Improving mana control to a degree where one could mix the insides of an egg without shattering its shell was nigh impossible to achieve within a week.

Even Adam had taken years to come to such a level, and this was after he'd thoroughly familiarized himself with the experiences of the experts from the Greater Universe. Additionally, he had also put in a tremendous amount of hard work to make such a feat possible.

Take Edward, for example. Even someone like him, who could be considered a child of mana because of his physiology, would not be able to master such precise mana control within a week.

Adam was simply messing around when he gave that deadline to the two geniuses of Baihua Sect. It was to put a sense of urgency in them and also to make them realize what would happen if they failed.

His beatings were very thorough, after all. Even someone like Bai Xun, who had a sturdy physique, couldn't handle them.

Even still, the progress they had shown in the past week was worthy of praise. Exactly one week after Adam had taught them the drill to perfect, he summoned them to the Petal Court.

Bai Ge had a dark look on her face as she glared at Adam. "Brother Ao, I reek of eggs because of you!"

Adam inhaled slowly and deeply, and then…

He laughed and laughed and laughed.

His laughter echoed all throughout the Petal Court. The beautiful birds, who sat on the branches of the plum blossom trees, heard his laughter and plummeted to the ground in fright, squirrels scattered in panic, a mirror shattered somewhere, and elsewhere, a disciple tripped and fell on the ground.

Bai Ge's expression turned even darker, and she couldn't help but gnash her teeth. Seeing such a reaction, even Bai Xun paled. He had never seen his Junior Sister express such emotions. After all, she was known to be a stoic.

Brother Ao is seriously talented in getting under people's skin, Bai Xun thought to himself.

Before Bai Ge could erupt in angry flames, he stepped forward and said, "But it is obvious that the, uh… egg training has improved my mana control. I can already feel that my mana expenditure has dropped significantly."

"Tsk!" Bai Ge looked away, though she didn't retort. Regardless of Adam's eccentric training methods, it went without saying that they were very effective.

"But you were messing with us when you said we should master it within a week, right?" Bai Xun asked, helplessly sighing.

Adam shrugged. "Auhh-auhh!"

Bai Ge took a deep breath, then asked, "Anyway, Brother Ao, why did you summon us here? The delegations from the two clans arrive tomorrow, so I'm on a tight schedule."

Adam scoffed, waving his hand dismissively. It was clear that he didn't care about the delegations.

Bai Xun chimed in. "We can let the other Elders take care of our work for today, no?"

Bai Ge hesitated before answering, "I suppose…"

Adam then gestured for them to follow him. The next moment, he utilized Stellar Steps and disappeared, heading deeper into the mountain range.

Bai Xun and Bai Ge glanced at one another, then hurried to catch up with him.

***

They soon arrived at the Plum Blossom Forest. This was the very place where Adam met the Sect Leader, who was drawn by his mesmerizing Phantom Dance.

Under Adam's guidance, the two prodigies arrived at the base of a tall cliff. They wondered what the laughing madman was going to do now. Regardless, they were intrigued.

"Auhh!" Adam gestured to them to pay attention as he crouched on the ground and carved words in the local dialect.

Seeing the letters carved on the ground, Bai Xun couldn't help but frown. "Yes, the first two are understandable. We know that already. But… what's the third one?"

He turned to Bai Ge, who was equally confused. The latter murmured, "Is such a thing even possible?"

"Auhh!" Adam nodded.

The words he had carved on the ground were as follows:

Magic combat, the fusion of physical combat and mana, consists of three types of strikes. One, a strike where the body is augmented. Two, a strike where mana is discharged from the body. And three, when both happen at the same time. The last one is known as… critical strike!

"Critical strike," Bai Xun muttered with a contemplative look on his face. He then turned to Adam and asked, "The probability of that happening should be incredibly rare, shouldn't it?"

Adam nodded ever so slightly.

"Is such a strike even possible in the heat of battle?" Bai Ge asked with a frown.

Adam gestured with his hand. "Auhh."

"As I thought." Bai Xun said after a moment of deliberation, "Precision, timing, momentum, mana flow stability, one's state of emotion, enemy's vulnerability… there are too many factors to take into consideration."

Adam nodded. "Auhh-auhh!"

"Say, it does connect," Bai Xun continued. "How much stronger would it be than a normal strike?"

Adam carved a simple number on the ground:

2.5 times!

Bai Ge and Bai Xun were stunned. The latter, especially, couldn't help but exclaim, "2.5 times?! That… wouldn't that change the entire flow of battle then?"

"Only if you can land that strike," Bai Ge interjected.

Critical Strike required precise mana control. In the heat of battle, not even Adam was certain that he could use it at will. Although he had done it a handful of times in the past, it had always happened on instinct.

It had only happened when his intent, focus, and opportunity perfectly aligned.

Bai Ge suddenly thought of the reason why Adam was telling this to them now. She turned to him and asked in surprise, "Brother Ao, could it be…"

It was highly difficult to use it during a battle, but the difficulty was exponentially reduced while doing it in training. Still, it was very rare for someone to be able to do it at will, even in training.

"Auhh." Adam smiled.

He turned to the cliff, then took a fighting stance—hands tucked by his side and knees bent ever so slightly.

Then, he punched the wall, instantly resulting in a small crater.

Bai Xun nodded. "This is the first kind of strike, where the hand is augmented by mana."

Another punch. This time, the crater was smaller than the previous one, yet far deeper.

Bai Ge added, "The second type of strike, where mana is discharged through the fist."

Both of them held their breaths in anticipation of the third type of strike.

Adam inhaled deeply, focusing entirely on the next punch. He honed in the Sphere of Resonance specifically to his hand so he could guide his mana with utter precision.

He first augmented his hand with mana. And then, his right hand turned into a blur. And just as his fist was about to strike the wall, at the precise moment, he discharged his mana.

Critical Strike!

BOOOOM!!!

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