As I listened on, I got to understand that the gray-robed senior, Sun Xao, was an ascetic, and hence, many people knew next to nothing about him. He was one of those guys you wouldn't want to mistakenly step on, despite how tranquil they looked. Just like Bai Xun, Senior Sun was also fanned by lots of people in the Martial Arts School.
The tension and pressure from the sparring ground was hot, despite the battle barely even starting. Cold sweat ran down the backs of the audience.
As Sun Xao unsheathed his sword, there was a sudden roar of a dragon from his blades. It was more than clear that the fellow was born and raised in swordsmanship.
Raising his sword up, Sun Xao drew out a fine sword essence from the tip of his blade which led everyone to shudder.
It couldn't be said any louder just how sharp that blade was. It was clear for all to see.
Sun Xao drove his spiritual energy in coalition with his sword essence, causing his hair to float in the air like a mighty god of war.
"Hahaha, it seems you also reached minor accomplishment in your battle technique of Roar of the Nine Skies. Very well, let's see if you can beat me to my fists," Bai Xun said, with a composed and confident look in his face.
"I won't bully you, I'll let you come make a move first," Sun Xao taunted, the same look of indifference in his face.
"Humph!"
With a loud harrumph, Bai Xun displayed his cultivation level of Transcendent Mortal realm primary stage. I immediately perceived it because it was the same realm I was. I was not yet in the primary stage, but I could feel a great disparity in our strengths.
Bai Xun drove his clenched fingers against his opponent, furiously, causing illusions of different tigers charging against one. Despite this, Sun Xao was unfazed.
Instead of loosing focus by the scary sight, he made a sidestep and pushed his sword to the right.
As I watched closely with my Eye of Insight, I realised that the point Sun Xao dabbed his sword was Bai Xun's blindspot, the weakness to the technique.
Bai Xun, on the other hand, realised that his flaw had been seen through so easily, then quickly retracted his fist, before taking two steps backwards. Before he could even catch a breath, his opponent had already sent a sword heading for his chest.
"Buddha palm!" he roared, driving a new cultivation technique. Fortunately for him, he was able to dissipate the sword essence that was shooting for his heart.
Sun Xao, as it seemed, was just one who would not easily let his opponent catch a breath.
"Sword of a thousand slash!" he called as he dived into the air and displayed a sword technique.
Bai Xun's eyes shot up in fear. He quickly responded with...
"Golden fist of the deities!"
'Peng!'
As both fist and sword clashed against each other, the shockwave swept across the crowd, causing a ripple in the air.
What was worse, the fighters both puked a mouthful of blood. Bai Xun took ten steps backwards before regaining his stamina, while Sun Xao took five steps backwards.
Just then, an elder walked in with an aura that was as deep as an abyss. It was impossible to gauge just how much strength he carried. He was in a white robe that complimented his complexion, perfectly well. There was a smile on his lips as he stroke his beards in pleasure.
The students around him quickly clenched their hands against their fists and bowed.
"Paying respect to Master!"
"Un." He nodded and waved his hand to signify that they shouldn't interrupt the duel.
They quickly nodded and faced the revered seniors controlling their breaths.
Each of the duo threw pills into their mouths, stealthily, for recuperation.
'Vwoosh!'
As if they were both holding timers, they dashed against each other with their full strength, simultaneously.
Bai Xun immediately launched a sneak attack by flicking his wrist and throwing a meteor hammer (a form of weapon that has two weights connected by a chain) from his storage ring.
"Pu!"
Not expecting this, Sun Xao was taken aback and caught off guard, causing him to fly with blood spilling from the side of his lips in the air
"I've won," Bai Xun declared.
"Cheater!" roared Sun Xao as he struggled to get on his feet after being slammed to the ground. His face was pale. It was only after throwing some pills into his mouth did he regain a fair bit of strength.
"Excuse me, but how exactly did I cheat?" Bai Xun asked with a taunting smile.
"You..."
The other party wanted to retort, but could not begin to place words together. After all, what was hurled at him was a weapon... he could only have himself to blame for not being guarded against a sneak attack.
The elder who'd earlier stepped into the room, walked forward.
