Eloquent Ascent

After preparing for the new day, Xu Qi picked up the bracelet and slipped it onto his wrist.

Almost instantly, he could feel the pulse of qi emanating from it. It fitted perfectly as if it had been tailored for him.

He whispered his thanks to the air for Elder Sun's generosity. This was probably her way of extending a helping hand without alerting others that he had gained her favor.

Or was it? He wouldn't be certain. But at the very least, Xu Qi wouldn't reject such a gift.

'What a considerate woman. In one encounter she became another of my benefactors. Should I also offer her a massage?'

Xu Qi thought with an unknowing lecherous smirk rising from his face. Before that could fully form though, he shook his head, believing it could be close to impossible to accomplish at this rate.

"Still, I never thought I'd own one of these. This is expensive."

Xu Qi studied the bracelet with a critical eye. The qi it emitted was like a gentle caress against his skin. It was a piece of defensive equipment that could automatically activate to resist an attack against him.

The Test of Competence was approaching, and the tension in the Wandering Palace was so suffocating he might just get attacked one day.

The bracelet felt like a lifeline thrown to him amidst the storm, but Xu Qi knew better than to let his guard down.

—

Once again, he found himself in the training hall, hitting practice dummies, running around, and kicking things as the primal elements followed all of his movements.

The other outer male court disciples had started calling him a freak of nature, a much different title than the previous ones, making him pleased. Xu Qi couldn't care less. It was better than being called useless trash, after all.

He could now sense his approaching breakthrough. The primal elements were celebrating alongside him.

He whispered to them, his wisps of qi melding with his words to bring them all to his cause. While doing so, Xu Qi's mind started to wander.

In just a few days, a lot has already changed regarding his standing in the outer court. Not only did he get the attention of an Elder, but he also became an enigma to everyone.

Most notably, the attention he was starting to receive from female disciples other than Ling Lian.

Xu Qi had always been charming, but now that he got over his slump and his words seemed to resonate with the very essence of the elements, his allure to the female disciples grew even more potent.

His voice, when he spoke to them even without the effect of his Celestial Eloquence, was as soothing as a gentle spring breeze, carrying the promise of a world beyond the mundane.

They would blush and giggle at his every word, and it was as if he had become the sun in their world, bringing warmth and light to their otherwise dull lives.

Xu Qi knew that his charm was a double-edged sword especially when his closeness to the female disciples started bringing him unwanted attention from other male disciples, including Zhang Han.

However, despite all that, he couldn't care less about them as he was still focused on fulfilling his duty of surprising Xiao Yue and Elder He for the upcoming Test of Competence.

A while later, while resting to regain his stamina, he absorbed various elements to push his dantian to continue expanding, edging into his next breakthrough.

However, it was at this moment that his tranquil training time was once again disturbed.

Zhang Han the barking dog stepped into the training hall. Most likely, after noticing that Ling Lian wasn't around.

"Xu Qi, I see you're playing with the wind again. Did you learn any new party tricks for the Test of Competence?" Zhang Han sneered as he flexed his muscles, the arrogance oozing out of him like a toxic mist.

Xu Qi's eyes narrowed, but he kept his calm demeanor as he already decided what to do in this situation.

He knew Zhang Han was just looking for a fight, and he wasn't about to give him the satisfaction. He might not be able to win against him, but he was confident that his ability could bring the guy some surprise he wouldn't like.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll see something amazing, Zhang Han," Xu Qi replied with a smug smile, meeting his pressurizing gaze that seemed to emit his qi to show his dominance. Xu Qi had to grit his teeth and not let the discomfort show on his face, "But I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise."

While Zhang Han was distracted by focusing on crushing him with his pressure, Xu Qi flicked his wrist from behind, ordering the primal elements to do his bidding.

A gust of wind coming from different directions rushed towards Zhang Han's open mouth.

Unsure of what was happening, Zhang Han's eyes bulged as the wind invaded his mouth, preventing him from finishing his sentence.

His cheeks puffed out comically, and his hair whipped around his face. The surrounding disciples couldn't help but snicker at the sight.

It looked like what kids do when they stand before an electric fan with their mouths open.

"Sorry, you're saying something?" Xu Qi feigned innocence, his eyes dancing with mischief as Zhang Han sputtered and coughed, the primal elements of wind continued to play havoc with his hair.

Seeing Xu Qi's calm expression, he started believing it was the trick of the trash. To get away from the wind, Zhang Han had to jump back and close his mouth, looking utterly ridiculous with his hair sticking up in every direction and his face red as a tomato.

Zhang Han clenched his fists, his face reddening with anger as he struggled to regain his composure amidst the laughter of the nearby disciples.

His qi flared up and the ground trembled beneath his feet. A clear sign of his agitation.

Xu Qi, sensing that Zhang Han might just charge at him, prepared himself while still acting innocently.

He stood up and dusted himself but secretly, his qi continued sending the nearby primal elements to sabotage Zhang Han's every move.

"Damn you, Xu Qi!" Zhang Han roared, his face a mask of fury as he charged towards Xu Qi. The other disciples quickly scattered, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire of their animosity.

"Oh? Am I damned? Brother Zhang Han, you come in here raging. What did I ever do to you?" Xu Qi replied in pure calmness.

The surrounding disciples knew that what happened had to do with him, but like Zhang Han, they had no idea how he accomplished it.

Before Zhang Han could reach him, Xu Qi stepped aside gracefully, letting the earth beneath him crack slightly under Zhang Han's stomping steps.

However, he was still a beat slower than Zhang Han, the guy's qi rampaged towards him like a bull.

Frowning slightly at the discomfort from the pressure that he couldn't hide anymore, Xu Qi whispered to the earth beneath him.

He didn't dare use a large-scale movement of qi, so he kept it subtle.

As Zhang Han was about to turn and chase after him, the ground underneath his feet suddenly wobbled and became unstable.

He lost his momentum, causing the enraged cultivator to stumble.

At this point, the entire training hall had stopped to watch the spectacle unfold.

And upon seeing what had just happened, the sound of laughter grew louder as Zhang Han stumbled forward, his face a picture of shock and embarrassment.