"Evildoer, do you have anything to say?"
The cold blade gently lifted Xu Sui's chin, forcing him to meet Li Qingyi's eyes.
Based on Xu Sui's understanding of his master over the past ten years, if he couldn't provide a reasonable explanation for such matters, it would be impossible to escape unscathed.
"Master, I found this," Xu Sui explained, already prepared with a set of clever excuses on his way back, anticipating the day someone discovered the item.
Stimulated by Li Qingyi's questioning, he immediately recalled the prepared script. In Xu Sui's version, he claimed ignorance about the origin of the silk stockings, stating he found them in a bamboo grove out of curiosity and brought them back for study.
While the excuse had its flaws, it seemed sufficient to handle Li Qingyi's inquiries.
"Did you notice anyone else or anything unusual around when you found it?" Li Qingyi asked, retrieving her flying sword after confirming her stockings were free of any strange substances.
She didn't delve too deep into Xu Sui's imperfect excuse. In her eyes, it was impossible for someone of Xu Sui's strength to sneak past her and steal the stockings through the layers of restrictive barriers.
Her attitude earlier was more about making Xu Sui understand the seriousness of the matter. The theft of such personal clothing, if ignored, could leave a frivolous impression on her disciple.
"No, I just noticed a sword intent on it when I picked it up, so I wanted to comprehend it," Xu Sui replied.
"Comprehend? You have quite the opportunity," Li Qingyi remarked, aware of the origins of the sword intent. She couldn't help but marvel at Xu Sui's incredible luck.
Previously, she learned from Xie Yushu that Xu Sui had obtained an inheritance of thunder techniques from a spirit jade. The technique, known as the "Palm Thunder Pool," was indeed extraordinary, rivaling even the sacred inheritances.
A bold idea crossed Li Qingyi's mind – could her mediocre disciple have become a pawn for some powerful figure? Otherwise, she couldn't explain his extraordinary luck.
Ignoring the thunder technique, which was a rare encounter but not impossible, stealing Li Qingyi's stockings was a deliberate act. The choice of stealing her stockings was clever, as the sword intent left on them was just a minor residue from a breakthrough, harmless even to a foundational cultivator trying to comprehend it.
If Li Qingyi hadn't noticed the incident herself, Xu Sui might have considered it a simple stroke of luck without realizing the hidden manipulations behind it.
"If that's the case, show me how much you've comprehended outside," Li Qingyi said, her mood complicated. Being chosen as a pawn by a powerful figure was dangerous, but for Xu Sui to become a qualified pawn, some investments from the behind-the-scenes player were inevitable. Perhaps they would arrange some "encounters" to change Xu Sui's aptitude, making breakthroughs into the foundational stage imminent.
"But I just..." Xu Sui tried to protest.
"I'll suppress my cultivation and personally spar with you this time," Li Qingyi said sternly, not giving Xu Sui a chance to refuse. With her late-stage out-of-body cultivation, she was akin to a divine figure in the eyes of mortals, but cultivators understood that reaching the out-of-body stage was not the end; it might just be another starting point.
Li Qingyi's current ability was far from enough to deal with the machinations of a powerful figure, but she could at least reduce the probability of Xu Sui's death.
"This sword is called Zhu Yan. Originally, it was a pair with the one in your hand. This way, the fight will be fair," Li Qingyi explained.
"Very well, then," Xu Sui accepted. Even with Li Qingyi suppressing her cultivation and using a high-quality spiritual treasure, the experience gap was not something that could be easily compensated.
A thunderous sound echoed through the bamboo grove as the two figures engaged in a high-speed battle. Xu Sui, utilizing his fast flying sword and formidable thunder techniques, tried to pressure Li Qingyi. However, Li Qingyi, using her superior footwork, aimed to exhaust Xu Sui's spiritual energy.
As the battle unfolded, Li Qingyi noticed a problem. "Do you have so much spiritual energy stored in your dantian?"
"After ten years of cultivation, I've accumulated some reserves," Xu Sui replied.
"That makes sense," Li Qingyi acknowledged.
Cultivation not only affected the speed of progress but also played a crucial role in overcoming challenges during breakthroughs. In the early stages, aptitude referred to one's spiritual roots, but later on, it depended on a cultivator's comprehension.
Since Li Qingyi hadn't attained the opportunity for divine transformation, she couldn't break through, despite her cultivation level. If she had the chance to comprehend it, she could have achieved divine transformation long ago.
Seeing that a battle of attrition wouldn't work, Li Qingyi changed her strategy. She flicked her finger, and a red sword light shot out from Zhu Yan, rapidly dividing in mid-air.
One became two, two became four, and the process continued until every inch of space around Xu Sui was filled with sword lights, leaving him with no escape.
This was the art of splitting sword shadows from the Divine Sky Sword Technique.
Most thunder techniques excelled in offense but lacked defensive capabilities. Li Qingyi aimed to exploit this weakness, using her attacks to force Xu Sui into a defensive position.
As expected, Xu Sui halted his offensive, commanding his flying sword to form a protective barrier against the sword lights.
Taking advantage of the distraction, Li Qingyi stealthily moved behind Xu Sui, intending to settle the outcome with a single strike. The gap in both cultivation level and combat experience between them was significant.
"Even with the advantages in cultivation, experience, and information, the overconfidence they bring becomes my only chance of winning," Xu Sui thought.
Gripping the Qing Si Sword, he lightly lifted Li Qingyi's chin from top to bottom, looking down upon the out-of-body cultivator.
"Now we're even," he thought.