The Unfathomable Reason

The worn black cloth connecting the hilt and fingertips, along with the adeptness with which the "Spirit Vulture" retained his grip on the sword despite being struck down by Lin Xi, instantly clarified in Lin Xi's mind that this student must have emerged from the "Border Barbarian" lineage, but he was certainly not Tang Ke. 

Lin Xi was intimately familiar with Tang Ke; ever since the sacrifice of his brother, Tang Ke had harbored little ambition for glory or conquest, unwilling to witness further deaths of comrades or the spillage of blood. Thus, it was impossible for Tang Ke to possess such fervent battle intent.

"Your strength is indeed commendable."

After sending Lin Xi's longsword flying, the "Spirit Vulture" turned to him, not immediately attacking but instead regarding him with a solemn tone: "Your agility and evasion are impressive, and your strikes are swift. I barely managed to avoid hitting you directly, opting instead to disarm you. If your cultivation were closer to mine, I might not stand a chance against you, but now... you are undoubtedly destined for defeat."

Hearing the "Spirit Vulture's" words, which maintained a gentlemanly demeanor, and glancing at the black longsword that had been knocked aside, Lin Xi smiled slightly and replied, "You are correct; I have lost this time, but..."

"But what?" The black-armored student marked with the "Spirit Vulture" insignia was not only formidable in skill but also possessed remarkable willpower. Despite being struck by Lin Xi's blade, he had not uttered a sound of pain. Just as Lin Xi was about to continue, the "Spirit Vulture" interrupted him, clearly eager to reflect on the encounter, indicating that his prowess was not merely a result of talent.

Lin Xi continued, "However, had I anticipated that your initial step was a feint, I might have struck you down in one blow. Had I wounded your leg, your mobility would have been compromised, and you would likely have been unable to withstand my subsequent assaults."

"You make a valid point." The "Spirit Vulture" paused momentarily, but then shook his head in irritation. "No, that makes no sense. Such a hypothesis is entirely unfounded; the choice between a feint and a real attack lies solely with me. Even against an opponent with greater experience and cultivation, they would never dare assume my strike was a feint, for if it were real, my follow-up with the longsword would allow for any conceivable response, likely resulting in a far worse outcome... Unless an opponent could read my thoughts entirely, your assumption is utterly impossible."

"There is simply no one in this world capable of predicting another's thoughts; thus, your conjecture is utterly absurd. To defeat me, you must be of a similar cultivation level," he added, seemingly irked by the possibility of being misled by Lin Xi's reasoning, which could adversely affect his training.

Lin Xi chuckled softly, choosing not to argue with his somewhat zealous opponent. He refrained from removing the golden five-point badge from his attire and simply said, "Return!"

...

Time rewound to ten moments prior, before Lin Xi had encountered the "Yellow Antelope." 

Following his original path, as he traversed the forest to the slope, he spotted the "Yellow Antelope" approaching from the opposite hillside. 

Having already discerned the opponent's capabilities, Lin Xi remained calm in the face of the "Yellow Antelope," who charged forward with a black longsword. He waited until the tip of the sword was raised before suddenly thrusting his own blade, once again bringing the "Yellow Antelope" to the ground.

After picking up the black longsword and affixing the "Yellow Antelope's" golden five-point badge to his shoulder guard, Lin Xi heard the steady footsteps of the "Spirit Vulture." Taking a deep breath, he returned to the previous flat area, watching as the "Spirit Vulture" emerged from the woods.

"Silver Fox?"

"I recall you appearing on the board previously..."

Lin Xi reflected on the words spoken by this Border Barbarian, while the "Spirit Vulture" echoed them, gazing intently at him.

"You are correct," Lin Xi replied, just as he had before.

"I enjoy sparring with strong opponents; I only hope you do not disappoint me," said the "Spirit Vulture," wielding his black military longsword, unaware that Lin Xi had already faced a similar scenario. He approached with steady strides.

As he neared Lin Xi, only seven steps away, he stomped heavily on the ground. In his mind, Lin Xi would surely assume he was about to attack, only to realize that it was a feint, causing him to pause slightly. However, what momentarily stilled the "Spirit Vulture's" thoughts was the sight of Lin Xi's entire body surging forward without hesitation, akin to a dark flower blooming... With an extraordinary decisiveness, even before the "Spirit Vulture's" foot had fully descended, Lin Xi was already propelled forward, the black longsword descending like a torrential downpour.

It was only when an agonizing, tearing pain surged through his left thigh, flooding his mind, that he regained his capacity for thought, utterly incredulous... How had the opponent discerned that his strike was a feint? Even an untrained adversary would likely only be intimidated by his momentum, not expect such a decisive counterattack.

Moreover, even if he had recognized it as a feint, the response had come too swiftly... It felt as though he had not even moved before the opponent had already anticipated his actions, reacting almost simultaneously with his advance, leaving him no time to think or to convert his feint into a real attack. Yet how could this be possible? How could anyone possess the ability to know another's thoughts?

