Eloquent Ascent

"Sister Ling Lian, for the record, he's still three stages higher than me. I believe my chances of winning are still low." Xu Qi replied with a smirk, not backing down from the challenge.

Ling Lian chuckled, "You're always full of surprises, aren't you? But this spar isn't just for fun. Let me gauge your true strength and determine if you're ready to face Zhang Han. He will definitely come after you," she said, her eyes gleaming with determination. "But don't worry, if I meet him during the Test of Competence, I'll give you a bonus and weaken him by beating him up.

Along with her graceful laughter that was also chilling to the core, Ling Lian lunged forward, the wind, coalescing with her qi, transformed into a sharp blade that sliced through the air toward him.

Another spell in her arsenal.

He knew that it was definitely going to cut him if he faced it head-on.

Xu Qi whispered to the earth beneath his feet, feeling the ground answer to his bidding. The fabric of its reality turning.

He might not yet be able to pull the ground up like those so-called 'Earthbenders', but the tremor he caused facilitated his jump as he shot upwards, launching himself like a catapult.

The room echoed with the sound of his ascent as he gracefully avoided Ling Lian's first wind blade.

When he dropped to the ground, Xu Qi did his best to avoid more wind blades before running away again, finding an angle to counterattack.

With how numerous the blades Ling Lian could produce and throw his way, his sect robes gradually became tattered as cuts formed whenever they grazed at him.

In this kind of rhythm, their spar grew more intense. Each of them using their respective elemental affinities to their fullest.

Xu Qi's whispers to the primal elements grew more seductive, coaxing them to obey his every command, more often blocking the attacks for him. The wind and earth obeyed his every whim, wrapping around him protectively as he continued dodging and resisting Ling Lian's swift strikes.

Soon, their movements grew more intricate, a dance of power that filled the training hall with a symphony of natural forces.

If someone would peek, they'd probably wonder how a second stage Elemental Awakener could keep up with a fifth stage who's even at the peak of it.

As Xu Qi's whispers grew louder, his voice started carrying the weight of the elements themselves.

However, it was when Xu Qi tried something new that Ling Lian felt something she hadn't expected.

A strange sensation shook her body as though she was about to lose control. When she tried to focus, Ling Lian found out that his words were becoming more than just sound waves to seduce the primal elements.

As her qi grew more unstable, her movements became less precise.

Xu Qi noticed that and took the opportunity to push for an advantage. He whispered to the wind, shaping the elements into small wind blades around him, blocking her attacks and counter attacking as they spiraled toward her.

Ling Lian still managed to dodge that but it didn't take long before she felt a sudden surge of power, her fifth stage Elemental Awakener qi growing more potent than ever before.

The room grew silent as the wind blades dissipated around her, revealing a newfound strength in her eyes.

"What...what did you do?" Ling Lian panted, her eyes wide with shock and confusion.

Xu Qi stepped back, his face mirroring hers. "I wasn't sure either. But I think... I might have whispered sweet nothings to your qi,"

Although the way he worded it was playful, Xu Qi might truly have done just that. He had never stopped experimenting on how to use his Celestial Eloquence. He knew it wouldn't stop with just whispering to the primal elements. So he had to try…

And here was the result.

Her cheeks flushed, Ling Lian forego her attack and closed their distance, her hand reaching for his chest. "How is that possible?"

Xu Qi took a deep breath, feeling his heart racing. He didn't know the exact mechanism, but his words became powerful.

"It's... part of the enlightenment. I tried if I could disrupt your qi flow," Xu Qi replied, his voice a mix of excitement and caution. He whispered to her qi and seduced it. That was the exact sequence.

"But that's not all," she murmured, her hand still resting on his chest, "Your words, they... they resonated with my qi."

Xu Qi knew she was not lying. He could also feel it. As if the qi that had been seduced became part of him but it also remained to be hers. That resonation spelled harmony. Maybe he could do more in the future but this one… he had to fully understand.

"They did... Wanna see me try it again?" He asked.

Ling Lian nodded, her eyes sparkled with anticipation.

"The spar isn't over yet," Xu Qi said with his voice carrying the gentle command of the elements, "Let me try as we continue. Maybe this new... resonance could prove to be more than what it seemed."

Ling Lian nodded, her eyes shimmering with delight at the prospect. Even though it wasn't her ability, she had this feeling that it would also be beneficial to her.

She stepped back and took a deep breath, her qi swirling around her once more.

Xu Qi felt the power emanating from her, stronger and more focused than before.

Ling Lian had no plans of pulling back her punches now.

Xu Qi whispered to the wind and earth, urging them to wrap around him like a second and third skin.

Their spar resumed, with Xu Qi also using the wind to enhance his speed and agility, the earth his defense, and the meager fire his offense.

On the other hand, Ling Lian's wind blade grew more precise and powerful.

Each time their qis clashed, Xu Qi would whisper to hers, trying to disrupt and redirect her attacks. It was a delicate dance, one that could either lead to victory or disaster.

He would succeed at times but fail most of the time, causing him to be grazed by her attacks. Pain lined up his body as some of his blood was drawn.

As the minutes ticked by, Ling Lian's movements grew more erratic. Her qi started resonating more with Xu Qi's whispers, seduced by his words.

The air in the training hall grew tense and thick with anticipation toward the unknown.

With a final, powerful whisper that almost drained Xu Qi's qi storage, he managed to overload Ling Lian's qi.

The young woman's body trembled. Her eyes rolled back as she became like a kite with its strings cut, falling from above after her jump.

Xu Qi instantly noticed that and caught her, his heart racing with concern.

"Ling Lian! Are you okay?" Xu Qi checked on her state, his breath warm against her cheek.

A few seconds later, Ling Lian's eyes fluttered open, and looked up at him with a dazed expression. But the swirl of qi around her started to create something different. Something violent.

"I... I think I'm about to break through,"

Upon saying that, she pushed herself away from Xu Qi's embrace, standing on wobbly legs.