Chapter 25

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'Sometimes I cannot understand a woman's heart.'

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The words echoed in Ji Wuye's mind as transparent screens flashed briefly at the corners of his vision before dissipating like morning mist.

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[>>[QUICK ADAPTATION(F)]<<]< p>

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[>>[QUICK ADAPTATION(F)]<<]< p>

The proficiency of your passive skill has been increased by 0.01%!

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In that fleeting moment, a torrent of unfamiliar information flooded his consciousness - yet none of that mattered as his body sprang into motion of its own accord, lithely evading the shadowy flurry of strikes aimed his way.

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The attacks came swift and precise, slicing through the air like shadowy daggers. Ji Wuye's wide crimson eyes, now blazing with an otherworldly glow, struggled to track the relentless assault.

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A soft hush, akin to the gentle caress of a wooden branch gliding through the air, was the only prelude to each strike. With every movement, the faint whisper of wood against the empty expanse echoed like the breath of nature herself.

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"Tsk," he clicked his tongue in annoyance, the earthy aroma of exertion wafting through the air, filling his senses with the rich, woody scent.

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His mind seemed to twinge in protest, as if the very fibers of his being were intertwined with the living essence of the wood itself.

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It had been a mere five minutes since this deadly dance began, yet dark patches of sweat already stained the ground at his feet and soaked through his martial robes.

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The incoming barrage was akin to a viper, each strike deceptively soft and lacking the ferocity to trigger his instincts until it was far too late. An incessant, insidious disruption assailing his mind and threatening to cloud his razor focus.

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"Like shifting branches in the breeze," Ji Wuye murmured, his voice a soft rasp that blended seamlessly with the gentle creaking of wood around him.

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No sooner had the thought taken form than a wooden sword sliced towards his center brow from the front. With preternatural calm, his blazing crimson gaze fixed upon the whistling wooden blade, ready to deflect it with practiced ease.

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Yet even as his eyes locked onto the wooden edge, it bent unexpectedly in mid-strike, its strained momentum bleeding off as the sword arced down towards his exposed left chest.

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SWOOSH-!

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[>>[QUICK ADAPTATION(F)]<<]< p>

The proficiency of your passive skill has been increased by 0.01%!

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Translucent screen flickered at the edge of his perception once more as Ji Wuye deftly leaned aside, the wooden blade that looked like harmless become deadly caress leaving no more than a faint thrumming in its wake.

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For the briefest of moments, a flash of surprise registered on Song Jia's delicate features before the impassive mask slammed back into place. Then her figure blurred, the edges of her form wavering like a desert mirage.

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'Manipulating Qi minimally, enveloping the body rather than projecting outward,' Ji Wuye analyzed with clinical detachment, piecing together the technique behind Song Jia's distorted silhouette even as it came spinning back into solidity before his eyes.

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'Her feet planted wide, thrusting the blade forward,' he continued inwardly. As if on cue, Song jia's form flowed into the predicted stance, shadow of wooden blade arcing towards his chest in a blinding arc.

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'Tricking her opponent by shifting momentum mid-attack.'

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Halfway through the wooden sword's graceful arc, a minute rotation of Song Jia's wrist sent a ripple of life coursing through the living fibers. The barest shudder, akin to the trembling of leaves in the wind, resonated through the gleaming wood as its trajectory shifted in an eyeblink.

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Only Ji Wuye's preternatural senses allowed him to track the second shadow descending towards his jaw, this assault coming from the most unexpected of angles.

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A thin smile tugged at the corners of Ji Wuye's mouth even as fresh transparent screen flashed in the air before him.

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[>>[QUICK ADAPTATION(F)]<<]< p>

The proficiency of your passive skill has been increased by 0.01%!

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CLANK-!

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...

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From Song Jia's vantage, it was a mesmerizing and infuriating dance.

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'Hmph! Fast, isn't it?' The thought accompanied a self-satisfied grin as she snorted loud enough for Ji Wuye to hear.

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Her lithe form whirled in an intricate pattern, circling around her unmoving opponent who seemed content to simply pivot and sway with each probing attack rather than retreat.

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SWOOSH!

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In a whiplash backbend, she launched herself skyward in a maneuver that should have been impossible without the technique she employed - harnessing the wind at her side to augment her momentum in a graceful cyclone.

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From this inverted vantage, Song Jia studied Ji Wuye with a furrowed brow, unable to mask her grudging admiration.

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'For a mere first realm martial artist...' she mused, the breeze whipping loose strands of hair across her pursed lips, "he is quite remarkable."

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In her estimation, Ji Wuye outclassed even Qin Bai in raw ability.

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The fact that Ji Wuye could endure beyond three minutes against her all-out assault, evade every strike and seemingly predict the nuances of her Master's sword art?

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A feat most unexpected for a so-called novice. The oceanic depths of those crimson eyes held secrets she could scarcely fathom. She admit, If Ji Wuye were in the same realm as her, he might even win their duel outright.

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'But that just assumption of if, and it's not the reality of true battle,' she observed coolly, eyes narrowing as they traced the dark stains of exertion soaking his robes and the ground beneath his feet. 'Well, I cannot blame fate... I heard he was involved with many Sisters.'

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With a light thud that scattered loose pebbles, Song Jia landed just outside Ji Wuye's striking range. One of her Master's keenest teachings surfaced then - "A man's vision is like a narrowed cone before him."

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The corners of her lips curled in a predatory smile, determination and the faintest hint of satisfaction glinting in her eyes as she advanced.

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SWOOSH!

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In a flurry of motion too fast to track, Song Jia flowed forward with the grace of a feather on the breeze. Her slender wrist snapped, wooden blade arcing in a blur towards Ji Wuye's exposed chest as she committed fully to the attack.

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CLANK!

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The deflection came as a shock, Ji Wuye already turning to face her deadly lunge head on. Their wooden swords met with a jarring force that set Song Jia's teeth on edge, the shuddering impact freezing the combatants in place as the crossed blades seemed to hover betwixt them.

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For over three minutes she had watched him, convinced he was barely clinging to consciousness, teetering on the verge of collapse with each avoided strike.

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But now, staring into those fathomless crimson pools, the truth became clear.

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"That's an impressive sword art, Sister Song..." His words came with the barest hint of a mocking lilt, yet it was the lingering tremor of raw strength she could feel thrumming up her arms that truly stole her breath away.

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The trembling exhaustion, the sweat-stained weariness marring his features...all an illusion, a deception born of her own arrogance.

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In this moment he appeared vibrant and refreshed, as if merely finishing a simple stretching routine rather than locked in mortal combat.

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'I've been deceived,' Song Jia realized, a heady mix of shock and something precipitously close to fear churning in her belly.

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