"Excellent!"

Meanwhile, Lin Xi was filled with elation.

Without a moment's hesitation, as they passed each other, he executed a powerful strike against the "Spirit Vulture's" left shoulder blade.

"Clang!"

The black longsword flew from the "Spirit Vulture's" grasp, crashing heavily against Lin Xi's black longsword, causing it to slip from his hand.

Yet, with the force of Lin Xi's strike against his shoulder, this experienced Border Barbarian recognized that his cultivation far exceeded Lin Xi's, rendering him unable to maintain his grip on the longsword.

However, he was unable to accurately seize the returning black longsword, for at that moment, Lin Xi pivoted sharply, channeling his strength, and the short knife in his left hand struck down hard upon the "Spirit Vulture's" wrist.

This blow elicited a muffled groan from the resolute "Spirit Vulture," causing the black military longsword to drop from his grasp.

"Crack!"

Lin Xi's second strike landed upon the "Spirit Vulture's" right shoulder, sending a tremor through his entire arm. In a reflexive attempt to grasp the fallen black longsword with his left hand and instinctively roll to evade, he emitted another muffled grunt... His left thigh wound had been aggravated... The intense pain led to an unavoidable momentary pause, and as his body began to roll to the side, Lin Xi seized the opportunity, gripping the short knife with both hands, using all his strength and weight to drive it forcefully into the "Spirit Vulture's" lower back.

The "Spirit Vulture" crashed heavily to the ground.

The pain in his lower back rendered him incapable of turning around or launching another attack.

Moreover, the opponent's uncanny ferocity had extinguished any remaining courage to continue fighting.

"I concede!" With a heart laden with confusion, the Border Barbarian uttered those three words in humiliation.

Lin Xi removed his golden five-point badge, breathing heavily, filled with joy as he departed.

The recent rigorous training sessions, the "Windwalker" drills, and the relentless honing of skills in the "Spear Formation" and "Blades and Guns" had indeed brought about an astonishing enhancement in his combat prowess. Had he not been fatigued, he could have exchanged blows more evenly with the Border Barbarian.

Additionally, the ability to anticipate his opponent's actions or strikes before they occurred had proven immensely advantageous. Had he been in peak condition, rather than feeling somewhat weary, this battle would likely have been even more easily won.

At that moment, he couldn't help but think of the legendary Director Zhang, who had never been rumored to have faced defeat... Yet in the realm of cultivation, everyone must progress gradually; Director Zhang could not have arrived in this world with such astounding prowess. There were countless powerful individuals, and he had undoubtedly encountered many formidable foes. His undefeated record likely stemmed from the ability to foresee the movements of strong adversaries.

If he could contend with opponents boasting eight consecutive five-star achievements, then attaining eight victories, or even nine, or higher, was certainly within reach.

Beneath his silver mask, Lin Xi's thoughts turned to Gao Yanan, Jiang Yuer, Liu Ziyu, and Qin Xiyue, as well as his companions such as Li Kaiyun, who shared in his triumphs and tribulations, causing the corners of his mouth to curl into a pleasing arc.

"I concede... but I do not understand how you discerned that my move was a feint?" As he turned to leave towards the yellow wall, taking a dozen steps away, the "Spirit Vulture," who had finally managed to rise from the ground, called out to his retreating figure.

Lin Xi paused, realizing that the "Spirit Vulture" was quite the martial enthusiast. If he casually provided an explanation and the opponent believed it, it could potentially hinder the "Spirit Vulture's" training. But what reason could he offer? This posed a dilemma.

"Were you not previously here when you executed that move?" Lin Xi pondered for a moment before asking.

The "Spirit Vulture" was taken aback. "I did use it, why?"

"When you last performed it, I happened to be hiding behind a large tree and witnessed it," Lin Xi replied with a slight smile. "Thus, I deduced that you would employ the same tactic again, allowing me to triumph over you."

"Ah, I see." The "Spirit Vulture" accepted this explanation, seeming relieved as he murmured, "It appears that deceptive techniques cannot be employed repeatedly. However, to rely solely on having seen it once... that is indeed rather reckless."

Seeing that this martial enthusiast believed him, Lin Xi chose not to elaborate further and quickly turned to leave. He did not wish to attract any more opponents, so he treaded carefully through the forest, moving silently.

"How did he execute that strike? Could this be the unique potential of the 'True Star'?" Hidden among the treetops, Li Wu, armed with the "Eagle Eye"—a single-tube telescope known in Lin Xi's world—remained deep in thought.

Lin Xi, however, was unaware that while the "Spirit Vulture" believed his claim of having seen the move before, Li Wu was fully aware that Lin Xi had never encountered the "Spirit Vulture" in the Trial Valley.

Lin Xi's strike left even Li Wu, a lecturer at the academy, in disbelief, unable to comprehend the underlying reason.