Lin Dong quickly echoed, "Exactly! I barely interact with Brother Lin Xuan outside of competitions.
There are so many people in the clan practicing these two techniques...it's pure chance that we ended up with the same ones.
You can't say we've been conspiring just because of that."
Their explanations were earnest, but deep down, both knew they had been hiding their true strength.
The real issue was Lin Xia's pride. Before the competition, she was expected to win the championship.
Now it looked as though the two of them had deliberately conspired to outshine her.
Just then, Lin Xia's sharp eyes caught sight of the martial arts scrolls in their hands.
Two of the three techniques were identical!
Her lips curved into a mischievous smile. Without warning, she grabbed both their wrists and pressed their scrolls together.
"Heh, look at that. You two really are in sync!" she said mockingly. "Still want to tell me you're not close?"
The evidence was damning. The three identical scrolls were like a flashing neon sign exposing their "coincidence" as a blatant lie.
If they weren't close, why would they pick the same techniques? Martial arts choices were usually kept secret..personal trump cards revealed only in battle.
Choosing the same ones clearly meant they wanted to train together, spar, and help each other improve.
Lin Xuan and Lin Dong's faces froze awkwardly. At this point, no words could save them.
"Fine," Brother Lin Xuan finally said, spreading his hands helplessly.
"If you want to believe that, Sister Lin Xia, then so be it. Think whatever you like."
"Hmph!" Lin Xia snorted and then, surprisingly, declared, "
You two selfish guys! If you really are cultivating together, can't you take me along too?"
Lin Xuan and Lin Dong blinked in unison, stunned.
"Together…? As in… training together?" Lin Dong asked carefully.
They had planned to train alone despite having similar techniques.
Each wanted to quietly surpass the other before their next clash.
But Lin Xia's meaning was clear...she wanted to join them, exchange martial arts insights, and improve alongside them.
After witnessing their stunning performance during the competition, even the clan elders were impressed.
Lin Xia believed that training with these two would greatly accelerate her own growth.
Seeing their hesitation, she pouted angrily. "What? Do you two dislike me? I've always been a good sister to you.
I even gave Brother Lin Xuan two second-grade spiritual herbs before the competition! And now you can't agree to such a small request?"
Lin Dong winced and quickly glanced at Brother Lin Xuan, silently pleading for him to decide.
Brother Lin Xuan sighed inwardly. It was obvious that if they rejected her, Lin Xia would feel insulted and deeply hurt.
At this point, the misunderstanding was too deep to fix. The best course was to go along with it.
"Alright," he said at last. "Let's meet once every ten days in the back mountain.
There's plenty of space there, and few people around.
We can exchange martial arts insights, spar, and even go hunting to prepare for the Qingyang Town Hunting Event."
"That sounds great!" Lin Dong agreed immediately.
Lin Xia's mood brightened instantly. "Finally, that's more like it!"
Training in isolation could be dull. Now, she'd have two strong sparring partners to motivate her.
"By the way, Sister Lin Xia," Lin Xuan asked, spreading out the scrolls in his hand, "which martial arts will you be choosing?"
Lin Xia stared at the six scrolls before her, her mouth twitching in disbelief.
These two freaks were actually cultivating three Rank 3 martial arts techniques at the same time!
When she had trained the second-grade Spirit Sword Finger, it had taken her ages just to reach basic proficiency.
And now these two were confidently tackling three higher-grade techniques at once.
So this is the difference between geniuses and ordinary people…
Gritting her teeth, Lin Xia declared, "I'll just pick the ones you both have in common...Flowing Wind Movement and Qimen Seal."
She didn't bother asking why they had chosen the incomplete Qimen Seal.
Geniuses have their own mysterious logic. I'll just watch and learn when the time comes.
After the three reached an agreement, Lin Xuan left the martial arts hall.
He returned to the courtyard.
Lin Xuan couldn't wait to claim his rewards.
A bottle of Grade Three Meridian Protection Pills, a two-hundred-pound iron suit, and the complete version of the Mystic Gate Seal!
The Meridian Protection Pills had a simple effect: to protect and nourish the meridians.
During cultivation, especially when practicing explosive martial arts, one needs to frequently circulate Yuan Power within the meridians, a process that can easily damage them.
Before, when Lin Xuan practiced the Penetrating Back Fist and the Falling Rock Fist, he would occasionally rupture his meridians, forcing him to stop and recuperate, which slowed down his cultivation speed.
A set of fist techniques could be practiced in less than ten minutes.
However, cultivation cannot be strictly calculated by time. Continuous, high-intensity cultivation is impossible.
The human body's meridians are fragile and need nourishment and time to recover.
With the Meridian Protection Pills, Lin Xuan could be more unrestrained in his cultivation, which was equivalent to speeding up the time it took to increase his martial arts proficiency.
The two-hundred-pound iron suit was a black singlet made of a special material, similar in effect to the one-hundred-pound iron shoes he had previously obtained.
Although it weighed two hundred pounds, it did not appear bulky when worn.
It looked similar to normal clothes, and the effect was as if one were in a gravity field with a strength of two hundred pounds.
Lin Xuan put on both the iron shoes and the iron suit at the same time.
The gravity field reached an intensity of three hundred pounds.
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