"Good!"
With a low roar, Xiang Lie ceased his passive waiting. He severed the tangled threads of thought in his mind, letting his entire being sink into the wondrous state of being one with Mo. His legs exploded with power, the metal floor beneath his feet groaning in protest. His entire body became a launched projectile, pushing forward instead of retreating, charging directly towards Xiao Lin and Jing, who wielded the long spear!
He chose Xiao Lin as his target, her presence seemingly the greater threat. The silver longblade in his hand, infused with his immense strength, carved a gleaming arc of silver light, descending with the force of a mountain-splitting, rock-shattering blow. He intended to overwhelm his opponent with the purest, most direct power.
Yet, facing this earth-shattering strike, Xiao Lin's face showed no fear. Her eyes, usually softened by a gentle smile, were now those of a perfectly calm hunter, precisely tracking the blade's trajectory. The instant the blade was about to connect, her body suddenly shifted sideways at an impossible angle. The movement was not one a human should be capable of, more akin to a boneless, slick spirit-serpent, effortlessly gliding along the very edge of the blade, sliding away.
*So fast!* A jolt of surprise hit Xiang Lie. His blow sliced through empty air, the immense force causing a micro-hesitation in his momentum. And Xiao Lin had been waiting for this very moment!
She closed in like a wraith, her body pressed tight against Xiang Lie's blind spots. Her seemingly slender, supple waist coiled, then exploded with power, sending her spinning like a top. The metal-gleaming fist weapons on her hands transformed into two lethal streaks of light, aiming straight for Xiang Lie's ribs! Her attack was swift, precise, and vicious! Giving Xiang Lie no chance to regain his footing!
"Defend! Blade horizontally!" Mo's urgent voice resonated in Xiang Lie's mind!
Xiang Lie, almost instinctively, flipped his wrist, bringing the heavy blade horizontally across his waist.
*Clang! Clang!* Two sharp, ringing clashes of metal exploded!
A searing, concentrated force, delivered through the blade, slammed into his waist. While not as raw and brutal as Ye's attacks, it was incredibly cunning, sending his blood surging and his stomach churning. He reeled back from the impact. Before he could regain his balance, another black flash, utterly silent, attacked from his rear flank!
It was Jing! The black long spear, like a viper striking, was silent yet lightning-fast, thrusting straight for his back! A perfectly coordinated attack!
Xiang Lie's back was wide open, his old strength spent, his new strength yet to rise. He had no time to turn and block!
"Upwards! Use the hilt!" Mo's voice echoed again, devoid of emotion.
In that critical instant, Xiang Lie abruptly arched his back, lowered his stance, and flung the longblade upward in an impossibly awkward counter-arc! The heavy hilt, whistling through the air, struck the incoming black spear tip with perfect precision!
*Thump!* Another dull thud!
Xiang Lie felt a spiraling force shoot from the spear tip, drilling into his arm and instantly numbing it. He used that very push to stumble forward a few steps, finally escaping the two-pronged assault. In just one exchange, he had been completely suppressed, finding himself in extreme peril!
"Your fighting style is too crude!" Mo's voice held a hint of frustration. "Your strength is immense, but it's all wasted on meaningless, broad swings! You're relying on brute force, while they are using skill!"
Xiang Lie gasped for breath, a fine sheen of sweat beading on his forehead. He looked at Xiao Lin and Jing, who were once again poised in their stances not far away, and for the first time, he doubted the strength he prided himself on. Against absolute skill, his strength was like a child wielding a giant hammer—seemingly mighty, yet unable to even touch his opponent's clothes.
"Listen to my commands!" Mo's voice grew serious. "Forget all your ideas of cleaving and hacking! Feel my weight, feel my curve! A blade is not a hammer! It is an extension of your arm, a sharpened edge that carves the wind!"
Xiang Lie took a deep breath, nodding heavily.
"They're coming again!"
This time, Xiao Lin and Jing's assault was even more relentless! Xiao Lin, like a persistent shadow, constantly circled Xiang Lie at high speed, searching for every minute flaw in his defense. Her fist weapons rained blows like a storm, striking from unexpected angles at Xiang Lie's joints and vital points. Jing, meanwhile, provided outer support, her long spear a whirlwind of blurs, cutting off all of Xiang Lie's retreat paths, constantly disrupting his rhythm with cunning thrusts.
"Slide left! Blade tip down, draw a semicircle!"
"Turn sideways! Block with the flat of the blade! Don't use the edge!"
"Step back half a pace! Lower your center of gravity! Use a horizontal slash to force her away!"
Under Mo's precise and calm commands, Xiang Lie began a difficult "dance." He no longer sought to defeat his enemies with a single strike but focused all his attention on defense and evasion. The longblade in his hand truly seemed to possess a life of its own; every swing carried a peculiar rhythm. Sometimes it moved like a falling petal, lightly parrying incoming fist weapons; at other times, like winding water, deflecting force into empty space along the spear's momentum.
His movements were still somewhat unrefined, still a little clumsy. His overly massive muscles, at times, still hindered his motions, making him look like a giant bear trying to learn ballet.
But he actually… held on! Under the furious, storm-like assault of two masters, though he was battered and constantly in danger, he stood like a reef in a raging tempest, never once falling.
In the training room, only the clang of weapons and the hurried footfalls remained. Xiang Lie was completely immersed in this strange state; his mind was blank, his body entirely given over to Mo's commands and his muscles' instincts. He could feel his control over his strength, his coordination, improving at an incredible pace.
"Now!" In a moment of perilous deflection of Xiao Lin's fist weapon, and then forcing her back with the flat of his blade, Mo's voice suddenly surged! "Opportunity! Thrust forward!"
Xiang Lie didn't think. His core muscles tightened, and all his strength converged into the longblade in his hand! The silver longblade, transforming into a lightning bolt tearing through space, shot straight towards Xiao Lin, who had just regained her balance!
This thrust was swift, precise, and vicious! It was his most perfect attack since the battle began!
However, a faint, successful smirk bloomed on Xiao Lin's face. She didn't attempt to block. Instead, she ducked low, her body like a civet cat, skimming the ground. She slipped instantly under the lethal blade, straight into Xiang Lie's embrace!
*No! It's a trap!* Alarm bells clanged in Xiang Lie's mind, but it was too late. He felt a chill in his chest. Xiao Lin's right hand, still armed with the fist weapon, had bypassed all his defenses and lightly, deliberately, rested on his sternum. If she had pushed just an inch further, the sharp weapon would have easily pierced his heart.
The battle was over.
Xiang Lie froze in place, maintaining his forward thrusting posture, sweat trickling down his face. Xiao Lin withdrew her hand, stood up, and offered him a gentle, slightly apologetic smile. Then, she skillfully moved to his side, opened her mouth, and gently bit into his left shoulder's 'Throne.' A pure surge of energy flowed from his muscles, through her teeth, and into her body.
"You've been too generous, Classmate Xiang Lie," she said, contentedly licking her lips, a smile in her voice. "That's the tuition fee for the first lesson."