Tiles shattered and flew off the ring with every clash of their blows.

Each movement stirred fierce gusts of wind, rippling across the courtyard. Even the plum blossoms atop the hill trembled, as if in awe of the two Magi locked in combat.

Bai Xun's robes were slightly shredded in some areas, while his body was covered in minor bruises.

They had been sparring for hours now, yet…

Why can't I land a single blow on him?! He thought to himself, frustrated.

He went for a left-hand claw strike, but at the last second, he used the hand to cover Adam's line of sight.

A feint!

Bai Xun followed through with a vicious right uppercut, but Adam simply leaned his body weight to the side, effortlessly dodging the blow. In the same movement, he spun around once again, then landed three strikes back to back to back with his left backhand.

First shot to the jugular notch.

Second shot to the solar plexus.

And a third shot to the stomach.

Bai Xun stumbled on his feet, retreating several steps back. Blood spilled from his mouth, but he quickly wiped it with his sleeve.

He lowered his head and saw faint steam rising from the areas he had just been hit.

Such precision, he couldn't help but think in awe.

He raised his head and looked at Adam, who was standing gracefully, the hems of his silk robes fluttering in the wind. There was no speck of dirt or trace of blood on his pristine white robes.

Bai Xun, on the other hand, was injured almost everywhere on his upper body. But the most damage had been dealt to his internal organs.

Worst yet, he was continuing to lose stamina as he augmented his body with mana.

However, when he gazed at Adam, he noticed that the youth hadn't even broken a sweat.

In that moment, he finally realized…

He's stronger than me, Bai Xun thought as he slowly stood straight.

In hand-to-hand combat, that is.

Cupping his fists, he asked in a polite tone, "Brother Ao, shall we switch to weapons training?"

Adam tilted his head, then shrugged. "Auhh."

Bai Xun smiled. He walked to the weapons rack and retrieved a wooden sword. But his smile soon faded when he saw Adam still standing in the ring.

"Brother Ao, do you not use a weapon?" He asked with a frown.

Or are you still looking down on me? He thought inwardly.

Adam's lips curled up.

After learning about the vast strength and influence of the Nine Great Sects and Clans, he became a little paranoid. So he was planning to refrain from using the Blades of Fulgrim, or any twin short blades for that matter, for the time being.

Moreover, he wasn't going to use a staff, which he was the most proficient at, fearing that a Cult spy might notice him.

Now, there were many staff wielders and twin-blade users in the mystical lands of Yen-Lu. It was going to be very difficult to connect the weapons to him.

Still, because of Adam's cautious—borderline paranoid—personality, he chose not to use those weapons.

So he raised his hands and clenched them into fists. "Auhh!"

Bai Xun's frown deepened. He took a deep breath, then nodded. "Very well. I will use a sword then. I hope that is okay?"

Adam showed a thumbs-up. "Auhh!"

A few moments later, the two Magi stood on opposite ends of the training ring.

Meanwhile, still standing over the edge of the ring, Bai Ge had a solemn look on her face as she witnessed the stand-off.

Though neither of them has used their full strength, just based on skillset alone… Ao is far superior to Senior Brother, she thought.

But this is only for hand-to-hand combat.

When it comes to talent in swordsmanship, Senior Brother is on par with me. Maybe even slightly better!

How is Ao going to counter Senior Brother's sword strike?

"Brother Ao," Bai Xun called out. "I'm going to use the Plum Blossom Sword Art. This is the Baihua Sect's pinnacle of magic combat. It consists of twenty-four sword techniques. I am going to use the first one."

Adam was intrigued.

Baihua Sect's pinnacle of magic combat?

His heart was ablaze with fighting spirit.

Good! Excellent! He thought excitedly.

"Auhh-auhh!" He gave a thumbs-up, then got into a fighting stance.

If you're going to use the best technique the Baihua Sect has to offer, then I, too, shall respond in kind!

Right at that moment, Bai Ge intervened.

"Senior Brother, please don't get carried away!" She said, a frown shadowing her face. "The Plum Blossom Sword Art is highly dangerous. If it connects, then—"

"Rest easy, Junior Sister." Bai Xun looked at her and confidently smiled.

Then, he turned to Adam and continued, "Brother Ao is strong."

Bai Ge's eyes widened.

…The prideful Senior Brother just acknowledged Ao's strength? She thought, utterly shocked.

Adam's lips curled into an excited grin as he slowly bent his knees, leaned forward ever so slightly, and transformed his right hand into a claw.

"Ready?" Bai Xun asked in a solemn voice.

"Auhh!"

At the same time, both warriors drew mana from their reserves. A terrifying storm of mana erupted from the two, causing even Bai Ge to retreat a few steps.

Senior Brother is known to have immense mana reserves, but this Ao… he's matching the energy output?!

Bai Xun's mana turned violet as it swirled around his sword. It was sharp and swift.

Adam's mana swirled around his right hand. It was oppressive and tyrannical.

Both took a deep breath at the same time.

And then…

They dashed towards each other. The ground beneath their feet exploded, and their figures turned into a blur.

One side turned into a violet beam of light, while the other turned into a streak of darkness.

Sword Dragon vs Dark King.

For a brief moment, the world came to a standstill. Bai Ge's pupils reflected the two forces of mana lunge at each other.

Until finally…

BOOOM!!!

Plum Blossom Sword Art: First Formation!

Hand of Doom: Coiling Palm Strike!

In the blink of an eye, the two Magi zoomed past one another and then finally came to a stop.

Adam noticed that his right hand was trembling ever so slightly.

On the other side, Bai Xun heaved a long sigh, his lips curling into a faint smile.

"As I thought," he muttered softly. "Brother Ao is really strong…"

The next moment, the wooden sword in his hand shattered into countless pieces. Next, his right sleeve was torn apart by an unknown force. Following that, hot blood sprayed from his right shoulder.

"Senior Brother!!" Bai Ge rushed towards him, her face marred by panic.

Bai Xun's face paled as he struggled to find balance. But in the end, he managed to remain standing on his feet.

Noticing this…

Adam smiled.

The result of the spar between two geniuses from opposite sides of the world…

Winner: Dark King!

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