Not a fraction more, not a hair less. Such control over distance and timing was simply outrageous.
This couldn’t be explained away as luck or quick reflexes. This was—prediction using Divine Sense!
Only someone with Divine Sense could so accurately track the fluctuating trajectory of Spiritual Qi!
’This kid’s aura... it feels several times more substantial than before. And that keen perception of Spiritual Qi...’ A bold guess formed in Wuu Shang’s mind, a flicker of shock in his eyes. ’Could he have already reached the threshold of Qi Cultivation? Or... has he even broken through?’
"Stop!"
Just as Zhao Xing was preparing to unleash another burst of attacks, Wuu Shang suddenly yelled for him to stop.
Zhao Xing had no choice but to halt his movements. He looked at the Instructor, a little disgruntled—he was just getting into the thick of it. "What’s wrong? I was just hitting my stride!"
Wuu Shang ignored his young master, instead walking slowly to the center of the arena. He looked at Chu Bai, who was calm and composed, not even breathing heavily, and the corner of his mouth curved into a playful smile.
"Just being a target is a waste of your talent."
The moment Wuu Shang finished speaking, the arena fell silent.
Gu Qinghe stared blankly at Chu Bai, then at the Instructor, momentarily unable to process what those words meant. ’Isn’t a target’s job just to get hit? How is that a waste of talent?’
"Instructor, what do you mean?" Zhao Xing asked, equally baffled, the fiery glow in his palms not yet fully faded.
"Simply dodging all the time won’t develop any real offensive techniques, and you aren’t getting a satisfying fight either,"
Wuu Shang looked at Chu Bai and said bluntly, "Chu Bai, I can see your aura is steady and your Body Technique is refined. You clearly have some insight into the use of Spiritual Qi. Rather than just taking hits like a training dummy, let’s change the rules for today. You are allowed to fight back and have a proper spar with the Young Master."
"Fight back?!"
Zhao Xing’s eyes lit up. He had been frustrated that he couldn’t land a single hit, so he was overjoyed at the suggestion. "Excellent! I knew you were as slippery as an eel, but I didn’t realize you were actually hiding your skills! Since the Instructor says you’re capable, don’t hold back. Show this Young Master what you’ve really got!"
Chu Bai feigned alarm, cupping his hands in a gesture of refusal. "You jest, Young Master. I am merely a bit durable, I don’t know any offensive techniques. If I were to injure you, it would be a terrible offense..."
"If you hurt me, I won’t blame you! The Zhao Mansion is paying you precisely so you’ll put up a real fight!"
Zhao Xing waved his hand impatiently, his eyes burning with fighting spirit. "Hurry up! Stop dilly-dallying like a sissy! If this Young Master can’t even beat you, I might as well give up on cultivating immortality!"
"In that case... I shall make a fool of myself." Seeing no way out, Chu Bai dropped the pretense. He bowed slightly, tossed the round shield aside, and assumed an opening stance.
"Take this!"
Zhao Xing attacked first. This time, he held nothing back. Unleashing his full Spiritual Power, the fiery glow in his palms intensified as he fired a continuous stream of Fire Bombs, sealing off Chu Bai from the front, back, left, and right.
Faced with this overwhelming onslaught, Chu Bai no longer just dodged.
In the instant before the first Fire Bomb reached him, he didn’t raise his shield. Instead, he bent his right index finger and flicked it gently.
"Go."
A tiny droplet of water flew from his fingertip. It was inconspicuous, yet it contained a condensed, piercing Power. This was a special knack he had mastered after practicing the Spirit Water Needle technique countless times.
The water droplet struck the Fire Bomb’s weakest core point with pinpoint accuracy.
With a soft POP, the incredibly powerful Fire Bomb detonated prematurely in midair, dissolving into a shower of sparks like a popped balloon.
"What?!"
This scene left everyone present stunned.
Gu Qinghe’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
’I entered the Inner Sect with Chu Bai. We became sparring partners together. I’ve never seen him use any special techniques like this before!’
’How did he suddenly learn to shatter a Fire Bomb Technique with a single drop of water?’
