Chapter 24: Warm-Up Before the Battle

"It's... it's him!" Xu Dahuo's body trembled, his face drained of all color, cold sweat pouring down his forehead, his very soul seeming to flee in terror.

"Xu Xuan, it's Little Xuan!" cried out many of the youths from the Xu family in the village, stunned into shouting.

"What happened? It looked just now as if he fell straight from the sky!"

"Scared me half to death..."

The entire courtyard of the academy was thrown into chaos, a cacophony of astonished voices.

Every gaze fixed upon the figure at the center of the settling dust, a silhouette rooted like an ancient tree.

At that moment, Xu Xuan's body was curved like a serpent, his toes dug into the earth, torso arched backward, hovering half an inch above the ground.

From a distance, he resembled a lithe snake, winding and undulating.

That a human body could twist and fold itself to such an extent was astonishing enough—worse still was the realization that he executed this feat, far beyond the limits of bone and muscle, with seeming ease.

"Brother, you finally appeared!" Xu Huilan exclaimed in relief, her delicate fists clenched tight with excitement.

Standing beside her, Father Xu's face finally relaxed into a rare smile, breathing a long sigh of relief.

Yet a hint of bewilderment crept into his expression: this child... did he really fall from the sky?

Moments before, his eyes had never left the academy gate, yet the person he was waiting for had appeared not from there, but as if from nowhere at all.

He was not alone; Xu Xiaohu also kept a nervous eye on the gate, his heart uneasy.

If Xu Xuan appeared, his own chance of entering the town school would become vanishingly small.

Yet the person he least wished to see was precisely the one who, at the last possible instant, seemed to fall straight out of the heavens.

From the sky!

The moment Xu Xiaohu recognized that figure, his heart skipped a beat and a cold shudder ran through him.

It felt as if he'd fallen from heaven into hell—bitterness and helplessness churned within him.

He glanced toward his father, tongue-tied. "Father, how did Xu Xuan..."

Just a moment earlier, his father had guaranteed Xu Xuan would not appear.

Yet his question trailed off unfinished.

He had noticed his father's face had turned ashen, beads of sweat dripping down, an expression of utter panic and despair overtaking him.

As the dust settled, a surge of energy coursed through Xu Xuan's body; his toes seemed to spring from the ground, his posture snapping upright like a drawn bow.

His gaze swept coolly around the martial arena.

At once, the crowd fell silent.

His eyes were calm, yet carried an eagle's cold sharpness, as if they could pierce straight through to one's soul.

When his gaze landed on a particular spot, it lingered for a heartbeat.

A muffled groan escaped Xu Dahuo's lips as he was paralyzed by that frigid, emotionless stare—a strange pressure he could not name pressing in on him.

On the far side of the arena, Yang Xiaoqian's bright eyes widened in astonishment—she was sizing up, for the first time, the youth she had always overlooked.

Xu Xuan's gaze met hers, direct and unwavering, and then moved away without the slightest hesitation.

"Heavens, is that really Xu Xuan?" the maidservant Little Hong gasped in disbelief.

Before them stood Xu Xuan, tall and slender, his eyes keen and remote, his breathing measured—a presence far beyond that of other boys his age.

Was this truly the shy, frail boy she remembered?

In half a month's time, Xu Xuan had grown a full foot taller, his frame strong and well-proportioned, no longer the scrawny youth of before. His skin was fair and tinged with healthy red, vitality shining in his eyes.

Even in the midst of a crowd, he stood out like a crane among chickens.

Since beginning his cultivation of the "Nine Transformations of Dragon and Snake," Xu Xuan's body had undergone remarkable change—his constitution now far surpassed the ordinary.

...

"Xu Xuan? Is this the promising talent you spoke of, Master Dong?" In the center of the grandstand, the elegant female examiner's face betrayed excitement.

"Yes, that's Xu Xuan, the rising star of our village," answered Old Dong, stroking his beard with a smile, clearly surprised himself as he watched Xu Xuan.

As the two conversed, the two young men in the arena locked eyes.

Xu Xuan looked across at his opponent, clad in blue scholar's robes—a handsome and refined youth. He was taken aback; he had not expected to face the formidable young master of the Great Xu family.

The three great families of Yangmu Village were powerful and wealthy; the children they raised were not to be compared with those of ordinary homes.

"Heh, Xu Xuan, had you not come, I would have been disappointed," the young master Xu Yuan said lightly, his earlier surprise quickly replaced by calm composure.

Even faced with the overpowering presence of Xu Xuan, who had descended like a thunderbolt, this Xu scion remained unshaken and confident.

