Bang!
A muffled band resounded; Lin Li and Xue Ying separated upon coming into contact with each other. Moreover, they both retreated to the side, but Xue Ying retreated more steps than Lin Li.
In other words, Xue Ying had suffered a loss!
This sudden and enormous change in events caused everyone to be shocked, and Xue Ying was no exception.
But unlike Bai Xiaofei and the others who were watching, Xue Ying was shocked because the move Lin Li utilized was actually similar to hers!
Lin Li stopped attacking once they stood still, and she said a few words disjointedly: "Big Sister Xue…your…origin energy!"
The others didn't quite understand what Lin Li meant, but Xue Ying did.
Lin Li wanted her to increase the level of her origin energy!
"I intend to even if you didn't say anything!" Xue Ying said, her body's origin fluctuations suddenly rising two ranks, attaining the Master Rank like Lin Li! The next second, Xue Ying moved once more, and her speed was at least twice that of her previous speed. Moreover, the path in which Xue Ying moved turned into an even more unusual "Z" shape.
As her almond eyes narrowed slightly, Lin Li resolutely took a defensive stance. The Lin Li who had entered into a battle state was a completely different person when compared to her normal self. When faced with this sort of attack that she had never seen before, she chose to tenaciously defend and firmly remember the path of Xue Ying's approach!
In the span of a single breath, Xue Ying once more brought Lin Li into her range of attack. She had a simple collision with Lin Li from the side then used Lin Li's strength to jump up lightly. She flew into the air and somersaulted over Lin Li.
Lin Li's reaction was also fairly swift. She squatted just in time to avoid Xue Ying, who had intended to grab her neck in midair.
But Xue Ying's attacks didn't end there. After she descended to the ground, a roundhouse kick instantly swept towards Lin Li's back when Lin Li was still squatting on the ground.
Lin Li knew that she was unable to dodge it, so she instantly turned around and crossed her arms in front of her chest to forcefully resist Xue Ying's attack before retreating.
"Discharging origin energy to resist attacks while utilizing the origin energy as a buffer...have you received close-combat training in the past?" Xue Ying's face was covered in surprise after her attack failed because Lin Li's display had truly exceeded her expectations.
"You…used it earlier…" A short few words, but they contained information that stunned everyone present.
Xue Ying even recalled the first time the two of them collided and the reaction she made when she suffered a loss. The astonishment on her face couldn't help but grow deeper.
"You're able to learn this sort of method to manipulate origin energy by seeing it once?!" Xue Ying asked once more with a voice that carried a trace of disbelief. The gaze in which she looked at Lin Li changed at the same time.
If Lin Li said that she was lying now, Xue Ying would surely believe Lin Li at the first possible moment because being able to learn and utilize something in battle right after seeing it once was truly too terrifying if it was true.
"I've always…been like this…," Lin Li said stuttering and once again became that young woman with a dull expression.
"Are we…still going to continue? I still want to learn more…" Lin Li stared fixedly at Xue Ying while a trace of a rare emotion that seemed like excitement appeared in her eyes, and she awaited Xue Ying's reply.
On the other hand, all the spectators entered a petrified state in unison. They had heard the conversation between the two of them earlier, and besides being stunned and gulping down mouthfuls of saliva, they were completely unable to figure out what expression they should use to face all this.
But they were able to be sure of one thing!
Lin Li was the sort of person from legends…
A genius!
A combat genius!
"Of course. But you have to keep up with me because there are some things I'm only able to utilize once!" As soon as she finished speaking, Xue Ying moved instantly, and this time, she brought out all the strength capable of being exerted at the Master Rank!
On the other side, Lin Li moved as well, and the method she performed was precisely the "Z" shaped path Xue Ying had utilized before!
This time Xue Ying was completely convinced. The method of origin energy manipulation might have been taught by another, but this strange method of movement was something Xue Ying had specially researched and yet Lin Li had executed it without the slightest inferiority!
In the next ten minutes, Bai Xiaofei and the others were like ducks that had heard thunder. They stood unmoving while they looked with stunned expressions at the two people fighting each other on the practice grounds.
Moreover, during this short time of ten minutes, Xue Ying and Lin Li practically collided with each other every few seconds during which Xue Ying utilized a different method of attack each time. But, for the sake of guiding Lin Li, every single move Xue Ying made could be dealt with by the previous move.
Lin Li didn't disappoint Xue Ying in the slightest, and she copied Xue Ying's moves flawlessly every single time and fought Xue Ying perfectly.
At the end when both of them stopped, Xue Ying's forehead was covered in dense beads of sweat, but Lin Li had been drenched in sweat since long ago.
"Thank you…Big—" Lin Li hadn't finished speaking when she suddenly lost her balance and fell weakly to the ground.
Bai Xiaofei, who was the closest, charged over with a large stride and was just barely able to catch Lin Li. Her entire body was feeble.
"Lin Li?!" Bai Xiaofei shouted her name, and the others immediately gathered around.
"All of you move away!" Xue Ying's voice resounded out, causing the group to instantly split apart and form a path. "I asked all of you to move away. Do you all want to suffocate her to death!?"
Even though Xue Ying's voice was stern, she didn't seem to be very anxious, and she walked over to Lin Li's side with a few steps and made a simple check before revealing a relaxed grin.
"Don't worry. She's just fatigued. Her physical strength is too weak, and it was entirely because her attention wasn't placed on her physical strength that she was able to fight me for so long. So, she was unable to endure it as soon as we stopped," Xue Ying said, and everyone instantly let out long sighs of relief.
"Big Sister Xue, Ling Li—" Xu Chen asked carefully, but Xue Ying stopped her with a glare before she finished speaking.
"Keep in mind that Lin Li's situation can't be told to anyone." Xue Ying swept everyone with her gaze as she spoke, and after she obtained everyone's confirmation, she revealed a relaxed expression.
"Your training today has ended. But Lin Li won't participate in this sort of training class next time, so all of you have to properly reflect on today's battle because there won't be such an unexpected event next time." A single sentence instantly struck all their hearts to rock bottom, and the powerlessness and despair in their hearts completely crushed all their curiosity.
"The meaning of 'ended' is…" Mo Ka gulped down a mouthful of saliva and spoke with a voice that carried a probing tone because by now his fear of Xue Ying had gone deep into his bones…
"All of you are free to do what you want in the remaining time. Of course, if all of you are willing, you can have extra training with me." Xue Ying raised her brows and turned back into that playful big sister from before.
Of course, there was absolutely no one who would take her suggestion…
"No, no! Big Sister Xue, you're surely very busy! We won't continue bothering you!"
Various reasons were spoken from the mouths of every single one of them, and in the blink of an eye, all ten plus of them had left Xue Ying's field of vision as if they were fleeing for their lives.
"What? Aren't you leaving?" Xue Ying revealed a strange smile as she looked at Bai Xiaofei who remained there…