Eloquent Ascent

Upon noticing the martial art that Xu Qi had started practicing, Ling Lian glanced over occasionally. She couldn't help but get distracted especially when he was deviating from the basic set of movements.

Due to that, she would pause her practice briefly to offer advice or correct his posture.

Despite her initial skepticism, she couldn't deny the rapid progress Xu Qi was making. She felt like it wouldn't take long for him to catch up to her which gave rise to her motivation to continue striving further.

The Test of Competence was just the start. Once she reached the inner court, she already set a goal for herself.

To reach the Elemental Synthesis realm before Xu Qi does.

Oblivious to Ling Lian's thoughts, Xu Qi didn't just take her guidance for granted. As a repayment for her assistance, he wrapped his arms around Ling Lian and whispered to her qi, stimulating her own practice.

And because of that, they found themselves getting drawn to more intimacy from each other as they exchanged occasional kisses that the two of them couldn't get enough of.

With their boundaries already gone. It was already this easy for them to fall into the same intimate situation. Even if they didn't want to put a label on what kind of relationship they now shared, their fates were already bound to each other.

That aside, they didn't let that get in the way of their practice.

As he performed the basic movement set, the Wind Whisper Art that Xu Qi practiced required precision and speed. Two things Xu Qi lacked in his former life as a telemarketer. But through Ling Lian's help and his whispers to the primal elements of wind, he filled that just enough to attain the basic proficiency.

WIth her urging, he took a deep breath and focused his qi to stimulate the primal elements around him.

With the twinkling of the seduced elements, Xu Qi performed the basic movement set as the scroll's instructions dictated while allowing his qi to coat his movements, delivering the punches and kicks with force.

The air whistled as his limbs cut through it.

Little by little. His movements grew more fluid. The wind around him gained force with each step he took, each flick of his arms and feet. He whispered to the wind, his words a gentle coax that soon had the air obeying his every command.

Satisfied at his showing, the young woman had him do it for ten more sets to ensure that the movements would be ingrained in his head.

After that, she left him alone to continue practicing on his own, confident that Xu Qi could successfully perform its movements during a fight.

Ling Lian returned to her practice right after with a new surge of motivation from Xu Qi's showing.

Xu Qi thanked her again for the help before turning to the next scroll.

"Now then. I have a basic martial art but a spell like this will also give me an edge against anyone else."

Reading the inscription on the scroll, Xu Qi's face once again felt the heat on it.

The Flamebird Sprite.

As soon as he picked it up, he understood. It was truly a different beast altogether.

While Elder Liu downplayed her description of it, she mentioned that it was rare and it came from the inner court.

As he read through the incantations and inscriptions, he realized how high level the spell is.

It required not only mastery over fire but also a deep connection with the element.

Normally, an Elemental Awakener shouldn't be using such a spell because of how high its requirement. Elder Liu possibly gave it to him as a test or her own gamble about his talent.

Xu Qi sat cross-legged in the corner of the hall in order not to disturb Ling Lian.

He laid the scroll before him and studied the living characters dancing within his vision, tracing the fiery phoenix that danced across the page.

After calming down the primal element surrounding him through his words, he began to murmur. His soothing voice weaved the incantations into the very fabric of the flames that danced in a small brazier nearby.

The fire grew brighter and the primal elements of fire rejoiced as they obeyed his command.

The flames stretched out to caress the scroll and himself as if eager to be one with the power it contained. To activate the spell written within.

Slowly, the incantation grew more complex and Xu Qi felt the strain in his qi and his body.

It felt like he was about to melt having been surrounded by dense primal elements of fire. 

Eventually, the flames swirled and coalesced into the form of a fiery bird. Not the same as what Elder Liu conjured but similarly daunting.

Xu Qi whispered to it and let it hover above his palm.

He smiled at his success but at the same, his dantian was crying.

His qi gradually drained and the flamebird flew up high before dissipating into embers.

Ling Lian watched in amazement, her own practice forgotten.

"What the heck? You're a freak, Xu Qi. How are you learning that spell scroll at your current level?"

He grinned at her as he humbly explained, tapping the side of his chin, "You know. It's the usual. I've had a way with words that allowed me to communicate to the primal element of fire. I think it's just a matter of speaking to the fire nicely."

Ling Lian rolled her eyes, not entirely believing him in his explanation. But at the same time, she knew the mysteriousness of his methods. She experienced it herself, after all.

"There you go again! Hurry up and practice. Then I'll let you test that on me." The young woman teased with a voice echoing through the training hall, snapping Xu Qi out of his momentary pride.

Their banter was a welcome relief from the tension of the impending Test of Competence. Xu Qi knew that the true challenge was not just mastering new techniques, but also maintaining the façade of his Elemental Awakener cultivation while secretly practicing the Elemental Whisperer path.

Time passed and Xu Qi continued his practice of both spell and martial art. Coaxing the wind and fire to aid him in executing both before lavishing underneath the glow of the high-grade elemental stone, replenishing his used qi and pushing his cultivation base closer to the next stage.

In his defense, he's not wasting it. He's using the resources to push himself further up the ranks, closing the gap between him and the other outer court disciples from the same batch.

Ling Lian joined him during those time as they both steadily grow stronger during the last day before the Test of Competence.