If you hadn't come, I would have been disappointed?

Many among the fighters present could not help but admire Xu Yuan's poise.

But Xu Xuan harbored deep dislike for him.

Especially in the past half year, as his sister Huilan had grown more lovely and pure, this young master had begun to covet her.

Though Xu Yuan was not a villain, and was even known for his affability, he was infamous as a philanderer who toyed with the hearts of countless naïve girls—discarding them without mercy once he had his way.

As her brother, how could Xu Xuan allow such a rake to lay a finger on Huilan?

"Disappointed? I suspect Young Master Xu is merely worried that, without the likes of me for contrast, you would lose your chance to truly shine," Xu Xuan replied, his tone indifferent.

"You..." Xu Yuan faltered, a shadow flickering in his eyes.

He had hoped to display his magnanimity, but his opponent saw through to his posturing and blocked him with a single phrase, leaving him both startled and furious.

Yet, being a man concerned with reputation, Xu Yuan forced himself to remain composed, though in his heart he seethed.

"You may begin," the female examiner announced from the grandstand, her tone cool yet with a glimmer of anticipation in her eyes.

As her words faded, Xu Yuan lowered his stance and took a step forward, his energy surging, yet his body still as a post.

Xu Xuan's expression grew grave—he dared not underestimate this opponent.

From his posture alone, it was clear Xu Yuan had been taught by a master and practiced a superior body-tempering art—a world apart from the likes of Xu Xiaohu.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh...

Xu Xuan shifted into a peculiar rhythm of breathing, his heart entering a state of clear, unruffled calm.

His senses sharpened dramatically; he could even sense the faint beating of his opponent's heart.

Xu Yuan, on the other hand, felt as if his very soul was being laid bare by Xu Xuan's gaze.

The two stood apart, neither making the first move.

At last, Xu Xuan remained rooted where he stood, but his torso and limbs began to curl and contract in strange, supple motions.

The movements were odd, yet smooth and controlled.

"What is he doing?"

"Looks so awkward—is he dancing?"

Some among the spectators were puzzled; others snickered.

Xu Yuan was baffled, unable to discern the intent behind these actions, and dared not act rashly, but prepared himself for anything.

Through this slow activation, Xu Xuan's blood and energy flowed ever more smoothly, his limbs growing both stronger and more flexible, his power steadily gathering—preparing to reach his peak...

"He's warming up!" someone in the crowd exclaimed, instantly enlightening the rest.

A warm-up—of course!

To perform such a blatant warm-up before his opponent—how audacious...

Xu Yuan nearly coughed up blood in anger, an unnamable fury rising in his chest.

In truth, Xu Xuan had not set out to provoke; these slow movements came naturally, a means of adjusting himself.

After plunging from the sky, the force of impact had left him with lingering bruises—his muscles and energies not yet at their best.

"I've heard you've been taught by a master. Today, I, Xu Yuan, wish to see what you're truly capable of," Xu Yuan declared at last, unable to contain his anger, his qi and blood surging like a river.

His arms swelled, a reddish hue spreading across his palms, emanating an oppressive, suffocating force.

"Inner strength! Xu Yuan not only has fourth-level cultivation, but has also grasped inner strength!"

Many knowledgeable spectators saw through it at a glance.

"This is bad," muttered Xu's father in the crowd, worry clouding his eyes.

He had once been a leading figure in the village, his cultivation reaching the fourth or fifth stage of body refinement—his insight was considerable.

As inner strength gathered in his arms and palms, Xu Yuan vaulted into the air with remarkable agility, channeling his full power as he struck downward at Xu Xuan.

Remarkably, his leap and angle perfectly cut off Xu Xuan's retreat.

Xu Xuan was startled—this Xu Yuan was clearly adept in footwork and movement, leaving him nearly no chance to dodge.

Whoosh!

That palm, carrying a fierce wind, was upon him in a blink.

Xu Xuan drew a deep breath, bringing his arms together to block the full force of the blow.

"Bang... thud!"

The power in Xu Yuan's strike was like a wild horse unleashed, driving down with such force that Xu Xuan's body bent like a bow.

In half a breath, under that terrible pressure, Xu Xuan was forced down, his face flushed crimson.

It seemed he would be overwhelmed, the momentum irreversible.

Every spectator held their breath, watching the two—one crouched low, the other suspended—locked together like a living sculpture.

"He’s going to lose. Xu Xuan is going to lose..." Xu Xiaohu cried out inwardly, overjoyed.

(First chapter delivered; a plea for your support and recommendations!)