same way about me...

Mu Yuki grabbed a dao bat from the rack beside him and handed it to Mo Chang. "Alright then, time to step up. Win the next inning and impress Senior Sister. I’ll help you win her heart."

If Mo Chang could grin from ear-to-ear like everyone else, he would’ve at that moment. But his happiness was reserved solely for Mu Lingxi; only she could make him smile. "Thank you," he said. With a determined nod, he rose from his seat, gripping the dao bat tightly as he headed out of the dugout and onto the field.

My opponent is...

He looked at the ball’s origin, and standing there was a smug Yang Wei.