Eloquent Ascent

As Ling Lian stepped into the arena for her third match, Xu Qi watched in attention, not wanting to miss the moment Ling Lian showed everyone her prowess that would propel her to the inner court.

Nonetheless, her opponent was no pushover. As someone who suddenly got surpassed by the two he believed to be weaker than him, he couldn't afford to lose face again. Zhang Han was one thing but Ling Lian? In his eyes, women should be weaker in the same stage and they could also be taken advantage of because of their bodies that were fairly sensitive. If he targets those parts, won't he get an edge against her?

"I have no idea how you managed to break through the bottleneck but Ling Lian, I won't get careless around you. I... I can't afford to lose twice when I'm already at this stage!" The male disciple who goes by the name of Fang Xing looked at Ling Lian with a hint of sinister yet misplaced anger.

Ling Lian noticed it through his eyes. Understanding that her opponent had lost his mind for losing against Zhang Han, she took a deep breath and stepped into the arena with a calm yet firm stance. She knew Xu Qi was watching and she didn't want him to worry about her falling prey to this guy's malice-filled intentions.

"Fang Xing, you've always been this proud guy who thought you're invincible. I never thought you'd fall so lowly just because of one loss. How shameful." Ling Lian said calmly, her eyes focused and sharp. She had seen Xu Qi handle his matches with grace and wit, and she wanted to do the same. To showcase how superior she was over everyone in the outer court. To make him proud of her.

Somehow, she now felt like a total maiden in love, wanting to impress her beloved and every time she thought of that, her body shuddered in excitement. She had never felt so alive, so full of power before.

Her cheeks flushed redder than ever, which was saying something because she had been flushing a lot today, especially whenever she was near Xu Qi.

Fang Xing's face grew redder than a ripe tomato. He had never been talked to like that by a girl, especially one he considered inferior. But she had changed, something was different about her, something that scared him. However, the terror of losing face again was stronger than any fear he had.

As soon as the signal for the start of their match rang out, his figure flickered as he charged towards Ling Lian who remained standing at her spot.

Fang Xing's fist was surrounded by a combination of primal elements of earth and wood as he threw a punch aimed at Ling Lian's chest. His mind was racing with thoughts of victory and redemption.

However, Ling Lian simply flourished her robes, diverting the brunt of the attack with a wave of her hand. The ground beneath her rumbled and they cracked under him as she also resonated her qi with the primal elements of earth. Although she's well versed and most compatible in utilizing the wind, it didn't mean it was totally impossible to also make use of the primal elements.

Of course, her resonance over it was inferior but disrupting her opponent's momentum was elementary in any battle. The crowd watched as she twirled away from his incoming attack, leaving him to stumble slightly as his punch met only air. Then with a swift counterattack, she kicked him in the stomach, her foot enveloped in a swirl of wind qi, sending him flying backward.

"Looks like you need to train your mental stability. Honestly, this is kind of disgraceful from someone I used to want to surpass before." Ling Lian taunted, her voice filled with confidence that was alien to her previous self.

Even if she could be considered someone who found a shortcut in the form of her intimate relationship with Xu Qi that pushed her to breakthrough, it was still her own merit.

Furthermore, she reached the fifth stage on her own. That talent couldn't be denied.

Talent, luck and opportunities always go hand in hand. No expert out there will be lacking any of those three. Well, except Xu Qi who originally had meager talent in cultivation but even he had gotten the opportunity to bypass it.

Fang Xing clenched his teeth, his face paling as he crashed down just inches away from the edge of the stage. If he had fallen out of it, it would already be over.

He knew he had underestimated Ling Lian and his head get muddled by his inability to accept his loss against Zhang Han.

Furthermore, he had heard rumors of Ling Lian's recent advancement but took nothing of it as if her reaching the sixth stage wouldn't be able to bridge their gap. However, to see it with his own eyes was a humbling experience.

As he pushed himself to his feet, determination burned in his eyes. He couldn't let this end like this, not with everyone watching. He was the strongest outer court disciple a week before the Test of Competence. How did it become he suddenly became third?!

Xu Qi who was watching below narrowed his eyes. Somehow, he had this nagging feeling that something might happen.

There's the feeling of dread that suddenly crept up to his body. It was a feeling that was foreign to him and yet, it was sticky and he couldn't shake it off.

He looked around to see if the other disciples could feel it but the same as those fighting in their respective stages, everything was proceeding normally.

"Am I just overthinking it?" He thought inwardly as he tried to put his focus back on Ling Lian's match.

Unbeknownst to Xu Qi, there's another person who felt a sudden jolt, making them alert. Up in the audience's stands and specifically at the Elders' area, Elder He furrowed her brows as she murmured to herself.

"... The scent of those Underworld pests."