Eloquent Ascent

Her words took him by surprise. It was like someone threw a pebble in his calm lake of thoughts.

After all that reminder to not underestimate his opponent, here she was, offering him victory on a silver platter. It was amusing, to say the least.

He could tell the woman in front of him was serious. Her eyes were unwavering beneath that glimmer of admiration thrown his way.

He could take the offer but he believed that for women like her, no matter which world, it was always better to acknowledge their worth than take them for granted.

"I appreciate the offer. However, don't do that, Miss Lin. Let's have a good fight as fellow Wandering Palace disciples. It'll be more satisfying that way." He said with a gentle smile that somehow made the disciple's cheeks turn even redder.

The crowd murmured again, unsure of what to make of this interaction. It was clear that Xu Qi had once again charmed another lady who was even willing to concede defeat to him. It was something that hadn't happened before in the Test of Competence.

They thought these Test of Competence would be a fierce competition between these wondrous young cultivators yet Xu Qi's presence brought an unusual twist to the atmosphere. And they liked the entertainment that it brings.

They got that humorous moment from Zhou Feng. The dance with Ji Feiyang. And now, this.

"You're such a... gentleman." The female disciple named Lin stammered yet her voice was still filled with a mix of admiration and embarrassment.

She put on her cheeks, hiding the blush that painted them as she realized that Xu Qi was being considerate of her.

With a growing fascination for the young man in front of her, she took a firm stance, ready to begin their match.

Xu Qi committedly flashed the whites of his teeth, charming his opponent further, "But of course. All of us practiced hard for this day. It will be rude of me to take a victory without even trying, especially from a lovely lady such as yourself, Miss Lin."

Miss Lin felt the heat rising in her cheeks even more. She's never felt this flustered in a duel before. But she couldn't deny that Xu Qi deserved her admiration.

The match began with Xu Qi respecting his opponent by charging first, showcasing his elegant moves again while also highlighting their difference on their reached stage.

In terms of qi pressure that they're using to resonate with the primal elements and the effects of it in their presence, it was clearly demonstrated that if Xu Qi just stayed still, he'd eventually succumbed to the oppression of a higher stage.

But for some reason, his movements not only matched his opponents but also surpassed them. Miss Lin's attacks, though fierce, were something Xu Qi could take as was proven by his match with Zhou Feng.

The young lady launched a barrage of fire-infused attacks but Xu Qi remained unfazed. His eyes only narrowed slightly as he also followed the movements of the primal elements resonating with his opponent's qi.

He picked out the most obedient primal element of wind to aid him in his graceful dance that made the heads of those from the audience's stands follow him outmaneuvering the fiery onslaught of Miss Lin, his movements looking very crisp and perfect despite his claim to have only cultivated the basic proficiency for the Wind Whisper Art.

Along with the whistling of winds that seemed to take form from his very words that wrapped around his body, He stepped into the trajectory of Miss Lin's fiery blasts, parrying them and then grabbing her hand to prevent them from throwing more of them.

As gently as possible, he also nudged the young woman's body as though he was taking her on a waltz as they spun across the stage.

"T-this is incredible. Xu Qi, how can you do all this when you're a stage lower?" Miss Lin's voice was filled with awe even though she couldn't get away from his grasp. Feeling the warmth amidst the cool breeze of the whirlwind covering them, the red on her face took on a darker shade.

"Ah, it's all thanks to a bit of luck and some unconventional training. Moreover, Miss Lin. It seems like you're holding back for me. Otherwise, I won't be able to get this close to you" Xu Qi replied nonchalantly, his intimate gaze drilling into her pupils as he maintained his gentle smile that continued to make the young woman's heart throb.

But that dance was cut by Xu Qi himself as he let her go before jumping back a few meters away to allow her to gather her bearings.

Although feeling a slight sense of disappointment from the abruptness of that intimate dance with Xu Qi, Miss Lin recomposed herself. Just like Xu Qi said, she wasn't giving it her all. From the brief dance, she realized that if taken from a different perspective, it would feel like she was belittling Xu Qi.

She shook her head, clearing her thoughts apart from her growing admiration for him. After that, she put on her game face with a touch of appreciative smile towards the young man.

Seeing that Xu Qi nodded even though he had no idea what had just transpired inside his opponent's head.

Soon, with the growing resonance of the primal elements of fire around Miss Lin, a spell that conjured flaming arrows formed around her which eventually shot towards Xu Qi.

He reacted accordingly as his voice weaved through the air, turning into threads of wind that danced around them, guiding them away from him and shooting them back toward Miss Lin,

Miss Lin managed to dodge them with surprising agility, her cheeks flushing even deeper upon understanding the gap between them.

Xu Qi didn't need her to hand him a free win. He was already strong enough to defeat her.

The crowd couldn't help but click their tongues as they were reminded that Xu Qi was still a third stage fighting against someone of a higher stage. A masterful display that no other disciples from the current batch had shown in this Test of Competence.