CHAPTER 169: SHORTY IS A DELINQUENT

His vision and spirit sense overlapped, and suddenly he wasn’t just seeing the battle. He was feeling it.

A bead of sweat rolled down his temple. Maintaining the sense required immense focus, his consciousness threatening to wobble, but he forced himself to adapt.

And like a loyal worker his trait [Adaptive Mind] worked in background, ensuring the CEO’s precious time is not disturbed.

Then, he moved.

"Sister, fall back!" he called sharply.

Trusting him, she shifted aside, giving him a sliver of space.

Yu Xuan dashed in, sword raised, striking with more precision than before. Every movement of the shorty’s cane echoed in his perception. He wasn’t faster, nor stronger, but he could predict just a fraction ahead, enough to angle his blade differently, enough to force the shorty to actually adjust instead of brushing him aside.

"Oh?" the shorty’s eyes flickered with a glint of surprise. "Not bad, brat. So you finally decided to use your head."

Her cane swept sideways, impossibly fast. Yu Xuan’s sword clashed against it and though the impact numbed his arm, he wasn’t flung away this time.

Lingluo rejoined, blades weaving with his. Their coordination wasn’t perfect, but with Yu Xuan’s spirit sense linking his awareness to hers, their attacks began to align more naturally, their rhythm smoother, strikes overlapping without words.

Still — Tok!

The shorty’s cane struck the ground, sending a shockwave of qi through the field that nearly shattered his concentration.

"You think a newborn spirit sense will let you match me?" she said, aura pressing harder.

Inwardly, the shorty was astonished, she didn’t think that Yu Xuan had developed spirit sense. Though the range was small now, certainly with time it will grow. Now she thought that Yu Xuan might have enough raw talent to rival even her junior sister, or maybe her eldest Senior Brother.

Yu Xuan gritted his teeth, forcing his awareness to hold under the weight. Thinking that it will keep him standing a little longer.

Like that, their clash dragged on. Steel against cane, sparks and starlight flashing. Yu Xuan and Lingluo were by no means ordinary, but the shorty’s cultivation was simply too overwhelming.

Their strikes, no matter how sharp, began to feel hollow.

"If this were a real battle, if your lives were on the line, you would both already be dead even before the match started." The shorty’s tone was casual, but the truth in it gnawed at them.

Yu Xuan’s jaw tightened.

What amused him wasn’t the shorty’s words — rather it was the glimpse of his sister’s raw strength. She was far stronger than he’d anticipated, her attacks carrying a force and precision that even he, struggled to fully track.

’And there she goes...’ Yu Xuan sighed inwardly, watching the annoyance flicker across her face. He knew that look too well. It meant trouble.

And she didn’t disappoint.

They launched forward again, but mid-charge, Lingluo abruptly abandoned her sword.

"Wait, why are yo—" Yu Xuan started, but the words died in his throat.

Her fists glowed with a violent purple light, gathering qi that rumbled like a storm. With a sharp cry, she punched forward and for the first time, the shorty staggered. Only slightly, but staggered nonetheless.

The cane tapped the ground, steadying her. A faint smile tugged her lips.

"I almost wondered why you were holding back. Were you being considerate of your brother, little junior sister?"

But before Yu Xuan could even process those words, Lingluo vanished.

"What?!" His eyes widened, his spirit sense scrambling to catch her. She was fast unreasonably fast. He canceled his spirit sense which required lot of concentration and watched her.

Then came the sound.

Bang bang bang!

A relentless barrage of punches rained down on the shorty, each strike humming with destructive resonance. Air cracked, the training ground quivering under the weight of her fists.

Lingluo’s silvery hair, once tinged faintly violet after her awakening, now burned into a deep, luminous shade of violet.

Yu Xuan froze, half awe, half shock. With every strike, her power grew, climbing higher, fiercer, as if her body itself was feeding on the momentum of battle.

From a partner, he had become a bystander — an audience to a force he had underestimated.

He didn’t waste time. Activating his [Immortal’s Gaze], his pupils glowed faintly golden, sharpening every flicker of movement. His [Immortal’s Gaze] also enhanced his visual perception.

With it, he tracked their exchange with frightening clarity... until—

Bonk!

The shorty casually hopped half a step into the air, raised her cane, and smacked Lingluo right on the head.

"Using pure strength is meaningless if you can’t channel it properly," she scolded.

"Ahhh, just wait, you shorty!" Lingluo screeched, clutching her head. "When I grow stronger, I’ll stretch your body and give you a few extra inches of height!"

A vein pulsed dangerously on the shorty’s forehead.

Without hesitation — bonk, bonk, bonk! — she hammered Lingluo’s skull repeatedly, each strike making a hollow donk sound like knocking on a melon.

Yu Xuan twitched.

’She’s weak to provocation... She’s bullying her! She’s bullying Lingluo!! I must save her!!!’ he thought and like a great brother decided to rescue her.

He dashed forward, sword flashing. "Stop! If you’re going to beat her like that, then I—"

"Silence! What are you interrupting for? This is a matter between senior and junior!" the shorty barked. She waved her cane, and with some mysterious force, Yu Xuan was sent tumbling backwards like a sack of potatoes.

He climbed up, coughing, glaring at her.

’This shorty... she’s a delinquent. How can she become a peak master’s disciple with her temperament.’

After bonking Lingluo enough to make her hair frizz, the shorty finally planted her cane into the ground. She then proceeded to lecture her about "senior-junior ethics," "respect," and "proper decorum" in a tone far too self-righteous for someone who had just committed assault by cane.

And then, like nothing happened — she cheerfully ordered, "Again!"

Training resumed.

Time passed like water flowing gently, and before long, night had draped itself over the realm.