’Is that... the Water Control Technique?’ Gu Qinghe was utterly shocked. ’Has he already mastered a Magic Technique? How is that possible! It hasn’t been long since we achieved Qi Introduction! I haven’t even begun to grasp the basics of a Magic Technique, yet he’s already using one in a real fight?’
The immense disparity left him speechless.
In contrast to Gu Qinghe’s shock, Zhao Xing felt a rush of unprecedented excitement. "Nice move! Again!"
The battle escalated in an instant.
Instead of clashing head-on with the highly penetrating Spirit Water Needle, Chu Bai transformed the Water Spiritual Qi into a Soft Force.
He moved with fluid grace, at times pulling moisture from the air to form a curtain of water to obscure his opponent’s vision, at others flicking a water droplet to disrupt Zhao Xing’s casting rhythm.
Using softness to overcome hardness, Four Catty Move Thousand Pounds.
The two were locked in a back-and-forth exchange, surprisingly evenly matched!
After several dozen exchanges, Zhao Xing was truly fired up. With a loud roar, he unleashed his ultimate move—forming hand seals with both hands, he fused two Fire Bombs into a single, washbasin-sized explosive Fireball that roared toward Chu Bai on a wave of blistering heat.
"Well met!"
Chu Bai’s eyes narrowed. He knew he could no longer hold back so much.
Blue light flashed at his fingertip as a solid line of water shot out. This was no longer the Soft Force, but a sharp, piercing power!
"Break!"
The line of water met the Fireball head-on.
BOOM—
Water and fire crashed together, kicking up a thick cloud of white steam that instantly enveloped the entire Martial Arts Arena. The massive shockwave sent rubble flying, and the wave of heat forced Gu Qinghe to retreat several steps.
When the steam finally dissipated, the scene in the arena was revealed.
Zhao Xing was half-kneeling on the ground, his Spiritual Power depleted, panting heavily. On the Body-Protecting Magic Shield before him was a distinct wet mark, right at the level of his throat. If this had been a real fight, he would be a corpse right now.
Meanwhile, Chu Bai, feigning exhaustion, was also half-kneeling in the distance. His face was slightly pale as he cupped his hands and said, "The Young Master’s might is truly divine. I lost by half a move."
"Hahahaha! Exhilarating! That was truly exhilarating!"
Although Zhao Xing was on the verge of collapse from exhaustion, his face was alight with excitement.
He slapped his thigh and roared with laughter. "I can’t believe you were hiding such skill, kid! That was an amazing fight! A thousand times better than fighting those useless lumps of wood!"
He might be arrogant, but he wasn’t a fool.
He could clearly see that Chu Bai had held back on the final move. Otherwise, that line of water wouldn’t have pierced his magic shield—it would have pierced his throat.
Off to the side, Wuu Shang gave Chu Bai a long, deep look. He was now certain: this young man had already reached the Qi Cultivation stage.
Moreover, his level of control over Spiritual Qi far surpassed that of his own young master.
But he saw the truth and said nothing—a silent understanding shared by the wise.
"Excellent. Today’s spar was of great benefit to the Young Master’s combat experience," Wuu Shang chimed in at the perfect moment.
"A reward! He must be handsomely rewarded!" Zhao Xing, in high spirits, waved his hand grandly. "From now on, Chu Bai’s pay is raised to six hundred cents! This is the kind of sparring partner I need! The rest of you, learn from his example!"
"Six hundred cents..."
Gu Qinghe, standing by, was dumbstruck. He looked at Chu Bai with an incredibly complicated expression.
He was happy for his friend, but at the same time, he felt the immense gulf that had opened between them.
A few months ago, they had been at the same starting point. Now, Chu Bai could stand on equal footing with the young master of the Zhao Family—and perhaps even surpassed him. Meanwhile, he... was still scrambling pathetically to dodge Fire Bombs.
’Brother Chu... just how far ahead have you gotten?’ Gu Qinghe wondered to himself.
"Thank you for your generous reward, Young Master."
Chu Bai accepted the heavy pouch of silver coins, his expression remaining perfectly calm.

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