Eloquent Ascent

"Miss Ji, all martial arts are but tools. It is the artist who gives them life," Xu Qi quipped back, his voice carrying the authority of experience beyond his years. His eyes gleamed with a shrewdness that hinted at the depth of his comprehension of how to convince his old customers about his new products without meeting them in person.

He could remember an old man who he offered a massager over the phone, insisting that it would relieve the man's arthritis pain. The customer was skeptical at first, his voice filled with doubt, but Xu Qi's smooth words painted a picture so vivid, that the man could almost feel the relief. He convinced him that the massager was crafted by the hands of heavenly maidens, its gentle touch as soothing as a lullaby. The old man, amused by the telemarketer's audacity, decided to give it a try.

He bought ten.

Another instance that played in Xu Qi's mind was when he had to sell a set of kitchen knives that were "guaranteed" to never dull, even when slicing through a phonebook. How did he demonstrate that without any visual accompaniment? Simple, he painted the scene so vividly that the customer could almost hear the sound of paper being sliced through with the sharpness of a well-tuned violin.

In truth, he played a prepared soundtrack in the background of their call. It contained the faint sound of a knife slicing through a phonebook resonating in the customer's ears along with the rustle of pages fluttering in the aftermath. He'd recorded the sound himself with his phone, using a pair of chopsticks and a stack of old takeout menus. It had been a hit with his colleagues and customers alike, he sold a ton.

The company selling those kitchen knives gifted him a hundred sets that he also sold to his neighbors. Such was his life as a telemarketer.

Now, his experience has become his banked asset in the cultivation world. Xu Qi knew that words could be as sharp as the blade and as convincing as the most potent elixir.

"Artist, you say? Then don't dodge!" Somehow, Ji Feiyang couldn't help the frustration creep into her voice. Despite her higher cultivation, she hadn't even managed to land a single hit on Xu Qi after that first one. Each of her strikes was met with a wall of wind, redirecting her lightning blade off course or he dodged with those elegant movements that were so unreal for a basic martial art.

She also learned a martial art but why did it seem like Xu Qi had danced with the wind while she was merely swinging a sword? It was infuriating! But at the same time, every time she hears his voice, her Resolute Heart wavers a bit.

'This is bad. I cannot be caught in his pace. This Xu Qi he's really...' Ji Feiyang's thoughts were cut off as she watched Xu Qi's robes flutter around him, his movements a harmonious dance with the wind, it's so inviting that her previous offer of dancing for him privately had started to feel like a real possibility.

With a huff, she raised her wooden sword again, a fiercer lightning bolt crackling along its edge. She decided to give it her all even if all of her cards would be shown even to her future opponents. Xu Qi was too abnormal to be considered a mere third stage Elemental Awakener. She had to treat him as equal, "I admit your wind is strong, but it is the lightning that strikes the heart of the storm, Xu Qi. I... I can give you that private show but I can't lose to you!"

Her blade shot forth, the lightning bolt sizzling and popping with a ferocity that had the audience's hairs standing on end.

Xu Qi, however, remained unfazed. He whispered another command to the wind along with the other primal elements, "A lightning is indeed fierce but my elements will not falter."

The air trembled as his qi-coated words rallied the obedient primal elements to resist the incoming lightning maiden.

The spectators gasped not just because of the eventual climax of their battle but also the words muttered by Ji Feiyang.

He danced gracefully, fully exerting his understanding of the Wind Whisper Art with the accompanying amplification by his Celestial Eloquence. From everyone's eyes, it became as if the electricity was a rhythm guiding his dance.

Yet, with each collision, his aura flickered, hinting at the strain he was under.

Despite his best efforts, the gap in their cultivation levels began to show.

Ji Feiyang's resolve, the Resolute Heart, wavered once more from his words. It was ringing pleasantly in her ears, making her follow Xu Qi's graceful movements not because she wanted to take him down but because of her growing admiration.

His words had this certain pull that was totally irresistible but not in the same way as she's getting influenced by him. More like... her eyes were opening on its own to bask in his charms.

She found herself torn between the fierce competitor inside her and the woman who was slowly falling under his charm.

Her blade grew heavier, the lightning less intense.

On the other hand, the whispers of doubt in her consciousness grew louder, questioning if she truly wanted to win at the cost of losing something more precious.

Xu Qi noticed the change in her and understood what was happening. He had already seen how his words were so effective to women. However, that's all it could do. It's not a love spell that would suddenly make one head over heels for him. It's up to the women how they would interpret it.

In any case, he knew he had to end this duel before he reached his limits. Despite everything he had done. He had yet to touch Ji Feiyang's body. Or rather, none of his attacks landed. Her quickness couldn't be surmounted by his methods.

With a dramatic flourish, Xu Qi spun and leaped into the air, the wind carrying him in a graceful arc over Ji Feiyang.

He landed lightly, his robes fluttering around him as a gentle smile played on his lips.

He knew he had to make one last stand. If he fails then he fails. He won't try so hard against her. He still had some cards up his sleeves. The Flamebird Sprite and the bracelet from Elder Sun which could prevent him from receiving a heavy blow.

He didn't want to use them yet. If anything, he decided he'd only use them against Zhang Han if ever he matched with him. As for his next opponents... he'll do his best to get needed wins.

He couldn't be so unlucky to always be matched with someone of a higher stage, right? That would be absurd. There were thousands of outer court disciples and the majority of them were at his current stage. So, the likelihood of matching should be high.