Eloquent Ascent

"Did you trip on something? Someone, quick help our esteemed senior disciple Zhang Han!" Xu Qi called out with mock concern, his voice echoing through the training hall.

However, it was with more snickers and chuckles. No one dared to come near Zhang Han.

"XU QI!!!"

As if something snapped, Zhang Han's furious shout echoed through the training hall, his eyes burning with rage as he regained his footing.

Yet beneath that rage, he was also totally confused, he was now a fifth stage Elemental Awakener, why could he not hit Xu Qi? Why were the primal elements going against his way?

He could even feel that resonating with the elements became so difficult some of his techniques failed to activate.

However, before Zhang Han could lunge again, a sudden gust of wind picked up, sending dust and debris swirling into the air.

Xu Qi felt a rush of energy appearing beside him.

There, he saw Ling Lian appear with a fierce look on her face, her eyes ablaze with the power of the fifth stage Elemental Awakener. She stepped gracefully between them, her hands raised in a protective stance.

"Zhang Han," She called out, her voice steady and firm, "Your anger is clouding your judgment. Xu Qi is a fellow disciple. If you have grievances, take them to the elders, not here where we are all striving to better ourselves."

Truthfully, Ling Lian had been here all this time, she had been watching the events unfold especially when she noticed Xu Qi's calmness and lack of fear.

While others were still in doubt whether everything happened because of Xu Qi, Ling Lian was certain. He was so clever with his use of his peculiar abilities that he managed to embarrass Zhang Han without laying a single hand on him.

Zhang Han's face was beet red with anger, his teeth grinding as he stared at Xu Qi with murder in his eyes. But this was Ling Lian, the woman he had a crush on and she had just stood up for Xu Qi.

Somehow, he felt like he had been slapped with a wet towel. Add the humiliation he just suffered that he became a laughingstock, the embarrassment, and rage within him flared up to a boil.

"Xu Qi! Stop hiding behind women and fight me like a man!" Zhang Han bellowed, his voice resonating through the training hall as he glared at the unflappable Xu Qi.

But Xu Qi merely looked at him in disdain before shamelessly hiding behind Ling Lian.

Why would he fight him head-on? He had to be mentally deranged to attempt that.

"C-coward!" Seeing that, Zhang Han angrily roared, his chest filled with fury at the shameless disciple. His gaze then landed on Ling Lian, "Do you want to protect this trash, Ling Lian? Fine! I'll remember it! In the Test of Competence, he cannot hide behind you anymore!"

As he spat that, he then turned around and left.

However, as he started walking away, Xu Qi couldn't resist the urge to leave him with a parting gift in exchange for his threat.

He whispered to the air again, and a gentle breeze picked up. This time, it wasn't just to ruffle Zhang Han's hair or fill his mouth; it was a tailored gust of wind that found its way into the crevice of his sect robes, lifting them up high.

In front of everyone, Zhang Han's face went from red to purple as the fabric of his robe billowed around his waist, revealing his undergarments to the amusement of the gathered crowd.

One by one, the training hall erupted into laughter and Xu Qi couldn't help but chuckle quietly behind Ling Lian.

The moment Zhang Han realized his predicament, he stopped in his tracks and hastily tried to pull his robes down. However, Xu Qi's whispers this time had been too precise. He totally aimed to add another embarrassment to Zhang Han's name, using a bit more of his qi.

The fabric of Zhang Han's robes remained stubbornly elevated, exposing his meager asset down there. It was so small there wasn't even a bulge.

Seeing that, the snickers grew louder, and a few of the bolder disciples pointed and laughed openly, forgetting that Zhang Han was stronger than them.

"Stop it," Ling Lian chided, swatting at Xu Qi's hand that was subtly moving with the gestures of his whispers. Her cheeks were flushed as she held back her laughter. "You've had your fun. Leave him be."

Xu Qi shrugged, a mischievous grin secretly playing on his lips as he ceased his control over the wind. Zhang Han's robes fell back into place, and he quickly stormed out of the training hall, the sound of his footsteps echoing angrily through the cavernous space.

The laughter followed him, a symphony of mockery that seemed to linger in the air even after he was gone.

Ling Lian turned to face Xu Qi, pulling him to the side, her eyes shining with a mix of exasperation and concern.

"You know, you really shouldn't provoke him like that," She started, her voice carrying a gentle scolding tone. "What if he decides to take it too far?"

"I didn't start it. Besides, I know my limits. I was planning to run away if it got too dangerous," Xu Qi replied honestly.

Ling Lian sighed, her expression a blend of exasperation and affection as she took Xu Qi's arm and led him away from the still-chuckling crowd.

"You know, your mouth is going to get you in trouble one of these days," She said, her voice carrying a hint of a warning.

Xu Qi couldn't help but feel a warmth in his chest at her protective nature, despite the light scolding. "Thank you for backing me up, Ling Lian."

"You're welcome, but really, you need to be more careful," she said, her grip on his arm tightening slightly. "Your words might charm the ladies, but they could also land you in a world of trouble with someone like Zhang Han."

"I'll keep that in mind," Xu Qi nodded, his expression turning serious for a brief moment before the corners of his mouth curled into a cheeky smile.

Ling Lian rolled her eyes but couldn't help but chuckle at his antics. "Let's go find you a different training hall."

The two of them exited the hall, leaving the giggling disciples behind.