"It's a friendly spar, not a life-and-death duel. Besides... in a battle, one should be creative. If one stuck only to the rules, how could one possible predict oneself standing on the dominating end? Now, that's enough. Your combat sense and strengths are quite impressive. It seems you're both ready for the upcoming competition..."
My eyes shot up as I heard "upcoming competition", not bothering to hear the remaining phrases. I quickly exchanged surprised looks with Dorothy.
"He's also attending the Junior Academy of the Gifted?" I asked her in a hushed voice.
"Planning on attending," she rephrased.
"If we're to compete with someone like him, how the flying cow do we expect to succeed?" I said, with my hair standing on ends.
"S-steph... Your..." Dorothy stuttered with wide eyes.
I raised my hands in the air.
"I know, I know, I shouldn't freak out—"
"Not that, Stephanie, it's just that..."
"That what?"
Just then I realised all eyes were on me.
I covered my mouth in a hurry.
'Did I speak so loud?'
Breaking my bubbles, Dorothy said, "Your cultivation..."
"My cultivation?" I quickly realised I might have misinterpreted Dorothy's expression and quickly looked at myself only to discover that my reined in cultivation had somehow broken free, when I lost myself to fricking out.
"That miss suddenly made a breakthrough just by standing and talking?" a voice rung out from someone amidst the crowd.
"Is this even possible?" another added.
I quickly looked at myself, and... just like they'd said, I'd suddenly advanced from Transcendent Mortal realm to Transcendent Mortal realm primary stage!
Finding myself in a conundrum, I asked, "Are breakthroughs really that easy?"
Senior Bai Xun who had just won the duel stepped forward and looked at me as though he were looking at something very terrible. He analysed me head-to-toe before saying, "Just by watching a duel and tempering your mind through it, you made a breakthrough! That sure is amazing. I had to stay in seclusion for months to be able to temper my mind and body before being able to make breakthroughs to this stage... It's not that breakthroughs are easy, it's just that you're fricking too quick and terrifying!"
"I..." I was speechless. Never would I have thought that I would have been the centre of attention, all of the sudden. I felt cornered. It seems my unique constitution was really a wonder to behold.
Still unable to believe this, himself, this Bai Xun boy then said to me, "Hmm... Such breakthroughs normally have side effects with one's physical body and spirit. You know what... throw a punch at me with all your strength!"
He then turned around to his juniors and said, "Now after she makes this move, you all should learn from it, and take note. I'm going to show you the reason not to always rush your cultivations just for show-offs! Understood?"
"Understood!" all the juniors echoes with their fists clenched in respect to their role model.
The role model in person, turned to face me, once again.
"Okay, now, the punch."
I nodded. Knowing that the person in front of me was an extremely powerful senior, plus from what I'd seen in the duel, I'd have been stupid to underestimate his strength. We might have been in the same cultivation realm, but he definitely was far stronger than me.
"Hee-yah!" I punched with all my Transcendent Mortal realm primary stage strength.
"AHHHHHHHHHH!"
I heard a sudden roar in the air which reduced into the distance.
I'd closed my eyes in fear of being knocked off by the rebound from the senior. Opening my eyes, I saw everyone staring at me in such a frightening way that I had to look behind me to confirm that I was the one stared at.
"W-where's senior?" I suddenly asked, realising that he was no longer in front of me.
Everybody, including Dorothy, raised their fingers to the sky at a flying, black, nylon-like object at an airplane's sky level. I took a closer look with my Eye of Insight only to see the cheeks of "senior" wiggling in the air as breeze rushed through his face in the sky.
"Ah!" I screamed. "Can Senior fly? Just what sort of person is he? Why is Senior flying?"
The shocked audience clutched their chests and nearly fell to the ground.
Sun Xao managed to gulp down his saliva and slowly said as if he himself could not believe what he was saying, "Your punch sent him flying, Senior."
'Wait, what? Now I suddenly became "senior" all of a sudden?'
"M-my p-punch sent him flying?" I stuttered.
They all nodded, frenziedly.
I thought Senior wanted to demonstrate the reason why one shouldn't rush cultivation to his juniors?
"Cough cough," I coughed in embarrassment.